Kemi Badenoch says global carmakers’ UK concerns ‘nothing to do with Brexit’ – as it happened

5.02pm BST

Afternoon summary

• Kemi Badenoch, the business and trade secretary, has said that the problem raised by car manufacturers worried about exports to the EU facing tariffs from next year “isn’t to do with Brexit”. (See 12.15pm.)

• The Labour party has pledged to introduce a Scottish-style right to roam law in England if it wins the next general election, with access to green space enshrined in law.

• Rishi Sunak has stood by his leadership pledge to protect the green belt in England after the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, this week said it should be built on “where appropriate” to make housing more affordable.

• Sunak has indicated that, although he remains committed to reducing the level of net migration, he no longer feels committed to reducing it below 226,000 a year – the target implied in the Conservative election manifesto of 2019. (See 9.36am.)

• Voters in Northern Ireland have been casting ballots in a local election after a low-key campaign that became a proxy referendum on the region’s political stalemate.

Rishi Sunak shows off his socks to the Japanese PM Fumio Kishida. His socks have the name of Kishida’s favorite baseball team, Hiroshima Toyo Carp, on them. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

Updated at 6.15pm BST

4.51pm BST

UK and Norway agree security partnership to counter threats to critical undersea infrastructure

The UK and Norway have signed a security partnership to counter undersea threats and protect critical energy infrastructure in the wake of last year’s attack on the Nord Stream gas pipeline, PA Media reports.

PA says:

The two nations agreed to increase cooperation to improve their ability to detect submarines, counter mine threats and generally enhance North Atlantic security.

Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, and his Norwegian counterpart, Bjorn Arild Gram, signed a statement of intent during a visit to the Maritime Operations Centre on the Northwood military base today.

The UK and Norway have already jointly increased security patrols in the region where the unexplained Nord Stream pipeline explosions occurred. The blasts are subject to investigation but are believed to have been intentional.

Building on this, the agreement will bolster the development of capabilities to protect shared interests in the North Sea while streamlining the process for other allies to join their activity, according to the Ministry of Defence.

And Wallace said:

Cooperating through the JEF [Joint Expeditionary Force] and the Northern Group with our long-standing defence partner and Nato ally Norway, we are heightening our joint capabilities to protect western critical national infrastructure on the seabed.

The attack on the Nord Stream pipeline has determined even closer collaboration across our collective assets to detect and defend against subsea threats and ensure continued North Atlantic security.

Ben Wallace (right) during a press conference with the Norwegian defence minister, Bjorn Arild Gram, at Permanent Joint HQ in Northwood. Photograph: James Manning/PA

Updated at 6.19pm BST