Browse content similar to 21/03/2016. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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future business, please? The business for next week, on Monday | 0:00:01 | 0:00:03 | |
the 21st of March, we have the continuation of the budget of eight. | 0:00:04 | 0:00:08 | |
On Tuesday we have the conclusion of the budget they'd. On Wednesday | 0:00:09 | 0:00:15 | |
proceedings on the high-speed rail London to West Midlands bill, | 0:00:16 | 0:00:18 | |
followed by consideration of Lords amendments, followed by a motion of | 0:00:19 | 0:00:25 | |
the European communities amendments act, followed by a motion related to | 0:00:26 | 0:00:30 | |
short money. On Thursday there will be a debate relating to court | 0:00:31 | 0:00:36 | |
closures, followed by a debate on matters to be decided before the | 0:00:37 | 0:00:43 | |
forthcoming Easter recess adjournment, and I might also say | 0:00:44 | 0:00:50 | |
that next Thursday we will be told... We look forward to that. The | 0:00:51 | 0:01:02 | |
business for the week commencing the 11th of April, when we return from | 0:01:03 | 0:01:07 | |
the Easter recess, Monday the 11th of April will be the second reading | 0:01:08 | 0:01:11 | |
of the Finance Bill. Tuesday the 12th will be a debate on reform and | 0:01:12 | 0:01:16 | |
support arrangements for people with contaminated blood, a subject | 0:01:17 | 0:01:20 | |
determined by the backbench business committee, and the chairman of ways | 0:01:21 | 0:01:24 | |
and Means is expected to name a proposed Private business for | 0:01:25 | 0:01:29 | |
consideration. Wednesday will be an opposition day, and Thursday will be | 0:01:30 | 0:01:33 | |
a further day nominated by the backbench business committee. Friday | 0:01:34 | 0:01:37 | |
the 15th of April we are not sitting. The business in Westminster | 0:01:38 | 0:01:43 | |
Hall for the 24th of March will be a general debate on the NHS in London. | 0:01:44 | 0:01:49 | |
He means that I'm not going to be here next week, so my eminently | 0:01:50 | 0:01:54 | |
capable deputy will be taking this up on our behalf. What a dreadful | 0:01:55 | 0:02:03 | |
two fingers budget. Two fingers up to the most vulnerable in the land, | 0:02:04 | 0:02:07 | |
those who cannot dress clean themselves, and two fingers crossed | 0:02:08 | 0:02:10 | |
behind our back in the hope that the black hole will come right by the | 0:02:11 | 0:02:16 | |
end of the Parliament. What a turnaround. Only weeks ago the | 0:02:17 | 0:02:20 | |
Chancellor told us that the future was sunny. Now he says that storm | 0:02:21 | 0:02:25 | |
clouds are on this horizon. That is a routine that Dame Edna haired wage | 0:02:26 | 0:02:30 | |
would be proud of. Every single target missed. He's no William Tell | 0:02:31 | 0:02:35 | |
either! Growth figures, wrong, product over the, wrong. The deficit | 0:02:36 | 0:02:40 | |
was meant to be abolished by 2015, and now he hopes beyond hope to have | 0:02:41 | 0:02:45 | |
a surplus by 2020. Does anyone really believe this? Isn't this | 0:02:46 | 0:02:58 | |
another pledge not worth development is not printed on? More leaks than | 0:02:59 | 0:03:03 | |
Wales, more spin than a whirling dervish in a washing machine. He | 0:03:04 | 0:03:08 | |
boasted yesterday about extra money for school sports, when he cut it in | 0:03:09 | 0:03:13 | |
the first place. That is like a burglar going to the police and | 0:03:14 | 0:03:16 | |
begging for a reward for turning himself in. Frankly, burglars can't | 0:03:17 | 0:03:24 | |
be choosers! Can the leader explained for us the commitment to | 0:03:25 | 0:03:30 | |
turn every school into an academy? There are 15,632 schools in England, | 0:03:31 | 0:03:38 | |
which are not yet academies. The cost for the conversion is ?44,837, | 0:03:39 | 0:03:45 | |
which comes to ?700 million. But the Chancellor wrongly allocated ?140 | 0:03:46 | 0:03:49 | |
million to academy changing. Where is the shortfall of ?560 million | 0:03:50 | 0:03:56 | |
coming from? I have to say that there were some things to rejoice | 0:03:57 | 0:03:59 | |
about. I am glad that the Severn Bridge tolls will be cut in half, | 0:04:00 | 0:04:04 | |
thanks to the campaign by my honourable friend for Newport East. | 0:04:05 | 0:04:14 | |
Last week, I'm sure you will I announced that the obesity strategy | 0:04:15 | 0:04:17 | |
will be out soon, and now we have it, or at least part of it, the | 0:04:18 | 0:04:23 | |
sugar tax. I am delighted that finally the Chancellor has realised | 0:04:24 | 0:04:26 | |
the dangers of Cork. LAUGHTER -- Coke. | 0:04:27 | 0:04:37 | |
