The main news from westminster the brexit bill has been published, but some mps say the government hasnt allowed enough time to debate it. I am astonished at the amount of time that the leader of the house has given to debate it. A new direction for us Foreign Policy . The Foreign Secretary chooses his words carefully. I dont think weve seen any Policy Changes, official Policy Changes or Policy Pronouncements. And gordon brown warns that theres not enough money to educate the worlds poorest children. The Children Of The World will be without the qualifications they need, and that is indeed a crisis thats got to be dealt with. The day kicked off with questions to david davis, the secretary of state for exiting the eu. The Prime Minister has announced that there will be a white paper, setting out the governments brexit strategy. Many mps wanted to know when the document would appear. Can i thank the secretary of state very much for the part he played, i know, in securing the white paper. That has been welcomed across the house, and is good news. Can he now tell us, does he know when it might be published, and how much time this place will have to debate it . Of course, this is a decision solely for the Prime Minister, to publish the white paper, but its nice to be able to agree with myself from six months ago. In terms of timing, we are going to be. Sorry, my voice and the microphone together. In terms of timing, the Prime Minister said in due course, yesterday. It will be as expeditious as we can be. It takes time, she knows, shes been in government, these things have a procedure, it takes time to do, but we wont waste time in producing it for the house. Thank you mr speaker. I hope the secretary of state gets his voice back, hell be needing it over the next couple of weeks. Does he think that we should be able to see the white paper before we consider legislation . Well, with respect to the honourable gentleman, these are slightly separate issues. Therell be lots of legislation, i assume im looking to see if he nods i assume hes referring to the article 50 legislation . Yes, he is. The article 50 legislation is about carrying out the will of the british people, the decision that was taken onjune 23rd. There will be much more legislation after that which will relate to policy, the maintenance of european law thats the great repeal bill, but also the new legislation arising from that. So its certainly going to be before all that, and ill be as expeditious as is reasonable. Im concerned by some of the responses from the secretary of state, who seemed to be bursting with entusiasm enthusiasm about this white paper, now it seems we may not get it as soon as we need it. Given the level of interest in the legislation and the amendments that are going to be tabled, we need this white paper before Committee Stage of this bill. Will he make sure we get it . How do you deal with an opposition that wont take yes for an answer . Ive said well deal with it and i will produce it as expeditiously as possible, as quickly as possible. What can you do faster than that . He can work as fast as he can, i suppose, but we do need it before Committee Stage. When we get it, will it be a cut and paste of the Prime Ministers speach, or. . 0r instead, will we have assessments of the Financial Impact on this country of different options . Let me start, as i said at the beginning, the Prime Ministers speech one of the clearest expositions of National Policy ive heard in many, many years answered all of the questions that the opposition and Brexit Committee raised, other than those that would actively undermine our negotiating position. Labour will be putting down amendments to the brexit bill. Now that we have a commitment to a white paper, the role of parliament in the article 50 process needs to be determined. Thats why labour will seek to table an amendment to the proposed article 50 bill to require the secretary of state to lay periodic reports at intervals of no less than two months on progress of the negotiations under article 50. Will the secretary of state commit now to the principle of periodic reports . Well, from behind me, i hear, like hes not going to do that. Every two months . Since the start of this, since september, nearly five months, ive done five statements in front of this house, ten debates, appeared in front of a number of select committees and that process will continue. I suspect two months will be a rather unambitious aim. A little later, a bill paving the way for the uks exit from the European Union was presented to parliament. Its called the European Union notification of withdrawal bill. Presentation of bill. Mr secretary, david davis. European union notification of withdrawal bill. Second reading, what day . Tomorrow. Cheering tomorrow. And the commons leader, David Lidington announced the timetable for debating the bill in the commons. Tuesday the 31st of january, second reading of the European Union notification of withdrawal bill, day one. Wednesday the first of february, conclusion of second reading of the European Union notification of withdrawal bill. Monday the 6th of february, consideration in committee of the European Union