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PMQs live: Theresa May faces Jeremy Corbyn amid Brexit leaks and Universal Credit controversy PMQs - as it happened: Theresa May announces major U-turn on housing benefit cap
(about 2 hours later)
Welcome to The Independent’s live blog on the latest developments from Prime Minister’s Questions.Welcome to The Independent’s live blog on the latest developments from Prime Minister’s Questions.
  
  
Following Tuesday’s emergency debate on Universal Credit, expect the Labour leader to once again raise the policy as Downing Street refuses to budge and give any more concessions on the waiting time for the first payment of claimants when transferring to the new regime.  Following Tuesday’s emergency debate on Universal Credit, Mr Corbyn dedicated a number of his questions to the rollout of the Government’s flagship welfare scheme and asked whether Theresa May would “respect the will of the House”. The Prime Minister refused to accept Mr Corbyn’s comments and said the Government was gradually phasing in Universal Credit.
The Prime Minister could also find herself on the defensive after one of the Government’s whips was accused of “McCarthyite” behaviour after writing to universities across the country and demanding a list of tutors lecturing on Brexit, including their reading materials. But one the most significant issues during the session came before the Labour leader’s questions as the Prime Minister  announced a major U-turn on the housing benefit cap for elderly and vulnerable people. 
On Tuesday Downing Street dismissed the request, claiming the MP Chris Heaton-Harris was not acting on behalf of the Government. The Prime Minister prompted cheers when she announced the Government would not roll out changes that would see people living in social housing having their housing benefit capped in line with the private rented sector.
But Ms May could use the recent reports of misogynistic and homophobic posts on social media from the Labour MP Jared O’Mara to hit back at Mr Corbyn. The MP, who defeated the former deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg at the recent election in Sheffield Hallam, resigned from the Women and Equalities Select Committee on Monday and is now facing calls to be suspended from the party’s whip while an investigation is underway.  The proposed cap, which was due to be introduced in April 2019, also prompted warnings from supported housing providers that it could put their viability at risk.
Speaking on ITV his Labour colleague Lucy Powell joined calls for him to be suspended. She said: Ms Powell, MP for Manchester Central, told ITV's After The News: “One of the key questions you're asked when you become a candidate for the Labour Party - and you have to sign a contract to say this - is there anything in your past that would bring the party into disrepute? Speaking during Prime Minister's Questions, she said: “I can also say today that as part of our response to the review, we will not apply the Local Housing Allowance cap to supported housing.
“And I don't understand, in all honesty, how Jared could have signed that paper. That's why I think he should be suspended while that investigation is taking place.” “Indeed we will not be implementing it in the wider social rented sector and the full details will be made available when we publish our response to the consultation.”