26/05/2016 House of Commons


26/05/2016

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resignation, but the four then he will continue to champion their

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interests and I'm sure the House supports him in doing so. Order.

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Statement, the Secretary of State for business, innovation and skills.

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-- Business, Innovation and Skills. I would like to make a statement on

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Britain's steel industry. Yesterday Tata Steel board met and reviewed

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progress in the sale of their UK steel-making assets. Ahead of that

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meeting our travel to India to discuss this with their leadership.

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I arrived in London a few hours ago. I use the opportunity to stress the

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importance of the strong and effective sales process that Tata

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have done so far. I raised issues that had been flagged to me by

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potential buyers, and reiterated the government's willingness to support

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orders who can deliver a sustainable and successful future for British

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steel making. Tata understandably wants the sales process to be as

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swift and straightforward as possible, however they assured me

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that they remain absolutely committed to being a responsible

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seller. There are number of credible bids on the table, all of which we

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discussed. Tata is now discussing the proposals closely before making

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a decision on which to take through to the next stage of the sales

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progress. We will be continuing our dialogue with bidders and Tata while

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this happens. This remains an independent commercial process. It

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is not the government was my job to choose a winner or back a specific

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bed. What we can do is listen to Tata, to the bidders, and work with

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everyone involved to remove potential barriers to a sale. For

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example today we are launching a consultation on options to deliver

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clarity and security for British Steel pension scheme members. This

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follows representations from the trustees of the scheme itself, and

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also from Tata. Let me take this opportunity to thank my right

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honourable friend the Secretary of State for work and pensions and his

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team for all the hard work and making this consultation happen. The

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House will appreciate that commercial confidentiality stops me

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from offering running commentary on the sales process itself. All the

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bidders have themselves signed a nondisclosure agreement. I will

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continue to update the House in progress whenever that is

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appropriate to do so, and will continue to work round-the-clock to

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support ready steel-making and steelworkers. That support has

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already seen tens of millions of pounds of compensation paid to

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energy intensive agencies. It is seen as -- we are the first

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government to make it easier for other companies to buy British

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Steel. It has seen a stand-up British Steel in Europe, calling for

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a ban on Chinese imports where there is evidence of unfair trade. At

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yesterday's demonstration by steelworkers, it reminded us that

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this is ultimately about people, about the hard-working men and women

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who make British Steel the best in the world. We owe it to them and

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their families and communities to do everything we can to secure the

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future of the industry, and that is why my colleague has been fighting

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for British Steel since long before the current crisis hit the

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headlines, which is why we will continue to fight for it but as long

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as it takes. We are very pleased to be supported by the First Minister

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of Wales. We're also receiving... By putting aside political point

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scoring, we're together securing a secure and safe future for British

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steel-making. I commend the statement to the House. Can I thank

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the right honourable gentleman for his statement and advanced sight of

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it. I am surprised that he has failed to mention any of the details

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of the consultation paper on pensions. This is published today. I

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agree with his assessment of the importance of the steel industry to

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the UK economy. No one who saw the steelworkers marched through London

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yesterday can felt to be moved by the sight of a dedicated unskilled

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workforce fighting for the industry. I welcome his trip to Mumbai along

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with the First Minister of Wales to meet with the Tata Borja study. His

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direct engagement with them is better late than never. I also

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welcome his confirmation that Tata are acting as a responsible seller.

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That is vital for the future of the industry here, and I commend them

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for it. The British Steel pension scheme, especially the liabilities

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it now brings with it, is clearly an issue that requires resolution. Any

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resolution must protect the pensions of the scheme's 130,000

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beneficiaries, but it must also ensure that it avoids setting a

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potentially dangerous precedent for the millions of other occupational

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pensioners who currently enjoy RBI indexation rights. I recognise that

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there are no easy options. I welcome the consultation which has been

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published today by the Department for work and, at the time frame for

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responses is very short. This document has been published on the

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last day before a recess. The suggested move from RBI to CPI for

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the British steel pension scheme risks setting a worrying precedent

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for other occupational schemes. The House will know that this change is

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currently illegal. Why has the Secretary of State said nothing

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about the details of the pension consultation that he has published

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today? Can he now say a little more? Is there a agreement across the

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government on the principle of the changes to section 67 and 68 of the

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1995 act which would reduce indexation from RBI to CPI in this

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particular scheme? What assurance can the Secretary of State give me

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that this proposed change will not be extended in the future to other

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occupational schemes? Can this change be sensibly and safely ring

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fenced quest Mark if not, it is very difficult. What guarantees can the

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Secretary of State give the House on the future management of the British

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Steel pension scheme, if such concessions limiting future benefits

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to pensioners are conceded now, especially on the administrative

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costs under charges of the scheme going forward? Are there any other

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options that were considered either Secretary of State but not included

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in the consultation, such as safeguarding the scheme on the

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public books, as has been done with the postal scheme and was done with

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the Mineworkers? Finally, has the Secretary of State considered the

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effect on the incentive to save for the wider workforce if accrued

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pension rights can be arbitrarily reduced, as the paper suggests?

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First, let me thank her for her comments and questions. She raised

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the demonstration that took place yesterday and she is right that it

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is all about people. I was pleased to note that the Business Minister

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attended that demonstration alongside the Leader of the

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Opposition, they are united in this cause to find a long-term solution.

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The right honourable lady focused questions on pensions, and I will

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answer as many as those as I can. She is a former pensions minister

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herself and I take very seriously what she has to say. She has a great

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deal of experience in this area. While the consultation continues, I

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would be more than pleased to sit down with her to discuss things in

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more detail, as I know them work and pension secretary will also be. She

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raised the issue of time. It is a four-week consultation, as I think

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she knows, but time is of the essence. The steel industry is in a

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very difficult state at the moment. Tata is looking to secure a sale as

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soon as possible. They have been responsible with the time frame so

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far, but I hope she understands that timing is important, and hopefully

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we have plenty of time to consider all the stakeholders that have

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responded. Turning to the consultation itself, one of the

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first important points to make is that it is the scheme's trustees

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that have come forward and asked us to look at current legislation

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because they believe that it would lead to better outcomes for the

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investors. Under the current rules, they do have the ability to make all

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of the changes they have proposed, but they are prevented, rightly so,

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by legislation, the 1995 pensions act, and they have asked us if we

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would consider removing that portion of the act in the case of beer

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scheme only. -- their scheme only. The scheme is in deficit so it is

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very unlikely that any situation can come about where, unless some of

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these changes are made, this scheme can be prevented from entering the

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PPF. That is not to say there is any issue with the PPF. It is one of the

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strongest brands of our pension system and envied around the world

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and it provides an excellent safety net to so many people. At the scheme

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trustees have put forward this proposal and it is only right that

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we consider it. I won't go into the details about how, if their proposal

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was taken forward, how it would affect certain members, but I think

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it is very important to emphasise that if this proposal happened, it

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wouldn't be the Government making changes, it would be something the

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scheme would want to do because it believes it would mean that in

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almost every case, that their members would be either better off

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or no worse off. That is their belief and it would be tested by the

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pensions regulator. Lastly on the pension, I think it is with also

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highlighting that the Government has not made any decision, it is rightly

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considering what the pension trustees have come up with as a

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proposal and I think it is absolutely right to consider this

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and consult widely and then for the Government to determine later on if

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it is the right thing to do. Can I welcome the Secretary of State's

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statement about the possibility of Tata Steel being bought and carrying

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on as a business. This is very similar to... Which has just closed

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down in my constituency. There are people looking to keep it running

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and keep the 320 people employed. Could I have an urgent meeting with

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the Secretary of State to discuss this? I would be very happy to meet.

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I thank the Secretary of State for advanced side of his statement. This

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is an incredibly sensitive issue and it must be handled with extreme care

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and that is why I am disappointed there was not more detail in this

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statement today. It begs more questions than answers. We wish to

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see the Government act where it can and as quickly as it can, to support

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and save the UK steel industry and as said on so many occasions in this

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House, we are keen to support steel community is represented across this

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House. As the Shadow Secretary of State says, we are concerned this

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could upset a dangerous precedent, undermine workplace pensions. The

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general secretary of community said this morning, we are not taking

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anything off the table but it is important that any change in law to

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change Steelworkers's pensions will not have an adverse impact on other

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pension schemes. Mark Turner of Unite has made comments this

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morning. That is why it would be inappropriate for the UK Government

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to push this through without further consideration. Could the Minister

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advise what discussions he has had, how will the scheme work? How will

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pensioners currently in the scheme be affected? Will there be a

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disadvantage for future scheme members? Will he commit to set aside

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more time in this House so all of these issues can be teased out and

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discussed to support the industry but also insure there are no wider

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unintended consequences? He quoted the leader of the community union

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and I think Roy is right. We need to tread carefully and this is a very

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important issue and he is right, that we should not set any

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precedents where the House may come to regret them later. At the same

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time, I think it is also right that we listen to the trustees and indeed

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the unions and Tata itself, about this proposal and we consider it

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very carefully indeed. I am sure the House will have more time to look at

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this in more detail. There is a lot more information. I understand you

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might not have had enough time to look at it just yet but I believe

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the consultation will give us the time that we need to look at this

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carefully. May I commend the Secretary of State for what he's

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doing to try to save this industry. I say this other pension fund holder

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myself, but I am slightly concerned by these proposals and I hope we

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would proceed with great caution and with thoughtful those likely to be

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series the affected by it. Can I thank my honourable friend for his

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comments. I think there will be many members of this scheme that may well

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be concerned and that is why it is absolutely right they have full

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information, both in terms of the consultation, I understand the

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chairman of the trustees today has welcomed the Government's move on

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this but at the same time, he said the trustees themselves were right

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to... Members. I know this is all about getting the best outcome for

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the members but also sustaining the long-term future of our great steel

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industry. I welcome the Work and Pensions Secretary's rhetoric in the

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written statement today that Britain's steel industry is part of

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our economy and this Government is working to help the industry. May I

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push the Business Secretary on the risks that steps taken could set at

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dangerous precedent whereby companies abdicate their

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responsibility to the members of their pension schemes. Is this deal

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purely for steel or is the Government extending it to

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strategically important sectors of the community, of industries

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identified to be of crucial importance to the UK? I mention the

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Royal Mail scheme. Wright can I welcome those comments. There is no

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deal and no preferred option. This is a very open consultation. There

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are a number of options the Government is looking at. No

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decision has been made. We are very weary of setting a precedent -- we

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are very wary. This is very much about this scheme only. As ministers

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know, on our recent visit with the Business Minister to the Tata site

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in Corby, we had a good discussion about the future of the site and we

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heard about what was required in terms of time and investment needed

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to see the plan through. As part of his discussion, not only with

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potential buyers but also in Mumbai, has the Secretary of State had any

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indication that sort of investment we desperately need in Corby will be

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forthcoming? My honourable friend asks a good question and of course,

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he is rightly concerned about Corby, his constituency, the operations

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Tata Steel have there. There is a lot in this process that is

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commercially sensitive and it wouldn't be appropriate for me to

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discuss it in public. But there are seven bidders that have already come

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forward. A number of them have put forward in much more detail, serious

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bids and Tata are considering those. Many of them include a future for

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all the operations that Tata currently have. While the House is

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naturally concentrating on steel jobs and steel pensions, the

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Secretary of State must be aware there are thousands of other schemes

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covering millions and millions of members, whose schemes are

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equally... Difficult placed at the current time. Might I make a plea,

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that when we return from this short break, we have an opportunity to

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discuss what will be the longer term repercussions of the announcement he

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has made today so there can be a feeling of the House on what the

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next moves might be to defend what has been one of the great successes

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the welfare state occupational pensions. I would listen carefully

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to what the chairman of the Select Committee for work and pensions has

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to say, particularly on this type of issue. I would be happy to meet and

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discuss this further. He makes an important point that this should be

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seen as a general look at pensions rules. We are lucky other country to

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have a robust pension system when things do go wrong. This is very

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much about this scheme and I would be happy to discuss it with him

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further. The Secretary of State's consultation present in important

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potential point of principle. Could you tell the House whether it alone,

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the change of indexation alone will put the fund into surplus, but if it

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is still in deficit after this change, is there not a future

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possibility, a PPF referral will mean a double whammy towards the

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workforce? What I can tell my honourable friend is that the

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pension trustees believe with their proposal, that it will move the

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scheme into surplus and make it stable. However, it is worth

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emphasising that the pension regulator would be very much

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involved if this did go ahead. Pension regulator would have to be

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satisfied with that and they would have to be a of safeguards also.

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There has been some speculation in the media that Tata Steel may in

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fact decide to retain the business. Could the Secretary of State

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explained if that were to happen, what role Tata Steel would play in

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this issue of dealing with the pension scheme? There is all sorts

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of a collision on this issue in the press but what I can tell you, a

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gentleman I note has been committed to this process. Tata remains

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focused and committed on the sales process. There are seven potential

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bidders, the next step is to narrow the field, which is important, so we

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can all focus on the most credible bids and the Government stands ready

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to work with those bidders. On both sides of the House, there is concern

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of what would happen if the pension scheme was changed for Tata Steel.

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Isn't the thing that would make the sale more attractive, is to go to

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the root of the problem, which is the dumping of Chinese steel? Why

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can't we followed the example of the President of the united States, who

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has just put on tariffs of 588% against Chinese steel? First of all,

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tariffs do have a role to play, whether there is evidence of unfair

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trade and the good news is, where that evidence has come up, working

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with our colleagues in the EU and his colleagues in the EU, we have

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been able to take action. In almost every case, where a tariff has been

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introduced, it has resulted in a fall in Chinese imports of almost

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90% and so, it shows us the process is affected. -- effective. My

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father-in-law is a British Steel pension holder, what do you believe

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would happen regarding recent deals if the pension has to be absorbed

:22:28.:22:33.

into the protection fund? How much money the Treasury's already made by

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taking over the miners's pension from receiving half the surpluses

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every year. What I can tell you, if this pension fund ended up in the

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PPF, the outcome would be different depending on the particular

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circumstances of that group of members. Where those members are

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existing pensioners, so receiving their pension already, typically,

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what would happen if they would continue to get 100% of their

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pension but the indexation would change to the statutory minimum,

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which is typically CPI. I know from my discussions with ministers about

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the future of the Scunthorpe works, they have been grappling with the

:23:24.:23:27.

issue of business rate support for the industry. Is the Minister able

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to advise and update us on any progress that has been made to

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additional relief that could be given? What I can tell him is that

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business rates, they are an important component of costs for

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many industries. The Government has already taken action so the last

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budget, we announced going forward, they would be index to CPI rather

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than RPI. Regarding steel, there are specific proposals and while we do

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keep things under review, we are very focused on other ways we can

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also help the industry. Can the Secretary of State tell the House

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whether he or the scheme trustees have had any preliminary discussions

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with the pensions regulator about this potentially very risky

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precedent setting proposal? I can tell her we have. I have the

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Secretary of State of Work and Pensions Azerbaijan we as other

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ministers and what it underlines in of these proposals wept ahead it

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would require the full support of pensions regulator.

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My right honourable friend referred to this about people. Can he update

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on what support is given to the steelworkers and the wider

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community? Mr Speaker, I think some of the best support we can provide

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is the confidence that we have given to the sales process to secure

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long-term future for Tata's asset, in the UK. My right honourable

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friend will know for example we have talked about helping with financing

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on commercial term, hundreds of millions of financing, including a

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potential equity investment of up to 25%.

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In Scotland, Tata plant in my constituency has already been sold

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on, but current and former steelworkers in Motherwell will

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rightly be concerned about their pensions now frozen in the scheme.

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Will the Secretary of State provide assurances as quick laze possible,

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to my constituents that their future pensions are secure? Mr Speaker, it

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is important the Hoyle knows that no pensions are frozen. Honourable

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lady. This scheme is working as it should, the reason this consultation

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has come about, is because as I have said, the scheme, the trustees

:26:00.:26:03.

believe this may lead to a better outColl for all members including

:26:04.:26:08.

her constituents. I welcome the Secretary of State's

:26:09.:26:10.

statement and I wonder what assurances he can give the House,

:26:11.:26:15.

that in his able work to ease the steel crisis, that the crucial

:26:16.:26:19.

principles of members always having the final say and employer pension

:26:20.:26:25.

promise, once made should always be delivered is protected? My right

:26:26.:26:30.

honourable friend is right to highlight that. Of course, we must

:26:31.:26:36.

maintain to everything, to maintain integrity in our pension system, in

:26:37.:26:41.

this particular case, I think what is important, is examining carefully

:26:42.:26:46.

the belief of the trustee, which is they believe that by exploring some

:26:47.:26:50.

alternatives laid out to datings it would be a better outcome than the

:26:51.:26:57.

alternative for members. Is the minister wear that the last

:26:58.:27:03.

Tory Government deal with the major occupational pension fund was the

:27:04.:27:10.

Major Government way back in 1994, when they privatised tall pits and

:27:11.:27:16.

they did a deal with the tested UDM in order to get the thing on the pen

:27:17.:27:23.

snund settled. The result was chaos. -- pension fund. The net result was

:27:24.:27:28.

even worse after that, because it meant that the Government was able

:27:29.:27:34.

to get its hands on billions of pounds from the miners' pension fund

:27:35.:27:39.

and then at the end, when me and my honourable friend were calling for a

:27:40.:27:45.

little bit of state aid to save the last remaining pits, this lousy

:27:46.:27:51.

rotten Tory Government wouldn't find a penny. I am not sure MrDeputy

:27:52.:27:58.

Speaker that has anything to do with today's statement.

:27:59.:28:06.

I know the Secretary of State and the Business Minister will do all

:28:07.:28:10.

they can to ensure as many jobs as possible and make sure that the

:28:11.:28:14.

pension scheme pays outs to as many as possible. Possible. Can he assure

:28:15.:28:19.

it it will be sustainable and we won't be back if two years' time

:28:20.:28:23.

having the same challenges in the steel industry? What I... Sorry.

:28:24.:28:35.

Thank you. I can assure my right honourable friend that first no deal

:28:36.:28:40.

has been done. Today is about this consultation is about exploring

:28:41.:28:43.

options that have been brought to us by the trustees. It is right we look

:28:44.:28:48.

at that, and further assurance, I can again tell my right honourable

:28:49.:28:51.

friend that the regulator would have to be involved as well as a number

:28:52.:28:54.

of other safeguards if we went ahead.

:28:55.:29:00.

I appreciate the timescale in this consultation has to be short but

:29:01.:29:03.

will the Government commit to publishing a full impact assessment

:29:04.:29:07.

of what it means for people. My constituents have suffered so much.

:29:08.:29:10.

If they get another kick like this it will be disgraceful. The

:29:11.:29:14.

Government has acted shamefully. Please look at what the impact of

:29:15.:29:20.

this will be. I have listened carefully to the

:29:21.:29:24.

honourable lady and I think there will be rightly be including her

:29:25.:29:26.

constituents many people that will want to know what kind of impact

:29:27.:29:29.

this could have. They would want to compare to it to the alternative as

:29:30.:29:33.

well, and judge for themselves, if they are better off with the

:29:34.:29:37.

proposal from the trustees. There is a lot more information the

:29:38.:29:41.

consultation document but I am sure there will be more available in the

:29:42.:29:45.

next few weeks. I would like to welcome the

:29:46.:29:49.

statement from my right honourable friend today, and that as these

:29:50.:29:53.

important discussion continue, I would like to ask for his assurance

:29:54.:29:54.

all the rest of work to support the all the rest of work to support the

:29:55.:29:59.

steel industry continues, and with that in mind, in particular, to

:30:00.:30:02.

congratulate him on his denouncement to roll out the guidance on

:30:03.:30:07.

procurement practise and ask what he is doing to ensure that UK steel

:30:08.:30:11.

companies are wear of bidding opportunities and they are in this

:30:12.:30:15.

the best place to win contract? Can I thank my right honourable friend

:30:16.:30:18.

for her comments and I can assure her we continue the rest of the work

:30:19.:30:26.

which began a long time ago, unfair trading, but of course on

:30:27.:30:30.

procurement as well. One of the streams is just that, as she

:30:31.:30:34.

suggested is making sure that our procurement pipeline, we have the

:30:35.:30:39.

biggest infrastructure pipeline of any Government that is well-known to

:30:40.:30:48.

all steel suppliers and producers. Angela Smith.

:30:49.:30:55.

Thank you MrDeputy Speaker. Look I acknowledge that the Secretary of

:30:56.:30:59.

State and the Business Minister have both visited Stocksbridge and they

:31:00.:31:02.

will understand now that the plant does make some of the very best

:31:03.:31:07.

steel in the world. On that basis it really is important that we do have

:31:08.:31:12.

a responsible buyer for the business, so can I ask for further

:31:13.:31:16.

details from the Secretary of State, of the timetable which is an

:31:17.:31:21.

indicator that Tata is committed to finding a responsible buyerer and

:31:22.:31:26.

how the pensions consultation timetable fits into this overall

:31:27.:31:30.

time table for the sale of the Tata UK holdings.

:31:31.:31:36.

First can I tell the honourable lady I joined my visit to Stocksbridge

:31:37.:31:39.

and I can see how strong a business that is and how valuable it is. I

:31:40.:31:43.

agree with her comments of the business. In terms of the timetable,

:31:44.:31:49.

one thing I did mention earlier Tata wants a swift process but they

:31:50.:31:51.

haven't set out a specific timetable, which is good. There is

:31:52.:31:57.

some flexibility in that. The pensions consultation, being a four

:31:58.:32:00.

week consultation, if the government were to take any of these proposals

:32:01.:32:06.

forward, it is going to be based on the evidence and the returns to the

:32:07.:32:10.

consultation, then we just want to make sure it is done as quickly as

:32:11.:32:13.

possible, so they can help themselves -- the sales process.

:32:14.:32:19.

I understand that there are a number of credible bidders in the sale

:32:20.:32:22.

process. I wonder if he could tell the House whether there are options

:32:23.:32:26.

for these bidders to work in partnership to help seek solution

:32:27.:32:30.

for the pension scheme and for the UK steel industry more widely? What

:32:31.:32:35.

I can tell my right honourable friend, sorry. MrDeputy Speaker...

:32:36.:32:46.

What I can tell my right honourable friend is that seven bidders have

:32:47.:32:50.

expressed interest so far, that field will be narrowed now, I can't

:32:51.:32:54.

tell him because I don't know at this stage to exactly how many, but

:32:55.:32:59.

where there are bidders, that may want to work together, I am sure,

:33:00.:33:03.

very confident that Tata will take that seriously.

:33:04.:33:14.

Can I ask the Secretary of State what... About protecting those steel

:33:15.:33:23.

makers and processes involved in the success programme such as Sheffield

:33:24.:33:29.

Forgemasters. These are important for the UK economy and ability to

:33:30.:33:34.

provide a nuclear deterrent. I can tell him there have been regular

:33:35.:33:37.

meetings with our colleagues in the Ministry of Defence and with those

:33:38.:33:42.

company, including Sheffield Forgemasters, specialise in some of

:33:43.:33:46.

the steel that is required for defence purposes, for example he

:33:47.:33:51.

will be pleased to know for the new Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers

:33:52.:33:54.

that will use 95,000 tonnes of British Steel.

:33:55.:33:59.

While the words of support from the party opposite is welcome, I wonder

:34:00.:34:02.

if the Secretary of State has made an assessment of the impact of the

:34:03.:34:07.

climate change Levy, introduced by Gordon Brown has had on the steel

:34:08.:34:10.

industry and what steps the Government is taking to support

:34:11.:34:14.

other energy intensive injuries such as the China clay industry which is

:34:15.:34:22.

important to my constituency. What I can tell him, it is an

:34:23.:34:28.

important point. Energy costs are important for all energy, including

:34:29.:34:33.

steel, Sam minute Micks and other industry, we have introduced

:34:34.:34:36.

compensation for industry, and that is meant for the steel industry that

:34:37.:34:41.

saved 83 million already, including Tata Steel. Now we are move further

:34:42.:34:46.

to an exemption which by the end of thisle Parliament could say another

:34:47.:34:50.

400 million. As well as the march yesterday

:34:51.:34:57.

Nissan held an event in Parliament celebrating the excess lens of the

:34:58.:35:02.

supply chain which includes the zodiac line. In these difficult

:35:03.:35:07.

time, can the Secretary of State be specific about what ministers are

:35:08.:35:11.

doing, to ensure customer confidence is being maintained? Because I

:35:12.:35:19.

wasn't here I missed that exhibition but know the Business Minister

:35:20.:35:24.

attended that, and very much agrees with the sentiment about the

:35:25.:35:29.

importance of in particular zodiac line fourth for our automotive

:35:30.:35:33.

industry. We have been in touch with Nissan and auto producers and many

:35:34.:35:38.

other companies that rely on British Steel, particularly from Tata, as

:35:39.:35:42.

operations and making sure that they have confidence in this process, the

:35:43.:35:46.

sales process so they can be secured that that supplier will be there for

:35:47.:35:52.

the long-term. Could I thank the Secretary of State

:35:53.:35:55.

and the minister for all the work they continue do on this matter. Can

:35:56.:36:00.

I raise the question I raised last year about problems if with quality

:36:01.:36:04.

of import steel, particularly in the construction industry and what work

:36:05.:36:07.

the department is continuing to do on that. My right honourable friend

:36:08.:36:14.

is right to raise this issue. British Steel is known worldwide,

:36:15.:36:18.

not just at home, for its quality, and there have been cases where I

:36:19.:36:22.

think companies have come to regret some the steel they have imported,

:36:23.:36:26.

and I think it is important that the Government continues to play a role

:36:27.:36:31.

alongside the industry to highlight that. The Secretary of State speaks

:36:32.:36:38.

of urgency when it comes to the pension consultation but does he

:36:39.:36:44.

agree he acted with urgency years ago we wouldn't be in the situation

:36:45.:36:49.

we are now. The honourable lady is right to talk

:36:50.:36:54.

about urgency and that is why this Government is acting as quickly as

:36:55.:37:00.

it can, to be fair to the honourable lady she should speak perhaps to

:37:01.:37:03.

some of the leadership of her party and ask why in the last Parliament

:37:04.:37:10.

the Leader of the Opposition, the Shadow Chancellor, the then Shadow

:37:11.:37:12.

Business Secretary didn't raise the word steel once in the Commons.

:37:13.:37:22.

This is obviously to look at the pension fund but what any

:37:23.:37:26.

perspective change to pensions and legislation include a ballot of

:37:27.:37:29.

scheme member, so they can give their approval for any changes to

:37:30.:37:35.

that scheme? MrSpeaker, my right honourable friend asks a good

:37:36.:37:39.

question. It is worth highlighting in terms of the proposal from the

:37:40.:37:44.

trustee, under the scheme rule, as they currently exist, the trustees

:37:45.:37:48.

do have the right to make the changes they have proposed. What is

:37:49.:37:52.

preventing them is legislation, but I think when the scheme trusteeings

:37:53.:37:56.

discuss this and communicate with members, it is important they

:37:57.:38:00.

provide full information and that is done.

:38:01.:38:07.

The Secretary of State mentioned the First Minister and trade unions and

:38:08.:38:11.

Plaid Cymru's support for the steel industry and we did propose some

:38:12.:38:15.

practical and detailed measures which would have supported the steel

:38:16.:38:23.

industry. However, would he accept that our supporter -- support is not

:38:24.:38:30.

affecting the pensions of current steel workers and of steel

:38:31.:38:34.

pensioners. I can tell the honourable gentleman

:38:35.:38:38.

that if these proposals that are in the consultation f they don't go

:38:39.:38:41.

ahead and I say still it is important the highlight the

:38:42.:38:44.

Government has not made a decision on this, it is very very likely that

:38:45.:38:49.

the scheme will end up in the Pension Protection Fund, because of

:38:50.:38:54.

the size of its deficit. So what I would urge the honourable gentleman

:38:55.:38:57.

in making that determination, we would be happy to speak to him

:38:58.:39:01.

further and discuss this in more detail. When he makes his

:39:02.:39:04.

determination he keeps in mind what the altentive might be.

:39:05.:39:12.

Thank you MrDeputy Speaker. I welcome the minister's statement

:39:13.:39:14.

today and the action so far that have been taken. He will be wear

:39:15.:39:20.

this isn't the only industry where pensions are being debated such as

:39:21.:39:27.

in terms of BHS. Would he confirm this is only being considered due to

:39:28.:39:33.

the desperate need to save jobs in the steel industry and any move

:39:34.:39:40.

would be to this company. As I say Mr Deputy Speaker, first he

:39:41.:39:45.

makes an important point. We have excellent protection for

:39:46.:39:55.

pensions in this country but we can all agree is is a very unique

:39:56.:39:58.

situation. When the government said we will look at all options, it is

:39:59.:40:01.

right we have this consultation today. The Secretary of State said

:40:02.:40:22.

that... There are lessons to be will learn from the minors. It was

:40:23.:40:34.

estimated that the Treasury would get ?2 billion, but they are going

:40:35.:40:43.

to get ?8 billion. I can reassure the honourable gentleman but those

:40:44.:40:48.

kinds of options that he has referred to are not being looked at.

:40:49.:40:52.

We are specifically looking at something very clear in this

:40:53.:40:54.

consultation document specifically regarding this game. -- this scheme.

:40:55.:41:05.

Thousands of members of the pension scheme are from the old Rando

:41:06.:41:16.

steelworks in my constituency. One of the obstacles to securing a buyer

:41:17.:41:22.

for the works has been the withdrawal of trade credit insurance

:41:23.:41:27.

over recent weeks. Will the Secretary of State do whatever he

:41:28.:41:30.

can to make sure that appropriate guarantees are available? My

:41:31.:41:36.

honourable friend is absolutely right to raise this. The provisional

:41:37.:41:43.

trade is a commercial matter the Tata but I'm confident that they can

:41:44.:41:50.

identify solutions but we are monitoring the situation closely. I

:41:51.:41:57.

welcome his reassurance that Tata remain committed to being

:41:58.:42:00.

responsible seller. Can he confirmed that Tata have a possibilities in

:42:01.:42:07.

reference to the pension scheme, and we will make sure that Tata develop

:42:08.:42:15.

did -- deliver those responsibilities so that no

:42:16.:42:18.

pensioner is worse off after this process has been completed? The

:42:19.:42:23.

honourable gentleman will no doubt first of all he is right to say that

:42:24.:42:30.

the scheme's sponsor Tata UK have response ability to the pension

:42:31.:42:33.

scheme. The reality is that the scheme is in deficit, depending on

:42:34.:42:39.

how you measure it. Anything from 700 million to 1.5 billion, perhaps

:42:40.:42:43.

even higher. And it is well understood that because of the

:42:44.:42:47.

financial troubles of his company, they are not able to that deficit.

:42:48.:42:52.

That is why the scheme's trustees have come forward with this proposal

:42:53.:42:56.

and I hope the honourable gentleman agrees with me that whilst we should

:42:57.:43:01.

not rush to decision, it is right that we consider it. Would he like

:43:02.:43:08.

to draw the House's attention to the paragraphs in his consultation that

:43:09.:43:11.

say that should the government decided to regulate the change on

:43:12.:43:14.

indexation revaluation or transfer, the scheme was then to make a

:43:15.:43:19.

surplus, it is clear that any surplus would be used in the best

:43:20.:43:23.

interests of members and not transferred out subsequent any

:43:24.:43:29.

change. I can confirm that my honourable friend. Should these

:43:30.:43:38.

changes take place as proposed by the trustees, what ever surplus or

:43:39.:43:42.

whatever change that brings about to the value of the scheme, it is

:43:43.:43:45.

therefore the benefit of the numbers no one else. Can I declare a

:43:46.:43:52.

financial interest for the 30 years I worked in the steel industry and

:43:53.:43:56.

the pension I receive. It is a meagre amount compared to the amount

:43:57.:44:01.

I will be in title to next year for 30 years in this house. Shouldn't we

:44:02.:44:07.

recall that steel workers have served this nation well in an

:44:08.:44:12.

industry that is usually dirty, dangerous, always skilled, and it is

:44:13.:44:17.

right now that we look at the situation that, I respect the

:44:18.:44:24.

difficulties, but we should say that the nation cannot have a

:44:25.:44:27.

manufacturing base unless it is built on foundations of steel. Isn't

:44:28.:44:31.

there something Republican about expecting pensioners to pay for

:44:32.:44:35.

this, those who have given so much, rather than the nation that owes so

:44:36.:44:42.

much to the steel industry? I agree with the honourable gentleman in

:44:43.:44:47.

that the steel industry is a vital industry, important for our economic

:44:48.:44:50.

security and national security, that is why the government will do

:44:51.:44:54.

everything we can leave no stone unturned, in trying to find a

:44:55.:44:57.

long-term sustainable solution for Tata's assets in the UK. The steel

:44:58.:45:05.

industry has been crying out to have a lesser duty rule scrapped,

:45:06.:45:10.

something the government have showed at a reluctance to do. UK steel

:45:11.:45:14.

recently brought forward a possible solution to the lesser duty issue,

:45:15.:45:20.

to change how tariffs are calculated without scrapping the rule outright.

