06/01/2016 Tuesday in Parliament

An earthquake has been detected in North Korea near the site of a

nuclear test centre. The tremor had a magnitude of five-point-one. It's

not clear if the seismic activity was caused by a nuclear blast - but

the US geological Survey said it suspects a man-made

Now on BBC News, Tuesday in Parliament.

There welcome to Tuesday in Parliament. Cabinet ministers will

be allowed to argue with each other as to Britain's continued EU

membership. It will be open to individual ministers to take a

different personal position to that of the government. A strike by

junior doctors. They feel badly let down a Health Secretary who seems to

think contract negotiations are a game of Brickman ship. And, could be

Christmas floods have been prevented? Why won't the banks held

up when it has been pointed out four years? This is on the coastal road,

they could have not been devastated on Boxing Day. The proudest has

confirmed he will be letting his ministers campaign on either side of

the debate as to whether Britain should be in the EU -- of the Prime

Minister. The referendum is likely to be held this year. MPs were

arriving back at Westminster after the break. David Cameron entering

his 11th year as Conservative leader. He was reporting back to MPs

on a recent summit meeting at the EU Council, particularly regarding the

progress of his renegotiations of written's EU membership. He said

there was strong support for Britain to stay in the EU. They began their

remarks not by saying that Britain is better off in EU, but that the EU

would be better off with Britain. We want to reach an agreement that

would address the concerns we have raised. I believe there is a path to

that. I will continue efforts to secure that agreement with further

discussions are brought. I hope we can reach a full agreement when we

meet again next month. What matters is getting the substance right, not

the speed. My intention is that the conclusion of the renegotiation

should include a clear recommendation from the government,

and then a referendum will be held. It is the people, not the

politicians who decide. As I indicated before, there will be a

clear government position, but it will be open to individual ministers

to take a different personal position while remaining part of the

government. Ultimately, it will be for the British people to decide by

voting in or out of a reformed EU in a referendum that we promised and

that only a Conservative government was able to deliver. Does the Prime

Minister now accept that his attempts to bludgeon leaders into

accepting his reforms have failed? He has come back with very little.

Can the Prime Minister really be surprised of his daily when he has

not worked with negotiating partners in Europe, failing to turn up when

asked for help in the EU refugee crisis, -- crisis. To deliver

change, you need diplomacy and to make friends. Mr Speaker, we all

value our friends. But the Prime Minister is not interested in that,

he is more interested in his own party. David Cameron mocked Jeremy

Corbyn's planned cabinet reshuffle. I apologise for interrupting the

longest reshuffle in history. You could have watched the entire run of

Star Wars movies. We still don't know who has been seduced to the

dark side. There is no sign of a rebel alliance emerging. I would

like that at the last election, it was Labour election -- Labour policy

to live and work here for several years before getting that efforts.

It has been abandoned now buy your leader. Never mind how many

we end up with, you have an albatross at the end

EU needs great Britain and Northern Ireland. Doesn't that

strength of our negotiating position? They need our economic

strength. As at the hasn't the time come for him to be strong on this

issue? He clearly believes he can negotiate a good deal with the

European partners, he does not want to be the Prime Minister who takes

us out of the EU. But why, then, as he suspended collective

responsibility? Why is it not possible for him to persuade his own

ministers on an issue that is so vital to our national interests?

Clearly there are people with long-standing issues about the

European issue. It has never been my intention to manipulate people into

voting for a position that they don't agree with. I think this is

the right approach. The Prime Minister has rightly berated the

Labour Party for giving up our rebates and getting nothing in

return. If these negotiations are so meaningful, why didn't he ask for

the rebates to be reinstated? Is because he doesn't think we should

have it back? Or is it just because he asked for what he knew they would

agree to? I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas and New Year,

you seem a little bit churlish. I have encouraged a cut in budget for

seven years in what is known as the EU financial perspective. The Prime

Minister said that he would rule nothing out. If you lose this

referendum, will you resign? This referendum is the government's

policy, and the country will decide whether we stay in the EU or leave

it. I salute my right honourable friend's decision to let ministers

exercise their own personal choice. It is not a sign of weakness but one

of strength. That we in this party can have a sensible debate about a

fundamental issue of serious importance to the British people. He

has just mentioned that negotiations may come to fruition next month. If

they do, when would he envisaged this referendum taking place? I make

it a policy not to answer questions beginning with if, even if they are

put so charmingly. If we can achieve a result in February, I don't think

we should delay the referendum. I think we should hold it. David

Cameron. Before that session took place, Eurosceptic MPs had been

voicing some forthright opinions inside the alternative chamber. A 90

minute debate was also focusing on written's attempt to renegotiate its

relationship with the EU -- Britain's. One MP decided he may

well support a British exit from the EU. I go to Warsaw regularly and

speak Polish. I try to reiterate the extraordinary support that Poland

had from England for many years, whether it was World War Two,

solidarity in the 1980s, Nato and the EU, getting rid of their

communist Eire debts or guaranteeing their borders. I am extremely

disappointed with the intransigence coming out of Warsaw, where now, for

the first time, the UK is seeking support from them and other

countries. With everything that we have done over such a long period of

time. And yet, at the intransigence and the difficulties is persuading

me to pull out of the EU. I have not decided yet, but it is very

disappointing when one thinks of what the UK has done for these

countries. They are so lucky now in their support for us -- lacking now.

