the duke and duchess of sussex have announced they will step back as senior royals and work to become financially independent. prince harry and meghan also said they plan to split their time between the uk and north america. buckingham palace is believed to be disappointed by the announcement. president trump has said iran appears to be standing down after tehran launched more than a dozen missiles at air bases housing us troops in iraq. mr trump said no americans were injured in the attacks. but he promised to impose further sanctions on tehran. more hot and windy weather is expected to hit australia in the coming days as the bushfire crisis continues. at least 25 people have died since the fires started in september and almost 2,000 homes have been destroyed. millions of animals have also been killed in the fires. now on bbc news,

wednesday in parliament. hello again and welcome to wednesday in parliament as borisjohnson criticises iran for missile attacks on air bases in iraq and defends the killing of general qasem soleimani. supplying, improvising explosive devices to terrorists who, i'm afraid, killed and maimed british troops. that man had the blood of british troops on his hands. the labour leader condemns what he says was an illegal killing by the united states. isn't the truth, mr speaker, that this prime minister is unable to stand up to president trump because he's hitched his wagon to a trade deal with the united states? also in this programme,

allegations of bad behaviour in the house of lords. he proceeded to verbally abuse and shout at both a member of staff, calling them crooked, saying did they not know who he was, he had been here for 46 years. all of that to come and more. but first, boris johnson has condemned tuesday night's attacks on air bases in iraq where coalition forces are stationed and warned iran not to repeat them. during the attacks, ballistic missiles were fired at bases west of baghdad. iran's revolutionary guards said the strikes were in retaliation for last week's assassination of general soleimani on the orders of president trump. at the first prime minister's questions of the year, borisjohnson told mps there were no uk casualties as far as we can tell. mr speaker, i should begin by saying that we of course condemn the attack on iraqi military bases

hosting coalition forces. iran should not repeat these reckless and dangerous attacks but must instead pursue urgent de—escalation. the labour leader wanted the prime minister to confirm his opposition to any retaliation or further escalation of the crisis. following the government's support of the united states over the assassination of general soleimani, is the prime minister confident that the united kingdom troops and civilians are not at further risk in the region and beyond? as far as we can tell, there were no casualties last night sustained by the us, and no british personnel were injured in the attacks and we are doing everything we can, of course, to protect uk interests in the region. the government has said that it's sympathetic to the assassination of general soleimani. what evidence has the prime minister got to suggest this attack on him

and his death was not an illegal act by the united states? well, mr speaker, clearly, the strict issue of legality is not for the uk to determine since it was not our operation. but i think that most reasonable people would accept that the united states has a right to protect its bases and its personnel and i would remind the house that the individual concerned, qasem soleimani, was not only responsible for many years amongst other things, arming the houthis with missiles with which they attacked innocent civilians, arming hezbollah with missiles, which again, they used to attack innocent civilians, sustaining the assad regime in syria, one of the most brutal and barbaric regimes in the world, and, of course, supplying improvised explosive devices to terrorists who, i'm afraid, killed and maimed british troops.

that man had the blood of british troops on his hands. well then, mr speaker, if we stand by international law, as i'm sure the government does and would want to, then surely, killing somebody in a foreign territory is an illegal act and should be condemned as such. if we believe in international law, that should be the solution to the problems in the world. the united states actions have undoubtedly escalated the risks of a dangerous conflict in an already destabilized region. putting civilians, uk troops and nationals at risk and leaving the iran nuclear deal in danger of being dead in the water. this government's response is not putting the interests of this country first, but instead, seems more interested in prioritising the prime minister's relationship with president trump over the security of the region and of this country. isn't the truth, mr speaker, that this prime minister is unable to stand up to president trump because he's hitched his

