Summary

  • Environment questions to Michael Gove and team

  • Urgent question on hostile environment agenda

  • Urgent question on policing during US president's visit

  • Business statement from Leader of the House

  • Statement on Brexit white paper

  1. What was decided at the Chequers meeting about immigration?published at 11:17 British Summer Time 10 July 2018

    Under the plan for UK-EU relations agreed by the Cabinet on Friday, unlimited immigration from the EU will end.

    However, Theresa May has refused to rule out making it easier for EU citizens to come to the UK after Brexit than it is for people in the rest of the world.

    Since the Chequers agreement on Friday, David Davis and Boris Johnson have reigned from the Cabinet over concerns that their preferred versions of Brexit were becoming less likely.

    Boris Johnson, who resigned as foreign secretary yesterday, said the document that came out of the meeting on Friday left him concerned “that there might be further concessions on immigration”.

    In her reply to Boris Johnson’s resignation letter, Theresa May insisted that the plan for UK-EU relations approved at the meeting will allow Britain to “take back control of our borders, our laws, and our money”.

  2. 'We have no idea what your objectives are'published at 11:16 British Summer Time 10 July 2018

    Home Affairs Committee

    Select Committee
    Parliament

    Yvette CooperImage source, hoc

    Asking why the Cabinet’s Chequers agreement contained few details on post-Brexit immigration, committee chair Yvette Cooper tells Sajid Javid: “We all understand there is going to be a negotiation (with the EU). We just have no idea what your objectives are.”

  3. 'Total end to freedom of movement'published at 11:11 British Summer Time 10 July 2018

    Home Affairs Committee

    Select Committee
    Parliament

    Said Javid says: “There will be a complete, total end to freedom of movement… There will be no backdoor version of that, freedom of movement will end.”

    Boris Johnson resigned as foreign secretary yesterday amid concerns that “there might be further concessions on immigration”.

  4. White paper on immigration policy due in autumnpublished at 11:05 British Summer Time 10 July 2018

    Home Affairs Committee

    Select Committee
    Parliament

    Sajid Javid says MPs can expect a specific white paper on post-Brexit immigration policy in the autumn, with an immigration bill expected to be brought before Parliament early next year.

    “Surely that’s too late?” says Stuart McDonald.

    The government is due to publish a more general Brexit white paper on Thursday.

  5. Immigration post-Brexit: what's been proposed?published at 11:01 British Summer Time 10 July 2018

    Last month, Sajid Javid said EU citizens will have to answer three “simple” questions online if they want to continue living in the UK after Brexit.

    The home secretary said people will be asked to prove their ID, whether they have criminal convictions and whether they live in the UK. Mr Javid said most decisions on settled status for EU citizens would be completed within two weeks.

    EU citizens and family members who have been in the UK for five years by the end of 2020 will be able to apply for “settled status”. This means they can go on working and living in the UK indefinitely.

    Those who have arrived by 31 December 2020, but have not been in the UK for five years, will be able to seek to stay until they have, at which point they can then apply for settled status.

  6. When will the white paper on post-Brexit immigration be published?published at 11:01 British Summer Time 10 July 2018

    Home Affairs Committee

    Select Committee
    Parliament

    The SNP’s Stuart McDonald moves on to Brexit and asks Sajid Javid when a white paper on a post-Brexit immigration system can be expected.

    The home secretary says given that future system won’t be in place until after the implementation period, it has not been a priority for his department to publish details.

    The implementation period is due to end on 31 December 2020.

  7. No accurate number on Windrush migrants wrongly detainedpublished at 11:00 British Summer Time 10 July 2018

    Home Affairs Committee

    Select Committee
    Parliament

    Sajid JavidImage source, Hoc

    Asked by Yvette Cooper, Sajid Javid says the government still doesn’t have an accurate number of Windrush migrants who have been wrongly detained.

    The home secretary says the latest monthly update on the Windrush Scandal will be published later today or tomorrow, but will not contain the figure.

  8. 'We could have done things better' - Rutnampublished at 10:53 British Summer Time 10 July 2018

    Home Affairs Committee

    Select Committee
    Parliament

    Conservative MP Douglas Ross tells Home Office Permanent Secretary Sir Philip Rutnam, who has been in office since last April, that his department keeps making the same mistake.

    “You do things internally, you are not open and transparent," he says.

    Committee Chair Yvette Cooper asks if poor advice given by the department on Windrush contributed to Amber Rudd’s resignation as home secretary.

    Sir Philip says “we could have done things better”.

  9. Civil servants accused of 'hiding behind confidentiality'published at 10:45 British Summer Time 10 July 2018

    Home Affairs Committee

    Select Committee
    Parliament

    Conservative Douglas Ross begins questioning to the Home Office Permanent Secretary Sir Philip Rutnam by accusing civil servants dealing with the Windrush scandal of “hiding behind confidentiality”.

    Sir Philip insists the latest report into the Windrush migrants who were wrongly detained or deported contains confidential information about individuals that cannot be published to the wider public.

  10. Who's on the Home Affairs Committee?published at 10:41 British Summer Time 10 July 2018

    Home Affairs Committee

    Who sits on the committee?