I support many constituents from Africa and other parts of the

Commonwealth to have a long history of helping and supporting this

country, not least within the armed services. Why should those people

find it more difficult for their relatives, to visit them, to join

them at in getting employment when they are skilled in particular

areas? They find it very difficult indeed. Whereas people from, not to

pick on Romania, but Romania, Croatia and other countries, we have

a very shallow links with this country but they find the work much

more easily. No country can deal with the challenges of Syria and the

biggest refugee crisis since the war. We must work more closely with

our EU partners on these issues. These are all areas where we think

we could be working more closely together. They are also areas where

the Scottish Government has a great deal more in common with many of our

EU partners than we do with that in London. One fifth of all the cars

produced in Germany are exported to the UK. Is anybody seriously

suggesting that if we left the EU, Germany would cease trading with us?

With a successful leave vote, we can negotiate a successful UK- EU deal.

The availability of benefits in Britain acts to increase migration

from countries in the EU, one argument. I how much does the

government believed that immigration from other EU states will go down if

the availability of work benefits is cut in the way that the government

has set out? It has been said that the view is that this change would

make little difference to immigration levels. Isn't it the

case that the vast majority of people who come to the UK from other

member states, to work hard, pay their taxes and make a positive

contribution to this country in the same way as anyone else? The

argument that our Prime Minister is putting forward is not being met

with an unreserved welcome. The partners are clear that they wish

for the UK to stay in the EU, and the EU itself is stronger for this

country's membership. But, it was clear at the December European

Council that there were a certain number of objections and

difficulties raised by other heads of government in respect to the

policies that were being discussed, not just with one of them. Certainly

in the eyes of our partners, what the Prime Minister is pursuing is

seen as a very ambitious and far reaching set of proposed reforms

which challenged a number of ways in which the EU has been accustomed to

doing its business and thinking about its Vocation. David

Liddington. December 2015 was the wettest month ever experienced in

the UK, according to the latest figures. The pictures of towns and

cities in northern England and Scotland hit by flood water after

torrential rain were a constant feature of news reports. Street

after street was flooded in the city of York, people had to be rescued

from their homes as the waters of the rivers rose dramatically.

Several thousand were flooded, a key barrier was opened. Perhaps the most

dramatic image was this one, wherein each and Bridge was destroyed by

raging flood water. In the Commons, the Environment Secretary told MPs

that investment in flood prevention measures had been increased.

Our focus has been doing everything we can to help Lancashire and

Yorkshire get up and running. ?40 million was announced to be spent on

repairing flood defences, including ?10 million upgrading the Foss

barrier with new Palms so we could cope with higher volumes of water --

pumps. We are providing money for businesses, families and farmers. It

has been provided in record time. Rather than a sticking plaster

response with vague promises and fake numbers, we need

response with vague promises and fake numbers, we need a long-term

co-ordinated approach. Our priority must be insuring committees do not

into another Christmas like this one. That needs leadership from her

now. First of all, can I say we have learned lessons from previous

flooding incidents. That is why it we were holding Cobra through

Christmas and while we deployed the Army immediately to support people

on the ground, that is why we made sure people's homes and lives were

protected. With the Secretary of State join us in paying a huge

tribute to not just the dozens of volunteers but hundreds of

volunteers they came from all over the UK? If I may, this despicable,

-- Mr Speaker, can I pay special tribute to the small armies of young

Asian men and women, -- was done and Hindu who led a huge part in the

recovery process? -- Muslim. The scheme that would have protected

Kirkstall was said to be reinstated, but that is not my understanding.

Can the Secretary of State device an indication of whether that scheme

will be resurrected? If it was in place, places on the coast would not

have been flooded on Boxing Day. We cannot let this tragedy happen

again. We note the new insurance scheme is coming, but that does not

mean it will help people now. Can she give assurance she will look at

the levels of people not in short dream these floods, and that extra

finance help will be given to them? -- insurer. There are a huge summer

of volunteers, and they worked together very quickly in a difficult

time for our city. Other utilities were slower to act, such as Kelly

Communications down in York and Hindi communications right across

the city. Can I ask the Secretary of State what she's doing to make sure

all utilities act speedily? I would like to thank the public sector

workers and volunteers for the support they gave business in York

over Christmas. However, there is a risk of the Foss barrier not being

able to manage the capacity of the water in the river Foss at times

such as this. By where the barrier pumps not upgraded when this concern

has been consistently highlighted for years, as it could have saved

hundreds of homes and businesses from flooding? What we are facing in

all of the rivers across Yorkshire and she are higher floods than ever

before. -- Lancashire. We need to look at the fences. We have made a

commitment to upgrade the pumps at the Foss area. We'll be looking more

likely to make sure we are sufficiently resilient to deal with

these new weather challenges. We have no mention of Scotland so far.

