House of Commons
Parliament

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Jeremy Corbyn says the new Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said over the summer that a no deal Brexit would be a huge mistake.

He also says the Chancellor says a no deal would strap GDP by 8% which is comparable to the financial crash. He asks which statement the prime minister agrees with.

The PM says the director of the World Trade Organisation says a no deal wouldn't be a walk in the park but wouldn't be the end of the world.

Theresa May says "we are working hard to ensure we deliver on the wishes of the British people" and are ensuring there is no border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. She says the government will protect jobs and livelihoods.

The prime minister says the government is working hard on this deal and that we will not have a second referendum. She calls for Jeremy Corbyn should stand up against a second referendum.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Getting to his feet, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says there is "no place for racism of any form in our society" or political parties, including the Conservative party.

He uses his first question to ask whether International Trade Secretary Liam Fox was right to say the chances of a 'no-deal' Brexit are 60-40.

Theresa May replies that ministers are "working to get a good deal", and are preparing for a no-deal scenario, "as indeed the European Union have been doing".

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative MP Maggie Throup raises the issue of anti-Semitism, and asks the prime minister to condemn it and make clear it is not welcome in the House.

Theresa May says there is no place for anti-Semitism in the UK, stressing that the government was the first to accept the IHRA definition.

She calls on Jeremy Corbyn to apologise for comments he made about Zionists and "English irony".

House of Commons
Parliament

Theresa May answers the first question, which comes from Tulip Siddiq, the Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn.

She raises the case of her constituent, detained mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who, she says, was threatened by Iranian authorities if she attempted to contact the British embassy.

Mrs May says the Iranian government does not recognise dual nationality (Mrs Zaghari Ratcliffe is British-Iranian), and says she continues the raise the case.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Shadow secretary Tony Lloyd says it is 600 days this weekend since there has been a functioning executive in Northern Ireland. He asks what steps are being taken to bring the five parties together, reconvene the British-Irish inter governmental conferance and cut MLAs pay.

He says Labour will support legislation "where appropriate" but it must be brought forward "urgently"

Karen Bradley says she is looking at "all the options" and there are court cases have "hampered" decision making.

She adds she will do "something coherent"; that "works" for the people of Northern Ireland and will not prevent Stormont politicians going back into devolved government.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour's Ged Killen asks what steps Karen Bradley is taking to help promote LGBT rights in Northern Ireland.

Ms Bradley says she and the government are committed to ensuring LGBT rights are equal across the UK, and says she has been to Northern Ireland and celebrated these rights.

Ged Killen says that flags aren't enough, and that Ms Bradley must give the minority the support they need particularly when there is no functioning assembly.

Labour's Luke Pollard also asks when he and his boyfriend will be able to marry in Northern Ireland.

Karen Bradley reminds the house that she voted to accept same sex marriage in her constituency, and says she hoped that order can be restored in Stormont so that these issues can be addressed.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Nigel Dodds asks what extra resources are being given to the police in Northern Ireland to deal with Brexit.

The minister replies that guidance will be issued in the future.

The DUP's Westminster leader says he is not asking for guidance but resources.

Mr Vara informs the House that the secretary of state spoke to the Chief Constable this morning and the government are considering his proposals.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns asks what recent discussions the secretary of state for Northern Ireland has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential effect on the UK of the Northern Ireland backstop proposal.

Karen Bradley says that the constitutional and economic integrity of the UK must be respected and this means no hard border down the Irish sea.

Mark D'Arcy
Parliamentary Correspondent

Over the summer both the Conservatives and Labour edged from low level insurgency towards outright civil war – so will today’s PMQs see unhappy MPs take aim at their respective leaders, or will the normal inhibitions kick in?

Maybe the fact that the PM will move straight from her question time to updating MPs on the Salisbury poisoning will dampen infighting instincts, at least on this occasion, but don’t count on it.

Today’s list of questioners does not include many obvious insurgents, but given that it is light on Conservatives, there will be an opportunity for Conservative critics in particular to catch Mr Speaker’s eye.

But they will be vying with colleagues who will want to highlight good news stories or plug constituency issues (smart Scottish Tory John Lamont has a local campaign to extent the Borders Railway to Carlisle, for example).

Conservative PMQ-ologists have pretty much given up on trying to predict Jeremy Corbyn’s line of questioning. On the one hand there is always a temptation to rub salt into Tory wounds on Brexit; on the other, the Labour leader has been campaigning on rail issues in recent days, and may fancy attacking on an issue that resonates with actual voters in marginal commuter-belt seats.

Labour backbenchers can be expected to raise a variety of austerity impact questions, unless they plan to take a pop at their own leader on Brexit, or maybe anti-Semitism.