  11. What is the committee asking?published at 10:39 British Summer Time 10 July 2018

    Home Affairs Committee

    Select Committee
    Parliament

    The Home Affairs Committee gets under way with questions to Sajid Javid on the government's position on a range of post-Brexit policy areas covered by the Home Office.

    Areas to be covered include:

    • Immigration arrangements post-Brexit
    • EU Citizens’ Settlement Scheme
    • UK borders and customs after Brexit
    • EU-UK policing and security cooperation after Brexit

    MPs are also questioning the home secretary on the Windrush crisis.

    Permanent Secretary Sir Philip Rutnam is also answering questions at the session today.

  12. Good morningpublished at 10:08 British Summer Time 10 July 2018

    We'll be joining the Home Affairs Committee session shortly, with MPs questioning Home Secretary Sajid Javid on the work of his department.

    Post-Brexit arrangements are likely to provide much of the focus for questions, but the Home Office brief also ranges across police, crime and security.

    The session will begin at 10.30am.

  13. Hunt replaces Johnson amid Brexit turmoilpublished at 23:33 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    Theresa May moves to shore up her position after a day of high profile resignations over her Brexit strategy.

    Read More
  14. Today in the Commonspublished at 22:37 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    What happened?

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Westminster was rocked by two ministerial resignations in 24 hours; the second, from Boris Johnson, coming just half an hour before Theresa May was due to give a statement to the Commons on the Cabinet deal agreed at Chequers on Friday.

    Both Boris Johnson and David Davis say that they do not agree with the Brexit proposal from Downing Street.

    Mrs May's statement was met with cheers from some Tory backbenchers and jeers from the Labour side. Jeremy Corbyn said that there had been "two years of soundbites, indecision and Cabinet infighting, culminating in a series of wasted opportunities".

    Mrs May said that in 2016, immediately after the referendum, Jeremy Corbyn advocated triggering Article 50 straight away.

    The Commons approved a budget bill for Northern Ireland, which had to take place at Westminster due to the ongoing political deadlock at Stormont.

    The Commons returns at 11:30am tomorrow with justice questions.

  15. Commons approves Northern Ireland budgetpublished at 22:27 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    Northern Ireland budget

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Sir Michael Fallon says that he welcomes the consultation that has been proposed by the government on this.

    He says that the bill "may well be the wrong vehicle" but it is incumbent on the government to "find the right vehicle".

    The House "will not rest" until a solution is found, he adds, and he withdraws his amendment.

    With that, the Commons moves to third reading, and the bill is approved.

  16. I could receive a knock at the door any day - Conservative MPpublished at 22:03 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    Northern Ireland budget

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Sir Mike PenningImage source, HoC

    Conservative Sir Mike Penning says that when he crossed the Irish Sea to help in the operation in Northern Ireland, he was "terrified" and he adds that he never thought he would have to take part in an operation against terrorists in the UK.

    He may be someone who receives a letter or "knock at the door" any day because of these investigations, he states.

    "I expected those who sent us to look after us," he says, adding that people feel that the Commons "is letting them down".

    Veterans "have frequently been let down, day in, day out," he says, adding that the Commons "must stand for our veterans".

  17. A statute of limitations 'may be the right way to solve this'published at 22:02 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    Northern Ireland budget

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Julian LewisImage source, HoC

    Julian Lewis, Chair of the Defence Committee, says that there is increasing consensus that a statute of limitations may eventually be the right way to deal with this problem.

    He says he welcomes the announcement by the Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson, earlier today that he has set up a special unit within the Ministry of Defence to look at whether or not a statute of limitations should be considered.

    He quotes from a warning in a report, that the current state of affairs means that investigations could still continue 50 years after their initial event.

  18. This could lead to further amnesties - Labourpublished at 21:53 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    Northern Ireland budget

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Tony LloydImage source, HoC

    Shadow Northern Ireland secretary Tony Lloyd says that the DUP as a party has not been pushing for this move, saying that the leader of the DUP, Arlene Foster, is concerned that this could lead to further amnesties.

    He says he agrees with Ms Bradley in that the current consultation should be allowed to come to a conclusion in September.

    "I think it's right and proper" that Sir Michael Fallon should reconsider if this is the right approach, he states.

  19. What are these historical allegations?published at 21:52 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    Northern Ireland budget

    MPs are currently debating a statute of limitations for allegations made against the police and security services in Northern Ireland.

    The Historical Enquiries Team was set up in 2005 by the then Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Sir Hugh Orde, with the intention of looking into deaths attributable to the Troubles.

    The HET was set up with a team of 100 investigators and a budget of over £30m.

    In 2012, the then Chief Constable of the PSNI Sir Matt Baggott, responded to a further review published by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabularies, meaning that 32 completed reviews into deaths attributable to Security Forces would be re-examined again.

  20. Government will not attempt to 'rewrite history'published at 21:51 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    Northern Ireland budget

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Karen BradleyImage source, HoC

    Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley says that the government will not attempt to "rewrite history".

    She says that Northern Ireland "was not an armed conflict". Around 60% of deaths during the Troubles were caused by republican forces, 30% by loyalist forces and 10% by the state, she says.

    She adds that she understands the problems raised by Sir Michael, but the government cannot accept the amendment as it would "undermine the rule of law".

    "We need to get that balance right," she says, referring to how this amendment could cause imbalance in how cases are reviewed and investigated by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.