wagon to a trade deal with the united states and that prioritises everything else that he ought to be considering? well, mr speaker, i was kind of waiting for the thing to come out at the end about the trade deal. this is absolute fiction. but i will say is that the uk will continue to work for de—escalation in the region. i think we've had a great deal of success in bringing together a european response and in bridging that european response with our american friends and working both with the iranians and the iraqis to dial this thing down. but he should be in absolutely no doubt, and of course this is the leader of the opposition who famously received £10,000 from the iranian press tv. he should be in absolutely no doubt that we are determined to guarantee with everything that we can, the safety and security

of the people of iraq, where is he of course would disband nato and it is this government that will continue to stick up for the people across the middle east who have suffered, who have suffered at the hands of qasem soleimani and the iranian revolutionary forces that he has led and whose terrorism he has promoted, and i'm very surprised that at the end of these exchanges, that he has yet to condemn the activities of qasem soleimani. the snp leader at westminster focused on scottish independence after his party won more than half the seats in scotland at the election. prime minister, who should determine the future of scotland? the prime minister or the people who live in scotland? mr speaker, i think the answer is very clear. it's the people of scotland who voted decisively, only four or five years ago, to stay members of the most successful political partnership

in history by a decisive majority in a once—in—a—generation choice. mr speaker, today the scottish parliament will decline legislative consent to the withdrawal bill we are deliberating later today. why is this conservative government dismissing the will of the people of scotland? ignoring their voice and disregarding our parliament? mr speaker, i think the real question is why does the snp keep going on about breaking up the most successful union in history to distract from their abundant failures in government? in spite of getting an extra 9 billion, £9 billion a year from the uk exchequer, which of course they would lose if they were to break away, they are mismanaging their health care and you will see, i'm afraid, it is not the fault of scottish

pupils, but you're seeing their schools falling behind in education. concentrate on what you're doing and stop going on about breaking up the union. the general election saw a rejuvenation of the scottish national party. their numbers rising from 35 to 48 mp5. just before christmas, the scottish government published a document called scotland's right to choose, making the case for a second independence referendum. at scottish questions, snp members were queuing up to ask about it. the secretary of state repeatedly said to the people of scotland during the general election campaign that, and i quote, "every vote for the conservatives is a vote to say no to ndrf." well, mr speaker, that went well for them, didn't it? we saw them lose over half the seats and left them barely a lump of mps. some will the secretary of state now listen to the people of scotland as reflected by the 80% of seats won by the snp and support

their expressed democratic will to choose their own future? 45% of scots voted for the snp in the 2019 election and 45% of scots voted for independence in 2014. the numbers simply haven't changed and i refer, further add in 2014, with the independence referendum hanging on the back of the edinburgh agreement, which was signed by alex hammond and nicola sturgeon, the then deputy leader, and it said that both parties would respect the outcome of the referendum, and that has not happened. the scottish secretaries have anticipated that the scottish parliament will refuse legislative consent for the european withdrawal bill. he said, and i quote, "that is something that we "is that they do not support brexit." when consenters refuse today, how will his government demonstrate that respect?

what we are respecting is the democratic outcome of referendums, which you do not respect. the referendum in 2016 was the united kingdom referendum and we voted to leave the european union. we're respecting that. the uk government have ignored scottish peoples' voices and votes in every election of referendum since 2016, careening on with both brexit and austerity. can the secretary of state inform us what precise electoral event would convince him that scotland's people should have the right to choose their own future? well, first of all, on austerity, the scottish government's own independence figures show there would be a 12.6 billion hole in the scottish finances and that would mean real austerity. regarding when the time will be

right, but nicola sturgeon and alexandra and said it was a once—in—a—generation, once—in—a—lifetime decision. i do not feel a generation or a lifetime have passed. but the minister did have his defenders. this document isjust another expensive and time wasting stunned by nicola sturgeon and the snp. the people of scotland chose — they chose in 2014 decisively to remain in the united kingdom. and it's time nicola sturgeon and the snp accepted that and move on. the snp have got every right to conintue making the case for independence and to do so with passion and with force. but what they do not have the right to do is to keep dragging the people of scotland and scottish business around the same mountain time and time again to try to get the answer that they did not get the first time. you are watching wednesday in parliament with me, david cornock. still to come up on this programme: why a cup of tea is a political issue.

