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. Labour MP asks for work on racism in footballpublished at 12:45 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

    PMQs

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    John MannImage source, HoC

    Labour MP John Mann asks for a "forum" to be set up to help address the problem of racism in football. He asks for the PM to put effort into that issue as she did with the Hillsborough tragedy. Mr Mann says the football authorities are not capable of handling this themselves.

    Mr Lidington says racism in football should be "beyond the bounds of acceptability in our society". He says that the sport minister will be happy to discuss with MPs what else might be done.

  2. DUP asks about help for persecuted Christianspublished at 12:43 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Sammy WilsonImage source, HoC

    The DUP's Sammy Wilson says Christians are now the "most persecuted religious group" around the world.

    He asks how the government will use the UK's "soft power" to combat the issue.

    David Lidington says the government works to try and improve standards of justice in a number of countries.

    A review into the UK's work to help Christians persecuted abroad has also been commissioned, he adds.

  3. Can there be a second referendum on the final Brexit deal?published at 12:38 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

    PMQs

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Liberal Democrat Tom Brake asks whether the withdrawal agreement Theresa May has agreed with the EU could be made subject to a "People's Vote" on the final deal. Remember, that agreement has been repeatedly rejected by MPs.

    Mr Lidington says there is not enough support in the Commons for a second referendum.

  4. Tory MP demands faster action on carbon emissionspublished at 12:34 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Rebecca PowImage source, HoC

    Conservative MP Rebecca Pow says there is a need to do more “faster and sooner” to avoid the damaging effects of climate change.

    She asks whether the government will commit to meeting a target of net zero carbon emissions earlier than the 2050 target it has already set.

    David Lidington replies that ministers will need to listen to the advice of the independent committee which advises them in this area.

    He adds that the government has committed £2.5bn over the next six years towards promoting cleaner energy.

  5. Watch again: SNP criticises government's environmental effortspublished at 12:34 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

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  6. Watch again: Thornberry focuses on Trump visitpublished at 12:30 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

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  7. Climate change probed by SNPpublished at 12:26 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

    PMQs

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Kirsty BlackmanImage source, HoC

    The SNP's Kirsty Blackman too pays tribute to the victims of the Sri Lanka bombings and sends warm words to the family of Lyra McKee. She also pays tribute to Celtic's Billy McNeill.

    She says that "climate change is the biggest crisis facing the world today," yet the government is cutting support for renewable energy and boosting fracking.

    Mr Lidington says "there is clearly more that needs to be done", adding that "generations have not done sufficient to meet this challenge".

    Ms Blackman says the Scottish government has brought forward the most ambitious climate targets of many countries, aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050.

    Mr Lidington says "passing legislation can get you so far," but there needs to be a "change in attitudes and approach" across society and industry.

  8. Thornberry makes border linkspublished at 12:25 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

    As Emily Thornberry wraps up her part in PMQs, our political editor thinks her decision to link Brexit, the border and security in Northern Ireland was eye-catching.

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  9. Border 'central issue' in Brexit talkspublished at 12:23 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

    BBC political editor tweets...

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  10. Thornberry asks for customs union proposalpublished at 12:22 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    For her last question, Emily Thornberry says the first job of any government is to ensure the safety of its citizens - adding this is the "main reason" the Irish border must remain open.

    She asks when ministers will get "serious" about the ongoing cross-party Brexit talks, and "putting the option of a customs union on the table".

    Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington replies that the talks have shown a "genuine attempt to find a way through".

    But he says both parties need to compromise, and Parliament must "deliver on the referendum result".

    Want to know more on Labour's customs union policy? Here you go.

  11. Government will spend 'millions' on Trump state visit - Thornberrypublished at 12:19 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

    PMQs

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Things are heating up now in the Commons. Emily Thornberry says that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has warned the UK will not be able to enter into a trade deal with Washington unless the Irish border issue is solved.

    "So the government is going to spend millions" giving "Donald Trump the red carpet" with no trade deal in sight, she says. There's the mention of the president's state visit that we were expecting.

    Mr Lidington says that two years ago Ms Thornberry said she did want to see Donald Trump visit the UK. He asks if her position has changed due to her leadership ambitions.

