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Parliament

Jeremy Corbyn says NHS funding will fall, putting lives at stake and quotes a number of organisations and professional bodies, asking the PM. "Is it only you that knows best?"

Theresa May says more money is being put into the NHS, but to do that you have to ensure you have a "strong economy" unlike Labour, which would "cause a run on the pound" and result in less money for the health service.

House of Commons
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Jeremy Corbyn says the NHS is clearly in crisis and asks why there wasn't any extra funding for it in yesterday's Spring Statement.

Theresa May replies that they did want to wait for the Spring Statement so had had already made an extra £2.5bn available in last October's Budget. She then turns the focus on how Labour is running the NHS in Wales.

Mark D'Arcy
Parliamentary Correspondent

Smart work for Jeremy Corbyn to combine a Stephen Hawking tribute with an NHS attack.

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Theresa May said she looked forward to hearing from Mr Corbyn about the case he raised, but added that she hadn't received details about a previous case he mentioned in October relating to a woman called Georgina.

The PM says more money has been put into accident and emergency and the government was working with the NHS to make sure patients receive the right treatment.

Mr Corbyn replies that Georgina's case was resolved before he had to write to the prime minister - it was solved after he publicised the case at PMQs, he said "showing the power of Parliament".

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Image source, HoC

Jeremy Corbyn quotes Stephen Hawking's support for "universal healthcare" to raise a question about a man who has lived in the UK for a number of years but has been denied cancer treatment.

Theresa May says all those who are entitled to treatment from the health service should receive it.

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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn begins by saying he also absolutely condemns the "vile packages" sent to Muslim MPs and Islamophobia in this country.

"We have to stand united with any community that is under threat at any time," he said.

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Image source, HoC

Theresa May begins Prime Minister's Questions by paying tribute to the late scientist Stephen Hawking. She also addressed the issue of Muslim MPs being targeted by hate letters and says she will be making a statement on the Salisbury incident later.

Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú political editor Laura Kuenssberg says Theresa May has indicated that strong measures need to be taken against Russia in the wake of the attack on the Skripals.

She says there has been considerable efforts within government to get other nations on board to respond to the situation.

She says It will be very interesting to see if the government is granted its wish to have an urgent UN security council debate.

Image source, Getty Images

Russia is highly likely to be behind the attempted murder of a former spy and his daughter with a nerve agent, the prime minister has said.

Sergei Skripal, 66, and Yulia Skripal, 33, remain in a critical but stable condition after being found slumped on a bench near the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury, Wiltshire, on Sunday 4 March.

A police officer who fell ill tending to the pair remains seriously ill in hospital, while another person is being treated as an outpatient.

Theresa May said the chemical used in the attack had been identified as being part of a group of nerve agents developed by Russia known as Novichok.

Image source, PA

The UK should hit Russia "in the pocket" rather than withdrawing from the World Cup after the attack on an ex-spy and his daughter, Labour's shadow chancellor has said.

John McDonnell said he expected the PM to respond by "expelling diplomats".

But he said seizing the assets of those "who are abusing human rights... Russia included" would be more effective.

Theresa May is expected to announce measures against Russia after it failed to provide answers about the poisoning.

The UK has called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the poisoning of a former double agent in Salisbury, the Foreign Office says.

Russia failed to respond to a midnight deadline set by Theresa May to explain how a Russian-made nerve agent was used on Sergei Skripal and daughter Yulia.

The PM is set to announce a series of measures against Russia before MPs later.

Russia said it had "no motive" in the attempted murder of the pair.

Mark D'Arcy
Parliamentary Correspondent

There are several shadows across today’s PMQs, First the Prime Minister will remain at the dispatch box to make a statement on Russia and the Salisbury poison attack – which forecloses an entire subject area which would be bound to come up, under other circumstances. (Anyone who does decide to ask about it will probably be told to hang on for a few minutes….)

The second shadow is over Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. He was criticised by some senior figures on his own backbenches for the manner of his response to the PM’s previous Salisbury statement on Monday.

Will he seek to strike a carefully statesman-like tone on this occasion, or maybe double down, with more references to donations to the Conservative Party from Russian sources? And if he chooses the second option, will his backbench Labour critics show their dissent again?

The third shadow is over the third big player at PMQs – Mr Speaker Bercow. His Commons critics say he has been cautious to the point of being subdued since the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú’s Newsnight broadcast allegations of bullying against him, and other MPs.

His behaviour in the chair will be watched closely. Keep an eye out for a hostile point of order at some point today from one of his most hostile critics, the Conservative Andrew Bridgen. There are grumblings about an anti-Brexit sticker displayed on the Speaker’s car, and there is talk that he should stand down from the House of Commons Commission - the key administrative body of the Commons chaired byt the Speaker - while it discusses setting up an independent inquiry into the bullying allegations).

Other points to note as PMQs approaches...the list of questioners is heavy with Labour MPs, which provides an opportunity for Conservatives not on the list to be called, to balance up the Labour voices.

The list also includes the Labour ex-minister Vernon Coaker, who chairs the All Party Group on People Trafficking and Modern Slavery. It’s a fair bet his question will be on that area.

Watch out, too, for former Downing Street policy wonk Alex Burghart, who will doubtless have cooked up a question that is both astute and helpful to the PM.

Prime Minister Theresa May will be taking her place in the House of Commons shortly ready for the start of Prime Minister's Questions at noon. She will face questions from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and then other MPs. This weekly event normally lasts until about 12:45 GMT.

This will be followed by a statement from the prime minister setting out what measures the UK plans to take against Russia following the poisoning of a former Russian spy, and his daughter, in Salisbury.

You can watch it all unfold via the links at the top of this page, and we'll be bringing you text updates and reaction as things happen in the House of Commons.