House of Lords
Parliament

From 11am, peers will ask questions to ministers. Subjects to be discussed include inquiries into the police, legal aid, childhood obesity and funding for non-Olympic sport.

The main business of the day is a general debate on the national security situation.

House of Commons
Parliament

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The SNP's Carol Monaghan asks what discussions have been had on the future of the aviation industry after the UK leaves the EU.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling says he regularly discusses the implications of Brexit with cabinet colleagues, and they regularly look at how the aviation sector will be affected after the UK leaves the European Union.

Ms Monaghan says that last month the first formal talks with the US on an "open skies" agreement between the UK and US were cut short because the Americans had offered an inferior offer to what was currently available. She asks if he will approach these negotiations "with a sense of reality" as to what an affect a hard Brexit will have on the UK.

Mr Grayling replies that "she shouldn't believe everything that she reads in the papers", he says that discussions between the UK and US have been "cordial", "going well and there are no issues".

House of Commons
Parliament

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Liberal Democrat Wera Hobhouse asks what steps are being taken to increase the number of public charging points for electric vehicles at commcerial and industrial centres.

Transport Minister Jesse Norman says that the UK is "building one of the best global charge point networks", and the government is working to install them in homes, work and residential streets through grants.

Ms Hobhouse states that in Bath the council is considering introducing a "clean air zone" which will disproportionately affect the less well off in the city, who tend to drive older cars. She asks if the government will consider introducing a scrappage scheme to encourage people to buy low emission or electric vehicles.

Mr Norman says that there are scrappage schemes in the market through the private sector, "and those look to continue".

House of Commons
Parliament

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Conservative Michael Fabricant asks what the government policy is on passenger services on the West Coast Main Line after the completion of High Speed 2.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling says that once HS2 comes into operation and moves existing fast trains off the West Coast Main Line, "that will provide a great opportunity to improve" services to smaller stops.

Mr Fabricant says that currently his constituency is served by two different services very well. He asks for assurances that the few hundred people in his constituency who commute to London won't lose their existing service.

Mr Grayling replies that those services "have many years to go". He says this will "provide the opportunity for more trains to stop at Lichfield".

House of Commons
Parliament

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First question today in Transport questions comes from Labour's Graham Jones, who wants to know what the government is doing to simplify rail fares.

Transport Minister Jo Johnson says that by the end of 2018 all passengers will have the option of a smart ticket which will give passengers "much greater choice".

Mr Jones asks what plans are in place to make sure that "split ticketing does not erode the trust" in the rail system.

He asks what can be done to ensure ticket machines and offices provide "the cheapest option".

Mr Johnson states that it is important that train operators "look very carefully at their arrangements" and that it is important that passengers get the right fares for them.

House of Commons
Parliament

The day kicks off with Transport questions at 9:30 in the House of Commons. Then there'll be the usual Business statement from Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom, notifying of upcoming business in the Commons.

There are no urgent questions or statements scheduled today.

Then, there are two backbench debates scheduled, one on surgical mesh and one on cancer treatment.

The Commons is expected to rise at around 5:30pm.

Welcome to today's coverage of the House of Commons and House of Lords. We'll be turning to Transport questions in a few minutes, with backbench debates lined up for later today.

There are no urgent questions or ministerial statements planned.

Today in Parliament
Today in Parliament

You can listen to the Lords inflicting two defeats on the government on the EU Withdrawal Bill and to the fierce exchanges at Prime Minister's Questions over the treatment of the Windrush generation on Today in Parliament at 11.30pm on Radio 4.

The programme will also be reporting on how real fur is being passed off as fake fur in high street shops and online and on how many MPs think the "time is up for pathetic excuses" on the gender pay gap.

Tonight's programme is presented by Keith Macdougall.

And you can listen back to it here.

House of Lords
Parliament

The House of Lords adjourns after a day in which the government suffered two defeats on the EU Withdrawal Bill.

Peers will return for questions to ministers tomorrow at 11am.

Lords voted by 348 to 225 in favour of a plan requiring ministers to report on steps to negotiate a continued union.

The government also lost a vote on a second amendment aimed at ensuring that existing protections from EU law cannot be changed - except by primary legislation, by 314 to 217.

The next day of report stage is 23 April.

House of Commons
Parliament

In the Commons today, PMQs got heated with the session lasting 44 minutes. Jeremy Corbyn posed questions on the Windrush controversy and the treatment of those without correct documentation by the NHS.

Two urgent questions followed, on gender pay gap reporting and a legal challenge from the devolved assemblies on Brexit legislation. The Laser Misuse (Vehicles) Bill received support from across the House of Commons.

Tomorrow will see Transport questions, the usual Thursday Commons Business statement, followed by two backbench debates on surgical mesh and then one on cancer treatment.

The Commons sits tomorrow at 9:30am.

House of Lords
Parliament

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Responding on behalf of the government to Baroness Kennedy's amendment on protecting rights created by EU family law, Lord Keen of Elie says "we don't consider it's realistically a way forward".

Instead, he says, the UK should continue to negotiate with EU states to achieve reciprocal rights under family law.

Baroness Kennedy then withdraws her amendment without a vote.

Peers back a proposal that seeks to retain the option of a customs union with the EU.

House of Lords
Parliament

Peers are now debating an amendment in the name of Labour's Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws, requiring ministers to publish a report within six months of the bill's passage outlining the ways in which the rights afforded by EU family law continue to exist in domestic law.

It's provoking some lively discussion among various lawyers in the Lords, but it's unlikely to go to a vote.

House of Lords
Parliament

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Government spokesperson Baroness Goldie rejects the case put forward for carrying over EU directives arising from the European Communities Act after Brexit.

She says they're "not a part of domestic law now" and so should not be after Brexit.

It would result in certainty being "undermined", she warns, and "the real consequence would be confusion".

Lord Deben is unhappy with her response, but agrees to withdraw his amendmment without a vote.

House of Lords
Parliament

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Speaking for Labour, Lord Goldsmith offers support for the amendment on preserving rights under the European Communities Act.

It would allow EU directives themselves to be preserved, not just the national laws derived from them.

He says the government assured voters we would "leave with same protections the day after as we had the day before" and this amendment would "ensure that promise is kept".

House of Lords
Parliament

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Peers move on to the next amendment, with Conservative Lord Deben introducing a proposal that any rights, powers, liabilities, obligations, restrictions, remedies and procedures which form part of domestic law by virtue of the European Communities Act 1972 continue on and after exit day.

He argues the government has "not put all those things which protect us into the bill" as it said it would.

"Why can't we carry on with [these rights] until we want to change it?" he asks.

House of Lords
Parliament

Peers vote 314 to 217 for the Labour amendment, meaning a second government defeat this evening.

The amendment is designed to ensure that retained EU law relating to key areas such as employment rights, equality protections and environmental standards cannot be amended, repealed or revoked after exit day unless done so by primary legislation or subordinate legislation which is subject to an enhanced scrutiny procedure.