Summary

  • Earlier: Theresa May questioned on Brexit by senior MPs

  • Labour granted urgent question on Brexit legal advice

  • Minister says attorney general will give statement on advice next week

  • Labour MP reveals he is HIV positive during debate on World Aids Day

  • Lords debate school funding and tackling violent crime

  1. Home Office minister closes third reading of billpublished at 19:01 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Offensive Weapons Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Victoria AtkinsImage source, HoC

    Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins closes third reading, saying "the measures in the bill are about preventing young people from getting access to dangerous weapons and then causing irreparable damage."

    She thanks MPs for their valuable contributions, and family members affected by serious violence as "it is for those people we put this bill forwards."

  2. Conservative MPs speak in support of billpublished at 18:59 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Offensive Weapons Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Eddie HughesImage source, HoC

    Conservative MP Eddie Hughes says the opposition are critical of measures bought forward by the government because they only look at things in isolation, and the reality is the government are doing a great deal to tackle serious crime.

    "There are many strands to tackling crime...this government also invests in preventing crime," he says, adding that he has seen this work first hand during his time working at the YMCA.

    Conservative MP Marcus Fysh also stands to express his support for the bill.

  3. SNP: Proper resourcing of police 'would be the real game changer'published at 18:59 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Offensive Weapons Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Stuart C McDonaldImage source, HoC

    SNP MP Stuart C McDonald says officials in Scotland have worked closely with the Home Office and they welcome the bill.

    He does however say that "the bill is not a game changer" as "strategies and policies that work require support and proper resourcing".

    "A commitment to proper resourcing by the home secretary would be the real game changer," he concludes.

  4. Labour: Bill will never meet its objectivepublished at 18:53 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Offensive Weapons Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Shadow policing minister Louise Haigh says Labour will not oppose the measures included in the bill, but regrets how limited the measures are.

    The bill, she says, "barely tinkers around the edges".

    The government's response to serious rises in violent crime is no way near enough, she says, adding that she has no doubt that the bill would have been enhanced by measures put forward by Labour, but they were not accepted.

    This bill can never meet its objective to bear down on violent crime, she warns, suggesting the government has capitulated under pressure from its own backbenchers and weakened it.

  5. Home Secretary: 'We must do everything to stop bloodshed on our streets'published at 18:50 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Offensive Weapons Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Sajid JavidImage source, HoC

    Home Secretary Sajid Javid now opens the third reading of the Offensive Weapons Bill.

    He says there has been a rise in killings in recent months and "we must do everything we can to stop the bloodshed on our streets and to bring more perpetrators to justice."

    Mr Javid says this bill "will make the possession of other weapons illegal, will add more vigorous age checking measures to purchase weapons, and bans corrosive substances".

    He adds that the bill is "all about preventing young people from getting their hands on harmful weapons and causing damage".

    "A balance needs to be struck between protecting the public and ensuring that legitimate activities that are in no way harmful are not restricted, a balance which this bill gets right."

    He says he is in no doubt that the Offensive Weapons Bill is key to tackling violent crime, and this bill will ensure that families and children are kept safe.

  6. Moped crime amendment rejected by MPspublished at 18:36 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Offensive Weapons Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Labour MP Tulip Sadiq's New Clause 26, which concerned offences where a moped or motorbike driver or passenger was in possession of a knife or corrosive substance, has been rejected by MPs.

    A total of 300 voted against the amendment, compared to 235 who voted in favour.

    Government amendments are added to the bill without division, and the sitting is suspended for five minutes whilst the Speaker makes a decision on certification, as part of the English Votes for English Laws procedure.

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  7. MPs vote against Labour's New Clause 6published at 18:21 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Offensive Weapons Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    MPs have voted against Labour's New Clause 6, with 272 voting in favour and 303 against.

    The amendment called for a report into the causes behind youth violence with offensive weapons, but the government argued that this was covered by the Serious Violence Strategy and did not need to be included in statute.

    MPs now divide on Labour MP Tulip Siddiq's NC26, which relates to offences of possessing a knife or corrosive substance whilst being a driver or passenger on a moped or motorbike.

  8. MPs divide to vote on call for report into cause of youth violencepublished at 18:07 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Offensive Weapons Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins says the Serious Violence Strategy was published this year, and this means there is no need for Labour's NC6, which calls for a report on the causes behind youth violence with offensive weapons.

    This does not satisfy the opposition, and MPs divide to vote on the amendment.

  9. Call for MPs to 'wake up' to levels of serious violencepublished at 17:43 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Offensive Weapons Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Vernon CoakerImage source, HoC

    Labour MP Vernon Coaker speaks in favour of Labour amendment NC6, which calls for a report on the causes behind youth violence with offensive weapons.

    He says he is absolutely sick of young people being killed and suggests there is "no greater national emergency" than serious violence.

    MPs should be discussing it every single week, he says, but are distracted by other issues such as Brexit. "We need as a Parliament to wake up", he warns.

    Lib Dem Sir Ed Davey says he thinks elements of the bill are counter-productive, such as the proposal of short term prison sentences for some offences. The government has admitted that short term sentences don't work, he says.

  10. Minister: online ad sites 'frustrated' govt attempts to engagepublished at 17:38 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Sex for rent debate

    Westminster Hall

    Minister Nick Hurd praises Peter Kyle for working "tirelessly" on his campaign and says he "shares the concern" of MPs on the issue. He says he hopes the debate will "focus minds" because "the one thing we cannot do is let this become normal".