It is just a shame that he could not have said call -- cola instead. | 0:04:38 | 0:04:49 | |
Regarding independence payments, how can he tell us how they will be | 0:04:50 | 0:04:53 | |
brought in? Surely they should be in primary legislation. Surely the | 0:04:54 | 0:05:03 | |
changes should be brought in in primary legislation so there can be | 0:05:04 | 0:05:07 | |
proper scrutiny in both houses. Give another recent cuts to disability | 0:05:08 | 0:05:13 | |
benefits, will the government produced an impact assessment? There | 0:05:14 | 0:05:19 | |
is something deeply distasteful about a cut per person to the | 0:05:20 | 0:05:22 | |
200,000 most vulnerable people in our country, while the richest get a | 0:05:23 | 0:05:27 | |
?200 tax hand-out. I am not surprised that Graham Ellis, a | 0:05:28 | 0:05:32 | |
disability campaigner, has resigned from the Tory party. We will fight | 0:05:33 | 0:05:37 | |
these changes, but I warned the leader before not to try to pull a | 0:05:38 | 0:05:42 | |
fast one on working tax credits by using secondary legislation that | 0:05:43 | 0:05:44 | |
cannot be amended, and I do it again now. Yesterday saw the government | 0:05:45 | 0:05:48 | |
defeated three times in the House of Lords. By big majorities as well. | 0:05:49 | 0:05:57 | |
Nearly two to one in every case. There is more to come. Isn't it time | 0:05:58 | 0:06:01 | |
the government gave up on this didn't it than piece of legislation? | 0:06:02 | 0:06:10 | |
I have told to become. -- be more calm. We have the debate for short | 0:06:11 | 0:06:17 | |
money next week. Our usual discussions have been productive, | 0:06:18 | 0:06:20 | |
and I thank the leader for the part he has played. I am hopeful that | 0:06:21 | 0:06:27 | |
these will be published soon, this afternoon, or on Monday? Many | 0:06:28 | 0:06:32 | |
members have had real difficulties recently, with banks which have in | 0:06:33 | 0:06:40 | |
dealing with money laundering in a disproportionately. We all want to | 0:06:41 | 0:06:45 | |
tackle money-laundering, but it must be crazy that people are being | 0:06:46 | 0:06:50 | |
denied bank accounts simply because they are connected to a politically | 0:06:51 | 0:06:56 | |
exposed person. Can the government ensure there will be a debate on | 0:06:57 | 0:07:00 | |
this in government times we can get the balance right and tell the banks | 0:07:01 | 0:07:06 | |
where to go. Holy Week starts on Sunday, so I wish all members and | 0:07:07 | 0:07:15 | |
families a happy Easter. Next week Jewish people remember the attempt | 0:07:16 | 0:07:21 | |
of Jews to be killed in Persia. That was not the last annihilation of | 0:07:22 | 0:07:26 | |
them. 74 years ago today the first Polish Jews were gassed in an | 0:07:27 | 0:07:35 | |
extermination camp. Anti-Semitism is still alive today, and we must do | 0:07:36 | 0:07:40 | |
everything in our power to stop religious intolerance and racial | 0:07:41 | 0:07:42 | |
hatred affecting our political parties. That means calling out | 0:07:43 | 0:07:49 | |
anti-Semitism wherever we find it, even if it is inconvenient to | 0:07:50 | 0:07:53 | |
ourselves, and expelling those who continue these file arguments from | 0:07:54 | 0:07:57 | |
our political parties. I hope the leader would also agree that all | 0:07:58 | 0:08:01 | |
religious prejudice is equally despicable, and would frankly this | 0:08:02 | 0:08:05 | |
on the Tory campaign against Labour's candidate for Mayor of | 0:08:06 | 0:08:11 | |
London, which is the most desperate, divisive and racially charged | 0:08:12 | 0:08:13 | |
campaign London has ever seen. They should the ashamed. Can I also echo | 0:08:14 | 0:08:21 | |
the words that the Shadow leader has said about wishing happy Easter | 0:08:22 | 0:08:26 | |
period to all of those who work in this House. Can I start by | 0:08:27 | 0:08:33 | |
addressing the issue of member security. There were a number of | 0:08:34 | 0:08:37 | |
incidents following a recent vote. This will always be completely | 0:08:38 | 0:08:42 | |
unacceptable. I hope the police will deal with them strongly. Can I | 0:08:43 | 0:08:47 | |
remind members that the new security packages available to them and their | 0:08:48 | 0:08:55 | |
staff, if any member experiences teething problems with this new | 0:08:56 | 0:08:59 | |
package, with the police tell myself or the chairman of ways and Means, | 0:09:00 | 0:09:03 | |
and we will address these issues. We have heard a lot about the budget. | 0:09:04 | 0:09:13 | |
You can tell when the opposition are maddest. Normally it is easy to | 0:09:14 | 0:09:16 | |
