Summary
Here’s a roundup of the key developments from the day:
James Cleverly answered questions on the conflict in Israel and Gaza in the Commons. The minister was asked about the prospects of a two-state solution. He said: “Despite the terrible circumstances that we are experiencing there is a renewed desire to have a meaningful resolution.”
The SNP foreign affairs spokesperson, Brendan O’Hara, asked James Cleverly if he had seen any evidence or had been made aware of any evidence that Israel has breached international humanitarian law in its response to the Hamas atrocities on 7 October. The foreign secretary said it was not his role “to make an assessment on the interpretation of events which are unfolding as we speak”.
Downing Street looked to “clarify” after a Treasury minister said as many as six British nationals are among the Hamas hostages. The financial secretary to the treasury, Victoria Atkins, told Sky News on Tuesday that the “latest figure” she had been given was that “there are suspected to be six British nationals” being held in Gaza.
Labour called on British ministers to say whether they intended to maintain military support for Ukraine at the current level of £2.3bn a year, arguing they feared the UK’s support for Kyiv was flagging. John Healey, the shadow defence spokesperson, complained that the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, had yet to announce any additional funding of military aid for Ukraine beyond next March.
More than 1 million children experienced destitution last year – meaning their families could not afford to adequately feed, clothe or clean them, or keep them warm – according to a major study which reveals an explosion of extreme poverty in the UK. A government spokesperson said: “Our number one priority is driving down inflation because that will help everyone’s money go further.”
An MP was stopped before boarding a flight to Canada “because his name was Mohammad”, parliament has heard. The Labour MP for Bedford, Mohammad Yasin, was due to fly to Canada with a group of other MPs from the Commons levelling up, housing and communities committee when he was delayed for extra questioning.
The prime minister has wished the cabinet secretary a “speedy recovery” as he takes time off from leading the civil service. The Cabinet Office this week confirmed that Simon Case had stepped back from his role due to a “private medical matter”.
We are closing this liveblog shortly. Thanks so much for joining us.
Our blog on the Israel-Hamas war is still live:
No 10 has insisted that a decision to scrap a cap on bankers’ bonuses was a matter for financial regulators.
The government appeared to distance itself from the decision, which has faced criticism, as the official spokesman for the prime minister said that ministers did not want to “cut across” the independence of regulators.
He told journalists:
The government’s position is that regulatory independence is important and we don’t intend to cut across that independence.
Obviously, the [Prudential Regulation Authority] themselves have consulted on this. They took that independent decision, followed a four-month consultation, which received responses from experts in the field and vast majority, as I understand it, supported that decision.
He said it was “very much a decision” for regulators.
Updated
Downing Street has said that it believes a year-on-year drop in small boats crossings is not linked to weather conditions but rather the success of government policies.
The prime minister’s official spokesperson would not say whether the government was “confident” that crossings would be down compared with last year.
But he told reporters:
I think we will rightly wait until the end of the year for making that judgment. I think we are seeing right now that crossings are down more than 20% year on year. That is welcome.
We’re also confident this is not a function of the weather or any other fact. That it is more a result of the policies enacted by this government.
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Labour called on British ministers to say whether they intended to maintain military support for Ukraine at the current level of £2.3bn a year, arguing they feared the UK’s support for Kyiv was flagging.
John Healey, the shadow defence spokesperson, complained that the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, had yet to announce any additional funding of military aid for Ukraine beyond next March.
Ukrainians are asking for winter support for air defence. more ammunition. Where is the UK is planned response? No new money for military aid for Ukraine has been committed by this prime minister.
The £2.3bn for this year was pledged by his predecessor, the £2.3bn for last year was pledged by her predecessor. This year’s money runs out in March
He also said that new defence secretary Grant Shapps had yet to come before parliament to talk about Ukraine since his appointment in August, and his predecessor’s last update was in May.
James Heappey, the armed forces minister and a deputy to Shapps, said he expected a funding announcement would be made at the chancellor’s autumn statement in November. He said:
It will not surprise him to know that that has already been the subject of conversation across government. It’s not for me to make that announcement, but a major fiscal event is forthcoming. And so I know he won’t have to wait too long.
