Summary

  • MPs are debating private members' bills

  1. Labour: Esther McVey should resignpublished at 11:13 British Summer Time 5 July 2018

    Esther McVey urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Margaret GreenwoodImage source, HoC

    Shadow work and pensions secretary Margaret Greenwood says Ms McVey should be "ashamed that she has been forced to come to this House again".

    The NAO report was "damning" about Universal Credit, she says, but Esther McVey "misled the House" in her response to its findings.

    She questions how her previous statements could have been "inadvertent slips of the tongue", or how she could have reached her conclusions about the NAO report having read it.

    "If she misread this report so badly, this brings into question her competence", she adds.

    "If she did read the report, and chose to misrepresent its findings, she has clearly broken the ministerial code. Either way, she should resign", she adds.

  2. Labour MP accuses minister of 'dissembling' on reportpublished at 11:04 British Summer Time 5 July 2018

    Esther McVey urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Frank FieldImage source, HoC

    Labour's Frank Field asks if Esther McVey will apologise for "the three instances" when she has "dissembled" on the NAO's report on Universal Credit.

    Ms McVey says the urgent question that was listed was about the letter she received yesterday from the NAO Comptroller, so she will answer that.

    She explains that she will be meeting the NAO next week, and sets out some of the steps she has taken to accommodate concerns on the roll out of Universal Credit.

    She apologises for poor phrasing, and says "I would like to leave it here".

    Mr Field says she has not answered all of the NAO's concerns, including that she has said the NAO had called for a faster roll out, when it in fact asked for a pause.

    Mr Field says some, including disabled people, are not getting money on time.

    Ms McVey says it is important to separate her misinterpretation and misuse of words, for which she apologises, and people's criticisms of Universal Credit.

    She adds that she came to apologise in the House of Commons "of my own volition".

  3. MPs question Mcvey over Universal Credit statementspublished at 10:40 British Summer Time 5 July 2018

    Urgent Question

    Esther McveyImage source, EPA

    Transport questions end - Labour MP Frank Field will now ask an urgent question to Work and Pensions secretary Esther Mcvey about her previous statements to MPs on Universal Credit.

    Yesterday Ms Mcvey apologised to Parliament for making "inadvertently misleading" statements about the government welfare measure, which rolls six working-age benefits into one.

    She said she had "mistakenly" told MPs on Monday that the National Audit Office felt that Universal Credit was progressing too slowly and should be rolled out faster.

    The head of the National Audit Office said the claims were "incorrect" as it had reservations about the process.

    She told MPs that she had meant to say that the spending watchdog believed there was "no practical alternative" to continuing with the development of Universal Credit.

  4. Labour MPs attack government over bus provisionpublished at 10:30 British Summer Time 5 July 2018

    Transport questions

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Labour MPs criticise the cuts to bus routes and bus fair rises. Matt Rhodda says these penalise "the elderly, the disabled and rural communities".

    Labour has repeatedly criticised the government for cuts to bus services.

    Transport Minister Nusrat Ghani says that in many areas, bus provision is increasing and bus passes for vulnerable people are being protected.

  5. Transport minister: Rail nationalisation 'no panacea'published at 10:18 British Summer Time 5 July 2018

    Transport questions

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Jo JohnsonImage source, HoC

    The shadow transport secretary asks if Mr Grayling will take responsibility for railways and "get a grip".

    Jo Johnson replies that Labour's policy of nationalisation would "be no panacea" and Transport Secretary Chris Grayling is best placed to manage the railways.

  6. Labour: Passengers 'paying own compensation'published at 10:14 British Summer Time 5 July 2018

    Transport questions

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Andy McDonaldImage source, HoC

    Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald says that compensation provided by Network Rail for rail delays only means that passengers are "paying their own compensation" through taxation.

    Transport Minister Jo Johnson says the government is reviewing compensation schemes and passengers will be properly compensated.

  7. 'Chaos' on Northern Railpublished at 10:10 British Summer Time 5 July 2018

    Transport questions

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Labour's Graham Stringer uses an argument that "chaos" on Northern Rail has caused disruption on the roads to ask why the franchise was sold on a "no-growth basis".