It is a comprehensive response, and there seems to be less scepticism

about the actions of the public agency in Scotland and we have seen

in England. At the weekend, I received an e-mail from my cousin in

Yorkshire. She told me her community felt angry and powerless at what it

sees as a completely ineffective response. She said, the Tory

government have completely failed us, and I believe they will continue

to fail us. If it is not one of the Home Counties, they don't care. You

are watching our round-up of the day. To raise a faces questions

about the identity of an apparently British men appearing in the latest

agenda video from the terror group Islamic State.

Strikes by junior doctors in England look set to go ahead following the

latest breakdown of talks with the government. A 24 hour walkout next

Tuesday will be followed by a 48-hour strike on the 26th of

January, and a third day in feathery. The dispute over new

contracts has meant the government have asked a consolatory service to

step in. You strike action is likely to leave 1000 nonemergency

operations cancelled. When the Shadow Health Secretary Bruce to

speak, there was little in the way of New Year fraternity. --

spokesman. It is sad when a New Year starts with the prospect of

industrial action in the NHS. Nobody wants strikes, not least the junior

doctors. But they feel badly let down by a health secretary who seems

to think contract negotiations are a game of bridge friendship. When will

be Health Secretary admit that changing the definition of unsocial

hours and associated rates of pay for junior doctors is a forerunner

to changing a whole load of other NHS staff in contracts to save on

the NHS pay bill. That is what all of this is really about, isn't it?

No, it is not. I wish her every success in retaining her post in the

shadow cabinet. It would be a shame to lose her having started to get to

know her. This is a difficult issue to solve. But at least the country

knows what the government is trying to do. On the other hand, she has

spent six months avoiding telling the country what she will do about

these forward contracts. Now is her chance. Would she not change the

junior doctors' contract to improve seven-day services for patients?

Junior doctors to not need the words from me stood at the opposition

dispatch box. They need action from the Secretary of State to stop the

strikes and give patients the care they deserve. The government has

come under pressure to explain how a man suspected of appearing in the

latest murder video produced by so-called Islamic state was able to

leave Britain for Syria while on police bail. In the video, and

executioner with an English accent calls David Cameron an imbecile

before executing five men accused of spying against Islamic State. The

man is thought to be Siddhartha Dhar, from London. Siddhartha Dhar

fled Britain in 2014 while on bail. He had been arrested on suspicion of

encouraging terrorism but later travelled to Syria. In the Commons,

to reason may faced questions from MPs. -- Theresa May. The house will

understand this is an ongoing police investigation and I cannot comment

while the investigation continues. It could prejudice the case in

future. I cannot comment on the identities of men or child in the

video. While we appreciate this is an ongoing police investigation, the

fact that this individual could abscond when facing major charges

raises serious questions about counterterrorism policy. We need a

commitment from her today there will be an enquiry into this episode that

will be made available to this house. There has clearly been a

major lapse in security, and the onus is now very firmly on the Home

Secretary to demonstrate that she is taking all necessary action to

strengthen our systems of monitoring people who pose a risk to our

country. As the Shadow Home Secretary, I issue he knows the

decision as to whether or not someone should be placed on police

bail and the conditions relating to that is an operational matter which

is undertaken by the police. I seem to recall that in the past when

counterterrorism legislation was going to this house and proposals

made by organisations outside this house, values should be made of

place about the terrorist offenders. -- more years. The opposition

supported that concept. The Home Secretary has form when it comes to

absconding. Coogee update the house as to the whereabouts of a man who

absconded in a black cab in January 2013. Could she update the house as

to another man who absconded wearing a worker in November 2013, both who

were on terrorism prevention orders -- burkha. Of course I seem to

recall and to the Labour government's control orders, only

one of previous people who absconded was ever found. There are plenty of

historic jobs around the Palace of Westminster, but few positions are

quite so old as that of this man. It dates back 601 years to 1415. The

post holder is responsible for the security of the Commons, and a new

person has just been appointed to do it. He will succeed Lawrence Ward.

He was head of front of house and VIP relations for the Ministry of

Justice. His appointment was confirmed by the Commons Speaker. I

am pleased to be able to announce to the house that following fair and

open competition, Her Majesty the Queen has treasured Lee accepted my

recommendation that Mr al-Haji be appointed to the post of

Serjeant-at-Arms with effect from the first of February. -- graciously

accepted. In addition to being trained in the martial arts...

LAUGHTER And a recipient of the British

Empire medal, Mr al-Haji will be the first person of a BME background to

hold the post of Serjeant-at-Arms. Just in case you don't know, BME

stands for black and white minority ethnic. That is it for this

programme. For the next round up. For now, goodbye.