07/02/2017 Monday in Parliament


07/02/2017

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Hello and welcome to Monday in Parliament, our look

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The headlines: The Speaker of the House of Commons has told MPs

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he doesn't want President Trump to address the Houses of Parliament.

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Our opposition to racism and to sexism, and our support for equality

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before the law, and an independent judiciary, are hugely important

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considerations in the House of Commons.

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By comparison, slightly more measured tones

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from the Prime Minister on the special relationship,

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as she reports back from an informal EU summit in Malta.

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We should engage patiently and constructively with America, as a

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friend and ally. An ally which has helped guarantee the longest period

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of peace which Europe has ever known.

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And radically different views as MPs try to get to the bottom

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of what it's like to work in the "gig" economy.

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First: The Speaker of the House of Commons has told MPs

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he is strongly opposed to President Trump

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on his state visit to the United Kingdom.

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John Bercow said the migrant travel ban has made

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He said that an address was not an automatic right,

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Before the imposition of the migrant ban, I would myself have been

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strongly opposed to an address by President Trump in Westminster Hall.

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After the imposition of the migrant ban by President Trump, I am even

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more strongly opposed to an address by President Trump in Westminster

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Hall. So far as the Royal Gallery is concerned, and again, I operate on

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advice, I do not perhaps have as strong a say in that matter. It is

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in a different part of the building, although customarily an invitation

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to a visiting leader to deliver an address their would be issued in the

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names of the two speakers. I would not wish to issue an invitation to

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President Trump to speak in the Royal Gallery. And I conclude by

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saying to the honourable gentleman this. We value our relationship with

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the United States. If the state visit takes place that is way beyond

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and above the pay grade of the speaker. However, as far as this

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place is concerned, I feel very strongly that our opposition to

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racism and to sexism, and our support for equality before the law

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and an independent judiciary are hugely important considerations in

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the House of Commons. The long-standing Labour MP,

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Dennis Skinner, stood Clapping is not normally permitted

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in the chamber. No, we shouldn't have clapping. We

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shouldn't have clapping in the chamber, but sometimes it is easier

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just to let it go them to make a huge fuss about it. But there you

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go. In more moderate tones,

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earlier Theresa May told MPs the world should engage patiently

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with the new US administration. While reporting back

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on an informal EU summit in Malta, the Prime Minister said

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it was important other Nato members kept to their 2% defence spend,

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and said again that the rights of EU citizens to stay in the UK had to be

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part of the Brexit negotiations, because that was what

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other countries wanted. Labour says the uncertainty on that

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could be ended much sooner. Theresa May began by paying

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tribute to the Queen, on the occasion

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of her Sapphire Jubilee. Mr Speaker, before I turn to the

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European Council I am sure that the whole house will want to join me in

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sending our congratulations to Her Majesty the Queen, as she marks her

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Sapphire Jubilee today. It is testament to Her Majesty's selfless

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devotion to the nation that she is not marking being the first monarch

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to serve for 65 years with any celebration, but instead getting on

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with the job to which she has dedicated her life. Written is

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leaving the European Union but it is not leaving Europe and the global

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Britain which stands tall in the world will be a good friend and ally

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to all of our European partners. So at this summit which showed how

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Britain will continue to play a leading role in Europe, long after

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we have left the EU, in particular through our contribution to the

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challenge of managing mass migration, through our special

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relationship with America, and through the new and equal

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partnership that we want to build between the EU and independent,

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self-governing global Britain. Of course there are some areas where we

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disagree with the approach of the new Administration, and we should be

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clear about those disagreements and about the values that underpin our

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response to the global challenges that we face. But I also argue at

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this council that we should engage patiently and constructively with

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America as a friend and ally, and ally that has helped guarantee the

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longest period of peace that Europe has ever known. For we should be

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clear, Mr Speaker, that the alternative of division and

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confrontation would only embolden those who would do us harm, wherever

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they may be. But the Labour MP

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Jeremy Corbyn cast doubt So while the Prime Minister is

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lecturing other countries, can she tell the house of why the government

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change the accounting rules to include aspects of expenditure that

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were not previously included? The Defence Select Committee, in 2015,

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noted the government is only meeting the 2% figure by including other

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areas, such as pensions, which have not been included before. And goes

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on to say this redefinition of defence expenditure undermines, to

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some extent, the credibility of the government's assertion that the 2%

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figure represents an increase. Labour has been unequivocal that it

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is within this government's gift to guarantee the rights of EU citizens

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to remain in this country. There is no need to wait for negotiations to

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begin. The government could do it now. This is not a question about

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Brexit. It is a question about human rights, democracy, and decency,

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towards people who have lived and worked in these countries, and many

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families here have children born here, and I think we must guarantee

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their rights. Did the Prime Minister remind European colleagues that in

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Scotland we voted by 62% to remain within the European Union, and that

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only one, only one, Member of Parliament representing a Scottish

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constituency voted for her Brexit legislation? Mr Speaker, we are

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getting to a stage where warm words from the government are not enough.