    He quotes a number of sections of statute which he says would outlaw the practice of offering "sex for rent" without mentioning it specifically but says "we do not know how many prosecutions directly relate to sex for rent". He says he suspects the number is "very low".

    He says that attempts by the government to engage with one site where "sex for rent" ads have been posted, Craigslist, have been "frustrated". He agrees that sites "need to be challenged".

    He says the government will "continue to engage with the police on the issue".

    Nick HurdImage source, HoC
  11. Minister agrees to meet on retail staff protectionpublished at 17:37 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Offensive Weapons Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Conservative MP Richard Graham expresses support for David Hanson's amendment to protect retail staff and asks if the minister would consider taking the issue back to the Home Office to see what can be done about it.

    Minister Victoria Atkins says that she very much agrees that shop workers need to be protected and she will reflect on it further.

    She invites Mr Hanson, trade unions and retail organisations to discuss the issue with her.

    Mr Hanson says he'll accept that offer, but he will return to the issue in the House of Lords if meetings aren't successful.

  12. Labour MP tries to strengthen efforts to tackle moped crimepublished at 17:24 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Offensive Weapons Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Labour MP Tulip Siddiq is now speaking for her amendment, which she says concerns "moped enabled acid offences" and "specific serious circumstances of serious moped crimes".

    This is a measure to tackle moped crime, creating an aggravated offence. She says the police have taken new approaches to moped crime but the issue continues, with the Met saying that this year 40% of police pursuits were moped crimes, compared to 24% of pursuits last year.

  13. Labour: 'unbelievable' that action has not been takenpublished at 17:18 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Sex for rent debate

    Westminster Hall

    Shadow minister Carolyn Harris says there is "little evidence that action has yet been taken" on the issue of sex for rent which she calls "unbelievable" because "perpetrators don't hide what they're doing".

    She joins calls for action against websites that host such ads "on the street pimps would face arrest" she asks "why is this so different?"

  14. Shadow police minister criticises police cutspublished at 17:15 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Offensive Weapons Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Louise HaighImage source, HoC

    Shadow policing minister Louise Haigh says young people prevented from buying knives will just steal them if they are readily available - that's why Labour have tabled an amendment prohibiting bladed product displays.

    The principle already exists in law in relation to tobacco, she says, so it just needs to be extended.

    She points out the currently "remarkably weak" control of crossbows and that there have been a number of cases of people being killed by them. Their new clause creates a licensing system, she says, "a step which no parliament should take lightly".

    Beyond the focus of the bill today, she warns that the police service is at risk of becoming "unrecognisable and irrelevant", with axing police budgets a political choice by the government.

  15. Tory MP expresses support for Labour amendmentpublished at 17:05 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Offensive Weapons Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Conservative MP Huw Merriman expresses his support for Labour's amendment NC5, which would prohibit bladed product displays.

    Cigarettes and tobacco are not placed on display for public health reasons, he says, so the same argument should apply to knives, which can also cause harm.

    He says he is supporting the bill and the government, but he hopes the government will seriously consider the issue.

  16. Bill could have 'disastrous effect' on small businessespublished at 16:58 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Offensive Weapons Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Anna TurleyImage source, HoC

    Labour MP Anna Turley speaks for her amendments, which concern the use of bladed products for decorating purposes.

    She says the bill as it is currently drafted risks putting suppliers of "niche tools for the DIY trade" out of business, as is the case of one of her constituents.

    Without amendments, the "poorly drafted" bill could have a "disastrous effect" upon small businesses, she warns.

  17. Online advertising platforms 'acting like pimps'published at 16:57 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Sex for rent debate

    Westminster Hall

    Peter KyleImage source, HoC

    Opening the debate Peter Kyle says the issue of sex for rent is "pernicious, exploitative and pervasive" and "all too few people are aware of it, and all too little is being done".

    He says it's "surprising" how "open and explicit" ads offering sex for rent are. One offered a room in exchange for "mutual fun times together".

    He says one survey estimates that 100,000 women in the past year have been offered sex for rent. All this, he says, is the result of a "perfect storm" of a housing crisis, high rents, online advertising platforms and university towns that has created the problem. But no-one has yet been prosecuted, even though the mere act of offering a room in exchange for sex is a crime.

    He says the government must take action, not just against those who post the ads but the sites which host the ads, the owners of which are, he says, "acting like pimps".

  18. Tory MP expresses support for billpublished at 16:52 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Offensive Weapons Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Vicky FordImage source, HoC

    Tory Vicky Ford says she welcomes the bill, and so do the young people in her constituency that she has spoken with.

  19. Labour MP bids to strengthen protections of retail staffpublished at 16:45 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Offensive Weapons Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    David HansonImage source, HoC

    Labour MP David Hanson, speaking for his amendment, says the government has "missed the point on this, we're trying to strengthen legislation to protect retail staff who are upholding the law".

    He says it won't be the police or security services, but individual shop staff responsible for upholding the laws introduced by today's bill. The amendment is to strengthen their rights.

    Conservative MP Philip Davies intervenes to say that he, as a former Asda worker, "very much supports" the amendment and will be voting for it.

  20. What is the retail staff amendment?published at 16:28 Greenwich Mean Time 28 November 2018

    Offensive Weapons Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    AmendmentImage source, HoC

    Labour MP David Hanson, who is a former shop worker, says he will not withdraw his amendment which is designed to protect staff who work in shops, and a number of Labour colleagues have expressed their support. He says every retail organisation in the country and trade unions also support it.

    He argues there needs to be greater protection, external for shop workers responsible for enforcing the law and preventing individuals from buying certain items.

    Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins says "the law is already there, we just need to make sure it's properly being used."