Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald is now delivering the
final urgent question of the day on Eurotunnel.
On Friday the government said it pay £33m to Eurotunnel
to settle a lawsuit it brought over extra ferry services in a no-deal Brexit scenario.
In December, the Department for Transport (DfT) contracted
three suppliers to provide additional freight capacity on ferries for lorries.
Eurotunnel, the firm which operates railway services between
the UK and France, says the contracts were handed out in a “secretive way”.
Minister references resignation pledge
Urgent question on privatised probation system
House of Commons
Parliament
HoCCopyright: HoC
Labour MP Nic Dakin says the "reckless fragmentation of probation" in 2014 has led to this, and that a "coherent system with no gaps for people to fall down" is needed.
Fellow Labour MP Karl Turner adds that this situation is "shocking". He says "either civil servants follow Chris Grayling about giving him bad advice, or he is shockingly incompetent".
Prisons Minister Rory Stewart says "questions of accountability are difficult for me to answer - normally I offer to resign but I am not going to do that in this case".
When he took up his role last August, he said he would resign in a year if he hadn't managed to reduce drugs and violence levels in 10 target jails in England.
Labour MP Jo Stevens says Rory Stewart is "the man with a shovel and a brush, following the horse ridden by Chris Grayling".
More anger at Chris Grayling...
Urgent question on privatised probation system
House of Commons
Parliament
HoCCopyright: HoC
SNP MP Joanna Cherry asks when Chris Grayling will be brought to the Commons to be held to account for a "shocking irresponsibility with taxpayers' money".
She says the probation changes are just one item on a "long list of scandalous wastes of public money" enacted by the former justice secretary.
Privatisation 'a dangerous experiment' - Labour
Urgent question on privatised probation system
House of Commons
Parliament
HoCCopyright: HoC
Shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon says Labour will return probation to the public sector, calling partial privatisation a "dangerous experiment".
He says the National Audit Office report is "another damning indictment" of current Transport Secretary Chris Grayling - who introduced the policy when justice secretary.
Prisons Minister Rory Stewart says: "we do not feel this is an ideological choice between the public and private sector," and reassures MPs that the government is taking the lessons learned seriously.
Conservative MP Ken Clarke calls for a more comprehensive and effective community service programme alongside reforms to the probation service.
"People should be punished in a way that makes them less likely to re-offend," Mr Clarke concludes.
Minister: £700m saving from private providers
Urgent question on privatised probation system
House of Commons
Parliament
HoCCopyright: HoC
Prisons Minister Rory Stewart says transforming rehabilitation was a coalition government proposal and the contracts were applied only to low-risk offenders and were left open for flexibility.
They have been successful in some ways, but have not delivered in others, Mr Stewart admits.
High-risk offenders continue to be supervised by the state, he adds, noting that the government is still forecast to spend £700m less on probation by using private providers.
Mr Stewart says the current contracts will be ended two years earlier than planned.
MPs debate probation system privatisation
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon is now asking his
urgent question on the privatised probation system.
On Friday the government spending watchdog announced that
problems with the partial privatisation of the probation system in England and
Wales have cost taxpayers almost £500m.
Under the changes, which began in 2013, firms were given
contracts to supervise low and medium-risk offenders.
The National Audit Office said reforms were
"rushed" and the numbers returning to prison for breaching their
licence conditions had since "skyrocketed".
The government said this was because more offenders were
being monitored.
Labour MP calls for new plan on knife crime
Urgent question on knife crime
House of Commons
Parliament
HoCCopyright: HoC
Labour MP George Howarth calls on the Home Secretary Sajid Javid to come back to the Commons in a week's time with a "definite plan" on how to tackle knife crime.
"Why on Earth we need yet another consultation is beyond me", he adds.
The Home Office launched a consultation on a new legal duty to underpin a public health approach to tackling serious violence in October.
MPs advocate treating knife crime as public health issue
Urgent question on knife crime
House of Commons
Parliament
HoCCopyright: HoC
Conservative MP Iain Duncan Smith says the Scottish model of treating knife crime as a public health issue works, and calls for cross London co-ordination across all the London boroughs.
SNP MP Joanna Cherry says incidents of knife crime in Scotland have greatly reduced due to a "holistic approach" from public health authorities.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid says the government is "planning to pursue" a more collaborative approach with Scotland.
Chair of the Home Affairs Committee Yvette Cooper says earlier Matt Hancock told LBC that "if you try to say that it's a public health issue, that implies that it's nobody's fault."
Mr Javid says a public health approach would have to be statutory to ensure that all departments agree, but suggests it is the way forwards.
Knife crime 'requires national leadership' - Labour
Urgent question on knife crime
House of Commons
Parliament
HoCCopyright: HoC
The Commons is united in grief and shock and the recent deaths by knife crime, shadow policing minister Louish Haigh says.