Heappey said the UK was continuing to supply Ukraine with ammunition “that amounts to tens of thousands of rounds per month” and was buying artillery rounds and air defence missiles on behalf of Kyiv for the winter.
The junior minister added that he routinely stood in for the defence secretary and that he had last briefed the Commons on September 11, and accused Healey of being “so rank-conscious as to deem my efforts unworthy”.
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In a slightly unusual start to business in the Lords on Tuesday, the Home Office was pressed by peers to set up an independent inquiry into allegations of child sexual abuse by Edward Heath – with the idea of formally clearing the name of the late prime minister.
Conservative peer Alister Cooke, who sits as Lord Lexden, said the fact that the police chief who led the investigation had since been found guilty of gross misconduct meant the open-ended conclusions of the inquiry into Heath should be cleared up.
Mike Veale oversaw what was called Operation Conifer, the investigation into allegations against Heath, when he was chief constable of Wiltshire police. He later took over at the Cleveland force, and in July was barred indefinitely from serving for making unwanted sexual remarks to colleagues.
Lexden, backed by a series of other peers, said it was “imperative” that Heath’s name was now formally cleared, saying:
Must there not be a strong suspicion that Veale left these allegations open, neither proved nor disproved, to save face after failing to find a single shred of evidence to support any of the accusations?
The Home Office minister responding, Andrew Sharpe, said there were no plans for an inquiry, and that any such move would be up to the local police and crime commissioner.
In 2017 the Wiltshire police investigation concluded there were initial grounds to suspect Heath over allegations including rape and indecent assault of boys and adult men, and that if he had still been alive - Heath died in 2005 – he might have been formally interviewed by detectives under criminal caution.
Some of the accusations against Heath came from Carl Beech, who identified a series of politicians as supposed paedophiles but was jailed in 2019 as a fantasist.
Humza Yousaf also spoke about meeting the mother of Bernard Cowan, a Scot who died in the Hamas attacks on Israel earlier this month.
He met Irene Cowan when he attended a service of solidarity at Giffnock Newton Mearns Synagogue in East Renfrewshire on 12 October.
Scotland’s first minister said:
We held each other, we cried and shared in each other’s grief.
She is an incredible woman who despite her own heartache told me that she was praying for my in-laws and for all the innocent men, women and children trapped in Gaza.
So let us agree, that too many mothers and fathers have lost their children, too many children have become orphaned, and that is why an immediate ceasefire must be agreed to.
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Humza Yousaf spoke about his parents-in-law who are trapped in Gaza after travelling there to visit family, saying that his mother-in-law has “lost hope”.
Elizabeth El-Nakla and her husband, Maged - the parents of Yousaf’s wife, Nadia – travelled to Gaza before hostilities flared up earlier this month to visit family, becoming trapped.
The Scottish first minister said:
Every night, Nadia and I go to bed, barely sleeping as we count down the hours until the morning, waiting anxiously for a message from my mother-in-law to tell us they have survived the night.
Throughout the day, the 100 people in the family home, must ration their food. The adults barely eat, my mother-in-law only ate cashew nuts yesterday, they ration so the children in the house don’t end up malnourished, but time is running out.
I spoke to my mother-in-law this morning. She feels helpless and has lost hope. She told me she feels as if the UK government has forgotten about her.
Please don’t interpret my point as a political one, it is not. She is a UK citizen, yet the only communication she receives from the Foreign Office is a text message telling her what she already knows - that the Rafah crossing is closed.
What she needs is the UK government, the prime minister, the foreign secretary, to spend every minute of every day demanding that their allies in Egypt and Israel open the Rafah crossing and open it now, to allow those UK citizens – all of them who are trapped in Gaza – safe passage and for them to return home to their families.
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The environment secretary, Thérèse Coffey, is being grilled by the Efra committee right now on issues from flooding to species reintroductions.
She told the committee that some people’s homes were flooded by Storm Babet because the rain came from the east, not the west, so it was more difficult to predict, and that some pumps for the rivers breaching their banks were not delivered to communities in time.
Clearly for people whose homes were flooded this weekend I fully recognise it’s a very distressing time for them and quite a lot of them will have to move out of their homes for a considerable time.