catch the eye of the Shadow leader, he is always chatting across the | 0:09:17 | 0:09:20 | |
chamber. But yesterday I could not catch his eye for the moment because | 0:09:21 | 0:09:25 | |
he knew just how bad it was. Next week, we will see a continuation of | 0:09:26 | 0:09:30 | |
the budget debate. I could not make head nor tail of what the Leader of | 0:09:31 | 0:09:36 | |
the Opposition was saying he would do yesterday, but at least this week | 0:09:37 | 0:09:42 | |
we had another insight into Labour's economic policy. It turns out that | 0:09:43 | 0:09:45 | |
the Shadow Chancellor draws his inspiration from Marks, Trotsky and | 0:09:46 | 0:09:59 | |
-- to. Labour's policies would crush the middle classes and working class | 0:10:00 | 0:10:09 | |
people. This morning the Shadow Chancellor could not even said he | 0:10:10 | 0:10:11 | |
supported capitalism. That is where they have got to as a party. He | 0:10:12 | 0:10:18 | |
raised a question about the changes to independence payments. We will | 0:10:19 | 0:10:20 | |
publish details in due course. All members are produced with an impact | 0:10:21 | 0:10:27 | |
assessment. He mentioned the trade union bill in the Lords, I would | 0:10:28 | 0:10:31 | |
remind the House that we are seeking to give trade union members the | 0:10:32 | 0:10:34 | |
choice about whether they contribute to the Labour Party or not. Two | 0:10:35 | 0:10:40 | |
nations to our party are from people who choose to donate to our side of | 0:10:41 | 0:10:43 | |
the political spectrum. They have to depend on people who are obliged to. | 0:10:44 | 0:10:46 | |
That is what has the change. I am also grateful for the | 0:10:47 | 0:10:55 | |
collaborative discussions that have taken place on the short money | 0:10:56 | 0:10:59 | |
motion. The motion will be published before next week. On the | 0:11:00 | 0:11:02 | |
money-laundering points, I agree with him. This concern is shared on | 0:11:03 | 0:11:09 | |
all sides of the House. We cannot have a situation, not just when | 0:11:10 | 0:11:13 | |
individual members, but members of their families are affected by a | 0:11:14 | 0:11:18 | |
change that is unacceptable. We have discussed it with the Treasury and | 0:11:19 | 0:11:21 | |
have received assurances that they believe people should not be | 0:11:22 | 0:11:26 | |
affected, but clearly, they are. I therefore will treat this as a | 0:11:27 | 0:11:30 | |
matter of great importance and I think we all should. He made a point | 0:11:31 | 0:11:37 | |
about anti-Semitism. Of course, anti-Semitism has featured recently | 0:11:38 | 0:11:41 | |
in a number of political activities, and that is unacceptable and should | 0:11:42 | 0:11:49 | |
always be so. But I should remind him. He makes a comment about the | 0:11:50 | 0:11:53 | |
election in London today. I would also remind him that anti-Semitism | 0:11:54 | 0:11:57 | |
was also present in elections a year ago in the general election in | 0:11:58 | 0:12:00 | |
London, and not from our side of the political spectrum. I hope he takes | 0:12:01 | 0:12:05 | |
the words he has said today and makes sure they are properly put | 0:12:06 | 0:12:10 | |
into route in his party. It is not acceptable in any part of life. It | 0:12:11 | 0:12:17 | |
should not happen. Finally, this week we had the revelation that the | 0:12:18 | 0:12:21 | |
shadow leader doesn't want to be shadow leader. He wants to be | 0:12:22 | 0:12:25 | |
Speaker, so much so that he appears to be even preparing a campaign | 0:12:26 | 0:12:29 | |
team. Of course, there is not a vacancy for your job. But I did have | 0:12:30 | 0:12:36 | |
an idea for him. This week is apprenticeship week, and I wondered | 0:12:37 | 0:12:41 | |
if you might consider taking him on as an apprentice Speaker. But there | 0:12:42 | 0:12:46 | |
is one small problem. If the honourable gentleman wants to be the | 0:12:47 | 0:12:50 | |
next Speaker, he needs to remember one thing. You need to be popular | 0:12:51 | 0:12:54 | |
and respected across the House, and he still has some work to do. | 0:12:55 | 0:13:05 | |
Could we have a debate on the TUC's dying to work campaign, which | 0:13:06 | 0:13:08 | |
focuses on strengthening legal protections for terminally ill | 0:13:09 | 0:13:12 | |
employees like my constituents Jackie Woodcock, who has been | 0:13:13 | 0:13:17 | |
treated badly by her employer, which tried to force her to resign? Mr | 0:13:18 | 0:13:24 | |
Speaker, my honourable friend raised this issue yesterday. She's right to | 0:13:25 | 0:13:30 | |
bring forward a case like this. I would hope every employer would | 0:13:31 | 0:13:34 | |
