Summary

  • Transport questions at start of day

  • Business statement next

  • Backbench debates on surgical mesh and cancer treatment

  • Lords questions at 11am

  • Lords debate on national security

  1. Question for the devolved administrations and Brexitpublished at 13:45 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

    Brexit and the devolved administrations urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Joanna CherryImage source, HoC

    The SNP's Joanna Cherry is asking an urgent question about the Brexit bills passed by two devolved Parliaments - the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly.

    The Attorney General, Jeremy Wright, says the Scotland Act and Wales Act allow the law officers to refer legislation to the Supreme Court in cases where legislation falls from legislative competence.

    He says the view of the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament was not within the legislative competence of the Parliament.

    He says the Scottish and Welsh continuity bills will frustrate the ability of the government on day one to allow legal certainty for the government on leaving the European Union.

    The SNP's Joanna Cherry says this matter is unprecedented and is the first time it has ever happened in Scotland. She says the Scottish government believes it is within their legislative competence and the most senior law officer in Scotland believes so, too.

    Mr Wright says it is an unprecedented situation, he adds it is also the first time the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament has advised that it is not within their legislative competence.

    He adds that a substantial portion of the bill going through the Scottish Parliament is actually amendments which the SNP failed in adding to the Westminster Bill on Brexit.

  2. Prime Minister's Questions: The verdictpublished at 13:40 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

    Theresa May clashed with Jeremy Corbyn over the Windrush scandal - here are the key bits.

    Read More
  3. Companies hire young men to balance out pay statisticspublished at 13:36 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

    Gender pay gap urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Stella CreasyImage source, HoC

    Labour's Stella Creasy says too may companies employ young men on lower wages to balance out their gender pay reporting.

    She adds that too many women are told to raise their complaint with HR and not take it further.

    Ms Atkins says she would like to meet Ms Creasy to discuss this. She says there is an issue of how women can feel "empowered" to raise this issue in the organisations they work in.

  4. Culture in these organisations prevents equal paypublished at 13:35 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

    Gender pay gap urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Jess PhillipsImage source, HoC

    Labour's Jess Phillips asks what the government is doing, because it is "not the fault of women", it is the culture in these organisations which prevents equal pay.

    Ms Atkins says that she asks women, if they know of companies which are not operating properly, to contact her. But, she adds, this is a matter for the EHRC. She says that as public opinion changes on the matter, the companies will change their stance.

  5. Women lose their jobs due to pregnancypublished at 13:22 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

    Gender pay gap urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Jo SwinsonImage source, HoC

    Liberal Democrat Jo Swinson says that it is more than employers reporting on their gender pay gaps, it's more to do with the women who lose their jobs due to pregnancy and underpayment of professions like carers because these professions are dominated by women.

    Ms Atkins says she is pleased that companies have followed the government's best practice guidance.

    She says the government have seen good plans on balancing the number of female pilots on easyJet's workforce.

  6. 'Very concerning' that there are 1,500 companies which haven't reportedpublished at 13:21 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

    Gender pay gap urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Alison ThewlissImage source, HoC

    The SNP's Alison Thewliss says that it is "very concerning" that there are 1,500 companies which have still failed to report.

    She asks if the government will give more resources to the EHRC so that work is not missed.

    She says that the current time limits on bringing forward a pregnancy discrimination case are far too short, and should be six months.

    Ms Atkins replies that the EHRC is now dealing with employers which still have not reported since 9 April.

    They are considering each company which hasn't come forward, she says, all public sector bodies have reported in full.

  7. Clarification after PMQs about Windrush documentspublished at 13:13 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

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  8. Labour calls for UK to follow Iceland in gender equalitypublished at 13:11 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

    Gender pay gap urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Dawn ButlerImage source, HoC

    Shadow Women and Equalities Minister Dawn Butler says that Labour's Equality Act 2010 was "just step one" of a five point programme to eliminate the gender pay gap.

