Select Committee
Parliament

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Labour's Wes Streeting asks what the panel make of the "limited amount of money" in the Budget for social care.

Professor Diane Elson says the "big problem" is that local government funding is set to take "more hits".

She says the government needs to contemplate a "National Care Service" alongside the National Health Service.

The costs of social care will now increase, due to the increases in the minimum wage, she adds. She says there needs to be societal agreement on how to fund social care, as it requires a rise in taxes.

Paul Johnson, from the IFS, says local government spending has fallen by 20% over the last eight years.

He adds that the government is dealing in "sticking plasters", as there is nothing in the Budget for social care two years from now.

House of Commons
Parliament

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SNP spokesman Pete Wishart asks "on what conditions and on what basis" a "meaningful vote" on the Brexit withdrawal deal will be held.

He asks for an assurance that "this meaningful vote won't be a meaningless vote".

In reply, Andrea Leadsom says the Commons will be "will be invited to give its views" and "to lend its support" to the final deal.

She says the government's motion on the deal will be amendable, but it must give ministers permission "to go ahead with the deal that has been agreed".

Pete Wishart also requests a statement on the status of EU nationals after Brexit, stating that "apparently" only 650 of the 3.5m who need to apply for the new settled status have done so.

Statements from Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes suggesting that determining people's status would be "tricky" during the transition period "raises all sorts of alarms and anxieties", he adds.

House of Lords
Parliament

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Labour peer Baroness McIntosh says schools have "good intentions" regarding social mobility, but are "hindered by a lack of resources and investment".

She says an "impoverished timetable" and the "undervaluing of creative subjects" have hindered social mobility.

She tells peers that creative subjects provide children will "important skills for future jobs".

She says she believes the current curriculum is "terribly restrictive", with schools focusing "purely on facilitating subjects that universities prioritise".

House of Lords
Parliament

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Conservative peer Lord Baker of Dorking says Key Stage 3 - marking the transition between primary and secondary school - "is a mess", with children becoming "disengaged".

He also says the ability of head teachers to expel pupils has "grown out of all proportion", with expelled children "on the road to a culture of gangland".

He adds that changes introduced by former education secretary Michael Gove were "highly academic", leaving "many disinterested creative students".

He calls for stronger relationships between schools and local businesses to encourage children to learn key skills in "innovative ways".

"We don't know what jobs are going to emerge, so we must ensure children have a range of skills to make them adaptable for numerous career paths," he says.

House of Lords
Parliament

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Labour peer Baroness Massey is now introducing her debate on early initiatives to improve the welfare, life chances and social mobility of young people.

She says social mobility "will be not possible at all if children are not healthy, have poor literacy skills, and are caught up in the justice system".

"Intervention must come in early childhood when lives can be easily turned around," she says.

She says volunteering programmes at adolescence can "instill confidence and key skills in young people", and that this is "highly effective".

She also calls for more money to be invested by the government into schemes for young people.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Conservative Simon Clarke asks if the UK is "constitutionally incapable of running a balanced budget".

Paul Johnson says that the UK has not run a balanced budget "very often at all in the past".

He adds that tax is "at a historic high," although it is not high by the standards of other European countries.

Rain Newton-Smith, from the CBI, says a balanced budget "is not a goal in itself".

She says it is more important for the UK to have long-term fiscal goals. UK growth has slowed from being 2.5% on average to 1.5% in the past few years, she adds.

With an ageing population, she states, controls on immigration will have an impact on economic growth in the longer term.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom confirms that the February recess will happen.

On EU citizen rights under a no-deal Brexit, she says the UK will "honour its commitment" that EU citizens and their family members resident by March 2019 "will be able to remain here".

She adds that employers already need to carry out right-to-work checks on EU citizens, and "that will not change."

She tells MPs that a Brexit withdrawal deal is "90-95% of the way there", but there are still some "significant questions to be answered".

She adds that MPs will be updated as soon as possible.

