Summary

  • Private members' bills in the Commons

  1. MPs debate contribution of Windrush generationpublished at 14:58 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

    Empire Windrush anniversary

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Newly arrived migrants on the Empire Windrush, 22nd June 1948Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Newly arrived migrants on the Empire Windrush, 22nd June 1948

    Labour's Helen Hayes is opening today's debate marking the 70s anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush at Tilbury docks, bringing workers from Jamaica to post-war Britain.

    The motion notes the "critical role" passengers on the Windrush, and those who followed them from the Caribbean, played in the post-war reconstruction of Britain and celebrates their "significant social, political and cultural contribution".

    The "Windrush generation" have been in the news in recent months after a scandal involving people who moved to the UK in the 50s and 60s who faced potential deportation because of a lack of proof of their right to live in the UK.

    Members of the Windrush generation who moved to the UK in the 50s and 60s did so as British passport holders with the right to live in the UK, but following the passage of the 1971 Immigration Act Commonwealth citizens lost this right and records were not kept of who had arrived in Britain before that date.

  2. Minister defends handling of debate on Brexit bill and devolutionpublished at 14:42 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

    Sewel Convention statement

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Scotland spokesman Lord McAvoy says the Lords debated the devolution clause of Brexit bill with "care and attention" and it's "frankly remarkable it got less than 20 minutes' debate" in the Commons.

    He describes it as "disappointing" and asks if the Joint Ministerial Council will be put on a statutory footing.

    Lib Dem Lord Wallace says the SNP are known as "grand masters of cranking up the grievance machine", referring to their walkout from PMQs yesterday, and asks "why did the government give them a gift-wrapped grievance to exploit?"

    Scotland Minister Lord Duncan responds there was "extensive engagement on an official level" on these questions with devolved administrations running to 100 hours.

    He says "time was given but time was misspent" on debating it in the Commons earlier this week and amendments were not brought forward earlier because they could not be agreed during Commons stages of the bill.

  3. Emergency debate granted on Sewel Conventionpublished at 14:36 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

    Emergency debate application

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    The Speaker asks MPs who wish for there to be a debate on the Sewel Convention to stand up, and everyone there does.

    The debate will take place on Monday, as the first item of business after questions.

  4. Commons hears application for emergency debate from the SNPpublished at 14:35 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

    Emergency debate application

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Scottish ParliamentImage source, Press Association

    The SNP's Westminster Leader Ian Blackford is making an application for an emergency debate on the Sewel Convention.

    The Sewel Convention is also known as a Legislative Consent Motion, and allows Westminster to take control of certain devolved matters in certain cases if the devolved nations pass such a motion.

    He says consent for the bill from the Scottish Parliament "has not been forthcoming" which means Scotland is "in uncharted territory".

    Opposition parties in the Commons have been angry since Tuesday evening, when 18 minutes of time was given to a debate on the devolved nations and Brexit, during which time only a government minister spoke, while taking interventions. This was due to the high number of votes on the EU Withdrawal Bill.

  5. Minister: British staff in 'every city' when England playpublished at 14:31 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

    Select Committee Statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Foreign Office Minister Harriett Baldwin says that there will be embassy officials and UK police in "every city" where England will play, as well as increased staffing in the Baltic states where some England fans are staying.

    She says fans can access 24 hour assistance via a hotline and that 11,000 people have signed up for travel advice. She says the government believes 10,000 fans will travel to Russia from the UK.

  6. LGBT and non-white fans 'face risks' at World Cuppublished at 14:28 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

    Select Committee Statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    England players at their World Cup training camp in Zelenogorsk, RussiaImage source, EPA
    Image caption,

    England players at their World Cup training camp in Zelenogorsk, Russia

    Foreign Affairs Committee chair Tom Tugendhat is making a statement on his committee's report onto the Foreign Office's work preparing for fans attending the football World Cup in Russia. The tournament starts at 4pm today with a game between the hosts and Saudi Arabia.

    Tom Tugendhat says the committee has "serious concerns" about hooliganism following on from attacks on England fans by Russian hooligans in Marseille during Euro 2016. He says that there has been a crackdown but the police "cannot control" some hooligans.

    He says English fans from minorities face "even greater risks", especially LGBT and non-white fans. He says there has been a "complacent" approach to this from the Foreign Office. He adds that he is "deeply concerned" at reports out of Russia this afternoon, external that the gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has been arrested in Moscow.