notification of withdrawal bill, day one. Tuesday the 7th of february, continuation of consideration in committee of the European Union notification of withdrawal bill. Wednesday the 8th of february, conclusion of consideration in committee for the European Union notification of withdrawal bill, followed by remaining stages of the European Union notification of withdrawal bill. Jeering so thats five days for debating the brexit bill. As you can hearfrom thejeers, some mps did not think the government was allowing enough time. What a week its going to be. First there was to be no vote, now theres a vote. Then there was to be no bill, now theres a bill. Then there was to be no white paper, now theres to be a white paper. We should have chanced our arm and said we should definitely be staying in the European Union the second reading will be next tuesday, but we of course know there will be the Committee Of The Whole House the following week with everything rushed through and concluded the following thursday. As the leader of the house, as the guardian of this houses procedure and its business, will he now guarantee today and right now there will be a white paper published in time for the Committee Of The Whole House, so this house can consider that white paper and a bill of such importance and magnitude. I was astonished at the amount of time that the leader of the house has given this parliament to debate it. And hes being very coy about whether the white paper will be published before the Committee Stage of the bill. Can he give us more time and tell us if hes going to publish the white paper before next week . I think, if you consider that this is a two clause bill, that the second clause is dealing only with the extent of the bill to the united kingdom, there is plenty of time, including two full days at second reading, for all opinions to be fully expressed. Just three days to debate the detail of the most important issue facing this country in a generation, the repercussions of which will face generations to come, is totally u na cce pta ble. And i would hope that every Opposition Party in this house and every member who cares about parliamentary democracy will vote against this contempt of parliament when it comes to the programme motion. Well, i simply say to the honourable gentleman that his party supported the referendum bill, and putting the question to the people, and his party supported the timetable of triggering article 50 by the end of march. And the bill is designed to secure that those objectives are met. The uk is in a position to Show International leadership to end the fighting in yemen and prevent a famine thats the view of the snps Tasmina Ahmed sheikh, who called for an urgent statement about the conflict between the forces loyal to the yemens president hadi and the houthi rebels. The Foreign Office minister set out the uks position. The uk supports the Saudi ArabianLed Coalition military intervention, which came at the request of the legitimate president hadi, and we are clear through that coalition and the government of Yemen Military gains must be used to drive forward the political process. I last spoke to president hadi on the 15th Of January to discuss the importance of taking measures to prevent economic collapse. We continue to strongly support the tireless efforts of the Un Special Envoy, in trying to achieve a political settlement. Were providing over £1 million to the Un Special Envoys Office to bolster the uns capacity to facilitate the peace process, and the Un Special Envoy is due to brief the Un Security Council today in new york on the latest developments on the uns plans. When the Un Security Council meets this afternoon, it will do so against a backdrop of heavy fighting in the red sea, and an increasingly dire humanitarian situation across the country. There are already 7 Million People starving in yemen. If these ports are destroyed or besieged, then delivery of vital aid which is required to avert famine in yemen will become even more difficult. The only way to prevent this unfolding humanitarian disaster deteriorating even further is to agree an immediate ceasefire. Todays meeting of the Un Security Council provides a key opportunity to bring that closer. The snp believes that the uk is in a unique position to show positive International Readership in order to bring about the ceasefire to which i refer. I understand her desire to want to call for a ceasefire, a cessation of hostilities immediately. We will see what comes out of the meeting today and comes out from the United Nations. But im absolutely in agreement with her, this is actually what we want to happen. Calling for it needs to work in conjunction with the art of the possible, otherwise it simply is just words. In order for us to be able to ensure it will hold, we need to be able to say what happens if one of the sides, either of the sides, actually breaches the cessation of hostilities. He talks about the need for a political solution, when is he going to present our resolution to the United Nations . When we going to get proper investigations into alleged violations of International Humanitarian law . Why we continuing to sell saudi arabia