One of the things that happened with storm Babet is, we are very good with the Met Office and Environment Agency flood forecasting normally, most of our weather comes in from the West so we’ve got that down to a fine art. This rain was coming from the other way, the EA had moved assets from parts of the country more towards Yorkshire and the north-east and that way but there were still some places that felt they could have done with some more pumps.
When asked by Sir Robert Goodwill who chairs the committee why she had not written a plan for the reintroduction of locally extinct species such as beavers, Coffey nonchalantly said “species reintroduction really ain’t a priority”.
Coffey also appeared to blame a future Labour government for a lack of investment in water companies, which need to spend money to improve their sewage systems to stop spills.
She said:
Recent financial analysis said people should buy shares in water companies, but not if Labour get into power.
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Humza Yousaf presses Rishi Sunak to support Gaza ceasefire and safe passage for trapped British citizens
Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s first minister, has pressed Rishi Sunak to support demands for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and to ensure safe passage for British citizens trapped in the territory, who include Yousaf’s mother in law.
In a statement to the Scottish parliament, Yousaf said he had spoken to the prime minister by phone earlier on Tuesday and had urged him to “spend every minute of every day” trying to get people such as his mother in law, Elizabeth El Nakla, safely evacuated.
He said: “She is a UK citizen, yet the only communication she receives from the Foreign Office is text messages telling her what she already knows – that the Rafah crossing is closed.
“What she needs is the UK government, the PM and foreign secretary, to spend every minute of every day demanding from their allies in Egypt and Israel that the Rafah crossing opens and opens it now, to allow those UK citizens trapped in Gaza safe passage and for them to return home to their families.
“I made this very point to the prime minister this afternoon when we spoke on the phone. And reiterated the Scottish government’s call for a ceasefire, for more aid, including fuel, to be allowed in to Gaza and of course reiterated that the PM had our support in doing everything he can to bring British hostages back home.”
Yousaf also told MSPs: “Scotland is willing to be the first country in the UK to offer safety and sanctuary to vulnerable people caught up in this war.
“Scotland is ready to treat the injured men, women and children of Gaza in our hospitals where we can.”
Conservative MPs are responding to Robert Jenrick’s plans to cut the number of hotels used to accommodate asylum seekers in the House of Commons.
The Conservative MP for Dover, Natalie Elphicke said the government had made “immense efforts” to address the issue, adding: “The first sustained reduction in the small boats crossing – and that is welcome. It shows it can be done and that this Conservative government is doing what it said it would do.”
Jenrick responded: “Although today marks significant progress, and certainly very significant progress compared to what we are seeing in other European countries, this quite clearly is not enough.
“Her constituents want us to stop the boats in their entirety, and that is what we are setting out to do. So today is not a day for triumphalism, it’s a milestone. Tomorrow we get back to work and we get back to stopping the boats.”
Conservative former minister Sir Conor Burns said there were “multiple hotels” housing migrants in his Bournemouth West constituency, saying he welcomed the announcement that one would be “taken back”, but added: “When can we have the rest of our hotels back?”
Jenrick said: “As we make more progress in stopping the boats, we will make more progress in closing the hotels.”
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The immigration minister has confirmed plans to cut the number of hotels used to accommodate asylum seekers.
Making a statement in the Commons, Robert Jenrick said:
I can inform the house that today the Home Office wrote to local authorities and MPs to inform them that we will now be exiting the first asylum hotels. Hotels in all four nations of the UK.
The first 50 of these exits will begin in the coming days and will be complete by the end of January with more tranches to follow shortly but we will not stop there.
We will continue to deliver on our strategy to stop the boats and we will be able to exit more hotels. And as we exit these hotels, we are putting in place dedicated resource to facilitate the orderly and effective management of this process and limit the impact on local communities.
Here’s my colleague Peter Walker’s article on the plan:
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The prime minister has wished the cabinet secretary a “speedy recovery” as he takes time off from leading the civil service.
The Cabinet Office this week confirmed that Simon Case had stepped back from his role due to a “private medical matter”.
Updating ministers on Case’s health-related absence during Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, Rishi Sunak said the cabinet secretary was “taking a short period of leave”.
