House of Commons
Parliament

Our coverage of the Commons today begins at 11.30am with oral questions to the Department of Health and Social Care ministers.

There are no urgent questions or ministerial statements granted today, meaning proceedings will then move on to a ten minute motion introduced by Labour MP Diana Johnson that would see abortion decriminalised.

Currently, the Offences Against the Persons Act 1861 makes abortion illegal in the UK except when there is a risk to the life or health of the mother.

This legislation was partly superseded by the Abortion Act 1967 which gave a route for women in England and Wales to access abortion care, but the Act has never applied to Northern Ireland.

After this, MPs will begin their main legislative business of the day, the final stages of the Civil Liability Bill.

The bill seeks to reform the claims process for whiplash claims with injuries lasting up to two years resulting from road traffic accidents, and to make changes to the way in which the personal injury discount rate, applied to lump sum awards of damages for future loss, is set.

The bill has already passed through the Lords, where the provisions on whiplash proved controversial and faced considerable challenge.

Following this, there will be a discussion on the changes to standing order no.47 on time limits to speeches and interventions.

Today's adjournment debate is on elder abuse and will be introduced by Conservative MP Giles Watling.

Westminster Hall

Labour MP John Grogan is leading a debate on the future of BBC Parliament in Westminster Hall right now.

You can watch it using the stream above.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Independent MP Kelvin Hopkins asks the witnesses for their views on the recent government practice of not voting on Opposition Day motions in the House of Commons.

Professor Blackburn says "this is the stuff of politics" but has made no difference to the state of resolutions to the House of Commons, just designed to "weaken pressure" on ministers.

"It is the fragile nature of the government majority that has produced this practice," he says.

Opposition days are days allocated in the House of Commons for the discussion of subjects chosen by the opposition (non-government) parties. The government has recently abstained from voting in such debates.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Chair Sir Bernard Jenkin asks the witnesses how they would describe the role of the United Kingdom parliament.

Professor Robert Blackburn of King's College London says the role of Parliament is to "represent the nation" and for the "ventilation of expression" of a variety of views.

A majority in the House of Commons "can always get its way" and operates under a system of pressures to challenge it - from the House of Lords, from the media, from the Opposition, he says.

Professor Blackburn says that Brexit has shown how such a complex issue can be debated "robustly" in the House of Commons and the "tolerance of dissent" should not be taken for granted.

"I feel a little better," quips Sir Bernard.

Select Committee
Parliament

The next set of witnesses take their seats.

They are:

• Professor Petra Schleiter, University of Oxford
• Professor Robert Blackburn QC, Kings College London
• Dr Andrew Blick, Kings College London

Image source, HoC

Select Committee
Parliament

Conservative MP Marcus Fysh asks if there is such a thing as a confidence motion "outside of the Fixed Term Parliaments Act"?

Sir David Natzler says that there is and describes how a "very politically damaging" motion could be passed but it would not trigger the terms of the Act.

The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 creates a five year period between general elections. Early elections may only be held in specified circumstances.

Image source, HoC

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Committee Chair Sir Bernard Jenkin asks about the European Union (Withdrawal) Act , externaland how resolutions will impact on the government's negotiations with the European Union and in seeking approval from Parliament.

"What will actually happen?" Sir Bernard Jenkin asks, to laughter in the room.

Clerk of the House of Commons, Sir David Natzler describes "two big hurdles" for the government in the process.

He says that once a political agreement has been reached, a resolution of Parliament is required to approve the EU withdrawal agreement and the framework. This is a "necessary condition" for eventual ratification and "not enough in itself", he says.

"If this isn't agreed, then they can't ratify the withdrawal agreement."

Sir David also says the government must pass an act of Parliament.

Select Committee
Parliament

MPs are hearing evidence on how the constitutional status of resolutions of the House of Commons have changed.

Resolutions on immediate questions of political controversy have historically had substantial political force, often compelling governments to change policy.

The committee is hearing from Clerks of the House of Commons and academic experts.

You can read more about resolutions and the the inquiry here., external

We're watching the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, which is talking to Sir David Natzler, the Clerk of the House of Commons, about the status of resolutions in the Commons.

Essentially, the committee is looking at the powers that Parliament has, and how that affects decisions about Brexit.

The prime minister tells MPs progress is being made, after days of speculation about her job.

Image source, Hoc

Theresa May has told MPs 95% of the terms of exit were agreed but the Irish border was still a "considerable sticking point".