    "It is about time that she put principle and the national interest ahead of party advantage," he says on Brexit.

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  12. Lidington: £20m earmarked for border researchpublished at 12:16 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Emily Thornberry says the government has a "poor track record" when it comes to implementing new technology.

    She accuses ministers of "not waking up" to the realities of avoiding a hard border.

    Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington says £20m has been earmarked for work in this area.

    He adds that the EU has also committed to implementing "alternative arrangements" to the Irish border backstop plan by 2020.

  13. Smart border won't happen before 2030 - Thornberrypublished at 12:14 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

    PMQs

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Emily ThornberryImage source, HoC

    Ms Thornberry says she agrees with the sentiment expressed by Mr Lidington when it comes to supporting the police, but she says the government does not seem to have plans on how to implement the promised "invisible border" between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit.

    She says there is no budget for the scheme, which could not be introduced before 2030 due to technological constraints.

    Mr Lidington says the government has invested £20m into such a scheme on smart borders, which could offer some long term export opportunities from the system.

  14. Thornberry: Need to 'find answer' on Irish borderpublished at 12:13 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Labour's Emily Thornberry says the statement from the New IRA accepting responsibility for the death of Lyra Mckee was a "sickening throwback to the days we thought we'd left behind".

    She says her death shows the need to "find an answer" to the issue of preventing a hard Irish border in the Brexit negotiations.

    In reply, Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington says he does not believe those behind Ms Mckee's killing were motivated by the border or customs arrangements.

    Full support must be given to the police service in Northern Ireland, he adds.

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  15. What is the government doing to protect Northern Ireland?published at 12:10 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

    PMQs

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry pays tribute to murdered journalist Lyra McKee and the terror attack in Sri Lanka.

    She also pays tribute to former Celtic captain and manager Billy McNeill who fought against "sectarian hatred". His death was announced on Tuesday.

    She asks what the government is doing to "protect Northern Ireland from a return to terror" in light of Ms McKee's murder.

    Mr Lidington replies that the matter is currently being examined by the Northern Ireland Prosecutor's Office. He says that he hopes people will come forward about what happened.

  16. Lidington pays tribute to 'brilliant journalist' Lyra McKeepublished at 12:07 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Opening PMQs, Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington pays tribute to murdered journalist Lyra McKee, whose funeral the PM and Jeremy Corbyn are attending later in Belfast.

    He says Ms McKee was a "brilliant journalist", whilst those responsible for her death have "nothing to offer anyone from any community in Northern Ireland".

    He also pays tribute to the victims of Sunday’s bomb attacks in Sri Lanka and takes a few moments to mention that the attack came just a few weeks after the mosque shootings in Christchurch.

  17. Donald Trump state visitpublished at 12:02 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

    BBC Politics Live presenter tweets...

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  18. What will Emily Thornberry focus on?published at 11:58 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

    Norman Smith
    Assistant political editor

    Emily Thornberry may stick to what she knows best - foreign affairs - and we may well hear her discuss the recently announced state visit by US President Donald Trump. On Tuesday, Ms Thornberry said it "beggars belief that on the very same day Donald Trump is threatening to veto a United Nations resolution against the use of rape as a weapon of war, Theresa May is pressing ahead with her plans to honour him with a state visit to the UK".

    It'll be interesting to see whether Emily Thornberry uses this opportunity to firmly plant Labour's flagpole against the visit.

  19. Coming up in the House of Commonspublished at 11:41 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

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  20. Brexit Party 'can send warning to MPs' - Widdecombepublished at 11:37 British Summer Time 24 April 2019

    BBC News Channel

    Ann Widdecombe

    Away from the committee corridor, former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe has been speaking about her decision to stand for the Brexit Party at the European elections.

    She says she is doing so out of "total frustration", adding that the UK's handling of Brexit has made it "an international laughing stock".

    She says she believes that an "overwhelming" victory for the Brexit Party would "make MPs rethink what they are doing".

    Parliament has been "trying to frustrate" the result of the 2016 referendum, and there is a need to send a "very loud warning shot" across the bows of both major parties, she adds.