House of Lords
Parliament

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DUP peer and former Speaker of the Northern Irish Assembly Lord Hay of Ballyore says that "our precious union" has been "at the heart of the storm" since the beginning of Brexit.

He urges parliamentarians to act "in the national interest", as the union is "evolving".

He says the UK is being "let down" by a prime minister who "gave so many promises" on the backstop and the NI border.

"If the prime minister really believed in what she says," then "the integrity of the United Kingdom should be the most important issue" for negotiations, he says.

House of Commons
Parliament

SNP energy spokesman Alan Brown calls for a "proper re-evaluation of nuclear policy"

"When will the government actually wake up and end their ideological obsession with nuclear?", he asks.

Greg Clark says Mr Brown should pay tribute to "the proud tradition that Scotland has with the nuclear sector", adding that his determination to continue the tradition of nuclear power provides "continuing opportunities to Scotland".

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Former Labour First Minister of Scotland Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale says that he hoped a "new generation" of politicians in the Commons "might provide a fresh opportunity for reinvigorating" the relationship between Whitehall and the regions.

He says he has been "disappointed since" on the performance of governments in this area.

He states it is "not true" to say there has been uniformity of constitutional change across the UK on the matter of devolution.

While devolution has not been "successful, it has not been a disaster," he adds.

House of Commons
Parliament

Greg Clark says investments of over 60 years need cross-party support, but Jeremy Corbyn has said he's opposed to nuclear power.

He adds that shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said he'd end reliance nuclear power within 100 days of a Labour government.

"If we want to encourage international investments in new projects, it beholds us to express solidarity and consensus", he says.

He adds that in terms of future energy needs: "there is no issue whatsoever with security of supply".

The challenge facing new nuclear power is "one of falling costs and greater abundance of alternatives", he says.

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Shadow energy minister Alan Whitehead says the government needs to recognise that its nuclear strategy is in "complete meltdown".

Concerns have been raised about the project previously, he says, asking what the business secretary makes of the likelihood that Hitachi's other plans in Gloucestershire are also at threat.

Only two months ago, a lack of clarity led Toshiba to withdraw from another nuclear project, he adds, and the combination of cancelled projects mean the UK is now 9.2 gigawatts short of what was expected.

The strategic energy sector is being "grossly mishandled", he says.

House of Lords
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Crossbencher and former House of Commons Clerk Lord Lisvane has opened the debate he tabled on the threat to the UK union after Brexit.

He warns that in the UK, constitutional change happens "in bits" and so changes to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland happen over different governments.

Devolution is handled in "imperial condescension from the centre", he says.

He says Brexit is increasing the "constitutional risk" of "strain on the Union" which was under threat anyway.

Two separate parts of the UK voted differently to the UK-wide result in the EU referendum, he says, and the "repatriation" of powers is going to "take longer than anybody thinks".

"There are serious unresolved tensions," he states.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Greg Clark says the cost of nuclear projects has increased due to factors such as tighter safety regulations, making the challenge of attracting private investment "tighter than ever".

He says ministers continue to believe that a diversity of energy sources is the best way to deliver a secure energy supply, and "nuclear is important in this mix".

He tells MPs the government offered Hitachi a "generous" package of support to continue its involvement, including taking a one-third equity stake in the project.

Ministers also offered to provide "all of the required debt financing" to cover construction costs, and a contract with a strike price set no higher than £75 per megawatt hour.

However he says Hitachi considered the project was still "too much of a commercial challenge".

Mr Clarke says the government's offer was the "limit of what could be justified" in order to guarantee "good value" for taxpayers and energy customers.

He adds that it is clear that a new approach is needed, and the government intends to publish an assessment on a new method by the summer.

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Business Secretary Greg Clark has now joined MPs to make a statement about nuclear power.

It follows the announcement this morning that Hitachi will suspend work on a £20bn nuclear plant in the UK because of rising construction costs.

The decision puts thousands of jobs at risk if the Wylfa Newydd facility in Anglesey, north Wales, is scrapped.

The Japanese firm had been in talks with the UK government since June about funding for the project, which was being built by its Horizon subsidiary.

House of Lords
Parliament

Leader of the Opposition in the Lords, Baroness Smith of Basildon, says that usually the business for next week is outlined on Wednesdays.

She says it is "unprecedented" that it is now Thursday and business has still not been published.

Leader of the Lords, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park, replies that the business for the Lords next week is dependent on the Commons.

She adds that now that next week's business in the Commons has been outlined, the Lords will now publish its timetable "as soon as possible".

