PMQs - as it happened: Emily Thornberry labels Tory Government 'coalition of cavemen' over voting age stance
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Your support makes all the difference.Cabinet minister David Lidington said young people lack "sufficient maturity" to vote at 16, as he stood in for Theresa May during Prime Minister's Questions.
Labour's Emily Thornberry branded the Government and its DUP allies as a "coalition of cavemen", when she asked why 16-year-olds were denied the right to vote when they are able to get married, leave school and join the armed forces.
It comes as Downing Street reprimanded a Justice minister who questioned whether Brexit should go ahead if damaging assessments of Britain’s economic prospects are accurate.
In an unusual and hugely significant intervention, Dr Philip Lee asked whether Theresa May could “legitimately lead a country along a path that the evidence and rational consideration indicate would be damaging” after leaked papers laid bare the potential economic damage of withdrawal.
After Prime Minister’s Questions, Labour’s opposition day motion – calling on the Government to release the papers – also passed after the Government ordered its MPs to abstain on the motion.
The documents will now be released to the Exiting the European Union committee “in confidence” and in a “hard copy” format for MPs to study.
The PM says they will work together for free and fair trade. As partners committed to global free trade, we can make sure companies are protected against cyber threats, she says.
Our societies share deep cultural ties, May adds, mentioning the value of international students on the UK economy.
(For a Prime Minister so insistent on keeping international students in the migration figures, this is quite a bold claim)
May says on Brexit the Government is moving on to the next stage of the negotiations, and to take back control of money and borders.
On the domestic agenda, she says, if you look at what we've been doing - making sure families can achieve the "British dream", she says.
Figures out last week, May claims, shows the highest number of first time buyers.
The PM is asked by a delegate from the Chinese press for her opinion on the future relationship between China and the UK after Brexit.
May says as the UK leaves the EU, we can sign free trade agreements across the world independently - and that is what we will do, she adds. "We will also be an outward looking United Kingdom, a Global Britain."
Asked during a press conference in Beijing what she would do differently regarding domestic politics, Mrs May listed Government achievements, adding: "Yes, we do need to do more.
"And we do need to ensure that we are talking about what we have already achieved - to those young people who worry whether they will get their own home.
"To those parents who are concerned about the education their children will be getting. To people who will be worried about the jobs for the future for their children.
"And that's what we will be doing. And I am committed to delivering on that."
Asked about comments made by US President Donald Trump in his State of the Union address when he described China as a "rival" that "challenges our interests".
Theresa May replied that the UK had "excellent relations" with China.
The countries were "working together not just on improving those links between us, which will be of benefit to people in the UK and China, but also on delivering and working together on some of those global issues such as North Korea and other issues like modern slavery which have an impact around the world".
Alistair Burt, the Foreign Office minister, has told the Commons through a written statement about the planned move the British Embassy in Thailand.
We anticipate moving into the new offices in 2019, until which point we will lease back our existing embassy site to keep disruption to a minimum. Our embassy will continue to provide essential consular services to British holidaymakers and business people, and to work with the Thai authorities on preventing child exploitation, organised crime, money laundering and human trafficking.
Our new and improved embassy will allow us to take this activity to the next level, including by strengthening our trade links, enhancing our strong collaboration on science and innovation, and maintaining our focus on supporting human rights defenders and promoting freedom of expression. The new embassy will demonstrate our long-term commitment to our relationship with Thailand – a key partner for the UK’s security and prosperity interests and leading member of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The completion of the sale of the current Bangkok Embassy compound in Thailand is the biggest land deal in Thai history and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO’s) biggest ever sale, raising at least £420 million.
This deal is the result of considerable work by the FCO. The funds released will allow us to begin work on 30 to 40 major long-planned Estates projects, and enable us to continue to update and modernise our global estate so that it meets our aspiration to provide a world-class platform for diplomacy.
Here's our story from December on the Uk hollowing out embassies globally to fund more diplomats in the EU.
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