House of Lords
Parliament

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Conservative peer Lord Farmer asks about the medical use of cannabis, suggesting NHS research says the regular use of cannabis increases the risk of developing a psychotic illness.

He asks what assurances can be given that new legislation legalising medical cannabis will not become a "Trojan horse" for its recreational use.

Health Minister Lord O'Shaughnessy says the government has "no plans whatsoever to legalise cannabis for recreational use".

Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Walmsley says a database must be set up to record the "lived evidence of patients" while further clinical trials are carried out.

Labour peer Lord Hunt says Public Health England is currently conducting a review into the side-effects of medical cannabis, and asks for a confirmation this will be published.

In reply, Lord O'Shaughnessy says "further clinical trials are important, as in some areas there is currently a lack of evidence".

House of Commons
Parliament

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Shadow Commons Leader Valerie Vaz asks Mrs Leadsom to confirm "there is no truth in the rumour" that the February recess will not happen.

She also suggests Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes "may have misled" MPs on the Home Affairs Committee earlier this week with her evidence on EU citizens rights.

Ms Nokes had told MPs firms may have to do "rigorous" checks on EU staff if there is a no-deal Brexit.

She also suggests Brexit secretary Dominic Raab has also misled MPs by suggesting a Brexit deal will be finalised by 21st of November, and asks for an explanation.

She says his comments in a letter to MPs "seem to be at odds with" a statement later made by the Department for Exiting the EU.

She also questions why the opposition was not given a copy of the Budget speech beforehand, which she suggests breaches the ministerial code.

"When is the leader going to stand up to this abuse of process?", she asks.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Labour's Catherine McKinnell asks what needs to be in the final Brexit deal to ensure that businesses continue to invest in the UK.

Rain Newton-Smith says the UK won't immediately "get a boost to growth" as soon as a deal is worked out with the EU.

She says firms want to know what will happen to their employees, tariffs, and regulatory alignment affecting areas such as aviation and the supply of food and medicines.

"Businesses do not have a button to press as soon as that deal is secured," she says.

Prof Diane Elson adds that businesses have now withheld their full investment for two years, so will continue to do so until they get full details of any new trade deal.

House of Lords
Parliament

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Labour peer Lord Davidson of Glen Clova asks about the deployment of the Royal Navy in the South China Sea and the implications for Chinese trade relations.

In response, Conservative peer Baroness Goldie says the Royal Navy's presence in East Asia is to "uphold our commitment to regional stability, freedom of navigation and international law".

"We do not believe this relationship will affect trade deals with China," she says.

Lord Davidson asks if the balance between the Royal Navy's presence in the South China Sea and trade relations with China is stable.

Baroness Goldie says the UK "has a high level of ambition for the trade relationship with China".

Select Committee
Parliament

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Independent MP Charlie Elphicke asks what can be done to level the playing field between the High Street and online retailers.

Paul Johnson, from the IFS, says he thinks the tax introduced on digital services is a "tiny step" in the right direction.

Rain Newton-Smith says if the government wants to make progress on this, it needs to work unilaterally with the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development).

She adds that the tax is "quite innovative" but it could remove incentives from existing companies to go digital as well, something which the UK is already behind in.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom is now giving the business statement, which details forthcoming debates in the House of Commons.

She says MPs will hold a general debate next Monday on Dame Laura Cox's report into bullying and harassment in Parliament.

That will be followed by a debate on road safety, with the centenary of the Armistice being marked by a debate on Tuesday.

The following week will include the second readings of the Finance (No.3) Bill and the Health (International Arrangements) Bill, she says.

There will also be an opposition day debate, a debate on the Veterans Strategy and a marking of the 70th birthday of the Prince of Wales, she adds.

House of Lords
Parliament

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Thomas of Gresford asks about an architectural competition to design a standard prefabricated council house.

Housing Minister Lord Bourne says the government's housing white paper sets out specific measures to stimulate the modern methods of housing.

"We do not propose to hold a competition specifically to address the design and technical issues for council house building," he says.

Lord Thomas a design competition "could be the catalyst to solve the housing crisis".

