House of Commons
Parliament

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Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry says that David Lidington is "effectively the deputy prime minister," she adds that it is the only occasion these days "when the words prime minister and effective are used in the same sentence".

She asks when the next vote on Brexit will take place in the Commons.

David Lidington says that the meaningful vote will be brought back "as soon as possible" and if it is not possible to bring back to the Commons next Wednesday, then a debate and a neutral motion will be tabled.

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative Andrew Bridgen is the first MP to ask a question. He uses the opportunity to take a pop at Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the video that surfaced this week, of him delivering a speech in which he criticised the "European empire" and "military Frankenstein".

Andrew Bridgen asks for David Lidington to dismiss the prospect of a further referendum on EU membership.

David Lidington says the government has told the public that the result of the 2016 vote was decisive.

House of Commons
Parliament

Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington takes to the dispatch box as PMQs begins.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Conservative MP Dr Matthew Offord asks what assessment the government has made of trends in the level of intimidation faced by those in public life.

Yesterday it was revealed that a man has been arrested by police investigating threats made to Labour MP Yvette Cooper.

Cabinet Office Minister Brandon Lewis says the increasing levels of intimidation faced by those in public life is a concern, and this is why the government has carried out a consultation on this, the results of which will be revealed soon.

Online behaviour too often fails to meet acceptable standards, he adds, noting that a white paper will be published by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in the near feature detailing how online harm can be curtailed.

Tory MP Peter Bone says an individual recently visited his surgery and made an implied threat. Mr Lewis says that this matter, and those like it, should be taken up by police.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Labour MP Mohammad Yasin asks what recent progress the government has made on its proposed changes to public sector procurement.

Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden says that the government is "determined" to deliver "value for money" and is now removing contracts from companies who pay suppliers late.

Mr Yasin says that the government's suppliers have been accused of paying late, and he adds that late payment complaints against contractors working for the government have tripled in the last five years.

Mr Dowden says that 82% of invoices are paid within five days, and 95% are paid within 30 days.

House of Commons
Parliament

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The day has kicked off in the House of Commons and Cabinet Office ministers are taking questions from MPs.

Select Committee
Parliament

Anglesey MP Albert Owen is the first to raise the recent suspension of a proposed nuclear power plant on the island by Japanese firm Hitachi. He asks if the government still have "confidence that nuclear will play a role in the future" of the UK's energy generation.

Greg Clark says that another nuclear project, Hinckley Point C in the south-west of England is "rising from the ground" and is the "biggest construction project in Europe" and that the UK is still expecting a role for nuclear power.

He says that the "two projects have very different circumstances". Hitachi has, he says, been in financial difficulty while the Hinckley Point plant is being built by French firm EDF.

He adds that the Anglesey project is merely "suspended" and says part of the reason is that the economics of nuclear power have changed due to falling cost and easy integration of renewable energy into the grid as well as increases in the cost of building nuclear reactors.

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House of Commons
Parliament

Our coverage of the Commons will begin shortly with questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, before PMQs at midday.

With Theresa May still in Northern Ireland, Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington will be facing questions from MPs, while shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry will stand in for leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn.

After PMQs, DUP MP Gavin Robinson will introduce his Armed Forces Covenant (Duty of Public Authorities) bill which aims to ensure uniformity of approach from government departments in implementing the Armed Forces Covenant and ensuring it is delivered across the UK.

Mr Robinson has previously said that the political ideology of some Northern Ireland ministers has led to a refusal to meet the commitments on public services for veterans.

After this, MPs will debate two motions: the appointment of the new Comptroller and Auditor-General to replace Sir Amyas Morse, whose 10 year term of office is coming to an end, and the social security motion.

Marking Cancer Week, Conservative MP Simon Hoare will close today's proceedings with an adjournment debate on Prostate Cancer.

Select Committee
Parliament

Greg Clark and committee chair Rachel Reeves have had a lengthy exchange about the possibility of no-deal Brexit.

He talked about warnings by car companies including Vauxhall, BMW/Mini and Ford about production leaving the country in the event of no-deal.

Rachel Reeves then repeatedly asked him what should happen in the event of no-deal.

Mr Clark repeats a theme that he's stuck to for the whole committee hearing, that MPs should vote for Theresa May's deal. He says the only options for avoiding no deal are the PM's deal or revoking Article 50. He says that Parliament "can't cancel the referendum and pretend it never happened" and that no deal would be "unacceptable".

He adds that pausing or extending Article 50 would only continue the uncertainty.

Mark D'Arcy
Parliamentary Correspondent

PMQs without the PM is never the same....the tone is lighter, the stakes are lower and even if the parliamentary artistry of a Lidington-Thornberry duel is likely to be on a higher plane, the final production tends to disappoint.

