Select Committee
Parliament

Jamie Oliver says that he was "lucky enough" to be involved with the creation of chapter one of the childhood obesity strategy.

He praises David Cameron's approach, but says what came out at the other end "was a massive disappointment".

Mr Oliver says that he is "optimistic about the new advisers" - adding that the responsibility of people like Hugh and him was to make sure enough "good things get over the line".

Select Committee
Parliament

MPs are now hearing from the two celebrity chefs.

Jamie Oliver says he's been working on childhood obesity since his School Dinners programme. He calls for a "multi-pronged approach" with ministers from all departments having a part to play.

Mr Oliver adds that the problem has only got worse in recent years.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall says the problem is now running "very wide and very deep".

He says he's made documentaries for the BBC in the last 18 months, and has launched an initiative in Newcastle to get the city to come together and take action. He says that this has been a "moderate success" and says that health inequality is at the heart of the issue.

Oxfam welcomes the news that the government will accept the amendment requiring the UK's overseas territories to publish public registers of beneficial ownership of companies.

It says that money recouped from laundering will be of most benefit to women and girls, who are most likely to miss out on public services.

House of Lords
Parliament

The bill will combine three financial advice bodies into one, aiming to make it easier for people to seek help with managing their finances.

The bill will:

• establish a new statutory body, accountable to Parliament, with responsibility for coordinating the provision of debt advice, money guidance, and pension guidance; and
• transfer the regulation of claims management services to the Financial Conduct Authority, and transfer complaints-handling responsibility to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Select Committee
Parliament

Shortly we'll dip into the Health and Social Care Committee's hearing on childhood obesity. They're taking evidence on the "state of the nation" and what witnesses think should be done.

After the current panel of witnesses leaves, MPs will hear from TV chefs Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, Voice of America/public domain

A 'Magnitsky clause' is named after the late Russian tax lawyer and anti-corruption campaigner Sergei Magnitsky. He was arrested by Russian authorities and died in prison in 2009.

In 2012, the United States passed a law which was largely referred to as the 'Magnitsky Act', the main intention of it was to punish Russian officials who were thought of as being responsible for the death of Mr Magnitsky.

The sanctions against the individuals meant they were banned from entering the US and could not use American banking systems.

In response to the passing of the Act, the Russian government denied the adoption of Russian children by American citizens, issued a list of US officials no longer allowed to enter Russia, and posthumously convicted Mr Magnitsky as guilty.

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

At question time in the Lords, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws asks about ensuring that non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are not used to cover up criminal behaviour or silence victims.

She says the stories which have emerged in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein allegations suggest they are "used all too often to silence complainants" and the government should produce "a clear statement or legislation to say it isn't right".

Ministry of Justice spokesman Lord Keen of Elie responds that if an employee does not get independent legal advice on an NDA it will be void and it does not affect the right to make a protected disclosure.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative Andrew Mitchell says it has been a "very pleasurable experience" working with Dame Margaret Hodge over the last six months.

"It is time now... for the House to assert its authority and nudge the government to the right place," he tells MPs.

He says that the concession is evidence that in a hung Parliament that power passes from the Cabinet to the floor of the House of Commons.

House of Commons
Parliament

Dame Margaret Hodge says that she's grateful to MPs across the House for their support, particularly Conservative Andrew Mitchell.

"Our proposal is both right in principle and it will be effective in practice."

She says that this "simple measure" will "transform the landscape".

Dame Margaret says that transparency is a very powerful tool, leaving authorities better equipped to "root out dirty money".

House of Commons
Parliament

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour's shadow Foreign Office minster Helen Goodman pays tribute to Dame Margaret Hodge for her campaign on tax havens, saying the announcement from Alan Duncan that the government would accept her amendment shows that "this was well worthwhile".

Conservative Sir Henry Bellingham asks her if she'll not press her New Clause 15, which would extend Margaret Hodge's measures to the Crown Dependencies.

"I'll come on to that at the end of my speech," Ms Goodman replies.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan opens debate on the bill.

He says the government will not oppose a move to force British overseas territories to have greater financial transparency.

The move would require tax havens like the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands to introduce a register revealing the beneficial owners of assets held in those jurisdictions.

The government had faced a potential defeat this afternoon on the issue - but Sir Alan says the government had not wanted to damage the territories' autonomy.

"We've listened to the strength of feeling in the House on this issue and accept that it is without a doubt the majority view of this House that the overseas territories should have public registers."

He adds that the government would "respect the will of the House" and not vote against an amendment put forward by a cross-party group of MPs.

In addition, MPs from the main parties signal their backing for the so-called "Magnitsky amendements".

The government's agreement to bring forward the move, which Opposition MPs have been calling for, follows the poisoning of the Skirpals in Salisbury.

Sir Alan Duncan, says: "We truly can say we have spoken together, united, in favour of human rights and that the voice of the United Kingdom sits alongside other countries who have adopted such legislation. I think we can score it as a great achievement."

Esther Webber
BBC News

Image source, Alamy

The government's plans to come down harder on money-laundering will not be debated in Parliament after it submitted them too late.

MPs are set to discuss a cross-party amendment designed to reveal beneficial owners of companies registered in British Overseas Territories.

Ministers put forward their own plans on Monday in a bid to stave off defeat.

But they missed the tabling deadline and their amendments will not be eligible for consideration.

Commons Speaker John Bercow highlighted the issue as the debate began, remarking: "They appeared in print for the first time only this morning."

Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan said the government accepted the procedural basis for the Speaker rejecting their amendments but added they had been aimed at "seeking unity" in the House.

The government later announced it would not oppose the amendment from Labour's Dame Margaret Hodge on beneficial ownership.

House of Commons
Parliament

The Commons moves to the debate on the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill, external, the remaining stages of which will take place today.

The bill was introduced to the Lords by Foreign Office Minister, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, and sponsored in the Commons by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

There are two major amendments to be debated today: one requiring tax havens under UK jurisdiction to set up public registers of beneficial ownership. This amendment has 40 signatures, including 19 Conservatives, so the government could be defeated if forced to a vote.

The second set of amendments are from the government, adding a so-called "Magnitsky clause, external" in the wake of the Salisbury poisoning. This was something the government resisted in the Lords.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Conservative Alister Jack is introducing his Road Traffic Offenders (Surrender of Driving Licences etc.) Bill.

The bill makes provision for how driving licences and other driving documents are dealt with by the DVLA in cases where offences have been committed.

The bill would "streamline the processes" for the electronic endorsement of driving licences, but also "strengthens" the use of existing rules on surrendering a driving licence to the authorities.

The bill would remove the need to surrender their driving licence before a penalty notice can be issued.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Vince Cable adds his condolences to the family of Lord Martin.

He says both him and Lord Martin were elected to Glasgow City Council in the same year in neighbouring wards.

"Nobody would claim that he was a policy wonk," he says, and that when Margaret Thatcher withdrew milk from schools, he and Sir Vince ignored the directive from the government and were "very nearly banned from public life".

"He was somebody we should have great respect for...particularly as he left under a cloud," he says. "He was a fundamentally decent person."

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford says that those of the SNP benches who were in Parliament during his tenure remembered him "fondly".

He believes that Lord Martin once had the "honour" of "playing his set of pipes at the top of the Elizabeth Tower".

He recalls a campaigning event where MIchael Martin met a woman who informed him she would be voting for the SNP candidate.

Lord Martin implied that the young candidate was an "upstart," Mr Blackford says, to which the woman told him that he was her son.

House of Commons
Parliament