an mp has accused a member of the house of lords for abusing security staff at westminster. the snp's hannah bardell raised the alleged behaviour of lord maginnis, a former ulster unionist mp, with the commons' speaker. yesterday, on re—entering the building for the first time after christmas, i witnessed one of the worst cases of abuse of security staff that i have seen in my time here. one of the members of the other place who i will name so as not to incriminate anybody else — lord ken maginnis — had forgotten his pass, something that we have all been guilty of. however, instead of taking the advice of the security staff who, as we all know, are here for our security and our safety, he proceeded to verbally abuse and shout at both the member of staff calling them "crooked"... oh, my god!

..saying did they not know who he was, he had been here for 46 years, and refusing to take the advice and assistance of both myself, the security staff, and the police that then attended. no member of staff of either house should have to put up with abuse. i would say we have a policy that runs through all of this estate and i would always encourage members to respect the people carrying out their duties to make sure we are safe. sir lindsay said abuse would not be tolerated and the house of lords would look into the issue. now, mps had a second day of debate on brexit as the withdrawal agreement bill continued its committee stage in the house of commons. 0pposition parties wanted to reinstate previously agreed measures to help reunite child refugees with their families arguing they had been watered down by the government.

right now across europe, there are thousands of unaccompanied children living in the most desperate circumstances. many of whom are separated from theirfamilies. and of legal family reunion is a lifeline to these children who would otherwise risk their lives in dinghies or in the back of lorries in order to reach a place of safety with their family and we've seen some pretty awful evidence recently of what can happen when refugees resort to dinghies or the back of lorries. and in recognition of that fact in 2018, a cross—party coalition in this house including prominent members of all parties including the conservative and unionist party recognised the humanitarian need for family reunion to continue and secured a legal commitment from the then government to negotiate a replacement for it for the rules currently in place when we leave the european union. we've reneged on the commitment to child refugees themselves to secure arrangements at the earliest opportunity for how to protect children elsewhere

in the eu who have an adult relative legally here, legally here, either with status or in the asylum process. because family reunion is one of those things which should not need explaining. apparently, it does. families belong together. families who are traumatised by war, persecution, and conflict are often forced to make decisions that none of us would ever want to have to make. sometimes in theirjourneys to safety, they are separated. we should be doing everything we can to help reunite them wherever they are because that's part of who we are as a country. i trust the government that this commitment will be stuck to in the appropriate place which is an immigration bill, but will she acknowledge that there is a potential problem post—dublin three with the full extent of those family members who qualify for family reunification which need to be sorted out, there is also a problem with the rate at which potential

applicants are processed in places like greece and italy, which is not working well, and the cost of those applications as well? this whole scheme needs to be promptly overhauled and just bunging it in this bill is not necessarily the best way of getting the best result which we all actually want. the thing that is so troubling about what the government has chosen to do is they've chosen to remove the obligations in the previous 2018 act that everyone had accepted, that had been supported by government ministers, by this house as just a very sensible objective to negotiate an agreement to make sure that some of those vulnerable children could simply be reunited with those families. it was the most innocuous element of that act. and so therefore, it is just inexplicable that government ministers should suddenly decide they want to take that away. this government is fully committed both to the principal of family reunion and in supporting the most vulnerable children. our policy has not changed and although she said that she had heard no whisper of negotiations, i can confirm that the home secretary wrote to the commission on the 22nd of october to start negotiations with the european union

