Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC Newsroom Live 20170207

Its tuesday 7 february. Welcome to bbc newsroom live. The Commons Speaker, john bercow, is facing mounting criticism for suggesting hell prevent President Trump addressing parliament during his state visit later this year. Mr bercow whos one of three parliamentary officials who can approve such an event said opposition to sexism and racism, and support for equality, were hugely important. But critics say he should have stuck to the tradition of neutrality with one senior conservative describing his intervention as utterly outrageous. Heres our political correspondent, eleanor garnier. Its an honour thats bestowed on popes and president s. A speech to both Houses Of Parliament in the splendour of Westminster Hall was part of the itinerary when these dignitaries visited britain. But the same invite may not be coming mr trumps way. In an astonishing intervention, the Commons Speaker said recent decisions by the president made him uneasy about issuing an invitation. I feel very strongly that our opposition to racism and to sexism and our support for Equality Before The Law and an independent judiciary are hugely important considerations in the House Of Commons. Rare applause from snp and labour mps, who have been highly critical of the american president. That anger brought anti trump demonstrations to the Prime Ministers door after she invited him on a state visit later this year. For us to roll out the red carpet at Buckingham Palace or inviting him to speak at a grand occasion of both houses sends out all the wrong messages. Thats why mr speaker bercow has called it right today. The speaker Of The Commons is a powerful figure who has a say in who addresses mps. He is independent of Party Politics and is supposed to represent the whole house. Its clear that some are unhappy with his outburst. Generally, the speaker who is meant to referee all of this should keep himself above that. That is to be regretted, but it is a symptom of the controversy around this visit. Its very disappointing, because if ever in recent years there been a more pro british president of the United States, its donald trump. I invite you, mr president , to address us. And tory mps are pointing out that he has in the past welcomed leaders to parliament whose values britain doesnt always share. 0ur assistant Political Editor norman smith is in westminster. It is not hard to find mps who are highly critical of the speaker for his comments yesterday. 0ne Senior Tory told me he was incandescent that the speaker had lost the confidence of parliament because basically half the house, namely the conservatives, had no faith in him, and he had become partisan, in his view. The question is, what happens now . Will any mps speak out because ofa now . Will any mps speak out because of a national reluctance to challenge the speaker . If they do, they may never be called in the chamber. Joining me is missing dori. What is your sense . Could we see a challenge to the speakers position . It isa challenge to the speakers position . It is a moving position, but what is interesting is a lot of labour mps last night who were very cock a hoop at this morning not so bullish as they were last night. 0ne labour mp has just they were last night. 0ne labour mp hasjust said to me, i have a mining constituency. My miners love President Trump, i do not want the labour party to be associated with this. So i think what may have started as a partisan measure is now backfiring slightly with some labour mps, and they are not as happy as they were last night. There has been talk of possibly a No Confidence Motion. Is itjust talk . Young i think possibly as. I do not think a No Confidence Motion would win because lots of mps will be very afraid they would not be called to speak in the House Of Commons, which isa speak in the House Of Commons, which is a real threat and likely to happen. John virgo and i had our differences year ago, i was the only person who opposed to him being elected a speaker, but i now fully respect the office of the speaker. John bercow. We could have had a very calming influence on mr trump and estates a Nd Calming Influence on mr trump and estates and we saw that by the Prime Ministers visit ten days ago. I think people are beginning to think the situation in the world and relations with russia and china are very delicate, and it has possibly damaged the uk as a whole. Do you think his position is injeopardy . think his position is injeopardy . think the labour party will realise this has not gone down well in the constituencies, and he will not have the support he initially thought he had. 0ne the support he initially thought he had. One very prominent high profile labourmp said to had. One very prominent high profile labour mp said to me last night, 0k, what he has done, the process may not have been right. He did, after all, welcome the leader of kuwait with open arms, so there is a lot of hypocrisy. Labour like the outcome of mrtrump not hypocrisy. Labour like the outcome of mr trump not coming here, but they are not so confident this morning after getting feedback from the constituents. I think his position will become more and more in jeopardy. Position will become more and more injeopardy. It depends how position will become more and more in jeopardy. It depends how people out there react. It is not about this place, it is about what the people want. If people make enough ofa people want. If people make enough of a stick out there, his position could be in jeopardy. Of a stick out there, his position could be injeopardy. Thank you. One of the key things is going to be the reaction in the Chamber Round about 12 30pm, when the speaker will be in the chair. You will get a sense of mps stand up and raise points of order and seek to challenge him, you might geta order and seek to challenge him, you might get a sense of opinion moving against speaker bercow. But if eve ryo ne against speaker bercow. But if everyone sits on their hands, perhaps he is home and dry and nothing more will happen. A court in San Francisco will decide today whether President Trumps travel ban on people from seven predominantly Muslim Country should be reinstated remain suspended. The americanjustice be reinstated remain suspended. The American Justice Department has lodged details of its appeal, it says he acted legally and the court which suspended the ban has made a mistake. Whatever the Court Decides it is likely the case could end up in the Supreme Court. The government is to set out its proposals for fixing what it describes as a broken Housing Market in england. The white paper will include more help for First Time Buyers, and measures to introduce longer Rental Agreements in the private sector, as well as plans to build more homes. Duncan kennedy reports. Britains House Building programme has been underperforming for decades. Today, the government says it is time to change. It wants councils to put pressure on developers to speed up, but also says it wants to protect Greenbelt Land wherever possible. Prices are too high, we are not building enough homes, and this white paper is a radical blueprint to change this once and for all. The government says it wants more prebuilt houses to help create homes faster. But for some, like jennifer tristram, the only choice is to rent or go into shared ownership. When i was looking, i remember there wasnt that much option out there for what i wanted and what i could afford. I think anybody who is in that same situation will probably be feeling that struggle, probably even more so than i did when i was looking. The government says smaller builders should get help to boost the housing stock, and its encouraging older people to downsize, so long as they have alternatives. Labour says the Housing Strategy is in a mess and todays white paper is a rehash of old ideas. One of the ideas to tackle the crisis is to use more flat pack, or modular housing. Ben thompson has been at a Prefab Business in derbyshire finding out more. Are prefab homes the answer to the Housing Crisis . Here in derbyshire they say so. They build these things, units of houses, in less than eight weeks from start to finish. What do they look like . 0n the left youve got the stairs that take you upstairs. This is one of the bedrooms, and here you get the kitchen. And whats different about prefab homes is everything is done right here in the factory, so the fridge is already installed. There is a dishwasher with all the plumbing done. The plumbing and hob are in. So this house is good to go as soon as it leaves the factory. Itjust needs to be plugged in. Is it enough to solve the Housing Crisis . The government have a target of a million new homes by 2020, which means building 300,000 every single year. At the moment we are building less than half of that. And so today the government is confirming its White Paperfor housing. In it, all sorts of rules and regulations that will allow House Builders to get more homes built. The big question, will it be enough to help bring down prices that have meant many people cannot get on the Property Ladder at all . It is a big question. We will find out if and when the House Builders Start Building more homes. And if you are house hunting orjust daydreaming, why not try using our Housing Calculator online, to see where in the country you could afford to live. Head to our Business Section at bbc. Co. Uk news. The uks tax burden is likely to hit lets look at some of todays other developing stories the energy regulator, 0fgem, has announced details of a price cap for four million households which are using pre payment meters for their gas or electricity. It will apply from april. The regulator has said the cap will save some of the most vulnerable customers an average of 80 pounds a year. The Israeli Parliament has passed a law which makes about Four Thousand Settler Homes legal even though they have been built on privately owned palestinian land. Israels Attorney General has said the law is unconstitutional. Palestinians have also condemned it, saying it legalises theft, and will lead to more chaos. Sources in france say the former french president Nicolas Sarkozy is to stand trial over allegations of illegally financing his failed 2012 re election bid. Mr sarkozy faces accusations that his party falsified accounts in order to hide twenty Million Dollars of campaign spending. Mr sarkozy has repeatedly denied knowledge of the overspending. A syrian prison north of damascus has become known to its detainees as The Slaughterhouse because of the number of executions taking place. Amnesty International Says up to 13,000 detainees were executed between 2011 and 2015. The Human Rights Organisation report is based on the testimony of former prisoners and guards at Saydnaya Jail who say prisoners were hanged, and their bodies buried in mass graves. Sarah corker reports. The civil war in syria has raged for five years and claimed the lives of more than a quarter of a million people. This is the prison, a secret jail where