House of Commons
Parliament

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Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Vince Cable asks what the prime minister makes of Cabinet ministers apparently talking about second referendum plans this afternoon, and questions the chances of this happening.

Theresa May says she is not a betting woman, but knows she would not get good odds for the Liberal Democrats being in charge at the moment.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative Dame Cheryl Gillan says the independent commission on referendums has recommended that the reason for a second referendum should be spelled out before a first referendum.

She says a second referendum is just a "ruse".

Mrs May says that in 2016 no-one was suggesting a second referendum. She says people were told the government would do what was asked of them.

House of Commons
Parliament

SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford says there is "a narrow window" for MPs to find the way through the Brexit tunnel after the Christmas recess.

"It is time to call time on this government," he says. "It is a laughing stock."

Mr Blackford says the prime minister is playing a game of brinksmanship and asks what more the prime minister needs to hear to know her deal is dead.

"This is embarrassing and Parliament needs to take control of the situation and seek to find a solution that prevents a risk to jobs and the prosperity of the people," he adds.

"Having taken away Parliament's voice, the prime minister wants to take the people's democratic voice away," he says, calling for Theresa May to put "all options on the table".

"It is time to operate in the interest of all our nations," he says, asking Theresa May to bring the meaningful vote back to the Commons this week as "there is no time to waste".

Theresa May says the deal "delivers on the referendum while assuring job security and prosperity", and says that "the best way to prevent leaving without a no deal scenario is to vote for a deal."

She reminds Mr Blackford that 56% of Scotland voted for pro-Brexit parties.

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Parliament

Conservative Andrew Mitchell says the deal which has been negotiated is "most unlikely" to gain approval. He asks for Article 50 to be extended rather than to leave with no deal.

Mrs May says it isn't "right" for the UK to extend Article 50. She says she continues to believe "we can leave with a good deal".

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Parliament

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In answer to Jeremy Corbyn's three questions, Theresa May says the deal still has the confidence of the Cabinet, collectively responsibility still applies and the Cabinet wants to avoid a no deal.

"This deal is a good deal and is in the national interest," she says.

"The real indecision is at the heart of a Labour Party that has no plan and no alternative," she says, adding that "the national crisis is the opposition that puts its own interests before that of the British people."

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Parliament

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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says that the UK faces an "unprecedented situation" and accuses the prime minister of having led the UK into " constitutional crisis".

He says that "she achieved nothing" at the summit over the weekend, "she has not made any progress at all".

The Commission has been "categorical" that there will be no further re-negotiations. He says that the prime minister "no longer has the backing of her Cabinet".

He lists the Cabinet members who are secretly working on other options, including some who are working for a second referendum.

"An unacceptable deal is on the table," he says, and no reassurances have been offered.

"The prime minister ran away from putting her deal before Parliament," he adds. He accuses May of "running down the clock" by offering the Commons either her deal or no deal.

This is the "first government in British history to be held in contempt of Parliament," he states.

House of Lords
Parliament

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Peers now are now again debating the select committee report on the conduct of Lord Lester of Herne Hill.

Former peer Lord Lester resigned from the House of Lords last week, following accusations of sexual harassment, which he denies.

Lord Lester sat as a Lib Dem peer, before he was suspended from the party whip.

Opening the debate, Privileges and Conduct Committee Chair Lord McFall of Alcluith says Lord Lester's resignation prior to the committee's recommendation that he be suspended means it is unnecessary.

Since peers decided against his suspension following a previous debate in November, he says there has been a loss of confidence in the ability of peers to hold their own members to account, and says: "We must work to regain the confidence."

The committee's latest report "robustly and fully addresses criticisms" raised in the debate, he says, and reaffirms recommendations that Lord Lester had breached the parliamentary code of conduct. They support the findings of the commissioner into the case, he says.

He says there is a need for better support for complainants, and that changes the committee propose are to ensure this, rather than protecting members.

"The House now needs to take the final decision in this case, to provide resolution for the complainant, to affirm our confidence in the process, and to demonstrate our support for the Commissioner for Standards."

Theresa May has been back in Brussels to attend a meeting of EU leaders, a day after surviving a leadership challenge at home. Her mission: to try to extract some form of concession from the other 27 EU member states that might persuade MPs in Westminster to support the withdrawal agreement the UK has concluded with the EU. Few commentators give her much chance of success. It still seems likely that when the deal is finally voted on by Parliament, it will be rejected. So what would happen then? Would the UK be heading for the EU exit door with no-deal? Might there be a vote of confidence that could lead to a general election? Could MPs from both main parties form a temporary government of national unity? Or might the Prime Minister accede to demands for a new referendum? With the historian Peter Hennessy, Jill Rutter of the Institute For Government, Agata Gostynska-Jakubowska of the Centre for European Reform and Meg Russell from University College London.

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Theresa May says the Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom "will set out business on Thursday in the usual way", but the government hopes to continue to debate in the week commencing 7 January, and then vote the week after.

"Expressing our personal views is not what we are here to do," she says, adding that 472 current MPs voted for the referendum in June 2016.

And 438 current MPs voted to trigger Article 50, she states.

