Summary

  • MPs continue debate on the government’s Brexit deal

  • They will vote on whether to approve the deal next Tuesday

  • MPs usually debate private members' bills on a Friday

  1. Javid: 'Robust action' needed on Channel crossingspublished at 19:25 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    Statement on Migrant Crossings

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Sajid JavidImage source, HoC

    Home Secretary Sajid Javid says there has been a "sharp increase" in the number of crossings in small boats across the English Channel in recent weeks.

    Over 40% of the attempts made this year were intercepted by French border agencies, he adds, noting that he has been clear that "robust action is needed".

    Mr Javid says he has ordered two UK Border force boats to be deployed in the Channel along with the two already there, and the two coastal vessels currently patrolling in surveillance.

    He adds that he is working with the French to determine what more they can do, and a plan is to be put in place in the coming weeks.

    He says the UK has obligations to aid asylum seekers, including plans to resettle 20,000 refugees fleeing conflict in Syria by 2020.

    Sajid Javid says he is continuing to monitor the issue of Channel crossings daily, but says questions need to be asked about why migrants are choosing to travel to the UK from France, when France is a safe country.

  2. Lords resumes debate on Offensive Weapons Billpublished at 19:13 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    Offensive Weapons Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Baroness HamweeImage source, HoL

    The Lords have heard their statement repeats on the NHS and Brexit, and are now finishing their debate on the Offensive Weapons Bill.

    Lib Dem Spokesperson Baroness Hamwee says that 68% of children under the age of 18 in youth offender institutions are going to reoffend, according to statistics.

    The proposals "go against the recommendations of the Sentencing Council" in how it sentences young people, she says.

    She says that some young people carry corrosive substances with them in order to feel safe when out.

  3. Javid gives statement on Channel migrant crossingspublished at 19:09 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    Royal Navy patrol shipImage source, PA

    We now move on to today's second ministerial statement, from Home Secretary Sajid Javid, on recent attempts by migrants to cross the English Channel.

    The Home Office says 539 people attempted to travel to the UK on small boats last year, with around 80% of the attempts made in the last three months.

    On Thursday the Ministry of Defence confirmed that a Royal Navy patrol ship has been sent to the English Channel to deter crossings.

    Under international law, people have the right to seek asylum in whichever country they arrive.

    However, the EU's Dublin regulation allows application from asylum seekers to be transferred to the first member state they entered.

  4. Labour MP criticises 'self-regarding statement'published at 18:50 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    NHS 10 year plan statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Andy SlaughterImage source, HoC

    Labour MP Andy Slaughter says the "self-regarding statement" will be unrecognisable to those who work in and rely on the NHS, which is "reeling from the crisis this government has caused".

    Mr Hancock says he's willing to take advice on the NHS from many people, but not from Mr Slaughter, whom he accuses of running a "frankly outrageous campaign based on scare stories".

  5. Lords hears statement on NHS long-term planpublished at 18:38 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    NHS Long Term Plan Statement

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Baroness ManzoorImage source, HoL

    Government spokeswoman Baroness Manzoor is repeating the statement currently being given in the Commons by Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

    Shadow health minister Baroness Thornton says "it would be churlish" to suggest that any extra money for the NHS "is not welcome," but she says that it is "cheeky" of the government to be suggesting how well they are treating the health service.

    "Their actions simply do not match their words," she adds.

    Lib Dem spokesperson Baroness Tyler of Enfield says the document is "very important" and she says she would like an opportunity to "discuss and debate the plan in more detail".

    She adds that "there are a lot of concerns about how this plan is going to be put into effect".

    Baroness Manzoor says she is "very proud" that the government is putting an extra £20.5bn into the NHS.

    "We have to recognise that this is a great achievement for the NHS," she says, so that the service "can deliver the outcomes that we all want to see".

  6. Labour MP calls for more 'joined up care in the community'published at 18:31 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    NHS 10 year plan statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Liz KendallImage source, HoC

    Labour MP Liz Kendall says the biggest challenge facing the NHS is the increase in the number of older people with "two, three or more long-term chronic conditions".

    There is a need for more more joined-up care in the community and at home, she says, and proposals to deal with this are being restricted by delays in the release of the social care green paper.

    Mr Hancock says he intends the social care green paper to come "soon" and before April.

  7. Health committee chair welcomes announcementpublished at 18:20 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    NHS 10 year plan statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Sarah WollastonImage source, HoC

    Tory MP Sarah Wollaston, who chairs the health select committee, says she "warmly welcomes this ambitious and wide-ranging long term plan on the NHS".

