NEWS FROM PARLIAMENT
...HOUSE OF COMMONS...
Jacqui Smith defends a decision not to publicise the fact that 5,000 illegal immigrants were cleared to work in security, amid claims of a cover-up. The home secretary is facing MPs after leaked e-mails suggested she knew about the problem four months ago. She said she had concentrated on "robust action" rather words. Shadow home secretary David Davis accused her of "blunder, panic and cover-up".
...LORDS ECONOMIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE...
A top union official has told Peers that conditions for some migrant workers in Britain are at the extreme "a modern form of slave labour". Jack Dromey - the Labour party treasurer and Deputy General Secretary of the union Unite was speaking to the Lords Economic Affairs committee. He said there were particular problems in the food and agriculture sector. Mr Dromey said in some areas a two tier labour market was emerging. With migrant workers overwhelmingly on inferior conditions of employment. Alicia McCarthy, Today in Parliament
...HOUSE OF COMMONS...
Councils are being forced to cut animal health budgets by 12% this year despite a series of disease crises, including the current bird flu outbreak because of the government's "financial mismanagement", the Conservatives claim. The challenge came as Environment Secretary Hilary Benn confirmed the strain of bird flu found in turkeys on a farm in East Anglia was the highly pathogenic H5N1 type.
...HOUSE OF COMMONS...
Schools Secretary Ed Balls reaffirmed his commitment to the academies programme despite ordering Gordon Brown's Delivery Unit to review their performance. He said there were "no deficiencies" in the programme but the review would look at improving value for money.
...HOUSE OF COMMONS...
Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley told MPs the Queen's Speech did nothing to tackle widening health inequalities across the country. He also condemned the government's plans to force all young people to remain in education or training until the age of 18, saying it was an "insufficient response" to low educational achievement.
...HOUSE OF COMMONS...
In its first division of the new Parliamentary session, the Commons voted 311 to 211, rejecting a Conservative call regretting the absence of measures in the Queen's
Speech to make health and education services "more accountable to patients and
parents".
...HOUSE OF COMMONS...
Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells said the government has spent £213.1m to date on private security services in Iraq and Afghanistan. The figure for Iraq since 2003 was £170.5m. It was £42.6m in Afghanistan from 2004.
...HOUSE OF COMMONS...
Conservative MP and former nurse Nadine Dorries said there was "concrete evidence" that abortion is being used as a form of contraception. She said more than 200,000 abortions take place every year in the UK - the highest
number in Europe apart from the Ukraine.
...HOUSE OF COMMONS...
Labour's Eric Illsley bemoans an "awful acronym" for potentially causing mass confusion in Yorkshire. The Barnsley MP says he has been told of the number young people described as NEETs (Not in Employment Education or Training) in his constituency. To laughs, he adds: "If one was to mention NEETs in Barnsley it is usually regarded as the opposite to days, such is the nuance of our language."
...HOUSE OF LORDS...
The new Defence Minister, Ann, now Lady, Taylor of Bolton, who was catapulted into the post following the sudden resignation of Lord Drayson last week, has made her first appearance at question time in the Lords. Her debut was spoiled somewhat by the powers-that-be mis-spelling her name as "Baroness Tailor" on the enunciators (TV screens) dotted around the Upper House. The mistake was corrected after seven minutes. Downing Street announced last week that , Lord Drayson, was taking a "leave of absence" from the Government to follow his dream of taking part in a motor-racing series in the United States. Bob Clifford, Today in Parliament
...HOME AFFAIRS COMMITTEE...
Plans to extend the detention of suspected terrorists have been criticised by a survivor of the July 7 bombings. Rachel North, who survived the Russell Square Piccadilly Line bombing which killed 26 people, told the Commons Home Affairs Committee: "I believe it is fundamentally important to us as a country that we do not ... hold people without them knowing what they are being charged with and why. And I believe it is fundamentally the right of British citizens to be able to expect that if they are taken into custody that there is a reason for it and that they are informed of that reason and given representation". The government hopes to secure a consensus to increase the limit for holding suspected terror suspects without charge from the current 28 days. Sean Curran
...HOUSE OF COMMONS...