on future arrangements. we will also continue to reunite children with their families under dublin regulation during the implementation period. a number of amendments concerned the status of northern ireland after brexit, whether it's businesses could expect unfettered access to the internal market in great britain and vice versa. they should not have had to expect border checks within the uk between great britain and northern ireland. and not only this, mr chairman, but this prime minister has at times appeared at odds with his own secretary of state on what the practical implications and therefore also the trading and economic and vocations of this would be for the movement of goods between great britain and northern ireland. one of my boats go catch fish in the high sea, comes back to portavogie, they're duo tariffs, they're do administrative and bureaucratic bureaucracy costs. yet if they went and landed

there catch in scotland or england, they don't have any charges whatsoever. the government promised a new golden dawn for the fishing sector when we left the eu. quite clearly, boats in northern ireland from portavogie, from ardglass, and elsewhere will not get that advantage. is it not time that the government protect the considered future of the fishing sector and make sure that they have the golden dawn that the rest of the united kingdom seem to have? it is clear that there are reporting requirements in terms of the functioning of the protocol but what we want to ensure as is very clearly set out in article six of the protocol that we use the joint committee within that to reduce those and make sure we have the absolute minimum burden on that and clearly, the protocol itself gives the government the ability to provide unfettered access. robin walker. now, should children involved in county lines drugs gangs be seen as victims or criminals? the chief constable of devon and cornwall police sean sawyer has been making his views known and in the lords, the government

was pressed about the funding of youth services. the chief constable points to the lack of family and security in these childrens' lives and the need to bridge the gap between dysfunctional homes and school. that's exactly what the family helps promised the conservative manifesto aim to do. can my noble friend the minister update the house on the government's plans for delivering on that promise? well, i certainly can and it's appropriate that he asked the question today because he will have heard the pm reiterate earlier on his commitment to family helps to our honourable friend fiona bruce in another place today, and my noble friend viscount younger has also written today to outline our commitment to supporting vulnerable families with the intensive, integrative support they need to care for children and that's why they've announced up to £165 million additional funding for the troubled families programme in 2021.

and the government will be setting out its plans for family helps in due course. the minister may be aware that since 2013, there has been a 70% increase in the number of young people being excluded from school. and being put in alternative provision. much of that alternative provision is unregistered. which means that there are no proper checks often on those young people. we also see young children in care being put in unregulated accommodation. how does the government plan to support these most vulnerable young people ? well, i'm glad the noble lord has raised this issue and it's notjust something that we're acutely aware

of but he and i will know from our local government days has been something that has been long overdue for attention and he may also know that the government commissioned my right honourable friend who i'm delighted to say is back in the other place to undertake a review of alternative provision so that the quality of provision can be as good and effective and perhaps more so than in mainstream schools because these children do need that extra attention. to date, there's been a £4 million investment in an innovation fund for alternative provision and i'm sure the house will be kept updated of the success of that. she's mentioned family helps. there's been a 69% reduction in funding of youth services by local authorities since 2010. my lords, this must have had a negative impact on the lives of many young people. will the government start to reverse that now? lady williams said the government was investing in youth services.

i think one of the most important aspects of funding is that into which we've put our trusted relationships fund, these children don't trust anyone. it's very, very important that they are able to build up trust with those who are seeking to protect them. here, we are talking about some of the most vulnerable children in our society, and some of them are actually in the care of local authorities. building on the question of lord hunt, would the minister agree that this is a sad reflection of the current state of the child protection services in this country and isn't it time that we looked again at the quality of protection standards? well, he and i go back many years on this issue and we don't disagree. and i shall certainly get my noble friend viscount younger to update him on some of the child protection issues because if children are staying in unregulated bed—and—breakfast for example which is something that i rememberfrom the past, then that situation needs to change

but i will get him an updated position on that. lady williams responding to lord laming. more than 15 years ago, you may remember he carried out an inquiry into the death of a neglected child, victoria climbie. now, staying in the lords, a former home secretary wondered how boris johnson new friends in the north happy? labour lord blunkett one of the government to do more for research and develop in the north of england. would given the heritage of the noble lord the minister agree that if scotland were as badly treated as yorkshire is given that yorkshire has a larger population than scotland, there would be an snp cry for something better? if we are going to action keep our nation together,