    She supports the changes proposed to further integrate health and social care, along with mental health care. She praises the plans for "legislative tweaks" to further facilitate this.

    Mr Hancock thanks her for the praise, stressing that "this is very much the NHS's proposed legislation".

  8. Labour 'a broken record' on NHS funding - Hancockpublished at 18:13 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    NHS 10 year plan statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Matt Hancock says Labour has demonstrated its inability to say anything positive about the NHS and he questions whether Jonathan Ashworth has actually read the plan.

    On budgets, he says Labour are "a bit like a broken record", with budgets actually rising.

    The government cares about money getting into the NHS, but also cares about ensuring this money is spent wisely. He urges Labour to take the same approach.

    Labour has "got nothing to say on health, as they have nothing to say on any domestic business", he says.

  9. NHS plan: What it means for youpublished at 18:10 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    The health service in England has a new 10-year plan. But what does it mean for patients?

    Read More
  10. Labour: NHS has been 'run down for ten years'published at 18:09 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    NHS 10 year plan statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Jonathan AshworthImage source, HoC

    Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth says his party welcomes many of the measures in the plan, a number of which are Labour policies.

    However he says there are holes" in the plan, adding that when inflation and pay rises are taken into account, NHS England still faces a £1bn cash shortfall.

    Life expectancy is going backwards and health inequality is rising, he says.

    "Why today is there no credible roadmap to restore the statutory standards of care patients are entitled to?", he asks.

    The government has no policy towards social care, he adds, whilst there is no long-term staffing plan announced today, despite promises that both would accompany the plan.

    "Patients have been let down and the government has run down the NHS for ten years", he says, suggesting the only real option for the NHS is a Labour government.

  11. 'Nothing achieved' since Brexit vote pulled - Lib Demspublished at 18:06 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    Repeated urgent question on Brexit deal

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord NewbyImage source, HoL

    Leader of the Lib Dem Peers, Lord Newby, says that "nothing has been achieved" since the vote was pulled in December, and the only achievement has been "to delay" a defeat.

    Baroness Goldie says she does "not accept this interpretation" and there have been plaudits from "various quarters" on the work of Theresa May to seek assurances from the EU.

    "These are delicate, sensitive, vitally important negotiations," she adds.

  12. Hancock: Plan highlights government commitment to NHSpublished at 18:04 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    NHS 10 year plan statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Matt HancockImage source, HoC

    Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the NHS has proven to be one of the UK's proudest achievements as a nation, and today's announcement highlights the government's commitment to it.

    Every day the NHS treats one million people, he says. NHS budgets will rise by £33.9bn in cash terms, he adds.

    At the heart of the plan is the principle that prevention is better than cure, he says.

    Staffing is also key, he adds, pledging better training, monitoring and support, plus work to improve recruitment and address staff shortages, with "NHS people at the heart of NHS policy".

    The plan was written by experts, he adds, who are behind the plan's claim that half a millions lives could be saved over the next ten years.

  13. Lords repeat urgent question on Brexit dealpublished at 18:02 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Baroness GoldieImage source, HoL

    The Lords has briefly paused on their consideration of the Offensive Weapons Bill, and is now hearing repeats of urgent questions and statements from the Commons.

    Government Spokesperson Baroness Goldie is repeating the answer to today's earlier urgent question on the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

    Lords opposition leader Baroness Smith of Basildon says that she considers it a "discourtesy" to see that neither the Leader of the Lords nor the Brexit Minister is repeating this statement.

    "We are now moving from chaos to crisis," she states.

    She asks what has changed since the vote on the deal was delayed.

    Baroness Goldie says that Brexit Minister Lord Callanan is currently on his way to Brussels, and that the government is now "setting out further detail" on the Northern Irish backstop.

  14. MPs discuss launch of long-term plan for NHS Englandpublished at 17:49 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    Patient in hospital bedImage source, Sturti

    Health Secretary Matt Hancock is now delivering a statement on the new long-term plan for the NHS in England, which was launched earlier today.

    NHS bosses say the new 10-year plan could save up to 500,000 lives by focusing on prevention and early detection.

    Theresa May asked for the plan to be drawn up when she unveiled extra funding for the health service in the summer to mark its 70th birthday.

    Under the plan, the health budget will grow by £20bn a year by 2023, the equivalent of annual rises of just under 3.5%.

