meeting with russia's president putin during the 620 summit earlier this month in germany. the meeting, thought to be for around an hour and barely publicised up until now, happened hours after the formal bi—lateral talks between the two leaders. meanwhile, donald trumer is likely to be asked to testify in congress about his meeting with a russian lawyer during the presidential campaign. former trump campaign manager paul manafort will also be invited. it's not clear whether the sessions will be televised live. president donald trump has said the new republican healthcare policy should be to allow the current law to collapse. support for the senate bill fell apart when two more senators said they couldn't back it. now on bbc new, time for tuesday in parliament. hello and welcome to the programme.

coming up: as the prime minister urges her cabinet to stop leaking, labour rounds on the chancellor over his comments on public sector pay. ministers are told a free child care scheme is full of holes and too complicated. and calls on the government to do more over reports of the imminent execution 01:14 men in saudi arabia. when will this government decide that it is time to publicly condemn these abuses of human rights? our silence is deafening. but first, theresa may has told her cabinet ministers to show "strength and unity" as she attempts to stem a series of leaks

and negative briefings. the prime minister said "open discussion" was important but it was vital for it to stay private. newspaper reports over the weekend claimed that the chancellor philip hammond had said in a cabinet meeting that public sector workers were "o on the bbc‘s andrew marr show, mr hammond defended his stance, saying public sector pay had "raced ahead" of the private sector after the economic crash and while, in terms of salary, that gap had now closed, there was a 10% disparity when pension contributions were taken into account. the shadow chancellor raised the remarks at treasury questions. john mcdonnell turned to the disparity between public and private sector pensions. does the secretary agree that it ill becomes a multimillionaire, earning £145,000 a year, admittedly in a temporaryjob, and living in two grace and favour properties at taxpayers' expense to attack public sector workers, our hospital cleaners, nurses, teachers and firefighters, as being "overpaid"? public sector workers' pay has fallen, on average, by £4,000 in the first six

years of this government. one in five nhs staff are forced to take a second job. teachers are facing a further cut of £3,000 in their salaries by 2020. doesn't he think the chancellor should just do the right thing and apologise? yet again the honourable gentleman is not giving the house the full picture of what is happening with public sector wages. last year teachers' pay went up 3.3%. more than half of nurses and other nhs workers saw a pay rise of over 3%. the armed services saw a pay rise of 2.4%. and the cleaner that he talked about was not employed by the public sector. they are employed by serco. get his facts right. john mcdonnell. that's true. the government privatised their jobs. and i note, i note that the chief secretary did not refute the fact

that the chancellor said that the staff were overpaid. is she aware that the supposedly generous pensions across these professions pay on average the princely sum ofjust £5,000 a year? and that low pay has lost many public sector workers to opt out of their pension schemes? 11% of nhs staff have opted out of their pension scheme, a figure that, if it continues to rise will potentially undermine the whole scheme. bobby chief secretary recognise the damage the chancellor is causing and lift the pay cap so that public sector staff can have some hope of a fair wage settlement and a decent future pension? the onward gentleman hasn't acknowledged the truth of the figures that i have just talked about, the 3% rise for nurses over half of them,

the teachers' rise of 3.3%. he simply won't look at the facts. the reality is that, at the moment, we have a situation where public sector workers are paid in line with the private sector, which is right, to allow the public sector and private sector to flourish, so be can create wealth in this country and, in addition, public sector workers have a 10% premium on their wages in pension contributions, and that is in the 0br report. the treasury response today to the questions of the i% pay cap are profoundly disappointing. this is the single biggest thing ensuring that inflation is eroding living standards. it is impoverishing workers and driving consumer debt. when will the treasury at agree with the foreign secretary, that the time has come to end cap? i would point out to the honourable gentleman that in fact public sector workers like teachers have seen a 3% pay rise,