There has been a 93% rise in young people being stabbed since 2012, she says, adding: "it is a national crisis that requires national leadership from the prime minister and the home secretary".
Ms Haigh asks for the government to convene an emergency summit and back it with more funding.
She notes that in 2000, Prime Minister Tony Blair took the decision to discuss the issue at a meeting of the government's emergency committee, Cobra.
"We must see similar action today", she says, adding: "warm words are no longer enough".
Javid: 'No short cuts' for tackling knife crime
Urgent question on knife crime
House of Commons
Parliament
HoCCopyright: HoC
Home Secretary Sajid Javid says two young lives were senselessly lost last weekend and expresses his condolences to those involved.
There are "no short cuts" when it comes to tackling knife crime, he says, adding that it requires “co-ordinated action” on multiple fronts.
Mr Javid says he is raising police funding to record levels, but that the issue needs to be fought across party lines.
MPs hear urgent question on knife crime
BBCCopyright: BBC
Yousef Makki and Jodie Chesney were killed in separate knife attacks two days apartImage caption: Yousef Makki and Jodie Chesney were killed in separate knife attacks two days apart
Labour MP Louise Haigh has now asked the first of today’s
urgent questions on knife crime.
It comes after two 17-year-olds were killed in separate incidents in London and Greater Manchester at the weekend.
Earlier today, Home Secretary Sajid Javid condemned the
"senseless violence" that has seen a rise in the number of teenagers
being stabbed to death across the UK.
Figures show the number of children in England aged 16 and
under being stabbed rose by 93% in the five years to 2018.
Mr Javid has announced he will meet police chiefs on
Wednesday to look at ways to combat violence.
'A most unusual state of affairs'
Point of Order
House of Commons
Parliament
HoCCopyright: HoC
Speaker John Bercow says the move to drop discussion of the bill today is "a most unusual state of affairs".
"It may have been delayed, but the legislation will presumably have to come back," he adds, noting that the government has not yet provided a date for its return.
Any new clause or amendment can feature again in the business, Mr Bercow says, noting that he "certainly intended" to select an amendment "on this matter" today.
"It would have been perfectly proper for it to have been debated in this House today", he says, noting that he "hopes Parliament will be treated with greater courtesy on the matter".
Anger over dropping of tax transparency vote
Point of Order
House of Commons
Parliament
HoCCopyright: HoC
Labour MP Margaret Hodge uses a point of order to put on record her annoyance that discussion of a bill about financial services has been dropped ahead of a likely defeat later.
Ms Hodge was part of a cross-party group of MPs who had hoped to amend the bill to force greater tax transparency in the British Crown dependencies.
Dropping the remaining stages of the Financial Services Bill from today's agenda is a "blatant, deliberate and arrogant snub" of Parliament, she says.
Housing, communities and local government questions
House of Commons
Parliament
HoCCopyright: HoC
Shadow housing secretary John Healey says the thoughts of the opposition are with the people of Salisbury, where the nerve agent poisonings were carried out a year ago today.
"Such foreign aggression on our soil will never be tolerated," he says.
It has been confirmed that Health Secretary Matt Hancock will be answering today's urgent question on the government's agreement to pay £33m to Eurotunnel last week.
The agreement was to settle a lawsuit over extra ferry services in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
In December, the Department for Transport (DfT) contracted three suppliers to provide additional freight capacity on ferries for lorries.
One of the firms awarded a ferry contract, Seaborne Freight, has already had its deal cancelled after the Irish company backing it pulled out.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has been heavily criticised for awarding a contract to Seabourne, which has never run a ferry service and has no ships.
Today in the Commons
House of Commons
Parliament
Business in the House of Commons begins at 2.30pm with questions to ministers at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The government has pulled the main business of the day, the
remaining stages of the Financial Services Bill, and instead housing questions
will be followed by three urgent questions and two ministerial statements.
First up, shadow policing minister Louise Haigh will ask an
urgent question on knife crime.
It comes after two 17-year-olds were killed in separate incidents in London and Greater Manchester at the weekend.
Next, shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon will ask a
question about the probation system.
Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald will then ask a
question on Eurotunnel.
Last week it was announced that the government will pay £33m to Eurotunnel in an agreement to settle a lawsuit over extra ferry
services in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
The first of the two ministerial statements is from Local Government Secretary James Brokenshire on the Stronger Towns Fund, a £1.6bn fund for less well-off towns in
England after Brexit.
Financial Secretary to the Treasury Mel Stride will then
deliver a statement on tax avoidance, evasion and compliance.
Labour MP Jim McMahon will lead the adjournment debate, on
bus services in Greater Manchester.