:45:21.:45:24.

How will he respond to this proposal? I can tell the honourable

:45:25.:45:32.

lady that there was a meeting of the EU trade Council last week which the

:45:33.:45:37.

Trade Minister attended. And we do think there can be improvement in

:45:38.:45:41.

the trade defence mechanisms, particularly around speeding up

:45:42.:45:46.

investigations and reviewing how duties are captivated. We do not

:45:47.:45:49.

think there is evidence to change the lesser duty rule but

:45:50.:45:57.

improvements can be made. The Tata steel plant in my constituency is

:45:58.:46:01.

part of the sale deal. And I would like to thank the Minister for

:46:02.:46:05.

business for the meetings we have had to secure that fight. They are

:46:06.:46:09.

great concern about their pensions going forward and some of the

:46:10.:46:11.

workers have been there for more than 40 years and are clearly

:46:12.:46:16.

distressed and worried. These have been loyal employees, they have

:46:17.:46:20.

given their working life to the plant. Could the minister in sure me

:46:21.:46:23.

he understands how worried they are and give assurances they will get

:46:24.:46:31.

their pensions? She rightly refers to the hard work of steel workers

:46:32.:46:34.

who are in this pension scheme either in the industry now or having

:46:35.:46:37.

worked for them in the past, and it is absolutely right that we listen

:46:38.:46:41.

to the trustees and see if there is anything that the government can do

:46:42.:46:44.

that will result in a better outcome than otherwise. That is why we have

:46:45.:46:49.

got this consultation today. I am sure when she goes through it with

:46:50.:46:52.

some detail, she has that time, that we can speak further about the best

:46:53.:46:59.

way to take this further. What consideration has the government

:47:00.:47:02.

given to the impact that the steel industry issues will have on the

:47:03.:47:06.

manufacturing industry and economy across these islands, the ticket

:47:07.:47:10.

early in Northern Ireland, where rolled steel and other products are

:47:11.:47:17.

imported through docs in my constituency? I think what the

:47:18.:47:23.

honourable lady highlights is the importance of the steel industry to

:47:24.:47:29.

this manufacturing industry in the UK, the auto industry, the aerospace

:47:30.:47:32.

and the terrorists track Ashman grid infrastructure needs of the country.

:47:33.:47:40.

-- the aerospace industry and the infrastructure needs of this

:47:41.:47:46.

country. Can I thank the Minister for visiting my constituency and

:47:47.:47:50.

enabling us to join in the conversations. Looking at the future

:47:51.:47:57.

not merely of Tata but firms like Forge rosters, when the government

:47:58.:48:01.

going to act to take away the unfair burden of the fact that they pay 85%

:48:02.:48:06.

more for energy than their competitors in Germany? The issue of

:48:07.:48:12.

energy comes up in the House and members are writes to raise it which

:48:13.:48:17.

is why we have taken action in terms of the compensation scheme which is

:48:18.:48:23.

effective, helping all steel-making companies, and we are going further

:48:24.:48:27.

with the exemption. It is something we will continuously keep under

:48:28.:48:33.

review. There are 133,000 members of this pension scheme. It includes

:48:34.:48:37.

many of my constituents and my father. Given the enormous work that

:48:38.:48:43.

has gone in by 70 people to their pensions, that the Secretary of

:48:44.:48:47.

State agree with me that even though time is short in this consultation,

:48:48.:48:51.

it has to be the widest possible consultation to look at the

:48:52.:48:55.

short-term and long-term effects on those people? I absolutely agree, I

:48:56.:49:00.

have explained that the sense of urgency in terms of finding a

:49:01.:49:07.

credible buyer for the Tata business in the UK but he is right to stress

:49:08.:49:11.

that it should be a far and wide reaching consultation and we should

:49:12.:49:16.

make sure that brings out that the list information possible so any

:49:17.:49:19.

decision made is made with all that information in mind. Recently

:49:20.:49:27.

Conservative MEPs were split over granting the Chinese status in the

:49:28.:49:34.

parliament. -- market economy status. Are they still going to

:49:35.:49:40.

grant that? On this issue of market economy status of China, it is

:49:41.:49:43.

something the commission is assessing at the moment. We await

:49:44.:49:47.

the outcome of that. And then we will respond. It is worth reminding

:49:48.:49:52.

the honourable gentleman that even if China is granted market economy

:49:53.:49:59.

status, it does not prevent us from taking action on tariffs. We need to

:50:00.:50:04.

remind ourselves that pensions are deferred income. I have some

:50:05.:50:07.

concerns when I hear the Business Secretary talking about a scheme

:50:08.:50:15.

that can go from the scheme -- deficit of 750 million to 1.5

:50:16.:50:18.

billion, that his cash that should be going to pensioners. We need to

:50:19.:50:25.

have all of the assumptions in front of us who we can understand the

:50:26.:50:28.

applications. We need to have a proper and thorough debate on these

:50:29.:50:31.

matters and consider the consequences of other occupational

:50:32.:50:35.

pension schemes, there are issues that have to be debated fully. I

:50:36.:50:41.

agree. There needs to be much more information available before any

:50:42.:50:48.

proposal if it is brought to the House, the government has not made a

:50:49.:50:51.

decision on this. It is entirely responsible of the government to

:50:52.:50:57.

listen to what the trustees have to say at this point, they are the ones

:50:58.:51:01.

legally responsible, they have a fiduciary responsible at the all the

:51:02.:51:07.

members. -- for all their members. There needs to be a lot more

:51:08.:51:10.

information before any action is taken. The steel industry would not

:51:11.:51:16.

be the state it is if was not for dumped Chinese steel. Does the

:51:17.:51:24.

Minister Park is -- does the Minister back market economy status

:51:25.:51:29.

which could make the problem worse? It is therefore him to raise the

:51:30.:51:34.

issue of Chinese steel, we have seen the -- it is fair for him to raise

:51:35.:51:37.

the issue of Chinese still because we have all seen the massive raise

:51:38.:51:43.

of Chinese steel in the last decade. It would be wrong to think that is

:51:44.:51:54.

the only issue facing the industry. Five years ago on the 15th of June

:51:55.:52:01.

2011, I asked the Prime Minister at PMQ 's, what does he understand that

:52:02.:52:09.

the Chancellor unilaterally setting a minimum price carbon in Britain

:52:10.:52:14.

would drive out inward investments such as Tata steel and he responded,

:52:15.:52:18.

I will listen to the honourable gentleman, but I think that Tata

:52:19.:52:23.

knows more about his business than he does. Having failed Tata, all

:52:24.:52:30.

that will he now promised to fully fund the pension fund index to RPI

:52:31.:52:33.

so we do not short-change pensioners and we do not caught contagion in

:52:34.:52:38.

the pension industry, and secondly inshore 25% government share for the

:52:39.:52:47.

long run, so confidence in investment can be there in the

:52:48.:52:52.

future. He is right to raise the issue of energy cost. He should bear

:52:53.:52:56.

in mind that although it is an important component of steel-making,

:52:57.:53:01.

it is often in' it is in terms of total cost. -- in low single digits

:53:02.:53:16.

in terms of cost. Yesterday talking to steelworkers, I heard over and

:53:17.:53:19.

over again how highly skilled members of the workforce were being

:53:20.:53:23.

poached by and in industries. Does the Secretary of State appreciate

:53:24.:53:28.

the importance of maintaining the confidence of the skilled workforce

:53:29.:53:31.

in the steel industry, and perhaps one of the ways he could do that was

:53:32.:53:38.

to today give an assurance of public sector contracting having a high

:53:39.:53:41.

percentage of British made steel, always within contracts? I think the

:53:42.:53:48.

honourable lady will agree that the government has done a great deal to

:53:49.:53:52.

bring confidence to the sales process, that is through changes in

:53:53.:53:57.

procurement, where we have allowed for economic and social factors are

:53:58.:54:00.

the first time to be taken into account when making this decision

:54:01.:54:03.

is. Also what the government said with helping with financial terms,

:54:04.:54:09.

that has provided confidence to the industry.

:54:10.:54:13.

Have you had any notice of the intention of ministers from the

:54:14.:54:21.

Department for Communities and Local Government making a statement on

:54:22.:54:24.

devolution or combined authorities in East Anglia, as we speak the

:54:25.:54:30.

chief executive of add mam's brewery and Lord Heseltine are shuttling

:54:31.:54:34.

round the three counties of East Anglia, offering job, budgets,

:54:35.:54:42.

getting rid of public body, in short rearranging the constitutional

:54:43.:54:45.

settlement of this country on the hoof. Hoof. Isn't it encouple Ben on

:54:46.:54:52.

this House to explain what changes are envisage and show there is

:54:53.:55:03.

proper accountability? I we have had no notice... Might be interesting to

:55:04.:55:06.

know the answer. I presume he knows the answer. I I can our shine we

:55:07.:55:10.

have had no notification at this stage, we have had nothing that has

:55:11.:55:16.

come forward the clerk or the speaker's office so the front bench

:55:17.:55:20.

are all ears and they will have taken that away and it is on the

:55:21.:55:25.

record now. Let us see if ecan can make progress. The clerk will read

:55:26.:55:30.

the orders of the day. Queen's Speech motion for address adjourned

:55:31.:55:34.

debate on question. I have selected the amendment in the

:55:35.:55:39.

name of the Leader of the Opposition and amendments 1 C and D, which will

:55:40.:55:43.

be moved formally at the end of the debate. The question is that the

:55:44.:55:46.

humble address be presented to her he majority as on the order paper. I

:55:47.:55:53.

call John McDonald to move. Thank you. I beg to move the amendment in

:55:54.:55:57.

the name of the Leader of the Opposition and myself and several

:55:58.:56:00.

colleague, MrSpeaker last week was the first time I have visited the

:56:01.:56:04.

other place, to listen to Her Majesty read to us the Queen's

:56:05.:56:08.

Speech. Usually I avoid the crush and stay toe have a chat with the

:56:09.:56:13.

honourable member for Bolsover. I have to say... Good point. I have to

:56:14.:56:22.

say, my admiration for the Queen was immensely increased as a result of

:56:23.:56:29.

her ability to keep a straight face while reading its fictional drivel

:56:30.:56:35.

called the Queen's Speech. The Queen's Speech demonstrates

:56:36.:56:38.

conclusively the massive distance between the Chancellor and the real

:56:39.:56:42.

world. The Queen's Speech opened with an extraordinary piece of

:56:43.:56:45.

doublespeak. The Government apparently thinks eal world. The

:56:46.:56:48.

Queen's Speech opened with an extraordinary piece of doublespeak.

:56:49.:56:50.

The Government apparently thinks we live "In a strengthening economy".

:56:51.:56:56.

They seemingly are not playing axxxx paying attention to their own

:56:57.:57:02.

forecasts and statistics this is after the slowest recovery in modern

:57:03.:57:05.

British history, the Chancellor is presiding over a recovery built on

:57:06.:57:10.

sand. Business investment has slumped again, by 0.5% in the first

:57:11.:57:14.

quarter, according o this morning's figures and the O PR most recent

:57:15.:57:20.

forecast saw downward revision across the life of this Parliament

:57:21.:57:25.

in business investment. Consumer debt is rising at record

:57:26.:57:29.

rate, and is forecast to remain at unprecedented levels.

:57:30.:57:34.

The current account deficit has reached record highs. We are

:57:35.:57:37.

borrowing more than ever before from the rest of the world as a result.

:57:38.:57:41.

We are not as ficit has reached record highs. We are borrowing more

:57:42.:57:44.

than ever before from the rest of the world as a result. We are not as

:57:45.:57:46.

the Queen's Speech claimed "Living within our means" far from it on the

:57:47.:57:49.

Government's own figures. Productivity has slumped under the

:57:50.:57:52.

Government. The gap between what the average hour worked in Britain

:57:53.:57:55.

produces and what the average hour worked in the US or France or

:57:56.:58:00.

Germany produces, is bigger than it has ever been for a generation.

:58:01.:58:05.

Every hour worked in Germany produces one third more on average

:58:06.:58:09.

than it does here. Low productivity I will give way shortly, it is the

:58:10.:58:15.

sign of a weakened, damaged economy. It means lower wages and more

:58:16.:58:20.

insecurity. The slump in productivity which has arisen has

:58:21.:58:28.

been worse under this Chancellor than in any comparable G7 nation.

:58:29.:58:33.

What caused the budget for responsibility to revise its future

:58:34.:58:36.

forecast downwards. I give way. Will he accept that in

:58:37.:58:43.

the ten years of a Labour Government 2008 precrash the economy grew by

:58:44.:58:51.

40%, then after, then after the banking crash, we, after the banking

:58:52.:58:58.

crash, if I I may, after the banking crash, in 2010, left a debt of 55%

:58:59.:59:03.

of the economy, and now that debt is 83% of the economy. Doesn't that

:59:04.:59:09.

show failure to grow the economy or to manage productivity. You tested

:59:10.:59:15.

the patience previously. Massimo Donati test the patience, I care

:59:16.:59:19.

about colleagues in this House and I will make sure everybody gets in.

:59:20.:59:22.

Very short intervention. It's a long list and I don't want people to miss

:59:23.:59:28.

out. I say I don't want to be discourteous to anybody. There will

:59:29.:59:32.

only be a limited amount of interventions. With regard, with

:59:33.:59:37.

regard, on the crash. Let us be clear. Let us talk about the crash.

:59:38.:59:43.

Let us talk about crash, because the policies of deregulation of banking

:59:44.:59:48.

systems turned the City of London into a Cassano with policies pursued

:59:49.:59:51.

by the party opposite for 30 years previously.

:59:52.:00:01.

Let us go on to growth Mr Speaker. Growth is revised down wads for

:00:02.:00:05.

every year for the res of this decade. When it revises forecast

:00:06.:00:09.

downwards the Chancellor's entire budget plan was shot to pieces. He

:00:10.:00:15.

has been left with a 4.8 billion black hole of committed spending,

:00:16.:00:20.

but no committed funding. It is It is nonsensical to claim as

:00:21.:00:26.

the Government's Queen's Speech did that the public finances have been

:00:27.:00:29.

placed on a secure footing, when there is a gaping hole in the

:00:30.:00:36.

budget, and the Institute for Fiscal Studies think there's is only a

:00:37.:00:39.

50-50 chance of meeting the Government's own surplus. This is

:00:40.:00:43.

betting on the nation's finances on the equivalent of tossing a coin.

:00:44.:00:48.

There is nothing responsible, there is nothing in quotes secure, in

:00:49.:00:54.

setting unrealistic targets for public spending cuts.

:00:55.:01:00.

? On a stronger economy. It is ic targets for public spending cuts.

:01:01.:01:02.

? On a stronger economy. It is useful to peach to us "About a

:01:03.:01:05.

stronger economy." When by his actions in office for six year, the

:01:06.:01:08.

Chancellor ease undermined the economy. This was his choice.

:01:09.:01:15.

Austerity was a political choice not an economic necessaryty. We all now

:01:16.:01:19.

live and are still living with the consequences. Because it was the

:01:20.:01:23.

wrong choice to make, the Chancellor has failed, and it is the British

:01:24.:01:30.

people who are bearing the cost. He piled failure on failure. At the

:01:31.:01:35.

centre is failure to sustain productivity. It is the key to

:01:36.:01:40.

growth in a modern economy. The sure I way to ensure it is through

:01:41.:01:45.

increased investment. It means installing new equipment. Replacing

:01:46.:01:49.

old infrastructure. Business investment remains weak. When it is

:01:50.:01:54.

weak its Government that should set up, to make sure there is vital

:01:55.:02:00.

world class infrastructure, that it is produce. From high speed rail to

:02:01.:02:05.

broadband. There is a consensus through the IMF to the OECD, from

:02:06.:02:09.

the CBI to the TUC. Urging Government now, not just here but

:02:10.:02:12.

across the world to invest in the future. But this Government is

:02:13.:02:18.

clipping to its fiscal surplus target, which is set to cut traerms

:02:19.:02:25.

in Government inventment over the course of this particle cut in term

:02:26.:02:31.

of investment over the court course of this Parliament behind the

:02:32.:02:36.

failure, behind the failure to invest, behind the failure to

:02:37.:02:41.

invest, lies the failure of our economic institutions as well. Too

:02:42.:02:46.

many have been captured by special interest, or placed, or placed

:02:47.:02:50.

short-term gain, or place short-term gain ahead of long-term growth. We

:02:51.:02:55.

have major corporations sitting on a cash pile of up to 700 billion.

:02:56.:03:01.

Paying out salaries to senior executives while failing to invest.

:03:02.:03:04.

It is no wonder, no wonder in the last month we have seen a series of

:03:05.:03:11.

shareholder revolts at the remuneration packages. Yes we have a

:03:12.:03:15.

Department for Business, that doesn't believe in supporting

:03:16.:03:22.

business. Have a a Department for Business, which refuses to even

:03:23.:03:25.

mention the world industrial strategy.

:03:26.:03:31.

HMRC, we have a department for tax collection, that doesn't believe in

:03:32.:03:37.

collecting taxes, not at least from major corporations. That was

:03:38.:03:42.

demonstrated when they struck the deal with Google which reflects an

:03:43.:03:47.

effective tax rate in the single digits and the Chancellor called it

:03:48.:03:51.

a major success. That is why I have written to the

:03:52.:03:56.

Chancellor to make sure he contactings the French authority so

:03:57.:04:01.

they share any information they find from their investigation into

:04:02.:04:03.

Google's Paris head quarter, they share it with us and we can get a

:04:04.:04:07.

better understanding of Google's operation in the UK.

:04:08.:04:13.

Thank hill. Can he tell us how much money was raised from Google when

:04:14.:04:22.

Labour were last in power? It is interesting, the inquiry was started

:04:23.:04:25.

under the Labour Government. It is interesting also, it is interesting

:04:26.:04:30.

also, it is also interesting too, isn't it, that when the last

:04:31.:04:35.

assessment was made by not the Government, not us but independent,

:04:36.:04:40.

the FT, said the measures introduced by the last Labour Government would

:04:41.:04:45.

reap tax rewards ten times greater than anything introduced by this

:04:46.:04:51.

Government. After six year, after six years the Chancellor has no-one

:04:52.:04:57.

to blame for this but himself. The Queen's Speech furnished us with

:04:58.:05:00.

plenty more. S the Chancellor has no-one to blame for this but

:05:01.:05:02.

himself. The Queen's Speech furnished us with plenty more. The

:05:03.:05:04.

Government says "Support aspiration, and promote home ownership." Tell

:05:05.:05:07.

that to the hundreds of thousands of young people who now have no serious

:05:08.:05:11.

chance of ever owning a home of their own. Home ownership has fallen

:05:12.:05:17.

to the lowest level in decades under this Chancellor's watch. Rough

:05:18.:05:20.

sleeping has risen in London by 30% in the last year. The biggest rise

:05:21.:05:25.

since current reporting procedures were introduced. They are nearly 70

:05:26.:05:31.

thousand families living in temporary accommodation including

:05:32.:05:35.

bed-and-breakfast this year. Nine in ten under 35s can be frozen

:05:36.:05:44.

out of home ownership by 2000 a 25. Grateful. It is not just in London

:05:45.:05:50.

where this phenomenon is happening. But, actually in the streets of

:05:51.:05:55.

match. We have tent -- match match match. We now have tents. Isn't that

:05:56.:06:00.

a shocking I don'tlet on this Government's housing policy. Oman

:06:01.:06:12.

Chester. Can I say to the honourable member, I have a Conservative

:06:13.:06:14.

council. I have a Conservative council. I have possibly 200, I have

:06:15.:06:22.

possibly 200 families tonight, living in bed-and-breakfast. I have

:06:23.:06:27.

individuals sleeping in our parks along the canals. We have reinvented

:06:28.:06:31.

the back-to-back, where a family rents the front of a house and

:06:32.:06:36.

another rents the back. We have beds in sheds, rented to families. That

:06:37.:06:41.

is a disgrace. This Government has been in power six years and

:06:42.:06:47.

homelessness has escalated. According to the sweech let me

:06:48.:06:52.

quote. The Government will spread economic prosperity. They'll to the

:06:53.:06:57.

steelworkers I met in red car where the Government failed to moth ball

:06:58.:07:02.

the plant to save their local futures. Tell that to the BHS

:07:03.:07:09.

workers as their boss, a government adviser, stripped their business

:07:10.:07:15.

clean. The northern power ho house was referred to. The Government said

:07:16.:07:18.

we will continue to support the northern powerhouse, so that is why

:07:19.:07:23.

that are closing its Sheffield office and threatening another six

:07:24.:07:25.

offices across the north with closure. That is why of the top 15

:07:26.:07:31.

infrastructure projects with the most public funding, run with is in

:07:32.:07:34.

the north. They refer to poverty and

:07:35.:07:39.

deprivation, the Government says in the Queen's Speech, not to tackle

:07:40.:07:44.

poverty but to redefine it. The Chancellor's shameful response to

:07:45.:07:48.

the million people using our food banks every year, is to introduce

:07:49.:07:53.

new indicators for measures their life chances.

:07:54.:07:57.

The Chancellor has failed austerity programme is the human cost. 500,000

:07:58.:08:02.

more children have been forced into poverty. Nearly 13 million people in

:08:03.:08:06.

this country live in poverty. Over half of those in poverty are in

:08:07.:08:14.

work. This Queen's Speech offers no solutions, to those who have barely

:08:15.:08:19.

enough to feed their families and who can't put a pay to heat their

:08:20.:08:24.

house, instead the Government will make sure they are counting their

:08:25.:08:29.

misery properly. Grateful to him for giving away. Would he consider and

:08:30.:08:35.

celebrate a third of the working constituentings in becks ham are

:08:36.:08:40.

receiving a pay rise, thus taking those people from the breadline,

:08:41.:08:46.

further up the pay scale. I would celebrate it if it was a

:08:47.:08:50.

real living wage and if they weren't saufrling is as well, many of them,

:08:51.:08:55.

from cuts in Universal Credits as well.

:08:56.:09:01.

The reality is after six years desperate efforts to impose cuts on

:09:02.:09:07.

this economy, against the best available advice for the economics

:09:08.:09:12.

profession etc the Chancellor is staring a predictable failure in

:09:13.:09:18.

face. He started off with high flown promise, st available advice for the

:09:19.:09:20.

economics profession etc the Chancellor is staring a predictable

:09:21.:09:23.

failure in face. He started off with high flown promise, there were goes

:09:24.:09:25.

to be "A march of the makers." Today, manufacturing is still

:09:26.:09:27.

smaller than it was in 2008. There was going to be a rebalancing of the

:09:28.:09:32.

economy. Yet today we see that for every three jobs, every three jobs

:09:33.:09:36.

created in London, just one in craved in the rest of the country.

:09:37.:09:41.

There is going to be a modernised tax service. As the National Audit

:09:42.:09:47.

Office found out, the quality of service from them has collapsed in

:09:48.:09:50.

the last yore. As a result of staffing cuts.

:09:51.:09:56.

Investment the Chancellor promised increased investment but cut

:09:57.:09:59.

spending and plans to cut it further. Recovery he forecast in

:10:00.:10:06.

town 10, the fastest in living memory, he has delivered the

:10:07.:10:11.

slowest. Job creation. He and his Government has clung to the job

:10:12.:10:15.

creation figure, every month they are greeted with enthusiasm by

:10:16.:10:16.

Government ministers. The reality is that two thirds of

:10:17.:10:26.

those in poverty and nearly 9 million daily -- 9 million people...

:10:27.:10:32.

The front bench does not need to be echoing all the way along. The

:10:33.:10:36.

Chancellor will be coming on and you will expect me to treat people in

:10:37.:10:40.

the same way. I expect the Shadow Chancellor to be heard and not to be

:10:41.:10:50.

shouted down. Now then. I've been very good so far. I don't want to

:10:51.:10:54.

say any more because I am sure that the whips office could do with them

:10:55.:10:58.

on to make a cup of tea. -- someone to make it cup of tea. I might 11

:10:59.:11:10.

later. -- want one later. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. You are a class

:11:11.:11:16.

act! CHEERING

:11:17.:11:23.

let me just say this. The shout was, we welcome the jobs? Of course we

:11:24.:11:36.

do. Let's be very clear. We have seen jobs created in 2010, but too

:11:37.:11:40.

many of them have been poorly paid and insecure. 800,000 people,

:11:41.:11:46.

800,000 people now are on zero hours contracts. In security at work has

:11:47.:11:53.

been made worse by the undermining of important right by this

:11:54.:11:55.

government. There is no need for this. Does the them my concern that

:11:56.:12:03.

the food banks in Southwark are dividing food banks and support to

:12:04.:12:09.

hundreds of people in work, they think 10% of their people they serve

:12:10.:12:15.

are in work in central London. We welcome new jobs. The insecurity and

:12:16.:12:18.

poor pay mean the numbers in work going along to get support from food

:12:19.:12:24.

banks is growing rather than reducing. If I can press on. I know

:12:25.:12:31.

you are under pressure in time. It is the direct result of a failure to

:12:32.:12:36.

invest. Too many businesses have substituted cheap labour for

:12:37.:12:39.

expensive investment. They cannot be blamed because the government has

:12:40.:12:42.

set the lead, cutting investment spending. Low investment and week

:12:43.:12:48.

productivity have real-world consequences, it means wasted talent

:12:49.:12:52.

and opportunities lost. On one side, some are stretched to breaking point

:12:53.:12:55.

working long hours just to make ends meet. Others are left to languish

:12:56.:13:00.

desperately searching for extra hours. On wages, even the

:13:01.:13:05.

government's and forecasters do not expect wages to the cover until

:13:06.:13:12.

2020. -- wages to recover. Millions of people are self-employed but the

:13:13.:13:17.

average earnings have fallen by 22% since the Chancellor came in. The

:13:18.:13:21.

Queens speech tells us that the government plans to create an

:13:22.:13:26.

economy, I quote, where work is rewarded. Nothing could be further

:13:27.:13:33.

from the troops. -- truth. Those who work hardest are punished but tax

:13:34.:13:36.

dodgers and the super-rich are rewarded with tax cuts. Which one

:13:37.:13:46.

would you like? Whichever you prefer! On the subject of jobs, the

:13:47.:13:56.

former Leader of the Opposition said that the policy of this government

:13:57.:14:00.

would cost 1 million jobs. He is a gentleman that I believe that he

:14:01.:14:07.

wants back on the front bench. Does he conceded that was plain wrong?

:14:08.:14:14.

The point I made earlier was that rather than employers investing they

:14:15.:14:19.

have used cheap labour. That has had an impact on wages and living

:14:20.:14:25.

conditions which is unacceptable. This government has failed and will

:14:26.:14:32.

continue to fail on every measure it has set itself. Let's look at those

:14:33.:14:35.

measures. It has failed in its target to reduce the debt. It has

:14:36.:14:40.

failed in its welfare cap target. And it has failed to achieve its

:14:41.:14:43.

target in closing the deficit as well. This is a government that has

:14:44.:14:48.

lost its way. Gone is the pretence of being the new workers party,

:14:49.:14:54.

trumpeted so loudly last summer. But disappeared when they started

:14:55.:14:58.

cutting in work benefits. The government wanders around from

:14:59.:15:01.

crisis to crisis waiting for another U-turn to make. Cuts to personal

:15:02.:15:07.

independent payments scrapped, the tampon tax, cuts to renewable

:15:08.:15:12.

subsidies, forced academies, all abandoned. Only one policy are

:15:13.:15:18.

active which holds this sorry excuse for administration together, to

:15:19.:15:24.

impose spending cuts of viciousness not seen in this country for

:15:25.:15:28.

generations. There is a consensus across the House, a strong economy

:15:29.:15:32.

is the foundation on watch all love can be built. The government has not

:15:33.:15:37.

-- on what all else can be built. The government has not built a

:15:38.:15:44.

strong economy. Strong on rhetoric and creative economy, but the

:15:45.:15:47.

economy is built on sand. The Chancellor has had plenty of

:15:48.:15:51.

opportunities to fix the roof while the sun was shining. He has the

:15:52.:15:56.

details. It would have meant taking a different approach and we all

:15:57.:15:58.

hoped to be frank after the referendum is out of the way, the

:15:59.:16:04.

economy will pick up. But without change the trajectory for this

:16:05.:16:09.

economy is clear. We are tracked in a low-wage, low skill, low wage

:16:10.:16:17.

economy. The government needs to make long-term patient investment in

:16:18.:16:21.

the economy. We need government to use a record low interest rates to

:16:22.:16:24.

invest in the future. At a minimum, the government should invest in

:16:25.:16:29.

infrastructure, skills, technology that can transform how this economy

:16:30.:16:35.

operates. And we need a government that clamps down on tax avoidance.

:16:36.:16:41.

It could go further. It could overhaul the tax system that is

:16:42.:16:44.

manifestly failing to lead the fair rates on those who can pay the most.

:16:45.:16:50.

-- levy fair rates. We need a government with an industrial

:16:51.:16:53.

policy, backing the steel industry, working with Europe to clamp down on

:16:54.:16:57.

the flooding of our markets with cheap subsidised Chinese steel. And

:16:58.:17:02.

it could also transform the institutions that govern the

:17:03.:17:06.

economy, from the Treasury to great corporations, unlocking potential

:17:07.:17:09.

that is wasted when vested interest dominate decision-making. The Queens

:17:10.:17:14.

speech was an opportunity to accept that posterity has failed and change

:17:15.:17:19.

course. It was not taken. -- austerity has failed. If this

:17:20.:17:24.

government cannot set out a confident calls for -- confident

:17:25.:17:34.

calls for the economy, then it is time for Labour to lead the way.

:17:35.:17:38.

Labour rejects the failed austerity programme adopted by this

:17:39.:17:44.

government. Instead, working in partnership with business,

:17:45.:17:48.

entrepreneurs and workers, Labour would create an entrepreneurial

:17:49.:17:52.

state to support innovation, create wealth, and drive growth. And we

:17:53.:17:57.

would share the proceeds of that growth fairly. By investing in our

:17:58.:18:02.

economy, Labour would lay the foundations of a new society that is

:18:03.:18:07.

radically fairer, more equal, more democratic, an alternative based on

:18:08.:18:13.

a prosperous economy which is economically sound, environmentally

:18:14.:18:16.

sustainable and aware that prosperity is shared by all. I beg

:18:17.:18:24.

to move. The original question was that the address be presented to Her

:18:25.:18:29.

Majesty as to the order paper. Since then and Emmett has been -- an

:18:30.:18:37.

amendment has been made. I now call the Chancellor of the extractor. --

:18:38.:18:47.

extractor. -- Chancellor of the Exchequer. I rise to support the

:18:48.:18:51.

plan we put forward which offers security and opportunity to working

:18:52.:18:54.

people in this country, that is what the British people entrusted us to

:18:55.:18:57.

deliver in the general election a year ago, and that is what we commit

:18:58.:19:00.

to provide in this programme for the coming year. There is of course a

:19:01.:19:06.

bold programme of social reform. We offer the biggest reform of the

:19:07.:19:10.

prison service since the Victorian era, so we protect the public and

:19:11.:19:15.

yes, we punish wrongdoers. But we also give them the chance to

:19:16.:19:19.

rehabilitate themselves and contribute our society. We overhaul

:19:20.:19:23.

social care and adoption to improve the life chances of some of the most

:19:24.:19:27.

vulnerable like young people in our country. We continue to improve our

:19:28.:19:31.

education system, raising standards in schools, so our children are

:19:32.:19:35.

equipped with the skills they will need to lead fulfilling lives. And

:19:36.:19:38.

we reform our universities say they remain the very best in the world,

:19:39.:19:45.

agents for social mobility and at the forefront of expanding human

:19:46.:19:49.

knowledge. Let me make this point, we address the crisis of childhood

:19:50.:19:56.

obesity which is damaging our children's health, with a new sugar

:19:57.:20:00.

tax on soft drinks. But, Mr the beauty speaker, none of these

:20:01.:20:05.

reforms to improve our -- Mr Deputy Speaker, none of these reforms to

:20:06.:20:08.

improve our health care, social care, would be possible without the

:20:09.:20:14.

bedrock of stability that our long-term economic plan is

:20:15.:20:19.

delivering. Would he not accept that if the best universities can raise

:20:20.:20:25.

their prices, the poorest will be deterred and instead of getting the

:20:26.:20:28.

best students, we will get the richest and that is simply wrong? I

:20:29.:20:33.

do not agree with that at all. The evidence shows that as a result of

:20:34.:20:39.

university reforms introduced by the Labour government which she used to

:20:40.:20:41.

support, and by the Coalition Government and now this government,

:20:42.:20:46.

we not only have a record number of students going to university, we

:20:47.:20:51.

have a record number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds going

:20:52.:20:54.

to university. I find it extraordinary that the Labour Party

:20:55.:20:59.

that introduced tuition fees is now promising to scrap them and create a

:21:00.:21:04.

