Summary

  • International Trade Questions at start of the day

  • Questions next to Women and Equalities ministerial team

  • Urgent question on Bedford prison

  • Business statement outlines what's coming up in the Commons

  • Statement on scallop fishing from Fisheries Minister George Eustice

  • Debate on proxy voting

  • Peers question ministers from 11am

  1. Is funding for sixth form students adequate?published at 14:45 British Summer Time 10 September 2018

    Education Questions

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Thelma WalkerImage source, HOC

    Labour MP Thelma Walker gets the Commons week started with a question to Education ministers on the adequacy of funding for sixth form students.

    Education Minister Anne Milton says the department is working with the Treasury ahead of the forthcoming spending review, as well as with schools and colleges to help make them more sustainable.

    Ms Walker questions this and says 50% of schools and colleges have already cut modern languages provision, with 60% cutting extra curricular activities. The minister says base rate funding is protected until 2020, additional support being put in as well for disadvantaged students.

    Labour's Emma Hardy says the entire sector is extremely concerned about the budget report, and asks the minister to commit to making no further cuts to Further Education budgets. The minister says the sector is independent, but the government is working to help improve sustainability of budgets.

    She says she will be making appeals to the Treasury for improvements in funding.

  2. What's on today in Parliament?published at 14:16 British Summer Time 10 September 2018

    What's happening in the Commons and the Lords

    Today's proceedings will begin at 2.30pm with questions to education ministers in the Commons, and peers will be asking government ministers questions in the Lords.

    There will be one urgent question by Welsh Labour's Stephen Doughty on the the political and humanitarian situation in and around Idlib, Syria.

    This weekend, activists announced that Syria and Russia have carried out their most intensive air raids in weeks on rebel positions in Idlib, the last stronghold of the rebels and jihadists, who have fought the Syrian authorities for the past seven years.

    The urgent question will be followed by a ministerial statement delivered by the Justice Minister, Edward Argar. He is expected to announce the first ever cross-government Victims Strategy plan, ensuring victims of crime receive the care, support and justice they deserve.

    The main event this afternoon is a general debate on legislating for the EU Withdrawal Agreement which is based around the government white paper setting out where and how changes to the law will be made to implement the withdrawal agreement. It also discusses how EU law will continue to have effect in the UK during transition.

    We'll also take a look at the Petitions Committee debate in Westminster Hall at 4.30pm which is calling on the government to rescind Article 50 "if Vote Leave has broken electoral laws regarding the 2016 referendum".

    In the Lords, the main event is a detailed committee stage debate on the Ivory Bill at 2.30pm. The bill focuses on the ban on ivory trading on poached ivory, and exempting ivory created before 1918.

  3. Good afternoonpublished at 12:54 British Summer Time 10 September 2018

    Welcome to our coverage of the week ahead in Westminster.

    Today's business in the Commons kicks off with questions to education ministers at 2.30pm - and peers will be asking government ministers questions at the same time in the Upper House.

    Join us then.