House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable is now is asking an urgent question on the Interpol Presidency election.

He wants the government to vote against the election of Alexander Prokopchuk, a Russian official and former head of Russia's interior ministry, as Interpol President.

Sir Vince says the government must demonstrate that they are taking Russia’s abuse of Interpol and the Salisbury attack seriously.

Minister Harriett Baldwin says members of Interpol will vote for the next president on Wednesday.

She says the election comes to fruition after Meng Hongwei, the former President of Interpol, was detained by Chinese officials.

This was as part of purge against allegedly corrupt or disloyal officials under President Xi Jinping's authoritarian administration.

"The government does not comment on the outcome of the election but supports the candidacy of South Korean national Kim Jong-Yang," she adds.

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour MP Toby Perkins asks what estimate has been made of the number of pubs that closed in 2018 and the reasons for those pub closures.

Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst says "pubs make a major contribution to the economy and community life which is why the government are supporting them with the beer duty freeze."

She says she "recognises" Mr Perkins' concern and "this is why the government are taking action".

"We estimate that 75% of pubs will benefit from the measures made in the Budget," she adds, "and we are looking into the many reasons for pub closures."

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Conservative MP Sheryll Murray asks what progress has been made on meeting the government's ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.

She asks what extra support micro-businesses and start ups will have post-Brexit.

Business Secretary Greg Clark says British banks has a Finance Advice Scheme which provides an independent information hub to businesses to help them grow.

"The programme focuses on micro-businesses," he says "and lays out finance and loan options."

Shadow business minister Bill Esterton says he is "amazed" that any business secretary "would put their name to this deal".

He asks how any government can claim, with this deal, "to be helping businesses".

Mr Clark says "the government will continue to support businesses" and that the proposed deal "offers great opportunity".

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour MP Jim Cunningham asks what steps are being taken to help reduce the incidents of seismic activity caused by hydraulic fracturing.

Bsuiness, Energy and Industrial Strategy Minister Claire Perry says "any meeting held with anyone related to shale gas should be recorded" but says the earthquakes that have occurred in Lancashire "have been no bigger than me dropping a bag of flour on my mother-in-law's floor".

"The idea of me holding secret meetings on something so important is upsetting and untrue," she says.

Shadow energy and climate change minister Barry Gardiner says it is "insulting" that Ms Perry says the earthquakes "are no bigger than dropping a bag of flour" and calls for an apology.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Labour MP Hugh Gaffney asks what discussions have been had with representatives of the Post Office on plans to close 74 Crown post offices.

Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst says "while the government sets a strategic direction for the Post Office it allows the company commercial freedom to carry out this strategy."

Mr Gaffney says "the Post Office are using tens of thousands of public money to privatise" which is "a disgraceful situation".

He asks when the government are going to step in to stop this "financial bankrolling".

Ms Tolhurst says it was Labour that put the Post Office from "healthy profits" into "hefty debts".

Labour MP Ian Lucas questions why the Post Office is privatising 74 stores without the public and government having any say.

"Franchising is part of measures to support the long term sustainability of the 11,500 network of Post Offices throughout this country," Ms Tolhurst says, "we are committed to keeping Post Offices open."

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour MP Gerald Jones asks about potential effect of the merger of Asda and Sainsbury's on workers, supply chains and consumers.

Mr Jones asks what discussions the minister has had with trade unions about job losses "not only in shops, but in warehouses and customer service units".

Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst says Sainsbury's have said there are no planned job losses.

"We will continue our communications with the stores and the merger is still being looked at," she adds.

Tory MP James Cleverly asks for a guarantee that British farming will be protected in this merger as "the National Farmers Union have already expressed concern."

Ms Tolhurst says the government "are consulting with all affected groups".

A last ditch attempt by the UK government to prevent European judges hearing a legal challenge to the Brexit process is rejected.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Labour MP Sarah Jones asks what steps the department is taking to help safeguard skilled manufacturing jobs after the UK leaves the EU.

Business Minister Richard Harrington says "many businesses have supported the draft deal" and "the CBI has issued its praise".

Mr Harrington says he is "excited" about the "opportunity for high-quality employment" post-Brexit.

"The government wants to finish the future relationship with the EU as quickly as possible," he adds.

Labour MP Matt Western says that "staying in the customs union is what is demanded by our manufacturing sector."

Mr Harrington says "the EEF have warmly accepted the proposals for a future relationship in trading."

Shadow industrial strategy minister Chi Onwurah says manufacturing demand "is dropping at the fastest rate since 2015" and that "the Cabinet is in meltdown".

"A permanent customs union is essential for securing British manufacturing jobs," she adds.

Mr Harrington says "the cabinet is not in meltdown" and "this deal allows us to enter negotiations to sign free trade agreements with countries all over the world."

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

SNP MP Stewart M McDonald asks what steps the government is taking to remind employers of their obligation to pay the national minimum wage.