Downing Street said in a readout of the meeting:
The prime minister said the cabinet secretary was due to return in the coming weeks and that he knew colleagues would join him in wishing for a speedy recovery.
Downing Street said his duties would be “split out” and covered by a number of permanent secretaries and director generals while he is away.
The prime minister’s official spokesperson said he would not “get into the detail of all aspects of” who would cover which responsibilities but said the director general of the cabinet secretariat took notes during Tuesday’s cabinet session.
Case’s absence comes after indiscreet WhatsApp messages during the pandemic were released by the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
He had been expected to give evidence to the Covid inquiry in the coming weeks, after WhatsApp messages disclosed some of his private thoughts about Boris Johnson’s Conservative administration during the pandemic.
The head of the civil service said the government was looking like a “terrible, tragic joke”, while Johnson’s wife Carrie was “the real person in charge”.
Case, who was made cabinet secretary in September 2020, having been permanent secretary in Number 10 before then, wrote that he was “not sure I can cope” amid apparent frustration at how the pandemic was being handled.
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The SNP foreign affairs spokesperson, Brendan O’Hara, asked James Cleverly if he had seen any evidence or had been made aware of any evidence that Israel has breached international humanitarian law in its response to the Hamas atrocities on 7 October.
The foreign secretary said it was not his role “to make an assessment on the interpretation of events which are unfolding as we speak”.
He added:
There will of course be assessments of the nature of international humanitarian law. We are trying to make sure that in all of its actions, in its legitimate self defence, Israel does abide by international law.
O’Hara said:
If it is not his responsibility to make that assessment I wonder then whose it is, because he knows that international humanitarian law is unambiguous in saying that a collective punishment against a civilian population is illegal.
Labour backbencher Imran Hussain meanwhile became animated as he said that “innocent blood continues to be spilt on the streets of Gaza”, asking:
I have a very simple question for the foreign secretary: just what will it take, how many thousands of innocent Palestinians must be slaughtered, before this government condemns this brutality and bloodshed?
Cleverly replied:
I respect his passion about the preservation of life, I can assure him that I share his passion, but we must be thoughtful and we must remember why this is happening: the single largest murder of Jews since the Holocaust initiated by Hamas, who then put Palestinians intentionally in harm’s way as part of their operations, must not be forgotten about.
The Labour MP for Bradford East could be heard to shout “children are dying” as Cleverly answered.
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Ministers must ensure the Israel military “follow the laws of war” and protect civilians, Labour has suggested.
The shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy, urged the government to ensure Israel does not block aid for Palestinian civilians, nor food, water and medicine, as the middle eastern nation’s conflict with Hamas continues.
James Cleverly said that “professionalism and restraint by the Israel Defence Forces is an important part” of preventing the conflict from escalating.
Cleverly answered questions on the conflict in the Commons, Lammy said:
The situation in Gaza is heartbreaking and deeply troubling.
Does the foreign secretary agree that Israel must follow the laws of war by taking every possible step to protect civilians?
Ensuring aid is rapid, safe and unhindered; blocks to water, food, medicines, fuel lifted immediately; Palestinians forced to flee and not permanently displaced; and that upholding these laws is not just a legal and moral obligation, but necessary to prevent Israel’s campaign from undermining long-term prospects for peace and stability?
Cleverly replied that the “preservation of civilian life remains a priority”, adding:
We discuss this regularly and at every level within the Israeli government, and of course we reflect on the point that Israel itself as well as the countries in the near neighbourhood are trying to prevent this becoming a regional conflict.
As I say, professionalism and restraint by the Israel Defence Forces is an important part of preventing this becoming a regional conflict.
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The number of aid trucks being allowed into Gaza is “wholly inadequate”, the international development minister has said amid warnings over the prospect of a “humanitarian catastrophe”.
The Labour MP Vicky Foxcroft told the Commons:
Children in Gaza have begun writing their names on their hands so they can be identified and buried with their families when they are killed.
What action is the government taking to prevent more children being harmed in Israel’s military action and to ensure a rapid end to this conflict?
The Conservative minister Andrew Mitchell, in his reply, said:
We’re doing everything we can to protect children and British aid is already making a difference by supporting the international relief effort, which is going in through Rafah.
