House of Commons
Parliament

Our coverage of the Commons chamber begins at 11.30am today with questions to the Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns, which will be followed by PMQs.

The day's Ten Minute Rule Bill is from the Conservative Richard Bacon. He is a long-standing campaigner on housing issues, and his housing reform bill covers issues like thermal performance standards and providing "serviced plots" - spaces already provided with water, electricity, gas and other services, where self-build homes can be constructed.

Following this, MPs will be asked to consider the Northern Ireland Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions Bill.

This is another piece of legislation to deal with the ramifications of the continuing political deadlock which means no devolved Northern Ireland Executive can be formed.

The bill provides for a five-month period up to 26 March during which an executive may be formed without further primary legislation or an Assembly election, and will give clarity to the Northern Ireland civil service about the decisions they can make.

The day's adjournment debate introduced by Labour MP Sir Mark Hendrick is on the government approach to detrimental home insulation issues.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Hairdresser Gaynor Rowles tells the committee she has been on Universal Credit for two years and "month in, month out, you never get your payments on time".

She describes how she has had to seek support from other family members.

"It's so stressful, so stressful," she says.

Lucy Collins tells the committee she had to leave her job in the police because it is "very difficult to get childcare around shifts".

Select Committee
Parliament

The new set of witnesses take their seats. They are Universal Credit claimants:

• Gaynor Rowles, Hairdresser
• Lucy Collins, Beauty technician
• Vikki Waterman, Administrator
• Thuto Mali, full time mum

Image source, HoC

Errors mean 180,000 people on sickness benefits will now receive backdated payments.

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour MP Neil Coyle says his constituent was almost "forced off" an apprenticeship because the problems "evidencing childcare costs as a single mum", and ended up in debt.

Dalia Ben-Galim of charity Gingerbread says it is "removing the burden of proof" that would work best, rather than parents having to submit receipts of what they have already paid.

If parents qualify for the Childcare Costs element, they must report the actual costs paid to the Department of Work and Pensions in each assessment period.

Image source, HoC

Select Committee
Parliament

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Conservative MP Heidi Allen asks the witnesses how they would redesign covering the childcare costs for Universal Credit claimants.

Jonathan Broadbery of the National Day Nurseries Association said there should be better "technological infrastructure" in place for local authorities to enable parents to choose their childcare providers and have a variety of options.

"Direct payment through providers" would be preferable, says Steven McIntosh of Save the Children.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Labour MP Rosie Duffield asks whether it's easy for parents who are Universal Credit claimants to find "good quality" childcare.

Dalia Ben-Galim of Gingerbread, a charity for single-parent families, says the "costs [of childcare] have not come down" and parents see going into work as a "risk", especially those on zero-hours contracts or in insecure work.

"They cannot find childcare to meet their working needs," she says.

Under Universal Credit, if a parent needs more than 30 hours childcare, they can pay for the other childcare hours by claiming Universal Credit childcare element payments to cover 85% of the costs, up to a maximum monthly amount of £646.35 for one child and £1108.04 if you have two or more children.

Select Committee
Parliament

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This morning, MPs on the Work and Pensions Committee will hear the views of charities and claimants on the roll-out of the government's controversial Universal Credit benefit.

The witnesses are:

• Steven McIntosh, Director of UK Poverty Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns, Save the Children
• Dalia Ben-Galim, Director of Policy, Gingerbread
• Joe Shalam, Researcher, Centre for Social Justice
• Jonathan Broadbery, Head of Policy and External Relations, National Day Nurseries Association

• Gaynor Rowles, Hairdresser
• Lucy Collins, Beauty technician
• Vikki Waterman, Administrator
• Thuto Mali, full time mum

A busy day in Westminster ahead - we're going to be covering PMQs at noon, and plenty elsewhere in the Commons chamber, Lords, and committee rooms.

First of all today, we're taking a look at the Work and Pensions Committee session, examining the rollout of Universal Credit.

Thanks for joining us.

House of Lords
Parliament

The Voyeurism (Offences) (No.2) Bill received its second reading in the House of Lords.

The bill, often referred to as the "upskirting bill", aims to prevent the taking of photos beneath a person's clothing to observe their genitalia or buttocks, whether covered or uncovered.

Opening the debate, Justice Minister Lord Keen of Elie said the bill "addresses a small but important gap in the current law, which means that not all circumstances in which upskirting occurs can be prosecuted."

The bill passed through the Lords and will now be looked at in more detail at committee stage.