the arms to wage this conflict . And, ultimately, when we going to bring the suffering of the people of yemen to an end and then get the humanitarian aid to them that they need . Every debate, every month, now every year, we ask the same basic questions, and every time the minister whose name now is, im afraid, synonymous with the Yemen Conflict Stands there and gives us the same non answers. The minister said that arms were subject to strict controls, and aid was getting to people caught up in this awful conflict. Youre watching thursday in parliament with me, kristiina cooper. Now, as the Prime Minister was preparing to meet donald trump, the Foreign Secretary was facing a group of peers. Theresa may wants to enhance the uks Special Relationship with the us. And President Trump has said he wants a quick trade deal with britain. Borisjohnson, however, had to admit to significant Policy Differences between Downing Street and the white house. Not least on the use of torture. Weve had statements from the new president to abc which showed pretty fundamental disregard for a whole number of the United StatesInternational Obligations, most specifically under the torture convention. We have to be very careful with this. I certainly dont think we seen any Policy Changes, official Policy Changes, or Policy Pronouncements and, on the matter of torture, which you rightly draw attention to, i think the Prime Minister made the position of the government very clear yesterday in the House Of Commons and that is unchanged. Mrs may says the uk does not sanction torture. What about refugees from certain countries . Do you think its acceptable under International Obligations shared by the uk and the us, to have a ban on refugees from certain middle east countries . I dont want to disappoint the committee by, you know, retreating too much into this formula but we havent yet seen the legislation brought forward. Rather than get into some sort of hypothetical dispute, lets see exactly what the proposals are. And what about the nuclear deal with iran, resident trump says its and what about the nuclear deal with iran, President Trump says its the worst deal ever made. I assume that is not the view of the government since the government is a party to the deal and doesnt presumably go around making the worst deals ever made. I think weve already made our views very clear to the Trump Administration that we think trying to improve relations with iran through this deal, you know, its a pretty cautious thing, is, on the whole, a good thing and we regard that as one of the achievements of the 0bama administration. And then to what may prove one of the most difficult dilemmas, syria. President trump has been very clear already that he wants to eradicate islamic militancy from the face of the earth and hes also been clear that hes prepared to have a new approach to prioritise the defeat of isis, possibly in collaboration with russia. Would you support a change in us uk direction to support those goals, possibly even joining forces, figuratively and militarily, with russia to do so . We are already with the United States engaged very heavily in Attacking Daesh in iraq. The committee will know that more than 1000 sorties have been flown, i think, almost 1200, we are there. Are you prepared to see an alliance of forces, including russia, attack daesh . To switch sides, to come in on the side of assad and the russians, would be seen, i think, as a great betrayal of the people of syria who have opposed assad. It would be seen as a betrayal of the moderate armed opposition that we have supported and it would be. It would have grave repercussions in the area. We might find ourselves in days and weeks to come where the United States is on a different side of this argument. That would put us on a direct collision, or not on a collision but on two different sides of this argument. With the closest allies that we are trying to forge an even more Special Relationship that it has been over the last decades, how would we deal with that . If there is a possibility of an arrangement with the russians that simultaneously allows assad to move towards the exit and diminishes iranian influence in the region by getting rid of assad and allows us to join with the russians in. Attacking daesh and wiping them off the face of the earth, or whatever the president has said, then that might be a way forward. But there were, he said, no good options. But even if we did achieve the end, this is the real hit, nor is it clear that even if we did achieve the end of the assad regime, that syria would be in a better place. The brexit secretary david davis also faced questions on President Trumps remarks over the use of torture. The Prime MinisterWill Today Meet An American President who champions torture and who is proud to discriminate against muslims. Would the secretary of state, therefore, agree with me that it is even more important that his government send a strong moral message, goods and chattels are bargaining chips, human beings are not. Will he confirm the Residency Rights of eu nationals . The honourable lady knows my stance on torture down the years, better than most, i suspect. And the briti