?10 billion hole which will presumably be filled by the taxes

:21:05.:21:07.

paid by people who do not go to university and have low incomes.

:21:08.:21:12.

That is the so-called progressive policy of the so-called Progressive

:21:13.:21:18.

Labour Party. The simple truth is, I will give way... He mentioned being

:21:19.:21:26.

proud of the track record on social care, can he tell us how many fewer

:21:27.:21:32.

older and disabled people receive social care from Eckel government

:21:33.:21:39.

than when he took office in 2010? We have put more money into social

:21:40.:21:42.

government and we have -- into social care and we have allowed

:21:43.:21:47.

local authorities to have more money going into social care in the coming

:21:48.:21:55.

year. You cannot do any of these things, you cannot support social

:21:56.:21:58.

care or universities, you cannot do any of those things until you have a

:21:59.:22:07.

sound economic policy. And I listened in complete incredulity to

:22:08.:22:13.

yet another speech from yet another Shadow Chancellor promising yet more

:22:14.:22:18.

billions of pounds of spending and borrowing and extra taxes. It is as

:22:19.:22:24.

if these scorching experience of financial crash eight years ago and

:22:25.:22:31.

the crippling deficit they saddled this country with never happened.

:22:32.:22:34.

Most of the time when he was quoting the Labour government, he kept

:22:35.:22:39.

saying, up until 2008, as if he had forgotten there was the biggest

:22:40.:22:45.

crash in modern history while the Labour Party was in office. It is a

:22:46.:22:49.

bit like saying to Mrs Lincoln, apart from the assassination, did

:22:50.:22:56.

you enjoy the play? Will the Chancellor remind the House, did he

:22:57.:22:59.

or did he not meet his deficit target for 2015? The deficit has

:23:00.:23:08.

come down by another ?16 billion. When I first listed at this dispatch

:23:09.:23:14.

box at Chancellor of the Exchequer, we had a budget deficit of 11% of

:23:15.:23:19.

our national income, ?1 in every four of we spent on hospitals and

:23:20.:23:29.

police etc had to be borrowed. We are projected to have a surplus now

:23:30.:23:32.

at the end of the parliament. Will he also remind the House that while

:23:33.:23:37.

cutting the deficit, what he has managed to do to implement rate in

:23:38.:23:40.

this country? We have a record number of people in work. --

:23:41.:23:47.

implement rates? -- employment rates? We have a record number of

:23:48.:23:56.

people work in this country. Yesterday I refer to this report

:23:57.:23:59.

that the Labour Party has produced on its future. It is an independent

:24:00.:24:03.

enquiry, chaired by the members of Ackerman. -- member for Dagenham.

:24:04.:24:14.

There you go. Again! Vote Labour. Let's see what Labour says about

:24:15.:24:22.

Labour. It says this. As an army of aspirin and voters sank Labour. -- a

:24:23.:24:31.

tsunami of aspirin voters. They believed Labour have no financial

:24:32.:24:36.

credibility. Labour supporters marching away. Labour is becoming a

:24:37.:24:45.

toxic brand. That is what the Labour Party's own verdict on the Labour

:24:46.:24:49.

Party is. I did conclude by saying,... Order. This is meant to

:24:50.:24:57.

be a debate about the screen speech, not about the Labour Party

:24:58.:24:59.

manifesto. I would have thought since it is his

:25:00.:25:08.

Queen's Speech, that maybe the focus would be on that, but it is up to

:25:09.:25:11.

him. The Chancellor of the Exchequer.

:25:12.:25:23.

This is what the Labour Party say about themselves. This, I have read

:25:24.:25:31.

it it is worth, reading it says the Labour Party is becoming

:25:32.:25:33.

increasingly irrelevant to the working people of this country.

:25:34.:25:44.

Here is what has happened they. The lead other the Labour Party has

:25:45.:25:50.

appointed someone called Andrew Fisher today. This is a man who

:25:51.:25:57.

campaigned against Labour Party candidates at the general election,

:25:58.:26:02.

in Croydon. This is a man who took part in the student riots in 2010

:26:03.:26:08.

and BoSSed about breaking through police lines, scaring the police. --

:26:09.:26:14.

boasted. This is what his economic policy consists of. Public ownership

:26:15.:26:20.

of all land in the country, nationalising all banks and

:26:21.:26:24.

returning to a three day week. This is the man who has just been the

:26:25.:26:31.

Labour Party's head of policy. Maybe he supports him. I would like to ask

:26:32.:26:44.

him on his own record, has debt gone up or down as a percentage of GDP?

:26:45.:26:51.

When you have an 11 percent budget deficit that means it is adding to

:26:52.:26:55.

the debt. Until you get the deficit down you can get the debt down, that

:26:56.:26:58.

is what we are doing. That is why you want to avoid an 11% budget

:26:59.:27:05.

deficit. And, in another sign of how the Labour Party is changing, there

:27:06.:27:09.

is the motion they are asking us to vote on tonight, because it does

:27:10.:27:13.

have an intriguing clause in it. It is about Scotland. It says this. It

:27:14.:27:18.

regrets the refusal of the Scottish Government to use its new tax powers

:27:19.:27:22.

to put an end to austerity in Scotland. What that is code for, is

:27:23.:27:26.

they want to put taxes up in Scotland. The man who sees Venezuela

:27:27.:27:36.

as a model for Britain's economic policy. If, if you don't want the

:27:37.:27:42.

Scottish Government to use its tax powers by putting them up, how do

:27:43.:27:47.

they propose to do it. They fought the election in Scotland proposing a

:27:48.:27:52.

1% increase, a 1 pence increase in the basic rate of income tax. That

:27:53.:27:56.

was the Scottish Labour Party's policy, that was so successful at

:27:57.:28:02.

that election, and here, the national Labour Party is putting it

:28:03.:28:05.

into a Parliamentary motion which it is asking the Labour to vote on

:28:06.:28:11.

tonight. So we have a report from the Labour Party, saying they are

:28:12.:28:14.

irrelevant to working people. You have a head of policy who wants to

:28:15.:28:18.

nationalise land and return to a three day week, and the

:28:19.:28:22.

Parliamentary Labour Party, is going to be voting tonight for higher

:28:23.:28:27.

rates of basic rate of income tax. That is the state of the Labour

:28:28.:28:30.

Party today. Can I ask him to say what has been

:28:31.:28:52.

said about him and his leader. He called the Prime Minister

:28:53.:28:55.

disingenuous and the Chancellor a liar. Where does that leave yourself

:28:56.:29:01.

Chancellor? We worked together, to bring Welfare Bills down, to make

:29:02.:29:05.

work pay, and I am working with my right honourable friend the new

:29:06.:29:10.

Secretary of State, to carry on that record in Government. We are going

:29:11.:29:15.

to go on building that strong economy, and the sound public

:29:16.:29:18.

finances that underpin a fair society. And we have got... Let me

:29:19.:29:25.

give way and make some progress. I thank him. He has been generous. I

:29:26.:29:34.

noted him as been reading from the report Labour's future, sorry.

:29:35.:29:38.

I wonder whether he has seen the executive summary. It says Labour

:29:39.:29:42.

lost because voters didn't believe it would cut the deficit. The Tories

:29:43.:29:47.

didn't win, despite their commitment to cut spending and the deficit.

:29:48.:29:50.

They won because of it. The Tories were trusted, to manage the

:29:51.:30:01.

country's finance, Labour was not. He is right. If the verdict of this

:30:02.:30:08.

report is that Labour is on life sup for, the policies of the Shadow

:30:09.:30:10.

Chancellor are do not resuscitate. If that is what he is condemning,

:30:11.:30:16.

that is what he is condemning the Labour Party, that is what... He is

:30:17.:30:31.

getting carried away. The honourable gentleman seeps more interested in

:30:32.:30:35.

talking about Labour's policies than his own Madame Deputy Speaker. I

:30:36.:30:39.

wonder if we could get on that. Can eremind him the Tory party lost

:30:40.:30:44.

every mayoral election in the cent election. -- can I remind him. Hay

:30:45.:30:52.

had the worst results for an opposition party in more than 30

:30:53.:30:57.

year, they were reduced to third place in Scotland, and they think it

:30:58.:31:02.

is a good set of results? As far as we are concerned if they want to

:31:03.:31:07.

carry on in this parallel universe that suits us just fine. Meanwhile

:31:08.:31:11.

we will get on with governing the country and improving the economy,

:31:12.:31:15.

and reforming our society. And we have made huge progress o over the

:31:16.:31:21.

last six year, we inherited one of the weakest economies the advanced

:31:22.:31:24.

worlds that had one of the biggest crashes. It is one of the fastest

:31:25.:31:29.

growing economies the world. We inherited a an economy where

:31:30.:31:33.

millions risked losing their job. Now we have a record number of

:31:34.:31:38.

people in work. We reduce that budget deficit, our commitment to

:31:39.:31:41.

the northern powerhouse has seen investment projects in the region

:31:42.:31:48.

increase by 120% in the last two years, and the verdict of the IMF

:31:49.:31:55.

was clear, the UK's recent economic performance has been strong, and

:31:56.:32:00.

consider rabble progress has been made in addressing underlying

:32:01.:32:03.

vulnerability. The unemployment rate has fallen, employment has reached a

:32:04.:32:09.

historic high. The fiscal deficit has been reduced and the financial

:32:10.:32:13.

sectors resilience has been increased. That is the verdict of

:32:14.:32:18.

the IMF. We know article four in the past they have been critical of the

:32:19.:32:21.

British economy. Now they celebrate what we have achieved. But, of

:32:22.:32:26.

course, of course, many challenges remain, and that is what the

:32:27.:32:30.

economic reforms have in Queen's Speech are all about addressing,

:32:31.:32:34.

there is the immediate crisis m the global steel industry and of course

:32:35.:32:37.

my right honourable friend the Business Secretary, I will give way

:32:38.:32:41.

in a moment, the Business Secretary has outlined to the House all our

:32:42.:32:46.

efforts to secure those jobs at home then there is the long-term

:32:47.:32:50.

challenge facing western societies of how we increase productivity

:32:51.:32:54.

growth. Its improvement in productivity that drive lasting

:32:55.:32:56.

improvement in living standards, it is challenge for all country, today,

:32:57.:33:01.

the latest figures from the United States, show that productivity is

:33:02.:33:04.

set to fall this year for the first time in 30 years. I give way to the

:33:05.:33:10.

honourable gentleman. I am great. . He mentioned the steel industry. The

:33:11.:33:13.

judgment of the people of tee Sid is not as favourable as he seems to

:33:14.:33:16.

think it might be. There is a proposal on the table from the

:33:17.:33:24.

metals process institute which would propel the steel industry by the

:33:25.:33:29.

creation of a capital centre would he encourage the Business Secretary

:33:30.:33:33.

to attend that the site and examine the proposal for himself? First of

:33:34.:33:38.

all, I of course it has been a difficult time for steelworkers and

:33:39.:33:42.

their families on Teesside. We have provided financial assistance to

:33:43.:33:47.

those family, we have worked with local Labour authorities there, to

:33:48.:33:50.

high pressure remediate the site and bring more jobs and opportunity into

:33:51.:33:54.

the area. I will of course take a close look at the proposal that has

:33:55.:34:00.

been put forward, and as part of the industrial patrol policy of this

:34:01.:34:05.

Government we are rt supported research and innovation through

:34:06.:34:07.

centres which have been a real success.

:34:08.:34:12.

I will give way. I thank the Chancellor. It is very important for

:34:13.:34:18.

improving productivity in the steel industry. On that basis will he look

:34:19.:34:24.

again at the case for business rates leaf, for the installation of new

:34:25.:34:31.

plant and machinery? Well, we have looked and I have looked at this

:34:32.:34:36.

proposal very closely, it would cost over 3 billion pounds a year, and,

:34:37.:34:41.

it is a very expensive tax reduction of which only a very small

:34:42.:34:45.

proportion would go to the steel industry, and of course, wouldn't go

:34:46.:34:49.

to the steel industry in Wales where rates are devolved to the Welsh

:34:50.:34:52.

Government. So that is why we have not taken that step, we have done

:34:53.:34:56.

other things to reduce business rates for small business, we have

:34:57.:35:01.

changed the up rating for all firm, to CPI which will be a massive

:35:02.:35:08.

saving over many year, but frankly, my judgment was that using the

:35:09.:35:12.

proposal she put forward to help the steel industry was really using a

:35:13.:35:16.

sledge hammer of which only a small amount would get to the steel

:35:17.:35:19.

industry and it is better to use other forms, that is why we took the

:35:20.:35:23.

decision we did in the budget. We thought there were better ways of

:35:24.:35:28.

helping. But, let me, let me make this point, that the reforms in

:35:29.:35:32.

this, in this Queen's Speech, on the economy, continue what we are try

:35:33.:35:35.

doing improve the productivity growth of the British economy so

:35:36.:35:40.

Britain, unlike many other advanced western economies does not see its

:35:41.:35:43.

living standards stall but continue to rise, that is why we have

:35:44.:35:49.

increased expenditure on transport infrastructure, even in straightened

:35:50.:35:53.

times and many of those projects like Crossrail are close to

:35:54.:35:58.

completion. That is why we introduced the apprenticeship Levy

:35:59.:36:02.

to drive upskills, accepting that low skills has been an deMick

:36:03.:36:07.

problem for many decades. That is why in part we introduced a national

:36:08.:36:11.

living wage. Not just as a measure of social justice but to tackle low

:36:12.:36:17.

pay and drive up productivity, in the workforce. We are not going to

:36:18.:36:20.

rest there, the Queen's Speech sets out a whole raft of other things

:36:21.:36:24.

that we plan to do, there are of course the measures in the Finance

:36:25.:36:30.

Bill to continue to make work pay brairksing tax threshold, helping 20

:36:31.:36:34.

million people with an income tax cut. Taking four million of the

:36:35.:36:38.

lowest paid out of the tax all together. There are the big changes

:36:39.:36:44.

in corporate tax, Superintendenting the diverting of profits but at the

:36:45.:36:48.

same time reducing the rates of business tax, so that this remains

:36:49.:36:51.

the most competitive place in the world to do business. There is the

:36:52.:36:56.

digital economy bill, to ensure that Britain remains at the forefront of

:36:57.:37:00.

the information revolution, providing that broadband network

:37:01.:37:03.

which is the equivalent of the canals and the railways and

:37:04.:37:07.

motorways of the past. The previous generations built for us, that is

:37:08.:37:11.

why we are introducing this new legal right, in the Queen's Speech,

:37:12.:37:19.

that anyone can request a 10 megabit per second connection and encourage

:37:20.:37:23.

more private competition. And making sure that Britain is at the

:37:24.:37:28.

forefront of the new revolution in driverless car, we are boosting

:37:29.:37:31.

competition with the better markets bill. We are putting new

:37:32.:37:34.

infrastructure commission on a permanent statutory footing. This

:37:35.:37:39.

has been called for, for decades by both political people in both

:37:40.:37:44.

parties. It will be part now of the permanent fixtures of our country.

:37:45.:37:49.

It has made recommendation under the excellent leadership of Lord Adonis

:37:50.:37:53.

to improve transport connections in London with Crossrail 2, to improve

:37:54.:37:56.

connection in the northern powerhouse across the Pennines and

:37:57.:38:00.

to make sure that we plan for the future of our energy supplies by

:38:01.:38:06.

being able to store energy, all of those recommendations accepted by

:38:07.:38:08.

the Government and in the Queen's Speech we will put this commission

:38:09.:38:13.

on a permanent footing, and I am delighted we have reached an

:38:14.:38:19.

agreement with Sadiq Khan the Mayor of London that Lord Adonis is going

:38:20.:38:23.

to help drop the Crossrail two project which is vital for the

:38:24.:38:29.

capital. He mentioned energy, and despite the welcome moves the

:38:30.:38:35.

Government has taken, we are seeing a further 475 jobs lost from Shell

:38:36.:38:39.

in Aberdeen. The moves are welcome but with that announcement it is

:38:40.:38:45.

clear more needs to be done. Will he engage was, with the industry, to

:38:46.:38:49.

particularly focus on exploration so we can get at the 20 billion barrels

:38:50.:38:53.

that remain in the knot sea, but only if we can find them.

:38:54.:39:01.

I saw the unwelcome news about the Shell job losses, and, we will do of

:39:02.:39:04.

course, working with the Scottish Government everything we can to both

:39:05.:39:07.

help the people who have lost their jobs but make sure that that vital

:39:08.:39:11.

industry for our country is protected at a time of low global

:39:12.:39:17.

oil prices, that is why we have worked with Aberdeen to do the new

:39:18.:39:20.

city deal and improve the harbour, that is why in the budget, we chose

:39:21.:39:28.

as the big tax measure, in this space, an abolition of the revenue

:39:29.:39:32.

taxation, a halving of the supplementary charge, so we have

:39:33.:39:36.

been ready, and stand will to help this industry, this difficult time

:39:37.:39:40.

because it is world class. We want to make sure we get as much oil out

:39:41.:39:44.

of the North Sea basin as we possibly can.

:39:45.:39:50.

We are also addressing in this queen's speech other challenges like

:39:51.:39:56.

the low savings rate which we have had many decades. We have already

:39:57.:40:01.

reformed pensions and made sure that pensioners can have access to their

:40:02.:40:06.

pension pots, a quarter of a million pensioners have made use of that

:40:07.:40:10.

innovation that we emit -- introduced as a government. I can

:40:11.:40:26.

tell the House that we ask to make a cap, low -- 1% cap, lower than what

:40:27.:40:31.

they were consulting on. In this Queen's Speech, there is a proposal

:40:32.:40:35.

for a lifetime I is that I and others in the budget, -- a lifetime

:40:36.:40:43.

acrid too, so young people do not have to choose between saving for

:40:44.:40:48.

their home and saving for the retirement. This is the biggest

:40:49.:40:51.

change in personal savings this country has ever seen, according to

:40:52.:40:56.

Martin Lewis, the savings go around. -- savings guru. Martin Lewis

:40:57.:41:04.

happens to come from Weaver Vale, a very good town. I would like to

:41:05.:41:10.

remind you to ask the House to -- ask you to remind the House that

:41:11.:41:20.

pensioners have gone up ?1000 and pensions have been protected by the

:41:21.:41:23.

triple lock, could he remind the House of the good work he has done?

:41:24.:41:29.

The triple lock on pensions has meant that we have made huge strides

:41:30.:41:35.

in in pensioner poverty in this country. -- is eliminating pensioner

:41:36.:41:42.

poverty. I am very proud that has happened under a Conservative

:41:43.:41:48.

government. Conscious of semi-people want to speak in this debate, I will

:41:49.:41:51.

end by saying, one of the biggest reforms we are making, and it

:41:52.:41:59.

features in this, is the radical devolution of power in the UK. We

:42:00.:42:03.

have devolved tax and spending powers to Scotland, a major piece of

:42:04.:42:08.

legislation for Wales, we are creating powerful new elected mayors

:42:09.:42:13.

which are proving an attractive opportunity for Shadow Cabinet

:42:14.:42:16.

members who think that their career is not going anywhere in this place.

:42:17.:42:22.

And we have got radical reforms to business rates, something people

:42:23.:42:27.

have talked about the many decades. When this government first came into

:42:28.:42:33.

office in 2010, 80% of council revenues were handed down in central

:42:34.:42:36.

government grants, almost all of which were incensed. Now, by 2020,

:42:37.:42:46.

-- were ring fenced. Now, by 2020, 100% of revenue will stay with local

:42:47.:42:51.

communities, power back to the people in a devolution revolution.

:42:52.:42:54.

Let me conclude by saying this. With record employment, one of the

:42:55.:43:01.

fastest-growing economies in the Western world, it would be easy to

:43:02.:43:07.

think, job done, and take the foot of the accelerator. And we could do

:43:08.:43:12.

that, settle for a quiet life. We would be failing the lip -- British

:43:13.:43:26.

people and watch qualities decline. I do not want to watch other nations

:43:27.:43:32.

embrace the latest technology, power ahead, say to my children, that used

:43:33.:43:36.

to be asked, that used to be Great Britain. I want this country and the

:43:37.:43:40.

people living in it to be the great success story of the 21st century.

:43:41.:43:44.

And to make that happen, there will be controversy and battles ahead.

:43:45.:43:50.

Making change, confronted vested interest, is always difficult. This

:43:51.:43:53.

Queen's Speech demonstrates we are ready for that. It shows that when

:43:54.:43:57.

it comes to standing up for the hard-working people of Britain, we

:43:58.:44:02.

are out for the fight. Before I call the next speaker, I want to warn the

:44:03.:44:08.

House that there is going to be speech limit of four minutes after

:44:09.:44:14.

the SNP spokesperson sits down. That will include all 41 members speaking

:44:15.:44:23.

without intervention. If people could be aware of this I would be

:44:24.:44:28.

grateful. A pleasure to take part in this debate on the gracious speech.

:44:29.:44:33.

I am conscious of time so I will be as brief as I can. Before I talk

:44:34.:44:37.

about the measures contained within the speech, it might be worth

:44:38.:44:43.

reflecting on what is missing. Particularly in economic terms. And

:44:44.:44:50.

alternative on austerity, relaxation on exports, and addressing the need

:44:51.:44:56.

for genuine inclusive growth so that people do not fall further behind

:44:57.:45:01.

and the UK does not forego GDP growth as it has in the past over

:45:02.:45:06.

decades. As a result of rising inequality. All of that is absent.

:45:07.:45:13.

The most important steps which would be this programme the government,

:45:14.:45:16.

which the government could and should have taken to reverse the

:45:17.:45:23.

damaging impact of posterity, to stop cuts to our vital public

:45:24.:45:27.

services, which promote positive economic impact, are all missing. It

:45:28.:45:34.

is almost as if this is a Tory government so consumed with bitter

:45:35.:45:40.

infighting over Europe, on the EU referendum, they have pared back

:45:41.:45:42.

this legislative programme to a bare minimum to give even the vaguest

:45:43.:45:48.

impression of the government still functioning no matter how rotten and

:45:49.:45:56.

divided over Europe. Madam Deputy Speaker, we did not have announced

:45:57.:46:03.

in the gracious speech, an emergency budget in the summer putting an end

:46:04.:46:07.

to austerity which are strangled economic growth and seen the

:46:08.:46:09.

Chancellor failed to meet every single target across his key

:46:10.:46:15.

economic indicators. Debt, deficit, borrowing, trade and export, we

:46:16.:46:19.

could have had an economic plan, a series of economic measures, to

:46:20.:46:24.

usher in an inclusive, prosperous economy, through investment in

:46:25.:46:28.

infrastructure and key public services. We could have had

:46:29.:46:33.

signalled and flagged up provision for a modest increase in public

:46:34.:46:37.

expenditure. Half a percent, as we argued at the election, to release

:46:38.:46:41.

something in the order of ?150 billion, for investment in

:46:42.:46:45.

infrastructure and our public services. Spending to grow the

:46:46.:46:55.

economy while essentially insuring public-sector debt and deficit

:46:56.:46:58.

continued to fall over the parliament, something which would

:46:59.:47:00.

have been sustainable and fiscally responsible. Could the honourable

:47:01.:47:07.

gentleman in light in this house as to whether or not there are any

:47:08.:47:12.

plans in the Scottish Parliament to have an emergency budget to use the

:47:13.:47:16.

tax-raising powers they have? We are using every single power available

:47:17.:47:23.

to us and we will use all of the powers over taxation when they come.

:47:24.:47:26.

How we choose to do that will be a matter for the Scottish Government.

:47:27.:47:30.

What I suspect we are not going to do is impose a 5% increase on the

:47:31.:47:35.

poorest workers in Scotland which was a plan posited by others which

:47:36.:47:40.

led them to come third. We could have had, in this Queen 's speech,

:47:41.:47:48.

the delivery of vital and urgent aid to support trade and exports.

:47:49.:47:51.

Measures to stimulus investment and growth, the turnaround what is now

:47:52.:47:58.

recognised in the real world is this Chancellor's failed stewardship of

:47:59.:48:01.

the economy, which has seen the trade deficit widened to its worst

:48:02.:48:07.

levels since the crisis in 20 set -- 2008, and will see the Treasury miss

:48:08.:48:13.

its own target of doubling exports to ?1 trillion by ?300 billion by

:48:14.:48:17.

the end of this decade. We could have had a fair tax bill,

:48:18.:48:22.

simplifying the UK tax system and delivering greater tax transparency.

:48:23.:48:26.

And vitally, measures including a moratorium on this government's

:48:27.:48:31.

programme of HMRC office closures. We should have had the establishment

:48:32.:48:36.

of an independent commission to simplify the tax code, strengthen

:48:37.:48:49.

tax tax roti -- transparency, by ensuring that the ownership of

:48:50.:48:54.

trusts were fully public. We should have had a security and investment

:48:55.:48:58.

bill facilitating and exports laid sustainable energy sector. With

:48:59.:49:05.

measures including a combo offensive strategic review of tax rates and

:49:06.:49:08.

investment allowances in the North Sea, a review into securing the

:49:09.:49:19.

future energy supply of the UK, and an end to the failing Hinkley C

:49:20.:49:23.

nuclear project. We could have been directing investment into renewable

:49:24.:49:27.

energy and into carbon capture and storage. Those among other

:49:28.:49:31.

initiatives would have formed the basis of solid economic proposals to

:49:32.:49:35.

grow the economy. What we ended up with was an economic digital economy

:49:36.:49:46.

Bill, a better markets Bill, and I will turn to those. We understand

:49:47.:49:52.

the benefit of digital collectivity and we welcome the roll-out of

:49:53.:49:55.

superfast broadband because it has the potential to boost productivity.

:49:56.:50:01.

According to Deloitte 's, a report commissioned for the Scottish

:50:02.:50:07.

futures trust last year, in tries -- increase in digitalisation could

:50:08.:50:13.

increase the Scottish economy by ?13 billion. That would also have a

:50:14.:50:19.

direct input in improving productivity, business creation,

:50:20.:50:22.

jobs, earnings, exports and tax revenues. And many more positive

:50:23.:50:25.

outcomes in terms of public provision. The report suggested the

:50:26.:50:32.

Scotland to become a world leader, we could see significant increase in

:50:33.:50:38.

GDP, something in the order of 6000 small and home-based enterprises,

:50:39.:50:45.

and potentially 175,000 extra jobs by the end of the decade. We

:50:46.:50:51.

welcome, therefore, Muse by the UK Government to provide digital

:50:52.:50:57.

infrastructure. -- moves by the UK Government. We are unconvinced the

:50:58.:51:02.

bill will turn the persistently poor productivity levels in the UK as it

:51:03.:51:08.

could. We are unconvinced by the limitation of this plan,

:51:09.:51:10.

particularly the roll-out of broadband, will deliver, not least

:51:11.:51:16.

because by every evidence, they have failed in this regard before. As

:51:17.:51:21.

long ago as 2013, the NAO reported that the government's then roll-out

:51:22.:51:28.

of broadband was 22 months late. The Defra committee reported last year,

:51:29.:51:32.

they made the point that the target dates of broadband had been changed

:51:33.:51:37.

many times and they raised concerns that the target for delivering

:51:38.:51:40.

superfast broadband to even 95% of the UK was interpreted. -- was in

:51:41.:51:47.

jeopardy. They are not very good with targets. We welcome the UK

:51:48.:51:52.

Government's commitment to introducing universal service

:51:53.:51:56.

obligation, because it was in our manifesto and we believe it can be

:51:57.:51:59.

fulfilled, it would have particular benefit to rural communities. We

:52:00.:52:07.

also welcome the government moves to tackle corruption, money-laundering

:52:08.:52:10.

and tax evasion. But again, the criminal finances built does not go

:52:11.:52:14.

far enough to combat what is a systemic problem. Following the

:52:15.:52:23.

release of the Panama papers, the Prime Minister was called upon to go

:52:24.:52:27.

on with measures to crack down on tax evasion and aggressive tax

:52:28.:52:34.

avoidance, pointing out the elicit cross-border flows of money are now

:52:35.:52:42.

estimated at ?1 trillion a year, ten times the global foreign aid budgets

:52:43.:52:49.

to mind. We believe the Mint should be prioritising vital tax treaties

:52:50.:52:54.

not least his places like Panama and other tax havens, as part of global

:52:55.:52:58.

efforts to better coordinate against tax avoidance. Furthermore, we would

:52:59.:53:05.

call on the UK Government to involve in compliance by guaranteeing the

:53:06.:53:12.

beneficial ownership -- in bold in compliance to make sure that

:53:13.:53:19.

ownership of trusts is made public. The UK has one of the most

:53:20.:53:23.

complicated tax code in the world. That leads to a loss of tax yield

:53:24.:53:32.

and opportunities to exploit tax loopholes. We call upon the

:53:33.:53:37.

government to ring about the tax system to make sure it is a fair

:53:38.:53:47.

system. We believe there should be a conference of consultation on the

:53:48.:53:51.

simplification of the tax code. With a simplified, not a flat tax code,

:53:52.:54:00.

but with a similar fight system, the government could boost yields and

:54:01.:54:08.

avoid exploiting loopholes. We welcome efforts to tackle mine --

:54:09.:54:16.

money-laundering and tax evasion. Whatever good may come of this, the

:54:17.:54:22.

counter-productive decision to close 137 HMRC offices will strip local

:54:23.:54:25.

businesses and individuals throughout the UK of the support

:54:26.:54:30.

they need to ensure they comply with the law. In order to tackle tax

:54:31.:54:35.

avoidance at all levels, and to continue to provide local support

:54:36.:54:40.

when it is needed, the UK Government must but a moratorium on this

:54:41.:54:49.

closures. Individuals and businesses want to contribute to society by

:54:50.:54:54.

paying tax, but the high proportion of SME tax which is lost through

:54:55.:55:03.

error, not fraud, can be avoided by removing the threat to local

:55:04.:55:07.

offices. It is extraordinary in that context. While tax compliance is now

:55:08.:55:11.

at the heart of much of our economic debate, in a way it has not been for

:55:12.:55:17.

decades, HMRC has seen its workforce cuts by 20% since 2010.

:55:18.:55:22.

The final bill which comes under the broad heading of economy is the

:55:23.:55:32.

better markets bill. Now, many dell deputy speaker, the main purported

:55:33.:55:36.

benefits will be to give consumers more power and choice, through

:55:37.:55:39.

faster switching and more protection when things go wrong, that is to be

:55:40.:55:45.

worked. It would simplify the way economic regulator operating to make

:55:46.:55:48.

things more straight forward and straightforward for business, and to

:55:49.:55:54.

help cut red tape. It would speed up decision for the competition markets

:55:55.:55:59.

authority to the benefit of consumers and businesses alike. The

:56:00.:56:04.

intention is it will deliver a manifesto commitment to increase

:56:05.:56:07.

competition and consumer choice, particularly in the energy market.

:56:08.:56:12.

So while we work moves by the Government to challenge rising

:56:13.:56:15.

energy prices, through encouraging market choice, it does not go far

:56:16.:56:20.

enough, to combat the problem of fuel poverty, at a structural level.

:56:21.:56:25.

By that, Madame Deputy Speaker I mean this. According to the UK means

:56:26.:56:33.

of calculating fuel poverty, in 2014, some 2.5 million households

:56:34.:56:38.

were in fuel poverty. According to the methods use in Scotland, Wales

:56:39.:56:41.

and Northern Ireland, over the last three or four year, the figures have

:56:42.:56:49.

sat between 30 and 40% of households in fuel poverty. So the structure

:56:50.:56:54.

issue here isn't a short tackle of gas or electricity, it isn't even

:56:55.:57:00.

necessarily a shortage of competition, it isn't necessarily

:57:01.:57:04.

the ability to change supplier quickly, it is a shortage of money,

:57:05.:57:08.

to pay for the gas and electricity, coming into the house.

:57:09.:57:15.

I am sure there are good intentions behind many of the economic measures

:57:16.:57:21.

in this gracious speech, they are simply too little, too late. On the

:57:22.:57:30.

point about fuel poverty, the Chancellor mentioned Martin Lewis,

:57:31.:57:35.

in his speech. Does my friend know that I was at a conference with

:57:36.:57:43.