treat with respect and care anybody in such a terrible situation, | 0:13:35 | 0:13:37 | |
whether in the public or private sector. We expect decency from | 0:13:38 | 0:13:46 | |
employers in this country. Can I also thank the Leader of the House | 0:13:47 | 0:13:50 | |
for announcing next week's business. It is the usual day after the Budget | 0:13:51 | 0:13:54 | |
night before, and already, the wheels are coming off and the | 0:13:55 | 0:13:58 | |
smattering of fiscal fairy dust is wearing thin, revealing the useless | 0:13:59 | 0:14:03 | |
old banger underneath. I think all of us who listened to the Today | 0:14:04 | 0:14:07 | |
programme this morning enjoyed greatly the evisceration of the | 0:14:08 | 0:14:10 | |
Chancellor of the Exchequer when he was asked, to gentle enquiring from | 0:14:11 | 0:14:17 | |
John Humphrys, what does it take to get sacked from his job? As he | 0:14:18 | 0:14:22 | |
defiantly tried to defend his own targets. We also have to commend | 0:14:23 | 0:14:27 | |
some of the conservative disabled activists who have made their voices | 0:14:28 | 0:14:31 | |
heard in the last 24 hours, particularly with that website. Even | 0:14:32 | 0:14:35 | |
conservative members are recognising in this Budget the redistribution | 0:14:36 | 0:14:39 | |
aspect of it from the poorest to the wealthiest. That is what | 0:14:40 | 0:14:46 | |
characterises this Budget more than anything else. The Leader of the | 0:14:47 | 0:14:49 | |
House often talks about him and I wandering through the same lobby. | 0:14:50 | 0:14:53 | |
Maybe next week, we will have this opportunity with the tampon tax. I | 0:14:54 | 0:14:58 | |
opposed this because of women being taxed for their biology. Leader of | 0:14:59 | 0:15:03 | |
the House, come on. You and I can much through the lobby together to | 0:15:04 | 0:15:08 | |
oppose the Chancellor and his EU politicised Budget. Regulations that | 0:15:09 | 0:15:14 | |
deprive overseas pensioners of the operating to the pension has been | 0:15:15 | 0:15:19 | |
forced through this House without any debate. Some 550,000 pensioners | 0:15:20 | 0:15:26 | |
will be included in this with so many people involved, half a | 0:15:27 | 0:15:31 | |
million, surely you have to have some sort of statement from the | 0:15:32 | 0:15:35 | |
government about their intent in this regard and I hope the Leader of | 0:15:36 | 0:15:42 | |
the House will give with this. Last week, my constituents got in touch | 0:15:43 | 0:15:45 | |
with my office, watching the spectacle in this place. They were | 0:15:46 | 0:15:48 | |
appalled at the behaviour of a small number of politically motivated, | 0:15:49 | 0:15:55 | |
predominantly conservative members filibustering on private members' | 0:15:56 | 0:15:57 | |
bills, just to stop consideration of bills that they don't personally | 0:15:58 | 0:16:03 | |
like. We saw an almost destructive glory in the way they filibuster | 0:16:04 | 0:16:07 | |
against the NHS bill. Of course, they are entitled to do this | 0:16:08 | 0:16:12 | |
according to the rules and boy, did they take advantage. But why is it | 0:16:13 | 0:16:15 | |
only private members' bills that this applies to? The rest of the | 0:16:16 | 0:16:21 | |
debates in this House are properly timetabled and regulated. This has | 0:16:22 | 0:16:26 | |
to end. Our constituents are taking an increasing interest in these | 0:16:27 | 0:16:31 | |
private members' bills. There is a procedural committee looking at | 0:16:32 | 0:16:33 | |
this, I accept that. A strong we worded message from the leader of | 0:16:34 | 0:16:37 | |
saying this cannot go on would be helpful. Lastly, tugged away in the | 0:16:38 | 0:16:42 | |
Budget statement yesterday were plans to extend English modes for | 0:16:43 | 0:16:48 | |
English law to income tax. But apparently, legislation is quiet for | 0:16:49 | 0:16:52 | |
this. With the Leader of the House explain how this will be progressed | 0:16:53 | 0:16:57 | |
what type of legislation will be put in place, and will it give us the | 0:16:58 | 0:17:00 | |
opportunity to properly scrutinise this dog's breakfast that is Evel? I | 0:17:01 | 0:17:08 | |
would love to hear the leader's remarks on that. First up, the | 0:17:09 | 0:17:14 | |
honourable gentleman talked about evisceration is in interviews. I | 0:17:15 | 0:17:18 | |
presume he heard the interview with Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First | 0:17:19 | 0:17:21 | |
Minister, on the Sunday Politics last week, which could not expect | 0:17:22 | 0:17:26 | |