Live Reporting
All times stated are UK
MPs debate Eurotunnel settlement
Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald is now delivering the final urgent question of the day on Eurotunnel.
On Friday the government said it pay £33m to Eurotunnel to settle a lawsuit it brought over extra ferry services in a no-deal Brexit scenario.
In December, the Department for Transport (DfT) contracted three suppliers to provide additional freight capacity on ferries for lorries.
Eurotunnel, the firm which operates railway services between the UK and France, says the contracts were handed out in a “secretive way”.
Minister references resignation pledge
Urgent question on privatised probation system
House of Commons
Parliament
Labour MP Nic Dakin says the "reckless fragmentation of probation" in 2014 has led to this, and that a "coherent system with no gaps for people to fall down" is needed.
Fellow Labour MP Karl Turner adds that this situation is "shocking". He says "either civil servants follow Chris Grayling about giving him bad advice, or he is shockingly incompetent".
Prisons Minister Rory Stewart says "questions of accountability are difficult for me to answer - normally I offer to resign but I am not going to do that in this case".
When he took up his role last August, he said he would resign in a year if he hadn't managed to reduce drugs and violence levels in 10 target jails in England.
Labour MP Jo Stevens says Rory Stewart is "the man with a shovel and a brush, following the horse ridden by Chris Grayling".
More anger at Chris Grayling...
Urgent question on privatised probation system
House of Commons
Parliament
SNP MP Joanna Cherry asks when Chris Grayling will be brought to the Commons to be held to account for a "shocking irresponsibility with taxpayers' money".
She says the probation changes are just one item on a "long list of scandalous wastes of public money" enacted by the former justice secretary.
Privatisation 'a dangerous experiment' - Labour
Urgent question on privatised probation system
House of Commons
Parliament
Shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon says Labour will return probation to the public sector, calling partial privatisation a "dangerous experiment".
He says the National Audit Office report is "another damning indictment" of current Transport Secretary Chris Grayling - who introduced the policy when justice secretary.
Prisons Minister Rory Stewart says: "we do not feel this is an ideological choice between the public and private sector," and reassures MPs that the government is taking the lessons learned seriously.
Conservative MP Ken Clarke calls for a more comprehensive and effective community service programme alongside reforms to the probation service.
"People should be punished in a way that makes them less likely to re-offend," Mr Clarke concludes.
Minister: £700m saving from private providers
Urgent question on privatised probation system
House of Commons
Parliament
Prisons Minister Rory Stewart says transforming rehabilitation was a coalition government proposal and the contracts were applied only to low-risk offenders and were left open for flexibility.
They have been successful in some ways, but have not delivered in others, Mr Stewart admits.
High-risk offenders continue to be supervised by the state, he adds, noting that the government is still forecast to spend £700m less on probation by using private providers.
Mr Stewart says the current contracts will be ended two years earlier than planned.
MPs debate probation system privatisation
Shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon is now asking his urgent question on the privatised probation system.
On Friday the government spending watchdog announced that problems with the partial privatisation of the probation system in England and Wales have cost taxpayers almost £500m.
Under the changes, which began in 2013, firms were given contracts to supervise low and medium-risk offenders.
The National Audit Office said reforms were "rushed" and the numbers returning to prison for breaching their licence conditions had since "skyrocketed".
The government said this was because more offenders were being monitored.
Labour MP calls for new plan on knife crime
Urgent question on knife crime
House of Commons
Parliament
Labour MP George Howarth calls on the Home Secretary Sajid Javid to come back to the Commons in a week's time with a "definite plan" on how to tackle knife crime.
"Why on Earth we need yet another consultation is beyond me", he adds.
The Home Office launched a consultation on a new legal duty to underpin a public health approach to tackling serious violence in October.
Government 'all over the place on knife crime'
BBC home affairs correspondent tweets...
MPs advocate treating knife crime as public health issue
Urgent question on knife crime
House of Commons
Parliament
Conservative MP Iain Duncan Smith says the Scottish model of treating knife crime as a public health issue works, and calls for cross London co-ordination across all the London boroughs.
SNP MP Joanna Cherry says incidents of knife crime in Scotland have greatly reduced due to a "holistic approach" from public health authorities.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid says the government is "planning to pursue" a more collaborative approach with Scotland.
Chair of the Home Affairs Committee Yvette Cooper says earlier Matt Hancock told LBC that "if you try to say that it's a public health issue, that implies that it's nobody's fault."
Mr Javid says a public health approach would have to be statutory to ensure that all departments agree, but suggests it is the way forwards.
Knife crime 'requires national leadership' - Labour
Urgent question on knife crime
House of Commons
Parliament
The Commons is united in grief and shock and the recent deaths by knife crime, shadow policing minister Louish Haigh says.
