House of Commons
Parliament

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Leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom is now outlining forthcoming business in the House of Commons.

She pays tribute to Sir Jeremy Heywood, the former Cabinet Secretary who announced his retirement yesterday in order to recover from his cancer treatment.

Shadow Leader Valerie Vaz asks for the Easter recess dates to be announced - Andrea Leadsom tells her she will give them "as soon as I can".

House of Lords
Parliament

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Labour's Lord Blunkett asks about repeated failures to achieve maximum passenger waiting time targets at Heathrow Airport. He asks what action is being taken to improve performance.

Home Office Minister Baroness Wiliams of Trafford says the Border Force is committed to ensuring passengers arriving into the UK receive an excellent service, "whilst also maintaining our responsibility to border security of checking 100% of passports".

She says 95% of passengers were cleared within service standards, and that a number of steps are being taken to improve this.

Former home secretary Lord Blunkett says she hasn't given him an answer, and expresses concern at what the situation will be after Brexit.

He urges the Home Office to "get a grip on this" so that people are able to pass through passport control in less than two hours.

House of Lords
Parliament

Lords business kicks off with a question from Lib Dem Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury, who asks what is being done to ensure public sector television content is easily discoverable.

Media minister Lord Ashton of Hyde says the government recognises the value and need for public service content to be widely accessible for viewers.

The baroness says there is "an urgent need to modernise the rules" that help guarantee prominence of public sector content.

"Global technology players should not be the gatekeepers to what we watch," she says.

"They have little interest in supporting UK content and culture in ensuring the news they provide access to is accurate", she says, adding that will "bury" public service TV unless ministers act.

In response, Lord Ashton says: "I pretty much agree with that."

He says the government will support public service broadcasters to ensure they continue to thrive.

If Ofcom makes clear that there is a problem that needs fixing, "then we will look to bring that forward", he tells peers.

House of Commons
Parliament

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The debate on the INF treaty ends.

Speaker John Bercow makes a statement detailing the decision by the Commons authorities to accept the "three main recommendations" of Dame Laura Cox's report into bullying in Parliament.

Mr Bercow says the House of Commons Commission supports recommendations to replace the previous complaints procedure with an "entirely independent" process, including for "historical allegations".

"This is an important first step in our root and branch reform of the culture of this House," the Speaker says, adding: "we need an internal movement that looks at everything and everyone."

House of Commons
Parliament

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Conservative MP Philip Hollobone says there is "no point in having international treaties unless both parties agree to those terms".

Foreign Office Minister Mark Field says "this whole issue has come to pass" because of Russia's "continued and long-standing non-compliance".

"Our hope is that both parties will return to the table to look at the treaty, but that does require good will, and particularly good will on the Russian side", he adds.

Labour MP Barry Sheerman says: "we must find the unity in Europe to make a contribution to the peace."

In reply, Mark Field says the UK must "continue to work" with the EU on defence and intelligence matters after Brexit.

House of Commons
Parliament

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SNP spokesman Stewart M. McDonald says "it cannot be the case that if we believe in the integrity of this treaty...that we can bring Russia into compliance as the United States departs from the treaty."

He says Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has sent "mixed messages" about whether the UK supported the US withdrawal from the treaty.

In response Mark Field says it's important to recognise that the US has "not yet withdrawn", and the UK is working with allies to "try and avoid that outcome".

It is important that Russia "returns to full and verifiable compliance" with the treaty, but notes that there are other treaties that "are being adhered to".

House of Commons
Parliament

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Shadow foreign minister Fabian Hamilton says "worryingly today, nuclear war seems far more tangible and real since any time since the INF was signed."

He says the US has decided to withdraw from the treaty unilaterally, and has offered "no alternative proposal or replacement".

The US proposal to withdraw marks the "dangerous unravelling of the architecture of trust and understanding that has prevented nuclear conflict until now".

"This has deep implications for European security," he tells MPs.

"Events in Salisbury have shown that Europe is at the forefront of a new conflict between East and West."

In response, Mark Field said it is "very much the UK's policy to help reduce the number of nuclear weapons".

He says the Foreign Office has been concerned about "Russia's progress in this area" for "a long time".

However he says he is "happy to announce" that both Russia and the US have committed to continue implementing the New START arms reduction treaty, due to expire in 2021.

House of Lords
Parliament

Business in the House of Lords today begins at 11am with oral questions.

Today, these will focus on public sector television content, Heathrow Airport passenger waiting times, the Trident nuclear weapons system and antimicrobial-resistant infections.

After that, a debate will take place on the case for a second Brexit referendum - which supporters call a "people's vote" - followed by another on the building of more affordable housing.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Foreign Offfice Minister Mark Field says that "full compliance" with the INF treaty is required if it is to be "effective."

He accuses Russia of "continuing to undermine" the treaty, with "widespread doubts" about their commitment.