how her sums added up she could not explain how it was possible for | 0:17:27 | 0:17:29 | |
Scotland to carry on spending the same amount of money without tax | 0:17:30 | 0:17:33 | |
increases or how she would deal with the huge Budget deficit without | 0:17:34 | 0:17:36 | |
spending cuts. So if we are talking about people with no idea how to | 0:17:37 | 0:17:42 | |
manage an economy, no idea how to manage finances, we just have to | 0:17:43 | 0:17:46 | |
look to Edinburgh. He talked about the Budget more broadly. He talked | 0:17:47 | 0:17:51 | |
about people on low incomes. Our policy since 2010 has taken the | 0:17:52 | 0:17:56 | |
lives of people back into work and lifted more than half a million | 0:17:57 | 0:18:00 | |
children out of households where no one works into an environment where | 0:18:01 | 0:18:04 | |
people get up in the morning and go to work and bring a sense of | 0:18:05 | 0:18:08 | |
responsibility to their lives. By 2019, the top 20% of our population | 0:18:09 | 0:18:13 | |
will pay 50% of all taxes. This is a government that is proud of its | 0:18:14 | 0:18:16 | |
record, that has made a difference to this country. All we hear from | 0:18:17 | 0:18:19 | |
the party opposite is carping about success. He talked about the bill | 0:18:20 | 0:18:26 | |
last Friday. I find it baffling that he is complaining about the handling | 0:18:27 | 0:18:32 | |
in this house of an NHS bill. The last time I looked, the NHS in | 0:18:33 | 0:18:37 | |
Scotland was devolved. So why is the SNP so concerned about debates in | 0:18:38 | 0:18:43 | |
this House about the National Health Service, when this House has nothing | 0:18:44 | 0:18:46 | |
to do with the National Health Service in Scotland? Surely it is | 0:18:47 | 0:18:51 | |
another example of SNP opportunism. And he talks about English votes for | 0:18:52 | 0:18:56 | |
in just laws. -- English votes for English laws. We were clear that | 0:18:57 | 0:19:01 | |
this would apply to tax measures which do not apply in Scotland. It | 0:19:02 | 0:19:09 | |
seems not fair to me that the SNP should be able to impose increased | 0:19:10 | 0:19:13 | |
taxes upon the English if they gang up with others to do so. That is | 0:19:14 | 0:19:19 | |
what we sought to avoid. That is what our reforms will make sure | 0:19:20 | 0:19:23 | |
cannot happen in future. Can I follow up with my right honourable | 0:19:24 | 0:19:26 | |
friend his response on money-laundering? When are we going | 0:19:27 | 0:19:30 | |
to have a debate about this? Will the government commit to voting | 0:19:31 | 0:19:34 | |
against these proposals, and does my right honourable friend agree that | 0:19:35 | 0:19:37 | |
the current proposals show that we are being contaminated in our public | 0:19:38 | 0:19:43 | |
life by the corruption in the rest of the European Union? This is an | 0:19:44 | 0:19:48 | |
important point. I am looking into this as a matter of urgency. It is | 0:19:49 | 0:19:54 | |
important not just for people in this House, but for members of | 0:19:55 | 0:20:01 | |
families as well. We will need to discuss this on a cross-party basis. | 0:20:02 | 0:20:06 | |
We want to make sure this cannot affect our only members, our | 0:20:07 | 0:20:09 | |
parents, children and siblings as well as ourselves. The Leader of the | 0:20:10 | 0:20:19 | |
House and myself are becoming very good pen friends, writing to each | 0:20:20 | 0:20:23 | |
other on a regular basis. Following our recent correspondence, I welcome | 0:20:24 | 0:20:26 | |
the leader's commitment to ensuring sufficient chamber time to be found | 0:20:27 | 0:20:30 | |
for the number of days allocated to the backbench business committee. | 0:20:31 | 0:20:33 | |
That is provided for in standing order 14. However, I note our views | 0:20:34 | 0:20:39 | |
are not aligned on the nub of days that are to be allocated this | 0:20:40 | 0:20:45 | |
session. Standing order 14 is clear that only days when backbench | 0:20:46 | 0:20:48 | |
business have presidents should count towards the allocation. I | 0:20:49 | 0:20:52 | |
think there is a dispute about the number of days that remain to us. | 0:20:53 | 0:20:59 | |
Might I suggest that there might be merit, touting the clerks of our | 0:21:00 | 0:21:02 | |
committee to make sure there is clarity on the amount of backbench | 0:21:03 | 0:21:06 | |
time remaining so that the government does not find itself in | 0:21:07 | 0:21:09 | |
the unfortunate position of falling short of the amount of time required | 0:21:10 | 0:21:13 | |
to provide the backbench community on the floor of the house? I did not | 0:21:14 | 0:21:18 | |