Martin Lewis this week, where Martin Lewis denounced Universal Credits as

:57:44.:57:48.

particularly hurting the poor and theirable to save and pay for

:57:49.:57:56.

energy, the Chancellor, is mentioned the person is I have said we have

:57:57.:58:02.

got very limited time for a very large number of members to get in.

:58:03.:58:08.

Stewart Hosie. He was with Mr Lewis. It doesn't surprise me in the

:58:09.:58:13.

slightest because for all the talk of an increase in the minimum wage,

:58:14.:58:17.

I think anyone on the progressive side of 308 ticks understands that a

:58:18.:58:23.

real living wage will be under mined with the undermining of the cuts to

:58:24.:58:29.

inwork benefits and tax credits being undertaken by this Government.

:58:30.:58:34.

I think the key aspect here is that this government was failing on

:58:35.:58:40.

almost every key economic indicator, they have missed almost every

:58:41.:58:46.

target. They set for themselves, the numbers demonstrate, the numbers

:58:47.:58:50.

demonstrate beyond doubt that their claim to economic credibility is in

:58:51.:58:55.

tatters. We are asking for a genuine comprehensive plan for trade exports

:58:56.:59:01.

innovation productivity, a genuinely rebalanced and fair economy. The

:59:02.:59:05.

Chancellor said trade and exports would underpin the strategy for

:59:06.:59:10.

growth, but the UK current account is at a record 96 billion. Its

:59:11.:59:16.

highest ever cash amount. On exports the Chancellor promised a doubling

:59:17.:59:19.

to a trillion by the end of the year, exports fell last year, to 511

:59:20.:59:26.

billion. They are going in the wrong direction. We continue to compare

:59:27.:59:31.

poorly with our competitors on innovation and the Chancellor's

:59:32.:59:35.

previous decision, no, I won't. To change innovation grants into loans

:59:36.:59:40.

sends out the wrong signals. On productivity we continue to lag

:59:41.:59:46.

behind other major economies, and productivity rise is barely half the

:59:47.:59:51.

level of growth of the precrisis period. All of these failures need a

:59:52.:59:59.

concrete plan to put them right. Instead, we simply have spin and

:00:00.:00:09.

slogans. The northern powerhouse,ing the long-term economic plans. Empty

:00:10.:00:14.

shallow words, from a rotten poll lowed out Government.

:00:15.:00:25.

The gracious speech tells us that legislation will be introduced to

:00:26.:00:28.

ensure Britain has the infrastructure that businesses need

:00:29.:00:32.

to grow, and in the next sentence we are promised measures to improve

:00:33.:00:38.

access to high speed broadband. Both these commitments are of huge

:00:39.:00:43.

importance to my constituency and to the wider Angeline region of which

:00:44.:00:51.

we form part. The region is badly served so far as transport

:00:52.:00:56.

infrastructure is involved. Two railway lines both of which are

:00:57.:01:01.

inadequate, my right honourable friend the member for Norwich North

:01:02.:01:06.

has chaired a taskforce for the great eastern line. I have been

:01:07.:01:10.

charged with chairing a taskforce for the west Anglian line, we have

:01:11.:01:14.

illustrated the weaknesses in the present system and how important

:01:15.:01:19.

this is, to the development of business in our areas.

:01:20.:01:23.

Understandably, in the short time available I will concentrate on the

:01:24.:01:28.

question of the west Angela task force. We are looking at the fact

:01:29.:01:34.

that with Cambridge, with Stansted, with greater Harlow and the up air

:01:35.:01:38.

Leigh valley area in Greater London there is a huge growth potential.

:01:39.:01:44.

Jobs and housing are going to multiply, over the next few years.

:01:45.:01:50.

Years. A stark contrast to some of the tales of woe we have been

:01:51.:01:53.

hearing so far in parts of this debate.

:01:54.:01:59.

Now, the one thing that is not mentioned in the gracious speech is

:02:00.:02:04.

the actual decision on where extra run away capacity will be provided

:02:05.:02:09.

in the London area. One suspects that will, decision will come to

:02:10.:02:17.

wait soon. But no choice will enable the capacity to be used other than

:02:18.:02:24.

in the interim, at Stansted, which brings in to focus the inadequacy of

:02:25.:02:30.

the rail loin that connected connects London with Stansted. It is

:02:31.:02:35.

not just a matter of getting passenger, it is getting the

:02:36.:02:38.

workforce there I am ploughed to say related to the policies of the

:02:39.:02:42.

Government I support, that the unemployment rate in my own

:02:43.:02:47.

constituency has fallen to 0.6%. Clearly, clearly therefore, if the

:02:48.:02:51.

jobs are to be filled people have to be conveyed there and the railways,

:02:52.:02:55.

is one of the most efficient ways of doing it. But we have got to press

:02:56.:03:00.

on with that, and now the Chancellor is taking the imaginative decision

:03:01.:03:04.

to back the project of Crossrail two. It is essential that the first

:03:05.:03:09.

work should begin in preparation for that, by the four tracking of the

:03:10.:03:16.

west Angela railway line. So, I hope, that we will soon have some

:03:17.:03:21.

decision that will ensure we are not waiting beyond 2025 for that railway

:03:22.:03:27.

line to improve, but for otherwise it may slip to 20033, which would be

:03:28.:03:33.

unthinkable. Broadband is offering new methods of working, which helps

:03:34.:03:37.

some people to travel less often than has been necessary for them up

:03:38.:03:43.

to now. The face of rural England is changing, people are dispersed,

:03:44.:03:47.

small businesses exist, sometimes at the high technology end. Superfast

:03:48.:03:51.

broadband eis essential to them. What we need to see however, is a

:03:52.:03:57.

clarity given to people as to what is available, whether from BT, or

:03:58.:04:02.

from the other commercial providers, and I hope that Local Authorities

:04:03.:04:07.

will be encouraged to show to everyone what is available so that

:04:08.:04:13.

there can be quicker implementation. There has dozen have to be equality

:04:14.:04:17.

of provision so everyone can accept the same standard. My constituencies

:04:18.:04:24.

commend the priority given to these matters in the greatest. Thank you,

:04:25.:04:34.

could I begin by thank the Chancellor for the five million

:04:35.:04:39.

pounds he earmarked in the budget force, the Shakespeare of the north

:04:40.:04:43.

and press him a little further and ask him to consider waiving the VAT

:04:44.:04:48.

on the construction costs. I want to talk today about the link between

:04:49.:04:53.

poverty, economic progress and education. Before doing so, I should

:04:54.:05:00.

say a word about my own position on the EU referendum. In 1975 in a

:05:01.:05:10.

previous referendum Madame Deputy Speaker, I chair the Huyton says no

:05:11.:05:17.

campaign. Our merry band of naysayers was an eclectic group.

:05:18.:05:25.

Consisting of Labour Party young socialist and the Communist part of

:05:26.:05:31.

Great Britain and two Tory dancers. The people of Huyton listened to our

:05:32.:05:36.

local MP at the time, haar roll Wilson and voted to stay in. The

:05:37.:05:44.

argument I want to advance takes inspiration fittingly in the sentry

:05:45.:05:52.

year from haar wold Wilson's white hot technology speech. 1963 we

:05:53.:05:59.

needed to don't to changing economic realities, and by embracing the

:06:00.:06:04.

challenges that we, confronted us with science and technology, but it

:06:05.:06:12.

also included an element about the importance of education, and as

:06:13.:06:16.

regards the path ways out of poverty. My argument is that we now

:06:17.:06:23.

face a similar challenge. How do we compete in a rapidly changing global

:06:24.:06:30.

economy, do we adopt zero hours contract and other insecure forms of

:06:31.:06:36.

employment? Or do we instead incentivise Nguyen investigation and

:06:37.:06:40.

educate and train a future workforce to take advantage of the

:06:41.:06:43.

opportunities that innovation creates. The first option, in my

:06:44.:06:48.

view, is ultimately a self defeating race to the bottom. What we do have

:06:49.:06:53.

to face up to some uncomfortable truths, one of which is the decline

:06:54.:07:00.

in manufacturing in the UK. In 1972, 32% of the UK's GDP came from

:07:01.:07:06.

manufacturing, and by 1997, that percentage was down to 14.5%, and by

:07:07.:07:19.

2013 dropped further, 0. Further, I want to conclude by saying that the,

:07:20.:07:24.

the economic levers that are available to the Chancellor and the

:07:25.:07:29.

Government need to be remorselessly focussed on creating incentives for

:07:30.:07:34.

innovation. Using not only the taxation system but the export

:07:35.:07:38.

guarantee system, and everything else they are available, to make

:07:39.:07:44.

sure those opportunities that exist in the world, are ones within the

:07:45.:07:49.

reach of our country, secondly we need to talk about education. In

:07:50.:07:53.

Knowsley we have serious problems with education, and I don't want to

:07:54.:07:57.

go into too much detail at that at the moment. We have a serious

:07:58.:08:07.

problem of underattainment at G7. I wonder how many secondary schools in

:08:08.:08:11.

Knowsley are academies? That is the point. Out of six secondary schools

:08:12.:08:16.

four are already academies so clearly that is not the solution to

:08:17.:08:20.

all of the problems that we confront. My own belief is that we

:08:21.:08:29.

need to rebuild completely, start from scratch the education system.

:08:30.:08:35.

Nothing should be protected from proper scrutiny and nothing should

:08:36.:08:41.

be protected from modernisation, the curriculum, the public examination

:08:42.:08:47.

system. Educational institution and the underlying philosophy behind

:08:48.:08:50.

education needs rigorous Commonwealth Games and radically

:08:51.:08:54.

redesigned, to meet the real challenges we face in the world and

:08:55.:09:00.

the we don't do that areas like Knowsley will continue to drag

:09:01.:09:04.

behind. We can make bigger choices that meet the challenges and harness

:09:05.:09:10.

the innovation and education as the twin engines of tackling inequality,

:09:11.:09:16.

deprivation and the random economic effects associated with where people

:09:17.:09:20.

live. Sure there there is only one choice and that must be progress.

:09:21.:09:28.

There is nothing wrong in being analogue if you term it with

:09:29.:09:35.

restraint and reason. I do conFoss I am an ideologue for lower taxes and

:09:36.:09:38.

for the supremacy of this Parliament. That is what I work for

:09:39.:09:43.

all my life. I judge every Queen's Speech by how it advances lower

:09:44.:09:47.

taxes, deregulation and more devolution. I think, however, we

:09:48.:09:53.

should be wary of imposing our ideas on other people, in a forced manner.

:09:54.:09:59.

We used to argue that it was, that the one-size-fits-all come hen sieve

:10:00.:10:03.

was wrong, educational standards were declining and therefore we have

:10:04.:10:06.

led the charge I do not believe we should force a

:10:07.:10:15.

county council, particularly rural ones with small private ones, to

:10:16.:10:20.

make all of these schools into academies so despite the

:10:21.:10:24.

announcement made in the budget, I know where the Chancellor is coming

:10:25.:10:31.

from, I agree with his long-term plans on education, I welcome the

:10:32.:10:34.

compromise in terms of small rural private schools. The same attitude,

:10:35.:10:43.

if I may say, I welcome the Chancellor still being here, apply

:10:44.:10:47.

to devolution and mayors. I am a strong advocate of devolution,

:10:48.:10:51.

central government has imposed too much control on local government for

:10:52.:10:56.

too long. But in Lincolnshire, we welcome devolution, we were prepared

:10:57.:11:03.

to have a simple system by which devolution was devolved onto a

:11:04.:11:07.

board, run by the leader of the district councils and there was no

:11:08.:11:13.

enthusiasm for I met elected in the larger role country. I am sure the

:11:14.:11:16.

Chancellor is listening to what I'm saying, and I hope he will listen to

:11:17.:11:21.

local people and will not impose the concept of an elected mayor, fine

:11:22.:11:27.

for cities but not necessarily appropriate for a large rural county

:11:28.:11:34.

like Lincolnshire. As somebody who represent a larger role community

:11:35.:11:37.

who has not got the benefit of being offered and there, do you not think

:11:38.:11:41.

it is worth having an opportunity to try a mayor for rural communities to

:11:42.:11:47.

see how they can enhance it? We can certainly try. The difficulty is, we

:11:48.:11:51.

will have parish councils, district councils, county councils which we

:11:52.:11:54.

have controlled for most of the last 100 years, an elected mayor, elected

:11:55.:11:59.

police commission, member of Parliament, member of European

:12:00.:12:02.

Parliament, it gets too much. Too many jobs for the boys. I just

:12:03.:12:11.

wondered if my right honourable friend Mike also suggest jobs for

:12:12.:12:19.

the girls as well. Absolutely. She has actually made some very

:12:20.:12:22.

important contributions to this debate in the last year. And I

:12:23.:12:26.

welcome what she says. May I say that in terms of welfare, I know she

:12:27.:12:30.

has taken in interest in tax credits, I think we have to make

:12:31.:12:34.

more progress in cutting the deficit and cutting welfare. Probably it is

:12:35.:12:40.

a mistake to cut the welfare benefit or tax credit of people who are

:12:41.:12:45.

already on small incomes and living and depending on the tax credits and

:12:46.:12:49.

benefits. We have to give plenty of warning. This is the lesson that we

:12:50.:12:54.

should learn from that debate on lowering or increasing the pension

:12:55.:12:59.

age for women. We should have given proper notice, we did give 20 years

:13:00.:13:05.

notice, but we did not write to every single woman saying, dear Mrs

:13:06.:13:10.

Jones, in 20 years' time, your pension age will be increased. That

:13:11.:13:13.

is we should have done and we should learn from that in the future. In

:13:14.:13:18.

terms of what the spokesman for the SNP, his points, again, as I said in

:13:19.:13:25.

the beginning of my speech, I and enthusiast for lower taxes. We have

:13:26.:13:30.

the longest tax code in the world. There is still so much progress we

:13:31.:13:37.

can make. The Chancellor knows, I have said this to him again and

:13:38.:13:42.

again, I hope with every budget that he introduces, he tries to simplify

:13:43.:13:47.

the tax and benefit system. Tries to strip away allowances, tries to

:13:48.:13:54.

converge taxes, so we do not need to employ armies of accountants, simply

:13:55.:13:58.

trying to advise people on how to avoid tax. We have made all too

:13:59.:14:06.

little progress in simplifying and converging our tax system. I know it

:14:07.:14:09.

is difficult and we cannot do it in one step. I know because of the top

:14:10.:14:15.

1% of earners paying 25% of all taxes, you cannot have a flat tax

:14:16.:14:21.

system, I know all that. Every year we should make more progress in

:14:22.:14:23.

simplifying and merging the tax system. Before I sit down, I should

:14:24.:14:28.

say that the Chancellor talked about announcements made today, but there

:14:29.:14:32.

was an important announcement today on the immigration figures. The fact

:14:33.:14:37.

is, we still have net migration of 300,000 people every year into this

:14:38.:14:40.

country. This is absolutely unsustainable. We welcome people

:14:41.:14:45.

from East Europe coming to work here. I more than any other welcome

:14:46.:14:52.

Polish people and their culture of hard work. But net migration,

:14:53.:14:56.

particularly in terms of London and the south-east, of 300,000 people a

:14:57.:15:01.

year, fuelled by the imposition on business of the living wage, and on

:15:02.:15:07.

and reformed tax credit system, is simply unsustainable. There is a

:15:08.:15:13.

vision of Britain leading the world towards free trade, controlling its

:15:14.:15:18.

own borders, but claiming supremacy of Parliament and that is why on

:15:19.:15:24.

June 23, I for one shall be voting to leave the European Union. A

:15:25.:15:30.

pleasure to follow the member for Gainsborough. The separation of

:15:31.:15:33.

Labour futures on the Tory benches is having some impact on some of the

:15:34.:15:39.

policy areas the honourable member outlined on the forced acadamisation

:15:40.:15:45.

of schools and the plight of the working poor. I will focus on tax

:15:46.:15:50.

transparency and prison reform. In the gracious speech, Her Majesty

:15:51.:15:53.

said, my government will use the opportunity of a strengthening

:15:54.:15:56.

economy to deliver security for working people, increase the life

:15:57.:16:00.

chances for the most disadvantaged and strengthen national defences. I

:16:01.:16:03.

do not disagree with those sentiments although I would question

:16:04.:16:06.

how strong our economy is. We are debating the Queens speech with a

:16:07.:16:13.

referendum on the EU looming, the outcome of which could affect the

:16:14.:16:16.

government's ability to turn those words into actions. It is my belief

:16:17.:16:20.

that our economy and security benefit enormously from our

:16:21.:16:24.

mentorship of the European Union and that is at risk should really. --

:16:25.:16:29.

membership. Whatever happens on the 23rd of June, it is important we

:16:30.:16:34.

recognise and acknowledge the power and responsibilities we have today

:16:35.:16:38.

is a national parliament to tackle the challenges our country faces and

:16:39.:16:43.

institute change. Unlike the defeatism and politics of despair

:16:44.:16:47.

expressed by politicians arguing to leave the EU, I proudly believe in

:16:48.:16:52.

British democracy that allows us to act independently of the EE you

:16:53.:16:54.

while strengthening Britain in the EU through our membership. We need a

:16:55.:17:00.

strong economy because it only works when everyone from the cleaner to

:17:01.:17:04.

the Chief Executive, from the corner shop to the corporate giant, are

:17:05.:17:10.

paying their fair share of tax. Chris -- prison reform is important

:17:11.:17:18.

because crime robs communities, and costs more and more every time a

:17:19.:17:22.

prisoner returns to a life of crime. Within the world of multinationals,

:17:23.:17:25.

it is aggressive tax avoidance hidden behind corporate laws which

:17:26.:17:28.

is the nine Britain and other countries the taxes they are due. --

:17:29.:17:33.

which is denying Britain. That is why tax transparency is the most

:17:34.:17:37.

important thing you can do. International European action is

:17:38.:17:40.

deserving of support but it should not paralyse the UK Government from

:17:41.:17:47.

taking the lead, especially if multilateral proposals are not good

:17:48.:17:50.

enough. We need country by country reporting so I seek to amend the

:17:51.:17:59.

bill to ensure that happens. I have cross-party support, of every member

:18:00.:18:05.

in the Public Accounts Committee, of organisations for tax fairness,

:18:06.:18:08.

supporting my endeavours. I hope the government will support as well. It

:18:09.:18:12.

is so important that not only do we know what we should be getting, we

:18:13.:18:19.

should also know what business activities in the developing world

:18:20.:18:26.

are doing, and how they are denied further tax rather than relying on

:18:27.:18:30.

international aid. Turning to prison reform, the government has announced

:18:31.:18:33.

prison governors will be given a precedent it freedom and allow

:18:34.:18:38.

prisoners to get education but the story is not encouraging. According

:18:39.:18:42.

to the last report, you are more likely to die in prison than five

:18:43.:18:46.

years ago. More prisoners murdered, killed themselves, self harm were

:18:47.:18:49.

victims of assault than five years ago. The salt on staff at 40% in the

:18:50.:18:56.

-- assaults on staff at 40% in the last government while is on staff

:18:57.:19:00.

numbers are cut. But she recognised the key role in legal highs,

:19:01.:19:07.

creating a volatile situation in prison, and she welcomed legislation

:19:08.:19:11.

introduced to outlaw them? Yes, and I was proud to introduce drug

:19:12.:19:16.

testing on a rest to ensure that we could get prisoners into drug

:19:17.:19:19.

testing before they entered the prison system. We have seen 24,000

:19:20.:19:25.

prison staff in 2010 being reduced to just over 14,000 by June 20 14.

:19:26.:19:31.

To tackle the illegal drug trade in prisons, we need the staff there to

:19:32.:19:35.

be able to do their job to make sure it doesn't happen. I have three

:19:36.:19:41.

prisons in my constituency. Two closed, and one open. I have met Tim

:19:42.:19:47.

Beeston, deep governor at HMP morning, and he is not even

:19:48.:19:53.

mentioned as the correct governor on the website, he is committed to do

:19:54.:19:57.

more but he cannot do it alone. I have spoken to the chair of the

:19:58.:20:00.

prison officer Association about the problems his members are facing at

:20:01.:20:03.

how they would like to do more. I commend the research produced by my

:20:04.:20:09.

own union and its charter is a safe operating procedures which I am

:20:10.:20:13.

pleased to support. We have two recognise the prison system is full

:20:14.:20:17.

of people the education system has failed and we'd need to do more.

:20:18.:20:25.

While there is mandatory assessment of literacy and numeracy, it is not

:20:26.:20:30.

mandatory to undertake education in prison to improve your literacy and

:20:31.:20:35.

numeracy. Sentences, if they are too short, require it to be a condition

:20:36.:20:45.

on release to continue in education. I look forward to the announcements

:20:46.:20:49.

by government that will achieve these actions. I welcome the

:20:50.:20:57.

reference in the gracious speech to improving Britain's competitiveness

:20:58.:21:01.

and making the United Kingdom a world leader in the Digital economy.

:21:02.:21:08.

Since 2010, the United Kingdom or I should say the people of the United

:21:09.:21:11.

Kingdom have created 2.9 million jobs. Jobs do not appear out of thin

:21:12.:21:17.

air, they are there because the entrepreneurship of the people of

:21:18.:21:20.

the United Kingdom. Our unemployment rate has gone from 8% to 5.1%. It is

:21:21.:21:26.

still too high, but it is an achievement. We need to maintain

:21:27.:21:30.

these high levels of employment while tackling the major risks to

:21:31.:21:35.

our economy, the twin deficits of the balance of payment and the

:21:36.:21:38.

budget, and also low productivity compared with other countries. They

:21:39.:21:44.

are interrelated, Madam Deputy Speaker. Higher productivity leads

:21:45.:21:49.

us to be more competitive, domestically and internationally,

:21:50.:21:51.

leads to improved export and lower imports, and greater growth with the

:21:52.:21:56.

corresponding tax revenues. Long-term analysis of our

:21:57.:21:59.

productivity shows that there are three main issues. Insufficient

:22:00.:22:04.

investment in R, not just over the last 16 years, over decades.

:22:05.:22:11.

Investment in R, latest technology and infrastructure. Secondly, weak

:22:12.:22:15.

management. We have some fantastically managed businesses but

:22:16.:22:19.

we also have some below average managed businesses. And inadequate

:22:20.:22:23.

education and training. The government is working on all three

:22:24.:22:26.

of these areas. They are linked because high quality research and

:22:27.:22:31.

management and good management depend substantially on a

:22:32.:22:35.

well-educated population. Weak management will prioritise the

:22:36.:22:38.

status quo over risky decisions to invest and train the future. The

:22:39.:22:45.

government had taken action through growth in apprenticeships, and if on

:22:46.:22:49.

quality of apprenticeships and standards in schools which is

:22:50.:22:53.

absolutely critical. -- an emphasis on quality. I would like to raise

:22:54.:22:56.

the issue of recruitment of teachers which are difficult in certain areas

:22:57.:23:00.

such as maths and science but I know the government is well aware of this

:23:01.:23:05.

and working on it. As far as investment in R and technology is

:23:06.:23:08.

concerned, this comes down to the availability of people, the

:23:09.:23:11.

willingness of companies to invest and incentives to do so. And given

:23:12.:23:16.

that incentives cost, I would urge the government to concentrate

:23:17.:23:20.

resources for investment in R on businesses which showed the greatest

:23:21.:23:23.

willingness to invest and are more likely to generate long-term growth

:23:24.:23:28.

and jobs. Much has already been said about infrastructure. I would just

:23:29.:23:31.

concentrate in my own area in Stafford, with the advent of it as

:23:32.:23:37.

too, the road network really need strengthening. I would ask the

:23:38.:23:43.

government to do that. -- the advent of HS2. Britain is a world leader in

:23:44.:23:52.

digital economy, which is also vital for competitiveness. In my own

:23:53.:23:57.

constituency, the largest private-sector employer is no

:23:58.:24:00.

general electric, which sees its future as a digital business. As its

:24:01.:24:04.

Chief Executive said, if you went to bed last night as an an industrial

:24:05.:24:09.

company, you wake up this morning as a software and analytics company. My

:24:10.:24:13.

ambition. It is to be a leader nationally in the digital economy.

:24:14.:24:17.

It is not just manufacturing companies which are taking them

:24:18.:24:24.

seriously, such as general Electric, we have a thriving community of

:24:25.:24:26.

software businesses which are growing steadily in financial

:24:27.:24:36.

services, Microsoft's 2015 partner in the year with the projects that

:24:37.:24:42.

support the NHS, digital marketing and forensics. We also have three

:24:43.:24:45.

signals Regiment which will provide a very good workforce for the future

:24:46.:24:49.

when the service men and women complete their services. So, Madam

:24:50.:24:53.

Deputy Speaker, the future is digital and this bill is a very

:24:54.:24:55.

strong part of that. This Queen's Speech did nothing for

:24:56.:25:08.

the people who I represent in the Jarrow constituency. ? Fact the

:25:09.:25:11.

Government shouldn't have wasted taxpayers' money on all that pomp

:25:12.:25:18.

and ceremony, when they could have sent 140 syllable tweet out telling

:25:19.:25:22.

people what was in the Queen's Speech. The Prime Minister's aim of

:25:23.:25:27.

course, was to stop the rest in the Tory party while they are pulling

:25:28.:25:29.

themselves apart over the referendum. He didn't even achieve

:25:30.:25:35.

that. Only days after the Queen's Speech, what did we have? Rebel Tory

:25:36.:25:41.

MPs joining us on this side, opposing the undemocratic

:25:42.:25:44.

transatlantic trade and investment partnership, and if the Prime

:25:45.:25:48.

Minister fetes a message from that, is to dump TTIP in its interty and

:25:49.:25:55.

defend our NHS. As I alluded to earlier there was more detail on the

:25:56.:26:00.

back of a bus ticket on that waste of vellum handed to the Queen. For

:26:01.:26:04.

example, what did they say, we are going to create a space port. What a

:26:05.:26:10.

laugh. We are still waiting for a decision on another runway in

:26:11.:26:14.

London, yet they are talking about sending tourist to the moon in a

:26:15.:26:20.

rocket. That is daft. We are talking about privatising the Land Registry.

:26:21.:26:26.

A destructive move that is opposed by the Competition and Markets

:26:27.:26:30.

Authority, only this Tory Government and only this Chancellor would

:26:31.:26:36.

contemplate gifting a valuable public service, a body responsible

:26:37.:26:39.

for registering the ownership of residential and commercial property,

:26:40.:26:43.

to a bunch of spivs and speck tailors. It is wrong and they should

:26:44.:26:52.

withdraw on that. The move to end a fair rating system, will enhance

:26:53.:26:59.

people in areas like Kensington and Mayfair, echoing the usual Tory

:27:00.:27:02.

motto. To them that will have most give more, to the lower paid in the

:27:03.:27:08.

middle earners give them nothing. The Queen's Speech taken together

:27:09.:27:13.

with the recent budget fell apart quicker than a badly assembled chest

:27:14.:27:18.

of drawers, and it just shows how the government is disints grated in

:27:19.:27:22.

front of us. -- disintegrating in front of us, when areas like mine

:27:23.:27:27.

are crying fourth a Queen's Speech which values peep, likes decency and

:27:28.:27:31.

fairness, what we needed was the creation of good jobs with better

:27:32.:27:35.

incomes, we need building moments weres which people can afford. We

:27:36.:27:40.

need to raise standards in school, not academies. We need to

:27:41.:27:43.

resuscitate the NHS from Tory neglect. The country deserved a

:27:44.:27:49.

Queen's Speech which fixes the problems and gives solutions, what

:27:50.:27:53.

we got was a second-rate mishmash intended to win a referendum. On

:27:54.:27:58.

behalf of the Jarrow constituency, and the people I represent, I will

:27:59.:28:01.

be proud to walk through and vote against this Queen's Speech. Thank

:28:02.:28:10.

you. I am very pleased to be part of the debate on this final day of the

:28:11.:28:14.

greatest speech, my second one. -- gracious speech. We speak on vital

:28:15.:28:17.

matters focussed round the economy and work. I am pleased to see action

:28:18.:28:25.

on sugar levels and tackling it is vital in my constituency, where

:28:26.:28:28.

diabetes and amputation stretch the NHS. The apprenticeship Levy is part

:28:29.:28:34.

of the speech and larger employer, will be introduced in 2017 and I

:28:35.:28:39.

truly welcome this. Apprenticeships are a fantastic way for young people

:28:40.:28:43.

or older people to change career or reskill. It was a real pleasure to

:28:44.:28:50.

meet Callum who is part of Airbus, as an apprentice on the day of the

:28:51.:28:54.

Queen's Speech, and we are lucky to have easterly college which puts

:28:55.:29:03.

apprenticeships at the heart of education, where. The Chancellor, we

:29:04.:29:10.

well knows we have B We also know in easterly we have a vital need for

:29:11.:29:14.

the link road. He is well aware of this as well. It is only this

:29:15.:29:17.

Conservative majority Government that has seen progress on bringing

:29:18.:29:22.

this forward, which will increase productivity and reduce queue, so I

:29:23.:29:25.

am delighted to see this in the budget book.

:29:26.:29:31.

Our rail infrastructure in Hampshire hasn't had any investment for 60

:29:32.:29:35.

years and we need some more investment, to improve our

:29:36.:29:39.

transport, which will help productivity in your, her

:29:40.:29:45.

constituency and also mine. Absolutely agree, an hour between

:29:46.:29:49.

Portsmouth and Southampton, it is untenable. We need an hour into

:29:50.:29:56.

Waterloo from Portsmouth. It will improve travel to Southampton

:29:57.:29:59.

Airport which will see positivity and will deal with the standing

:30:00.:30:06.

traffic coming in to the town where air quality is a problem. Last week

:30:07.:30:12.

I met with a company who are keen to make their bid for the large local

:30:13.:30:17.

major schemes. I thank the Chancellor for this support. I

:30:18.:30:21.

welcome the commitment to build 200,000 starter homes, and I would

:30:22.:30:26.

like to see women in refuges given hiring priority when it comes to

:30:27.:30:31.

housing lists. This will achieve more safety for the children, more

:30:32.:30:35.

stability in-of-in schools and will improve their life chances which is

:30:36.:30:39.

what we wish to see, in this Government's programme. In Eastleigh

:30:40.:30:44.

we have seen town centre land which would have been ideal for housing,

:30:45.:30:48.

given away and designated for a car showroom and two drive through,

:30:49.:30:52.

where there is a problem of air quality. This is the kind of

:30:53.:30:58.

unhealthy and unwanted town centre generation I am not keen to see. Now

:30:59.:31:03.

I pay tribute to the local campaigners who have seek to point

:31:04.:31:08.

out this perverse an care, it will not surprise honourable members to

:31:09.:31:13.

see I intend to discuss the last of a local plan in Eastleigh. There are

:31:14.:31:19.

no neighbourhood plans and planning to protect green space, affordable

:31:20.:31:24.

homes an more transparent planning rules are vital, in east three is a

:31:25.:31:30.

strategic vacuum. It is crucial the pace of progress here is making

:31:31.:31:33.

local authorities pick up the pace and deal with this issue, and sadly

:31:34.:31:41.

Eastleigh council continues to fail residents ignoring calls for local

:31:42.:31:45.

plan, I hope this they get on with it. I hope this bill can help and

:31:46.:31:51.

take full effect in our area. I want to protect our green infrastructure

:31:52.:31:55.

as well. This is important, to see the protection of our chalk stream,

:31:56.:32:00.

the river where you might see the honourable member for Broxbourne

:32:01.:32:05.

fly-fishing or angling, alongside local angler, very important to

:32:06.:32:09.

support this infrastructure, top the pollution of the vital rivers and

:32:10.:32:14.

this billion will promote green spaces over brownfield land that is

:32:15.:32:19.

not being distributed properly in my constituency. Residents in, see this

:32:20.:32:27.

where there is no localism and no local plan. She does a tremendous

:32:28.:32:36.

job four constituency. Does she agree a neighbourhood plan of giving

:32:37.:32:39.

locals a referendum is the way forward to plan for housing and

:32:40.:32:45.

infrastructure? Absolutely. Locking residents out of the planning

:32:46.:32:50.

process continues to make housing an adversarial issue where communities

:32:51.:32:53.

need to work together to bring forward the infrastructure we see

:32:54.:32:57.

and to bring in the tie in that residents need. I think my right

:32:58.:33:00.

honourable friend for this, because areas such as Botley are struggling

:33:01.:33:06.

when it comes to GP recruitment. Pause of ongoing issues and the fact

:33:07.:33:10.

they can't recruit the conditions they need. I thank my honourable

:33:11.:33:17.

friend for her work, in encouraging commissions -- clinicians and nurses

:33:18.:33:21.

to come forward and getting more women and having that opportunity

:33:22.:33:25.

will help the local communities to grow and thrive. If biggest decision

:33:26.:33:35.

of our generation will be made later this month, or indeed next month. It

:33:36.:33:39.

is clear, whatever the outcome it will have an effect on our economy.