Amnesty International alleges opposition supporters were held and executed in their thousands. The group says it has evidence of an Extermination Policy here, ordered by the highest levels of syrian government. Ones or twice per week, during the course of five yea rs per week, during the course of five years between 2011 and 2015, 20 50 prisoners are called upon, they are transported to another building on the grounds of the prison, huddled into an underground room, and then they are hanged. The report is based on the testimony of more than 80 former prisoners and guards in the jail. It concludes, from 2011 to 2015, between 5000 and 13,000 detainees were hanged. Their bodies we re detainees were hanged. Their bodies were buried in mass graves on military land near damascus. Amnesty says the practices inside the prison amounted to war crimes, and crimes against humanity. And this, amnesty says, is one chilling account from a farmer who was detained at the prison for more than a year for attending a peaceful process. Translation when they bring me food,it translation when they bring me food, it sounds like a battle, in every cell, they take out the head of the cell or two others to be beaten. Your heart drops to the floor, you begin to shake, you cannot control it. And this is Anotherformer Cannot control it. And this is another former syrian detainee, 0mar, on the left before his arrest, and on the right after his release. His weight fell just to and on the right after his release. His weight felljust to 35 kilograms. President assads government have denied the charges. They contacted them in the early january but have received no response. The headlines on bbc newsroom live. Speakerjohn bercow is facing mounting criticism for suggesting hell prevent President Trump addressing parliament, during his state visit later this year. The government is setting out measures to help people rent or buy their own home in england, in a bid to fix what it calls the broken Housing Market. The uks tax burden is set to hit the highest level in 30 years despite the longest and deepest cuts. And the search for the new england test captain is on with Alastair Cook stepping down as skipper after a record 39 matches in charge. Russian athletes will not compete at the World Championships in london. The iws have voted to continue their ban. Some will be allowed to compete as neutrals. Rafael nadal will warm up for wimbledon by playing at the queens club. I will be back with those stories at 11 30am. Doctors leaders say its crazy that the uks standard ten minute slot for Gp Consultations is among the shortest in europe. They say plans to move more care out of hospitals will leave even less time for patients. The Department Of Health says its up to practices to decide how long consultations last. 0ur correspondent Elaine Dunkley has more. The great Homer Street Doctors surgery in everton in liverpool looks after more than 2,000 people. This is an area with high deprivation and patients with complex needs. Appointments are 13 minutes long. 13 minutes is sometimes enough and sometimes its not. I do tend to adjust. I would normally finish my surgery late anyway. Thats why we have recently increased to 13 minutes in the hope of reducing that. 0n the whole, patients arent too happy to wait. Theyre 0k, they know they get the time that they need. But complex problems cant be done in 13 minutes. 0ccasionally, consultations will last up to a0 minutes. The average length of a Gp Consultation in the uk is ten minutes, thought to be the shortest in the developed world. 92 of appointments here are less than 15 minutes. Compared with 27 across europe. There are concerns that there could be an even bigger workload for gps. We spend less than other european countries. We have fewer doctors. We have one third of the number of hospital beds per head compared to germany. Gps spend less time than any other european nation. We need to address these issues as a priority. With short appointment slots, timewasting is also an issue. A poll for the bbc found that 70 of people in the uk believed it was acceptable to charge patients who missed appointments. The governments of england, scotland and wales say the length of consultations are down to gps but have pledged extra funding to relieve time pressures. Northern ireland have yet to respond but gps say funding cant come soon enough. In Northern Ireland, gps are warning of the collapse of General Practice because of long term problems over recruitment, workload and funding. Last month doctors in Northern Ireland voted to take another step closer to leaving the Health Service. It had been hoped a rescue plan would have been agreed before the collapse of the executive at stormont. 0ur Northern Ireland Health Correspondent, marie louise connolly, is at a gp surgery in west belfast. What is the picture . Threatening to resign from the health and social ca re resign from the health and social care service. The two are combined. Some have described it as a very bold move but according to the gps it is necessary because of what they describe as the potential collapse of General Practice. They are in the process of voting on the issue. That isa process of voting on the issue. That is a postal vote. Whether or not they will, we dont know. Due to tell us more is michael mckenna. How likely is it that you will vote to leave the Health Service . If nothing is done with regard to the funding that we have negotiated with the government, it will happen and would be inevitable. That would mean that patients would be charged to come and see you, up to £50. Surely it is the patient that is suffering . It is something we do not really want to do. It would be a system that exists in the south of ireland. Just yesterday i had 50 plus letters to read, 70 acute requests for yesterday i had 50 plus letters to read, 70 acute rl it iests for yesterday i had 50 plus letters to read, 70 acute rl it is its for yesterday i had 50 plus letters to read, 70 acute rl it is a ; for. 15 yesterday i had 50 plus letters to read, of acute rl it is a ; for. 15 yesterday i had 50 plus letters to read, of acute rl it i retirement. Why young doctors g to take dont young doctors want toiake opportunity and buy into n filiallama n m ; fl n m; fl we work with and just dont that we work with and just dont wa nt that we work with and just dont want to buy into that at the minute. Is it want to buy into that at the minute. Isita want to buy into that at the minute. Is it a case that people just do not wa nt is it a case that people just do not want hard work . There is hard work and working safely and we need that balance. We need to look at the work balance. We need to look at the work balance. We need to look at the work balance. We understand the bma will react to when 60 4 53; 60 4 53 . They get 60 of the letters back. They could be used as leverage in future negotiations with the government overfunding. 0ur wales Health Correspondent 0wain clarke is in cardiff. Yes, welcome to the medical centre in the heart of the welsh capital. It is one of several gp surgeries across wales finding it really difficult to find new doctors. The recruitment and retention of gps is uk wide but the effects are felt more severely in wales. It has the lowest proportion of gps per head of any nation in the uk. Lets discuss this with a partner at this surgery. Give us a sense of the busyness today and the problems you face finding new doctors. It is busy today, we have a baby clinic and an emergency service. We had 30 people walking in to be seen this morning as well as the routine bookings and other things that we need to do. Weve heard examples of surgeries handing back control because they cannot find the staff, and surgeries closing down completely. Is it a crisis . It is a severe problem. West wales in particular. Thankfully areas like cardiff, it is better, but it is a problem everywhere. The Royal College estimate they need many gps. It is said to be a perfect storm. Are there any solutions . The workload is spiralling. We need 200 gps every year to maintain the normal number of gps here. 50 of Foundation Doctors work outside the nhs so it is a big problem. All parts of the Health Service are under strain. How do you argue that you should be prioritising that as opposed to accident and emergency and so on . We know that gp care is the most Cost Effective way of delivering medical care. I gp can sort out a lot of problems that an accident and emergency unit would cost a lot more to deliver. So it is the most Cost Effective but it needs to be adequately resourced. The Welsh Government did offer Cash Incentives but it is too early to say what the impact has been. Robots are already doing the jobs that are. According to experts they could be replacing jobs in 2030. Should we be worried by the rise of the machines . Theres at least 500 years of people reinventing ourselves as machines and building robots. Some here are so old they can no longer be moved. These are robots. Theyre mediaeval robots. They have these tremendous religious connotations. People are fascinated by these machines that pray. But only in the 20th century did robots, as we think of them today, appear. Big companies always tend to build a robot, a humanoid robot, to show off their technological capabilities. Theyre always associated with very state of the art technology. Im a sophisticated combination of hardware and software, designed to interact with humans. I thought that was the best Paper Airplane i saw, made from a robot. We often think of robots as having a humanlike appearance, but that specifically is what an android is. Robots are not defined by their shape. If we want robots to move out of factories into homes and schools and all those sorts of places, whats the best way for that to happen . In the uk, if you have a robot which is ultra lifelike, with human hair and eyebrows and all that sort of thing, people tend to go, oh, crikey i dont know if we like that. Whatever their appearance, the impact of robots on the work place has been profound. We found 35 of current uk employment is at high risk of being replaced by a robot or Similar Technology by the year 2030. Those in the transportation industry, including truck drivers, taxi drivers, processing of things like invoices and receipts. But some robots do things people wont or cant do. The Snake Arm Robots made by this Bristol Company can inspect and maintain restricted, hazardous places. Nuclear reactors, for example, or aircraft wings like this. It goes around a bend you think you couldnt get around. Robots are going to be doing more and more. We shouldnt fear them, we should embrace them. For better orfor worse, the rise of the robots seems unstoppable. Now the weather. The weather is throwing everything at us. We have had snow in parts of scotla nd at us. We have had snow in parts of scotland but there is some sunshine as well as captured by our Weather Watcher in liverpool. Look at this glorious picture looking across the mersey. Where we have the sunshine we also have some pretty hefty