Kerry McCarthy, a Labour MP, warned the aid reaching Gaza is “nowhere near enough to avert a humanitarian catastrophe” as she pressed for fuel to be allowed in.
Mitchell, in his reply, said:
The number of trucks that are going through every day is far too small and we will continue to press all the relevant authorities to allow humanitarian support and aid of the type she has described through the Rafah crossing to help those whose circumstances are precisely as she described.
In response to the Tory MP Sara Britcliffe, Mitchell also said:
The key thing is to increase the number of lorries that are getting through Rafah – the current number is wholly inadequate and I talk to Martin Griffiths virtually every day about the operations the UN are conducting to try and beef up that number.
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HMS Lancaster will remain in the Middle East as part of British efforts to “deter threats to regional security”, No 10 has said.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said:
We’ve got HMS Lancaster, which is a Type 23 frigate, which has been in the Arabian Gulf since November 2022.
The prime minister confirmed yesterday that it would remain in the Gulf to bolster our presence and the ship will continue efforts to monitor and deter threats to regional security, tackle terrorist activity at sea, including arms and drug smuggling, and support humanitarian operations.
Obviously, we have already confirmed the deployment of RAF surveillance planes and two other ships to the eastern Mediterranean.
The No 10 spokesman said no date had been set for how long the military assets would be deployed but that it would be kept “under review given the nature of the situation”.
Updated
No 10 said ministers were continuing to speak with “leaders in the region” as part of efforts to free hostages from Gaza but would not say whether there had been direct communication with Hamas or proxies in Qatar or Egypt.
The prime minister’s official spokesman told reporters:
It is not in the interest of the individuals themselves to get into more details, so I won’t.
I think some of the discussion does involve speaking to leaders in the regions and governments’ agents with influence on the situation.
But, beyond that, I don’t think it is helpful to say any more.
Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said the UK government could not speculate on why some captives were being released, with four freed by Hamas in recent days:
The circumstances will vary and, as I think the Israeli government has said, there are more than 200 individuals believed to be held hostage, so I wouldn’t seek to give a view for why individual hostages are being released. I will leave that to others.
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No British aid money goes directly to the Palestinian Authority, James Cleverly has said, as a Tory backbencher condemned the payment of “so-called martyr salaries”.
The Conservative MP Chris Clarkson told the Commons:
It’s been reported that the Palestinian Authority is to pay up to three million dollars a month in so-called martyr salaries to the families of dead and captured Hamas terrorists.
Will [the foreign secretary] join me in condemning these payments to rapists, torturers, murderers, some of whom have killed Brits? And will he also use his good offices to ensure that no British aid money has gone towards this filthy practice?
Cleverly said:
I can reassure him that we always ensure that UK aid money is protected from misappropriation, and I can confirm to him and the House that no British aid money goes directly to the Palestinian Authority.
We have raised this very issue with the Palestinian Authority and highlighted our belief that this is not conducive to good relations and a future two-state solution.
Updated
Downing Street looked to “clarify” after a Treasury minister said as many as six British nationals are among the Hamas hostages.
The financial secretary to the treasury, Victoria Atkins, told Sky News on Tuesday that the “latest figure” she had been given was that “there are suspected to be six British nationals” being held in Gaza.
The prime minister’s official spokesman told reporters:
To clarify, as I think the minister did herself later on, we can confirm at least 12 British nationals were tragically killed in last week’s terrorist attacks.
A further five British nationals are missing.
It is understood that some of those who are missing may not have survived the attack by the Palestinian militants on 7 October, meaning fewer than six Britons were captured.
The No 10 spokesman said he could “not be more specific” on the number of UK nationals that the government considers could be in the hands of Hamas.
Updated
James Cleverly in Commons to answer questions on Israel and Gaza conflict
James Cleverly is in the Commons answering questions on the conflict in Israel and Gaza.
Cleverly visited Egypt, Turkey and Qatar, while the prime minister spent a day in Israel – before touring the Middle East himself.