There has been a 93% rise in young people being stabbed since 2012, she says, adding: "it is a national crisis that requires national leadership from the prime minister and the home secretary".
Ms Haigh asks for the government to convene an emergency summit and back it with more funding.
She notes that in 2000, Prime Minister Tony Blair took the decision to discuss the issue at a meeting of the government's emergency committee, Cobra.
"We must see similar action today", she says, adding: "warm words are no longer enough".
Javid: 'No short cuts' for tackling knife crime
Urgent question on knife crime
House of Commons
Parliament
Home Secretary Sajid Javid says two young lives were senselessly lost last weekend and expresses his condolences to those involved.
There are "no short cuts" when it comes to tackling knife crime, he says, adding that it requires “co-ordinated action” on multiple fronts.
Mr Javid says he is raising police funding to record levels, but that the issue needs to be fought across party lines.
MPs hear urgent question on knife crime
Labour MP Louise Haigh has now asked the first of today’s urgent questions on knife crime.
It comes after two 17-year-olds were killed in separate incidents in London and Greater Manchester at the weekend.
Earlier today, Home Secretary Sajid Javid condemned the "senseless violence" that has seen a rise in the number of teenagers being stabbed to death across the UK.
Figures show the number of children in England aged 16 and under being stabbed rose by 93% in the five years to 2018.
Mr Javid has announced he will meet police chiefs on Wednesday to look at ways to combat violence.
'A most unusual state of affairs'
Point of Order
House of Commons
Parliament
Speaker John Bercow says the move to drop discussion of the bill today is "a most unusual state of affairs".
"It may have been delayed, but the legislation will presumably have to come back," he adds, noting that the government has not yet provided a date for its return.
Any new clause or amendment can feature again in the business, Mr Bercow says, noting that he "certainly intended" to select an amendment "on this matter" today.
"It would have been perfectly proper for it to have been debated in this House today", he says, noting that he "hopes Parliament will be treated with greater courtesy on the matter".
Anger over dropping of tax transparency vote
Point of Order
House of Commons
Parliament
Labour MP Margaret Hodge uses a point of order to put on record her annoyance that discussion of a bill about financial services has been dropped ahead of a likely defeat later.
Ms Hodge was part of a cross-party group of MPs who had hoped to amend the bill to force greater tax transparency in the British Crown dependencies.
Dropping the remaining stages of the Financial Services Bill from today's agenda is a "blatant, deliberate and arrogant snub" of Parliament, she says.
Government defends Grayling's absence
BBC political correspondent tweets...
Shadow minister pays tribute to Salisbury
Housing, communities and local government questions
House of Commons
Parliament
Shadow housing secretary John Healey says the thoughts of the opposition are with the people of Salisbury, where the nerve agent poisonings were carried out a year ago today.
"Such foreign aggression on our soil will never be tolerated," he says.
Grayling 'showing contempt' for MPs
Former Labour deputy leader tweets...
Health Secretary to answer question on Eurotunnel
It has been confirmed that Health Secretary Matt Hancock will be answering today's urgent question on the government's agreement to pay £33m to Eurotunnel last week.
The agreement was to settle a lawsuit over extra ferry services in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
In December, the Department for Transport (DfT) contracted three suppliers to provide additional freight capacity on ferries for lorries.
One of the firms awarded a ferry contract, Seaborne Freight, has already had its deal cancelled after the Irish company backing it pulled out.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has been heavily criticised for awarding a contract to Seabourne, which has never run a ferry service and has no ships.
Today in the Commons
House of Commons
Parliament
Business in the House of Commons begins at 2.30pm with questions to ministers at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The government has pulled the main business of the day, the remaining stages of the Financial Services Bill, and instead housing questions will be followed by three urgent questions and two ministerial statements.
First up, shadow policing minister Louise Haigh will ask an urgent question on knife crime.
It comes after two 17-year-olds were killed in separate incidents in London and Greater Manchester at the weekend.
Next, shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon will ask a question about the probation system.
On Friday the government spending watchdog said that problems with the partial privatisation of the probation system in England and Wales have cost taxpayers almost £500m.
Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald will then ask a question on Eurotunnel.
Last week it was announced that the government will pay £33m to Eurotunnel in an agreement to settle a lawsuit over extra ferry services in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
The first of the two ministerial statements is from Local Government Secretary James Brokenshire on the Stronger Towns Fund, a £1.6bn fund for less well-off towns in England after Brexit.
Financial Secretary to the Treasury Mel Stride will then deliver a statement on tax avoidance, evasion and compliance.
Labour MP Jim McMahon will lead the adjournment debate, on bus services in Greater Manchester.