showers. All the while we hold onto some cloud and damp weather and for scotla nd some cloud and damp weather and for scotland there will be further snow, especially up over higher ground. There could be some travel problems. This evening and tonight, this patchy rain will move westwards. I request, some chilly spells. Tomorrow we follow our band of clothes and very patchy rain as it continues to move west. 9 degrees in plymouth but just continues to move west. 9 degrees in plymouth butjust three in norwich. All of us starting to feel the effect of a called east wind. There is the increasing chance of some snow showers. This is bbc newsroom live. The headlines at 11 30am. The Commons Speakerjohn bercow comes under fire from conservative mps after he says he doesnt want President Trump to address parliament on his state visit later this year. The government announces new plans to build Affordable Homes, tackle the high cost of renting, and offer more help to First Time Buyers after ministers say englands Housing Market is broken. The Institute For Fiscal Studies is warning the uk tax burden is set to rise to its highest level for 30 years despite continuing cuts to Public Services. Doctors leaders say average ten minute gp appointments, which are thought to be the shortest in the world, are crazy and plans to move more care out of hospitals will leave even less time for patients. Let me bring you some breaking news. 0n political process, really, it is news that are three line whip is going to be imposed again on labour mps to back triggering article 50 at the third reading of the eu notification of Withdrawal Bill on wednesday. It is a move agreed with the Shadow Cabinet. A Labour Source has said that, and it has been picked up by the pa news agency. The significance is there was a three line whip in the vote previously, when 47 mps defied Jeremy Corbyn and voted against formally launching Withdrawal Negotiations with the eu. Diane abbott did not vote in that, and it has been said she fell victim to brexit flu because she did not wa nt to to brexit flu because she did not want to vote because her constituency voted overwhelmingly in the election to remain. But it has been said that a migraine forced her to go home early, which is why she did not vote. Surveyed is going to be another three line whip, 47 mps previously defied the whip. We will bring you more reaction a little later. Now, the sports news. Joe root would be a very different leader whos willing to take a lot more risks than Alastair Cook as england cricket captain. Thats the view of his coach at yorkshire andrew gale. The ecb are considering a successor to cook, who stepped down yesterday. Gales told the bbc that root is ready and the time is right for him to step up englands director of cricket is right for him to step up. He would be a different leader, he is risky. The games he has captained in my the team are aiming to bring it back to britain after 166 years. Qualifying for the race begins in may. Rafael nadal will warm up for wimbledon by Playing In The Queens Cup Championships in june. Wimbledon by Playing In The Queens Cup Championships injune. He pulled out of the event injanuary last year, and won the title in 2008 before roger federer. And finally, the Winning Super Bowl Team were back. They will parade through boston on tuesday. That is all the sport for now. The government is to set out its proposals for fixing what it describes as a broken Housing Market in england. The white paper will include more help for First Time Buyers, and measures to introduce longer Rental Agreements in the private sector, as well as plans to build more homes. With me is marc vlessing, ceo of the Affordable Housing developer pocket living. Thank you forjoining us. Stop without plugging the business too much, what is your perspective on this debate . We tried to come out with an Affordable Housing type at the beginning of the homeownership wife, for starters, which was going to be more compact, more affordable, but you could only buy these homes if you were on an income that fell below a level agreed by the mayor of london. Is it cutting through . It is still a big Housing Crisis. It is, we cannot build them quickly enough. With the backing of the gla, we have a programme in london of 400 or 500 homes a year, and it is endless demand. To buy traditional housing stock, the average price of houses, what, eight times the average salary . So you can see why there is a problem. In terms of the sort of messaging coming out of the government today, it is talking more about rent, rather than focusing on ownership. Do you think that is an inevitable way forward in this country . It has been the traditional model in other countries. Country . It has been the traditional model in other countrieslj country . It has been the traditional model in other countries. I think what the government has done has said, look, there are lots of different forms ten years of housing, whether it is rented orfor sale, shared ownership, or who it can be bought by. Tenure. We want to encourage that. There is no one size fits all solution. We are seeing a broad canvas on which they hope Different Developers and providers will come up with their solutions. I think what they are also seeing is that the volume of House Builders and associations, they are not expecting to see the supply increases they need to fix the problem. So they want small to medium size enterprises, they want to try it all. And i think that is the right way to go. How do you pinpoint when the problem started to build, where the problem developed from . Even in a city like london, there are great pressures on housing, there are lots of places for rent, lots of available properties, but there is an issue of affordability. It started about 15 or 20 years ago. This is a Housing Economy which, since the second world war, has been polarised between Social Housing and unbridled victorian capitalism on the other. The stuff in the middle, it has not really been thought through by the government of the day. So i think what were seeing, and it is fascinating to watch, governments are fascinating to watch, governments a re really fascinating to watch, governments are really building on the policies and strategies of the last government in power. There is nothing terribly radical going on, they are learning from each other, going back to the issue of how do they get more middle Market Solutions . The government is pushing it forward very well. There has a lwa ys it forward very well. There has always been this thing of homeownership and in spite of government is speaking about inflated Housing Prices not being a good thing, the marketsjust inflated Housing Prices not being a good thing, the markets just seem to have been continually stoked. |j good thing, the markets just seem to have been continually stoked. I do not think anyone wants to see house Price Inflation of the scale we have seenin Price Inflation of the scale we have seen in the last ten or 15 years. This is a Housing Economy that goes from boom to bust. Binny to try to increase supply across the board, whether it is rental or for sale, and we need to try to put. Badge we need to try. There is no silver bullet, we need to see a lot more choice for people out there. Thank you very much. Doctors leaders say its crazy that the uks standard ten minute slot for Gp Consultations is among the shortest in europe. They say plans to move more care out of hospitals will leave even less time for patients. The Department Of Health says its up to practices to decide how long consultations last. Mark norman is at a gps surgery in whitstable in kent. They do things quite differently they are, dont they . They do. Whitstable does not a district general hospital, the nearest accident and emergency is 20 miles away. Bid is a huge financial black hole, more people coming to live here were the next five years, and the hospitals here are enormously busyin the hospitals here are enormously busy in terms of accident and emergency and bed occupancy. So how do you treat patients locally without allowing them into hospital . Because were this place comes into view. Look at this list of what they do here at this gp practice. You can have a gp appointment, x ray, phlebotomy. I have been here all day since eight oclock, this is minor injuries. It has been ridiculously busy all day, but not long waits that you see at accident and Emergency Departments across the country. The X Ray Department is here, so if the gp once an x ray appointment, he can get it quickly and the results quickly. Appear we even have ultrasound, and i have lined up the lead gp here. I think we have peter on the bed. Thank you for letting us be your. John, this is your practice. I want to ask you about waiting and appointment times. Ten minutes appointment times have been described as crazy. Here, we have a variety. For a walk in appointments there is one appointment, but for the frail and elderly, ten minutes is not long enough. Sometimes we have two rob peter to pay paul. This is an interesting practice, a lot of people come to see how you run it. We have developed a model of General Practice combining traditional family family medical practice with named gps with providing a range of services you would normally expect to travel to hospital for. What is the benefit for patients . Shorter Waiting Times, care closer to home, providing a one stop service, so they can get a diagnostic test, procedure and Outpatient Appointment at the same time. Is there an upside for the nhs . Yes, if you can help a patient with less appointments, the care delivery is a lot cheaper. Have you been able to quantify the benefit you have brought to the regional nhs economy . We have managed to take out a considerable amount of work at lest cotes less cost, and we work closely with the Hospital Trust and do some of their diagnostic work for them because they are rather rolled overloaded. It has been interesting to see how busy it is, but how quickly patients come in and out. The uks tax burden is set to hit its highest level in 30 years, despite the longest and deepest cuts in public spending on record, the Institute For Fiscal Studies, has warned. The economic think tank also says that Austerity Measures will continue well into the next decade. The slower Economic Growth after the brexit vote, they claim, will leave the uk with one the largest black holes in public spending in the developed world. Lets cross over live to the guildhall in Central London, where Carl Emmerson from the Institute For Fiscal Studiesjoins me. Thank you very much forjoining us. Just explain why the tax burden is so high . It does not feel like it has been a transparent process, if thatis has been a transparent process, if that is the case. The tax burden has been creeping up over the last 15 yea rs. Partly been creeping up over the last 15 years. Partly because the government is trying to cut the deficit, partly because of the pressures on public spending because of a growing population. It probably doesnt necessarily feel it has done is donein necessarily feel it has done is done in the most transparent way because the government talks about the big tax cuts it is doing but actually it is doing bigger tax rises. We are the rises hitting us . Where . Rises. We are the rises hitting us . Where . The big one at the moment is the lady coming in in april, on employers, and an increase in insurance tax, meaning people will pay more for the household and car insurance. This at a time when public spending is being cut. The divergence when it was low tax, low spending, it seems to be high tax, low spending. Was low tax, low spending, it seems to be high tax, Low Spendingm was low tax, low spending, it seems to be high tax, low spending. It is because the gap between the spending and tax was so great in the aftermath of the financial crisis. The government has been trying to push up this and cutting spending on Public Services in order to narrow the gap and the deficit has been reduced, but it is still large and the government wants to keep going until it eliminated entirely so that will take some time. As an economic model how do you see it . It is very difficult, it will be very painful. 