And watch out for Meg Hillier, the thoughtful Labour ex-minister who now chairs the Public Accounts Committee; the PAC has been a player in a number of big policy initiatives on the committee corridor, on such topics as the funding of social care – she may well seek to press the PM on one of those, as the select committee chairs seek to fill what they see as a policy vacuum left by the government’s preoccupation with leaving the EU.

But above all, watch the expressions, the body language and the angst levels of both sets of backbenches.

The mood of the troops is nervy and dyspeptic, and if either main leader has a good day it would help shore up their position for a while.

Come to that, it will be worth watching the SNP and Lib Dem benches, too. No-one in politics has had a really happy summer……

House of Commons
Parliament

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Chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee, Andrew Murrison, says that the Chief Constable of Northern Ireland does not know who is leading the multi-agency response to the land border and asks what is being to done to give clarity.

Minister Shailesh Vara replies the government is in regular contact with the Police Service of Northern Ireland and that there is detailed planning for a no deal scenario.

House of Commons
Parliament

Northern Ireland Minister Shailesh Vara is taking questions on Northern Ireland in the Commons.

Labour's Kerry McCarthy asks what effect leaving the EU will have on Northern Ireland.

Mr Vara says that the government has proposed a future partnership between the EU and the UK which will meet the required aims regarding Northern Ireland.

He says ministers have committed to avoiding a "hard border" between Northern Ireland and Ireland, including "any physical infrastructure or related checks and controls".

House of Commons
Parliament

A busy day ahead, with PMQs at noon, followed by a statement from Theresa May on the Salisbury attack.

Two Russian nationals have been named as suspects in the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

There is "sufficient evidence" to charge Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov over the attack in Salisbury, Scotland Yard and the CPS say.

After that, there will be a statement on the Widowed Parents' Allowance, after an unmarried mother won a landmark court case over which could allow her to claim a Widowed Parent's Allowance.

Mother-of-four Siobhan McLaughlin, from County Antrim, lived with her partner for 23 years but never married, which meant she was not able to claim the benefit when he died.

There are two bills for consideration - the Tenant Fees Bill and the Voyeurism Bill - which looks at the offence of upskirting.

Read more about the bill here, external.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Labour MP Sandy Martin asks the final question about the Chequers' common rule book and the implementation period. He says the UK will be a "rule taker".

George Eustice replies that the issues are separate. He says that during the implementation period the UK will be "akin" to an EU member and that the common rule book applies to the future economic partnership.

The fisheries minister says it is "clear" that the rule book will apply to agri-foods and it would be subject to a border check but adds it would not affect an independent fisheries policy.

The chair brings the session to a close with remaining questions to be sent in writing.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Conservative MP Sheryll Murray asks why the UK did not retaliate when the Republic of Ireland excluded 20 Kilkeel vessels from their nought to six mile limit.

The minister replies that it was a legal decision and the Irish government are "committed" to bringing forward the primary legislation to address the issue. He admits that the situation has been going on for 18 months.

Ms Murray then asks about the recent scallop dispute in France and says that UK fisherman have been "attacked".

George Eustice tells the committee there is a "natural tendency" to link the dispute with Brexit but he says the issue arose in 2012.

He explains that the industries came to an agreement where the English fleets agreed to abide by the same licensing as the French vessels. In return the French fleet transferred some of their unneeded effort so the UK could catch more scallops.

The fisheries minister says that agreement broke down this year over the size of vessels.

He adds that later today the department will host the industry to reach agreement and that France are "undertaking" action.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Conservative MP Julian Sturdy asks about safeguarding the fishing industry during the Brexit implementation period.

Mr Eustice replies that the purpose of the period is to give "absolute certainty" that "in effect nothing will change".

He says there are parts of the fleet that wanted to see faster change and were "not mad about" the implementation period.

He adds that during this period the UK will preserve its tariff-free trade, but will also have to abide by EU regulations.

He concedes that this means things will not "get better" but will "not get worse either."

Select Committee
Parliament

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SNP MP Alan Brown says that free movement of goods is going to end and asks about specialty products such as shellfish.

The fisheries minister replies that the UK is seeking an agreement for continuity.

George Eustice says that salmon is the UK's most exported fish and that France is the largest consumer. He adds the US is not "far behind".

He says that shellfish such as scallops are exported to the EU but also to China, particularly crab.

Mr Brown says that three quarters of the catch goes to the EU. He asks how just in time delivery will be affected and what needs to be done to keep the "catch moving".

(Just in time manufacturing is a way of reducing flow times within production systems: read more about it here, external.)

Mr Eustice replies that the government does not know what border checks will be done by the EU. The UK is carrying out work on border inspection posts, catch certificates, IT systems and staff.