nurses, many nurses get progression pay, those in the armed forces get an ex back to supplement which is worth 2.4% a year. and their salaries are in line with private sector salaries. what would be wrong is to have a significant differential between the public and private sectors, because we need businesses to thrive at the same tame as needing well funded public services. liz truss. parents in england could be missing out on government help with childcare costs because the application scheme is over—complicated and "full of holes", in the words of 0pposition mps. latest figures show childcare costs are rising rapidly. a part—time nursery place for one pre—school child costs on average £6,000 a year, and in london the average is nearer to £8,000. working parents who employ nannies face much higher costs. the government scheme provides parents with, in effect, 30 hours of free

childcare a week from september. parents whose applications are successful receive a 30 hours eligibility code to take to their provider and to claim their childcare place. as of today, over 145,000 codes have been generated from successful applications. increasing numbers of parents are successfully applying. it's great news that so many families will benefit from 30 hours in september. of course, as we seen from our early implementer and early roll—out areas, this support can make a real positive difference to the lives of hard—working families. let's face it, as some may be reading in their end of year report due this week, good effort, butjust not good enough. the process for applying for free childcare is confusing for both parents and nurseries. as members in this house will attest, setting up two—factor authentication on our phones was difficult enough and we have a well resourced it department. who is helping the parents at home who are juggling this with jobs and caring for their young children?

as a result, parents haven't been able to open accounts to pay for the nursery care or preschool and even some providers, particularly in the voluntary sector, cannot register. what a shame it is that when we could be weeks away from a great breakthrough for providers, parents and most importantly children, we are instead discussing a policy that is riddled with holes. and, my word, are there are questions to answer? just yesterday the minister's colleagues in the treasury admitted in response to one of my written questions that it is not possible to provide a definitive number of applications not completed due to technical issues. could the minister give us his estimate ofjust how many parents suffered these technical issues? what steps are being put in place to fix the system, and what guarantees can he make to parents that, as the august deadline approaches, the system will work for them? i have to say, she is very much a glass half full person.

this is a great offer. yesterday morning, i was in the city of york meeting with providers and parents who were benefiting, as one of the pilot areas. i heard from people who said, this is a great offer. it means that no longer do i have to pass my husband in the hallway as i go out to my evening job as he comes in from his daytimejob. we have ironed out the glitches in the software. people are registering. we are on track for 200,000. given that we have had warning after warning from providers that this scheme is unaffordable for them and they worry about there being sufficient places, how are they supposed to plan for september, when just over one quarter of families have registered for this scheme to date? certainly, i have made that clear, today.

there have been a number of outages, some of which were to fix some of the issues that my right honourable friend referred to, and the most recent one was due to a power supply issue between 6pm and 10:20pm last night on 17th ofjuly. that has now been fixed and the system is up and running again. mps will hold an emergency debate on proposals to increase tuition fees in england. the speaker, john bercow, agree to a request from the shadow education secretary angela rayner. the three—hour debate will take place after prime minister's questions. angela rayner said time had been set aside on the 18th of april. but then, mr speaker, on april 18th, the prime minister announced her plans to go to the country in an early general election. that meant the debate was cancelled. audley, mr speaker, they have been determined not to grant the house about since that election, and it was the first secretary of state who called only two weeks ago for a national debate on tuition fees and student debt, but apparently that national debate will not include this house. both universities and thousands

of students across the country are now uncertain about the rate of tuition fees that can be charged with neither government or opposition time being provided, we have no choice but to use standing order 24. so, mr speaker, 109 days since it was first promised by ministers, i ask leave the house for an emergency debate on their plans to raise tuition fees. the speaker accented that argument. i have listened carefully to the application from the honourable member. i am satisfied that the matter raised by the honourable member is proper to be discussed under standing order number 24. has the honourable member the leave of the house?