House of Commons
Parliament

MPs now move onto the adjournment debate, tonight led by Conservative MP Giles Watling and focusing on elder abuse.

That's it for our coverage of the Commons today.

The day started with oral questions to health and social care ministers, before Labour MP Diana Johnson introduced her ten minute role motion on abortion.

The bill would see abortion decriminalized in Northern Ireland alongside the rest of the UK, and proceeded to the next stage following division.

After this, MPs moved on to their main legislative business of the day, the final stages of the Civil Liability Bill.

The bill looks to crack down on fraudulent whiplash claims by banning offers to settle claims without the support of medical evidence, and introduces a tariff for fixed whiplash damages.

Three Labour amendments on the use of tariffs for whiplash claims, and exemptions of children and vulnerable people to the cap on insurance claims, were rejected following division, before the bill passed its third reading by 294 votes to 238.

Our coverage of the Commons will begin tomorrow at 11.30am with questions to the Welsh Secretary, before PMQs at Midday.

House of Commons
Parliament

MPs have voted in favour of the Civil Liability Bill at Third Reading.

Ayes: 294

Noes: 238

Majority: 56

The bill changes the rules of whiplash claims and personal injury discount rates.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Conservative Kevin Hollinrake says the bill "is surely about fairness...this government is championing the cause of the consumer, driving down the cost of living."

He references the cap on energy costs and the Tenant Fees Bill as other examples.

It's "disturbing", he says, "that this country is the whiplash capital of the world."

As he concludes, MPs divide to vote on the bill.

House of Commons
Parliament

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The DUP's Emma Little-Pengelly says the tariff differences are "hugely significant" for those who have suffered "catastrophic injuries", and will create "a significant gap".

She says she has asked for the bill to be rolled out to Northern Ireland to "reverse the injustices in insurance claims there".

Ms Little-Pengelly also marks the 25th anniversary of the Shankill IRA bombing in Belfast, and says her thoughts are with the families of those involved today.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Conservative MP Eddie Hughes says the government has done a great deal to prevent whiplash, citing the introduction of smart motorways and a ban on mobile phone use while driving.

"It's important not just talking about the problem of whiplash, how about we try alleviate or remove it in the first place?"

He says his constituents will benefit from the reduction in insurance premiums that the bill would cause.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon says the Civil Liability Bill is "yet another Tory attack on the rights of victims and undermines access to justice."

He says Labour will vote against the bill, as the government had the chance to "dispel suggestions that they would be lining the pockets of insurers" by supporting Labour amendments, but didn't take it.

"Tens of thousands of working people will be priced out of legal assistance," he says, with many either being left to fight their case themselves or being scared off completely. He says injured people, who have done nothing wrong, will miss out on justice.

"As always, the wealthy will still be able to afford the best legal advice. It's the rest that will have to suffer."

House of Commons
Parliament

The justice minister says to have a successful whiplash claim, "a claimant must have had a medical assessment carried out by a qualified GP which has been logged."

He says the lack of medical assessments for whiplash has led to "many fraudulent claims".

Rory Stewart says "many of the nuisance phone calls on road accidents and whiplash claims are coming from foreign jurisdictions," and that this is "something we need to urgently crack down on".

"Periodic payments for those severely injured will ensure that the real costs of your care, year on year, until your death, will be covered," the minister says, "the government will try to prioritise these."

House of Commons
Parliament

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The Civil Liability Bill passes consent motion without division and Justice Minister Rory Stewart introduces the third reading of the bill.

The justice minister says: "there have been unfair claims that personal injury lawyers are to blame and I put on record our respect for the work that they do."

He says the Civil Liability Bill "strikes a reasonable and proportionate balance between compensation and costs imposed on the rest of society," and that the government "will rigorously hold to account insurance injury companies to ensure they are passing savings on to customers".

Mr Stewart says this bill is the perfect storm of three things "an asymmetry of information" with regards to genuine whiplash claims, "the level of payments that have been offered to injury suffers" and "recoverable costs".

"This bill will seek to deter fraudulent whiplash claims," the minister says.

House of Commons
Parliament

MPs have voted against Labour's amendment 2 of the Civil Liability Bill.

Ayes: 243

Noes: 298

Majority: 55

The amendment would have removed the creation of tariffs for whiplash injuries and retained the existing system where judges decide compensation levels with reference to Judicial College Guidelines.

The amendment is therefore not part of the bill.