    He adds that while Foreign Office teams have worked hard to help fans attending England's three group stage games it is unclear what preparation has been done for any England games beyond the group stage.

  7. Peers hear statement on devolution and Brexitpublished at 14:24 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

    Sewel Convention statement

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Scotland Minister Lord Duncan of Springbank is repeating a statement made earlier in the Commons, in which David Mundell told MPs that the government has abided by the "spirit" of the devolution settlement in the EU Withdrawal Bill.

    He says ministers had been clear that leaving the EU would bring back powers from the EU, and Brexit was not anticipated in the original Scotland Act.

    The deal that has been offered is that all decision making powers relating to the nations will pass directly to Cardiff, Edinburgh and Stormont, apart from in exceptional circumstances.

  8. Mundell says Scotland 'not partner of the UK, it is part of the UK'published at 13:43 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

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  9. Is that all you've got? - SNPpublished at 13:22 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

    Sewel Convention statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Ian BlackfordImage source, HoC

    The SNP's Westminster Leader Ian Blackford says "is that all you've got? Is that the best you can do?" adding that these are "very serious times for Scotland".

    He says he is "deeply" disappointed by the content of the statement, adding that the current state of affairs is an "inversion" of the Scotland Act.

    This new thinking on government policy threatens "the security of the devolution settlement," he states.

    He says the Scottish Secretary has "shafted Scotland" and has "plunged Scotland into constitutional crisis".

    Mr Mundell says he will not take lessons on "dignity" after the walkout from the SNP yesterday.

    He says he respects that Mr Blackford opposes Brexit, but "he is not entitled, firstly, to ignore the views of over one million people" in Scotland, nor the majority of people in the UK as a whole.

    He adds that he hopes that Mr Blackford is not wilfully ignoring the Sewel Convention.

  10. The people of Scotland deserve better - Labourpublished at 13:15 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

    Sewel Convention statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Paul SweeneyImage source, HoC

    Shadow Scotland office minister Paul Sweeney says that the government has "run roughshod over Parliament", adding that the Labour Party forced the government to take the votes and debates over two days rather than one.

    "The people of Scotland deserve better," he says, warning that "this shambles" may well end up "in court".

    He says that the government have voted down Labour amendments to ensure more transparency during this process. He asks if the UK government and Scottish government either have any intention "of sorting this out for the people of Scotland".

    Scottish Secretary David Mundell says he regrets that Scottish Labour "have moved onto this nationalist territory", adding that Scottish Labour are going along with Nicola Sturgeon.

    Lord Wallace has said that these proposals are right, as has the First Minister of Wales, he adds.

  11. Sturgeon 'proud' of MPs' walkout protestpublished at 13:10 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

    The first minister said "Scotland's voice had been heard" in the row over the EU Withdrawal Bill.

    Read More
  12. Government respected the spirit of the devolution settlementpublished at 13:08 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

    Sewel Convention statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    David MundellImage source, HoC

    Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell says that "throughout the passage of this bill" the government has abided by the "spirit" of the devolution settlement.

    "From the outset, we have been clear" that leaving the EU would bring back powers from the EU, and Brexit was not anticipated in the original Scotland Act.

    He adds that "these are not normal times".

    He says the Welsh government have approved the deal that has been offered, which is that all decision making powers relating to the nations will pass directly to Cardiff, Edinburgh and Stormont, he adds, apart from in exceptional circumstances.

    The clause provides for "certain, limited cases" until the UK has worked out new frameworks, he states.

    These areas which Westminster will legislate for, for a period of time, is in 24 out of 153 cases, he adds.

  13. Commons hears statement on Legislative Consentpublished at 13:04 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

    Sewel Convention statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    The Commons is hearing a statement from the Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, on the Sewel Convention.

    The Sewel Convention allows the UK Parliament to take control of some aspects of Scottish legislation in the event of the Parliament in Holyrood passing a Legislative Consent Motion.

    During the debate surrounding whether or not the UK required legislation for Article 50 to be triggered, the Sewel Convention featured 18 times in the Supreme Court ruling papers.

    At its heart, the Sewel Convention stated that "Devolution does not prevent Westminster legislating for Scotland, even in relation to devolved matters.

    "There will be instances where it would be convenient for legislation on devolved matters to be passed by the UK parliament."