Ahead of his appearance, the foreign secretary gave a short statement:
Since Hamas’ brutal terror attacks on the 7 October the prime minister and I have visited the region and spoken and met with counterparts totalling almost 20 countries as part of our extensive diplomatic activities to prevent escalation, to sustain the prospect of regional peace and of course to secure the free movement home of British nationals in Gaza and of course those hostages.
Cleverly was asked about the use of UK aid money, and reiterated that no money goes to the “Palestinian authorities”.
The minister was then asked about the prospects of a two-state solution.
He said:
Despite the terrible circumstances that we are experiencing there is a renewed desire to have a meaningful resolution.
Updated
A press conference with family members of British-Israeli kidnap victims is due to start at the Israeli embassy in London.
You can watch it live here:
Updated
Gillian Keegan has written to schools in England ordering them to make the materials used in children’s sex education available to be seen by parents, warning headteachers there can be “no ifs, no buts, no more excuses”.
It is the second letter the education secretary has sent to schools on the issue, which has been seized upon by some backbench Conservative MPs amid claims that children are being exposed to inappropriate material during relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) at school.
The secretary of state first wrote in March after reports that some schools were being prevented from sharing curriculum resources provided by a third party with parents because of warnings over copyright.
The latest ultimatum to schools – many of which are closed for half-term – said companies providing RSHE teaching resources could not and should not use copyright law to prevent schools from sharing materials. Any attempt to do so would be unenforceable and void, she added.
Read more here:
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Peers have continued their stand-off with the government in demanding steps to enable councillors to attend meetings virtually, as they had done during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The House of Lords backed by 208 to 199 a move by a Tory backbencher to create a ministerial power that would allow local authorities to reinstate hybrid working. This is despite a similar call having already been rejected by MPs, PA News reports.
The latest defeat in the upper chamber to the levelling-up and regeneration bill means a continuation of the tussle over the draft legislation, known as parliamentary ping-pong, where it gets batted between MPs and the Lords until agreement is reached.
It comes as the clock ticks down with parliament expected to rise this Thursday for the end of the parliamentary session, a period known as prorogation, ahead of the King’s speech early next month.
However, the government succeeded in seeing off other bids to change the bill, including an attempt to ensure key levelling up goals take into account tackling child poverty and health disparities, and opening the door for district councils to be full members of new combined county authorities (CCAs).
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MP stopped before boarding flight to Canada 'because his name was Mohammad', parliament told
An MP was stopped before boarding a flight to Canada “because his name was Mohammad”, parliament has heard.
The Labour MP for Bedford, Mohammad Yasin, was due to fly to Canada with a group of other MPs from the Commons levelling up, housing and communities committee when he was delayed for extra questioning, PA news reports.
Yasin was asked if he was carrying a knife or any other weapon and where he was born when he was taken aside by officials from Air Canada.
He underwent similar questioning from officials on his return trip to the UK, MPs were told.
Clive Betts, the Labour chair of the committee, raised the incident in the Commons and said he would write to the Canadian high commissioner in the UK to make clear the “racist and Islamophobic nature” of what happened was unacceptable.
Yasin watched from the Labour backbenches as Betts raised a point of order about the “serious incident”, which he said occurred last week.
The committee chairman said:
When the committee checked in for their flights at Heathrow, all members got through with the exception of the member for Bedford, who was delayed for questioning for a considerable period.
He was told it was because his name was Mohammad.
Betts added:
He was also asked whether he was carrying a knife, or other offensive weapon, he was also asked where he was born. The questioning was undertaken by officials from Air Canada and we believe the Canadian government, and despite him already having been given a visa to enter Canada.
After proving he was an MP with the help of my committee clerk, he was eventually allowed through.
At Montreal airport, the same issues were raised by Canadian immigration.
On return at Toronto airport on the way back, he was again challenged and got on his flight with the assistance of my consul general, who was very helpful.
Betts went on:
He has received apologies from the parliamentary secretary to the Canadian minister for immigration and Air Canada, however, given the racist and Islamophobic nature of these challenges, I believe that it is worth writing to the Canadian high commissioner, which I will do.
I believe it is important to put these concerns on the parliamentary record. It was completely unacceptable for a Member of this House to be treated in this way.
But because he was an MP he was allowed on his flight. If, however, he had been one of our constituents who had been so challenged, he might have been refused.