:33:40.:33:44.

Clearly opinions are divided. Occasionally on the benches round

:33:45.:33:49.

this. Radio and if you read the Times in the tea room, but it is

:33:50.:33:55.

crucial that once we is votes, we come back together, this

:33:56.:33:58.

Conservative majority Government, and unify, so we can continue to

:33:59.:34:03.

deliver this strong economy and the services we need for our

:34:04.:34:11.

constituents. It is a pleasure to follow the honourable member. I echo

:34:12.:34:17.

many of the comments made by my front bench today. Latest figures

:34:18.:34:24.

show the largest quarter. I acknowledge that the Government has

:34:25.:34:29.

ebb shoed a a challenge to areas like mine, to play their part in

:34:30.:34:35.

tackling the productive gap and the economic growth gap by developing

:34:36.:34:39.

devolution. I for one accept that challenge. I accept than shields

:34:40.:34:44.

city region has to raise its game. We have to play our part, and we

:34:45.:34:48.

have to believe in ourself, which is something we haven't done for a very

:34:49.:34:54.

long time. We have simply, to believe as one employer said to me

:34:55.:35:00.

today, in an e-mail, that we have the skills, nothing and ability to

:35:01.:35:06.

go past London and become a generator of great wealth again. The

:35:07.:35:09.

Government needs to play its part too and at the moment it is not

:35:10.:35:12.

doing that. The announcement today about this and the staff moving from

:35:13.:35:17.

Sheffield to London belies everything the Government has said

:35:18.:35:20.

on this point. But it can remedy the situation. I will be watching

:35:21.:35:25.

carefully, if development of the infrastructure plan. And in

:35:26.:35:30.

particular I will be looking for confirmation that the new

:35:31.:35:34.

trans-Pennine links between Manchester and Sheffield will be

:35:35.:35:36.

given the green light. They are essential to the future of the

:35:37.:35:40.

northern economy. I will continue to keep the pressure on the Government

:35:41.:35:44.

to support a positive outcome to the steel crisis. In South Yorkshire the

:35:45.:35:53.

crisis has triggered a revival of the faith and the confidence that we

:35:54.:35:58.

have in ourself, or we used to have in yourselves as far as our

:35:59.:36:04.

engineering prowess is concerned. My plea is the Government is please do

:36:05.:36:09.

not let us down. We bereave that we are the best steel producers in the

:36:10.:36:13.

world. Believe in us and we will deliver. I just want to spend the

:36:14.:36:19.

second half of my comments by talking about what I think is the

:36:20.:36:23.

biggest threat facing the economy in the next few years, and that is the

:36:24.:36:29.

instability that is currently characterised in our system. Let us

:36:30.:36:35.

be clear, in the UK politics is poll rising, it is on our side of the

:36:36.:36:38.

house. We have shifted to the left. On your side of the house, the other

:36:39.:36:45.

side. Brexit is tearing the country -- Conservative Party apart and the

:36:46.:36:51.

centre ground is disappearing. So what happened to the politics of the

:36:52.:36:57.

art of the possible. This is happening globally and in other it

:36:58.:37:02.

is greater. One only has to look at Austria look week, in Holland where

:37:03.:37:08.

the three mainstream parties are set to secure just 40% between

:37:09.:37:12.

themselves in the elections next year. Even the US is not immune from

:37:13.:37:22.

this phenomenon as we have seen. I I echo Blair's comments today it is

:37:23.:37:26.

almost as though the centre ground are the managers of the status quo

:37:27.:37:30.

and not the changers of the stay to us Quo. It's a worrying trend and

:37:31.:37:36.

polarisation of the political sphere is creating a vacuum which could

:37:37.:37:41.

visit lasting damage on the social and economic fabric of this country.

:37:42.:37:46.

So we bear responsibility Madame Deputy Speaker, to resurrect the

:37:47.:37:51.

relevance of pragmatic politics. We need to demonstrate that centre

:37:52.:37:55.

ground politics can deliver a progressive, prosperous secure

:37:56.:37:57.

future for the people of this country. If we do not do that, the

:37:58.:38:01.

future of this country and its economy is very much in danger.

:38:02.:38:09.

Thank you. And it is a great mesh -- pleasure to follow the honourable

:38:10.:38:13.

lady, who is an excellent member of the EFRA Select Committee. Can I

:38:14.:38:20.

take this unusual step in offering congratulations to the honourable

:38:21.:38:25.

member for Islington North Leader of the Opposition. Haye birthday

:38:26.:38:28.

because we share the same birthday date. I am trying to work out what

:38:29.:38:34.

else we share but with we do share the same date. Can I welcome the

:38:35.:38:41.

gracious speech and the continuation of these good economic policies

:38:42.:38:46.

which are enabling businesses and our economies to create more jobs,

:38:47.:38:52.

we are reducing taxes to lower paid workers and we are generally

:38:53.:38:54.

stimulating this economy and reducing debt at the same time. I

:38:55.:39:00.

particularly welcome more emphasis again on the digital economy, and

:39:01.:39:06.

also delivering the legal right to force fast broadband to every house

:39:07.:39:10.

in the country. This is going to be a challenge. I will give way. I am

:39:11.:39:17.

sure he welcomes the government's announcement of the universal

:39:18.:39:21.

service obligation onboard band, but will he join me in asked the

:39:22.:39:25.

Government to consider extending this. To business properties that in

:39:26.:39:31.

places like Devon sand Cornwall it is crucial, businesses get supper

:39:32.:39:37.

viewed as well. I couldn't agree more. It is business, individual,

:39:38.:39:42.

out in the rural areas in particular we have good business, Farrells but

:39:43.:39:46.

we have got other businesses, as well as individuals that need

:39:47.:39:50.

broadband and superfast broadband. It is not only the money we put into

:39:51.:40:03.

getting broadband into this area, it is using every technology available.

:40:04.:40:16.

There will be areas where there will not be fibre cable able to beat put

:40:17.:40:24.

in, we need to put pressure on Beattie and others because sometimes

:40:25.:40:30.

there is not enough competition out there delivering broadband to all of

:40:31.:40:36.

our constituents. I very much welcome the modern transport bill. I

:40:37.:40:40.

also welcome the fact that we will need to change our taxation on cars.

:40:41.:40:47.

We have spent too many years concentrating on reducing the tax on

:40:48.:40:53.

diesel cars, only to find now that nitric oxide appears to be the

:40:54.:40:59.

killer, and we actually need to re-educate people to buy actual

:41:00.:41:04.

hybrid cars and electric cars. We need to do a great deal in order to

:41:05.:41:10.

be able change people's cars and their attitudes towards what they

:41:11.:41:14.

buy. There has been too much concentration in the past about the

:41:15.:41:17.

amount of carbon coming from a car, and not dealing with the magic

:41:18.:41:21.

oxide. This is what is really causing many -- nitric oxide. This

:41:22.:41:26.

is what is causing many of the hotspot in our cities. I also

:41:27.:41:32.

welcome the education Bill, and also stepping back slightly of the idea

:41:33.:41:34.

that we are going to impose academies all across the eye

:41:35.:41:39.

country. I believe the Conservative policy is much more about revolution

:41:40.:41:45.

rather than revolution. So after a grid evolution rather than

:41:46.:41:49.

revolution. So we have got to give people a chance to get there. The

:41:50.:41:55.

idea of bringing 5000 children together, it could be 50 or 100

:41:56.:42:02.

schools in order to create a number of pupils in rural areas. We have to

:42:03.:42:07.

be careful how we deliver it. I also think different local authorities,

:42:08.:42:11.

some local authority to have better education prospects than others, and

:42:12.:42:17.

this needs to be taken into account. I also very much welcome the

:42:18.:42:20.

lifetime savings bill because I think the idea that we can help

:42:21.:42:25.

people, young people and people on lower wages, to be able to actually

:42:26.:42:29.

get some help with savings, I think it's absolutely essential. Not only

:42:30.:42:35.

in the past did the last Labour government spent too much of tax

:42:36.:42:39.

payers money, I think perhaps sometimes, it is difficult when

:42:40.:42:43.

talking about social policy, but probably as a nation, we spent too

:42:44.:42:47.

much as individuals and we do not actually save enough. I know

:42:48.:42:54.

government loves spending so it boosts consumers and boost the

:42:55.:42:57.

amount spent in the economy, but I also think sometimes there is a

:42:58.:43:01.

great need to get greater savings. I think that is what we want to see

:43:02.:43:09.

happen. I welcome the fact that this is very much, like I said, a

:43:10.:43:13.

continuation of the government's policies. In order to keep going. I

:43:14.:43:21.

think the one thing we must not do is turn course and keep getting down

:43:22.:43:25.

the deficit and growing it. The one great thing we need to do on the

:43:26.:43:32.

23rd of June is make sure we keep this country in the European Union

:43:33.:43:35.

so that we can prosper and grow our economy. The sugar tax is quite an

:43:36.:43:46.

interesting proposal but the government has left some carelessly

:43:47.:43:49.

polled in their plans. I am not sure if you drink milk shakes, but they

:43:50.:43:54.

are not particularly healthy. -- left some careless loopholes. One

:43:55.:44:01.

brand has more sugar than the RDA for a six-year-old. Another one has

:44:02.:44:08.

36 grams of sugar in one bottle, exceeding the RDA for ten-year-olds.

:44:09.:44:13.

Finally, another popular milkshake has 50 grams of sugar in one bottle

:44:14.:44:19.

which exceeds the RDA for adults. None of these products are covered

:44:20.:44:24.

by the sugar tax. This is a serious loophole because people might infer

:44:25.:44:28.

from the exemption that these drinks are healthier. The response is that

:44:29.:44:34.

milk contains calcium and other unique trim is -- nutrients which

:44:35.:44:40.

are good for children but if you are built a rated with plenty of sugar,

:44:41.:44:43.

then the health benefits are negated. Another loophole affect us

:44:44.:44:53.

as grew -- naps. Remixed alcohol drinks do not, under the loops. They

:44:54.:45:09.

need to be brought under the -- remixed alcoholic drinks do not come

:45:10.:45:11.

under the bill. Experts from Sheffield hallow

:45:12.:45:24.

University has made a report about the

:45:25.:45:36.

The report finds that the welfare reforms hit most deprived

:45:37.:45:55.

communities hardest. The departing Secretary of State contested Andrew

:45:56.:45:58.

Marr said the Tories were attacking benefits to people who do not vote

:45:59.:46:07.

for them. And another suggested the loss to claimants would be ?190 per

:46:08.:46:13.

year in one area, but in a poor area, it will be much worse. In

:46:14.:46:18.

Scotland we have made a difference. Scots will still lose out to the

:46:19.:46:22.

tune of ?320 per adult per year. We have been able to take the edge off,

:46:23.:46:28.

we have mitigated the bedroom tax, restored council tax benefit and we

:46:29.:46:34.

will not bring in pay to stay. We are committed to everyone in

:46:35.:46:37.

Scotland, not just those who happen to vote for us. In Glasgow,

:46:38.:46:42.

claimants will lose ?420 per year. Money which is not ringing in the

:46:43.:46:46.

tills in the communities I represent, it is money that ordinary

:46:47.:46:50.

people desperately need to put food on the table. My constituents need

:46:51.:46:55.

the money to heat their homes, it is wickedness to punish people for the

:46:56.:46:57.

second is that if they are in and worse because they are people who

:46:58.:47:01.

did not vote Tory. I reject the economic model which condemns people

:47:02.:47:05.

to a lifetime of poverty. The lasting effects of social policy, a

:47:06.:47:15.

hangover of the loss of heavy industry, clumsy policy which left

:47:16.:47:20.

so many people in new towns in poor quality housing. I commend the

:47:21.:47:31.

report explaining why Glaswegians continue to die younger than they

:47:32.:47:37.

should. This government and previous governments has a lot to answer for

:47:38.:47:40.

and we must not make the same mistakes of policy now. I write to

:47:41.:47:45.

congratulate the government on including the measure in the Queens

:47:46.:47:49.

speech to introduce a levy on sugar drinks. I do so because it cannot be

:47:50.:47:56.

acceptable in our society that we continue to allow 25% of the most

:47:57.:48:00.

disadvantaged children to be leaving primary school not just overweight

:48:01.:48:05.

but the piece. I congratulate the Chancellor on looking at the

:48:06.:48:08.

evidence that the gap between the most advantaged and disadvantaged

:48:09.:48:11.

children around childhood obesity that has been increasing based on

:48:12.:48:15.

data from the chartered measurement programme. It is important to tackle

:48:16.:48:20.

it, not a flicker obesity but the on children's teeth. -- not just on the

:48:21.:48:28.

beastie. On children's teeth. -- on a big city.

:48:29.:48:35.

these are empty calories with no nutritional value whatsoever. When

:48:36.:48:43.

we see that a third of teenage calorie intake is from sugary

:48:44.:48:50.

drinks, we should do everything we can. This is a progressive measure.

:48:51.:48:53.

I particularly welcome the contribution that this remains part

:48:54.:48:57.

of a wider strategy to tackle childhood obesity. It will encourage

:48:58.:49:03.

manufacturers to perform their products, to bring in lower levels

:49:04.:49:07.

of sugar. -- reform their products. I would like the Chancellor to set

:49:08.:49:13.

out what he is doing alongside manufacturers to encourage them to

:49:14.:49:18.

introduce a price differential based on these levies, so we can guide

:49:19.:49:24.

people to make healthier choices. I welcome the fact that this is going

:49:25.:49:28.

to be hypothecated. We are going to see a doubling in the school sports

:49:29.:49:35.

premium for primary schools, and an expansion of the programme breakfast

:49:36.:49:42.

clubs the most disadvantaged areas. The accusation that is often made

:49:43.:49:46.

that this is not a progressive measure, it is regressive, is

:49:47.:49:49.

counted simply because it is the most disadvantaged communities that

:49:50.:49:55.

will be benefited by the hypothesis and of the levy rate. I would urge

:49:56.:50:04.

the Chancellor to go further and extend this to those milky drinks

:50:05.:50:07.

which have very high levels of added sugar. Milk is very good with

:50:08.:50:12.

children, we should be let sending a clear message that milk is good,

:50:13.:50:16.

milk and 90s beamed sugar is not good for children's health or peace.

:50:17.:50:22.

-- nine teaspoons of sugar is not good for children's health or peace.

:50:23.:50:35.

-- their teeth. On other nations in the Queen's Speech, I would like to

:50:36.:50:41.

thank the Chancellor on the measures around broadband. As a member for

:50:42.:50:46.

rural communities where businesses and local residents are

:50:47.:50:49.

disadvantaged by not having access to high-speed broadband, I think

:50:50.:50:53.

this will be a welcome measure. And likewise, the commitment in the

:50:54.:50:58.

Queens speech to bring forward fair funding formula for those schools

:50:59.:51:01.

such as in the West Country that are being severely disadvantaged up to

:51:02.:51:06.

now. In closing, Madam Deputy Speaker, as I know there are many

:51:07.:51:09.

other members who would like to speak, I welcome the measures in

:51:10.:51:13.

this, this is bold and brave, that is what we called for as the health

:51:14.:51:20.

select committee, bold and brave measures to tackle childhood

:51:21.:51:27.

obesity. I hope you will stiffen his sinews, resist the efforts from the

:51:28.:51:33.

drinks manufacturers and encourage them to actually look at how they

:51:34.:51:36.

can improve the nation's health by going ahead and supporting the

:51:37.:51:41.

reformulation and our children's health. I would like to concentrate

:51:42.:51:48.

my remarks on the help to save scheme, or the reinvigorated savings

:51:49.:51:55.

gateway. It is welcome that the government has recognised the

:51:56.:51:57.

importance of saving and the importance that matched saving, one

:51:58.:52:01.

of the best ways of encouraging people to save. The step change

:52:02.:52:09.

analysis says 44 percent of people in low income have a lower chance of

:52:10.:52:15.

getting into debt if they have savings of ?1000, half a million

:52:16.:52:19.

people who could be prevented from getting into debt. I have some

:52:20.:52:22.

problems with the design of the scheme. Two years is a very long

:52:23.:52:25.

time in which to have to save regularly. 14 million people

:52:26.:52:30.

experienced at least one income shot in the last 12 months. That is an

:52:31.:52:36.

income shock of a job loss, a cut in hours, illness, a new baby, if money

:52:37.:52:41.

is withdrawn, then people will lose the bonus that they feel that they

:52:42.:52:46.

have already gained. People know on a low income that they are going to

:52:47.:52:49.

experience some income shocks and that could discourage them from

:52:50.:52:54.

saving. We all know it is good to save. It is very worthy. We all

:52:55.:52:59.

start off with good intentions. For example, we join a gym. We intend to

:53:00.:53:04.

go every week. Of course we do. Imagine if we had to have a two-year

:53:05.:53:08.

contract where we had to go every week. So crucially, I think there

:53:09.:53:14.

should be some measures in this for irregular savings, to allow these

:53:15.:53:18.

irregular savings where people, one month, cannot afford to put the

:53:19.:53:23.

money into that scheme. And after all, we have all missed the odd week

:53:24.:53:28.

at the gym. Things do crop up. We all to allow as well couple of

:53:29.:53:34.

withdrawals. We also need to look at the behavioural economics of people

:53:35.:53:38.

on this scheme. And maybe some encouragements and incentives to

:53:39.:53:41.

join. For example, prize draws. We all know people spend the odd pound

:53:42.:53:47.

on the lottery in hope of winning something. Encouraging people to

:53:48.:53:52.

save by encouraging them also to perhaps, the incentive of a price,

:53:53.:53:56.

would be important. I would like to spend a quick word of financial

:53:57.:54:02.

education, that is really important. I am pleased that acadamisation,

:54:03.:54:06.

with the lack of financial education in the curriculum, has been taken

:54:07.:54:09.

out of the speech, but it should start earlier. In my experience,

:54:10.:54:13.

primary situation is really important. -- priming education.

:54:14.:54:22.

There is a wonderful course for primary student over ten years ago,

:54:23.:54:25.

I would love to see how they are getting on now. Will she join me in

:54:26.:54:34.

congratulating the launch of a report this week, of which I was the

:54:35.:54:42.

chair, calling for more government support for financial education for

:54:43.:54:45.

primary school children? Children from their money habits at the age

:54:46.:54:48.

of seven. Will she join me in marking that?

:54:49.:54:55.

I have read that report with interest but it is not a silver

:54:56.:55:01.

bullet. All efforts need to be made to keep people out of the hands of

:55:02.:55:05.

the payday lenders and we need to make sure there is support given to

:55:06.:55:11.

the alternatives, for example, fair for you, the alternatives to look

:55:12.:55:17.

for finance and we need to ensure a level playing field. Real-time data

:55:18.:55:22.

from everyone, including the banks needs to be available to new

:55:23.:55:26.

entrants to the market so they can make their assessments of lending.

:55:27.:55:30.

We also need to make sure that data is accurate as I have had reports of

:55:31.:55:34.

inaccurate data from various companies. I would also like as an

:55:35.:55:43.

aside talking of fairness to support the cause for transitional

:55:44.:55:47.

arrangements to help the women at adversity affected by the

:55:48.:55:50.

mishandling of the state pension age. Perhaps I should declare an

:55:51.:55:56.

interest in this as a woman born in the 50s but I would urge the

:55:57.:56:01.

Minister to revisit this. In conclusion, I would like to say I

:56:02.:56:05.

welcome the saving scheme but I would like to see it designed to

:56:06.:56:09.

reflect the real lives of people on a low income. That real life that

:56:10.:56:16.

has bumps in the road on quite a few occasions. That real life were

:56:17.:56:20.

sometimes buying a new pair of shoes or going out for a day is more

:56:21.:56:26.

important than putting away for a rainy day. I do hope the Government

:56:27.:56:29.

will recognise this in the design of the scheme. I congratulate the

:56:30.:56:38.

honourable member for hire typically thoughtful speech, but I

:56:39.:56:44.

congratulate my right honourable friend the Chancellor for continuing

:56:45.:56:47.

the march of the makers which stood in contrast to the march of the

:56:48.:56:54.

Marxists which characterise the speech of the Shadow Chancellor. We

:56:55.:57:00.

make things in the Midlands and in Tamworth. We make great cars, great

:57:01.:57:07.

engines at BMW, while classed circuit boards braking systems. We

:57:08.:57:15.

are making the jobs that people want to do and we need to make the homes

:57:16.:57:21.

that people want to live in in the West Midlands. I congratulate the

:57:22.:57:23.

Government for its work with the help to buy scheme which has been

:57:24.:57:30.

seminal in getting people onto the property ladder. We need to do more

:57:31.:57:36.

to get S M Es back into the supply chain, those that left the industry

:57:37.:57:42.

due to mergers and acquisitions and the crash of the housing market. I

:57:43.:57:50.

hope that my honourable friend will use all his eloquence and all of his

:57:51.:57:55.

influence to prevail upon the Communities Secretary to encourage

:57:56.:57:59.

firms, big firms to franchise out part of their land bank to S M Es,

:58:00.:58:08.

that the risks big developers because it takes some of the costs

:58:09.:58:14.

away from them but it helps them get into the industry again because it

:58:15.:58:18.

removes some of the upfront costs of planning and I hope the Government

:58:19.:58:23.

will consider that thought. Whilst it is at it, I hope the Government

:58:24.:58:28.

will also look at the planning Inspectorate in Bristol. One of the

:58:29.:58:33.

things that developers tell me is the length of time it takes for the

:58:34.:58:39.

inspectorate in Bristol to conclude its appeal decision process.

:58:40.:58:42.

Sometimes very straightforward decisions can take up to six months.

:58:43.:58:49.

If we can speed that up, possibly by up staffing the resources there we

:58:50.:58:54.

can take some of the weight off of those. We need to build homes but

:58:55.:59:01.

also the infrastructure around them. In welcoming and congratulating the

:59:02.:59:04.

Government for the infrastructure plan and the work of Lord Adonis and

:59:05.:59:12.

the infrastructure commission. Can I encourage the Government to look at

:59:13.:59:18.

the A5 corridor which ones through Leicestershire, through Warwickshire

:59:19.:59:22.

and up into Staffordshire. I can assure the Chancellor he will have a

:59:23.:59:26.

lot of support from me, the honourable member from North

:59:27.:59:31.

Warwickshire, the honourable member for Bosworth, all of whom want to

:59:32.:59:36.

see that road upgraded and jewelled so we can build the homes around it

:59:37.:59:40.

to do with the jobs that are developing in the Midlands. This was

:59:41.:59:47.

a speech for us, aspirational people who want to do the right thing and

:59:48.:59:53.

get on that is why we made gains in the local elections just a few weeks

:59:54.:59:58.

ago. In a town which 16 years ago had nearly 30 Labour councillors,

:59:59.:00:04.

there are now just seven. The member for Dagenham was quite right when he

:00:05.:00:11.

wrote the words of the last election in his non-ironic document Labour's

:00:12.:00:16.

future, where he said Labour lost because of voters didn't believe it.

:00:17.:00:20.

Let me assure you, they didn't believe Labour in 2015, they didn't

:00:21.:00:28.

believe them last month. One of the measures in the Queen's speech is

:00:29.:00:32.

the local growth and jobs bill which is intended to localise business

:00:33.:00:37.

rates but councils fear the Government's approach in doing that

:00:38.:00:41.

will be unfair. Since ministers have given no indication of how they

:00:42.:00:46.

intend to go about achieving that, we can only use past behaviour as a

:00:47.:00:52.

guide and that is worrying. The Government's council funding cuts

:00:53.:00:56.

club the poorest ten councils with cuts 23 times bigger than the ten

:00:57.:01:02.

richest and this year 's 300 million cuts relief fund was Jerry Monday to

:01:03.:01:06.

ease the pain in Tory voting areas that had suffered the least while

:01:07.:01:11.

offering nothing to areas that had suffered the most. It is no wonder

:01:12.:01:17.

the National Audit Office is today investigating that perverse

:01:18.:01:21.

decision. If business rates localisation is gerrymandered in the

:01:22.:01:25.

same way, it will stay for growth in those parts that need growth the

:01:26.:01:31.

most, creating more poverty, fear, insecurity and alienation. All of

:01:32.:01:36.

this is part of the Government's refusal to challenge inequalities of

:01:37.:01:40.

power and wealth right across society. The social contract that

:01:41.:01:44.

underpinned our society has been shattered. It was a promise that if

:01:45.:01:49.

you work hard, you will get on and if you can't work, you will be

:01:50.:01:59.

looked after by today, even if you work hard, you might not be able to

:02:00.:02:02.

pay the bills or put over a secure roof over your head. There are parts

:02:03.:02:07.

of my constituency in Croydon North were too many people feel left

:02:08.:02:11.

behind because work is insecure and income stone covered the basic

:02:12.:02:17.

household bills. Globalisation is certainly creating great wealth and

:02:18.:02:22.

opportunity but it is being allowed to leave too many people behind. It

:02:23.:02:30.

is sharpening inequality, moving populations on an unprecedented

:02:31.:02:34.

scale, threatening the environment and stoking political and religious

:02:35.:02:38.

fundamentalism. Alongside strengthening regulation at the

:02:39.:02:41.

centre, devolution should be being used to put real power in people's

:02:42.:02:48.

hands to challenge the unfairness of the system and to build communities

:02:49.:02:52.

capacity to manage these great changes on their own terms. Across

:02:53.:02:57.

the river from this parliament stands a newly built towel full of

:02:58.:03:04.

luxury apartments, kept empty by foreign investors while on the

:03:05.:03:07.

streets below there is a housing crisis. What a powerful symbol of

:03:08.:03:13.

how far we have gone wrong. Anger is rising across the industrial eyes

:03:14.:03:19.

wild. If people don't have faith is -- in a system working for them,

:03:20.:03:23.

they will kick back. Where legitimate concerns to not get hurt

:03:24.:03:29.

by the political mainstream, they push towards the margins. Politics

:03:30.:03:34.

is polarising in a dangerous way. People are angry about the political

:03:35.:03:40.

system failing them, about elites that are exploiting them, about

:03:41.:03:43.

wealth and opportunity that is bypassing them but instead of

:03:44.:03:47.

addressing all of this, the Government is fuelling forces that

:03:48.:03:51.

are pushing inequality to breaking point and the consequences of that

:03:52.:03:55.

will be as dangerous as they are unpredictable. In the most gracious

:03:56.:04:03.

speech, Her Majesty spoke of the Government's intention to support

:04:04.:04:08.

the Northern powerhouse. A welcome support for the regions and the

:04:09.:04:14.

regeneration of local economies but particularly the importance of

:04:15.:04:16.

manufacturing in that regeneration. My constituency and indeed the

:04:17.:04:24.

Midlands as a whole has strong manufacturing traditions and I look

:04:25.:04:28.

forward to hearing more details about the Midlands engine, not least

:04:29.:04:33.

the 250 million investment fund. Our region has been significant in the

:04:34.:04:38.

economic recovery with 96,000 more businesses than we had in 2010. Well

:04:39.:04:47.

the economy has moved in a positive direction in recent years,

:04:48.:04:50.

particularly in terms of falling unemployment, we should not be

:04:51.:04:54.

complacent about the manufacturing sector and it is in this spirit that

:04:55.:04:58.

I call for the creation of an industrial strategy. There is a

:04:59.:05:05.

clear need to boost exports and the Government's target to reach 1

:05:06.:05:10.

trillion worth of exports by 2020 is ambitious. An industrial strategy

:05:11.:05:15.

would boost confidence for investors through greater stability in a

:05:16.:05:18.

system and clear direction from the Government as well as allowing for

:05:19.:05:22.

the Government to be held to account over the period to which the

:05:23.:05:27.

strategy applies. For a minister to come to the House on an annual

:05:28.:05:33.

basis, being scrutinised on cost departmental support for such a

:05:34.:05:38.

vital part of our economy can only be to everyone's benefit. In terms

:05:39.:05:43.

of its maker, a central, cohesive and comprehensive document could

:05:44.:05:46.

shape cleared objectives for the sector outlining steps the

:05:47.:05:52.

Government intends to take to provide the framework for industry

:05:53.:05:57.

to grow. In addition, a clear statement from the Cabinet Office

:05:58.:06:02.

acting across departments along with annual reports to Parliament

:06:03.:06:07.

detailing supported measures in the interests of manufacturing. I would

:06:08.:06:12.

argue that this Government perhaps any government typically responds

:06:13.:06:16.

well to objectives and targets giving a clear focus and

:06:17.:06:22.

consistency. For example, a target of 3 million new apprenticeship

:06:23.:06:27.

starts by 2020. An industrial strategy would encompass a wide

:06:28.:06:33.

range of policy areas, apprenticeships, higher education,

:06:34.:06:34.

catapult centres, innovation, the supply chain. We need to ensure the

:06:35.:06:41.

departments do not operate inside this and the whole system is working

:06:42.:06:47.

in harmony. I would add energy policy, smarter procurement, access

:06:48.:06:52.

to finance and infrastructure. Implementing a strategy would be a

:06:53.:06:56.

major step forward considering the manufacturing sector is less able to

:06:57.:07:02.

quickly respond to circumstances. A long-term vision is essential and

:07:03.:07:06.

would encourage investment in the UK. Looking ahead we need to compete

:07:07.:07:10.

internationally in terms of innovation, the reassuring of

:07:11.:07:15.

production has to be a key aspect and I see innovation as a kid to

:07:16.:07:22.

this aim. We can help innovation to flourish in the UK by supporting

:07:23.:07:28.

through life engineering service, improving availability,

:07:29.:07:31.

predictability and reliability of complex engineering products to

:07:32.:07:34.

deliver the lowest possible life-cycle costs. Whether it is the

:07:35.:07:42.

high-value manufacturing sectors, industry, such initiatives were not

:07:43.:07:50.

even on the table in 2010. But I would add that however attractive

:07:51.:07:54.

and industrial strategy would be, we first need to make sure we start

:07:55.:08:01.

with a long-term economic plan. It's a pleasure to follow the honourable

:08:02.:08:06.

gentleman who made a thoughtful speech with which I concur about the

:08:07.:08:11.

importance of an industrial strategy. The Chancellor spoke of

:08:12.:08:15.

the governments plans for devolution. I want to focus on that

:08:16.:08:19.

and the importance of devolution for the economy and jobs in Liverpool.

:08:20.:08:26.

The number of young people not in education, employment and training

:08:27.:08:30.

is significantly above the national average in Liverpool. Among 16-18

:08:31.:08:37.

-year-olds, the national figure is 4.7% but the Liverpool figure is

:08:38.:08:44.

6.3%, one in 16 of those young people. The agreement between the

:08:45.:08:48.

combined authorities and the Government do a number of things,

:08:49.:08:53.

devolves the adult skills budget, moves responsibility to work

:08:54.:08:57.

unemployment support for hard to help claimants sued the city will

:08:58.:09:02.

work with the DWP, devolves the apprenticeship grant for employers

:09:03.:09:09.

and in situ is a review for post-16 education and training. There is

:09:10.:09:12.

potential here to provide more quality and apprenticeship

:09:13.:09:16.

opportunities and I hope the combined authority and the newly

:09:17.:09:20.

elected mayor will work with the Government both to use these powers

:09:21.:09:24.

but also to explore what further devolution is needed. The challenge

:09:25.:09:29.

of youth unemployment is enormous. I welcome the fact it has fallen

:09:30.:09:34.

though shared the concerns about the quality about some of the jobs

:09:35.:09:39.

created, particularly the large numbers of young people on 0-hours

:09:40.:09:44.

contracts but even with this fall in youth unemployment, our rate is

:09:45.:09:48.

double that of Germany and part of the reason is the quality of

:09:49.:09:53.

technical and vocational education we provide in contrast to Germany. I

:09:54.:09:58.

welcome the fact we will have a review in Liverpool and I recognise

:09:59.:10:01.

that the failure to address fully the issue of occasional education is

:10:02.:10:06.

a long-standing failure by governments of both parties.

:10:07.:10:10.