A parliamentary motion has been tabled supporting the campaign for a statue of Mahatma Gandhi to be erected in Leicester. It's been tabled by the Labour MP for Leicester East Keith Vaz. Paul Rowley
...HOUSE OF COMMONS...
Here's another Commons motion, published on Tuesday morning, again tabled by Mr Vaz: That this House notes with concern the release of a video game vest accessory that simulates the sensation of being shot; believes that this device may glorify the gun violence that is a prevalent and serious problem in Britain; brings attention to the study by the University of Missouri-Columbia demonstrating the clear link between the playing of violent video games and the greater propensity to commit aggressive acts; notes the condemnation of this vest accessory by the campaign group Mothers Against Guns; and seeks assurance from the Government that such devices are not a danger to people who are not medically fit. Paul Rowley
PARLIAMENTARY AGENDA: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13 2007
House of Commons From 2.30pm: Health questions. Queen's Speech debate, fifth day on health and education. Schools Secretary Ed Balls, Health Secretary Alan Johnson, shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley and shadow schools secretary Michael Gove. Short debate on Government assistance for Sri Lanka peace process, opened by Simon Hughes (Lib Dem Southwark N and Bermondsey).
House of Lords: FROM 2.30pm: Queen's Speech debate, fourth day, on local government, housing, transport, agriculture and the environment. Junior communities and local government minister Baroness Andrews and Environment Minister Lord Rooker.
TUESDAY MORNING'S DOWNING STREET LOBBY BRIEFING
Speaking about a row over 5,000 illegal immigrants wrongly cleared to work in security, the prime minister's official spokesman said: "When the issue arose in July it was dealt with by the department." He said Mr Brown had full confidence in Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. The prime minister had spoken to her earlier and was satisfied with her explanation, the spokesman added. On calls for alcohol tax increases, the prime minister's official spokesman said there would be two reports published by the end of the year, on 24 hour drinking and the impact on crime. Nick Assinder
DAILY POLITICS: 1200 -1230 BBC TWO
Andrew Neil and Jenny Scott look at a new campaign urging the government to call time on cheap alcoholic drinks. Will ministers have the bottle to act? And are armies of advisers and threatening fines enough to get young unemployed people off the dole and into work or training? And who would you trust to fix a leaking u-bend? David Cameron has been mistaken for a plumber - but could any politician find an alternative career outside Westminster?
YESTERDAY/TODAY IN PARLIAMENT: RADIO 4
Tuesday's edition of Yesterday in Parliament reported on the first departmental question session to include a 'topical' question in which Schools Secretary Ed Balls sheds light on the government's strategy on education reform, and William Hague's suggestion a referendum may be held on the EU treaty even if it has been adopted, under a future Conservative government.
THE TODAY PROGRAMME: RADIO 4 0600
The Today programme asked how far should the state intervene to stop us from drinking so much. It also covered Benazir Bhutto's call for President Musharraf to step down and what the prime minister means by "hard-headed internationalism". The programme also spoke to Conservative leader David Cameron about his plans to force local councils to hold referenda on tax rises.
THE WORLD AT ONE: RADIO 4 1300
Tuesday's programme looked at the reasons behind the recent rapid rise in food costs. There was also a report from Chris Morris in Pakistan and, closer to home, a look at the row over illegal immigrants being employed as security guards.
PM: RADIO 4 1700
The latest immigration row, bird flu, calls for more alcohol tax and the Conservative council tax proposals were among stories on Tuesday's programme.
NEWSNIGHT: BBC TWO 2230
Stories featured in Tuesday evening's programme include: Cover-up claims at the Home Office... Pakistan's Minister for Information on the situation there and Alan Little on the railway strikes in France.
Is there anything we have missed? What would you like to see on this page? Add your comments using the form below.
The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide.
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~37~RS~)
~RS~a~RS~International~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~37~RS~){kind=small}
One-Minute World News
News services
E-mail this to a friend
Printable version
Susan Hulme reports on the debate
Bookmark with:
What are these?