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MPs voted strongly on Monday to renew Britain's ageing nuclear weapons system, a multibillion-pound project regarded as key to maintaining the country's status as a world power following its vote to leave the European Union. Despite opposition from the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) and some in the opposition Labour Party, parliament approved the renewal of the Scottish-based nuclear-armed Trident submarines by 472 to 117 votes. John Bercow, speaker of the House of Commons announced the result of the vote Some opponents said the vote was being used by new Prime Minister Theresa May to unify her party, which has a parliamentary majority of 16, after a bruising Brexit campaign, and embarrass Labour by highlighting its own deep divisions. In her first statement in parliament as prime minister, May urged lawmakers to back Trident, not only to protect Britain from growing threats from Russia and North Korea, but also to protect thousands of jobs in Scotla...

The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Private Rented Sector (PRS) has launched an inquiry into the energy efficiency of private rented housing. From 1st April 2018, all privately rented properties will be required to have a minimum energy performance rating of E on an Energy Performance Certificate. This is likely to pose significant challenges given that privately rented homes are generally older and harder to treat than properties in other tenures. The Group’s inquiry follows the Government’s decision not to renew the Landlord Energy Savings Allowance in the March Budget. This had originally been introduced to encourage landlords to improve the energy efficiency of the properties they let but was dropped because of low take up. The Government has also ended funding for the Green Deal and a decision by the European Court of Justice earlier this year ruled that the reduced five per cent rate of VAT paid on energy efficiency products can no longer be applied...