the honourable member has obtained believe of the house. the honourable member has obtained the leave of the house. mps on the opposition side showing their support for angela rayner‘s motion for an emergency debate, but a second motion from lib dem leader tim farron was unsuccessful. he wanted mps to discuss unaccompanied child refugees. he explained why. i feel strongly that this issue must be debated before the house rises for the summer recess. the summer months mean that more troops are being made to europe by migrants on unsuitable votes and i feel that all over again we are likely to see an increase in the news about people drowning, attempting desperately to reach safety. put bluntly, by the time 0ctober comes around there will be many more children alone and sadly orphaned lending a hand to mouth existence in continental europe. we must examine our consciences. the government made an unambitious

commitment that had to be dragged out of it, it then cancelled that agreement before even managing to meet half of those terms. i ask this house to take the opportunity to address this outrage and to help those desperate children. the right onward gentleman asks leave to grant the debate on a specific and important matter that should have important consideration, namely accepting unaccompanied child refugees into the uk. i have listened carefully to the application and i am not persuaded that this matter is proper to be discussed under standing order number 24. john bercow said that it was open to tim farron to raise the issue in other ways, saying that he could ask an urgent question and bring the matter to the chamber, that way. mps will hold an emergency debate on proposals to allow universities to increase tuition fees in england. you're watching tuesday in parliament with me,

alicia mccarthy. photographers and film—makers love them, but, to many in the airline industry, they are a modern menace. airborne drones can have all sort of uses, but there is increasing concern about their potential danger to aircraft. there was disruption at gatwick airport earlier this summer when a drone was spotted flying too close. it led to a runway being closed and five flights being diverted. the incident prompted a conservative mp to call a debate in westminster hall, although he stressed he was not anti—drone. there has been enormous growth in the ownership of drones. 530,000, so i understand, were bought in 2014 alone, and of course the vast majority are for leisure use. when used responsibly, they're a great asset. they encourage interest in aviation and aerodynamics, and lead to innovation. but there is also irresponsible or downright dangerous use, which poses a risk to aircraft and passengers. the key is to have regulation and enforcement which protects aviation without seriously damaging what is becoming an important sector of the economy. what is becoming an important sector of the economy. laws are already in place governing the use of drones.

they must not put people or property in danger, and the person controlling one must be able to see it at all times. jeremy lefroy suggested an additional rule — compulsory registration so that owners could be traced. there is a story — perhaps apocryphal, perhaps not — that quite recently a drone was flown into the shard in london, and the only way people found out who owned the drone was when the owner went to try to retrieve it and asked for it back, which sounds to me a slight example of chutzpah. the minister said it was an emerging technology with potential benefits. it is a growing market and offers the uk opportunities, but notjust economic opportunities. an example of positive ways in which drones could be used was well illustrated when, as many here will know, the firefighters at grenfell tower used drones after the incident to inspect some of the top floors, when these were deemed too unsafe to be inspected by any other means.

he promised action over the summer. shakespeare said in henry v, all things are ready if our mind be so, and our mind is ready to take further action. and tennyson, the great lincolnshire poet, said, dream not that the hour that was will last, and by that he meant that there is a period of time when you need to act, you shouldn't dream that this will go on forever. so, notwithstanding my sunny disposition, my eternal summer, it is important that we do act swiftly, proportionately, carefully, but not with delay. john hayes. last week the government set out its strategy on drugs, specifically targeting psychoactive

substances to cut illicit drug use. fewer than a tenth of adults in england and wales now take drugs, according to the home office, but drug—related deaths have risen sharply. in the commons, mps held a general debate on the issue. one of the most pressing questions was decriminalisation. i do very much accept that there are some members of this house, and some people in our country, that think what we should be doing is decriminalising drugs. i certainly do not agree with that, because we are evidence—based policy makers. all the evidence shows of the awful harms of the drugs that we ban and restrict, and it's ourjob, it's our primary job to keep people safe, and the way to keep people safe is to prevent them from taking drugs in the first place. i will. i'm very grateful. i note the point about "evidence—based", but it's clear on the evidence that the most

dangerous drug in terms of harm is alcohol, so could she explain the different approach that the government takes to alcohol, the most dangerous drug, and, for example, cannabis? minister. i wouldn't agree with the honourable gentleman that, you know, alcohol is the most dangerous drug. if you look at... if you look at the substances which we are restricting... of course, there are those people who take alcohol to such a harmful degree that it is devastating for them, and it is devastating to their family members and to the wider community. now, ifully accept, as we do in the modern crime prevention strategy, that misuse of alcohol does have very dramatically harmful effects, and does contribute to crime, but, actually, alcohol ta ken in moderation is not a harmful drug. the government's recognition of evidence—based treatment in recovery and harm reduction is welcome, but what stakeholders