realise they have so much influence. Last week, when I spoke in my | 0:21:19 | 0:21:22 | |
exasperation about Newcastle United, within 24 hours, there was a change | 0:21:23 | 0:21:29 | |
of management! Office chair of the backbench business committee. | 0:21:30 | 0:21:37 | |
Exercises and influence beyond what we previously knew! The Leader of | 0:21:38 | 0:21:40 | |
the House. I hope for his sake that the result of a change is that his | 0:21:41 | 0:21:46 | |
team marches to survival in the Premier League, although I notice | 0:21:47 | 0:21:49 | |
they did not manage it last week in their match against Leicester. But I | 0:21:50 | 0:21:55 | |
suspect that most of us who support other teams, perhaps not Tottenham | 0:21:56 | 0:21:59 | |
supporters, but the rest of us, for at least the last eight weeks have | 0:22:00 | 0:22:03 | |
been Leicester City supporters. We wish them well for the remainder of | 0:22:04 | 0:22:07 | |
the season. I hope the honourable gentleman manages to turn up at St | 0:22:08 | 0:22:13 | |
James' Park next season cheering on a Premier League team. In terms of | 0:22:14 | 0:22:18 | |
the allocation of time, the difference between us is that there | 0:22:19 | 0:22:21 | |
was a period of time at the start of this session after the general | 0:22:22 | 0:22:24 | |
election before the backbench business committee could be formed, | 0:22:25 | 0:22:28 | |
so a number of days were set aside for general debates. I am happy to | 0:22:29 | 0:22:33 | |
meet him to talk about that, but if the backbench committee is only | 0:22:34 | 0:22:36 | |
there for a part of a session, there are time pressures that we have to | 0:22:37 | 0:22:41 | |
cater for. I remember making sure there was time for general debates | 0:22:42 | 0:22:45 | |
in that period before his committee was formed and I am happy to talk to | 0:22:46 | 0:22:53 | |
him about it. Would my right honourable friend find time for a | 0:22:54 | 0:22:57 | |
debate on the erecting of statues in the centre of London? I find it | 0:22:58 | 0:23:01 | |
extraordinary that in Westminster Square, there is no statue of the | 0:23:02 | 0:23:06 | |
first female Prime Minister and more pertinently, that there is no statue | 0:23:07 | 0:23:09 | |
of Her Majesty The Queen, the longest reigning monarch ever and | 0:23:10 | 0:23:12 | |
about to celebrate her 90th birthday. First of all, on the | 0:23:13 | 0:23:19 | |
Queen, I think we all look forward to celebrating her 90th birthday. We | 0:23:20 | 0:23:23 | |
look forward to activities up and down the country and of course, we | 0:23:24 | 0:23:29 | |
should all be thankful to my honourable friend the Mayor of | 0:23:30 | 0:23:33 | |
London and the Secretary of State for Transport for deciding that | 0:23:34 | 0:23:36 | |
Crossrail should be named the Elizabeth line, a fitting tribute to | 0:23:37 | 0:23:39 | |
the Queen. On the subject of a statue of Margaret Thatcher, I know | 0:23:40 | 0:23:45 | |
the shadow leader, a champion of equality and opportunities for | 0:23:46 | 0:23:48 | |
women, would join me in thinking it is appropriate for Britain's first | 0:23:49 | 0:23:52 | |
female Prime Minister to be celebrated in such a way. Didn't the | 0:23:53 | 0:24:01 | |
House reach a historic low in political opportunism yesterday, | 0:24:02 | 0:24:05 | |
when the Prime Minister defended himself and his lamb a double record | 0:24:06 | 0:24:10 | |
on air pollution by claiming credit for the clean air act, which was | 0:24:11 | 0:24:13 | |
passed by this House ten years before he was born? The subject is a | 0:24:14 | 0:24:21 | |
serious one and I recently had a debate that was pulled because the | 0:24:22 | 0:24:25 | |
government didn't have us suitable blister available. -- did not have a | 0:24:26 | 0:24:33 | |
suitable minister available. 9000 people die every year because of | 0:24:34 | 0:24:37 | |
abolition, 70 in the city I represent -- because of air | 0:24:38 | 0:24:41 | |
pollution, and there are no plans to make our policies even legal. This | 0:24:42 | 0:24:44 | |
is a scandal that should be addressed. I would make two points. | 0:24:45 | 0:24:51 | |
Firstly, it is an issue that we are dressing, for example through the | 0:24:52 | 0:24:55 | |
work we have put in to incentivise hybrid and electric cars and looking | 0:24:56 | 0:24:59 | |
at ways to cut emissions from power stations. We have done as much as | 0:25:00 | 0:25:03 | |
any previous government. The point that and macro misses that we on | 0:25:04 | 0:25:07 | |
this side of the House are proud to be part of a party that over the | 0:25:08 | 0:25:10 | |