we need something betterfor east of the pennines. i would agree with the noble lord. on a bizarre point, i was criticised over the christmas period for not drinking scottish tea but yorkshire tea. even on these issues in scotland, grievances can be found. i think he's exactly right. there would be no doubt a problem if we were to treat these individuals as if they were competitive. there should be a constructive advantage to working together and seeing the collaboration that can lift all parts of the united kingdom and the wider benefit for all. the yorkshire—tea—drinking lord duncan. finally, how much are mps missing john bercow? as we've seen the new speaker is carving out a rather different style from his predecessor. under speaker bercow, the half—hour allocated to prime minister's questions could sometimes stretch to twice that. sir lindsay hoyle adopts a brisker approach, and mps have started to notice. mr speaker, i don't think it will have escaped anybody‘s attention but nevertheless i think it's worth making the point that we went through all

the names on the order paper for prime minister's questions, and a number of other colleagues on both sides got in. and we finished at about 12:31, and no one... and no one had to suffer abuse from the chair. so, with that... cheering. may i wish you a very happy new year and many more? what i've got to say is i won't use the time up on that... laughter. sir lindsay hoyle, winning friends among mps. that's it for wednesday in parliament. i hope you canjoin me at the same time tomorrow for thursday in parliament. thank you for watching. bye for now.

hello. weatherwise we are serving up all menu, we have frost, filed, gales, snow, heavy rain, and possibly even some thunder and lightning stopping it is actually stuck to the day across northern scotla nd stuck to the day across northern scotland after winds overnight, wet and windy thanks to this area of low pressure, and a second low piles into the south—west through the afternoon. not a very pretty picture for the rush hour across northern england or southern uplands of scotland, snow for the highest roots, heavy rain at lower levels and as the system clears the cutting north—easterly when making it feel particularly roll down the north sea coast before the self that is unseasonably mild, the area of low pressure roles into the afternoon bringing some rain, possibly with hailand bringing some rain, possibly with hail and thunder and again some risk of gales particularly for the channel islands and isles of scilly.

12 degrees and plymouth, just three in aberdeen. things improve overnight, spells of wet weather across southern england through the evening before the slow pulls off into the continent and the winds start to fall light, high pressure sta rts start to fall light, high pressure starts to build, and it is a very quiet start to friday and a chilly one as well stopping temperatures just a little longer in the south—east because the cloud one clear quite so quickly but generally a widespread trust, but light winds through the day, sunny spells. become the afternoon, or cloud coming into the north—west and rain will approach scotland and ireland before the afternoon is out stopping temperatures single figures, a much chillier feel temperatures single figures, a much chillierfeel for temperatures single figures, a much chillier feel for friday but then comes saturday, we are back into mild airas we comes saturday, we are back into mild air as we pick up a strong south—westerly airflow, the map behind me. that can hold a lot of moisture in this weather front will bring a lot of heavy rain to the northern half of the uk it whips away southwards before the second pa rt away southwards before the second part of the weekends are very wet on

saturday for scotland, northern ireland, in northern england with widespread gales, wanting to have been issued, further south it is drier and it is brighter, but it is relatively mild again on saturday, in fact relatively mild again on saturday, infactand relatively mild again on saturday, in fact and unseasonably mild. sunday, the prince went to the south—east, the skies are clear, there is more sunshine and the winds are lighter but it is a much chillier healing day and there will be some wintry showers around particularly across the north—west of scotland.

welcome to bbc news. i'm mike embley. our top stories: breaking with tradition...again! harry and meghan announce they'll be stepping back as senior members of the royal family. president trump says iran appears to be standing down after it fired missiles at air bases housing us forces in iraq. fresh warnings and evacuation notices in australia as hot, windy weather returns, threatening towns and communities. the former boss of renault—nissan, carlos ghosn, hits out at japan's judicial system in his first public comments since hejumped bail.