House of Commons
Parliament

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Labour MP Diana Johnson says many MPs are "ashamed" at how her party colleague Tulip Siddiq was treated this week - after she delayed her cesarean section to vote on the Brexit deal.

The UK does not have a system in place where an MP can nominate a proxy to vote on their behalf.

There is a "pairing" system for MPs who cannot make a vote - where MPs on either side agree not to vote, thus cancelling each other out.

However, Ms Siddiq said she did not trust the system after Tory chairman Brandon Lewis was accused of breaking it last year.

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom says Tulip Siddiq "chose to come to the House", when a pair had been offered.

"I absolutely hope the honourable lady will take her own medical advice and not come into this House unnecessarily", she adds.

Speaker John Bercow says faith in the pairing system has been "damaged" after it was "abused or dishonoured" previously.

He suggests government whips are frustrating progress on proxy voting, which he calls "intolerable".

"It is lamentable failure of leadership thus far that it has not happened", he adds.

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Parliament

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Former Labour security minister Lord West of Spithead asks about the withdrawal of international firms from nuclear projects.

The question follows the pulling out of Toshiba from the Moorside project in Cumbria, and Hitachi pulling out of the nuclear project this morning in Wylfa Newydd.

Business Minister Lord Henley says that Business Secretary Greg Clark will be making a statement later.

He says that National Grid state they do not see a long-term issue. "There is plenty of time for the market to respond," he adds.

Lord West says that the UK used to "lead the world" in nuclear power, but now the country "cannot even construct" a new reactor.

He says that the "only player" seems to be China. China could eventually control one third of the energy supply in the UK, he warns.

Lord Henley says the government had "hoped for a better announcement from Hitachi" and costs in the nuclear sector are "rising" when costs for renewables are "coming down".

House of Lords
Parliament

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Liberal Democrat Lord Greaves asks about the improvement of railway services across the Pennines.

Transport Minister Baroness Sugg says that the service unveiled new trains this year, and the government is investing money to work on rail routes between Manchester, Leeds and York.

Lord Greaves says that the area where he lives has "got worse" due to disruptions in service due to repeated strike actions.

The northern franchise is a contract between the government and Arriva, and it is time that the government stepped in to sort out the "shambles," he adds.

Baroness Sugg says there have been "significant" problems since timetable changes were introduced. "The government is doing all it can to help resolve the issue" of striking staff, she adds.

House of Lords
Parliament

Conservative peer Baroness Wilcox asks about the impact of Brexit on consumer rights for those purchasing goods from the EU.

Business Minister Lord Henley says that the government has "undertaken a significant amount of work" on how consumer rights could be affected after Brexit.

All rules will remain the same until after the implementation period, he says.

Baroness Wilcox says that the UK centre for international consumer disputes currently handles around 100,000 cases since it was formed 11 years ago, and is part-funded by the EU.

Lord Henley says that in the event of a no-deal exit, the UK has committed to fund the UK/EU Consumer Centre until March 2020.

House of Lords
Parliament

Crossbencher the Earl of Clancarty asks what the government is doing to encourage the teaching of art and design in schools.

Education Minister Lord Agnew of Oulton says the government "wants children to be taught a broad and balanced curriculum up until the age of 14".

He adds that the government launched a consultation for a new inspection framework yesterday.

The Earl of Clancarty says that there has been a decline in teaching arts, and students are "not receiving the balanced education they deserve".

He asks the government to address a "particular unfairness" in bursaries, which he says work against art and design subjects.

Lord Agnew replies that the government is working to eliminate disparities in bursaries, and gives the example that teaching of drama has increased.

House of Commons
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Tory MP Sir Oliver Letwin asks whether the government's Brexit motion will be laid in such a way that allows for MPs to table a number of amendments and "vote on each amendment sequentially".

Ms Leadsom says the "motion to agree the motion" will itself be "amendable and negotiable", so what will happen will be subject to the agreement of MPs.

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SNP MP Pete Wishart says there is no sense that other Brexit options are being considered, and that the government must "get real" and take their Brexit deal defeat seriously.

"We must stop the clock and ensure that no-deal is taken off the table," he adds.

On the confirmation that ministers will table a Brexit motion on Monday, he questions why the debate on the statement will not occur until the following Tuesday.

He also asks for clarification that the motion will be "fully debatable and amendable and that that all options will be voted on", and calls for electronic voting to be implemented in the Commons.

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom says the government "has to prepare for all eventualities", including the possibility of a no-deal Brexit.

"It is not possible to remove no deal from the table, and still abide by the will of the people as expressed in the referendum", she adds.