House of Commons
Parliament

MPs are now debating a second set of amendments to the Northern Ireland Bill.

Among these are various amendments from Tory MP Dominic Grieve which require the government to produce regular reports on the situation in Northern Ireland in the autumn.

He has tabled the amendments in a bid to stop a future PM suspending Parliament to push through a no-deal Brexit.

However, his main amendment, which would have empowered the Queen to restore a suspended Parliament to debate the reports, was not selected by the Speaker.

House of Commons
Parliament

By 332 votes to 99, MPs have approved an amendment which aims to extend access to abortion in Northern Ireland, where it is currently illegal.

House of Commons
Parliament

By 383 votes to 73, MPs have voted to approve Conor McGinn's amendment.

This says that if Stormont is not restored by 21 October, then the government should legislate for same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland.

Earlier, Northern Ireland Minister John Penrose said technical issues mean the government might not be able to deliver on this pledge in the requested timetable.

House of Commons
Parliament

MPs are now voting on Labour MP Conor McGinn's amendment on legislating for same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland.

If approved, it would see secondary legislation put down to extend same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland, unless a new executive is formed by 21 October.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Summing up for the government, Northern Ireland Minister John Penrose says the debate on the amendments this afternoon has been "difficult".

He says the failure to restore devolved government in Northern Ireland since its collapse in January 2017 has been a source of "huge frustration".

He confirms that the votes relating to "matters of conscience" will be free votes for Tory MPs - and a Labour whip rises to confirm the same for the Opposition.

He cautions however that MPs should "tread extremely carefully" when it comes to intervening in policy areas that are devolved.

He also says he would like to raise some "technical concerns" about the government's ability to deliver the amendments on same-sex marriage and abortion in the timetable described.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Labour's Roberta Blackman-Woods says she will vote in favour of the amendment on same-sex marriage, and others on abortion laws in Northern Ireland.

These argue that changing abortion law in the province - where it is currently illegal - is needed to comply with human rights obligations.

She says abortion is currently not available in the cases of rape, incest or fatal foetal abnormality, which is "not a situation we would tolerate" for UK citizens outside NI.

She says the situation facing women in Northern Ireland is "appalling", adding "we must do something about it".

House of Commons
Parliament

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The SNP's Stewart McDonald says his party has traditionally taken a "self-denying ordinance" not to vote on devolved matters relating to Northern Ireland.

However he says the party's 2015 manifesto authorised the party to do so in certain areas where it deemed it appropriate - and he thinks this is one such area.

He says the party will back the amendment on same-sex marriage, describing the current political circumstances in Northern Ireland as "unprecedented".

He adds there is currently a "hard border on civil rights" down the Irish Sea for LGBT people.

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Parliament

Image source, HoC

Tory MP Simon Hoare, who chairs the Northern Ireland Committee, says he will be abstaining on all the amendments this afternoon.

He says he will also abstain on the bill at its next parliamentary stage if it is amended later.

He says he is "frightened" that amendments made to the bill might be used by parties in Northern Ireland to collapse talks towards restoring power-sharing.

He says MPs should not "jeopordise" the talks, which he describes as "fragile".

House of Commons
Parliament

There's some early opposition to the same-sex marriage amendment from DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds.

He says if approved, it would "drive a coach and horses" through the principle of devolution, and "override" the views of people in Northern Ireland.

House of Commons
Parliament

One amendment that has been selected for this examination of the Northern Ireland Bill is one from Labour MP Conor McGinn, on legislating for same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland.

If approved, it would see legislation put down to extend same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland, unless a new executive is formed by 21 October.

MPs have just started to debate this amendment - a vote on it will come later.

House of Commons
Parliament

An attempt from Tory MP Dominic Grieve to block a suspension of Parliament in September and October will not be put to a vote later.

Mr Grieve had tabled the plan in a bid to stop a future PM suspending - or proroguing - Parliament to push through a no-deal Brexit.

His main amendment - which would have given the Queen powers to recall Parliament to ensure government reports on the situation in Northern Ireland are debated - has not been selected for debate by the Speaker.

However his amendments requiring publication of such reports have been selected.

This could provide an opportunity for MPs to take control of parliament before Brexit.

House of Commons
Parliament

Shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon asks whether contracts for running prisons will be included in a trade deal with the United States after Brexit.

Justice Secretary David Gauke replies that he would expect ministers to enter into any future trade talks “in a way that protects public services".

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Labour MP David Hanson asks about the cost of cancelling private contracts as part of the planned renationalisation of probation services.

He says the government's part-privations of the system has been a "shambles".

Justice Secretary David Gauke says the estimated cost of Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) contracts over a seven-year period has fallen by £405m.

He acknowledges that there were "significant elements" in the previous system which weren't working, which is why ministers have opted for change.

Image source, Reuters

Away from the Commons, there's been some news from Labour about their position on another Brexit referendum.

After a shadow cabinet meeting today, the party now says it would campaign to remain in a new EU referendum against either "no deal or a damaging Tory Brexit".

The party had previously said it wanted to see a referendum in these circumstances, but had not said how it would campaign.

However today's update does not specify what Labour would do if the party won a general election and negotiated its own withdrawal deal.

Read more.

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour’s Rachel Reeves, who chairs the committee, thanks Sir David Attenborough for attending the committee today - she calls the session "inspiring".

She ends with a plea to those who attended the session to "keep the pressure up on us" on issues related to climate change.

Select Committee
Parliament

Conservative MP Stephen Kerr asks Sir David Attenborough whether he is "optimistic" that the problems posed by climate change will be solved.

Sir David replies that he feels an "obligation" to believe something can be done.

"That's the only way I can operate," he says.

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour MP Albert Owen asks Sir David what he thinks politicians should be doing now to limit the impact of climate change.

He replies that there should be greater investment from industry in new techniques to generate power and in areas such as transport.

Asked whether he thinks good progress is being made in this area, he says "we probably are" but he personally is not qualified to "know where the hitches are".