House of Commons
Parliament

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Labour MP Alison McGovern says she there is a "fundamental dilemma in our economy".

"We all want employment to go up, we all want people to work but.. wages haven't gone up."

She says it is a "fundamental truth" that wages don't take into account the cost of having children and asks "how high does child poverty have to go before the government steps in?"

"Unless the state steps in to take account of the cost of having children... we will always have people who fall into poverty - that's a fundamental truth of how our economy works."

Select Committee
Parliament

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MPs continue to question the decision to open up support ship contracts to competition.

DUP MP Gavin Robinson says the largest and second largest dry dock in the UK is in his constituency. He says the national ship building strategy is about revitalising the UK's shipbuilding strategy.

Richard Knighton agrees and adds it is also about giving the Royal Navy the "best capacity and capability" it can have.

Mr Robinson says there is an "opportunity" to provide a "pipe-line" of work for two ships and the possibility for a third and a "public procurement opportunity" of over £1bn.

"We risk not using that," he adds.

The Assistant Chief of Defence Staff replies it is an "open competition and if British yards demonstrate that they have the capability and can do it in an affordable fashion... then they will win the competition."

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative Paul Masterton lists a number of people who will benefit from Universal Credit, including injured veterans. "That's something we should all welcome."

He says there is "no doubt that the phased roll out has raised a number of issues", but the principle itself is correct.

He says that "in the lead up to the Budget, the government should reinstate work allowances...back to the level they were before the 2015 budget."

However, he opposes scrapping the system: "UC is a good benefit - to scrap it to go back to a system that traps people on welfare would be a mistake."

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour MP Dan Carden says "ministers have actually taken what was an agreed principle to simplify the benefits system... and now lost the support of the House."

"This is not a welfare state... this is a modern day digital workhouse for people in my constituency."

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The defence secretary is asked why Fleet Solid Support Ships, external are not designated as war ships like other EU counterparts.

The decision means that the ship building contract will be open to competition from outside the UK.

Mr Williamson replies it was a decision made on the back of the national ship building strategy.

He says he does not plan on "revisiting" the decision.

Assistant Chief of Defence Staff Richard Knighton says the "first priority" is to get the best capability for the armed forces for the budget that is set.

"Competition is a fundamental part of delivering value for money," he says.

The assistant chief adds it is "quite clearly not a warship".

House of Commons
Parliament

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"I have seen the government act time and time again," Conservative MP Heidi Allen says. "We know that when presented with facts the government will act - so that's what I want to do."

She says awarding a national contract to Citizens Advice will "transform the experience of claimants struggling to get onto the system for the first time", but lists a number of ways in which the system could be improved.

"Given that we are paying advances to 60% of claimants, doesn't that tell us that people can't wait five weeks - so the system design is flawed."

She suggests making the initial payment an actual payment, rather than an advanced loan, would address "the majority of food bank cases that we do hear about."

"We as a government are choosing, for all the right reasons, to move people - that's people - across to a new system. I fail to see why that should be the complete and utter responsibility of those claimants," she says, criticising the lack of automation in moving existing benefit claimants onto Universal Credit.

"We should be looking after them, not letting them drop off the systems."

She says work allowances need return to what they should have been prior to 2015. "How, in this fair Great Britain," is one claimant "being protected...and one is £2,000 worse off each year - that is not Great Britain."

Select Committee
Parliament

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The defence committee session begins.

Labour MP John Spellar asks why all MPs from Plymouth from all political parties were not invited to the announcement on 8 October that the Royal Navy's new Type 26 frigates are to be based at Devonport Naval Base.

Mr Williamson replies they had informed all members on 4 October they would be in Plymouth.

Mr Spellar replies three members were invited to attend the event, but the member whose constituency the base is in was not invited.

He adds that "parliamentary priority" should have been given to the MP whose constituency it was on a bi-partisan basis.

The defence secretary says his understanding of the ministerial code is that the "key thing" is to notify members of a visit to their constituency.

The Labour MP says it is an "important constitutional issue" and adds the issue may need be taken further in government.