There is still bound to be plenty of Brexit in the mix... and this week’s list of questioners is festooned with Remainers and soft Brexiteers - although it opens with the hardest of hard Leavers, the Conservative, Andrew Bridgen.

It’s a fair bet that the Leave camp would like to have a bit of fun with their recently-unearthed video footage of Jeremy Corbyn denouncing the “European Empire”.

It works even if the man himself is not present, because it is less a jab at him than a way of taunting Remainers with the thought that they will never get a second referendum without his support - and his whole history suggests he’s not about to support them.

Further down the list is Dr Paul Williams, the Labour GP who is part of a cross party alliance of Remainer physicians, and later comes Stephen Kinnock, a key advocate of the “Norway Option.”

He had a question in January in which he pointed out that the Norway option removed an need for a Northern Ireland backstop, and he might be tempted to repeat the message that keeping Britain in what he calls a “Common Market.2” would solve the problem that has sent the PM to Ireland.

What else?

Expect plenty of Venezuela-related taunts, too....

For others this may be a day to put down markers on constituency issues.

Conservative ex-minister Robert Halfon is another Norway supporter, but plans to ask about funding for a hospital in his patch, and others may also focus on local causes.

For example, the Lib Dem Layla Moran will be highlighting the need to consult local communities about whether the proposed Oxford-Cambridge expressway is really needed at all.

Select Committee
Parliament

Committee chair Rachel Reeves asks why Nissan are not building new models of the X-Trail here "when they said they would?"

Greg Clark says Nissan are investing in the Sunderland plant in other ways and the company "made a decision to put more capital into production facilities for electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles".

Ms Reeves says Greg Clark is "making this sound like it's good news for Britain" and asks if Brexit is a reason Nissan have cancelled their proposed expansion.

"All I can do is reflect what the company have said," he says, and repeats that there'll be more money for new technologies. "Obviously I'm disappointed" that 740 new jobs will not now be created, "but it is their decision to do that".

He says it's "worth acknowledging that their commitment to the models that are there [in Sunderland] was announced" and adds that Nissan themselves said uncertainty "over a no-deal Brexit cast a shadow over our future".

Select Committee
Parliament

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Labour's Anna Turley is the first to mention Nissan.

She quotes from a letter Mr Clark sent to the Japanese car company in 2016, external where, she says, he promised that he would "ensure their ability to export to and from the EU is not adversely affected" and that the government understood "the importance of continued access to the single market".

She asks if the government can still make these promises.

Greg Clark says "that is still government policy" and that Ms Turley has "accurately but partially" quoted what he said.

He says he said that he had promised those aims would be a "critical priority of our negotiation" but it is "not possible for me to say that this will definitely be the outcome...I wish that it were".

He says that while promises of this type "don't provide certainty...at least they know that that is what we want" and Nissan know that the government is not "indifferent to their needs and concerns".

The CBI warns that the UK risks "crashing out" of a number of agreements in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Select Committee
Parliament

Conservative MP Mark Pawsey starts by reading out a letter sent by a business in his constituency complaining that they don't know on what terms they will trade with the EU in less than two months time.

He says "we still don't know the terms on which we are leaving...isn't time getting rather tight?"

"It is, I agree with you," replies Greg Clark, who goes on to espouse the advantages of the deal agreed by Theresa May with the EU, which was defeated by 230 votes in the House of Commons. He says the deal "provides what businesses want to see" which he says is a transition period of two years where little will change.

Mark Pawesy continues by asking "apart from Iceland, JCB and Wetherspoons are there any businesses telling you there are great big opportunities and advantages" from our leaving the EU with no-deal.

Mr Clark says that he thinks it's an "accurate reflection to say that most businesses who are in the business of exporting or who rely on supply chains want to see this uncertainty ended" via Theresa May's deal.

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The prime minister's on her travels this week - but will it do more than just keep the show on the road?

Select Committee
Parliament

MPs on the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee are taking evidence from Greg Clark, the Business Secretary.

Topics likely to be discussed include Nissan's decision not to build new X-Trail models in Sunderland and the government's £60m support package for the plant and Hitachi pulling out of a deal to build a new nuclear power plant in North Wales.

This morning, Business Secretary Greg Clark and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox will be appearing before separate select committees to answer questions about the work of their departments.

It's pretty likely that the subject of Brexit will come up too, as the two secretaries of state look ahead to the forthcoming year.

Both sessions start at 10am.

It affects how much England's councils will have to spend, amid complaints of a £3bn funding gap.