We raised the issue with our high commissioner in Ottawa, who was very supportive, and amazed at what happened given the multicultural nature of Canada as an open and welcoming country.
She has raised it with the Canadian government, and ... I would also raise it in parliament to try and ensure that no-one in the future is treated in this way.
A spokesperson for Air Canada said:
Unfortunately Mr Yasin was designated for additional screening prior to his flight after a security check, but he was still able to travel as planned as he was quickly cleared.
We are following up internally the handling of this particular matter to ensure procedures were properly followed and we have also been in touch with UK and Canadian authorities.
We regret any inconvenience or upset this situation may have created for Mr Yasin and have reached out to apologise.
Updated
More than 1 million children experienced destitution last year – meaning their families could not afford to adequately feed, clothe or clean them, or keep them warm – according to a major study which reveals an explosion of extreme poverty in the UK.
Severe material hardship was “no longer a rare occurrence”, the study found, with rates of destitution more than doubling in the past five years as a result of benefit cuts and cost of living pressures, leaving struggling households increasingly reliant on regular charity handouts.
Poverty campaigners, teachers and frontline welfare workers have expressed growing alarm about the damaging effects of destitution, particularly on children, including physical ill health, undernourishment, mental illness, social isolation, school absences and poor classroom behaviour.
An estimated 1.8m UK households containing nearly 3.8 million people, including 1 million children, were destitute at some point in 2022, according to the study, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). Half of destitute households tried to get by on less than £85 a week after housing costs, with a quarter reporting no income at all.
A government spokesperson said:
Our number one priority is driving down inflation because that will help everyone’s money go further.
There are 1.7 million fewer people in absolute poverty than in 2010, including 400,000 fewer children, but we know some families are struggling, which is why we are providing support worth an average of £3,300 a household, including raising benefits by over 10% this year, and are increasing the national living wage again.
To help people out of poverty through work, we are also investing £3.5bn to help thousands into jobs and are removing barriers for parents with the biggest ever expansion of free childcare – providing 30 free hours of childcare for working parents and support for children from nine months old to when they start school. This will save eligible parents up to an average of £6,500 a year.
Read the full story here:
Updated
Six British nationals are suspected to be among those currently held hostage by Hamas, a minister has said.
The financial secretary to the Treasury, Victoria Atkins, told Sky News:
It’s a very, very fast-moving situation but the latest figure I’ve been given is that there are suspected to be six British nationals. They are our absolute priority.
Asked whether they were missing or being held hostage, she said:
We understand ... that they are hostages.
I do acknowledge that it’s a very fast-moving situation and that figure may or may not change, and I know how difficult that must be for the families and the friends at home here in the UK who are grappling with incredible worry and concern about their loved ones.
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Rishi Sunak to hold weekly cabinet meeting, with situation in Gaza and Israel expected to top agenda
Rishi Sunak will hold his weekly cabinet meeting today where the situation in Gaza and Israel is expected to be top of the agenda.
The Foreign Office has pledged to “continue to work tirelessly” to secure the release of further hostages after a British citizen confirmed her mother had been freed by Hamas.
Yocheved Lifshitz was handed over by the Palestinian militants, along with fellow Israeli citizen Nurit Cooper, on Monday evening.
Her London-based daughter Sharone Lifschitz told the BBC her father was still being held captive in the Gaza strip.
The FCDO said the department welcomed the release of the hostages, three days after an American woman and her teenage daughter were let go.
A spokeswoman said:
Our thoughts remain with the families of loved ones still being held captive, as they endure unimaginable anguish and worry at this time.
We will continue to work tirelessly with Qatar, Israel and others to ensure all hostages come home safely.
Grant Shapps is in the Middle East this week. The defence secretary is visiting Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to discuss the situation in Gaza and Israel with regional leaders.
Meanwhile, later this morning, the foreign secretary, James Cleverly, will be answering questions in the Commons, following his own trip to the Middle East.
Welcome to today’s liveblog. I’m Nicola Slawson and I’m covering for Andrew Sparrow today. Do drop me a line if you have any questions or comments. I’m on nicola.slawson@theguardian.com or @Nicola_Slawson on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.
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