House of Lords
Parliament

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Labour peer and Barrister Baroness Kennedy introduces the debate on the report from the EU Committee about resolution and enforcement after Brexit, external to peers.

The government has made clear its wish that when the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, the "direct jurisdiction" in the UK of the Court of Justice of the European Union will end.

The committee’s report calls on the government to propose an effective system for dispute resolution and enforcement in respect of both the proposed withdrawal agreement and the future UK-EU relationship.

The report concludes that without some judicial oversight any “intractable” disagreements with the EU will be “potentially insoluble”, and individuals and businesses will also be unable to protect and enforce their rights.

Baroness Kennedy says "such significant constitutional upheaval should not be taken without further public consultation."

House of Lords
Parliament

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Liberal Democrat peer Lord Wallace asks the final oral question of the afternoon, on whether the government will respond to the “One Yorkshire” proposals for devolution to a Combined Yorkshire Authority.

Housing, Communities and Local Government Minister Lord Bourne says the government "take all cases for devolution very seriously".

Labour peer Lord Blunkett says "the government must get their action together and put the people of the region first."

Lord Bourne says the government has responds to devolution proposals made, but has not received a proposal from Yorkshire yet.

He says he hopes a proposal is put together "and is locally led".

Liberal peer Baroness Pinnock says the government may be "frightened of a Yorkshire authority because of the size of it and the power it would have".

Lord Bourne says the government would be "willing" to hear a proposal from Yorkshire when they are ready to provide one.

House of Lords
Parliament

Conservative peer Lord Lucas asks the health minister for his assessment of whether treatments for gender dysphoria currently offered to children by the National Health Service are evidence-based, and do no long-term harm if the diagnosis turns out to be mistaken.

In response, Lord O'Shaughnessy says clinical practice for gender dysphoria is outlined in a series of guidelines and research into its long term impact "is in its infancy, with further studies required".

Lord Lucas says: "More effort needs to be put into research so we understand this condition better."

The minister agrees that "more research is needed to ensure we are giving children in distress the correct support and diagnosis."

Liberal peer Baroness Barker asks about the age limits for gender dysphoria treatments.

The minister says "no hormone treatments should be given to those under 18 years old, and hormones should only be given to those from age 15 in exceptional circumstances."

House of Lords
Parliament

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Labour peer Baroness Kennedy asks what progress the government are making in increasing the number of GPs in England.

Health Minister Lord O'Shaughnessy says the government will still increase the number of GPs by 5,000, but "recognises that this will take longer than was originally hoped".

He says last year the largest number of GPs were recruited, and there are 3,000 more general staff working in clinical practices since 2015.

Baroness Kennedy says properly sourced health practices are "absolutely key to ensuring good health", but statistics show the number of GPs has fallen by 6% since 2015. She asks if there is a plan to adjust the recruitment to account for year on year loss.

Lord O'Shaughnessy says "the government have not recruited the number of GPs we have wanted to, but we are persisting with this."

Conservative peer Baroness McIntosh says there is an issue with retaining GPs in rural areas.

The minister says there is a £20,000 supplement for 122 GPs who "go and serve in hard to reach areas".

The prime minister gives a one-word answer when Jeremy Corbyn asks about her plan for a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.

House of Lords
Parliament

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Conservative peer Lord Black introduces the first question of the afternoon on the number of pupils taking GCSE Music in the last academic year.

Education Minister Lord Agnew says there were 31,000 entrants to GCSE music exams this year, and from 2010-2018 the proportion of teenagers taking the subject is stable.

The minister says £300m will be invested in music education by the government up to 2020.

Lord Black says music education has become "a privilege of the rich", with only one in five schools offering the school at GCSE level.

"This is the fault of the baccalaureate which tragically damages the arts subjects," he says.

Labour peer Baroness McIntosh says "something urgently needs to be done" as "there is a clear lack of qualified music teachers".

Liberal peer Lord Wallace calls for a "relook at the baccalaureate, which damages all arts subjects and needs reforming".

Lord Agnew says there is a spare slot available in the baccalaureate for music if that's what a school wishes to do.