I would like to seek assurances that the Liverpool region will have the

:10:11.:10:17.

powers that they need to reshape and restructure local skills to meet the

:10:18.:10:21.

demands of a changing economy. I welcome the powers that are being

:10:22.:10:25.

devolved, that I would like us to go further. I don't think it's if it if

:10:26.:10:31.

to read on skills 19 plus, I want them to lead on skills 16 plus. In

:10:32.:10:36.

fact, I'm not them to lead on skills 14 plus and address the issue on 14

:10:37.:10:42.

to 18 education. Last week, I urge the Education Secretary to look at

:10:43.:10:46.

the potential for devolution of powers held by her department. I

:10:47.:10:50.

think there is a very strong case for the powers of the regional

:10:51.:10:54.

schools commissioner to be devolved. Liverpool city region could then

:10:55.:10:58.

take the lead in the planning and commissioning of school and other

:10:59.:11:03.

education places. There will be an opportunity for local communities,

:11:04.:11:06.

employers, young people and others to reshape the education and skills

:11:07.:11:10.

programmes that we need. But of course, devolution is not just about

:11:11.:11:17.

power, it's also about funding. Liverpool city region has been hit

:11:18.:11:20.

hard by cuts in central Government funding since 2010. I support and

:11:21.:11:28.

devolution but this must not be a way to shift the blame for cuts. I

:11:29.:11:31.

urge the Government to look again at the scale of cuts being put on

:11:32.:11:37.

governments like Liverpool. The Jasper spoke about localisation and

:11:38.:11:42.

I recognise as my honourable friend just set out eloquently, the strong

:11:43.:11:45.

advantages of localisation, but for the poorest parts of the country

:11:46.:11:51.

like the city of Liverpool, there is a big downside. We stand potentially

:11:52.:11:54.

to lose potential resources from this and I as the Government to

:11:55.:11:58.

think very carefully about how they implement this. I do think if we get

:11:59.:12:03.

this right, devolution can make a real and lasting difference,

:12:04.:12:06.

creating the properly plate, high-quality jobs for the future but

:12:07.:12:12.

Liverpool city region needs. It is a pleasure to follow my colleague on

:12:13.:12:15.

the International Development Select Committee and a chair of that

:12:16.:12:19.

committee, then member for Liverpool West Derby. To have a strong desire

:12:20.:12:26.

economy we need a strong committee. I welcome the points made for the

:12:27.:12:33.

young and disadvantage. The children and social work Bill and the prisons

:12:34.:12:37.

and reform Bill Art particular welcome to give those a second

:12:38.:12:41.

chance who in some many cases never had a chance. Lastly, the review of

:12:42.:12:45.

prison education, unlocking potential, proposed that doing proof

:12:46.:12:50.

the life chances of prisoners, holistic vision of education is

:12:51.:12:54.

needed for them to include family and leadership learning and

:12:55.:12:58.

practical advice on parenting and finance skills. It is heartening to

:12:59.:13:01.

note the Government has agreed to Inverness this review in full.

:13:02.:13:06.

Another excellent report also just published is the in care out of

:13:07.:13:13.

trouble report in which it is said remedial work and work is required

:13:14.:13:16.

but prevention is so much more rewarding and fruitful for the young

:13:17.:13:22.

person and wider society. He continues, whose parenting creates

:13:23.:13:26.

the solid foundation to give the child the best start. Essential

:13:27.:13:29.

ingredients are security and stability. In this context, young

:13:30.:13:34.

children develop self-confidence, trust, personal and social values

:13:35.:13:39.

and optimism. Loss, neglect or trauma at this early stage in life

:13:40.:13:44.

often at creates long and enduring consequences. That is why the

:13:45.:13:48.

commitment in the grossest beach to increase life chances for the most

:13:49.:13:54.

disadvantage to tackle poverty in the causes of deprivation, including

:13:55.:13:59.

family instability are so welcome. Addressing this challenge is urgent.

:14:00.:14:03.

The needs are widespread and not just for those at risk of entering

:14:04.:14:08.

the care or criminal justice system. Years of evidence -based research by

:14:09.:14:11.

the Centre for Social Justice has shown it to be demonstrably the case

:14:12.:14:17.

that growing up in a family where relationships are dysfunctional,

:14:18.:14:21.

chaotic or insecure is not only a key driver of poverty in itself, but

:14:22.:14:29.

a driver of other causes of poverty. Addiction, mental health problems,

:14:30.:14:32.

behavioural problems, poor educational attainment,

:14:33.:14:35.

worklessness, depression and debt. Teachers and mental health charity

:14:36.:14:41.

workers in my constituency tell me that disturbingly increasing levels

:14:42.:14:46.

of parental health amongst children, including very young children,

:14:47.:14:48.

frequently result from insecure family relationships. Will only do

:14:49.:14:56.

giveaway? I certainly will. The will she agree with me that the recent

:14:57.:15:00.

announcement and changes in the measurement of life chances from an

:15:01.:15:06.

arbitrary relative income to taking into account worklessness and

:15:07.:15:11.

households and education attainment reflects the multifaceted nature of

:15:12.:15:16.

poverty and achievement? I do indeed. I also think that we should

:15:17.:15:19.

put on a statutory footing, family instability as well. Yesterday,

:15:20.:15:27.

Relate published a report on couple relationship to stress in the UK. It

:15:28.:15:32.

states, good-quality couple and family and social relationships are

:15:33.:15:36.

the basis for a thriving society, central to our health and

:15:37.:15:39.

well-being. Poor quality relationships have far reaching

:15:40.:15:44.

consequences. Into parental relationships have been recognised

:15:45.:15:48.

as a major determinant of children's' life chances. But their

:15:49.:15:52.

analysis estimates that almost one in five of Gallup 's couple

:15:53.:15:57.

relationships in the UK could be characterised as distressed. That

:15:58.:16:01.

means with a severe level of relationship problems which have a

:16:02.:16:04.

clinically significant negative effect on the partner's well-being.

:16:05.:16:09.

The figure of partners with children under 16 is even higher. But

:16:10.:16:15.

encouragingly, Relate also say that a broad range of relationship

:16:16.:16:19.

support services are effected but improving relationship quality. I

:16:20.:16:23.

hope ministers will rid the report and note the recommendation in it

:16:24.:16:27.

which says that we need to expand access to a spectrum of support for

:16:28.:16:32.

good quality relationships, overcoming barriers of

:16:33.:16:35.

accessibility, availability and affordability and ensure that anyone

:16:36.:16:38.

who needs it can benefit from such support. I look forward to the

:16:39.:16:43.

publication of the Government's life strategy and hope that it will

:16:44.:16:46.

recognise that quality of relationship is a severe limit of

:16:47.:16:52.

life chances and that in every local community, substantially increased

:16:53.:16:56.

support for stronger family relationships is needed. Providing

:16:57.:16:59.

somewhere in every locality where people can go for such support and

:17:00.:17:04.

advice at any stage in their family life is much needed, whether

:17:05.:17:08.

starting a family, bringing up toddlers or teenagers or coping with

:17:09.:17:11.

supporting an elderly parent or even if couples are going through a rocky

:17:12.:17:15.

patch. The troubled families initiative has been successful in

:17:16.:17:18.

providing intervention and support at a crisis page. Let's learn from

:17:19.:17:24.

that but begin it at a much earlier stage when families feel they need

:17:25.:17:27.

help and that's normalise asking for help and providing for it. There

:17:28.:17:31.

cannot be a family in the land that would not benefit from this. Thank

:17:32.:17:36.

you for calling me in this debate. I must confess that I thought the

:17:37.:17:42.

Queen's speech was fairly awful. Not full in its individual ideas such as

:17:43.:17:50.

prison reform and surely not fall in the delivery of Her Majesty The

:17:51.:17:53.

Queen who even sounded vaguely excited by a forthcoming state visit

:17:54.:17:56.

from the Colombians, something we can all get behind. But awful

:17:57.:18:01.

because it lacks any luck sense of big thinking or grand design for the

:18:02.:18:07.

state of the nation. As a MP, icy silly things I want to change

:18:08.:18:10.

listening to the modest list we heard last week, only leaves me

:18:11.:18:15.

frustrated. What makes me so impatient about the shortcomings is

:18:16.:18:19.

that I believe with better leadership, Government, we could do

:18:20.:18:22.

so much better. We are a country with a divide between the very

:18:23.:18:25.

affluent and everyone else is too great. Were running a home, having a

:18:26.:18:31.

decent job, having a good family life is increasingly unattainable

:18:32.:18:34.

for too many people. We have an economy each years after the

:18:35.:18:39.

financial crisis far too reliant on house prices and insurers spend and

:18:40.:18:43.

which is too reliant on London and the south-east. We have seen level

:18:44.:18:46.

of extreme postie and destitution and we have homelessness almost back

:18:47.:18:52.

to 1980s level. We have poorer public services like the NHS and

:18:53.:18:54.

social care with an ageing population do not have enough money.

:18:55.:18:59.

Well for status is not fit for purpose. It gives too little support

:19:00.:19:03.

for too many people but also creating welfare dependency in a

:19:04.:19:07.

small group. We have chronic skill shortages in several major

:19:08.:19:10.

industries which fuels record immigration levels and our lack of

:19:11.:19:14.

any kind of industrial policy leaves several sectors such as steel facing

:19:15.:19:19.

the abyss. Part of our economy are overtaxed while other parts of our

:19:20.:19:22.

economy don't pay the tax that they should and I could go on. Nothing in

:19:23.:19:27.

this Queen 's's speech makes me feel that this Government is looking at

:19:28.:19:30.

these problems. Nothing in it made me feel that the Government has any

:19:31.:19:33.

desire to do more than to hold the Conservative Party together over the

:19:34.:19:39.

next of months. Will he give way? Happily. I not his criticism of the

:19:40.:19:45.

Queen's speech. Does he share the same opinion of Labour's future

:19:46.:19:49.

written by a member of his own party would step that his party lacks

:19:50.:19:54.

credibility on the economy? Grateful for the extra time and I will come

:19:55.:19:59.

on to the wider criticisms. In some respect the Queen's speech was rapid

:20:00.:20:03.

justice on us. Whatever your view on the mendacity of austerity or the

:20:04.:20:06.

success of the Government posture deficit reduction programme, it is

:20:07.:20:11.

simple enough sure to say that reform is affecting the hardest to

:20:12.:20:14.

reach. The truth is they are being reform to remove them from the

:20:15.:20:17.

hardest to reach. It is not true to say that some of the deeper social

:20:18.:20:20.

problems in our society are being tackled when some, such as

:20:21.:20:24.

homelessness, hardly getting worse. In greater Manchester, one of the

:20:25.:20:29.

most NMA parts of England, there is now an entire community of people

:20:30.:20:34.

living in tents in Manchester city centre. That is not what success

:20:35.:20:38.

looks like. I am all for a better measures of life chances but if you

:20:39.:20:41.

get this, you do not need a new set of indicators to understand that

:20:42.:20:44.

taking money from people with serious disabilities as this

:20:45.:20:47.

Government has repeatedly tried to do, will make their lives harder not

:20:48.:20:51.

better. If I were writing it, I would ask for just three things to

:20:52.:20:55.

be in a real Queen's speech. First of all, as echoed by my honourable

:20:56.:21:03.

friend, the introduction of a formal industrial strategy in the UK,

:21:04.:21:05.

focused on making British industry as globally competitive as it can

:21:06.:21:10.

be. Secondly, a Royal commission on the welfare state to see what will

:21:11.:21:15.

be required a state of digital stuff implement and rapid change. And

:21:16.:21:19.

thirdly, some serious democratic reports that future Queen speeches

:21:20.:21:23.

can be better than this one. There was a mild reference to this frenzy

:21:24.:21:27.

of the Commons at the tail end of the speech. At this Government does

:21:28.:21:30.

not want to do so much legislation in the Lords, then it should try to

:21:31.:21:33.

make better legislation. I do not believe the board 's overall to be

:21:34.:21:37.

the hotbed of Democratic socialism that the ministers try to betray it

:21:38.:21:44.

to be. This Queen's speech was not a programme to tackle our biggest

:21:45.:21:47.

problems. It was all filler, no killer. It was a pick and mix of pet

:21:48.:21:53.

projects, if holding card until the next Conservative leadership contest

:21:54.:21:56.

reveals the true direction. We need some entering gauge the public, it

:21:57.:22:01.

might be economy, inspire the future. Britain deserves better than

:22:02.:22:06.

this. It is a great pleasure to speak to the Queen's gracious speech

:22:07.:22:12.

that puts the opportunity and life chances at the heart of our society.

:22:13.:22:17.

A one nation Queen's speech. Britain is forecast to grow faster than any

:22:18.:22:21.

other advanced economy in 2016, with growth forecast to exceed every

:22:22.:22:29.

year. In ten to 15 years, we could be the biggest economy in Europe,

:22:30.:22:35.

and in the German economy. Average weekly wages have risen by 2.1%

:22:36.:22:39.

since last year and it will be our forecast that 2.9 million workers

:22:40.:22:43.

will benefit directly from the introduction of the national living

:22:44.:22:46.

wage and estimates that a further 6 billion could see a pay rise as a

:22:47.:22:49.

result of the ripple effect. This Government was elected to back

:22:50.:22:53.

working people the best way to help working people was to let them keep

:22:54.:22:57.

more of the money they earn. The personal allowance will rise further

:22:58.:23:04.

to 11 point ?5,000 by 2017 or 18, giving several people across the

:23:05.:23:08.

country a tax cut. This Queen's speech mix it easier for companies

:23:09.:23:15.

that be my people on low earnings to get the tax bonus of up to ?50

:23:16.:23:19.

monthly savings helping 3 million of the lowest paid owners to put money

:23:20.:23:23.

aside. Over the last week the year, we have got on with delivering our

:23:24.:23:29.

manifesto commitments to get people security and opportunity at every

:23:30.:23:32.

stage of their lives. 16% of working age people in the UK are disabled.

:23:33.:23:37.

Or have a health condition. The Government is determined to half the

:23:38.:23:42.

rates of difference between an implement in disabled and

:23:43.:23:46.

non-disabled people so that the disabled can meet their aspirations.

:23:47.:23:50.

We spent 50 billion a year to support people with this vote is a

:23:51.:23:54.

health conditions, 6% of all Government spending. This represents

:23:55.:23:59.

2.5% of GDP and is significantly above spending in countries such as

:24:00.:24:02.

France or Germany and the OCD average of 2.2%. In a last few

:24:03.:24:08.

years, many disabled people have moved on to work with over 3.3

:24:09.:24:12.

million disabled people now in employment. Halving the disability

:24:13.:24:17.

employment gap, around 1 million more disabled people to find and

:24:18.:24:20.

vision of finding work. Later this, I will hold my first noticeable to

:24:21.:24:26.

confidence in there and I thank the Government from bringing for this

:24:27.:24:30.

fantastic scheme to truly challenge attitudes to employing those with

:24:31.:24:37.

this boat is. I really had a meeting in this House with Ginny remotely at

:24:38.:24:42.

the CEO of IBM to talk about cognitive technology, artificial

:24:43.:24:46.

intelligence and technologies are the future for this country.

:24:47.:24:51.

Energy intensive injures streets are almost exclusively located out of

:24:52.:24:59.

London and other high school jobs and form a vital part of the

:25:00.:25:05.

Northern powerhouse. I am committed to closing the North-South divide

:25:06.:25:08.

and other great northern cities can be greater than the sum of our

:25:09.:25:15.

parts. The Northern powerhouse is underpinned by world-class transport

:25:16.:25:19.

linking our regions to drive up productivity. I have been

:25:20.:25:24.

campaigning to reinstate the Holton Cove and I am delighted to say it

:25:25.:25:35.

was examined and approved. That is a significance. It enables travel into

:25:36.:25:40.

North Wales, Cheshire, Merseyside and greater Manchester. This is a

:25:41.:25:45.

one nation Queen 's speech to a one nation government. To someone who

:25:46.:25:49.

grew up on a council estate, this side of the House is the party of

:25:50.:25:58.

aspiration. Over the last number of days, we have heard from these

:25:59.:26:03.

benches that this Queen's speech has been thin on the ground in terms of

:26:04.:26:07.

new ideas or new legislation and unlike the previous honourable

:26:08.:26:14.

member, I do not see this Queen's speech in terms of being able to

:26:15.:26:19.

address poverty or able to address those who have been hit hard by

:26:20.:26:24.

welfare cuts and particularly the pernicious nature of those cuts

:26:25.:26:29.

which has caused deep up poverty in my constituency, something I don't

:26:30.:26:33.

particularly like because I want to see greater wealth creation and

:26:34.:26:38.

greater income creation, but it is clear the coming referendum has had

:26:39.:26:43.

that effect on this Queen's speech and the Government's ambitions.

:26:44.:26:48.

Whether in Hibbert in the Government is good or bad can be debated at

:26:49.:26:53.

length. I can only say I am disappointed this Government has not

:26:54.:26:59.

done more to address the widening social, economic and infrastructural

:27:00.:27:02.

inequalities that are opening up across these islands and are leaving

:27:03.:27:09.

too many behind, particularly in the constituency I represent in Northern

:27:10.:27:13.

Ireland and if I look at the issue of full broadband. The widening

:27:14.:27:17.

divide between winners and losers is well embodied by the ongoing failure

:27:18.:27:23.

to provide rural communities access to reliable high-speed broadband.

:27:24.:27:27.

New technology gives the potential for more communities to be more

:27:28.:27:31.

closely connected to the wider world of commerce, culture and government,

:27:32.:27:37.

but despite this, a report from the European Commission has found over

:27:38.:27:42.

half of rural areas still do not have access to high-speed

:27:43.:27:46.

connections and I suppose in fairness to the Government, I

:27:47.:27:50.

welcome their commitment contained in the speech to provide households

:27:51.:27:55.

with the right to high-speed connections, but I am concerned over

:27:56.:27:59.

what this really means, who will be responsible for delivering this and

:28:00.:28:05.

who -- how can rural communities do and who they can turn to when they

:28:06.:28:10.

have been let down? I hope the Government is sincere in its

:28:11.:28:16.

intentions but must remain sceptical until further proposals are brought

:28:17.:28:22.

forward hopefully in time to meet the Prime Minister's broadband

:28:23.:28:26.

targets. If I can address those areas where there has been a

:28:27.:28:31.

deficit. There has been no attempt in spite of the letter is signed to

:28:32.:28:36.

address the need to reduced VAT on tourism, a fiscal measure and fiscal

:28:37.:28:42.

flexibility that would aid tourism particularly in an area where we

:28:43.:28:46.

have to compete with visitors from the South of Ireland and today, a

:28:47.:28:52.

report said we have the lowest level of disposable income and the highest

:28:53.:28:58.

level of visitors. Those issues of air passenger taxes have to be

:28:59.:29:04.

addressed. The regional inequalities that exist for Northern Island

:29:05.:29:11.

farmers and place them at a severe disadvantage when compared to their

:29:12.:29:17.

counterparts here in Britain. I would also say that in the coming

:29:18.:29:21.

weeks up until the referendum, there is no doubt that a vote to remain

:29:22.:29:27.

for us in Northern Ireland is the best possible benefit for our local

:29:28.:29:31.

economy and in that respect, I would urge the Government to ensure that

:29:32.:29:37.

the issues of poverty, deprivation and the needs of our tourism

:29:38.:29:41.

industry and broadband connection properly and equitably addressed.

:29:42.:29:49.

It's a pleasure to follow the honourable member and I must say I

:29:50.:29:54.

did not agree with everything she had to say, but I enjoyed her

:29:55.:30:00.

contribution. I feel there are so many encouraging bills to be brought

:30:01.:30:06.

forward. The first I would welcome is a small charitable donations

:30:07.:30:10.

bill. Their Iraq innumerable sports clubs who welcome this bill with

:30:11.:30:15.

open arms. For too long they have been hampered by the lack of gift

:30:16.:30:22.

aid on their collections and I am pleased this will now be addressed.

:30:23.:30:25.

The Government wants to allow local sports clubs gift aid on their

:30:26.:30:31.

donations may be a saving grace on local sports teams. For some, gift

:30:32.:30:38.

aid made more -- may go as far as to give them yet another season. One of

:30:39.:30:42.

the other groups who may benefit are the Young farmers clubs. Young

:30:43.:30:47.

farmers clubs are groups of young people who will get together and

:30:48.:30:52.

organise a wide range of events throughout the year, encompassing

:30:53.:30:56.

everything from barn dances to rule skills to debate on current affairs.

:30:57.:31:08.

For me, the Queen's speech isn't all plain sailing. I have concerns over

:31:09.:31:13.

the economic consequences for the wealthy bill. Further devolution to

:31:14.:31:18.

Cardiff Bay is not what Wales needs. At a time when the UK economy is

:31:19.:31:23.

brought back to life and is on track to further prosperity due to the

:31:24.:31:28.

hard work of the Westminster government giving further powers to

:31:29.:31:31.

the Welsh assembly will slam the brakes on for Wales. We have to

:31:32.:31:37.

ensure the powers over tax and other economic measures are held by the

:31:38.:31:41.

people of Wales want them to be held. With a commitment to abolish

:31:42.:31:47.

the need for a referendum on giving the assembly tax raising powers, I

:31:48.:31:51.

am concerned the constituents will not get a voice over whether they

:31:52.:31:58.

want this power. It is not just my constituents who are worried. Many

:31:59.:32:04.

local businesses are concerned over the assembly having tax-raising

:32:05.:32:08.

powers. I believe the future of Wales would be for the people of

:32:09.:32:13.

Wales to decide and this commitment does not give the people a voice.

:32:14.:32:18.

The voice is important. I hear a great deal about the importance of

:32:19.:32:22.

the Northern powerhouse and the Southern powerhouse, but where is

:32:23.:32:27.

the rural powerhouse? I'm sure many are fully aware farming is one of

:32:28.:32:32.

the staple industries of the UK. In my area it is also the main driver

:32:33.:32:38.

behind the local economy. The food sector employs more than 10% of the

:32:39.:32:45.

UK workforce and the food and farming sector is worth over 100

:32:46.:32:50.

billion to the economy. Farming is a great job creator. When livestock

:32:51.:33:01.

are taken to market, there is an auctioneer. I was one of those

:33:02.:33:06.

before and they need clerks and staff and when livestock are taken

:33:07.:33:11.

to slaughter, the abattoirs nude pictures and high-tech machinery

:33:12.:33:15.

which is all to be designed by someone and the jobs list goes on

:33:16.:33:19.

and on. Farming is facing hard times, milk prices are falling, land

:33:20.:33:26.

prices are falling, farms are facing great difficulties and we must do

:33:27.:33:31.

all they can to support this vital industry. I hope the better markets

:33:32.:33:36.

Bill may include assistance for farmers in cutting the red tape for

:33:37.:33:41.

the farming community and for that other vital role industry, tourism.

:33:42.:33:47.

I would like to briefly touch on the Digital economy Bill and how this

:33:48.:33:53.

with the great benefit. I will have to leave that to somebody else

:33:54.:34:01.

because I have run out of time. I intend to address in the few minutes

:34:02.:34:07.

I have issues around the criminal finance bill and I think in

:34:08.:34:11.

introducing it, I can do no better then to recognise the contribution

:34:12.:34:17.

on Tuesday of the honourable member for Rush Cliff in his thoughtful

:34:18.:34:22.

contribution to the debate. He commented thus in referring to this

:34:23.:34:27.

bill and I quote, we in this country are very bad at dealing with white

:34:28.:34:32.

collar crime and there is a growing awareness of that. If someone wishes

:34:33.:34:40.

to rob a bank, they go to the live market, they do not put on a

:34:41.:34:45.

balaclava and put -- pick up a shot gun. I hope I can be reassured that

:34:46.:34:51.

the bill will tackle not just tax evasion, which is quite widely high

:34:52.:34:55.

on the public agenda, but money-laundering, and he concluded

:34:56.:35:00.

in this part of his speech, London is still the money-laundering

:35:01.:35:08.

capital of the world. The right honourable member pointed out the

:35:09.:35:11.

nature of the challenge that is faced. Many of the biggest crooks

:35:12.:35:17.

are working in the City of London. This is a major challenge that we

:35:18.:35:21.

should all be willing to address. It would be commendable if the

:35:22.:35:24.

Government eventually produces a very strong bill but sometimes as is

:35:25.:35:34.

said, I have my doubts. A further matter of concern in this regard is

:35:35.:35:42.

this behaviour is so important, if motivation of people is so

:35:43.:35:46.

important, it raises a fundamental concern in my mind about the flawed

:35:47.:35:51.

approach to economics that seems to dominate much of current thinking.

:35:52.:35:56.

We find Treasury civil servants and central bankers have presided over

:35:57.:36:03.

not only corrupt practices and economic failure, but intellectual

:36:04.:36:10.

failure also. Their devotion to what most people know as neoclassical

:36:11.:36:15.

economics has led to their failure to anticipate the largest recession

:36:16.:36:22.

since the 1930s. And refilled their powerlessness as policymakers in the

:36:23.:36:27.

face of the subsequent stagnation of output. The neoclassical is a

:36:28.:36:34.

penchant for putting the regs in the basket of simple mathematics is

:36:35.:36:39.

based on remarkably few variables that leads them to ignore economic

:36:40.:36:43.

problems that are not easy to measure, whether legal or illegal.

:36:44.:36:50.

Even Mervyn King in his book the end of alchemy hinted at this critique

:36:51.:36:55.

when pointing out the failures of existing models to take into account

:36:56.:37:00.

critical changes such as the political reforms in China that led

:37:01.:37:07.

to its rapid growth. I might add the inability to see how attractive the

:37:08.:37:15.

City of London has become. He has mentioned London on several

:37:16.:37:21.

occasions. Are there issues with Edinburgh but Sir Fred Goodwin was a

:37:22.:37:26.

Scotsman in Royal Bank of Scotland so don't insinuate crooks and up in

:37:27.:37:33.

London. I thank the honourable member. I did not infer that at all.

:37:34.:37:40.

If he was here for the beginning of my speech and listening, he might

:37:41.:37:45.

realise what I was doing was quoting the right honourable gentleman

:37:46.:37:51.

sitting in the very place he were sitting in Tuesday who raised this

:37:52.:37:56.

very issue, so if he wants to take issue with this castigation with the

:37:57.:38:01.

City of London, I suggest he looks to his own colleagues rather than

:38:02.:38:06.

myself. If we want to look at what might be done, time does not permit

:38:07.:38:12.

to go into a more detailed analysis, let me suggest a few things. One

:38:13.:38:17.

thing that might be useful is too vast to strengthen support for

:38:18.:38:22.

whistle-blowing, to give employees within the banks and financial

:38:23.:38:26.

institutions greater confidence in raising issues such as suspected

:38:27.:38:30.

money-laundering and the management of illegal assets. As I reflect on

:38:31.:38:36.

my honourable friend from Dundee East, it would be wise for the

:38:37.:38:41.

Treasury to convene a commission into the acidification of the tax

:38:42.:38:47.

code. The more complicated you construct a tax code, the easier it

:38:48.:38:53.

is with those with our intention is to find their ways into securing

:38:54.:38:57.

games for themselves at the expense of others. -- gains. I hope we get a

:38:58.:39:05.

bill of some substance. I hope the Government truly wishes to address

:39:06.:39:10.

those vested interests that do us all harm.

:39:11.:39:19.

It is as ever a pleasure to follow the honourable gentleman. As a

:39:20.:39:26.

neoclassicism myself, I now know I need to keep an eye on my variables.

:39:27.:39:31.

I am grateful for his advice. It is a pleasure to follow the honourable

:39:32.:39:34.

gentleman. I hope you will forgive me for saying its own even greater

:39:35.:39:39.

pleasure for those of us on the side to know there is now an effective

:39:40.:39:42.

opposition in the Scottish parliament is keeping an eye on his

:39:43.:39:46.

colleagues up north. I listen to every word, not only to his speech

:39:47.:39:50.

but also to the proposal by the Shadow Chancellor. I don't know if

:39:51.:39:54.

the Shadow Chancellor rehearses his speeches in front of his colleagues.

:39:55.:40:02.

If so, I don't know a wry smile if equal state, the need to replace

:40:03.:40:07.

all, worn out infrastructure with something more effective. Having

:40:08.:40:12.

read Labour's at my future, and very little red book, I can only imagine

:40:13.:40:21.

that they have their work cut out in the years ahead. But I will say some

:40:22.:40:27.

positive things, if I may. -- Labour's Future. I remain for a

:40:28.:40:36.

short period of time to say if you positive things about this positive

:40:37.:40:40.

speech. I serve on the financial inclusion commission. I share that

:40:41.:40:44.

with the honourable member for East Lothian, and I am particularly

:40:45.:40:48.

interested in how this Government is setting out to improve financial

:40:49.:40:52.

inclusion and resilience. The scale of this problem, highlighted by a

:40:53.:40:56.

paper by the act see a published earlier this week, as the honourable

:40:57.:41:01.

gentleman knows, is immense. The Government is taking positive steps.

:41:02.:41:06.

I welcome a fee free basic bank accounts, the lifetime I and the

:41:07.:41:10.

continuing successful roll-out of total enrolment. I welcome in

:41:11.:41:16.

particular the cell to this save scheme. Over half a million low-paid

:41:17.:41:20.

workers could benefit. I do not one minute underestimate the difficulty

:41:21.:41:24.

for many families in saving ?50 per month, but from my experience with

:41:25.:41:28.

credit unions, I know some do. If they do it through this scheme, they

:41:29.:41:34.

will be better off to the chain of ?1200. I welcome this for its direct

:41:35.:41:40.

impact but even more Eibar commit for the culture that it could

:41:41.:41:43.

provide in terms of financial resilience. Curbs on the supply of

:41:44.:41:48.

payday lending will only get a sofa. Any step that outburst as audience

:41:49.:41:50.

and therefore reduce demand for those crippling services is to be

:41:51.:41:55.

welcomed. Our main focus must be to encourage resilience by promoting

:41:56.:42:00.

our national economic growth. The gracious speech is imbued with

:42:01.:42:05.

policies that will enhance productivity, establishing a legal

:42:06.:42:08.

right to broadband connections has been mentioned a couple of times in

:42:09.:42:12.

this debate. It will enhance productivity and eight financial and

:42:13.:42:16.

social inclusion. The Government's into transport is well founded. The

:42:17.:42:22.

performance of Horsham's local real clinical rail infrastructure has

:42:23.:42:33.

benefited from this. On transport, a great thing was made for Heathrow.

:42:34.:42:40.

Gatwick would have economic benefit as Britain requires a hub airport.

:42:41.:42:43.

The particular national productivity, let's get on with

:42:44.:42:47.

expansion at Heathrow. Lastly, I welcome fair funding for schools

:42:48.:42:50.

which will help the recruitment of maths and other STEM teachers in

:42:51.:42:55.

West Sussex, helping to drive future productivity and ensure we created

:42:56.:42:58.

generation across the country better equipped to seize the opportunities

:42:59.:43:02.

that are being created by this Government and boost financial

:43:03.:43:08.

inclusion and resilience. There are measures to like in this Queen's

:43:09.:43:12.

speech. The soft rings industry levy is something I argued for 15 years

:43:13.:43:16.

ago. But I wonder the Government that it makes no sense to tax sugar

:43:17.:43:22.

but simultaneously cut funding forced sport in schools. You tackle

:43:23.:43:26.

beastie first and foremost to exercise, not by stand-alone

:43:27.:43:31.

measurements. -- obesity. The prison reform Bill, if it is a genuine

:43:32.:43:40.

attempt to change a penal facility into a rehabilitation system will be

:43:41.:43:44.

a much-needed transformation. Measures to like. But the wear.

:43:45.:43:48.

Nothing shows the weakness of an administration more than when it

:43:49.:43:53.

feels to have big, controversial bills in the gracious speech. This

:43:54.:43:57.

Queen's speech is one that certainly can policies that are wrong. The

:43:58.:44:02.

education bill for example with its academisation programme and its

:44:03.:44:06.

national funding for cramp is an appalling return to the old

:44:07.:44:09.

obsession with structures rather than standards and the formula,

:44:10.:44:14.

well, it will take ?18 million from schools in Brent and college fair. I

:44:15.:44:21.

am talking of reception classes where we have 29 children who are

:44:22.:44:25.

speaking 21 different mother tongues. 8.6 per pupil spending cuts

:44:26.:44:33.

through them is not fair. It is wrong. But my point is that the

:44:34.:44:36.

Government has essentially run out of steam or is too insecure of the

:44:37.:44:40.

support of its own members to risk big, controversial met... Measures

:44:41.:44:45.

so perhaps in the spirit of assistance, I would set out the bill

:44:46.:44:50.

that the Government could and should have place at the heart of the

:44:51.:44:54.

address. I Green growth bill that would set a clear trajectory for the

:44:55.:45:00.

UK to lead the world in today's low-carbon industrial resolution

:45:01.:45:04.

just addicted to 50 years ago in the coal powered Industrial Revolution.

:45:05.:45:08.