0ne difficult, it will be very painful. One would not be surprised if in a few years time the government decides not to eliminate the deficit after all. It is a difficult trade off. After all. It is a difficult tradeoff. You talk about this country having one of the largest black holes in public spending. Tell us more black holes in public spending. Tell us more about that. How do we compare with other nations . Compared with other advanced economies we have relatively high levels of government debt. We had a very large one a few years ago, it has come down a lot but it is still pretty big and that is why the tax burden has been pushed up and spending cut. Where does it go from here . The government has said it wants to eliminate the deficit entirely. 0n its current plans we will still be running a deficit in 2021. What we think is, in the next parliament, if we are going to eliminate that deficit it will mean more tax rises and spending cuts, and they will be even harder to achieve because the population will be ageing over that period quite dramatically, putting pressure on the Health System and the Long Term Care system. Pressure on the Health System and the longterm care system. Thank you. The headlines speaker, john bercow, is facing mounting criticism for suggesting hell prevent President Trump addressing parliament, during his state visit later this year. The government is setting out measures to help people rent or buy their own home in england, in a bid to fix what it calls the broken Housing Market. The uks tax burden is set to hit its highest level in 30 years, despite the longest and deepest cuts in public spending on record according to a leading eceonomic think tank. Lloyds Banking Group will review all Business Customers affected by criminal activities linked to two corrupt former bankers who were jailed last week. Yesterday mps were urging hbos to pay compensation to victims of the fraud which saw money siphoned off from struggling businesses. Four million customers on prepayment Energy Meters should save around £80 a year after a price cap was announced by regulator 0fgem. The temporary cap, which comes into effect in april, will be updated every six months and is expected to stay until 2020 when smart meters will be rolled out however they have also been criticised. Profits at bp have fallen by 55 compared to the previous year. Bp and its competitiors have struggled with two years of low oil prices. A barrel was priced at less than 28 injan 2016 but today its around 56 and that increase was reflected in the last three months of bps results when profits actually doubled but it wasnt enough to cancel out losses including the continued fallout from the deepwater horizon disaster. The government will set out its proposals later today for fixing what it describes as the broken Housing Market in england. The housing white paper is expected to promise the building of more homes; extra help forFirst Time Buyers; and measures to make renters more secure. The government says 250,000 new homes are needed each year and have admitted they are way behind schedule. Joining me now is melanie leech, Chief Executive, british property federation. Thanks forjoining us. We have heard these sort of statements. The Housing Market is broken, we are going to build more houses. What is different this time . There is a huge challenge to meet. It is going to be a long haul to turn it round. What we wa nt a long haul to turn it round. What we want to see from the government is the ambition to tackle the challenge and the practical measures that will help us to do that. There are two potential areas where we can make a real difference this time if the government is brave enough to see the potential that is there. The first is in terms of bringing genuinely new investment and players into the sector. Weve been lobbying for some time to tell them about the potential investment available. I hope the government will see is that prize. The second is there is a lot of new methods of construction coming along which can drive delivery of housing more cheaply and with less disruption. They are mentioning an aim of 250,000 new houses every year. Is that enough . It is at least 250,000 houses. We have a rising population of the huge challenge to meet. Ownership rental . There is a tradition of house ownership. There is mention in this of encouraging renting by trying to give longer term leases. Could we see a swing towards this . We are out of line with the rest of europe. We will create more rental stock. We wa nt to will create more rental stock. We want to invest and drive up the quality. People need to feel Co Mforta Ble quality. People need to feel comfortable that living in rented Accommodation Isjust comfortable that living in rented accommodation is just as secure. Thank you very much for your time. The energy regulator, 0fgem, has announced details of a price cap for four million households using pre payment meters for their gas or electricity. It will kick in from april 0fgem Chief Executive dermot nolan says the cap could save vulnerable customers up to £80 a year. We think this gives a strong level of protection. No price is perfect but it was suggested people were paying £80 more on average than people on standard tariffs. Some of the cheapest deals out there were not a winnable not available, so it will give a level of protection of the leading them to switch if they want. Before we go, lets take a look. Bp released their figures and when they do there is always different profit figures that come out and different people look at different figures and the overall consensus is there is a recovery in this market for the oil companies. You can see brent crude, back in lastjanuary it was down. Higher oil price is helping those companies. There is still a fall but it is recovering. That is it from me. Jeremy corbyn will impose a three line whip to back triggering of article 15. Lets go live to westminster. Is this any surprise . It suggests he will tell his mps, come what may, doesnt matter if labour loses every single amendment theyve put down, he wants his mps to back it. That will be defied by a number of mps. Last time nearly 50 defied it. The really interesting thing will be what happens in the Shadow Cabinet. We seen three resignations over the decision to back the brexit bill. What will diane abbott do . She had the illness which meant she was not in the chamber of the vote last time. Questions about the position of clive lewis and that he might walk. Another Cabinet Minister is believed to be going. I spoke to a member of the Shadow Cabinet who said they were united behind the position. I take it from that there will not be any more Shadow Cabinet resignations. It looks as though mr corbyn has succeeded in keeping the remainder of his Shadow Cabinet on board with his approach to brexit. That said, we may see a Rebellion Among Labour Mps that said, we may see a rebellion among labourmps are that said, we may see a Rebellion Among Labour Mps are adamant they are not going to back brexit. Among labour mps are adamant they are not going to back brexitm among labour mps are adamant they are not going to back brexit. Is it plain sailing for the government . Thereon cruise control. It seems almost certain that theresa may will get a bill through and trigger it by the end of march. Headlines coming up. Ina the end of march. Headlines coming up. In a moment we will say goodbye to viewers on bbc two. We will leave you with a look at the weather. The weather is throwing just about everything at us. Parts of scotland have seen quite significant snowfall. Weve seen some rain to start the day but there has been some sunshine as well. I Weather Watchers have been capturing this beautiful shot from liverpool. This picture here from cumbria. Then there has been the snow across parts of perth and kinross. Through the rest of the day we will continue to seek a mixture of rain and sleet and snow across parts of scotland. 0ld west in the west we see some sunshine. Not as many showers in the london area. More in the way of cloud. We will continue to see the mixture of rain and sleet and snow. This evening to note, this cloud and rain will drift west, the Rain Fizzling away with some damp weather. Stay safe on the roads, the best will be in the Eastern Areas. We have this Weather Front that will not go away. The Weather Front will be weakening but there will be spots of rain. Notice in Eastern Areas the temperature is beginning to drop away as well. That theme takes us to the end of the week. The Weather Front is drifting as we head into thursday and that opens the door for some call their cold air. Some wintry showers in Eastern Areas. Temperature is only getting up to 5 degrees. Friday will be similar on the face of it. A lot of cloud around. Some wintry showers but look at these. 