    She says the government is "welcome to steal" the ideas given by Labour at the time. She says Labour wants to follow in the footsteps of Iceland which "consistently ranks number one in the world for gender equality".

    Ms Atkins says she is "more ambitious" than Ms Butler. She wants the culture of schools and universities to change, and it cannot be imposed from the top down. She says she hopes women will ask "difficult questions of their employers".

    She says the first year that these figures are published was always "going to be a bit of a learning exercise". There are more companies than the government's own initial estimates that meet the criteria of work on the gender pay gap.

    The gender pay gap is currently a record low of 9.1%, a figure which is still too high, she adds.

  9. Windrush campaigner calls for clarity following PMQspublished at 13:10 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

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  10. Pregnancy discrimination cases can be extended at tribunalspublished at 13:08 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

    Gender Pay Gap urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee Maria Miller says that the announcement will bring "a momentum for change" and she asks if Ms Atkins will outline the work the government will do on the causes of the gender pay gap.

    She says women still endure pregnancy pay discrimination.

    Ms Atkins says she "completely endorse[s]" what she has said.

    Employment tribunals now have the power to extend beyond their current three month time limit in cases of pregnancy discrimination.

  11. PMQs: the verdictpublished at 13:06 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

    Analysis

    Mark D'Arcy
    Parliamentary Correspondent

    Theresa May and Jeremy CorbynImage source, hoc

    That was just about as bitter a PMQs exchange as Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn have had.

    The PM was accused of pandering to fears about immigration and creating a Home Office that was “heartless and hopeless”.

    But the PM was prepared.

    A critical detail in the Windrush saga is the destruction of critical immigration records – and she said that decision was taken under a Labour government.

    It was a point of detail which tripped the Labour leader up – and his voice increasingly had that edge of anger that creeps in in pressure situations.

    The PM had, courtesy of a former special advisor, Neil O’Brien, already taken the opportunity to lay out her position before Mr Corbyn rose – and she didn’t give an inch, in the face of intense attack in an unruly House.

    And her lashback about Labour’s internal battle over anti-Semitism delighted her side.

    Cornered on unfavourable ground, the PM won this exchange – although Jeremy Corbyn’s succession of pointed phrases are doubtless already running on Facebook, and will play well with his target voters.

    The Speaker intervened several times to quieten the House and rebuke hecklers – at one point complaining of “stupid” behaviour. Although he didn’t name the miscreants. The atmosphere was poisonous – and with the political temperature rising, it will probably continue to curdle.

    No-one expects sugary matiness at PMQs, but this kind of mutual contempt is corrosive.

    Predictably (although I failed to predict it) there were plenty of questions pegged to the Commonwealth summit, taking place a short distance away.

    Nigel Evans raised the issue of gay rights in Commonwealth countries, Stella Creasey complained about an extradition case.

    And in 40 minutes, no-one mentioned Brexit.

  12. Harman: women 'have always known' about gender pay gappublished at 12:59 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

    Gender pay urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Harriet Harman says the minister has an "obvious commitment" to the issue and lauds the Conservatives for implementing something legislated for by Labour.

    She says it's laying bare something women "have always known".

    She lays out a number of egregious examples, including women on checkouts in Tesco earning £8 an hour while men in the warehouse earn £11, and a 90% gap in bonuses paid out by the University of Liverpool.

    Ms Harman says narrowing the gender pay gap is the "most important thing" in the fight to combat child poverty. She suggests a summit in Downing Street to sort out the gaps.

    Victoria Atkins says it'd be a "little above" her station to "commandeer Downing Street" but she assures Harriet Harman that the home secretary is paying close attention to the issue.

  13. Minister: more than 10,000 companies have reported their gender pay gappublished at 12:57 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

    Gender pay urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Harriet HarmanImage source, hoc

    Labour's Harriet Harman has tabled an urgent question on government action to narrow the gender pay gap.

    Minister Victoria Atkins says it is "unacceptable" that there is any difference between the way women and men are paid.

    She says she's "delighted" that as of yesterday, 10,055 companies have reported their gender pay gap to the government.