He adds that this has been a long running concern for several US administrations, which saw the Obama administration take action previously.

"In the interests of preserving the treaty," he says, "we urge Russia to address these concerns in a transparent way and come back into full compliance".

He says it's important to recognise the US has not yet withdrawn, and the UK will continue to support the treaty whilst it "remains in force".

He adds that it is "worth noting" that Presidents Trump and Putin will meet next month.

Image source, Getty Images

• Signed by the US and the USSR in 1987, the arms control deal banned all nuclear and non-nuclear missiles with short and medium ranges, except sea-launched weapons
• The US had been concerned by the Soviet deployment of the SS-20 missile system and responded by placing Pershing and Cruise missiles in Europe - sparking widespread protests
• By 1991, nearly 2,700 missiles had been destroyed. Both countries were allowed to inspect the other's installations
• In 2007, Russian president Vladimir Putin declared the treaty no longer served Russia's interests. The move came after the US withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2002

Image source, EPA

That's Brexit questions finished.

MPs are now debating President Trump's plan to withdraw the US from a landmark nuclear weapons treaty with Russia.

Mr Trump said Russia had "violated" the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty.

The deal banned ground-launched medium-range missiles, with a range of between 500 and 5,500km (310-3,400 miles).

House of Commons
Parliament

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Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer says the government has now published technical notices , externalrelating to a no-deal Brexit - committing the government to further legislation in 51 new areas.

Sir Keir says this a huge "legislative task" for any government, and asks how confident Mr Raab is that it can be done in the next 22 weeks.

Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab says the government will be "ready to deal with the short term risks".

Sir Keir says "this is bluff not planning", adding: "it's too late to plan for no deal".

Mr Raab says it would be irresponsible to make no financial provision for no-deal, which would leave the UK "exposed to our negotiating partners".

House of Commons
Parliament

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Lib Dem MP Tom Brake asks the Brexit Secretary to provide assurances that students from Northern Ireland will be able to "live, work and study" in the EU after Brexit.

Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab says Liberal Democrats' policy of holding a second referendum would only result in more "uncertainty" for "those who do have anxieties".

He adds that the prime minister has committed to "guarantee the rights" of EU nationals in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour MP Gerald Jones raises the potential for delays at the UK border in the event that no deal is agreed for when the UK leaves the EU.

Referencing a recent estimate from the National Audit Office, he says the number of necessary customs declarations could increase by 360%.

He asks how many additional staff will be required to cope with "likely tailbacks" at UK ports.

Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab tells MPs a total of 900 new staff are being recruited.

The government will be ready "for all outcomes" of the negotiations, he says.

Image source, HoC

House of Commons
Parliament

Welcome to our live coverage of the House of Commons.

First up this morning, MPs will be putting questions to Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and his team of ministers.

After this, shadow defence minister Fabian Hamilton will ask an urgent question about President Trump's plan to withdraw from a nuclear weapons treaty with Russia.

After that, Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom will set out forthcoming parliamentary business in the Commons.

Then, MPs will hear a statement from Home Secretary Sajid Javid on immigration.

There will be two general debates this afternoon: on folic acid fortification, and the government's strategy for promoting inclusive transport, external.

A potentially hostile meeting turns out to be a "petting zoo, not a lion's den", one MP says.

House of Commons
Parliament

The day began with questions to ministers for the Wales Office, before Prime Minister Theresa May took questions from MPs.

Highlights included Labour MP Jess Phillips raising the issue of non disclosure agreements "to allow rich and powerful men to do pretty much whatever they want, as long as they can pay to keep it quiet", and a call for a revamp of the Dangerous Dogs Act.

After that, MPs debated all stages of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Bill.

MPs backed Labour MP Stella Creasy's amendment on abortion and same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland by a large majority of 90.

The amendment won't change abortion law in Northern Ireland, but would require the secretary of state to monitor and protect human rights there.

The bill passed the Commons by 344 votes to 26 and will now proceed to the House of Lords.

Join us tomorrow for Brexit questions, the business statement and general debates on folic acid fortification and the inclusive transport strategy. Business begins from 9.30am.

House of Lords
Parliament

Content: 82

Not content: 127

Majority: 45

The amendment is therefore not added to the bill.

We'll be leaving our coverage of the Lords there today.

The day began with questions on children's mental health services, the impact of Brexit on the economy and protecting the impartiality of the civil service. Tommy Robinson's invitation to the House of Lords yesterday was also discussed in a question about religious freedom, before a private notice question was asked about the US's plans to withdraw from a nuclear treaty with Russia.

The Non-Domestic Rating (Nursery Grounds) Bill received its third reading, before the Lords debated the Ivory Bill at report stage.

Join us tomorrow from 11am as peers debate the case for a so-called 'People's Vote' and the building of more affordable housing.