House of Commons
Parliament

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The Defence Committee will be taking evidence from the Secretary of State Gavin Williamson following the Nato Brussels summit which took place in July.

The questioning on defence policy will include the Modernising Defence Programme, Russia, procurement policy, recruitment and retention and Armed Forces pay.

In January, the defence secretary announced the Defence Modernisation Programme, a review focusing solely on military defence.

The UK’s and Nato’s relationship with Russia has seen creased tension after the Salisbury attack in March.

A Defence Committee report , externalpublished in June said the level of defence spending should rise from 2% to 3% of total GDP in order to meet threats from states including Russia.

At July’s Nato summit allies reaffirmed their commitment to spend 2% of their annual GDP on defence budgets by 2024.

House of Lords
Parliament

Our coverage of the House of Lords begins with oral questions from 3pm.

These include one on the number of pupils taking GCSE Music, and another on plans to increase the number of GPs in England.

This will be followed by a debate introduced by Labour peer Baroness Kennedy on the report from the EU Committee on dispute resolution after Brexit.

The report concluded that without some judicial oversight, any “intractable” disagreements with the EU will be “potentially insoluble”, and individuals and businesses would also be unable to protect and enforce their rights.

The final business in the Lords this evening will be a debate on religious intolerance and prejudice in the UK, introduced by Conservative peer Lord Bourne.

House of Commons
Parliament

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The roll out of Universal Credit has been an "object lesson on how not to do social reform," Labour MP Maria Eagle says.

She tells MPs about a constituent of hers who experienced "Kafkaesque" treatment, adding that "this family would literally have starved" as a result of the flaws of the system.

"It is not enough to slow the rollout, universal credit must be stopped," she says, adding that the government "should be slung out of office, and the sooner the better."

House of Commons
Parliament

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Conservative MP Johnny Mercer says "this place absolutely stinks today, some of the behaviour here has been appalling".

His party colleagues, he adds, are not driven by "anything other than the evidence," he says.

"Nobody believes that everything is perfect about universal credit, and I will not accept the illusion that people on this side come to work to keep the poor, poor."

"We have every interest in improving the lives of the vulnerable," he says.

"When it comes to the most vulnerable in our constituencies, the single biggest factor in improving their life chances is having a job."

House of Commons
Parliament

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Labour MP Angela Eagle says Universal Credit has caused "undeniable and massive hardship in my constituency".

She tells MPs that there has been a 34% increase in food bank usage in the Wirral since the rollout of Universal Credit, with half of all usage attributed to the scheme.

"It doesn't take long to realise this benefit is in trouble when we've seen two former prime ministers have both given very stark warnings...this government is in trouble."

The opposition motion is so "we can share the analysis that makes the party opposite so complacent" about Universal Credit, she says.

"Perhaps they don't have people in their advice surgeries in tears because they're trying to get by on no money, with no prospect of getting any money.

This is no way to treat the poorest and most vulnerable in our society."

House of Commons
Parliament

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Conservative MP Gordon Henderson says his constituency of Sittingbourne and Sheppey has been implementing Universal Credit (UC) fully since January this year.

"Universal credit is not perfect, but no benefits system is," he says.

He says UC "is certainly not the disaster caricatured by the opposition, which is not only a two-fingered insult to the secretary of state and work and pensions ministers, but is misleading the public on the nature of this policy".

Mr Henderson says "only a handful of problems" have been raised by his constituents, all of which were solved "quickly and with ease".

He asks if the five-week payment schedule can be reviewed, arguing that "people find it hard to plan their money for that sort of period".

House of Commons
Parliament

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Labour MP Shabana Mahmood says she is "shocked" hearing the statements from the minister and Tory MPs, calling their approach "utterly divorced from reality."

She says if Universal Credit were really a programme about "so-called compassionate conservativism," the work and pension secretary would "show some humility," rather than "front this out."

"It is not unusual for government programmes to run into problems," she says, suggesting a "government that cared" would "engage properly and genuinely."

Her experience of the government engaging with those experiencing issues with UC "is not a happy one," she adds.

"There is only one fair thing" that the government can do, she says, "and that is to stop the roll-out...and to most importantly, fund it properly".