want to know, and what families and communities suffering from drug abuse up and down the country want to know, is whether this strategy isn't just old methods in a shinier package. we frequently use the term "war on drugs", so i ask the minister, how exactly do we expect to win a war with reduced forces and resources on the front line? we desperately need a new approach, a completely different strategy, and whilst i welcome the emphasis that the government strategy puts on improving treatment and recovery for users, the strategy rehearses the same failed arguments for prohibition and criminalisation which have patently failed. the measure of that failure is spelt out in the strategy itself, which tells us that in england and wales the number of deaths from drug misuse registered in 2015 increased by 10.3% to 2,479, and this follows an increase of 14.9% in the previous year and 19.6% the year before that. in 1971, we had fewer

than 1,000 addicts to heroin and cocaine in this country, and virtually no deaths, because they were receiving their heroin from the health service. after 46 years of the harshest prohibition in europe, we now have 320,000 addicts. isn't it true that prohibition creates the drug take, creates the gangsters and creates the deaths? i'm extremely grateful to the honourable gentleman. i know that he has a long history of campaigning on this subject, which i respect, but i'm afraid i must disagree with him, because a lot...a very great deal has changed since 1971. we know that we have people... we have criminal gangs from all over the world coming

to the united kingdom because we have a high population, and we are much more densely populated than other countries, and they come to this country to sell drugs. and i...ijust... i wish, you know... i am sure there are colleagues that would like, sometimes, to turn the clock back to 1971 — i don't think we can. the former barrister victoria atkins. over in the lords, the government's been urged to use the depth of the uk's relationship with saudi arabia to do more than just condemn the country over its use of the death penalty. ministers say they're seeking clarity over reports that 14 men, including two juveniles, could be facing execution for attending protests in eastern saudi arabia in 2012. my lords, we have a close relationship with saudi arabia. could the minister now explain what they are doing to stop these executions? we have precedence.

we have a precedence in the past, when david cameron, as prime minister, personally intervened to stop the execution of three juveniles in 2015. the minister said the government was urgently seeking clarification over the situation from the saudi leadership, but peers weren't persuaded. the week the foreign secretary visited saudi arabia, eight people were executed on one day — beheaded. now, when will this government actually decide that it's time to publicly condemn these abuses of human rights? 0ur silence is deafening. 0ur position is very clear. it is known internationally. it is known domestically within the united kingdom. we do have profound concerns. we do raise these concerns. we do exhort saudi arabia to have respect for human rights. the threat to stability is extremism. the ultimate battle against extremism is one of hearts and minds. how can this sordid, uncivilised behaviour possibly help in the battle for hearts and minds? the minister said it was

a question of balance — the uk condemned human rights abuses and the use of the death penalty, but there were other areas where it was better to have a dialogue, and she had backing from a conservative colleague. should we notjust have a thought to what the implosion of saudi arabia would mean to world peace and stability? we only have to take the example of syria and iraq to be conscious of that. i thank my noble friend, i think, for a very helpful observation, because it is indeed the case that saudi arabia is in a position to influence, is in a position to assist with stability in the gulf area, and is in a position to help in the fight against daesh. surely the depth of our relationship with saudi arabia in trade, in finance, in the presence of many

saudi arabians in this country, the long—standing way in which we have been together through war and peace, would indicate that we have the options for significantly more leveraged than mere condemnation. and i wonder what other measures the government is taking which involve action as well as condemnation, particularly over this question. at the end of the day, saudi arabia is a sovereign state, and it is not possible for us to interfere either with itsjudicial system or its constitutional approach to these matters, but we can make clear, as we do, our profound disapproval and our profound opposition to abuses of human rights and deployment of the death penalty. lady goldie. finally, the 2017 intake of mps are continuing to make their first or maiden speeches. the new mp for slough said he felt the weight of expectation on his shoulders as the first turban—wearing sikh in the commons. slough, mr speaker,