    She says that the government is now working with employers to help close their pay gap.

  14. Creasy demands action over extradition requestpublished at 12:56 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

    Prime Minister's Questions

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Labour's Stella Creasy says that in 2009 Michelle Samaraweera was raped and murdered in the UK.

    She says the accused man in this case has been "avoiding extradition [from India] for this and eight other charges of sexual violence against women in Walthamstow".

    She says there have been 47 hearings to date, and the "judge didn't show up for seven of them, and seven different judges have been appointed".

    She asks her to discuss this with Prime Minister Modi.

    Mrs May says she has already met PM Modi for bilateral discussions.

    There are a number of issues of extradition between the UK and India currently. It's important that the government continues to uphold the independent of the judiciary in both countries, she adds.

  15. Concern over Shop Direct job lossespublished at 12:51 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

    Prime Minister's Questions

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Debbie AbrahamsImage source, hoc

    Labour's Debbie Abrahams says that last week 2,000 jobs were lost in her constituency from Shop Direct, without any consultation with the unions or other leaders in the area.

    She asks for the PM to comment on the effects of automation in employment.

    Mrs May says that the DWP is putting in place a rapid response unit to deal with those people who have lost their jobs.

    She says the wider impact of automation on jobs needs looking into and she will ask the Business Secretary to discuss this with her.

  16. DUP: social media abuse must be tackled 'head on'published at 12:48 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

    Prime Minister's Questions

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    The DUP's Nigel Dodds says the "vile online social media" abuse received by MPs is a "testimony to how this must be tackled head on" and he asks if the prime minister will take steps to make sure these social media companies are held to account, and not the current "wild west" state of affairs.

    Mrs May says these platforms can be used for abuse, and she adds that the government is working on issues of abuse, and child abuse.

    She says these companies are not publishers, but they are not just social platforms either.

  17. Call to condemn billboards attacking PM Modipublished at 12:46 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

    Prime Minister's Questions

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Conservative Bob Blackman asks for condemnation of billboards in London attacking "our good friend, Prime Minister Modi" of India, and asks if she'll commend the contribution of the Indian disapora to the UK.

    Narendra Modi is in London for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. Billboards have been seen in the capital calling him a "fascist".

    Theresa May says the Indian diaspora "play an enormous role" in our economy and society and says she has discussed increasing links between the UK and India with Prime Minister Modi.

  18. Labour: what lessons can UK learn on targeting child trafficking?published at 12:45 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

    Prime Minister's Questions

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Labour's Frank Field asks why India is so "relatively speaking" successful in targeting child trafficking, and if there are lessons for the UK to learn from on this.

    Mrs May says she has already met and spoken to Prime Minister Modi about this issue and she looks forward to continuing discussions on this with his officials.

    Our BBC parliamentary correspondent Mark D'Arcy point out: Frank Field is one of the architects of the UK’s anti-slavery legislation.

  19. PM: Britain has responsibility to change hearts and minds on gay issuespublished at 12:44 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

    Prime Minister's Questions

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Nigel EvansImage source, hoc

    Conservative Nigel Evans raises anti-gay legislation still on the statute books in many Commonwealth countries, much of it, he says, dating from when Britain was "a very different place".

    Theresa May says Britain has a "special responsibility to help change hearts and minds on these issues".

    She says she "deeply regrets" Britain's legacy and that the government "stands ready to support" any Commonwealth government wanting to reform "outdated" legislation.

  20. Lifeboats 'fourth emergency service'published at 12:41 British Summer Time 18 April 2018

    Prime Minister's Questions

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Plaid Cymru's Ben Lake says that the RNLI serves as a fourth emergency service, and he asks if she agrees that his constituency of Ceredigion should have access to lifeboats, "whatever the weather".

    Mrs May says the RNLI "has a proud tradition" of being independent, and it is up to the RNLI where to be based.

    The government has given £3.5m to independent lifeboat charities since 2014 to help expand their operations and purchase new boats.