House of Commons
Parliament

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Liberal Democrat Norman Lamb says that in many cases the worries of debts can exacerbate mental ill health.

He says it is "very good that the government has been prepared to listen" and welcomes the work the government has done on this.

He says there needs to be more work "to protect vulnerable citizens". He says this is a "start" and that the government "needs to do much more to protect people's lives".

House of Commons
Parliament

Amendment 1, which would have required data on lending to be published annually by region, has failed to pass the Commons.

Ayes: 255

Noes: 293

Majority: 38

With that, the Commons moves on to debate amendment 5, tabled by Labour's Luciana Berger.

It requires the government to protect those who are suffering a mental health crisis, by requiring the secretary of state to receive advice on how best those suffering a mental health crisis could be helped from financial difficulty.

There were 23,000 people in England offered debt advice during a hospital visit last year, she says, and half of people suffering a mental health crisis have problem debt.

She calls for a "breathing space" to be allowed for those suffering from mental ill health.

House of Commons
Parliament

MPs have voted against amendment 39 to the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill, which would have required specific protections against vulnerable people and required an advisor to help them in tackling cold calls.

Ayes: 255

Noes: 293

Majority: 38

With that, MPs divide to vote on amendment 1, which would require the new financial guidance body to make and publish an annual report on different types of lending by district.

House of Commons
Parliament

The House of Commons divides to vote on amendment 39 to the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill, tabled by the SNP's Neil Gray.

The amendment specifically outlines who would be defined as "vulnerable" under the bill, and includes those who suffer long-term sickness or disability, carers, those on low incomes, and recipients of benefits.

The result is expected around 5:20pm.

House of Commons
Parliament

in response to requests from MPs to specifically prevent vulnerable people from cold callers, Economic Secretary to the Treasury John Glen says that defining vulnerable circumstances could narrow the remit.

With that, new clause 4 is accepted into the bill. It will specifically prevent cold calling in relation to pensions scams.

The UK and Welsh governments reach agreement over the long-running Brexit "power-grab" row.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Liberal Democrat Stephen Lloyd say the Liberal Democrats "welcome the bill today" but also believe it "does not go far enough".

He says that "TPS has proved somewhat ineffectual", and says that many people sign up to the Telephone Preference Service, but still receive phone calls from claims management companies.

He says that also banning cold calling companies from sharing data would give the Information Commissioner "two bites of the cherry" in trying to hand out fines to companies which do not follow the rules.

Westminster Hall

A debate on the Welsh language has just finished in Westminster Hall.

It was led by Plaid Cymru's Liz Saville Roberts on defamation of Welsh language speakers - it stems from a Sunday Times column by journalist Rod Liddle that, she says, effectively mocked the use of the Welsh language.

One Labour MP has just tweeted:

House of Lords
Parliament

For the Lib Dems, Lord Sharkey tells peers he is "very surprised" the bill has come before Parliament without a definition of whiplash.

He says this is something his party will want to return to, alongside the tariff limits for compensation and the question of who sets them.

He queries the government's assertion that there are too many fraudulent claims, citing figures which suggest the number of claims is falling.

House of Lords
Parliament

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Opening on the bill for Labour, Lord Beecham highlights that the new claims system will be "entirely based on the timescale and not the severity of the injury suffered".

He points out the differences between claims for injuries sustained in road traffic accidents and other forms of transport, asking: "Why should comparable injuries not receive comparable awards?"

He also raises concerns about how the parameters for compensation are set.

House of Lords
Parliament

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Peers now move to second reading of the Civil Liability Bill, external, which:

• subjects damages for whiplash claims to a tariff and requires medical evidence to be obtained before a claim is settled
• introduces regular reviews of personal injury discount rate
• changes the level of risk that an investor of damages is assumed to be willing to take in investing his or her lump sum award of damages for future financial loss from "very low" to "low".

Second reading is when peers debate the general principles of a bill.

Ministry of Justice spokesman Lord Keen of Elie says these changes will make the system "fairer, more certain and more sustainable in the future".

House of Commons
Parliament

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Shadow minister for pensions Jack Dromey says he heard experiences from a former Port Talbot worker who was scammed out of his pension. He says that 20 people he was in charge of also followed his advice, and now face "a much bleaker future".

He says there are 11 million pensioners who are targeted annually by cold callers. He says Labour is calling for cold calling from claims management companies and relating to pensions. They have also called for stronger punishments against companies which flout the rules, he adds.

Finally, he says, Labour want to introduce a ban of information sharing between these cold calling companies.