    The prime minister said a long-term plan for the next decade was needed to ensure the money was wisely spent, and that this was a "historic" moment for the NHS.

    But unions are concerned that staffing shortages could undermine the ambitions, with one in 11 posts currently vacant, and some senior doctors warning hospitals face a "near-on impossible task".

  15. Tory MP: Issue has 'dragged on far too long'published at 17:47 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    Urgent Question on Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Tom TugendhatImage source, HoC

    Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the foreign affairs committee, says this is "an important and sensitive issue which has been dragging on for far too long".

    Mr Tugendhat pays tribute to the work that the government has done aiming to ensure that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is freed, but suggests that the UK joins forces with its EU counterparts who have also had hostages taken.

    "This is not a new action by the Iranian government," he says, and calls for a debated motion through the UN Security Council to "expose some of the evil done by this evil regime".

    Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt says "we will continue to do what we can in the best interests of any detained national."

  16. Labour: Iran 'digging their own diplomatic grave'published at 17:44 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe Urgent Question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Emily ThornberryImage source, HoC

    Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry calls Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's treatment "barbaric", "revengeful and cruel".

    She urges the restoration of her rights and also her release "without any further delay".

    The situation does not improve Iran's international situation, she says, with the country already under economic sanctions and facing potential military conflict.

    By continuing the detention, Iran is "digging their own diplomatic grave", she says.

    Mr Burt says she makes a very fair point, adding that the UK has sought to understand Iran's concerns intentionally, but it is made "that bit more difficult" by their actions.

  17. Government urges humanitarian release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffepublished at 17:27 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    Urgent Question on Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Alistair BurtImage source, HoC

    Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt says Iran has "repeatedly" been asked to release Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe on humanitarian grounds, and will do so again today.

    Mr Burt says the government is trying to talk to Iranian officials about how her proposed hunger strike will be managed, and that it is urgently seeking clarification over reports that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's phone calls to her husband have been stopped.

    Labour MP Tulip Siddiq asks Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt to "finally make a decision" on whether to grant Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe protection.

    She also asks for a UK official to visit her in jail, noting that it is not right that a woman can be denied medical treatment despite finding lumps on her breasts.

    Mr Burt says on humanitarian grounds the government "has consistently pressed Iran on the importance of a mother to be with her child", and is "in consistent talks with Iranian officials".

  18. MPs debate case of British-Iranian charity worker jailed in Iranpublished at 17:16 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    Nazanin Zaghari-RatcliffeImage source, Family Handout/PA Wire

    MPs are now debating an urgent question from Labour MP Tulip Siddiq about the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

    The British-Iranian mother has spent more than 1,000 days in an Iranian prison after being convicted of spying in 2016. She denies all the charges against her.

    Last week, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband Richard Ratcliffe said his wife will go on hunger strike in protest at being denied medical treatment.

    The strike is due to start next Monday, for three days.

    An organisation run by Mrs Zaghari Ratcliffe’s family has said Iranian authorities have cancelled Mrs Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s weekly phone calls with her husband and reduced her food rations after she announced plans for her hunger strike.

  19. Police made 'very well aware' of abuse concerns - Bercowpublished at 17:15 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    Point of Order

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Speaker John BercowImage source, HoC

    Tory MP Nick Boles raises reports of "threatening behaviour" towards MPs and others by protesters outside Parliament.

    It comes after MP Anna Soubry criticised the police for failing to intervene after she was verbally abused by protesters outside Parliament earlier today.

    Speaker John Bercow says parliamentary authorities are not technically responsible for the safety of MPs outside of the Palace of Westminister.

    However he adds that the police have been made "very well aware of our concerns".

    Labour's Mary Creagh adds that some abuse is being live streamed on Facebook and other social media sites in order to raise funds for far-right groups.

    She urges Mr Bercow to write to social media companies to ensure abusers cannot profit from abuse.

    The Speaker says this is news to him, and he is open to taking this approach, once he has consulted with others.

  20. London councils 'working collaboratively' on violent crimepublished at 17:08 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January 2019

    Offensive Weapons Bill

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Baroness CouttieImage source, HoL

    Conservative Baroness Couttie says that London councils "work collaboratively across London" and introduce health, as well as education and other public sector services to tackle crime.

    The Youth Offending Team at Westminster City Council works on early intervention and compiling intelligence for the police to work with, she says.

    Some boroughs are taking a "public health approach, external", in the same way Glasgow did, in order to "tackle issues before they become a problem", she adds.