is a town of firsts. it elected the uk's first—ever black lady mayor, and now, more than three decades later, it has elected the first—ever turbaned sikh in the british parliament. hear, hear! indeed, i believe the first—ever to any european parliament. wow. a glass ceiling has truly been broken, and i sincerely hope that many more like me will follow in the years and decades to come. i was most overwhelmed during a recent trip up north, when an elderly gentleman walked up to me with tears streaming down his eyes and said, i'm proud, son, because i didn't think that i would see this in my lifetime. but, he said, being distinctive could have advantages. ifor one, mr speaker,

and very much hoping that these brightly—coloured turba ns will act as a magnet, as you repeatedly point towards the member for slough to make his invaluable contribution to proceedings in this house. the new mp for slough making his first speech in the house of commons. and that's it from me for now. do join me at the same time tomorrow, when, among other things, we'll have highlights from the last prime minister's questions before the summer recess. but, for now, from me, alicia mccarthy, goodbye. the hello, there. the i've got the thunderstorm globe behind me, because huge thunderstorms broke out

across the south of the uk during the latter part of tuesday. but that was after quite a glorious day on tuesday afternoon. plenty of sunshine up and down the uk, and pretty decent temperatures. 26—28 celsius was tuesday afternoon's high. there was lots of sunshine across the north, a little bit hazier in the south, and then thunderstorms broke out, initially across the south—west of england, and then spreading into southern and south—eastern counties. torrential downpours, flash—floods reported, and also strong, gusty winds and very large hail. so there is likely to be further disruption for more showers and thunderstorms during the overnight period and into wednesday morning. keep tuned to your bbc local radio for the latest updates. now, thunderstorms continue to rattle on across england and wales during the overnight period. if you catch one, it could be very severe, and likely to be disruptive as well. but not all areas will get them. another warm and muggy start to wednesday. wednesday morning dose thunderstorms and showers will trundle northwards into scotland, and we'll see further thundery showers pushing into northern ireland, and then into wales and north—west england into the afternoon.

but for england and wales, for the majority it will be a fine afternoon. the sunshine will come out, it will feel humid, and temperatures will top 29—30, maybe even 31 celsius across east anglia and towards the east midlands. further west you are, it will be a bit cooler, cloudier, and showers and thunderstorms will make inroads into wales, north—west england eventually getting into northern ireland and western parts of scotland. but even ahead of it, we could see some thundery showers breaking out in scotland. so that's how it's looking through wednesday afternoon. now, as we head on through the evening period and overnight, those showers continue to trundle northwards and eastwards. potentially some severe ones. we could have flash flooding in places. the risk of hail and gusty winds with these storms. behind it, it starts to turn a little bit cooler and fresher, with clearing skies for northern ireland, into the far west of britain. but ahead of it, again, another warm and muggy night to come with the showers and thunderstorms. for thursday, again,

it will be quite a warm and humid start in central and eastern areas. those showers and thunderstorms continuing in the morning and into the afternoon they should eventually clear. something brighter pushing in and something fresher. we'll notice that, too. temperatures reaching 17—23 celsius in the south—east. so that will be feeling certainly much cooler than the last few days. into friday and saturday we're into that cooler regime. westerly winds bringing sunshine and showers off the atlantic. temperatures range from 18—20 celsius. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: back in the spotlight over russia. donald trump had a second discreet meeting with vladimir putin at the g20 summit according to the white house. but why? and mr trump's eldest son donald jnr has now been called to testify in congress over his meeting with a russian lawyer during the election campaign. the duke and duchess of cambridge visit a former concentration camp in poland, an experience they describe as shattering. and 18 months after his pioneering double hand transplant, zion harvey tells us

about his remarkable road to recovery. the only thing that's different is instead of having no hands, i have two hands. i'm still the same kid everybody knew without hands.