House of Commons
Parliament

The SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford says the Scotland Secretary, David Mundell, has failed to protect Scotland's interests.

"He must resign or the prime minister must sack him," he says.

He calls the behaviour of the government "disgraceful".

He then says Mr Mundell is not down to speak in the debate and repeatedly calls for him to "stand up, stand up".

Mr Mundell rises to jeering and says Mr Blackford's speech does not deserve a response. He says Mr Blackford demands a respectful debate but is making personal attacks.

Select Committee
Parliament

Select Committee
Parliament

John Halsall of Network Rail says the overly ambitious approach taken towards timetable changes were a collective failure by the rail industry.

Responding to suggestions by Lilian Greenwood he agrees that it is also a failure of governance as well.

He says that every member of industry readiness board, which is made up of representatives from across the industry, "believed that they could deliver it".

Asked what could be done to stop this in future, he suggests a single overseeing power with responsibility to make the decision whether to stop plans.

House of Commons
Parliament

The SNP were granted today's emergency debate after walking out of last week's Prime Minister's Questions.

Their Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, had asked for the Commons to sit in private to debate Brexit and devolution, but walked out when the Speaker said his request would have to wait to the end of the PMQs.

The SNP argues that the government's EU Withdrawal Bill violates the Sewel convention. The convention holds that when the UK government legislates on areas normally under the control of the devolved Scottish government, it does so with the consent of the Scottish Parliament.

Having not gained this consent, the SNP says the government is tearing up the devolution regime.

House of Lords
Parliament

Lord Callanan is now moving to reject Lord Alli's amendment on remaining in the European Economic Area.

He says that this would not allow control of the UK's borders and laws.

This passes without division.

House of Lords
Parliament

Exiting the EU Minister Lord Callanan says he is not surprised that the Commons has disagreed with this amendment on the exit date, Motion K.

This motion would seek to allow ministers to change the exit day.

Lord Callanan says that the exit day for the UK is bound by international law, not the bill itself.

Motion K is approved without division.

House of Lords
Parliament

Labour's Lord Murphy of Torfaen says progress has been made in referencing the Good Friday Agreement on the face of the bill.

He says he hopes the Commons will accept this amendment.

"We must not allow Brexit to interfere with all the good work" that has taken place since 1998, he adds.

Government spokesperson Lord Duncan of Springbank says the current situation in Northern Ireland "cannot go on" where civil servants are doing the roles of ministers.

Motion J is agreed to without division.

House of Lords
Parliament

With a total of 588 peers voting, the division proved to be the fourth largest turnout in a single Lords division on record.

Select Committee
Parliament

Jo Kaye says the industry was not in a position to inform the Transport Secretary Chris Grayling of timetabling issues as managers were not fully aware of them until it was too late.

The Department for Transport was aware of individual infrastructure issues, such as surrounding work on the Bolton line, Martin Frobisher adds, but they did not predict the full impact that these issues would have.

The programme board (who manages timetables) were aware of reduced timescales the industry was working under, but those involved thought they could handle this without staffing being affected.

"We believed that we could do it," Jo Kaye says, "but our other options were very limited."

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HOC

The emergency debate begins with SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford.

Mr Blackford says that Scottish MPs were promised a debate on Brexit powers, but that didn't happen.

What's been proven is that the Sewel convention is unworkable, and that the Conservative government, despite begin opposed by other parties, have used their majority to take powers back from the Scottish Parliament and the people of Scotland, he says.

"The Scottish parliament is being emasculated by an anti-Scottish Tory government here in London," he says.

He adds that the events of the past week have shaken the stability of the devolved settlement.

House of Lords
Parliament

Motion H is approved without division - it's on child refugees, which contains concessions from the government.

Lord Duncan of Springbank is now speaking to Motion J, which demands that there should be no new border arrangements in Northern Ireland.

Lord Duncan says the government broadly agrees with this, but has changed some wording in their motion to make it "watertight".