last 200 years has been responsible for most of this country's great | 0:25:11 | 0:25:15 | |
social reforms. That is a track record but we regard as a foundation | 0:25:16 | 0:25:18 | |
upon which we should build for the future. | 0:25:19 | 0:25:23 | |
Cross Cani Chase there are many voluntary groups supporting families | 0:25:24 | 0:25:41 | |
with dementia. -- cannot chase. Will my right honourable friend join me | 0:25:42 | 0:25:44 | |
in commending the work of this group as well as the others who provide | 0:25:45 | 0:25:49 | |
this incredibly valuable support, and can we have a debate in | 0:25:50 | 0:25:54 | |
government time to discuss what further support will be provided to | 0:25:55 | 0:26:01 | |
those families affected by dementia? As my honourable friend may know, | 0:26:02 | 0:26:04 | |
members of the Cabinet went through the training module to be a dementia | 0:26:05 | 0:26:10 | |
friend couple of years ago, and it was enlightening. I have experienced | 0:26:11 | 0:26:14 | |
dementia and my family and it taught me things I did not previously now, | 0:26:15 | 0:26:17 | |
so the work that is done by these groups make a real difference to | 0:26:18 | 0:26:23 | |
those who are suffering and also to those who are helping those who are | 0:26:24 | 0:26:27 | |
suffering. I commend her, her colleagues and those involved in | 0:26:28 | 0:26:35 | |
this area of the work. While I welcome the budget news regarding | 0:26:36 | 0:26:37 | |
further small business rate relief, I am concerned with the impact this | 0:26:38 | 0:26:44 | |
will have on local authorities, such as my own. Can we have a debate to | 0:26:45 | 0:26:47 | |
discuss what measures will be put in place to ease the burden on | 0:26:48 | 0:26:54 | |
cash-strapped councils, many of whom are already struggling to balance | 0:26:55 | 0:27:01 | |
books? First of all, as we heard last week there have been people on | 0:27:02 | 0:27:04 | |
those benches who say that we need to do something about the business | 0:27:05 | 0:27:10 | |
rate impact on small businesses. I am delighted the Chancellor did that | 0:27:11 | 0:27:12 | |
in his budget statements. I did not notice I mentioned to that in the | 0:27:13 | 0:27:18 | |
remarks earlier. Next Monday and Tuesday she will have the | 0:27:19 | 0:27:25 | |
opportunity to put those discussions in place. The front page of the | 0:27:26 | 0:27:32 | |
Jewish Chronicle today gives a litany of the anti-Semitism that | 0:27:33 | 0:27:35 | |
sadly we are beginning to see more and more frequently in the ranks of | 0:27:36 | 0:27:41 | |
the Labour Party, and in other institutions like universities in | 0:27:42 | 0:27:45 | |
this country. Can we have a debate on the subject of the increasing | 0:27:46 | 0:27:51 | |
anti-Semitism in public bodies and institutions? This is an important | 0:27:52 | 0:27:58 | |
point, where I agree with the Shadow leader and my honourable friend, | 0:27:59 | 0:28:02 | |
anti-Semitism has no place in our society, and when we hear words from | 0:28:03 | 0:28:06 | |
the parties opposite, we have heard of too many occasions in the past 12 | 0:28:07 | 0:28:11 | |
months where they have tolerated tolerated anti-Semitism in their | 0:28:12 | 0:28:17 | |
ranks. That is unacceptable and something they should change. | 0:28:18 | 0:28:23 | |
I was shocked to learn the House has still been using Betamax tapes for | 0:28:24 | 0:28:34 | |
parliamentary recordings, and they now have to stop because they are | 0:28:35 | 0:28:36 | |
not being produced any longer. Technological adaptation is slow, | 0:28:37 | 0:28:41 | |
can he do this and update on steps being taken to update this? | 0:28:42 | 0:28:48 | |
Honourable members will be aware that trials have been taking place | 0:28:49 | 0:28:56 | |
on the use of tablets in division lobbies. Those trials are now | 0:28:57 | 0:28:58 | |
beginning to show distinct improvements, which is likely to be | 0:28:59 | 0:29:00 | |
the way we record in the future, which allows us to publish things | 0:29:01 | 0:29:10 | |
quickly. I do not support going further on swipe cards, as the | 0:29:11 | 0:29:13 | |
opportunities we have to go through the division lobby... HMS | 0:29:14 | 0:29:26 | |
Shropshire, a heavy cruiser, was completed for the Royal Navy and | 0:29:27 | 0:29:32 | |
served with distinction until 1942. Can we have a debate on when the | 0:29:33 | 0:29:40 | |
Royal Navy will once again name and naval ship after Shropshire? He | 0:29:41 | 0:29:48 | |
makes his point in his customary way, and I'm sure the Ministry of | 0:29:49 | 0:29:55 | |