2 4d. That is the theme. There will be called, easterly wind. There will be called, easterly wind. The best of the brightness will be out west and there is the increasing chance we will see snow showers as we get to the end of the week and into the weekend. It is worth staying tuned. We will keep you up to date here and you can get the very latest online. This is bbc news, and these are the top stories developing at midday. The Commons Speaker comes under increasing pressure after saying President Trump shouldnt address parliament on his state visit later this year. Plans to help First Time Buyers and more Affordable Homes as ministers admit englands Housing Market is broken. A warning the uk tax burden is set to rise to its highest level for 30 years, despite continuing cuts to Public Services. Syrian Government Forces are accused of executing as many as 13,000 detainees in a jail including in weekly mass hangings. Also. Concerns over the squeeze on gps. Doctors leaders say ten minute gp appointments are crazy and plans to move more care out of hospitals will leave even less time for patients. And how children as young as ten are feeling the pressure to look good in selfies. You get nice colours, you need to get your good side. The Commons Speaker, john bercow, is facing mounting criticism for suggesting hell prevent President Trump addressing parliament during his state visit later this year. Mr bercow whos one of three parliamentary officials who can approve such an event said opposition to sexism and racism, and support for equality, were hugely important. But critics say he should have stuck to the tradition of neutrality with one senior conservative describing his intervention as utterly outrageous. Heres our political correspondent, eleanor garnier. Its an honour thats bestowed on popes and president s. A speech to both Houses Of Parliament in the splendour of Westminster Hall was part of the itinerary when these dignitaries visited britain. But the same invite may not be coming mr trumps way. In an astonishing intervention, the Commons Speaker said recent decisions by the president made him uneasy about issuing an invitation. I feel very strongly that our opposition to racism and to sexism and our support for Equality Before The Law and an independent judiciary are hugely important considerations in the House Of Commons. Rare applause from snp and labour mps, who have been highly critical of the american president. That anger brought anti trump demonstrations to the Prime Ministers door after she invited him on a state visit later this year. For us to roll out the red carpet at Buckingham Palace or inviting him to speak at a grand occasion of both houses sends out all the wrong messages. Thats why mr speaker bercow has called it right today. The speaker Of The Commons is a powerful figure who has a say in who addresses mps. He is independent of Party Politics and is supposed to represent the whole house. Its clear that some are unhappy with his outburst. Generally, the speaker who is meant to referee all of this should keep himself above that. That is to be regretted, but it is a symptom of the controversy around this visit. Its very disappointing, because if ever in recent years there been a more pro british president of the United States, its donald trump. I invite you, mr president , to address us. And tory mps are pointing out that he has in the past welcomed leaders to parliament whose values britain doesnt always share. 0ur assistant Political Editor norman smith is in westminster. Well, very divided reaction to what he said. What is the latest from there . There is no disguising the real anger predominantly on the conservative benches at speaker bercows comments, if you he has exceeded his authority, he is adopted a partisan approach, and one former Cabinet Minister telling me he no longer commands the confidence of parliament. The question is, what happens . This former Cabinet Minister was mulling over whether he should go into the chamber and challenge the speaker with a point of order, but he was not sure, slightly concerned about what that might do in terms of whether he would be called in the future, and it isa would be called in the future, and it is a quandary that many mps are wondering what do they do . There have been suggestions that. Conservative mp Nadine Dorries was clear that she thought speaker bercows position was now in jeopardy. When he loses the support for what was a very partisan moment, i think his position will become more and more injeopardy, and it all depends on how people out there react. It is not about this place any more, it is about what the people want. And if the people make enough of a stink out there, his position could be injeopardy. Enough of a stink out there, his position could be in jeopardy. What happens now . I am joined by a conservative mp who has increasingly criticised the speaker. What happens now . That is up to the House Of Commons. At the moment there is angerand commons. At the moment there is anger and disappointment over the speakers actions. It was clearly premeditated and preplanned, so there is a lot of politics going on here. The speaker has addressed an issue that has not been raised, there is no Itinerary Timetable for mrtrumps there is no Itinerary Timetable for mr trumps state visit, and colleagues are very disappointed. As we leave the european union, the relationship we have with that United States, one of our staunchest allies, is more important at any time. Ithink allies, is more important at any time. I think he has put that in jeopardy. I would say i think there are similarities between the position of the office of the president of the United States and the speaker of the House Of Commons, in that individuals might not like the person who holds the office, they might not approve the way they conduct themselves, but we have to give the office the respect it deserves. Will be be a motion of no confidence put down for speaker bercow . I think probably colleagues will be canvassing to see if there is support for that. At the end of the day, questions over his conduct are numerous. He is someone who thinks keith vaz is a fit and proper person to be in the House Of Commons. What is your own inclination . Do you think he should face a No Confidence Vote . Inclination . Do you think he should face a noconfidence vote . He was cleared yesterday evening that there was a lot of outrage among colleagues that he overstepped the mark, and compromised the neutrality of the chair, which is key to the office. If he has compromised the neutrality, and suggestions he no longer has control of the house, how can he continue . That is a question for the house. The speaker planned this, why is he doing it . Is he planning to resign in a cloud of glory and go forth as a great performing speaker, or is he looking to renege on his commitment for nine years in office which will run out next year . While plenty of mps are willing to criticise speaker bercow privately, in public areas are natural reluctance to speak out because they may not be called again. Yes, if youre not on his list of friends and supporters, he has the ability to not call you. What about. Norman fowler takes a different view and says donald trump would be welcome to take an address in the house of lords. |j would be welcome to take an address in the house of lords. I hope he does, and that would be embarrassing for the speaker. It is the lord High Chamberlain who would be the third party. If it were democratically vote upon and it was 2 1, that would put the speaker in a very difficult position. If it were a free vote of the whole of the House Of Commons, i hope the commons would vote to allow the president of the United States to address both houses, and let those members who do not want to meet the president of United States for whatever reason, they do not have to be present. Thank you very much. Just to let you know, when the speaker came through on thes procession at short time ago, he was looking supremely relaxed, not like a man feeling the pressure. He was waving to the schoolchildren in the pond of it, so we will see how he copes if mps get up and start to question hisjudgment. Just before we let you go, just another question on events. Labours Shadow Cabinet deciding that the next brexit bill will be a three Line Whip Vote for the labour party . Yes, this is significant. Labour put down a whole barrage of amendments on the brexit bill. Jeremy corbyn told his mps they must back the bill, regardless of what happens to the amendments. That means the bill will most certainly go through, but it also signals to labour folk that Jeremy Corbyn wants his party to back brexit come what may. And on the contentious issue of further possible resignations from the Shadow Cabinet, i was speaking to one member of the Shadow Cabinet who said they were all united behind that policy, which suggests figures like diane abbott, who was not in the chamber last time it was voted on, this time will back mr corbyn. A court in San Francisco will decide today whether President Trumps travel ban on people from seven predominantly muslim countries should be reinstated, or remain suspended. The American Justice Department has lodged details of its appeal, it says the president acted legally, and the court which suspended the ban had made a mistake. Whatever the Court Decides, its likely the case could end up in the Supreme Court. The government is to set out its proposals for fixing what it describes as a broken Housing Market in england. The white paper will include more help for First Time Buyers, and measures to introduce longer Rental Agreements in the private sector, as well as plans to build more homes. Duncan kennedy reports. Britains House Building programme has been underperforming for decades. Today, the government says it is time to change. It wants councils to put pressure on developers to speed up, but also says it wants to protect Greenbelt Land wherever possible. Prices are too high, we are not building enough homes, and this white paper is a radical blueprint to change this once and for all. The government says it wants more prebuilt houses to help create homes faster. But for some, like jennifer tristram, the only choice is to rent or go into shared ownership. When i was looking, i remember there wasnt that much option out there for what i wanted and what i could afford. I think anybody who is in that same situation will probably be feeling that struggle, probably even more so than i did when i was looking. The government says smaller builders should get help to boost the housing stock, and its encouraging older people to downsize, so long as they have alternatives. Labour says the Housing Strategy is in a mess and todays white paper is a rehash of old ideas. The uks tax burden is set to hit its highest level in 30 years, despite the longest and deepest cuts in public spending on record the Institute For Fiscal Studies has warned. The economic think tank also says that the slower Economic Growth after the brexit vote will leave the uk with one of the largest black holes in public spending in the developed world. This at a time when public spending is being cut. The divergence when it was low tax, low spending, it seems earlier i spoke to Carl Emmerson from the iss, and asked how britains Public Sector deficit and beard to other advanced economies. Macro compared to most other advanced economies we have high levels of relatively high levels of government debt. We had a relatively high bed a couple of yea rs relatively high bed a couple of years ago, and it is still big, which is why the tax burden has been put up. Where does it go from here . Is it sustainable . The government says it wants to eliminate the deficit entirely, but on the current plans we will still be running a deficit in 2021. Swat we think is in the next parliament, if we are to eliminate the deficit, it means more cuts and tax rises after the next election. The ageing population is putting pressure on the health care system. 