Summary

  • Jeremy Wright responded to an urgent question on Huawei leak

  • The culture secretary said a criminal investigation could not be excluded

  • MPs held debate on the use of force to restrain children

  • MPs also debated the registration process for EU citizens for European elections

  • Andrea Leadsom announced next week's business in the Commons

  1. Where do the parties stand on Brexit?published at 15:53 Greenwich Mean Time 5 December 2019

    The government's Brexit legislation is on hold as the UK prepares for a general election.

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  2. Recap: Thursday in the Commonspublished at 17:37 British Summer Time 25 April 2019

    The Commons has now wrapped up for the week.

    The day began with questions to international trade and equalities ministers.

    This was followed by an urgent question on Huawei, after reports the government would use technology from the Chinese telecoms firm in the UK's new 5G network.

    Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright told MPs a criminal inquiry could not be excluded into leaks from a National Security Council meeting.

    This was followed by urgent questions on EU citizens registering for the European elections and the publication of the government's mandate for NHS England.

    The afternoon was taken up by debates on school funding and the use of force on children.

  3. MPs debate use of force on childrenpublished at 16:01 British Summer Time 25 April 2019

    MPs are now debating the use of force to restrain children in places such as hospitals, children’s homes and schools.

    Lib Dem MP Norman Lamb, who proposed the debate on behalf of the backbench business committee, said studies show the use of force is “endemic in the system”.

    He said MPs are “still waiting” for the Department for Education to issue guidance on the use of force on children, after guidance for adults was issued in 2014.

    The government has not yet responded to a consultation in this area launched by the Health and Education departments, which closed in January last year.

  4. MPs begin debate on school fundingpublished at 13:39 British Summer Time 25 April 2019

    MPs have now started their debate on school funding, a topic chosen for the slot this afternoon by the backbench business committee.

    The Commons will debate a motion noting "concern" at the "increasing financial pressures faced by schools".

    It calls on the government to increase funding to cover the "additional services schools now perform for pupils".

  5. Carbon capture report outlinedpublished at 13:19 British Summer Time 25 April 2019

    Debate on next week’s Commons timetable has come to an end.

    MPs will now hear short speeches from the Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy Committee on its report on carbon capture and storage., external

    After this there will be a backbench business debate on school funding.

  6. 'No sign' of Brexit withdrawal agreement billpublished at 13:07 British Summer Time 25 April 2019

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  7. Next week's business in the Commonspublished at 13:07 British Summer Time 25 April 2019

    Business statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Commons leader Andrea Leadsom has outlined next week's business in the House of Commons.

    On Monday, MPs will debate a number of Brexit-related statutory instruments.

    Tuesday afternoon will be set aside for debates chosen by the opposition, whilst on Thursday there will be a debate on World Immunisation Week.

    The Commons will not be sitting on Friday.

  8. Commons debates NHS urgent questionpublished at 12:08 British Summer Time 25 April 2019

    NHS urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    The Commons has now moved on to an urgent question on the NHS.

    This has been tabled by shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth.

    The government is normally expected to publish a mandate for the NHS annually, but the current one has now expired. The mandate was introduced as part of the 2012 Health and Social Care Act changes to the NHS.

  9. Huawei leak could prompt criminal investigationpublished at 11:42 British Summer Time 25 April 2019

    Huawei leak: Minister says he cannot rule out a criminal investigation

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  10. Commons hears urgent question on European electionspublished at 11:37 British Summer Time 25 April 2019

    European elections urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    The Commons has finished the urgent question on Huawei, and is now on to a question asked by Labour's Catherine West on registration of European citizens for upcoming European elections.

    Catherine West represents Hornsey and Wood Green, in London, which is an area with a high proportion of EU citizens.

  11. Wright: Multiple suppliers better for securitypublished at 11:36 British Summer Time 25 April 2019

    Jeremy WrightImage source, HoC

    Conservative Bob Blackman asks for guarantees that the procurement process for new wireless technology will be "subject to open competition".

    He says technology provided by Huawei is "niche" but not "unique".

    In reply, Jeremy Wright says it is "obviously better to have a number of suppliers in the system" from a security point of view.

    However he says there are "essentially only three suppliers in this space" - Huawei, Nokia and Ericsson.

    He adds that it is "not a right assumption" that excluding Huawei and using the other two would lead to a "safe network".