While willing to consider extending the UK's transition period beyond 2020, she said this was "undesirable" and would have to end "well before" May 2022.

The UK is to leave the EU on 29 March 2019 but hopes of reaching agreement on the terms of its exit by the end of the year have been held up by a lack of a solution to the Irish border issue.

• Abuse of Theresa May condemned by politicians
• Commons bid to block EU Brexit 'backstop'
• Brexit: All you need to know

So what did the PM suggest?

Theresa May urged the EU to do more to ensure commitments entered into by both sides to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were honoured by whatever means necessary.

One idea is to extend the transition period, currently due to end on 31 December 2020, to give the two sides more time to agree their future economic partnership and ensure controversial contingency plans, the so-called Irish backstop, do not ever come into force.

Both Tory Brexiteers and Remainers worry this would delay further the moment of the UK's proper departure from the EU, and potentially cost billions in terms of extra payments.

Mrs May said the UK should be able to make a "sovereign choice" in December 2020 between extending the transition period for a short period or invoking the backstop - which would see the whole of the UK stay in a temporary, time-limited customs arrangement with the EU.

She suggested the transition option might be preferable as it would "mean only one set of changes for businesses at the point we move to the future relationship".

"But in any such scenario we would have to be out of this implementation period well before the end of this parliament," she added.

House of Commons
Parliament

With that, we'll be leaving our coverage of the Commons today.

The day began with Defence questions, followed by an urgent question from Conservative MP John Redwood concerning the costs of remaining in a customs union with the EU and the withdrawal agreement.

Former attorney general Dominic Grieve then asked a question regarding MPs' "meaningful vote" on the final Brexit deal, to which Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab responded.

Prime Minister Theresa May then spent over an hour and a half taking questions from MPs following her statement providing an update on Brexit negotiations following the recent EU summit, before Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt took gave a statement on the death of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Join us tomorrow from 11.30am for health and social care questions and the remaining stages of the Civil Liabilities Bill in the Commons - and an early session of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee at 9.15am.

House of Commons
Parliament

Plans to debate the Offensive Weapons Bill - which was dropped last week - have now been dropped again, after the motion was not moved.

The government also did not move motions on changes to standing order no.47 (on time limits to speeches and interventions), which some suggested would be debated instead. Nor did they move motions on armed forces flexible working and Brexit motions on civil aviation and merchant shipping.

MPs now move onto the adjournment debate, tonight on pediatric cancers of the central nervous system, led by Labour MP Chris Elmore.

A senior minister blames a "rogue operation" as pressure mounts over the death of Jamal Khashoggi.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Labour MP Wes Streeting says Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance should be a red line, but "so should the bombing of a bus full of children in Yemen".

He asks the foreign secretary - if the government is not yet willing to put forward a UN resolution or take other action - to "at the very least" make sure that no minister or government official visits the approaching Saudi trade conference.

Without this, he says, the government's words will "simply ring hollow".

Jeremy Hunt says Mr Streeting is "misrepresenting" his position, and it is "highly unlikely" any official will be going to the conference.

He says red lines have to be based on evidence, "we have to allow the investigation to happen...before we take our decision."

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, hoC

Labour MP Stephen Doughty says there is speculation that some of the individuals connected with the incident have been "involved" with and met MPs.

"I can confirm that one of the individuals met me, to put pressure on me because I've been critical of Saudi policy in Yemen."

He adds that they may have "been in and out of government buildings, including indeed this place [Parliament]". He also asks if the foreign secretary has considered changing the government's advice on travel to Saudi Arabia.

Mr Hunt says the travel advice given by the Foreign Office is "constantly under review" and if the government felt there was a heightened risk he would say.

He adds that the government is aware that some individuals involved with Mr Khashoggi's disappearance may have visited the UK with the Crown Prince, which is being carefully looked at.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour MP Chi Onwurah asks if the foreign secretary says the government must wait until there is sufficient evidence of the reports being true, he believes there could be some way in which the death would be acceptable to him.

"I've made it clear that we need to find out who was responsible and act accordingly," the foreign secretary says.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell says Jeremy Hunt must review the situation of supporting the coalition on Yemen to a position of neutrality and meaningful negotiations.

The foreign secretary says: "Our position in Yemen is not dictated by the strategic partnership we have with Saudi Arabia."

"The relationship we have with Saudi Arabia means we are listened to much more than we would be otherwise," he says.

Jeremy Hunt says Yemen is a very difficult situation and very intractable as both sides think a military solution is possible.

"We need to move towards dialogue," he says.