Former Bank of England governor Mervyn King, now Lord King, blasts Brexit preparations as "incompetent".

Select Committee
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Labour's MP Angela Smith asks if the impact of a no deal Brexit on the sustainability of UK fishing industry has been modeled by the department.

Mr Eustice replies that in the event of a no deal, the UK leaves the EU as as an independent coastal state with control over its fishing resources. He says the impact will give the industry a "big increase" in fishing opportunities.

Ms Smith asks about those fishing off the coast of France.

The fisheries minister says there will be annual negotiations just as they are now as the UK will be rejoining the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission. He add the industry has "nothing to fear" from a no deal.

The Labour MP pushes the minister on the exact figures of the impact but he maintains that analysis cannot be published due to ongoing negotiations.

Select Committee
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Chair of the Environment Committee Neil Parish asks the fisheries minister if there has been progress with the EU on treating fisheries separately from a free trade agreement.

George Eustice replies that the UK's position is "crystal clear" and that it should be treated separately in negotiations. He says that fishing is a "dynamic environment" and there is a need for annual discussion on stocks and science.

He tells the committee that the European Parliament believes fisheries should be linked with the free trade agreement.

The Conservative chair says fisheries is one of the "good cards" in negotiations and the EU will want to keep hold of fish stocks. He asks will the negotiators give away the UK's future rights.

The minister replies the UK has a trade deficit with the EU and an agreement is in their interest.

Select Committee
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The committee session is starting now. On the committee are:

• Neil Parish (Chair) - Conservative
• Alan Brown - Scottish National Party
• Paul Flynn - Labour
• John Grogan - Labour
• Dr Caroline Johnson - Conservative
• Kerry McCarthy - Labour
• Sandy Martin - Labour
• Mrs Sheryll Murray - Conservative
• David Simpson - Democratic Unionist Party
• Angela Smith - Labour
• Julian Sturdy - Conservative

You can find out more about the committee and its work here., external

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, EVN/FRANCE TÉLÉVISION

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee is to question the minister for the department George Eustice and his team. The session will examine EU negotiations on fisheries, challenges facing the industry, and the forthcoming Fisheries Bill.

This is the first time the minister will have come before the committee since last week’s dispute over scallop fishing when around 40 French boats clashed with five UK craft off northern France.

Talks will be held in London later today in a bid to resolve tensions between French and British scallop fisherman.

Welcome back to another day at Westminster. Before the first PMQs after the summer recess at noon, we're crossing over to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee...

House of Commons
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MPs now turn to the adjournment debate, this evening led by Lib-Dem MP Layla Moran and focussing on cycling provision in Oxford and Cambridge.

It's been a busy first day back in the Commons, with MPs grilling Foreign Office ministers on Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and UNRWA funding. That was followed by urgent questions on the Windrush Scandal and HMP Birmingham, before Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab updated the House on negotiations with the EU and preparations for a no-deal Brexit scenario.

Labour MP Ruth Smeeth introduced her Ceramics (Country of Origin Marking) Bill, before the Lords' Civil Liability Bill received its second reading.

A lively debate concluded without division, and the bill now progresses to committee.

We'll be leaving our coverage there - join us tomorrow for Northern Ireland questions, PMQs and remaining stages of the Tenant Fees and Voyeurism Bills.

House of Commons
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Justice Minister Rory Stewart says justice needs to be proportional and sustainable, and it needs to be straightforward. This is what the bill seeks to ensure.

"We have a responsibility as a government to balance the administration of justice and honesty with the broader social costs."

He says a number of the objections to the bill are flawed, but accepts that there are some valid concerns raised.

He points to the idea that the insurance industry will not pass on the savings made to customers, concerns surrounding vulnerable road users and the impact the bill would have on those that suffer long term consequences that require life long care.

He says the government will take these concerns into consideration, and look to address them as the bill progresses.

The bill passes to the next stage, without division.

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Wrapping up on behalf of the opposition, shadow justice minister Gloria De Piero says the changes in this bill will people worse off in terms of compensation rights.

"We all want to stop insurance fraud," she says, but under the bill "all injured road users... will be treated like fraudsters".

She says the bill saves insurers money - "again the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer".

She says Labour will abstain, in hope the government makes changes in the committee stage, and threatens they will vote against if they are not made.