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It is the member state that is supposed to negotiate on all of our

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behalf is within the European Union. Scotland didn't warrant a single

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mention in the prime Minister's statement. She now has the

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opportunity to tell us what Scottish priorities did she raised at the

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European Summit? Did she raised any at all?

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The Prime Minister replied that she was putting forward

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The issue of EU nationals living in the United Kingdom was returned

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to, as members of Parliament continued their scrutiny

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of legislation which will lead to a triggering of Article 50

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The Government says the fate of European Union citizens living

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in the UK must be decided along with that of UK citizens living

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But one senior Labour MP said the Prime Minister

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On the one hand, she says no one who is lawfully here has anything to

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worry about. On the other hand, she says that she can't commit to giving

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them residency rights, because their future must depart of the

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negotiations. I just cannot feel it is anyway right to use the lives of

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3 million people and their families as a bargaining chip. They and their

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families are not pawns in a game of poker with the EU. They cannot be

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used as a human shield, as we battle it out in Europe for our UK citizens

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in other countries abroad. That may well put at rest the concerns of EU

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nationals in Britain but it seems to me it was simply throwing overboard

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the interests and concerns of UK citizens living elsewhere in the

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European Union. We would not have secured their interest is, and would

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have thrown away our ability to do so. I thank the honourable gentleman

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for giving way, and 15% of the stuff, 5% of students and 10% of

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research students in Cardiff University in my constituency from

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the EU. Does he agree with me that there is a significant risk that the

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EU staff and their spouses will seek employment elsewhere, outside the

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UK, if they don't have certainty now from the government, and we lose all

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our intellectual capital? I agree with the honourable lady, which is

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why I'm very pleased that the prime Minister, in a statement that she

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made today and on a number of other occasions, has made it clear that

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she wants to reach an early agreement, and has been seeking to

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do so with our European partners. I am a member of the exiting the EU

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Select Committee and we heard evidence from a number of British

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nationals living in Spain, Germany, Italy and France a few weeks ago,

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and they were members of representative organisations of

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other British nationals. Every single one of them said that they

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felt if the UK government made a unilateral guarantee of the right of

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EU nationals living here, and the other member states would

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reciprocate. The Liberal Democrat Alistair

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Carmichael said that certainty on where people could live

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was very important. The challenge that faces upcountry

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at this point -- our country at this point is how we go forward in a way

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that allows us to bring the 52% in the 48% back together. This is an

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enormous challenge for our country. It is one that we cannot meet simply

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with the support of half of our population. It is something for

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which we need all of our people to be able to pull together. This would

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be one small measure that would allow the government to bring the

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two sides together, to get the best possible deal for all our citizens,

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whether they are British by birth or British by choice. It is as

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important to us as British parliamentarians, as the British

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government, to defend the rights of British citizens living overseas,

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and there are a lot of them and not all of them are contributing

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particularly to their society and a lot of them are retired, so they are

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even more vulnerable, in a sense, and many of those EU workers who are

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here, actively working. It is the first duty of this house to look

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after Rajesh citizens wherever they may be. But also, being aware that

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we have a duty to EU nationals at the same time. So I think, again, it

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would be completely wrong in terms of negotiating, in terms of our

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negotiating position, to declare your unilaterally, that all EU

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nationals up to a certain date can continue to live here without any

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fear or favour. Sir Hugo Swire, defending

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the Prime Minister's arguments You're listening to

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Monday in Parliament. Coming up: A change in headgear sets

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the Commons aflutter. But first: Rarely on the Committee

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corridor do you hear quite such contrasting opinions as those

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presented to the Work and Pensions The subject was the "gig" economy,

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where workers get paid for each job they do, rather than being fully

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employed or on a contract. One set of witnesses was full

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of praise for cab and courier firms. working as a career? I was a

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full-time tennis coach and I was finding it tough. I wanted another

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job to mix in with my coaching. The courier job just fit that bill. It

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fits in with my coaching so I can deliver, do tennis coaching and that

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was white. Dip in and out. I can go out delivering for a couple of

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hours, do a tennis lesson, go out and deliver, do another tennis

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lesson. It suits my lifestyle. It is a matter of attitude. Any other

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minicab company, then the view that they have one customer. The great

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thing about Uber, it sees it as to customers. Other companies don't,

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but Uber sees the driver as a customer and doing things like

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making life easier for us. Over four years, I've been able to have that

