House of Commons
Parliament

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Leader of the opposition Jeremy Corbyn says "it's her government that's got us into this shambles" and expresses concern that the government does not have long for amendments to the withdrawal agreement to be made.

He says the prime minister said in February that "a border down the Irish sea is something no UK prime minister could ever agree to."

Jeremy Corbyn asks why the backstop would create exactly that border.

Theresa May says "it would not create exactly that border".

She says "up until the last few weeks the EU said the only answer was a Northern Ireland customs territory" and the EU "conceded to the UK's position so there will not be a border down the Irish sea."

"This becomes clearer that the honourable gentleman doesn't know what's in the withdrawal agreement," he adds.

"He calls for a second referendum, but he doesn't have a first clue."

House of Commons
Parliament

Jeremy Corbyn says the PM's idea of "taking back control of our money" is handing the EU a blank check, with no rebate after 2020.

He says previous trade deals between the EU and Canada, and the EU and Singapore took years to agree. Who does the prime minister think she is kidding when she says a free trade deal would be reached by December 2020?

Theresa May says the withdrawal agreement has set out the structure and scope of that deal.

Mr Corbyn's problem with the deal is that he hasn't even read it, she says.

He says he'd do it differently but none of his proposals make sense, he wants to use the implementation period to negotiate a deal that created the implementation period.

Jeremy Corbyn is playing party politics, she says.

"I'm working in the national interest."

Mark D'Arcy
Parliamentary Correspondent

Andrew Rosindell is straight in there with a direct appeal to the PM to change course on Brexit.

The cheers for the PM seem muted…..

Jeremy Corbyn follows up with a question about whether Britain might leave with no deal, quoting assorted cabinet ministers who still seem to want changes….

And a nice jibe about whether the post of Brexit Secretary is “entirely ceremonial”.

The new incumbent, Steve Barclay smiles a seraphic smile.

This is turning into an awkward little interlude for the PM.

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Parliament

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Jeremy Corbyn remarks that the prime minister is off to Brussels today without her new Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay.

"Is the post another entirely ceremonial one?" he quips as Steve Barclay smiles uncomfortably.

Theresa May will meet EU officials later as the two sides scramble to finalise a Brexit deal in time for Sunday's summit of European leaders.

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House of Commons
Parliament

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Leader of the opposition Jeremy Corbyn says the prime minister didn't answer the final question of whether this is the final deal or not.

He says Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd "said the deal was 'half-baked', but other ministers want amendments to the withdrawal agreement".

Jeremy Corbyn notes that Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom said last week that there was "still the potential to improve on some of the measures" which is "what she's hoping to help with".

He asks if this is the final text "or is there another text that's on the way to us"?

Theresa May says "the package of the deal which we are negotiating with the EU has two parts, the withdrawal agreement and the future relationship.

"The withdrawal agreement is agreed in principle, and the whole package will be brought before this House."

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says a number of government ministers have confirmed that leaving the EU without a deal is not an option.

He asks the PM to confirm that there are no circumstances in which the UK would leave the EU without a deal.

The prime minister says the point that has been made by ministers is that the alternative to the deal reached is either more uncertainty or no deal at all.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative Andrew Rosindell has the first question. He says the people of Romford are unhappy by the prime minister's proposed EU deal.

He says "it does not represent the Brexit they voted for" and asks Theresa May to think again.

Theresa May says the deal delivers an end to free movement, the end of the jurisdiction of the ECJ, and the end of contributions to the European Union that can be spent on the NHS.

She says the EU remains a close trading partner, and she wants to see the UK continue to trade with the bloc.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Mark D'Arcy
Parliamentary Correspondent

Last week she was a prime minister at bay; this week, might we see Theresa the Triumphant?

The PM will definitely be boosted by the failure of her hard Brexiteer critics to muster the 48 supporters needed to trigger a confidence vote in her leadership….

But the small snag is that her government was forced to duck a series of Commons votes for fear of defeat and looks vulnerable to Norman Lamont’s stinging criticism of John Major; of being in office, but not in power.

So does the micro-politics of the Conservative benches shape the political mood, or the government’s increasingly precarious position in the Commons.

Expect Jeremy Corbyn and the SNP’s Ian Blackford to focus on the latter. But might the PM feel emboldened to attack the ambiguities of Labour’s stance on Brexit?

Today’s list of questioners does not include any Scottish Conservatives, but with the Fisheries Bill due to be debated this afternoon, and the whole issue of fisheries rights now one of the most sensitive aspects of the Brexit negotiations, it will be interesting to see if one of their number tries to catch the Speaker’s eye, and seek assurances on behalf of an industry which could swing vital votes in many of their constituencies.

Mr Blackford or one of his flock may target the same issue, or maybe the Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Neil Parish; the Conservatives gains in Scotland in 2017 are an important reason why they remained the largest party in the Commons – so the Scottish fisheries vote has an importance way beyond the plain numbers involved.