House of Commons
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Conservative MP Vicky Ford says that whenever she receives a call from companies encouraging her to put in whiplash claims she is forced to relive a terrifying and serious accident her and her family were involved in.

After sliding upside down in their car, everyone in her family ended up in hospital, but not one of them experienced whiplash.

Yet she was repeatedly encouraged to put in claims for whiplash compensation, and continues to receive calls, she says.

By removing the possibility of making whiplash claims without medical evidence, as this bill does, cold calling like she has experienced would no longer happen, she says.

House of Commons
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Speaking in opposition to the bill, Labour MP Ruth George says she has suffered whiplash a number of times, with different effects.

On one occasion, whiplash meant she was unable to lift her new baby, unable to walk her dog and unable to attend work. She says the variety of symptoms and consequences of whiplash injuries are oversimplified by this bill.

"Whiplash injuries affect the same person differently, and they affect different people differently... a tariff is not a fair way to compensate people."

House of Commons
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Bob Neill, chair of the Justice Select Committee, says the government has to be careful in the way in which it draws the evidence forward for this bill, noting there are other sources of evidence other than insurance companies.

Mr Neill says he believes the disparity in the number of claims and road incidents is clear, drawing attention to Lord Judge, the former Lord Chief Justice's comment that some whiplash claims are "absolutely reeking of fraud".

He says it is a sensible proposition to monitor the discount rates regularly, and to reset them if necessary. He notes that this should be done independently.

Mr Neill also says when tariff levels are brought in, the judiciary should be fully consulted on setting their rates.

Mr Neill says that evidence should be taken from the senior judiciary with regards to the raising of the small claims limit, and dangers that could happen if genuine litigants have difficulty in approaching the small courts should be considered.

He recommends that those with more knowledge of the online website to be created to help people with smaller claims navigate the legal system easily should join the Justice Select Committee.

But one Tory MP warns that persisting with Theresa May's plan is an act of "self-delusion".

House of Commons
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Conservative Craig Tracey, who formerly worked as an insurance broker, says it's important MPs recognise the need for reforms of the sector, focusing on "addressing the out-of-hand compensation culture that has been allowed to evolve in the UK".

He tells the House that the NHS has already put aside £6bn to deal with future claims, much of which the would be able to be spent elsewhere.

He says people's ability to seek justice will remain - larger claims won't be affected as the savings "come from cutting out a very expensive middle man", with the insurance industry no longer able to benefit from other people's misfortune.

Fraudulent claims affect the cost of everyone's insurance, he says, and the bill seeks to make the system fairer.

"These reforms are well overdue."

House of Commons
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Labour MP Jo Stevens says the bill reads like one that has been written by "the insurance industry, for the insurance industry".

Ms Stevens says that this bill will impact low earners the most, for whom a two thousand pound claim is not a minor or trivial sum. She warns the Justice Secretary that avoiding serious scrutiny is not a good look.

The Labour MP draws attention to the repetition of "assumed" and "assumption" which are used 50 times in the assessment section of the bill, and suggests that this bill is a gift to the insurance industry.

Ms Stevens says "we are united in this house by the irritating and intimidating methods of insurance firms", but stresses that this bill will have a negative effect on the access the people have to justice.

House of Commons
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Richard Burgon says despite the government suggesting that most whiplash claims are fraudulent, the figure is only 0.25%.

He says "it is not justice if the honest vast majority are penalised because of a tiny, dishonest minority", and suggests that compensation payout sums have dropped in recent years.

Mr Burgon further proposes that those injured at work should be excluded from this legislation, and that lump sums awarded to those who have suffered life-changing injuries must be properly worked out.

The shadow justice secretary says the opposition will push for amendments to strengthen the safeguards in the bill and to ensure claimants get all the compensation they are entitled to.

House of Commons
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The shadow justice secretary, Richard Burgon, says this bill is an attack by the government on the justice system.

He draws parallels to cuts to legal aid made by the Conservative government which he says make it harder for people to take on "dodgy landlords".

He says it is an attack on the vulnerable that perhaps not coincidentally will enrich the insurance industry.

Mr Burgon says that the bill in its current form cannot be supported, and will be voted against at third reading.

He says that he fears this set of justice reforms will undermine people's basic rights, and may lead to an increase of people taking industrial reaction to achieve redress.