"Now we must honour our duty to finish the job," she says, "it is the best deal possible, and the only deal possible."

Another vote would "leave us no further forward" and would "further divide the country" she says.

She says she will work "tirelessly" over the coming weeks to ensure that the UK can take back control of borders, laws and money.

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Prime Minister Theresa May says she wants to begin by discussing two significant agreements made at the December council: a concern at Russia's continued violations of international law and an agreement to work together to tackle the spread of disinformation.

Theresa May says she has listened to concerns of the House over the Irish backstop, and has told EU counterparts that "their assurances are insufficient and we must go further, that we never want to use it and it must be a temporary arrangement if used".

She adds that "robust" conversations were had in the national interest, and the EU have shown "firm determination" to - if need be - work speedily on a subsequent agreement by the 31 December which says "the backstop will not need to be triggered, and if it were to be triggered, it would apply temporarily."

"EU leaders could not have been clearer: They do not want to use this backstop, they want to agree the best possible future relationship with us, there is no plot to keep us in the backstop," she concludes.

"These commitments have legal status and should be welcomed as they go further than the EU ever previously has in trying to address the concerns of this house."

Theresa May says the UK can choose to extend the implementation period instead of the backstop coming in to force if the new relationship is not ready in time; however she is aware that the House is "deeply uncomfortable" on the matter and wants the EU to go further still with "further clarifications possible for greater legal and political assurances".

She adds that the government are looking at new ways of empowering the House of Commons to enable the House to place its own obligations on the government to ensure the backstop cannot be in place indefinitely.

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The prime minister is in the Commons, updating MPs on the latest Brexit negotiations in Brussels.

House of Lords
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Lib Dem peer Lord Roberts of Llandudno asks the final oral question: whether the government plans to halt the removal of failed asylum seekers to countries to which the Foreign Office advise against all travel for British citizens; and if not, why not.

Home Office Minister Baroness Williams of Trafford says Foreign Office travel advice is not the "correct legal test for determining whether or not a person qualifies for international protection".

Lord Roberts asks when deportation to the Congo, Afghanistan and Somalia will end, three places the Foreign Office advises against travel to.

"Isn't it time that the minister stopped trying to defend our humanitarian policies", he asks, "when everything it's doing is sending people into war zones where many of them face the death penalty?"

Baroness Williams accuses him of a "gross exaggeration of the facts". Deportation decisions are made with humanitarian considerations, she says.

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Labour MP Debbie Abrahams asks what recent assessment the department has made of the adequacy of the level of support for SEND (Special education needs and disabilities) learners.

Mr Abrahams calls for an "early New Year's resolution on how the government are going to plug the gap in special needs support", and for a "close look" at how more money can be invested effectively in this area.

Education Minister Nadhim Zahawi says the government are investing £6bn per annum in SEND learning.

He adds that ensuring SEND learners are supported is "a priority" for the government and that "everyone is entitled to a good education."

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Labour MP Afzal Khan asks what recent assessment the government has made of the financial effect on students in higher education of the current cost of living.

Mr Khan asks what the government is doing to ensure universities keep the costs as low as possible.

Education Minister Chris Skidmore says "a full time student spends £7,000 a year on average" on living costs, and that "students this year have had access to the highest ever levels of funding to support their living costs."

Shadow education minister Gordon Marsden calls for more Higher Education funding and support for lower income students.

Mr Skidmore says he wants to go further.

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Liberal Democrat MP Jamie Stone asks what steps the government is taking to support the take-up of foreign languages in schools.

Education Minister Nick Gibb says the government aims for 90% of students to sit the EBACC by 2025 which includes a foreign language.

He says the government is "encouraging more foreign language teachers to take up positions by offering financial services and are working to increase the quality of teaching".

Mr Stone calls for greater support of foreign exchange student schemes which "are a fantastic way for students to grasp the core elements of a language".

Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner says there are 20,000 fewer hours of modern languages being taught now in comparison to 2010, noting a particular decline in French and German.

Mr Gibb says it is "rich from the benches opposite to criticse modern foreign language teaching" as "Labour downgraded their importance".

He adds that the number of students sitting a language GCSE has increased from 40% in 2010 to 46% this year, "but we need to go further".

House of Lords
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Non-affiliated Baroness Tonge asks what guidance is provided to UK companies who wish to trade with companies based in Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

International Trade spokesperson Baroness Manzoor says a company's decision to trade with such businesses is a "primarily commercial one". The government "urges Britsh businesses to consider the illegal nature of Israeli settlements under international law", she adds.

Baroness Tonge asks when the government will "stop talking and take action to stop Israel's illegal activities".

Baroness Manzoor says the government's position is clear: The settlements are "illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace and threaten viability of the two state solution". The government urges the Israel government to reverse its policy.

Tory peer Baroness Redfern suggests it sets a dangerous precedent to encourage consumers to determine their purchases "based on the ethnicity or the nationality of the producer".

Baroness Manzoor says the government the recognises the concerns of people who do not wish to purchase goods produced in illegal settlements.

With ministers openly discussing alternatives to Theresa May's Brexit plan, is ambition playing a role?