I've bill that would deal with energy, with land use, with water

:45:09.:45:12.

resources, transport, green city infrastructure in an integrated and

:45:13.:45:15.

sustainable way and that would transform the Treasury model from

:45:16.:45:20.

its current excision upon GDP growth on one that is focused on what

:45:21.:45:25.

maximisation. To understand that GDP and wealth are not the same, one

:45:26.:45:29.

only needs to recall that the 2013-14 floods were the single

:45:30.:45:35.

biggest contributor to GDP in 2014, while simultaneously ruining

:45:36.:45:41.

thousands of people's lives. GDP measures productivity, not wealth. A

:45:42.:45:44.

green growth bill would make our country focus on what really

:45:45.:45:49.

matters. Currently, businesses extract an estimated 7 trillion

:45:50.:45:51.

globally from the environment each year. This is in the free

:45:52.:45:56.

knowledgeable goods and the equally new pupil services that they occupy.

:45:57.:46:01.

But that does not appear on balance sheets. They are externalities. No

:46:02.:46:07.

Government account exists that charts their Konta beast into the

:46:08.:46:10.

national boss, yet they represent the annual income from an asset base

:46:11.:46:15.

that is quite simply the precondition of all other economic

:46:16.:46:19.

activity. What sort of economic managers do we have who fail to

:46:20.:46:24.

quantify an asset base of this magnitude and this importance? A

:46:25.:46:28.

green growth bill would establish national capital accountants of the

:46:29.:46:33.

by measuring nature we can make its contribution to our economy

:46:34.:46:35.

measurable and affect decision-making. I green growth bill

:46:36.:46:40.

would elect as treasurer for the sexes of the Treasury which would

:46:41.:46:47.

affect budgets, but services depletion as well. Our national debt

:46:48.:46:53.

is arguably a much more urgent issue then our financial debt, yet our

:46:54.:46:56.

Government is feeling sick tag yearly to rid first the decline in

:46:57.:47:04.

net acid -based -- natural debts. . It is a pleasure to follow the

:47:05.:47:08.

member for Brent North but I am pleased to rise in support of the

:47:09.:47:13.

gracious speech. I do so for three main reasons. First because it

:47:14.:47:18.

recognises that businesses create jobs because we recognise on the

:47:19.:47:21.

side that we want to make sure that people keep more of what they earn

:47:22.:47:27.

and because it allows Government support for families in looking

:47:28.:47:30.

after themselves better in the years ahead. Businesses to create jobs in

:47:31.:47:36.

North East Hampshire and the surrounding area which means that we

:47:37.:47:39.

in my constituency are doing very well under this Government's the

:47:40.:47:45.

long-term economic plan. The reality is that half of 1% of economic

:47:46.:47:52.

league active people are unemployed. This is excellent news, but we must

:47:53.:47:57.

not be complacent. There are still 255 people who need work and we must

:47:58.:48:04.

make sure we create the options are businesses to do that. -- 250 5000.

:48:05.:48:10.

I am glad that small businesses will be helped by the obligation for

:48:11.:48:13.

broadband which is a real issue in rural areas of my constituency where

:48:14.:48:16.

people want to set up their own businesses and need to be able to

:48:17.:48:19.

access the Internet that can't at the moment. Further, I want to make

:48:20.:48:24.

a further point have of my constituents that their taxes must

:48:25.:48:29.

be well spent and they expect this because North East Hampshire

:48:30.:48:33.

receives just over ?350 per head on average in benefits, which is the

:48:34.:48:37.

least of all constituencies in the country. This is as a result of a

:48:38.:48:41.

strong economy and taxpayers recognise that while there should be

:48:42.:48:44.

a welfare state as a safety net, it must not be a lifestyle choice. That

:48:45.:48:48.

is why it is important we help people to keep more of what they

:48:49.:48:52.

earn to incentivise work. The tax-free allowance has risen to

:48:53.:48:56.

11000 and we must go further in the future. 2 million people pay no

:48:57.:49:00.

income tax at all, but many in my constituency paid a high rate of

:49:01.:49:06.

tax. -- 3 million. The rice is a good step up we must go further. The

:49:07.:49:10.

member Doncaster was onto something when he talked about the Swedes

:49:11.:49:14.

middle. It is true, there are people who need support who have reasonably

:49:15.:49:18.

paid jobs but still find things tough. That is what we're to do by

:49:19.:49:24.

increasing the threshold for the higher rate and I encourage

:49:25.:49:28.

ministers to go further. So last in the time I have available, I want

:49:29.:49:34.

covered the most local of all and that is families and life chances.

:49:35.:49:38.

It is right that we create good schools for everyone. It is right

:49:39.:49:42.

that people should not have their lives dictated to them by where they

:49:43.:49:47.

came from, but rather by the skills and abilities they have and where

:49:48.:49:52.

they want to go. A key part of that is the family in which they live. I

:49:53.:49:56.

am pleased that it is this Government, the Conservative

:49:57.:50:04.

Government tween 2010 and 2015 in coalition with the Liberal Democrats

:50:05.:50:08.

and continued now by the majority Government that has recognised

:50:09.:50:11.

marriage in the tax system. The marriage allowance is an important

:50:12.:50:16.

step, but we should go further because family breakdown costs the

:50:17.:50:20.

Government, costs taxpayers, ?48 billion every year. If we could even

:50:21.:50:27.

tackle a fraction of the family breakdown in our country, not only

:50:28.:50:31.

would we save taxpayers money, but we would also improve life chances

:50:32.:50:34.

for people because all of the research shows that people with

:50:35.:50:39.

stable family backgrounds enjoy better educational prospects and

:50:40.:50:45.

better jobs in their own futures. While we must focus on individuals

:50:46.:50:48.

and make sure that they have the life chances, this is also about

:50:49.:50:52.

making sure that we bring in public finances under control and writing

:50:53.:50:56.

all of these things, we will do just that. Thank you, Madam Deputy

:50:57.:51:04.

Speaker. After years of abandoning and punishing was vulnerable people

:51:05.:51:09.

in society, we get Queen's speech that talks about introducing

:51:10.:51:11.

legislation to tackle some of the deepest social problems in society

:51:12.:51:16.

and improve life chances for the most disadvantaged. But we all know

:51:17.:51:20.

what the truth is, that this Government's grand rhetoric is

:51:21.:51:23.

rarely matched by policy. In fact, their policies tend to be regressive

:51:24.:51:28.

and punitive, pushing more and more people into poverty. No one living

:51:29.:51:31.

in poverty is doing so as a result of their own doing. The perpetuation

:51:32.:51:36.

of poverty and the rise of child poverty since 2010 is a clear

:51:37.:51:41.

feeling of Government. A recent report from Sheffield Hallam

:51:42.:51:44.

University, which was also referred to by the Honourable member for

:51:45.:51:48.

Glasgow Central, looked at the uneven impact of welfare reform. It

:51:49.:51:52.

revealed that the North, yet again, takes the biggest hit on welfare

:51:53.:51:57.

reform while the South outside London remains largely unscathed.

:51:58.:52:02.

83% of the overall financial losses fall families with children. The

:52:03.:52:07.

north-east region alone is set to lose 620 million a year by 2021.

:52:08.:52:15.

That is lost per working age adults of ?380 per year. South Tyneside,

:52:16.:52:20.

the borough which covers my constituency, is the sixth worst

:52:21.:52:25.

affected local authority. Even the introduction of the living wage has

:52:26.:52:29.

left the lowest paid workers little, if at all, better. One of my

:52:30.:52:34.

constituents, a carer, is now in a desperate financial situation

:52:35.:52:36.

because the new living wage has taken her over the threshold to be

:52:37.:52:41.

eligible for a carer's allowance. An extra ?8 per week has cost her ?62

:52:42.:52:48.

in lost benefit. If this Government, Madam Deputy Speaker, really cares

:52:49.:52:56.

about chances, they would not be running the services people rely on

:52:57.:52:58.

the most into the ground. They would not have close over 800 sure start

:52:59.:53:01.

centres. They would not be presiding over a crisis in teacher recruitment

:53:02.:53:04.

or focusing resources on adoption to the detriment of social work that

:53:05.:53:08.

could keep families together. They would not be presiding over the

:53:09.:53:12.

collapse of the NHS and social care. They would not have made such an

:53:13.:53:15.

absolute mess of the benefit system to the degree that over a 1 million

:53:16.:53:20.

food parcels have been handed out. Disabled people would not be losing

:53:21.:53:25.

over ?1500 per year, the terminally ill would not be getting declared

:53:26.:53:28.

fit for a ill and their incomes slashed, homelessness would not have

:53:29.:53:33.

doubled since 2010, we would not have rising wealth inequality in

:53:34.:53:39.

areas blighted by high unemployment. The Children's Society have reported

:53:40.:53:42.

that shows in and of people in Britain are among the unhappiest and

:53:43.:53:46.

unhealthiest, poorest and least educated in the developed world.

:53:47.:53:50.

What this Queen's speech identifies is an impotence in careless

:53:51.:53:55.

Government. Its numerous U-turns reveal deep problems in the core of

:53:56.:54:01.

their policy-making. 28 of the 30 announcements we had heard before,

:54:02.:54:04.

and that is because for the last year, we have had to put up with a

:54:05.:54:08.

Government obsessed with internal politics. We all know that the EU

:54:09.:54:11.

referendum has nothing at all to do do with whether or not we are in or

:54:12.:54:17.

out of Europe, they have taken up precious parliamentary time with a

:54:18.:54:20.

prolonged, an edifying fight between... You can have your say

:54:21.:54:26.

later! Between two middle aged public school trams over who is

:54:27.:54:30.

going to run the country. Order, order. Although that was from a

:54:31.:54:34.

sedentary position, it is not you who has had a say. It is he who has

:54:35.:54:41.

had a state. Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker.

:54:42.:54:48.

If this is the Prime Minister's last Queen 's speech, it is not something

:54:49.:54:56.

they will be proud. I will have to reduce the time limit to three

:54:57.:55:00.

minutes. People will have to start speaking really quickly. Whilst many

:55:01.:55:08.

of the measures in the speech will bring benefits to North Warwickshire

:55:09.:55:15.

and Bedworth, I want to focus on the Digital economy Bill which is vital

:55:16.:55:19.

not just in my constituency where there are large pockets of rural

:55:20.:55:23.

communities, but across the whole UK's -- UK if we are to me tame our

:55:24.:55:33.

position. I want to be part of a nation where technology continues to

:55:34.:55:38.

transform society but we need to up our efforts in creating world-class

:55:39.:55:43.

digital infrastructure and delivering universal broadband. Less

:55:44.:55:50.

than half of the UK properties had access to superfast broadband. Now

:55:51.:55:55.

90% of households enjoy it and that is set to increase to 95% by 2017.

:55:56.:56:02.

Better connectivity brings more choice, more opportunities and

:56:03.:56:07.

greater competition. New markets for businesses are opened up not just

:56:08.:56:12.

within the UK or the confines of the EU, but also globally and in

:56:13.:56:17.

emerging markets. Consumers are more empowered and find it easy to access

:56:18.:56:22.

a wider age -- range of goods but there are other less recognised

:56:23.:56:26.

benefits that greater connectivity brings. It can help keep families in

:56:27.:56:31.

touch, including our military based overseas, it can ease pressure on

:56:32.:56:35.

our health services and combat issues such as loneliness

:56:36.:56:39.

particularly in isolated rural areas. I have long championed the

:56:40.:56:43.

case for high-speed broadband and have seen these benefits such as

:56:44.:56:50.

pretty box, which operates from a farm building and is reliant on the

:56:51.:56:55.

Internet but has now been able to grow and employ 25 local people

:56:56.:56:59.

thanks to the connectivity delivered. I have two observations

:57:00.:57:05.

however which I would like to share with ministers. Firstly, there needs

:57:06.:57:09.

to be better communication with local communities both before and

:57:10.:57:13.

after the installation of new services. I have been contacted by

:57:14.:57:17.

those not aware of the role out plans for the area and that actually

:57:18.:57:23.

there were soon going to be connected. It is vital the next

:57:24.:57:28.

steps are strongly communicated to those who now have access as I have

:57:29.:57:31.

lost count of the number of constituents think the upgrade or

:57:32.:57:37.

bad is available, their speeds will automatically increase. They do not

:57:38.:57:42.

realise they have to activate a superfast service or pick from a

:57:43.:57:47.

range of providers. My second point relates to the not spots, the 5% to

:57:48.:57:54.

buy 2017. Not have access to broadband, a number of the NFU puts

:57:55.:57:59.

at 1.2 million and the 10% who will still not have access to mobile

:58:00.:58:04.

phone coverage. Many of these areas will be raw and farming communities

:58:05.:58:07.

and I know of several which offer little or no coverage and speed of

:58:08.:58:15.

often dial-up proportions. We must do everything we can to ensure these

:58:16.:58:19.

communities are connected as soon as possible so as not to be left

:58:20.:58:24.

behind. It is clear the demand is there. What I am urging the

:58:25.:58:27.

Government to do is act decisively and look at the options. These

:58:28.:58:32.

remaining properties will be the most difficult to reach, so in the

:58:33.:58:38.

best entrepreneurial British spirit we need to be creative and

:58:39.:58:42.

innovative. There are opportunities to look at providers who can create

:58:43.:58:47.

separate infrastructure projects, there are options should provide

:58:48.:58:50.

greater access to satellite provisions and we need to encourage

:58:51.:58:54.

projects for which there is no current funding. To conclude, there

:58:55.:58:58.

are many things this one nation Queen's speech that as they are

:58:59.:59:04.

implemented will bring great benefit to the UK as a whole and the

:59:05.:59:09.

continued focused by this Government on a digital economy can live a

:59:10.:59:16.

legacy for generations to come. It's a pleasure to be able to speak in

:59:17.:59:22.

the Queen's speech debate. As many both inside and outside this House

:59:23.:59:27.

have remarked, the speech has felt like a bit of a damp squib as my

:59:28.:59:34.

honourable friend said earlier, all filler, no killer. Maybe that is

:59:35.:59:38.

because all eyes are on the referendum but it is astonishing the

:59:39.:59:42.

Tories have been waiting for a majority government since the 1990s

:59:43.:59:49.

and have already run out of ideas by their second's Queen 's speech. As

:59:50.:59:53.

far as the economy is concerned, the sum total of the bills in this

:59:54.:59:57.

speech does not add up to the comp rancid plan that will put the

:59:58.:00:02.

recovery on a more sustainable footing or allow citizens to meet

:00:03.:00:05.

the challenges of the Labour market as it is today but also the jobs of

:00:06.:00:11.

the future. We're not producing enough secure, well-paid jobs and

:00:12.:00:15.

the Government has presided over record low pay growth so we badly

:00:16.:00:20.

needed eight comprehensive productivity plan which is totally

:00:21.:00:24.

missing from this speech. The Chancellor has been the steward of

:00:25.:00:29.

the economy for the past six years, but he appears to be a one trick

:00:30.:00:33.

pony struggling with his only trip. His only real plan is deficit

:00:34.:00:39.

reduction and he continually misses his own targets. We know he failed

:00:40.:00:44.

to eliminate the deficit in the last Parliament as promised and figures

:00:45.:00:48.

released on Tuesday showed the Chancellor had missed his borrowing

:00:49.:00:53.

target from last year by ?3.8 billion with the deficit still

:00:54.:00:58.

standing at ?76 billion. Manufacturing remains 6.9% below

:00:59.:01:05.

2008 levels and our export performance is worrying because

:01:06.:01:08.

although services continue to outperform, we are still lagging

:01:09.:01:13.

behind on goods exports with a shortfall that is the widest it has

:01:14.:01:17.

ever been and it is worth remembering the Chancellor said in

:01:18.:01:22.

2011 that our exports were critical to our economic growth and he would

:01:23.:01:27.

double the value of exports to one trillion and increase the number of

:01:28.:01:33.

exporters to 100,000, but exports were not mentioned in last year's

:01:34.:01:37.

budget because there has only been a tiny increased and the number of

:01:38.:01:44.

exporters has fallen between 2013 and 2014. The Chancellor will try

:01:45.:01:48.

and blame the global cocktail of risk but many of these problems are

:01:49.:01:55.

of the Government's own makings. What we needed from the speech was a

:01:56.:01:59.

proper productivity plan, more than the vague old failed policies that

:02:00.:02:05.

they try to put together under a new label and we needed a fresh start

:02:06.:02:10.

for exports so that our performance in exports can stop the rebalancing

:02:11.:02:16.

our economy urgently needs. -- start. It is a great honour to stand

:02:17.:02:22.

up in this chamber and speak for my constituents and I am proud to

:02:23.:02:26.

represent them. We heard from the honourable friend and in her

:02:27.:02:34.

eloquent speech, she reminded every member of the opportunities all

:02:35.:02:37.

members have to change things for the better and to fight for the

:02:38.:02:42.

causes we care about. She protruded to the willingness of members on all

:02:43.:02:46.

sides to work collaboratively in cross-party groups to fight for

:02:47.:02:51.

shared causes. For all be disagreements there are on both

:02:52.:02:55.

sides and on our own sites, there is a common desire to serve our

:02:56.:03:00.

constituents to the best of our ability and make whatever small

:03:01.:03:04.

difference we can in a world that seems filled with injustice. This

:03:05.:03:08.

gracious speech contained within it the very measures that drove me to

:03:09.:03:12.

fight so hard against the odds to come to this place. Call it social

:03:13.:03:18.

justice, social mobility, life chances, it is at the heart of -- it

:03:19.:03:27.

is all about hope and possibility and specifically hope and

:03:28.:03:30.

possibility who -- for those who have not had it eg -- easy. This

:03:31.:03:37.

speech is about tackling the barriers that too often stand in

:03:38.:03:43.

front of too many. I am proud this Government has placed a commitment

:03:44.:03:46.

to strong families at the heart of this speech, for it is a strong

:03:47.:03:52.

family that will give any child the best start in life and while some

:03:53.:03:59.

may dismiss this as instant sensual fourth -- insubstantial froth, a

:04:00.:04:05.

strong family is at the core of a successful, thriving economy and

:04:06.:04:10.

it's the children in struggling families, the children in care, it

:04:11.:04:14.

is these children denied the hope and possibility and chance of

:04:15.:04:18.

something better. Too many do not want to talk about the underlying

:04:19.:04:22.

causes of disadvantage and I think we should not shy away from it. It

:04:23.:04:31.

is about family breakdown, addiction, mental health

:04:32.:04:33.

difficulties and repeat spells in prison and homelessness. And getting

:04:34.:04:40.

out of that circle is so difficult. Strong families take many forms, my

:04:41.:04:45.

mother was a single parent with five children who struggled very hard to

:04:46.:04:49.

keep our family together, but she taught me you can search your mind

:04:50.:04:53.

to anything and achieve it. You might have to fight harder than to

:04:54.:05:00.

not let that stop you. I want for others the ability to make their way

:05:01.:05:04.

in the world, no matter where they came from, no matter what obstacles

:05:05.:05:08.

they face and that is why I wanted to come here to fight for those too

:05:09.:05:13.

often written off and whose lives can take another direction if only

:05:14.:05:20.

they had the chance. It is self-evident that the issues of

:05:21.:05:24.

investment, jobs and skills are the key to solving many of the problems

:05:25.:05:29.

faced in the country. I want to touch on those areas. With regards

:05:30.:05:34.

to investment, there has been a slowdown due to the impact of the

:05:35.:05:39.

recession and slow and steady recovery in the north. The only

:05:40.:05:46.

recent investment has been in the facility in Netherton in

:05:47.:05:48.

manufacturing printers. Emo strategic investment is the deep sea

:05:49.:05:54.

berth at the port of Liverpool, however, while there are plans to

:05:55.:05:58.

build a new road to the port, the plans in relation to rail freight

:05:59.:06:05.

are abysmal, with just ?10 million over the next three years. Perhaps

:06:06.:06:11.

there should be a halt on the road development until we get a better

:06:12.:06:14.

and more Sim by or take relationship between rail and road investment. We

:06:15.:06:21.

have a chronic deficit of private investment. Private-sector job

:06:22.:06:31.

increases have not replaced public-sector loss. As alluded to,

:06:32.:06:37.

this is compounded by underinvestment in public

:06:38.:06:44.

infrastructure. I hope that the devolution deal will deliver on its

:06:45.:06:48.

promise to attract more investment into the area and I want to give a

:06:49.:06:54.

thumbs up the chair of Liverpool city combined authorities made that

:06:55.:06:58.

case for the whole of Merseyside as ministers will testify. Gaining

:06:59.:07:03.

investment and jobs stimulated by a Liverpool development and improve

:07:04.:07:09.

road access, connecting to the northern powerhouse will be

:07:10.:07:13.

critical. Jobs, the stagnant recovery has reflected the levels of

:07:14.:07:19.

jobs in Bootle constituency although the chronic recession has not

:07:20.:07:25.

affected to a greater extent the levels of unemployment in Bootle. As

:07:26.:07:31.

for skills, this is a bone of contention nationally and we have

:07:32.:07:35.

managed to write that and bring the levels of skills up, but it can't be

:07:36.:07:44.

right and there must be something wrong where an economy can spend ?20

:07:45.:07:49.

million on a garden bridge across the Thames and 20, ?10 million only

:07:50.:07:57.

in investment, rail investment in one of the largest port in the

:07:58.:08:01.

country. There is something wrong with that system and that's the sort

:08:02.:08:06.

of thing that has to change and I hope this speech does change it, but

:08:07.:08:12.

I doubt it. It's a great pleasure to follow the member for Bootle. I

:08:13.:08:18.

welcome this Queen's speech because it builds upon the Government's

:08:19.:08:23.

progress and gets Britain fit for the future. On jobs, employment is

:08:24.:08:27.

set to have risen by 3 million since 2010. The number on job-seeker

:08:28.:08:40.

jobseeker's allowance has halved. It prepares our economy for the future

:08:41.:08:44.

tomorrow by equipping the country to lead in what is becoming known as

:08:45.:08:47.

the Ford Industrial Revolution, helping to create jobs and Strachan

:08:48.:08:54.

economic growth. The first industrial revolution used steam

:08:55.:08:57.

power, the second use electricity and the third used information

:08:58.:09:01.

technology and now a fourth Industrial Revolution builds on that

:09:02.:09:07.

third, characterised by a fusion of technologies that blurs the lines

:09:08.:09:11.

between the physical, digital and biological. At the core of this new

:09:12.:09:17.

revolution are advances like high-quality manufacturing,

:09:18.:09:22.

robotics, a new digital economy and life sciences. It is a shift that

:09:23.:09:26.

will transform the world's economy in the decades ahead and it is

:09:27.:09:31.

because of this speech that Britain's economy and workforce is

:09:32.:09:35.

set to play a leading role. I welcome the bill that gives Britain

:09:36.:09:39.

world-class digital infrastructure. The pool will benefit from the new

:09:40.:09:44.

broadband universal service obligation that enshrines a right to

:09:45.:09:48.

the fast broadband connections that underpinned every aspect of digital

:09:49.:09:50.

economy and modern life. Just as Britain by in years but the

:09:51.:09:58.

steam train and the jet engine, we are also poised to be leaders in the

:09:59.:10:02.

next generation of transport advances. This bill paces the UK at

:10:03.:10:05.

the forefront of new technologies like driverless cars and so I

:10:06.:10:09.

welcome the modern transport bill. It is a bill that shows investors

:10:10.:10:12.

that we in Britain are committed to Strasberg innovation and the many

:10:13.:10:16.

jobs that would be created as a result. -- transport innovation. If

:10:17.:10:21.

we are to lead the fourth industrial revolution, then we do not have the

:10:22.:10:27.

knack we cannot let at passers-by. We require the tools to straighten

:10:28.:10:31.

our economy and create those jobs up and down the country represented by

:10:32.:10:35.

this House. That's what I believe this Queen's speech does, and I

:10:36.:10:39.

believe it does deserve the support of the House. I will be voting for

:10:40.:10:42.

it this evening. Thank you very much. The 1980s UK Government took

:10:43.:10:49.

the decision to abandon the shipbuilding industry in my

:10:50.:10:52.

constituency. The subsequent catastrophe led to the decimation of

:10:53.:10:57.

the industry has people could take pride in. The UK Government pulls

:10:58.:11:01.

the plug from shipbuilding without even the facade of a workable

:11:02.:11:04.

regeneration programme for Inverclyde. In 1887, other companies

:11:05.:11:10.

relying on the shipyard began closing and be an implement rates

:11:11.:11:16.

skyrocketed to 25%. The IBM facility was highlighted as an example of a

:11:17.:11:20.

long-term employment that could offset the decline of traditional

:11:21.:11:25.

industries. In March that and 88, Margaret Thatcher visited the IBM

:11:26.:11:29.

site to champion the cause of the private sector and how it was saving

:11:30.:11:33.

Inverclyde in the wake of the shipyard closes. Fast forward to the

:11:34.:11:36.

present day and we have the Queen's speech promising to spread economic

:11:37.:11:41.

prosperity, we know now that by the end of 2016, there will not be as

:11:42.:11:46.

simple IBM job left at that site. Two of the major employers have also

:11:47.:11:54.

recently announced job losses. The financial and economic all tolls of

:11:55.:11:57.

these individuals and families in the wider community is impossible to

:11:58.:12:01.

quantify. For successful companies is Inverclyde that are still trying

:12:02.:12:05.

to set sail against the wings of economic stagnation and population

:12:06.:12:09.

decline. Ever into the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Minister

:12:10.:12:11.

for employment to visit Inverclyde and CeBIT potential our area has to

:12:12.:12:18.

opt in. I know many other constituencies are also suffering,

:12:19.:12:20.

but Inverclyde seems to have suffered a disproportionate effect

:12:21.:12:25.

for decades. Over 30 years of economic decline, 30 years of

:12:26.:12:28.

depopulation and 30 years of UK Government indifference. We are not

:12:29.:12:33.

looking for hand-outs. The people of Inverclyde are resilient but they

:12:34.:12:43.

lack opportunity. We need a workable plan for regeneration and we can't

:12:44.:12:48.

wait 30 more years for it to be implemented. After the pain of the

:12:49.:12:52.

nation 80s, the UK Government has a historic debt to Inverclyde. The

:12:53.:12:56.

Conservative Government of that time had the zeal and commitment to close

:12:57.:12:59.

on the subject. Sadly, that has not been matched by an equally energetic

:13:00.:13:03.

and unwavering commitment to regeneration. Some may say this is

:13:04.:13:07.

ancient history, but my office deals with the constituents cases every

:13:08.:13:10.

day with a direct legacy of decisions made by the UK Government

:13:11.:13:14.

in the 1980s. I'm hoping UK Government, as the only Government

:13:15.:13:18.

in the UK with a full range of economic powers at its spores, will

:13:19.:13:21.

be part of that solution and if they are unwilling to do that, then give

:13:22.:13:26.

the full range of powers required to Scottish Government and let them get

:13:27.:13:31.

on with the job. Thank you very much. Somebody once told me there

:13:32.:13:38.

was no such thing as luck. What, they said, is a place where

:13:39.:13:42.

opportunity and preparation meet. Many of us in this general have

:13:43.:13:45.

grown up with everything pretty much sorted. A stable family, decent

:13:46.:13:50.

tousled income, decent education, good health, that's perfect mix that

:13:51.:13:54.

prepared us to control our lives and make use of opportunities became our

:13:55.:13:58.

way. So we talk about the life chances strategy, we are talking

:13:59.:14:01.

about identifying the things that the Government can do to plug the

:14:02.:14:05.

gaps were individuals not so fortunate as asked where one of

:14:06.:14:09.

those key ingredient is missing. I applaud the Prime Minister for

:14:10.:14:12.

making this a central theme in his work. It is certainly why I came

:14:13.:14:16.

into politics. But now we have the challenge of translating that policy

:14:17.:14:21.

aspiration into detail. That challenge is huge. Not just because

:14:22.:14:24.

we are still recovering from economic turbulence, but because one

:14:25.:14:27.

of the solutions cannot be so easily measured nor have metrics attached.

:14:28.:14:33.

People transform the lines of people. Hearts, heads, promises,

:14:34.:14:39.

support, mistakes sometimes but above all trust. People. So if I

:14:40.:14:44.

return to my premise that it is all about opportunity and preparation,

:14:45.:14:48.

the Government can certainly develop policy to create the opportunities

:14:49.:14:51.

and has done that well already in improving economy, record levels of

:14:52.:14:55.

input employment, increasing minimum wage, transmission of the benefit

:14:56.:14:59.

system, investment in the NHS, helped to buy schemes. Admittedly,

:15:00.:15:04.

we would all agree we have much more to do on affordable housing,

:15:05.:15:06.

especially in constituencies like mine, and I think we are still

:15:07.:15:12.

uncovering the enormity of the mental health challenges, but those

:15:13.:15:14.

policies will provide essential opportunities in many millions of

:15:15.:15:16.

people are benefiting from them already. But is the preparation part

:15:17.:15:21.

of that equation I want to focus on. How do we help those without those

:15:22.:15:25.

building blocks? When I think of all the people I know who have

:15:26.:15:28.

transformed their lives without fail, the single comment nominator

:15:29.:15:32.

has been another person. There may have been Government intervention in

:15:33.:15:36.

the mix somewhere such as a grant, but a loan that would not have been

:15:37.:15:40.

enough. When you need to turn your life around, you need another human

:15:41.:15:44.

being to help you. Every Government department has a role to play.

:15:45.:15:48.

Ministers need to identify where people cut their department and

:15:49.:15:52.

embed the big society in their areas of responsibility. DC LG, trouble

:15:53.:15:56.

families, fantastic. Crowds and council are doing amazing work to

:15:57.:16:00.

break down internal silos to put their residence at the heart of

:16:01.:16:05.

everything they do. I applaud the Department for Education and mentors

:16:06.:16:07.

for children from employers locally. What about the parents to? Pig of

:16:08.:16:12.

Billy Elliot's father. Our GPs are also at the heart of this report but

:16:13.:16:16.

they are at breaking point and they need the extra funding now. But

:16:17.:16:20.

there is another army of mentors and champions that are desperate to help

:16:21.:16:24.

this revolution, the third sector. Almost totally frozen out of the

:16:25.:16:27.

work programme, but desperate to get involved, we should bite their hands

:16:28.:16:31.

off and bring their expertise to the centre of this debate. One thing

:16:32.:16:35.

they have in abundance far more than any politician or a Government is

:16:36.:16:37.

they trust people but they want to help. There are a growing number of

:16:38.:16:45.

people in this country for whom the economy is longer working. They will

:16:46.:16:48.

have looked hopefully at the Government's plans for the next

:16:49.:16:51.

Journal found that there is nothing in it for them. It is of the not

:16:52.:16:54.

good enough that we have a Prime Minister who is happy to sacrifice

:16:55.:16:57.

an entire parliamentary section tinkering at the edges because he is

:16:58.:17:00.

too afraid of causing even more divisions in his own party. How much

:17:01.:17:04.

of is this agenda will be visible light of day? This Government has

:17:05.:17:13.

made 24 U-turns in the last year alone it is unprecedented to see a

:17:14.:17:16.

Government offer so little so soon after and new parliaments. Just a

:17:17.:17:18.

year after a general election, we have had a zombie Government under

:17:19.:17:21.

Prime Minister who cannot wait for it to be 28 days later. There are

:17:22.:17:24.

serious problems needing tackle now. For the first time in a jacket,

:17:25.:17:28.

child poverty is rising under this Government. There has been a

:17:29.:17:32.

worrying rise of children relying on food banks. What was the

:17:33.:17:38.

Government's response to this? To rebrand the child poverty commission

:17:39.:17:41.

by removing child poverty from its name as well as an attempt to remove

:17:42.:17:45.

the statutory duty to measure child poverty at all. Of course, the

:17:46.:17:48.

co-chair of the commission said that young people now face an existential

:17:49.:17:52.

crisis, I crisis that this Government seems determined to

:17:53.:17:55.

exacerbate. What will our economy look like for the workers of

:17:56.:17:58.

tomorrow? The sad reality is that manufacturing in this country is in

:17:59.:18:01.

long-term decline in knitting nothing from this Government to

:18:02.:18:05.

rebalance the economy either on a sectoral or agree a graphic basis.

:18:06.:18:10.

In my constituency, economic growth is hampered by lack of in vestments

:18:11.:18:18.

or improvements to transport but graduates schemes continue to take

:18:19.:18:21.

shape elsewhere in the country. Getting better conductivity in my

:18:22.:18:24.

constituency is undoubtedly the key to unlocking growth, but we are told

:18:25.:18:29.

that any improvements to the nth D6, will not be considered until the end

:18:30.:18:32.

of the decade and there is nothing on the horizon to improve the

:18:33.:18:35.

relevant. In part of my constituency, there is no other cars

:18:36.:18:39.

were at its Crossrail alone is earmarked to receive nine tenths

:18:40.:18:44.

more funding than all of northern regions combined. The independent

:18:45.:18:49.

review for the Government by Julie Dean on southern climate seems to be

:18:50.:18:52.

gathering dust on the shelves. The real you found is that another of

:18:53.:18:57.

self-employed is an all-time high of 4.6 modem with this in a bubbling

:18:58.:19:01.

under trends and to continue. This group now stands at 15% of the UK

:19:02.:19:06.

workforce is making a considerable contribution to the country's

:19:07.:19:10.

economy. There are a number of important recommendations in the

:19:11.:19:12.

report and one in particular I would like to see is an action on is, and

:19:13.:19:15.