He hopes that "ministers will reflect further on this".

It is not only pensions which have been "blighted" by cold calling, he says, but it is also commonplace for companies specialising in claims management and holiday sickness to contact people.

"The UK has extraordinarily become the world leader, unfortunately, for holiday sickness claims," he says.

This is leading to potential price rises in the hotel sector abroad to deal with these claims, he states.

House of Lords
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Lib Dem Lord Campbell of Pittenweem is asking the equivalent of an urgent question on representations to the US concerning their continued support for the Iran Nuclear Deal.

The 2015 deal struck between Iran and six world powers lifted crippling economic sanctions on Iran in return for limitations to the country's controversial nuclear energy programme, which international powers feared Iran would use to create a nuclear weapon.

US President Trump has promised to dismantle it, and French President Emmanuel Macron has visited him in a bid to persuade him not to.

Foreign Office spokesman Earl of Courtown tells peers the government regards it as "a crucial agreement" and the UK is "engaging all partners" to seek its continued success.

Lord Campbell accuses the government of not treating the matter with sufficient urgency, when "the fabric of nuclear control is collapsing before our very eyes".

The Earl of Courtown says "all will be putting pressure on President Trump", highlighting Chancellor Merkel's forthcoming visit to the US.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Economic Secretary to the Treasury, John Glen, says the bill introduces provision to ban pensions cold calling, "given the profoundly damaging impact that pensions scams can have on people's lives".

He says he has listening to the report from the Work and Pensions Committee and other interested parties. He says that the government will no longer have to wait for regulations to pass in banning these cold callers.

"We won't hesitate to use this power to protect consumers," he adds.

He says the bill under discussion today has been "agenda-setting" in supporting consumers and pensioners.

House of Lords
Parliament

Crossbencher Lord Ramsbotham asks if the government plans to increase the contribution made by the voluntary sector to the delivery of probation services, following a report by HM Chief Inspector of Probation.

He points out the inspector has "repeatedly drawn attention to the failure of reforms to probation services rushed through by Chris Grayling" and wants to know what the government will do about it.

Ministry of Justice spokesman Lord Keen of Elie acknowledges "the voluntary sector has a valuable role to play in helping to rehabilitate offenders" and says ministers are currently considering the inspector's report.

House of Commons
Parliament

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With the end of today's statements and urgent questions, the Commons moves on to debate the remaining stages of the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill, external.

This bill started in the Lords, sponsored by Work and Pensions Minister Baroness Buscombe.

The bill introduces a new financial guidance body and makes provision for the funding of debt advice in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The bill also introduces regulation of claims management services.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Conservative Stephen Kerr introduces his Unsolicited Calls (Prevention) Bill, which will seek to reduce nuisance calls against people.

Bills such as this, called ten-minute rule bills, are unlikely to pass unless supported by the government.

He says nuisance calls are a "growing" problem, with figures from BT indicating that UK households can receive five such calls a day.

He says it not only disrupts "downtime" with families, but also businesses, where these calls can distract and cause problems for employees.

House of Lords
Parliament

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Question time is under way in the Lords, with crossbencher Lord Hylton asking about processes by which Israel might be held accountable for its treatment of the inhabitants of Gaza.

More than 30 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire since the start of "Flag Friday" demonstrations at the beginning of April.

Protesters want refugees to be allowed to return to ancestral land now in Israel.

But Israel says the militant group Hamas, which dominates Gaza, is orchestrating the demonstrations in order to launch attacks.

Lord Hylton asks if the government agrees with US Senator Bernie Sanders that "Hamas' violence cannot excuse trapping Palestinians in Gaza".

Foreign Office spokesperson Baroness Stedman-Scott says the government is "deeply concerned about the recent violence in Gaza, stressing that "Israel has the right to protect itself and Palestinians have the right to protest".

She reiterates the government's commitment to a two-state solution.

House of Commons
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Labour chair of the Work and Pensions Committee Frank Field asks whether GKN will be sold to another British company if another buyer is eventually sought.

Greg Clark replies that "for the first time in a UK takeover", the UK government has obtained the right to approve any future buyer.

This is a "very significant step forward", he adds.

House of Commons
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Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable says short-term shareholders acquired 20% of the stock, "forcing through the takeover and now short-selling".

He asks the Business Secretary if he agrees that the role of such shareholders has been "highly destabilising".

Greg Clark replies that Sir Vince was not persuaded by arguments for differential voting rights for shareholders when he was business secretary himself.

He says he takes a "great interest" in making sure the UK code of corporate governance is "the best in the world".