Lord Bourne says "a competition is being held in relation to the ageing society and green housing in the spring next year," although he notes this will not be aimed at social housing.

Labour peer Lord Kennedy says "finding new methods of construction could create many more jobs".

Lord Bourne says the government is "looking at closely" at new architectural methods.

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House of Lords
Parliament

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The first question today is from Liberal Democrat peer Lord Bruce of Bennachie, who asks about advice for UK residents booking holidays to the EU after Brexit.

International Development Minister Lord Bates says plans for a post-Brexit transition period mean travellers "can rely on the travel arrangements in place until 2020".

"In the unlikely event of a no-deal, travel insurance policies will remain valid," he says.

Lord Bruce says there will be gridlock in airports and at ports after Brexit, "leaving people stranded in foreign areas".

He asks the minister if he can confirm that EHIC cards will still be valid after March next year, and losses arising from cancellations and disruption will not lead to rising insurance costs.

Lord Bates says "the government wants the UK and EU nationals to continue to be able to use the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to receive healthcare".

House of Commons
Parliament

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Tory MP Iain Duncan Smith says he was "enormously proud" of the government for taking the "bold and important decision" to introduce a new maximum stake.

He says he was under the impression that the industry recognised it needed "about nine to twelve months" to implement the change.

"That would have taken us to April or May of next year", he says, adding that the complaints were in response to calls for a delay for another year, not for the date of April 2019.

He urges the government to "think again" and bring forward the date, "for the sake of those people whose families and lives who have been destroyed".

Mr Wright says the profits of the betting companies did not have an impact on the decision, with concern more for "the livelihoods of those who work in betting shops".

"If we did what the betting companies wanted, this change would not be made at all", he adds.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Professor Diane Elson, responding to a question from Conservative MP Stephen Hammond, says that one of the positive moves this week was the removal of the target to balance the Budget.

She says that this never made "economic sense", and was a "chosen goal".

Mr Johnson says that there has been a "huge reduction in borrowing". He adds that there is a consensus among economists that the economy is 2% smaller than it would have been without the vote for Brexit.

Ms Newton-Smith says that eight out of ten businesses say Brexit is having a "negative effect" on business investment decisions.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Labour's Alison McGovern asks what people can expect in the next Budget for the welfare system.

Paul Johnson says that people should expect further freezing in benefits, as well as reductions in family allowances.

Professor Elson says that people on Universal Credit will not benefit from the changes to income tax thresholds, because their benefits will be subsequently reduced.

She adds that most people on Universal Credit are not in a steady job with a stable monthly income, which means the system is "ripe for all kinds of mistakes to take place" and for people to be told they've been overpaid.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Jeremy Wright says Tracey Crouch is doing an outstanding job, and that she deserves a "substantial amount of credit" for the change being made.

He says he is making today's statement rather than her because the question is about a change in government policy, but adds: "there is no change in government policy and I take responsibility for policy made in this department".

When announcing the policy in May, ministers "did not say at that time the point at which this change would be implemented."

He questions Mr Watson's suggestion "that everybody knew it was going to be in May 2019".

He says concerns were expressed that April 2020 would be too late, and "we agree, hence the decision is not to make this change in April 2020, but to make it earlier than that".

"I've heard language twisted to various uses in this place, but the idea that a move from April 2020 to October 2019 is a delay is going a little far", he says.

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Shadow culture secretary Tom Watson says MPs were "led to believe" that the new maximum stake would come into effect in April 2019, at the start of the new tax year.

"In a written parliamentary question the minister said the enabling statutory instrument would be taken this autumn," he says.

The announcement this week that the new stake will come into effect in October next year means its introduction has been "further delayed", he says.

He says this will mean "£900m being pocketed by the bookmakers".

"By capitulating to the betting industry, the minister has not only let victims of the gambling industry down, he's let his own team down and ultimately, he's let himself down", he adds.

He also asks why Tracey Crouch, who is minister for gambling, isn't here to answer the question.