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Following a change of witnesses, Network Rail's Jo Kaye says the timetable delay that Northern Rail requested would have affected the whole rail network and therefore was not considered a viable option.

Instead they decided that Northern Rail would just have to rewrite timetables under greater time pressures, something Arriva Rail North now blame for the problems they encountered.

They decided against pausing timetable roll out as they were confident it would not be necessary, but Ms Kaye says she does now question whether this was the right decision.

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Lord Duncan of Springbank is now speaking to the next motion, Motion H, which seeks to continue international agreements on unaccompanied refugee children in the EU.

The government has listened to concerns raised from the Commons, he says.

The final agreement with the EU will confer on whether or not refugees get leave to remain in the UK, he adds.

Labour's Lord Dubs says he has tried to keep the campaign on child refugees on a cross-party basis.

He says he hopes that there will be child refugees in Europe who will be able to get a better life in moving to the UK to be with relatives.

House of Lords
Parliament

Exiting the EU Minister Lord Callanan is speaking to motion G, which is on disagreement over Parliamentary approval of a mandate for negotiations on the future relationship with the EU.

Lord Callanan says the government's hands "could be tied" mid way through the negotiating process if this amendment is allowed to stand.

Motion G is approved without division.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, STEPHEN PIMLOTT

The Office of Rail and Road, the independent rail regulator, followed the transport committee earlier this month in launching an inquiry, external after timetable changes led to widespread rail disruption across the country.

The changes were supposed to lead to more frequent services and create more space on trains, but since their implementation on 20 May there's been chaos.

Passengers were warned of disruption before the changes were brought in, but the implementation of the new timetable saw some services withdrawn and further cancellations without any warning.

The changes affected the Southern rail, Gatwick Express, Thameslink and Great Northern network, but Northern and Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) passengers suffered the worst.

Northern aborted over 2,000 services in a fortnight, with many more delayed, and many have suggested they should lose the franchise.

Both continue to run a limited service, with GTR - Britain's largest rail franchise - forced to remove 230 daily services and Northern stopping 165 until the end of July.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has defended his handling of the saga, announcing compensation for commuters and pointing the blame at the industry, but Labour and others have called for his resignation.

Select Committee
Parliament

The Department of Transport have not advised rail operators to take any alternative approach to timetabling changes planned for December, Nick Brown of GTR says.

He assumes this is because they are focusing on resolving the current issues stemmed from May's changes, but they have not yet discussed future plans.

House of Lords
Parliament

The government has been defeated in the Lords on the meaningful vote 354 to 235.

Contents: 354

Not Contents: 235

Majority: 119

Lord Hailsham’s amendment – which he termed “Grieve 2” – was approved and will be sent back to the Commons on Wednesday.

It was tabled this morning as a last-minute alternative to the Grieve and government amendments.

Instead of giving MPs votes on “neutral motion” under the government amendment, the Hailsham amendment gives them a vote on a “motion to approve” if MPs vote down the deal or no deal is reached by 21 January 2019.

House of Lords
Parliament

Image source, HoL

Labour's Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town says that in the government's motion there is "no proposal" for a final Brexit deal, with no indication as to what would happen if the Commons rejects the deal.

The motion gives the Commons less of a say than the European Parliament on the final deal, she says.

"We want what they've got, a meaningful vote," she adds. Labour will be supporting Viscount Hailsham's amendment, she states.

Leader of the Lords, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park, says the government has listened to concerns from Parliament on these powers.

"Hastily drawn up manuscript amendments do not show this House in a good light," she states, referring to the process Viscount Hailsham has used to bring in his last-minute amendment.

The government's amendment "satisfies many of the objectives" of Viscount Hailsham's previous amendment, she adds.

She urges the Lords "to reflect very carefully on the decision it is about to make".

With that, the Lords divides to vote on Viscount Hailsham's amendment.