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view, they have a driving an easier experience. I always know what

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rounds I have. I go to the depot. I know what minimum pass as I will

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have. I always do well at the minimum. I do well above minimum

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wage. I get the hours to do when there is work out there. You are

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here to speak to yourselves and talk about your own stories. We are very

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grateful. Do you consider yourselves to be typical of the group of people

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that you work with in each of the areas you to work? It's difficult to

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say. My contact with other Uber drivers has been limited. Two of

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them are at Uber Christmas parties, which are very nice. All the other

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drivers seem happy. I occasionally use Uber as a passenger and a chat

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with the driver and say I am a driver. Never hurt anybody who had

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anything bad to say. My brother was a Uber driver in Manchester. He is

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happy. Contrast that with the next witnesses. It's now very expensive

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to me personally to work. The number of drivers now is restricting what

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you can earn. A year ago, there was a lot less drivers and a lot more

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work. Now it is a case of it is much slower. There are more drivers out

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there. You've got to work longer hours to earn what you weren't

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before. Don't get me wrong, either gets a great platform, a super

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platform for the public, there is no doubt about that. But for the

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drivers, it is the cheapest form of transport for the public so out

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there is the cheapest. And it's the most bookings service for any driver

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to use. It then becomes expensive rice and cheaper the public and

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those things do not match. One of the biggest expenses is your car? He

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actually had to buy it to get the job. And Uber don't take old cars. I

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was on the exact form, you need to have a certain car. You need to have

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a $40,000 car. I find myself is running around with an E class doing

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jobs that to pounds 25 and that is a nerd. Black charges ?2 for the first

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and they can make money. We've got all these things to do. You sit down

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and you talk to Uber and I have tried. I said I would like you to

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negotiate with me on the feed that you charge and the fees that are

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charged to the public. We want to charge more. They refused to do it.

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In July last year, my car was off the road, the morning I was supposed

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to go back to work, they said I haven't got any rounds any more.

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Basically, yes. They just sent me a text and said we have taken the

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rounds off you. You should have gone on holiday and that is that. Now to

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the Lords when peers from all sides raise concerns about the pressure

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facing adult social care in England. It is evident that the care homes

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are facing an existential problem. The costs of increased by 30% over

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the last year with the introduction of a national living wage and net

:17:33.:17:37.

profits reduced. 1500 homes have closed over the last six years and

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there is a major problem going on. It's good -- not good enough to

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exhort that councils pick up the gap when our funding has been curtailed

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and it's not helping care homes. When will the government get a grip

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of this serious crisis? I'm pleased this is a government that has

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introduced the national living wage which is supported across this house

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and the other place. There is an impact on social care home providers

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lots of the staff in which to operate and are paid at that level.

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There is pressure in the social sector and that is one of the

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reasons the precept is rising and the better care fund has been

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created to support more care provisions in the appropriate

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setting that people want to have it in. A BBC survey has found a number

:18:29.:18:33.

of patients on hospital wards in England has been at unsafe levels in

:18:34.:18:38.

nine out of ten NHS trusts this winter. Bosses have said that

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hospitals have major problems discharging frail patients. The

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Independent or crossbench peer Lady Green Cross said the government

:18:48.:18:51.

should follow the lead of other countries and provide rehabilitation

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centres. The Minister conceded that in many countries, people who are in

:18:58.:19:04.

acute hospitals don't need to be there if there was somewhere they

:19:05.:19:07.

could go very quickly after being admitted to hospital to

:19:08.:19:15.

rehabilitation centres? In many countries, small rehab centres which

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could be a lot of our smaller hospitals, are being closed down,

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nurse - glad, I where people go immediately part of the acute

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hospital sector and that if we did that, we could sell some of the

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problems and we would have the right sort of care for a lot of field

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people who at the moment are accused of blocking hospitals which they do

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but it's not their fault. I think the noble lady raises an incredibly

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important point. It's often the case that patients and up in hospitals

:19:51.:19:53.

for a variety of reasons which is not always the best setting for

:19:54.:19:58.

them. The kind of care she is describing as important. It might be

:19:59.:20:01.

rehab centres or cottage hospitals and what we are seeing food the

:20:02.:20:04.

sustainability and transformation plans are ideas for immediate care

:20:05.:20:09.

or stepdown care which provide the sort of thing she is talking about.

:20:10.:20:14.