    Mr Grayling says the no-growth franchise was given under Labour, and it is not true that the current franchise operates on that basis.

  8. MPs ask about ports post-Brexitpublished at 09:58 British Summer Time 5 July 2018

    Transport questions

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Several MPs with ports in their constituencies ask about customs arrangements after Brexit.

    Mr Grayling says ports will be ready and the government is working hard to ensure preparedness.

    On Dover, where concerns have been raised about huge potential tailbacks and queues of lorries, Mr Grayling says there will not be any hard customs infrastructure.

  9. SNP MP calls on government to reform the UK's airspacepublished at 09:44 British Summer Time 5 July 2018

    Transport questions

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Transport questions gets under way, and SNP MP Phillippa Whitford asks about transport infrastructure.

    She says infrastructure is more than steel and concrete, adding that the NATS air traffic centre at Prestwick, external has invested in technology to save fuel and noise.

    She asks when the government reform the airspace.

    Transport Secretary Chris Grayling says the government is reforming air traffic systems, as the technology the UK is relying on is decades old.

    "There is a rolling programme planned for the coming years across the UK," he says.

  10. Today in the Commonspublished at 09:31 British Summer Time 5 July 2018

    What's on today in the Commons?

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    At 10.30am Labour MP Frank Field will ask an urgent question about Universal Credit.

    This follows on from the statement made yesterday by Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey. She apologised for misleading MPs, after a critical report from the NAO.

    After that, Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom will lay out forthcoming business in the Commons - could we see the dates when the Trade and Customs bills return to the House?

    Then there are two statements: the first on a government construction deal, and the second on the Amesbury poisoning.

    A man and woman found unconscious in Wiltshire were exposed to Novichok - the same nerve agent that poisoned ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal, police say.

    And then it's time to move on to the main business of the day: a debate on proxy voting for MPs, and a debate about transforming social care.

  11. Good morningpublished at 09:25 British Summer Time 5 July 2018

    Welcome to our coverage of the day at Westminster.

    A busy day ahead coming up, with an urgent question and two statements. First of all, though, MPs will be questioning Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and his team of ministers.

  12. McVey sorry for Universal Credit claimspublished at 21:07 British Summer Time 4 July 2018

    Esther McVey says she "inadvertently misled" Parliament about watchdog's views on benefit roll-out.

    Read More
  13. Today in the Commonspublished at 20:49 British Summer Time 4 July 2018

    What happened?

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    An apology came from the Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey immediately after PMQs, following an open letter written to her by the Comptroller of the National Audit Office, which said that her statement to Parliament on the roll-out of Universal Credit missed out key points that were in the report.

    At PMQs, Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May clashed over provision of local bus services, with the Labour leader saying that many people had been left isolated by poor quality local bus timetables.

    Mrs May said more powers had been given to metro mayors. The SNP asked her about donations to the Scottish Conservative Party, and she replied that all donations were reported to the Electoral Commission.

    The Commons heard an urgent question on the demolition of the Khan al-Amar village on the West Bank, and a statement on fisheries after Brexit.

    The Commons approved the third reading of the Ivory Bill, with government amendments after concessions to Labour. It will now proceed to the Lords.

    The day ended with a rowdy debate on the Scottish Parliament's rights.

    The Commons starts tomorrow at 9:30 with Transport questions.

  14. Debate draws to a closepublished at 20:48 British Summer Time 4 July 2018

    Claim of Right for Scotland

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    The debate winds up and the House decides not to divide, but passes the motion without a vote.

    That's where we leave today's coverage of the Commons.

  15. People in Scotland are 'sick' of this debate - Labourpublished at 18:54 British Summer Time 4 July 2018

    Claim of Right for Scotland

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Lesley LairdImage source, HoC

    Shadow Scotland secretary Lesley Laird says for the majority of people in Scotland, they are "sick of" this debate.

    Too many people in Scotland are caught between two extremes on the independence debate, she says. She adds that if people in the UK are fed up of hearing about Brexit after two years, then people in Scotland are fed up of hearing about independence after four years.