I quote, Government should consider if sending support to the staff

:19:16.:19:19.

employed in areas where there is discretion between the support for

:19:20.:19:23.

the Southern plate and the employed. There is also the recommendation

:19:24.:19:30.

about those who need soften plummeted necessity. There is no

:19:31.:19:32.

doubt there are people who should not be classified as self-employed

:19:33.:19:36.

but because they are, they are offered no basic protection such as

:19:37.:19:41.

the minimum wage. We need urgent action of reclassification of

:19:42.:19:44.

self-employment. In conclusion, I believe that this has been a missed

:19:45.:19:47.

opportunity to tackle the opportunities that occur by region,

:19:48.:19:54.

age, and complement status. -- inequality. Could I start by saying

:19:55.:20:05.

the issue around rural broadband in particular is it the issue here and

:20:06.:20:08.

I heard some members from the opposite benches talk about those in

:20:09.:20:16.

the rural community. I know it is an issue in city areas is. It will not

:20:17.:20:20.

help avoid the farming crisis that we heard some members talk about,

:20:21.:20:24.

particularly the member for Brecon who did highlight a number of

:20:25.:20:28.

difficulties within the agricultural sector. Rural broadband will not

:20:29.:20:31.

just help all those, but it certainly will build a better

:20:32.:20:34.

perspective to the rural community and farmers especially. Could I move

:20:35.:20:40.

an to the anti-corruption summits that was mentioned in Her Majesty's

:20:41.:20:48.

speech? It said legislation will be brought in to tackle corruption,

:20:49.:20:52.

money laundering and tax evasion. I say that in Northern Ireland I hope

:20:53.:20:55.

that works because we have a huge problem, particularly with fuel

:20:56.:21:01.

laundering and fuel smuggling and HMRC don't seem to be getting to the

:21:02.:21:05.

root of that problem. It is almost an economy in itself, and illegal

:21:06.:21:09.

economy, but it is there within Northern Ireland and it is something

:21:10.:21:13.

that we really need to grapple. I would ask the Government to actually

:21:14.:21:18.

look at providing more powers to the National crime agency in Northern

:21:19.:21:20.

Ireland is in respect of that so that they make the lead partner

:21:21.:21:25.

instead of HMRC. I did it would be hugely beneficial and productions

:21:26.:21:26.

move. One other aspect I want to talk

:21:27.:21:34.

about quite quickly and I done a much time I have is the adoption

:21:35.:21:39.

legislation. I speak you're from a personal perspective. I think it is

:21:40.:21:44.

vital that there is additional and promoters legislation to help all

:21:45.:21:48.

those young people and give them a fair and equal chance. I do know

:21:49.:21:52.

that there is education legislation coming forward as well and the one

:21:53.:21:54.

thing that I would appeal is that there is cooperation between the

:21:55.:22:00.

education authorities and those who are providing the legislation for

:22:01.:22:03.

adoption because one area that adoptive kids are sometimes

:22:04.:22:08.

short-changed in and that is to the education sector. There is not

:22:09.:22:13.

enough awareness from those involved in the education sector as to the

:22:14.:22:18.

needs of those of the adopted children and looked after children.

:22:19.:22:25.

I say, I do also well Wellcome this provision. Italy and England because

:22:26.:22:30.

of visitors involved matter because in Northern Ireland, we do not have

:22:31.:22:35.

adoption legislation. We rely on the children's author and there is a

:22:36.:22:38.

huge gap in the legislation locally. I do not know about the other

:22:39.:22:41.

devolved regions or can I welcome that and say that those young people

:22:42.:22:45.

need the best art in life that they can get in one way to do that is to

:22:46.:22:50.

provide those facilities and support, but don't just make

:22:51.:22:53.

assessments, it needs to be followed up with action as well. The Queen's

:22:54.:23:00.

speech was a missed opportunity to change course on the decision to

:23:01.:23:04.

make cuts that will result in 2.5 million working families losing over

:23:05.:23:11.

?2100 a year. The impact of these cuts will hit vulnerable people in

:23:12.:23:16.

our society the hardest. The opportunity available through

:23:17.:23:18.

Universal Credit to create a simple benefit system has been undermined

:23:19.:23:23.

by financial decisions and as a result, failing to protect

:23:24.:23:27.

vulnerable groups. I want to focus on one particular vulnerable group

:23:28.:23:31.

that are often overlooked, young carers. At present, severely

:23:32.:23:36.

disabled adults who are living without a non-disabled adult to

:23:37.:23:38.

provide care for them may be eligible to receive this severe

:23:39.:23:43.

disability premium. This is intended to help them with the additional

:23:44.:23:47.

costs they face from being a disabled person without someone to

:23:48.:23:50.

assist them. The Government has proposed having no equivalent of the

:23:51.:23:55.

SDP with in Universal Credit. They propose to use the savings from the

:23:56.:24:02.

payment of two increase their payment for people entitled to

:24:03.:24:04.

receive the higher disability payment. However, once Universal

:24:05.:24:09.

Credit has been implemented, severely disabled people with no

:24:10.:24:13.

adult to assist them will be entitled to about ?58 less a week

:24:14.:24:17.

than those in the current system. Between the office for National

:24:18.:24:25.

statistics Census in 2001 and 2011, there has been a 20% rise in the

:24:26.:24:30.

number of unpaid carers and as a Welsh MP, I am particularly

:24:31.:24:33.

concerned about this issue as Wales has the highest proportion of young

:24:34.:24:37.

carers providing an paid care across the hall of England and Wales. Over

:24:38.:24:44.

11,500 children aged between five and 17 in Wales provide an paid

:24:45.:24:46.

care. Without support and protection,

:24:47.:24:55.

these children will face additional disadvantage.

:24:56.:25:10.

Around 25,000 parents are in receipt of the severe disabled premium. For

:25:11.:25:19.

these families, children take on a significant caring role. The impact

:25:20.:25:28.

of a loss can be very severe. 83% of those eligible said a reduction of

:25:29.:25:33.

benefits would mean they would cut back on food and 80% would cut back

:25:34.:25:39.

on heating. With the Government consider implementing the Children's

:25:40.:25:42.

Society recommendation that universal credit should provide

:25:43.:25:49.

additional support to to sit two disabled adults with no other

:25:50.:25:51.

available to look after them? The Prime Minister declared this to

:25:52.:26:08.

be a one nation Queen'sspeech for a one nation government. He said his

:26:09.:26:12.

government is one in which economic security always comes first, a

:26:13.:26:16.

government with long-term economic plans but once again we have seen

:26:17.:26:20.

nothing to substantiate those claims. All we have seen is stasis.

:26:21.:26:25.

The British economy is best described by the saying all that

:26:26.:26:30.

glitters is not gold. The semblance of a positive picture at first

:26:31.:26:35.

glance, but a different story emerges when you scratch away at the

:26:36.:26:41.

service. A story of the proactivity, the Luton personal debt, a creaking

:26:42.:26:45.

infrastructure, a growing chasm between London and the rest. Our

:26:46.:26:51.

economy is too unbalanced and too unstable to be resilient and to

:26:52.:26:57.

serve the British people. It is too short-sighted, too inward looking

:26:58.:27:01.

and 42 unequal. In my constituency we have seen the costs of this

:27:02.:27:05.

Government's failure. My Labour colleagues and I have been calling

:27:06.:27:09.

on the Government, we raise the issue over 230 times for the

:27:10.:27:13.

Government to snap out of their stupor and take action to stand up

:27:14.:27:19.

for British Steel, but instead we were met with indifference and

:27:20.:27:23.

incompetence. It was only when the crisis became a PR problem that the

:27:24.:27:27.

Government will cop, seeking a last-minute fix to a problem we have

:27:28.:27:32.

been pointing to for a year. The still crisis sums up the

:27:33.:27:38.

Government's approach. If the covenant had a real plan, a real

:27:39.:27:43.

strategic approach, this crisis could have been averted but instead

:27:44.:27:46.

we have a government with a long-term economic plan that is in

:27:47.:27:51.

fact not a plan at all but a book-keeper is to do list. Focused

:27:52.:27:55.

on reducing costs without any thought giving to the generation of

:27:56.:27:58.

revenue through sustainable growth. The solution to reduce the size of

:27:59.:28:03.

government, to retreat from the challenges of the future rather than

:28:04.:28:08.

addressing the full tea foundations of our economy and that is why this

:28:09.:28:11.

speech has been another missed opportunity and why I shall be

:28:12.:28:17.

voting against it this evening. My part of the country is an area

:28:18.:28:20.

perceived as successful and Cambridge could be a model for the

:28:21.:28:25.

future of Britain with many high skilled jobs linked to world-class

:28:26.:28:31.

research embedded in local institutions, public and private

:28:32.:28:34.

mutually independent. But last year is part of the city deal process, a

:28:35.:28:40.

local organisation worked with all local partners and develop the case

:28:41.:28:46.

for Cambridge, the argument for what was needed to maintain this success.

:28:47.:28:50.

We should be implementing that case but we have lost a year on a bungled

:28:51.:28:56.

attempt to shoehorn three counties together into a devolution deal with

:28:57.:29:02.

an elected mayor. Following a very oversubscribed debate on the East

:29:03.:29:06.

Anglia devolution deal, I suggested the House should have a more

:29:07.:29:10.

substantial discussion on the wider issues because what is happening is

:29:11.:29:15.

bungled mix of devolution and local government reorganisation has

:29:16.:29:19.

profound consequences and at this time, with a parallel debate on the

:29:20.:29:25.

relationship between Westminster and Brussels, what an opportunity there

:29:26.:29:29.

was to have a proper consideration of how each level of government

:29:30.:29:33.

could work with another based on mutual respect. Instead we have a

:29:34.:29:38.

debate on Europe that has been intellectually bankrupt. What is

:29:39.:29:47.

really needed and what the business community is crying out for is the

:29:48.:29:52.

imagination and freedom and flexibility to unlock the potential

:29:53.:29:56.

exists in and around Cambridge, but our strengths are also our

:29:57.:30:01.

weaknesses. We struggle on housing and transport and there are so many

:30:02.:30:05.

possibilities including the proposals put forward by London and

:30:06.:30:14.

Stansted Consortium. Also other threats to Cambridge's knowledge

:30:15.:30:24.

economy. Having trebled fees for university students, the Government

:30:25.:30:33.

wants to increase fees again. While we are pleased the Government has

:30:34.:30:37.

promised to protect the Gill funding research the field there are risks

:30:38.:30:42.

the separation will be eroded over time but let me conclude by making a

:30:43.:30:47.

wider point that whatever the strength of a research-based

:30:48.:30:50.

high-tech economy, we still need to make sure the benefits are shared

:30:51.:30:54.

fairly and when I look at rising numbers turning to the Cambridge

:30:55.:31:00.

food bank, seeing more on zero-hours contracts, more rough sleepers on

:31:01.:31:04.

the streets, it is clear the economy is working for some but by no means

:31:05.:31:09.

all. We look for measures that will address that real unfairness,

:31:10.:31:19.

measures... Reasons why I will be opposing the Government tonight. The

:31:20.:31:31.

Chancellor this morning promised us a better market bill to improve

:31:32.:31:36.

competition. We on this side of the House are in favour of that and

:31:37.:31:41.

we'll give it what help we can. Depending on what is in the bill. It

:31:42.:31:46.

is a matter of record that in the UK we have the most monopolised banking

:31:47.:31:51.

system in the Western world, four banks dominate at 80% market share.

:31:52.:31:57.

If you want genuine competition,, we need to have six, eight, ten similar

:31:58.:32:05.

sized banks. Until we do that, there will no better markets, better

:32:06.:32:14.

competition. Here is a tale, the two main regulatory bodies set up by

:32:15.:32:19.

this Government, this Chancellor to ensure more competition, better

:32:20.:32:24.

markets in finance, the CMA have failed to deliver. Why is that?

:32:25.:32:35.

There is a suspicion, that maybe those regulators are looking over

:32:36.:32:39.

their shoulder at the Chancellor and asking themselves, does the

:32:40.:32:42.

Chancellor really want us to close down those banks? Or maybe we are

:32:43.:32:48.

being told to say one thing and do another, and that is why when we

:32:49.:32:53.

look at the small print of this bill, we are looking to see whether

:32:54.:32:59.

this is just shadow-boxing, just allowing the Chancellor to say, I am

:33:00.:33:04.

in favour of competition but won't do anything about it, or whether

:33:05.:33:08.

this bill will have teeth to take on the big banks. FCA has brokered a

:33:09.:33:17.

deal with the big banks on arbitration for small businesses who

:33:18.:33:20.

have suffered mis-selling and have been bankrupted. Unfortunately the

:33:21.:33:27.

FCA has turned a blind eye to the fact that there is big banks are

:33:28.:33:33.

signing up solicitors across the UK so that those solicitors on the

:33:34.:33:37.

bank's books waiting for work will not take up the cases of small

:33:38.:33:41.

businesses who filled the process has gone against them. -- who feel.

:33:42.:33:50.

I will look into the Chancellor and this Government when in this bill

:33:51.:33:55.

they will make sure practices like that are done away with. In my

:33:56.:34:04.

constituency, RBS has announced the closure of its Solly branch in the

:34:05.:34:09.

town of Preston. This would be interesting because the population

:34:10.:34:15.

of East Lothian is growing and we are about to have 10,000 more

:34:16.:34:20.

houses. Banks do that kind of thing, they don't care about their

:34:21.:34:24.

customers. This bill will have to reverse that. I am delighted to see

:34:25.:34:35.

the Chancellor has come back to join us for the close of what has been an

:34:36.:34:41.

excellent debate today. To hear the view of the opposition that by any

:34:42.:34:47.

stretch of the imagination, this has been a desperately missed

:34:48.:34:51.

opportunity of a Queen'sspeech, a missed opportunity to address the

:34:52.:34:55.

problems we have in our economy, a missed opportunity to address the

:34:56.:35:00.

problems of poor quality work experience. I have heard members

:35:01.:35:07.

macro across the helped limit those facts and ask where was the beef

:35:08.:35:14.

last week? Where was the bill to address the deep-seated problems in

:35:15.:35:18.

our economy? Where was the bill to address the inequality that is

:35:19.:35:24.

spread in Britain? Where was the bill, for example, as the honourable

:35:25.:35:31.

member for brutal to boost our economy through investing in our

:35:32.:35:36.

public services? -- Bootle. What a question to ask on the day this

:35:37.:35:42.

Government has sacked 200 business workers in Sheffield. As they should

:35:43.:35:50.

reflect on the question asked by my friend A who said, where was the

:35:51.:35:54.

bill to revive manufacturing in the Queens speech all my honourable

:35:55.:35:59.

friend who said where was the bill on tax transparency or the

:36:00.:36:06.

barnstorming speech by my honourable friend lamp post in this Chancellor

:36:07.:36:10.

and the Government for the preparing to flog off the land Registry as

:36:11.:36:14.

another private sector monopoly. All the powerful speeches by my

:36:15.:36:20.

honourable friends continuing their fight to stand up for steel jobs

:36:21.:36:27.

just 24 hours after those brave steelworkers came to London to

:36:28.:36:31.

petition this Government, to save their jobs and protect their

:36:32.:36:37.

pensions. Or where, according to my honourable friend, was the bill to

:36:38.:36:41.

sort out education and the savings crisis in Britain? Or where was the

:36:42.:36:50.

deal to deal with the rising tide of destitution sweeping Britain under

:36:51.:37:02.

the Tories? Here reminded us in the great city of Manchester, what an

:37:03.:37:06.

unbelievable token of the failure of this Government that people are

:37:07.:37:11.

living in tents in the heart of our greatest cities. There was the bill

:37:12.:37:18.

to support the self-employed? The bill to support carers, the bill to

:37:19.:37:24.

revert the cuts to universal credit, the bill to deal with devolution? I

:37:25.:37:30.

would ask my own questions of the Secretary of State and Chancellor

:37:31.:37:34.

today. There was the bill to save the steel industry? Today when we

:37:35.:37:39.

have heard a half baked announcement by the Work and Pensions Secretary,

:37:40.:37:43.

I do support the fact that has been a written announcement. I decried

:37:44.:37:49.

the fact the Secretary of State did not have a note to explain what may

:37:50.:37:54.

be the downsides because we had scant evidence from the Government

:37:55.:37:59.

as to what this means for some of those steelworkers, scant evidence.

:38:00.:38:10.

He says he supports the consultation document. You should have done it a

:38:11.:38:17.

year ago. That is the reality. You still have an opportunity to give us

:38:18.:38:20.

some of the answers we didn't get from your right honourable friend as

:38:21.:38:28.

in who is going to definitely not benefit as a result of these

:38:29.:38:34.

changes? Or I'll be content to see future industries take a similar

:38:35.:38:41.

route? He needs to tell the House how he is going to be into that

:38:42.:38:48.

business and make sure it is only affecting the steelworkers. There

:38:49.:38:52.

was any sort of industrial strategy in this girl? One of the most

:38:53.:38:57.

telling contributions was that made by the member for Warwick and

:38:58.:39:08.

Leamington. It could be a Welshman with an inside leg. But it sounded

:39:09.:39:19.

like... He said, where was the industrial strategy? Wouldn't it be

:39:20.:39:27.

marvellous if the Tories had one? I will remind the member that the end

:39:28.:39:32.

of my speech, I did say for an industrial strategy to happen, you

:39:33.:39:38.

need a long-term economic plan. I heard it. There was that one sound

:39:39.:39:43.

bite, one belated effort to draw back from the brink but we had three

:39:44.:39:49.

minutes of attacking his own Chancellor before then. Three and a

:39:50.:39:52.

half minutes complaining of the industrial strike.

:39:53.:39:56.

We had a bit of nonsense about space and electric cars. In Port Talbot,

:39:57.:40:03.

they are not too worried about spaceports unless you are planning

:40:04.:40:04.

to create a thousand drops. It is just

:40:05.:40:13.

window dressing. Where letters the industrial strategy? Where is the

:40:14.:40:19.

bill to deal with the crisis that we have in this country? Where is the

:40:20.:40:23.

Bill to deal with disabled people who are languishing on the scrapheap

:40:24.:40:26.

under the Secretary of State? Where is the Bill to hold the spiralling

:40:27.:40:30.

of personal debt going to record levels? The Chancellor used to top

:40:31.:40:34.

what the problem of debt. He never talks about personal debt or the

:40:35.:40:37.

fact that consumers are now the basis on which she is trying to

:40:38.:40:41.

rebuild our economy. Where is the Bill to deal with the fact that our

:40:42.:40:45.

earnings are flat-lining in Britain? Not a sniff of any of these bills in

:40:46.:40:52.

the speech and many on our benches suggested that is because the

:40:53.:40:55.

Government has run out of ideas, that the Chancellor has run out of

:40:56.:40:59.

steam. I don't think he has run out of steam. He looks as if it is a

:41:00.:41:03.

picture's.. He has a personal trainer on tap. He looks for

:41:04.:41:10.

the reason that this does not work is that the narrative is of course

:41:11.:41:17.

that the Everything is just too good to you with our economy. We have the

:41:18.:41:24.

makers margin, jobs for everyone, the new national living wage,

:41:25.:41:26.

nothing to see here. Move on. Move nothing to see here. Move on. Move

:41:27.:41:31.

on. Let's just keep going with where we are. Of course, it is absolute

:41:32.:41:39.

nonsense because on every economist measure in every serious analysis of

:41:40.:41:43.

our economy, this Government is missing its targets. The deficit,

:41:44.:41:48.

that was meant to be cleared long since. It is ?76 billion. National

:41:49.:41:55.

debt, that is meant to be falling as a proportion of GDP. It is now ?1.6

:41:56.:42:02.

trillion. That is ?600 million more than it was when we left office. Now

:42:03.:42:08.

this is the Chancellor used to talk about not bequeathing debts to

:42:09.:42:11.

future generations. He has increased the debt by 600 LE and pounds on his

:42:12.:42:19.

watch. What about business activity? What about corporation tax receipts?

:42:20.:42:24.

We used to be told, I read Bridwell, that the secret to getting all that

:42:25.:42:30.

extra FDI and receipts and investments was slashing corporation

:42:31.:42:34.

tax rates. It has gone down, down 5.1% just this week. That is not the

:42:35.:42:38.

mark of an economy that is booming by any stretch and is it little

:42:39.:42:43.

wonder? Our trade deficit is at a record low. The gap between our

:42:44.:42:50.

exports and our imports high. The gap between our experts and our

:42:51.:42:53.

imports is bigger than it has ever been. It is 13 billion if he wants

:42:54.:42:57.

to quibble about it. It is a really big problem for him and it is

:42:58.:43:01.

happening on his watch and because of this Chancellor. That is the

:43:02.:43:04.

reality of the economy that we are living within this country and the

:43:05.:43:08.

consequences for working people are significant. There is one bright

:43:09.:43:13.

spot they continually spoke to, the jobs market. We on the side welcome

:43:14.:43:19.

those new jobs. I welcome those new jobs. I welcome every new job. I

:43:20.:43:23.

absolutely welcome them. We believe that people in this country are

:43:24.:43:28.

better off if they are working, but that is not going to stop me asking

:43:29.:43:32.

the question, what about what they are earning? What of those people

:43:33.:43:36.

are taking home less than they used to? What if those people are seeing

:43:37.:43:39.

their wallets getting thinner at the end of the month as a result of the

:43:40.:43:47.

poorer quality jobs that Britain is now generating? What if they have a

:43:48.:43:51.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions who is compounding their

:43:52.:43:55.

ills by cutting the work allowances under Universal Credit. I was at the

:43:56.:43:59.

element and Castle job centre earlier this week and I heard what a

:44:00.:44:05.

great problem that is. He is making his savings because they say it is

:44:06.:44:10.

going gang but is as people move from labourers, better resources,

:44:11.:44:13.

more generous tax credits over to be less clap generous tax credits. You

:44:14.:44:22.

will hit the savings but on the backs of working people in this

:44:23.:44:26.

country. They are the people who are paying the price for this failing

:44:27.:44:30.

economy and this feeling Chancellor. He looks at me across the dispatch

:44:31.:44:35.

box here, Madam Deputy Speaker, and I simply wonder when his

:44:36.:44:38.

backbenchers are going to realise that he is failing them as well as

:44:39.:44:42.

he is failing the country. If you look at the record, I think it tells

:44:43.:44:47.

it all story. He is the third worst performing Tory Chancellor on

:44:48.:44:52.

growth, in the last few years and the worst performing Tory Chancellor

:44:53.:44:58.

on the economy, bar none. And we need to get rid of this Chancellor.

:44:59.:45:02.

We need to vote against this bill to night and we need to vote for

:45:03.:45:13.

Labour. Madam Deputy Speaker, it is a real pleasure to conclude this

:45:14.:45:16.

debates. I would like to thank members on both sides of the House.

:45:17.:45:22.

We have had a wide range of subjects covered by members from all parts of

:45:23.:45:25.

the United Kingdom, rural communities, are beginning to, I

:45:26.:45:28.

think it has been a very good debate. As the Prime Minister made

:45:29.:45:32.

clear, this queen's speeches about using strong economic foundations

:45:33.:45:36.

that we have built to make it is a bold choices that will help deliver

:45:37.:45:40.

opportunity for all at every stage of their lives. Improving life

:45:41.:45:45.

chances starts as a foundation with ensuring a healthy, strong, and

:45:46.:45:50.

growing economy. Through hour-long economic plan, the deficit is being

:45:51.:45:54.

cut, the economy is growing and it is forecast to grow faster than any

:45:55.:45:59.

other G-7 economy this year. And it is true, thanks to the strength and

:46:00.:46:04.

economy, we have seen remarkable things in our labour market in

:46:05.:46:07.

recent years. We have seen the highest level of employment ever on

:46:08.:46:10.

record. Our annual rise of the implement rate is the largest

:46:11.:46:14.

anywhere in the G-7. We are not complacent about this. We know we

:46:15.:46:19.

need to go further. But we also know that hides this picture of national

:46:20.:46:24.

economic recovery are hundreds of thousands of individual stories of

:46:25.:46:28.

peoples whose lives have been transformed. Last year alone, over

:46:29.:46:34.

400,000 people moved into work. We have more women in work than ever

:46:35.:46:39.

before, more than 300,000 more disabled people in work in the last

:46:40.:46:43.

two years and we are also seeing big increases in use and long-term

:46:44.:46:49.

unemployment. And I'm delighted that my opposite number, the shadow works

:46:50.:46:53.

as pensions Secretary, for the very first time at this dispatch box of

:46:54.:46:57.

six years has welcomed the fact that unemployment is falling in this

:46:58.:47:02.

country. Let's just remind ourselves, since 2010, in total,

:47:03.:47:10.

more than two and a half million people more have moved into work.

:47:11.:47:14.

That is more than the whole population of that fantastic city of

:47:15.:47:18.

Leicester moving into work each and every day that we have been in

:47:19.:47:23.

Government. It means 764,000 more households in work. It means nearly

:47:24.:47:26.

half a million more children growing up seeing a mum or as dad go out to

:47:27.:47:32.

work each day. By any measure, that is a really encouraging record. We

:47:33.:47:37.

salute in particular our small businesses and our entrepreneurs who

:47:38.:47:40.

are at the real entrance of this jobs recovery as was recognised by

:47:41.:47:44.

the excellent contribution by my honourable friend from North East

:47:45.:47:48.

Hampshire. This recovery has not happened by chance or by accident

:47:49.:47:51.

and we need to go further, that it has happened because we had a clear

:47:52.:47:56.

economic plan for jobs and growth. A couple of members opposite are

:47:57.:47:59.

shaking their heads. Let's remind ourselves what they left behind in

:48:00.:48:03.

2010. An implement had risen by nearly half a million, the women out

:48:04.:48:08.

of work went up by a quarter, youth unemployment rocketed by 44%.

:48:09.:48:13.

Long-term an implement doubled. Nearly 1.5 million people had spent

:48:14.:48:18.

most of the last decade on out of work benefits. That was an appalling

:48:19.:48:22.

record of wasted lives and wasted potential left by the previous

:48:23.:48:28.

Labour governments. The fact is that during 13 years in Government, the

:48:29.:48:33.

Labour Party opposite stopped believing in the power of work to

:48:34.:48:37.

transform people's lives. The party that gave up on welfare reform. They

:48:38.:48:41.

became the party of welfare overwork. They are far too relaxed

:48:42.:48:48.

about parking people for a whole lifetime on benefits. That is why it

:48:49.:48:53.

takes conservatives in Government with conservative values to bring

:48:54.:48:56.

that reforming spirit needed to transform the life chances... Order,

:48:57.:49:04.

order! It is impolite to make a noise when the Secretary of State is

:49:05.:49:08.

seeking. Members should be arguing with him, not chattering about him.

:49:09.:49:15.

Thank you, Madam Debord is bigger. As one nation Conservatives, we are

:49:16.:49:21.

not twins be complacent. We will not write people often not walk by on

:49:22.:49:25.

the other side so that is why we are creating a plan for improving life

:49:26.:49:29.

chances. I will give way once. When he talks a lot life chances and the

:49:30.:49:37.

Queen's speech talks about allowing families parenting classes, but I

:49:38.:49:40.

wonder if the Secretary of State could speculate about what use those

:49:41.:49:45.

lessons would be if many families in work are more and more reliant on

:49:46.:49:49.

food banks to put food on the table. What use is a parenting class when

:49:50.:49:52.

they can't afford to put food on the table? I thank the honourable member

:49:53.:49:57.

for his question, but all of the evidence shows that the top three

:49:58.:50:00.

factors that are drivers of disadvantage and poverty in this

:50:01.:50:07.

country, worklessness, educational attainment and family... And family

:50:08.:50:11.

stability. The honourable member talks down the value of supporting

:50:12.:50:15.

parental stability and supporting families. It has a really, really

:50:16.:50:22.

good contribution to make. It is a sign of the underlying strength of

:50:23.:50:26.

the economy that is right now there are more than three quarters of a

:50:27.:50:29.

million job vacancies across the country. But there is another story

:50:30.:50:35.

here to. For a teenager leaving care, for a father coming out of

:50:36.:50:39.

prison wanting to turn his life around, for a single mother

:50:40.:50:41.

shouldering enormous burdens and my honourable friend, the member for

:50:42.:50:46.

Telford in her speech touched on this point in a very insightful way,

:50:47.:50:51.

for someone overcoming an addiction to alcohol or drugs, very young

:50:52.:50:56.

person with a mental health condition, I want those job

:50:57.:50:59.

vacancies to represent a world of opportunities for them to. But for

:51:00.:51:03.

too many, taking one of those vacancies still feels like it is a

:51:04.:51:06.

world away. So that is why we are determined to improve the life

:51:07.:51:10.

chances of the most is advantaged in our society, not just talking the

:51:11.:51:13.

language of social justice, but as the screen's speech shows, taking

:51:14.:51:19.

the real action needed make a real difference to people's lives. I am

:51:20.:51:25.

grateful for my horrible friend to taking way and I'm grateful for the

:51:26.:51:28.

Government for accepting the amendment in my name and that of

:51:29.:51:31.

many other honourable and Right Honourable members calling for a

:51:32.:51:39.

bill to protect the NHS from TTI P. Can he tell the House when the bill

:51:40.:51:45.

will be published or its contents made Noel and insurers that it will

:51:46.:51:47.

be before the referendum because it is not, we will something fishy will

:51:48.:51:52.

be afoot in the only way to visit the NHS will be to vote to leave the

:51:53.:51:59.

EU. I am absolutely clear, Mr Speaker, that our national Health

:52:00.:52:05.

Service is protected from TTIP. Mr Speaker, one group that has faced

:52:06.:52:10.

particular difficult balances are the disabled. We want to have that

:52:11.:52:13.

disloyalty implement gap and we know we need to do this by learning from

:52:14.:52:16.

and listening to those who know most about what works and that is

:52:17.:52:21.

disabled people themselves. That is why I will be publishing a Green

:52:22.:52:24.

paper later this because I want to fully consult and engage with them

:52:25.:52:28.

and their representatives to build a strategy that we know will work and

:52:29.:52:31.

I know that members on both sides will see it as an opportunity for us

:52:32.:52:34.

all to move forward together on this. Mr Speaker, the Queen's speech

:52:35.:52:41.

demonstrates the Government's dedication to changing life chances

:52:42.:52:44.

for the most is advantaged whilst providing security for people in

:52:45.:52:47.

work and strengthening national security to keep our country safe.

:52:48.:52:51.

Our bills to improve adoption and the contribution from the honourable

:52:52.:52:56.

member for manner and Tyrone, I really welcome his comments on that

:52:57.:52:59.

bill, we have an education for all bill that will ensure better

:53:00.:53:03.

outcomes for children especially children and is that as homes and

:53:04.:53:07.

communities, we have a higher educations team built to allow the

:53:08.:53:13.

creation of new educational facilities and universities so that

:53:14.:53:15.

people have more options to continue their education. That is this aside

:53:16.:53:20.

ideal that ails believe in is a site because people are second chance.

:53:21.:53:23.

That's why we welcome the prison reform bill will put a greater

:53:24.:53:29.

emphasis on rehabilitation in our prisoners. More support for

:53:30.:53:33.

prisoners with mental health problems and more support

:53:34.:53:36.

educational and training. Real reforms that provide support for the

:53:37.:53:39.

most is that it at the start of life, support for people making

:53:40.:53:42.

those big weeks in life such as leaving care and support later in

:53:43.:53:46.

life for those looking for a second chance. None of these reforms would

:53:47.:53:50.

be possible without the foundations of a strong economy, but at no point

:53:51.:53:55.

in the last six years as the party opposite shown any willingness to

:53:56.:53:58.

recognise that point. We on this site will never forget how night

:53:59.:54:03.

after night in the last Parliament, the Labour parliament trip down the

:54:04.:54:06.

delivered lobbies to vote down every single measure that we brought in to

:54:07.:54:11.

affect our national finances. They oppose all of our efforts to reform

:54:12.:54:15.

welfare and to restore the value of work. As many as are of the opinion,

:54:16.:54:22.

say "aye". To the contrary, "no". The eyes have it. The eyes have it.

:54:23.:54:30.

-- ayes. As many as are of the opinion, say "aye". To the contrary,

:54:31.:54:31.

"no". Division, clear the lobby. Subtitles will resume

:54:32.:54:48.

on 'Thursday In Parliament' at 11pm.

:54:49.:54:58.

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