0ur economics correspondent, andy verity, has been at the ifss announcement is at the guildhall in Central London for us. It sounds like a pretty bleak outlook. Yes, you havejust it sounds like a pretty bleak outlook. Yes, you have just set out how the public finances are in a mess. The interesting question is, why are they in a mess . Until now the assumption was austerity was the answer, we were spending more than our income, so we had to come back. But actually it may be growth that is the real problem. Because governments continually run deficits and run up debt. It comes down when you get enough Economic Growth and enough tax receipts coming in, more than you are spending. Swat we are looking for here looking at here isa looking for here looking at here is a deficit that is higher so, what were looking at here is that the burden is higher than it has been. The real question as to whether austerity has worked. We need to do Something Else to stimulate growth because if you get an unique growth in the next few yea rs, an unique growth in the next few years, were still going to be in the same position. What the government is trying to do is stimulate growth, notjust through cuts, but through Capital Spending. That is the strategy, and Capital Spending start the economy going a little better, or will the consumer be so put off spending by inflation that the economy is closed down economy slows down even more . Extra borrowing and taxes are at a high level just now, so borrowing and taxes are at a high leveljust now, so what is the answer . The answer has been that the extra money comes from allowing himself not to get into surplus by 2019, 2020, so he says he will get there a bit slower and have a bit more money to play with in the meantime, but it means austerity goes on until 2024, perhaps, according to the Institute For Fiscal Studies. But because he is not cutting spending so much now, he has money to invest, which is a better strategy. Instead of spending everyday on benefits, if you like, were spending on capital projects, and the benefits come through in a few years. Breaking news to bring you about madonna. She said she was not in malawi looking to adopt children but we are hearing that the high court of malawi has given approval for the adoption of two children. So she does now have two more children. It brings it to four. She will have adopted four children. She is heavily involved. She founded a charity they are raising malawians. She is building the first paediatric hospital there. She has been given permission to adopt two more children. The court has made a ruling that she should go ahead and adopt the children. At the time, she was in the court room with her lawyers. You just heard that news. More as we get it. The headlines the Commons Speaker comes under increasing pressure after saying pressure after saying President Trump shouldnt address parliament on his state visit later this year. Plans to help First Time Buyers and more Affordable Homes as ministers admit englands Housing Market is broken. A warning the uk tax burden is set to rise to its highest level for 30 years, despite continuing cuts to Public Services. Now the sport. Joe root would be a very different leader who was willing to take a lot of risks. That is the consideration. The ecb are considering a successor to Alastair Cook has stepped up. He is willing to try things, he is a lot more risky. The games he has captained in my absence at yorkshire you could tell he was not taking risks. When he steps up, he is ready. The time is right. Sasha kindred has announced his retirement. He has been one of the leading figures in the sport since he made his debut in 1994. He won gold at the real paralympics. He said the physical and mental demands are becoming too much for him. Sir ben ainslies battle to regain the americas cup has begun with the unveiling of his new boat. They are aiming to bring it back after 166 years. The boat is called rita, the name of his previous ports. Rafael nadal will warm upfor previous ports. Rafael nadal will warm up for wimbledon by playing at queens club in june. Warm up for wimbledon by playing at queens club injune. He pulled out of the event last year. He won the title in 2008 before going on to dethrone roger federer. The new England Patriots are back in boston following the Incredible Super Bowl win. The bus arrived carrying the players and the trophy. Theyve won the super bowl v times. 0ne short of the super bowl v times. 0ne short of the pittsburgh steelers. Tom brady and his team mates will parade through boston later today. I will have the rest later. Doctors leaders say its crazy that the uks standard ten minute slot for Gp Consultations is among the shortest in europe. They say plans to move more care out of hospitals will leave even less time for patients. The Department Of Health says its up to practices to decide how long consultations last. The great Homer Street Doctors surgery in everton in liverpool looks after more than 2,000 people. This is an area with high deprivation and patients with complex needs. Appointments are 13 minutes long. 13 minutes is sometimes enough and sometimes its not. I do tend to adjust. I would normally finish my surgery late anyway. Thats why we have recently increased to 13 minutes in the hope of reducing that. 0n the whole, patients arent too happy to wait. Theyre 0k, they know they get the time that they need. But complex problems cant be done in 13 minutes. 0ccasionally, consultations will last up to 40 minutes. The average length of a Gp Consultation in the uk is ten minutes, thought to be the shortest in the developed world. 92 of appointments here are less than 15 minutes. Compared with 27 across europe. With plan to move care outside of hospitals there are concerns this could lead to an even bigger workload than gps already have. We have less doctors and we spend more than other european nations. 0ne third of the number of hospital beds compared to germany. Gps spend less time per patient than any other european nation. We need to be addressing these issues as a priority. With short appointment slots, time wasting is also an issue. A poll for the bbc found that 70 of people in the uk believed it was acceptable to charge patients who missed appointments. The governments of england, scotland and wales say the length of consultations are down to gps but have pledged extra funding to relieve time pressures. Northern ireland have yet to respond but gps say funding cant come soon enough. More than half of 10 to 12 year olds who use social media now share selfies, according to a survey for the bbcs newsround. A fifth said that seeing images of celebrities online made them feel anxious about how they look and many said they didnt like it when their parents posted images of them online. Newsrounds ricky boleto reports. With cameras and phones there is nothing easier than snapping at selfie. You get likes and nice comments. You need to get your good side. I turn it so it makes an angle. Ijust put it up to the sky and take a good picture. How important is it to look good in a selfie that we share . Four out of five say it is. What happens when it is not just good five say it is. What happens when it is notjust good fun . Some people get more likes than you and you get jealous. There is pressure. Celebrities do stuff, they wear lots of make up and it makes us feel like weve got to do that to look good. Of make up and it makes us feel like weve got to do that to look goodlj think they are fun because what do you do when youre bored . |j think they are fun because what do you do when youre bored . I take five and pick one before i posted it. I will take one that does not sure your spots. In real life you can see everything but on a picture you can blur out spots. Most of you ta ke you can blur out spots. Most of you take for selfies before you post. Young people feel a massive amount of pressure to make themselves look perfect but the problem is the pictures they are looking at are edited so youre comparing yourself with something that is not real. Selfies are supposed to be a bit of fun between you and your mates but when it stops being fun you need to ta ke when it stops being fun you need to take a step back. Keep your account on private. Dont be bothered. Take a step back. Keep your account on private. Dont be bothered. Dont ta ke on private. Dont be bothered. Dont take it serious. Lets talk more about that. This generation are effectively living online. What about the downside of it, images being shared that parents would not want . We survey of more than 1000 children aged between ten and 12 and we realised that around 80 of them had a social media account, despite the fact that youre meant to be 13 or older. 0ne the fact that youre meant to be 13 or older. One of the biggest things we found out was the pressure children are under to look of around four many of the kids take around four pictures before they post the right one. But we are exploring one thing more, when parents take pictures of their children and posted on social media, sometimes without asking permission. Around one in four others that they feel anxious and upset when parents do that. That is interesting. 0bviously upset when parents do that. That is interesting. Obviously the parents are interesting. Obviously the parents a re often interesting. Obviously the parents are often worried about the time their children are spending online. Are these kids really savvy about protecting themselves and privacy issues . When they reach the age of 13 and 14 they are a little bit more savvy. The younger end find it a bit difficult. They see pictures of celebrities and they take them on face value. They are airbrushed or have an extraordinary filter and they try and emulate that. One little girl said she takes 10 15 images before she posts the right one and spends a lot of time choosing the right filter, getting rid of any blemishes, which is bizarre because she did not have any anyway. It is important that we talk to children about the realities of social media and have that open forum. If they know they are editing the pictures then they must realise eve ryo ne the pictures then they must realise everyone else is doing that and what they are seeing is not real. They are seeing their classmates. To a degree but it becomes a competition and that is where it gets worrying. Trying to get the most likes. I think they need to have a bit of a conversation to make sure kids realise that. Social media does not need to be serious. A lot of children are enjoying it and not taking it as seriously as some people suggest. Lets bring you some pictures of a Suicide Bombing in afghanistan. We arejust Suicide Bombing in afghanistan. We are just getting these pictures through of what has happened there. 