Another interesting moment lurks towards the end of the list of questioners – Labour’s Angela Smith has recently been no-confidenced by her constituency party. Will the PM make some sympathetic comment? Will she be “hear-heared” by sympathetic colleagues? The atmospherics will be interesting.

House of Commons
Parliament

SNP MP Alan Brown asks whether the government has plans to devolve functions of her department to the devolved administrations.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt says the government "has no plans" to devolve functions, but is "giving all parts of the UK more control over how aid money is spent".

Mr Brown says "If Scotland wants to remain part of Unesco, the government should consider devolving more powers in this area to us."

Ms Mordaunt says "we are enabling more community groups and administrations to be involved with how we contribute to humanitarian disasters."

The Speaker began today with a ticking off for a few MPs who had a kickabout and posed for pictures in the Chamber.

There's been plenty of response on Twitter...and apology from three of the MPs concerned...

House of Commons
Parliament

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Tory MP Tom Pursglove asks what the government is taking to ensure that UK aid is allocated to where it is most needed.

International Development Minister Harriett Baldwin says UK aid is allocated based on the need to help end world poverty and achieves the UN's goals.

Labour MP Keith Vaz says 85,000 children have died in Yemen "which is the equivalent to the entire under-five population of Birmingham" and asks if the government should be doing more to aid this crisis.

Ms Baldwin says "the government is doing everything they can to solve the crisis and to work out the best logistical ways to get aid to those who need it."

"Vulnerable children will be our priority," she adds.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Conservative MP Mary Robinson kicks off today's questions by asking what steps are being taken to provide long-term support to the Rohingya.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt says "the government have provided £129m to the crisis in Bangladesh since August last year and will continue to be a leader in the response and to help Rohingya refugees."

Ms Mordaunt says "we will continue to provide support to this area for some time."

Conservative MP Sir Henry Bellingham says "the UK response has been outstanding to this crisis" but asks what the government have been doing to get other countries involved with the relief effort.

Ms Mordaunt says "the current international appeal is currently funded to 72% but more sustained funding is needed and we are in communications with other countries."

Shadow international development secretary Kate Osamor asks what the government are doing to ensure no refugee is forcibly returned to Myanmar.

Penny Mordaunt says "a huge amount of work has gone in to ensuring refugees who are there know what their rights are.

"We need to work together to ensure these refugees are looked after and that eventually, they can go back home."

Select Committee
Parliament

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Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee Maria Miller ends the session and thanks the witnesses for joining them on this "historic day", marking 100 years of female representation in Parliament.

Ms Miller says there are "immense opportunities" of being a female MP and stresses it is important "we get even more women elected" at the next election.

Select Committee
Parliament

Conservative MP Eddie Hughes asks what difference proxy voting would make to the working life of female MPs in parliament.

Gemma Doyle says it would make a difference to MPs travelling from far flung constituencies.

Jenny Willott says she had to travel to the House of Commons to vote in a three-line whip "three days before giving birth" and was unable to drive.

Proxy voting is a form of voting whereby a member may delegate his or her voting power to a representative, in their absence.

House of Commons
Parliament

Our coverage of the Commons will begin at 11.30am with questions to International Development ministers before what is sure to be another interesting round of PMQs.

There is one urgent question from shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry on the UK’s efforts to secure a new UN Security Council resolution on Yemen, which will be followed by a ministerial statement from Health Secretary Matt Hancock on the Gosport Independent Panel.

The Gosport Independent Panel was set up to address concerns raised by families over a number of years about the initial care of their relatives in Gosport War Memorial Hospital and the subsequent investigations into their deaths.

In June, an inquiry concluded that more than 450 patients died after being given "dangerous" amounts of painkillers.

Labour MP Fabian Hamilton will then introduce his Marriage and Civil Partnership (Consent) Bill as a ten minute rule motion.

MPs' main business of the day is the second reading of the Fisheries Bill.

Following Brexit, the UK will no longer be part of the EU Common Fisheries Policy and will become an independent coastal state, fullt responsible for managing fisheries in the UK's 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone.

The Fisheries Bill is a framework bill that will provide the government with powers to set annual total allowable catches for UK waters, will allow them to determine who has access to fisheries, and will provide the government and devolved administrations with powers to amend the fisheries regulations that will be transposed into UK law from EU legislation.

Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael will close proceedings today with his adjournment debate on the potential effect of a VAT reduction on the tourism industry.

Select Committee
Parliament

Tasmina Ahmed Sheikh, the former SNP MP for Ochil and South Perthshire, tells the committee that one of the barriers facing female representation in Parliament is that "women are expected to be strong".

She says once women are elected to the House of Commons, "people forget to ask you how you are" and support for them often "falls by the wayside".

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Select Committee
Parliament

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Former Lib Dem MP Jenny Willott, who represented Cardiff Central from 2005 to 2015, tells the committee there is "conflict and tension" between having a democratic selection process and one that encourages diversity.

"We are not getting change fast enough", she says.

Former SNP MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh describes how she beat 7 male prospective candidates to be selected, but that it is a "matter of political will" of the party of how they want their candidates to look.