  14. Windrush peer: Home became a place they knew notpublished at 12:45 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

    Hostile environment debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    MorrisImage source, HoL

    Labour's Lord Morris of Handsworth, who came to the UK from Jamaica in 1954 aged 16, opens his speech by saying he is classed as part of the Windrush generation.

    He says: "We were British citizens - the government told us so.

    "We went to school, college, got jobs, paid taxes, and many of us were proud to have done our National Service.

    He goes on to say that when people from the Windrush generation were first asked to prove their right to be in the UK they "took the view politicians knew best and this turned into a situation where home became a place they knew not".

    But he concludes by acknowledging that the new home secretary, Sajid Javid, has signalled a change in direction, and "at last sanity is prevailing".

  15. What sort of democracy is on offer in this House? - SNPpublished at 12:16 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

    Business statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Pete WishartImage source, HoC

    The SNP's Commons business spokesperson, Pete Wishart, shares the sentiments expressed on the victims of Grenfell.

    He goes on to say that there is a sense that "tectonic plates have shifted," adding that the people of Scotland have been "observing this place very, very carefully," saying that the government has no regard for the Scottish Parliament.

    "What sort of democracy is on offer in this House?" he asks.

    He says that two and a half hours was "wasted" during votes which should have been set aside for devolution debates.

    Ms Leadsom responds to say that she respects Mr Wishart's "right to challenge," she adds that the programme motion was approved for the debates and votes.

    She adds that the number of votes "left very little time" for the devolution votes. The House chose to divide, she states.

    She adds that there has been "a huge amount of debate on the subject of the Sewel Convention".

  16. Labour are dropping 'frontbenchers like flies' - Leadsompublished at 12:08 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

    Business statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Ms Leadsom says that Labour is "dropping ministers, well, frontbenchers, like flies," when responding to the question on the update for the list of ministerial responsibilities.

    She pays tribute to Ms Vaz's constituents who died in the Tunisia terror attack, and wishes the England team "great success" in the World Cup.

    "It is for the executive, for the government of the day, to put forward proposals for legislation," and then for Parliament to "amend", she says.

    She encourages MPs receiving threats to speak to the Parliamentary police.

  17. Peers observe a minute's silencepublished at 12:07 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

    Peers mark a year since the Grenfell Tower fireImage source, HoL
    Image caption,

    Peers mark a year since the Grenfell Tower fire

  18. MPs observe minute's silence for Grenfell Tower fire anniversarypublished at 12:06 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

    MPs paused debate briefly to observe a minute's silence on the first anniversary of the fire at Grenfell Tower, West London in which 72 people died.

    MPs observing a minute's silence for Grenfell TowerImage source, HoC
    MPs observing a minute's silence for Grenfell TowerImage source, HoC
  19. 'Hostile environment' reminiscent of a war zone' - peerpublished at 12:02 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

    Hostile environment debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    BassamImage source, HoL

    Labour's Lord Bassam of Brighton is opening a debate on the impact of the government's "hostile environment" approach towards illegal immigration on those with residency and employment rights.

    He says the message given to the Windrush generation that they were not entitled to be here was the "most objectionable" example of this policy, but it also affected thousands of other Commonwealth citizens.

    He recalls the "go home" vans which were piloted during Theresa May's time as home secretary, which he describes as "naked populism aimed at appeasing UKIP".

    He argues that as well as being offensive it was ineffective, and says this also applies to the Right to Rent scheme under which landlords are required to check the immigration status of tenants.

    He observes that the term "hostile environment" is more reminiscent of a war zone or natural disaster than a domestic policy.

  20. Can the Brexit white paper be published 'with content'? - Labourpublished at 11:58 British Summer Time 14 June 2018

    Business statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Valerie VazImage source, HoC

    Shadow leader of the House Valerie Vaz thanks the Speaker for the tributes paid to the Clerk of the House.

    Ms Vaz asks for an update on the list which outlines ministerial responsibility, as there has been a change in home secretary and a ministerial resignation since it was last published, she says.

    She asks for the government white paper on negotiations for Brexit to be published "with content".

    She also says a debate on students is necessary, as 2017 had the highest rate for student suicides on record, with 147. She adds that another debate on student loans and fees would be preferable.

    She pays tribute to those who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower Fire, while paying tribute to Jo Cox, who died two years ago this Saturday. It is also three years since the Tunisia terror attack, she adds.