Mr McDonald says there is "a grey area" surrounding unpaid work trails and asks if the department if the government can assure people that "this will be the last Christmas that unpaid work trials are legal".

Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst says "this government is committed to increasing the rate of pay for the lowest paid workers" but notes that "unpaid trail shifts are legal".

"It is illegal not to pay the national minimum wage for workers that are entitled to it, and this government is looking and currently reviewing the situation and will be producing a report in the coming weeks," she adds.

Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee Rachel Reeves asks for legislation to ensure that workers can't be labelled as self-employed to discredit them from being paid the minimum wage.

Ms Tolhurst says "this government is committed to making all work places fair for all."

Labour MP Dennis Skinner brings up the issue of zero hour contracts and says "the government must do something about the minimum wage rather than talking about it."

Ms Tolhurst says: "The government has doubled the enforcement budget but zero hour contracts do not necessarily mean the national minimum wage is not being paid."

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Conservative MP Trudy Harrison asks what steps are being taken to secure the future of nuclear power in the UK.

Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary Greg Clark says "nuclear power has an important part to play in our energy system" and that Hinkley Point C is "the first new nuclear power station to be built in this country in a generation".

Labour MP Luke Pollard says there is a nuclear skills gap, and asks what action the government is taking to up skill more people.

Mr Clark says there are trading, apprenticeship and scholarship opportunities in civil and defence nuclear power "to ensure the next generation of nuclear workers are well equipped".

Select Committee
Parliament

Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney tells the committee that leaving the European Union without a deal would be "a large negative shock to the economy".

In the short term, trucks would be stuck at Dover and there would be "immediate friction costs" Mr Carney says, describing how it is unlikely the UK's customs infrastructure would be ready to cope.

Mr Carney adds that it's not in the interests of either party for this to happen.

Read more about what a 'no-deal' would look like here.

House of Commons
Parliament

Proceedings in the Commons kick off at 11.30am today with questions to the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy ministers.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable will then introduce an urgent question on the Interpol presidency election.

Russian official Alexander Prokopchuk, a former head of Russia's interior ministry, has been tipped to become the next head of Interpol, the world's international police organisation.

This is despite accusations that Moscow uses the international policing agency to target critics.

Following this, there will be two ministerial statements on the Ebola response and an update on the centre for data, ethics and innovation.

Then MPs will debate the Finance Bill on the second day of its committee stage.

Yesterday the DUP abstained on a number of votes in the Finance Bill, calling into question the validity of the confidence and supply agreement signed between the DUP and the government following the 2017 general election.

The agreement hinges on them supporting the government in Budget and Brexit votes.

The government appears to have pre-emptively caved-in to the big cross-party amendments on Fixed-Odds-Betting Terminals (FOBTs), but other amendments to be discussed today include a review of remote gambling duty, and on tax avoidance.

After this, Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns will introduce her adjournment debate on supporting British exports.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Labour MP Rushanara Ali says there is "no parliamentary majority" in the House Commons for the withdrawal agreement and asks where this leaves the Bank of England's preparations for Brexit.

Mr Carney says he would "defer to Parliamentarians" to decipher the range of potential scenarios and these discussions just reinforce the importance of being prepared.

Deputy Governor for Financial Stability at the Bank of England, Sir John Cunliffe says "it's our job to be prepared for the worst" and that people in the UK "can have assurance" they won't see a financial sector "meltdown" that they saw in 2008.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Committee chair Nicky Morgan asks the governor of the Bank of England about Prime Minister Theresa May's proposed deal and how this might impact on the objectives of the Bank.

Mark Carney says he would "expect" that May's draft EU withdrawal agreement would "support economic outcomes" and welcomes the transition arrangements within it.

Mr Carney tells the committee that a "no deal, no transition Brexit" would be the "worst outcome" for the Bank of England.

The draft Brexit withdrawal agreement sets out how the UK leaves the European Union, scheduled for 29 March 2019.

The transition period (which the UK government calls "implementation period") begins on 29 March 2019 and lasts until 31 December 2020.

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

It has been clear since the withdrawal agreement was published that the DUP has been working pretty much hand-in-glove with Theresa May’s Brexit critics.

They have now opened up a new front in the pressure on Mrs May by threatening her parliamentary maths by withdrawing their support.

In practical terms, it would mean she couldn’t rely on getting legislation through because she wouldn’t have a Commons majority, and she would have to try and manage day-by-day, vote-by-vote, which is extraordinarily draining and difficult - making it nigh on impossible to get any contentious legislation through Parliament.

The DUP have for some days now been saying "our deal is not with Theresa May, our deal is with the Conservative Party" – in other words, if you get shot of Theresa May, well, everything can return to normal.

But I suspect within Downing Street, they have been reckoning that this was likely to happen.

Welcome to our coverage of Parliament today - the first item on today's agenda is the Treasury Committee session with the governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney.

We'll be showing the proceedings from 10am - you can watch using the link in the page above.

The PM stresses immigration changes in a CBI speech - amid the threat of a leadership challenge.