12 People Killed after a Suicide Bomber detonated a device. There are at least ten people wounded. The Deputy Spokesman for the Interior Ministry has said the explosion happened near the Supreme Court building. Nobody immediately claiming responsibility for the attack in the afghan capital. These are the latest pictures that we have. Lets catch up with the weather. Very wintry scene in afghanistan. We may have some snow towards the end of the week. The snow showers might not amount to too much for some areas. There is a mix of whether going on. Some snow reported in the central belt. Elsewhere, a good deal of sunshine around but also a heavy cluster of showers. Not feeling bad in the sunshine. Remaining clarion damp. The persistent Weather Front will begin to move westwards, generally fizzling out. Some showers around could give an ice risk. Into wednesday, a rather cloudy picture because of this moving west. This is the best of any greatness. There is called breeze which will be rather cloudy. These snow showers become more of a risk as we head into the weekend. This is bbc news. The Commons Speaker comes under fire after saying President Trump shouldnt address parliament on his state visit later this year. More help forFirst Time Buyers and plans to build more new homes some of the measures being proposed to fix the Housing Market crisis. Critics say it will do little to provide genuinely Affordable Housing. A warning, the uk tax burden is set to rise to its highest level for 30 years, despite continuing cuts to Public Services. Doctors leaders predicts that plans to move more care out of hospitals will leave even less time for gps to see patients. The Waiting Times are thought to be appointment times are thought to be the shortest in europe. 0pposition Mps say government plans to reform the Property Market in england will do little to provide genuinely Affordable Housing. Ministers say they will offer extra help for First Time Buyers, ministers say they will offer extra help forFirst Time Buyers, ensure councils address local Housing Needs and provide more stability to those renting. Ben thompson has been looking at a prefab housing business. Are prefab homes the answer to the Housing Crisis . Here in derbyshire they say so. They build these things, units of houses, in less than eight weeks from start to finish. What do they look like . 0n the left youve got the stairs that take you upstairs. This is one of the bedrooms, and here you get the kitchen. And whats different about prefab homes is everything is done right here in the factory, so the fridge is already installed. There is a dishwasher with all the plumbing done. The plumbing and hob are in. So this house is good to go as soon as it leaves the factory. Itjust needs to be plugged in. Is it enough to solve the Housing Crisis . The government have a target of a million new homes by 2020, which means building 300,000 every single year. At the moment we are building less than half of that. And so today the government is confirming its White Paperfor housing. In it, all sorts of rules and regulations that will allow House Builders to get more homes built. The big question, will it be enough to help bring down prices that have meant many people cannot get on the Property Ladder at all . It is a big question. We will find out if and when the House Builders Start Building more homes. We are expecting a statement in the commons shortly on the governments housing policy. The communities secretary sajid javid will be making a statement, and we will bring it to you shortly. As weve been hearing, a court in San Francisco will consider today whether President Trumps travel ban on people from seven predominantly muslim countries should be reinstated, or remain suspended. The Americanjustice Department has lodged details of its appeal it says the president acted legally, and the court which suspended the ban had made a mistake. Mr trump has urged the courts to act quickly, saying the threat from islamic terrorism is very real. Richard lister reports from washington. President trump returns to the white house with the fate of one of his Signature Policy still unclear. He wants to temporarily close americas borders to all refugees and travellers from seven predominantly muslim countries but his order has been blocked by the courts. Earlier, he told members of the military that controlling access to america was the key to its security. We need strong programmes so that people that love us and want to love our country and will end up loving our country are allowed in. Not people that want to destroy us and destroy our country. The Appeals Court is due to hear arguments for and against the ban before making its judgement. In motions filed by the two sides, the Department Ofjustice said but the states of washington and minnesota, which brought the case, argue when we first created the constitution, one of the things we said was there would be no religious tests for office and this goes even further and directs a religious test for entry and thatjust goes beyond what the constitution allows. About 130 Tech Companies are opposing the ban, arguing they need access to foreign talent. Among them are two companies owned by elon musk, tesla and spacex. He has now chosen to resist the ban despite being on the president s advisory council. For now, the people that President Trump wants to block are Coming To America as fast as they can. All have been processed by Immigration Officers and have valid us visas and it may finally be that the Supreme Court will have to rule on how much power mr trump has to keep them out. A syrian prison north of damascus has become known to its detainees as The Slaughterhouse because of the number of executions taking place. Amnesty International Says up to 13 thousand detainees were executed between 2011 and 2015. 13,000. The Human Rights Organisation report is based on the testimony of former prisoners and guards at Saydnaya Jail who say prisoners were hanged, and their bodies buried in mass graves. Sarah corker reports. The civil war in syria has raged for five years and claimed the lives of more than a quarter of a million people. This is saydnaya prison, a secretjail where Amnesty International alleges opposition supporters were held and executed in their thousands. The group says it has evidence of an Extermination Policy here, ordered by the highest levels of syrian government. 0nes or twice per week, during the course of five years between 2011 and 2015, 20 to 50 prisoners are called upon, they are transported to another building on the grounds of saydnaya prison, huddled into an underground room, and then they are hanged. The report is based on the testimony of more than 80 former prisoners and guards in the jail. We will go straight to the House Of Commons. Fixing our broken Housing Market, copies of which i have placed in the libraries of both houses. I had hoped that this housing white paper would dominate the headlines this morning, but it seems someone else has beaten me to it laughter let me just gently say to the right honourable gentleman, i did make my statement to the house first laughter but we should not have clapping, as the honourable member has correctly pointed out. Lam glad pointed out. I am glad he pointed out. Lam glad he is pointed out. I am glad he is in such fine fettle and good humour. Touche. Our Housing Market is broken, since 2070, 19 seven. Market is broken, since 2070, 19 seven. The idea of owning and renting a secure place of your own for many has become a distant dream. 0ver for many has become a distant dream. Over the past seven years, the government has done much to help. We have taken action on both supply and demand, and the results have been positive. Last year saw a Record Number of Planning Permission granted and the highest level of Housing Completions in the recession. Between 1997 and 2010, the ratio of average house prices earned income more than doubled from 3. 5 earned income more than doubled from 3. 5 seven. But in the last five yea rs, 3. 5 seven. But in the last five years, 22015, it has crept up a little to just over seven and a half, but still heading the wrong direction. Behind the statistics are millions of ordinary hard working people. I am talking about the first time buyer, saving hard but who will not have enough for a deposit for quarter century. 0r who will not have enough for a deposit for quarter century. Or the couple in the private rented sector, handing half of their combined income to their landlord. The symptoms of this broken market are being felt by real people in every community. It is one of the Biggest Barriers to social progress that this country faces. At its root cause is simple. Are far too long, we have not built enough houses. Relative to population size, britain has had western europes lowest rate of House Building for three decades. The situation reached its midyear under the last labour government, when in one year, work began onjust 95,000 homes. Nadir. The lowest peacetime level since the 1920s. Thanks to the concerted effort from central and local government, last year 190,000 new homes were completed. But it is still not enough. To meet demand we have to deliver 225 to 2007 enough. To meet demand we have to deliver 225 to 2007 275,000 enough. To meet demand we have to deliver 225 to 2007 275,000 homes a year. In short, more houses in the right places, and we have to start now. Todays white paper sets out how we will go about doing justice. But House Building does notjust happen. Meeting the unique needs of different people and places requires a correlated effort above robert and private sectors. There is no single magic bullet that can fix the problem. Rather we need action on many fronts simultaneously. First, we need to plan properly so we can get the right homes built in the right places. To make this happen, were going to introduce a new way of assessing housing need. Many councils work tirelessly to engage their communities on the number, design and mix of new housing in the area. But some of them. The difficult decisions and they failed to produce plans that actually meet their housing need. It is important that all authorities play by the same rules. We need to have a proper conversation about housing need and we need to ensure that every local area produces a realistic local plan which they reveal at least every five years. Bashar review. 