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Chris Philp accuses Sir Keir Starmer of having "smeared campaigners" in January when he called those who said the grooming gangs were covered up because of their ethnicity of "jumping on a far-right bandwagon".

He adds: "Standing up for rape victims is not far right. So will the deputy prime minister apologise for the prime minister ?"

But Angela Rayner says the PM not only raised the issues "but acted on them".

She says Starmer brought the first prosecutions against grooming gangs when he was director of public prosecutions, and first called for action to address "ethnicity issues" in 2012.

Rayner says Starmer's comments about jumping on a far-right bandwagon was specifically about Tory ministers at the time.

In his first question, shadow home secretary Chris Philp asks about the grooming gangs.

He wants to know if the government will agree to a number of demands from survivors on the upcoming inquiry.

This includes that it will be done before the summer recess - i.e. within the next six weeks or so.

Angela Rayner responds with gratitude for Philp's tone - which put the "victim's at the heart of his question".

Rayner does not say when the inquiry will start - but says it will be independent and will have statutory powers.

Angela Rayner and Chris Philp are facing off at PMQs, as Sir Keir Starmer is still flying back from the G7 in Canada.

Following live at the top of the page or follow along here for the latest.

By Rob Powell, political correspondent

With Sir Keir Starmer on the way back from the G7 in Canada, today鈥檚 mid-week despatch box bout will see Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner take on the Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp.

These sessions of 'deputy PMQs' often have a somewhat raucous vibe.

Think back to school 鈥� remember the days when your proper teacher was off; a supply guy stepped in, and everyone was a bit more mischievous than usual?

That.

In terms of topics, I鈥檇 be flabbergasted if Philp didn鈥檛 ask about grooming gangs and the government's U-turn on holding a public inquiry.

With small boat crossings running at high levels, he may also pivot onto attacks about illegal migration too.

The issue for shadow home secretary is he carries around a political Achilles Heel that鈥檚 visible from space - in the form of his ministerial record in government.

For a start, he was in the Home Office in the last two years of the final Tory administration.

Those were two years when legal and illegal migration were running AG百家乐在线官网-high.

It was also a period where the Tories were less keen on a public grooming inquiry.

Then there鈥檚 the real blotch on his CV 鈥� chief secretary to the Treasury during Liz Truss鈥檚 brief and disastrous premiership.

If Rayner ends up in a tight spot today, don鈥檛 be surprised if she plays that particular trump card.

As expected, the government is making a statement on HS2 today in the House of Commons.

This is set to take place from around 12.30pm - when PMQs finishes.

However, there is a chance the HS2 announcement might be slightly late if the previous business runs slow.

We're expecting the update to include delays to the opening of the project and criticisms of previous management.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander will be the one speaking on behalf of the government.

By Rob Powell, political correspondent

Here's a rule I tend to apply across the board in Westminster: If a politician is talking, politics is probably taking place.

Add into that, if the topic of debate is especially grave or serious, be more prepared to apply the rule, not less.

Which brings us to the grooming scandal.

There is no doubt Tory leader Kemi Badenoch was politicising the issue when she ripped into the government in the Commons on Monday.

In fact, she admitted as much.

Asked about it during her news conference, she said: "When I'm in the Commons, I will do politics. If every time we are pointing things out and doing our job we are accused of politicising something, it makes it a lot harder."

So the question here is less about whether politics is at play (it almost always is and that's not necessarily a bad thing), and more about whose interests the politics is working towards.

In other words, does Ms Badenoch care about the grooming scandal because she cares about victims or because she cares about herself?

Amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, we've had an update from the Foreign Office.

They say: "Family members of staff at the British embassy in Tel Aviv and the British consulate in Jerusalem have been temporarily withdrawn as a precautionary measure."

The government is currently advising against all travel to Israel.

Those in Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories have been told to register their presence with the British government.

The latest update from the Foreign Office added: "The embassy and consulate continues with essential work including services to British nationals."

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has been speaking to us about the Casey review into grooming gangs.

This comes in the wake of her review that recommends - and the government accepts - calling a national statutory inquiry.

Burnham says this will help with compelling witnesses and forcing data to be shared.

As well as pledging that everyone in the Manchester "system" will comply with the inquiry, Burnham said questions will need to be asked of civil servants in the central government.

He said: "The report is very strong and I do encourage my colleagues in government to implement every single piece of it - including Whitehall as well, in the scope of this report.

"Because decisions were taken there as well, which I think need examination. 

"And there have been people working there that also will need to answer questions."

He added that it's "important" Whitehall - a synonym for civil servants and unelected officials in government - is "fully included" in the scope of the probe.

Earlier this week, Sky News revealed how the Department for Education tried to block The Times reporting on the scandal back in 2011.

With Starmer on his way back from the G7 in Canada, his deputy Angela Rayner will be up at PMQs this lunchtime.

We were expecting the Conservatives to put up shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Alex Burghart, as had been the case previously.

However, Sky News now understands that shadow home secretary Chris Philp will be the one standing up for the opposition this lunchtime.

The daughter of assisted dying campaigner Esther Rantzen was just speaking to Sky News ahead of Friday's vote on the bill proposing legalising the practice.

Rebecca Wilcox, like her mother, has been campaigning for the bill to pass.

She is asked about opponents to the bill who have suggested it might allow mentally ill patients to end their own lives.

Wilcox says the bill will require someone to have a "terminal diagnosis" - and "you can't just be depressed" to end your life.

"And this is an example of some of the scaremongering that has been going on on the other side of the debate," she says.

"And I completely understand that they are desperate to stop it. 

"But if you are desperate to stop it, please don't. Please don't exaggerate the truth. Please don't exaggerate a lie." 

Join Sky News on Friday for coverage of the votes on the assisted dying bill.