    She says that it is "extraordinary" that the SNP have used one of their three opposition day debates they get per year to debate independence.

    She accuses the SNP of showing "contempt" for their constituents by ignoring problems on poverty, zero hours contracts and foodbanks by tabling this debate instead.

  16. Scottish Secretary: Debate is a 'missed opportunity'published at 18:41 British Summer Time 4 July 2018

    Claim of Right for Scotland

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    David MundellImage source, HoC

    Scottish Secretary David Mundell says that the debate is a "missed opportunity", as the Commons could be talking about the future opportunities for Scotland.

    He says the debate says "nothing about the future of Scotland," but "everything" about the SNP's "obsession" with Scottish independence. He accuses the party of sounding like a "broken record".

    He says the SNP is not capable are not accepting "truths," in that Scotland voted against independence in 2014.

    He says he has been "disappointed" but not "surprised" by the "scare-mongering" from the SNP over a Westminster "power grab".

    He states that last week the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, said she needed new ministers as Scotland has new powers.

  17. UK government 'enforcing its will' on Scotland - SNPpublished at 18:08 British Summer Time 4 July 2018

    Claim of Right for Scotland

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Ian BlackfordImage source, HoC

    The SNP's Westmisnter Leader Ian Blackford says that the British government is "enforcing its will" on the Scottish parliament.

    He accuses the Scottish Conservative MPs of not bothering to turn up to the debate, while Liberal Democrat and Labour Scottish MPs have.

    He states that today America is celebrating its Independence Day, and before long Scotland will be celebrating an independence day if the UK government continues in the way it is.

    He says that the Claim of Right allows the people of Scotland to decide their own future, which underpins democracy and the constitutional framework.

    The people of Scotland voted for devolution, he says, asking when Scottish Tories will "start to listen".

  18. Commons debates Claim of Right for Scotlandpublished at 17:47 British Summer Time 4 July 2018

    Claim of Right for Scotland

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Woman holds a Scottish and EU flagImage source, Press Association

    The Commons turns to a debate on a Claim of Right for Scotland, which is the principle that Scotland should have its own Parliament.

    The SNP motion states:

    That this House endorses the principles of the Claim of Right for Scotland, agreed by the Scottish Constitutional Convention in 1989 and by the Scottish Parliament in 2012, and therefore acknowledges the sovereign right of the Scottish people to determine the form of government best suited to their needs.

    The 'Claim of Right for Scotland’ was a document drafted by the Campaign for a Scottish Assembly in 1988. It stated:

    We, gathered as the Scottish Constitutional Convention, do hereby acknowledge the sovereign right of the Scottish people to determine the form of Government best suited to their needs, and do hereby declare and pledge that in all our actions and deliberations their interests shall be paramount. We further declare and pledge that our actions and deliberations shall be directed to the following ends: To agree a scheme for an Assembly or Parliament for Scotland; To mobilise Scottish opinion and ensure the approval of the Scottish people for that scheme; and To assert the right of the Scottish people to secure implementation of that scheme.

    In written evidence submitted to the House of Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee in October 2012, external, Professor James Mitchell observed that the Claim of Right embodied ‘a political rather than justiciable claim’ to the ‘sovereignty of the Scottish people’.

  19. Ivory Bill proceeds to House of Lordspublished at 17:47 British Summer Time 4 July 2018

    Ivory Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Environment Minister David Rutley says that the government will seek to do its consultation on the ivory bill as quickly as possible.

    Shadow environment secretary Sue Hayman says that Labour are not opposing the bill, but have sought to "strengthen it".

    She says it is good that there is cross-party recognition on the need for this.

    With that, the bill gets sent to the House of Lords.

  20. Commons rejects ivory bill report clausepublished at 17:27 British Summer Time 4 July 2018

    Ivory Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    The Commons has voted to reject New Clause 2 to the Ivory Bill at report stage, which would have demanded a report on the international ivory trade to be laid before Parliament.

    Ayes: 262

    Noes: 306

    Majority: 44

    Other government amendments are agreed to without division.