0nes we know how many new homes are needed, we need sites on which to build them, so the white paper contains measures helping identify appropriate sites for development, not simply empty spaces but usable, practical sites were new homes are required. Let me reassure the house that this will not entail recklessly ripping up the countryside. In 2015 we promised the british people that the green belt was safe in our hands and that is still the case. This white paper does not remove any of its protections. Government should not be in the business of land banking, so we will free up more Public Sector land more quickly. We will increase transparency around landownership so everyone knows if someone is unfairly sitting on a site that could be better used. And people need a say in the homes that are being built in the area. So every area must have a plan in place and ensure communities are Co Mforta Ble and ensure communities are comfortable in the design and appearance of new homes. The second area of focus is about speeding up the rate of build out. At the moment we are simply not building quickly enough. Whether it is caused by an a cce pta ble enough. Whether it is caused by an acceptable land banking or slow construction, we will no longer tolerate such unjustified delays. We will speed up and simplify the notification process, we will make the system more open and accessible, we will improve the. We will tackle unnecessary delays caused by Planning Conditions to great crested newts. We will be giving developers a lot of help to get building. And we will give local authorities the tools to hold developers to account if they fail to do so. Local authorities also have a vital role to play in getting homes built quickly, and i am therefore are looking again at how they can use compulsory purchase powers. We will also introduce a new Housing Delivery test to hold them to account for House Building across their local area. Finally, the white paper explains how we will diversify the Housing Market. At present around 60 of new homes are built by just ten companies. Small, independent builders can find it almost impossible to enter the market. This lack of competition means a lack of innovation which in turn leads to sluggish productivity growth. We will make it easier for small and medium sized builders to compete. We will support in the efficient, initiative, and encourage off site factory builds. We will also support Housing Associations to build more and explore options to encourage local authorities to build again, including accelerated Construction Schemes and Public Sector land. We will encourage Institutional Investment in the Public Sector, and make life easier for Custom Builders who wanted create their own home. These measures will create a significant difference to the housing supply. But it will take time. 0rdinary working people need help right now. We have already promised to ban letting agent fees, and this white paper goes further. We will improve safeguards in the private rented sector, do more to prevent homelessness and help households who are currently priced out of the market. We will tackle the scourge of u nfa i rly market. We will tackle the scourge of unfairly sold terms which are too often forced on hard pressed home buyers. And we will be working with the Rental Sector to promote three year Tenancy Agreements giving families security they need to put down their roots and a community. In the past few years we have seen almost 300,000 Affordable Homes units built in england. We have seen more people getting on to the Property Ladder thanks to schemes such as help to buy. Now we need to go further and meet our obligation to build many more houses, of the type people want 11 and the places they want to live. That is exactly what this delivers. It will help the te na nts fa ce what this delivers. It will help the tenants face rising fees and insecure tendencies. It will help the homeowners of tomorrow get more of the homes built in the right places. We will fix the broken Housing Market. It is a bold and radical decision and i commend it to the house. I thank the Secretary Of State for the customary copy of his statement just state for the customary copy of his statementjust beforehand state for the customary copy of his statement just beforehand but really, is this it . When the Housing Minister admits there are efforts on housing is feeble and embarrassing, we hoped for better. In fact, we needed better. The statement this afternoon will desperately disappointed millions of people struggling to cope with the cost of Housing Crisis. It was feeble beyond belief. After seven years of conservative government he says we need to have a proper conversation about housing need. His top irs he is Housing Delivery test. How many times have we heard ministers say they will free up Public Sector land more quickly. It is clear we do not just have a Housing Crisis. We have a crisis in the conservative party about what to do. A huge housing at last year was not even mentioned this year. A post from the Secretary Of State about radical planning stamped on by the Prime Minister and arguments between backbenchers and the Secretary Of State over planning with local councillors resigning as a result of the decisions. Mr speaker, this is not a plan to fix the Housing Crisis and it will do nothing to reverse the seven years of failure we seem on housing since 2010. Let me turn to the areas where we needed strong action. Home ownership. Home ownership under the conservatives is falling and in freefall for young people yet this white paper confirms the tory party has given up on home ownership. Its waters down the promise to help with those who need help to get a first fruit in the Housing Market. Why not reverse the cuts to investment in Affordable Homes to buy that has meant the number of homes built has fallen to 7000 500 . Stop those earning over 100 grand from getting help through help to buy. Homelessness. After homelessness was cut to record lows under labour the number of people sleeping rough on our street has more than doubled yet not a single mention of homelessness. Why can he not accept that this shames us all and why will he not adopt a plan to end rough sleeping . Action on renters, working with the Rental Sector, how will that help the 11 million current renters . That help the 11 million current renters . Why will he not legislate for that . Finally, on renters . Why will he not legislate forthat . Finally, on building more homes. This government have pledged to build a million new homes by 2020 and yet the total built last year is still less than 140 3000. The level of new affordable House Building has hit a 24 year low. We need all sectors and councils to be firing on all cylinders to build the homes we need so why will he not drop the deep hostility to councils and let them build again to meet the needs of local people . It is tragically clear from this statement that seven yea rs of clear from this statement that seven years of failure on housing is set to stretch to ten. We were promised white paper but we are presented with a white flag. This government has no plan to fix the deepening Housing Crisis. Mr speaker, today the Housing Minister had a chance to ta ke the Housing Minister had a chance to take a the Housing Minister had a chance to Ta Ke A Cross Party the Housing Minister had a chance to take a cross Party Approach and behave like an adult, a mature person, and help in this difficult situation facing so many people under many governments for over 30 yea rs. Under many governments for over 30 years. Instead, he chose to play cheap Party Politics. I could respond in the same way. He was a Housing Minister when we saw the lowest levels since the 1920s. But people want to hear the truth. They wa nt to people want to hear the truth. They want to hear government and politicians more generally recognise the size of this problem and that there are young people right now in every one of our constituencies staring into the windows of estate agents, dreaming of renting or buying a decent home but knowing it is out of reach because prices have risen so high. Those raises did take place when labour were in power, more than doubling as a ratio to income. People want to know what we are doing about it and that is what is in this white paper today. He talked about homeownership. It declined under labour. It declined sharply. He asked about homelessness. In this house on friday we had the Homelessness Reduction Bill and it was labour Shadow Ministers trying to destroy that bill with fatal amendments and the only reason they backed off is that they were begged by the Housing Charities not to do so. That is where labour stands on homelessness. He talked about councils and again it proves he was not listening to any of the speech. He came of a pre written statement, not wanting to listen to the debate. The truth is the right honourable gentleman had a chance and he has flunked it. Not many of his colleagues out with him on this. His colleagues are working with this government because theyve given up on this excuse of an opposition. There is much to be welcomed in this white paper. It is essential we build new homes in the right place. Im pleased the government has decided not to relax the green belt rules further which of course the Secretary Of State has described as sacrosanct. Does he understand the deep anger throughout Sutton Coldfield that the views of 100,000 people have been totally ignored by a Labour Council in a deeply flawed process to build 60,000 homes unnecessarily on our green belt but the frustration that the government has not been able to stop it, my honourable friend feels very passionate about that. That is the conversation in the House Of Commons outlining the government policy on housing to tackle what the government is describing as a broken Housing Market. Let me just tell you that the latest on that Suicide Bomb Attack in afghanistan, at least 20 people have been killed in that attack. We will have more on that in the 1pm news. There is a little bit of everything in the forecast. We will see some areas of cloud in the north and east of the uk. Some snow across scotland. We are looking at some showers which will be heavy across. We have seen some of them because of this feature. It remains wet and windy because of that area of low pressure. Some of these showers continuing through the afternoon will be heavy in places. A good deal of sunshine across southern and south eastern parts, this stretching through the midlands. Near the east coast it remains cloudy and damp because it is close to that Weather Front. Some showers. Weve had reports of sleet and snow. This is moving eastwards. The showers continue for a while. It remains cloudy. It will fizzle out but it will be called and we will continue to see some snow. For wednesday, the Weather Front is pushing westwards. The best of bright weather will be across the west of the uk. It will turn called across the east. We have this area moving across. The call they are moves out. It is rather cloudy as well. Best of any sunshine out west. Bit of a Repeat Performance on friday. The best of any brightness will be in sheltered western areas. Temperatures will be two or three degrees. Bitter wind will bring you an increasing risk of snow showers. Institute for fiscal a growing backlash over the Commons Speakers comments on President Trump. John bercow told mps that donald trump should not be allowed to address parliament during his state visit on grounds of his racism and sexism. This morning hes faced calls from a growing number of conservatives to consider his position. Also this lunchtime trying to fix englands broken Housing Market the government announces plans for a million new homes by 2020. A jailed royal marine goes to court to appeal his conviction for murdering an injured afghan insurgent. A 10 minute appointment with your gp how the uk has some of the shortest doctors appointment times in europe. And growing up online how children as young as 10 are feeling the pressure to look good in selfies. And coming up in the sport on bbc news