  12. PM's spokesman responds to Huawei leakpublished at 11:22 British Summer Time 25 April 2019

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  13. 'We cannot exclude the possibility of a criminal investigation' into leakpublished at 11:17 British Summer Time 25 April 2019

    Huawei urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Victoria PrentisImage source, HoC

    Conservative Victoria Prentis asks if the National Security Council leak might become the subject of a criminal investigation.

    Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright says the government "cannot exclude the possibility" of this happening.

  14. Labour MP: Leak 'symptomatic of government'published at 11:15 British Summer Time 25 April 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Labour's Pat McFadden says the Huawei leak is "symptomatic" of a "wider breakdown" in collective responsibility in the government.

    He says the only two factors in the decision should be the UK's technological future and national security, not the "political share price" of cabinet members.

    Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright says national security considerations will be "pre-eminent" in the ongoing review over wireless networks.

  15. 'No lack of respect' for Five Eyes community - Wrightpublished at 11:14 British Summer Time 25 April 2019

    Huawei urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Tom TugendhatImage source, HoC

    Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Tom Tugendhat raises concerns that there is less of a distinction between "core and non-core" equipment in a 5G network, so saying that Huawei equipment will only be used in non-core sections of the network is still a problem. He says that by putting Huawei equipment in, the UK could be eroding trust within the 'Five Eyes' community.

    Mr Wright says "there is no lack of respect" for what the international community is saying on Huawei. The government is listening to what the advice is internationally and domestically on the telecoms company, he adds.

  16. Government will treat leak 'seriously'published at 11:01 British Summer Time 25 April 2019

    Huawei urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Jeremy Wright says he "entirely agrees" with what was said on leaks from the National Security Council, as there is "good reason" why these meetings are kept private.

    "The government intends to treat it seriously," he says of the leak.

    He says there is an oversight board in place for equipment supplied by Huawei to the UK.

    "Chinese equipment...is prevalent across the world" and there is a "good deal" of Huawei equipment already used in existing mobile networks, he adds.

  17. Labour: Source of leak should resign or be sackedpublished at 11:00 British Summer Time 25 April 2019

    Huawei urgent question

    Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Jo PlattImage source, HoC

    Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Jo Platt says there should be a full inquiry into how discussions over Huawei were leaked.

    She adds that any person found to be responsible for the leak should resign or be sacked.

    It would be "truly shocking", she says, if a minister did so to gain an advantage in a forthcoming leadership contest.

    National security matters should be handled with the "utmost care", she says, not "used as political ammunition in a Tory party civil war".

  18. 'We have to strike a difficult balance between security and prosperity'published at 10:53 British Summer Time 25 April 2019

    Huawei urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Jeremy WrightImage source, HoC

    Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright says the security of the UK's 5G infrastucture is of "paramount importance" but the UK's economy "can only prosper" when its "world-class infrastructure is assured".

    "We have to strike a difficult balance between security and prosperity," he says, adding that the current review into 5G from Huawei is "thorough" and will report in due course.

    He says he will make a further statement later when decisions have been formally made.

  19. Urgent question over Huawei 5G row beginspublished at 10:49 British Summer Time 25 April 2019

    Huawei signImage source, PA
    Image caption,

    Huawei has denied there is any risk of espionage or sabotage

    Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright is now answering an urgent question on the row over Huawei's role in wireless internet infrastructure.

    It comes after reports that the government has approved the supply of equipment by the Chinese telecoms firm for the UK's new 5G data network - despite warnings of a security risk.

    It is believed the decision was taken at a meeting of the government's National Security Council on Tuesday.

    Government ministers are calling for a "full and proper" investigation after details of the discussions were leaked to the Daily Telegraph.

  20. Today in the Commonspublished at 09:45 British Summer Time 25 April 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the Commons.

    The day has started with questions to ministers at the Department for International Trade, to be followed by Women and Equalities questions at 10.00 BST.

    At 10:30 BST, there will be an urgent question on the decision to allow Huawei to provide aspects of the UK’s 5G infrastructure.

    This will be followed by two more urgent questions on registering EU citizens for the European elections, and the government's mandate for the NHS.

    Commons leader Andrea Leadsom will then outline next week's timetable in the House of Commons. This afternoon, MPs will debate school funding.