Will she ensure -- will he ensure the number of care home places

:20:15.:20:18.

remains at a level to enable those to be discharged from hospital when

:20:19.:20:22.

they are deemed safe to do so and if there is cut the shortage of care

:20:23.:20:28.

home beds in counties such as North Yorkshire, will his department work

:20:29.:20:30.

closely with the local authorities up and down the country to ensure

:20:31.:20:34.

that people can leave hospital and go to a care home where that is

:20:35.:20:40.

appropriate? I think my noble friend from making an important point. The

:20:41.:20:44.

capacity in the care home sector is important in making sure there was a

:20:45.:20:48.

proper flow of patients out of hospitals and into a more

:20:49.:20:53.

appropriate setting. Where there is a shortage of residential or nursing

:20:54.:20:59.

home care beds, the onus of care falls on the families and would he

:21:00.:21:04.

take this opportunity to update his honourable friend in the other

:21:05.:21:09.

place, the Minister of health, who last week exhorted the nation to

:21:10.:21:13.

care for its elderly relatives. Apparently forgetting that there are

:21:14.:21:18.

6.5 million people who already do so, at great personal cost to

:21:19.:21:25.

themselves? The noble lady is quite right to highlight the work that

:21:26.:21:29.

carers do. There is a national carers strategy to support those

:21:30.:21:33.

people who are supporting the family often in very difficult

:21:34.:21:37.

circumstances. The point that my honourable friend in the other place

:21:38.:21:42.

was trying to make was that there is an important role to families to do

:21:43.:21:46.

so in the way parents would do for children, that children should do to

:21:47.:21:50.

their parents can return. The Health Minister. Before John Bercow's

:21:51.:22:00.

statement on Donald Trump, he said hearts racing on the benches. The

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commission endorsed a proposition reflecting the overwhelming view of

:22:07.:22:10.

his college that clerks should no longer wear wigs at the table in the

:22:11.:22:16.

chamber. They will also cease to wear court dress but they will

:22:17.:22:23.

continue to wear gallons so as to be distinguishable as experts in

:22:24.:22:27.

Parliamentary procedure, not lawyers and certainly not members. Details

:22:28.:22:33.

are in a letter from the clerk of the house to the chair of the

:22:34.:22:37.

procedure committee, available on the committee's website and in the

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vote office. Colleagues will be pleased to learn that this change

:22:42.:22:44.

will, in the longer term, save money, and it will I believe be

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welcomed by those clerks who serve all look forward to serving at the

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table and it will moreover in my view, which I recognise may not be

:22:54.:23:01.

universally shared, conveyed to the public a marginally less stuffy and

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forbidding image of this chamber at work. The new regime, colleagues,

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will start soon after we return from the short February recess. Order.

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With that, on to education but questions on that announcement won't

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exhausted and return to after the Prime Minister's statement. With

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great respect to your statement at the beginning of proceedings on

:23:29.:23:32.

behalf of the commission that the dress and composition of the clerks

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sitting in this house should change forthwith after the recess, can I

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urge you to reconsider this and consider whether the whole house or

:23:41.:23:45.

to have an opportunity to address this matter before its inactive.

:23:46.:23:51.

What I would say to the honourable gentleman is this. If he believes

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that the time of the house either in the chamber or in Westminster Hall,

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would be well spent by discussing this matter, he knows the avenues

:24:04.:24:13.

that are open to him. Sir Gerald. Further to that point of order,

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eyeing gree --I agree with Mike honourable friend and I was taken by

:24:20.:24:25.

surprise which had the appearance of a misunderstanding but it had the

:24:26.:24:32.

appearance of an executive order. I was slightly surprised by that. I

:24:33.:24:38.

had discussed the matter with the clerk who had done me the enormous

:24:39.:24:42.

courtesy of asking my view and I had declared informally but I thought it

:24:43.:24:48.

was sensible to continue because this, Mr Speaker, is the High Court

:24:49.:24:53.

of Parliament. And I do think that the clerks dressed as they are add

:24:54.:24:59.

to the dignity of the house. Some of us are not always capable of

:25:00.:25:05.

enhancing that. But the clerks do. It wasn't an executive order. It was

:25:06.:25:12.

a request from the clerks themselves to which I, and the members of the

:25:13.:25:17.

House of Commons commission, agreed. Now, people are entitled to their

:25:18.:25:21.

views about it but the idea this was something that I dreamt up and

:25:22.:25:25.

sought to impose against the will of the clerks is 100% wrong. The

:25:26.:25:34.

Speaker, John Bercow. That is all on me. Keith McDougall is yet to the

:25:35.:25:37.

rest of the week. But from me, goodbye.

:25:38.:25:49.

Monday turned out to be quite a day of weather across some parts

:25:50.:25:53.

of the British Isles with a combination of wind and rain

:25:54.:25:57.

and hill snow through the northern parts as well.

:25:58.:25:59.

Tuesday, a chilly start wherever you may be.

:26:00.:26:01.

There will still will be some of that Monday rain lingering,

:26:02.:26:06.

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