Defence will have noted his comments. There will be plenty of | 0:29:56 | 0:30:03 | |
opportunities for ships to carry the name of his county. Could the leader | 0:30:04 | 0:30:09 | |
help honourable members who are keen to meet the young constituents | 0:30:10 | 0:30:15 | |
coming to the excellent new education centre, but find getting | 0:30:16 | 0:30:17 | |
into the education centre quite a trial. It is easier to get into Fort | 0:30:18 | 0:30:23 | |
Knox and it is to get into the education centre with the level of | 0:30:24 | 0:30:29 | |
security. As you know this is a subject which is of concern to me. | 0:30:30 | 0:30:34 | |
This is a matter that is subject to discussion. We have to take | 0:30:35 | 0:30:37 | |
appropriate steps for child protection and make sure common | 0:30:38 | 0:30:45 | |
sense applies. Sometimes with the budget you have to read the redbrick | 0:30:46 | 0:30:51 | |
to see what it was really about and to see what the Chancellor meant, -- | 0:30:52 | 0:30:57 | |
the Redbook. There was a lot of loading of debt reduction, and I | 0:30:58 | 0:31:05 | |
understand that on the 24th of June, when we come out of the EU, he will | 0:31:06 | 0:31:10 | |
have ?15 billion a year to reduce the public debt. So in regard to | 0:31:11 | 0:31:16 | |
that, we had a tie produced for him with his initials on it. I think it | 0:31:17 | 0:31:23 | |
does to jobs. That the Chancellor wants to come out of the EU, and he | 0:31:24 | 0:31:29 | |
can promote it himself. Could we have a written statement on that? | 0:31:30 | 0:31:35 | |
Yes, far be it from me to comment on the aesthetic virtues or otherwise | 0:31:36 | 0:31:39 | |
of the tie, but the use of props in this place is generally deprecated. | 0:31:40 | 0:31:45 | |
The honourable gentleman has got away with it. He is always ingenious | 0:31:46 | 0:31:54 | |
in a variety of different ways. He makes his point in his effective | 0:31:55 | 0:31:59 | |
way, and I know he is playing an active part in the campaign to leave | 0:32:00 | 0:32:03 | |
the European Union. I suspect he may have more of a challenge than he | 0:32:04 | 0:32:07 | |
thinks to change the Chancellor's mind on this. And maybe more of a | 0:32:08 | 0:32:14 | |
challenge to ask the Chancellor to a tie of that colour. The Leader of | 0:32:15 | 0:32:21 | |
the House might not know this, but it is estimated that autism costs | 0:32:22 | 0:32:26 | |
this country ?23 billion a year. Today after the budget it is worth | 0:32:27 | 0:32:32 | |
about that some. You're a great supporter of autism charities and | 0:32:33 | 0:32:39 | |
often host events in your rooms. But isn't it the fact that we have | 0:32:40 | 0:32:44 | |
recently found we have taken away the educational element of the | 0:32:45 | 0:32:50 | |
personal allowance by people on the autism spectrum received, which | 0:32:51 | 0:32:53 | |
means they cannot get education. Can we have a debate on this? First of | 0:32:54 | 0:33:02 | |
all, I share his understanding and his view on the issue of autism. | 0:33:03 | 0:33:07 | |
There is some fantastic work done in society to help young people on the | 0:33:08 | 0:33:12 | |
autistic spectrum, and I pay tribute to a school in my constituency and | 0:33:13 | 0:33:15 | |
its counterparts around the country that do a fantastic job working with | 0:33:16 | 0:33:22 | |
young people. I would say to him that as a government we have looked | 0:33:23 | 0:33:27 | |
more money into education, more money into the support we provide | 0:33:28 | 0:33:32 | |
for people with disabilities, and there is enormously good work being | 0:33:33 | 0:33:39 | |
done around the country. The Leader of the House may be aware that the | 0:33:40 | 0:33:44 | |
new leader furnished hospital in Henley has now reopened and treated | 0:33:45 | 0:33:49 | |
its first patient. Would he agree to have a debate on the future of | 0:33:50 | 0:33:52 | |
community and local hospitals will be can reinforce the message that | 0:33:53 | 0:33:58 | |
this clear is in the best interest of patients? I remember when I was | 0:33:59 | 0:34:05 | |
helping with the campaign to get my honourable friend elected for the | 0:34:06 | 0:34:08 | |
first time, so I am the weighted to see that the work he has done since | 0:34:09 | 0:34:13 | |
then has come to fruition and his town has a great new facility. On | 0:34:14 | 0:34:17 | |
Tuesday he will have the opportunity to tell the Secretary of State how | 0:34:18 | 0:34:20 | |
much difference it will make to his constituency. Given that recesses | 0:34:21 | 0:34:29 | |
approaching, the upcoming regulations that will deprive | 0:34:30 | 0:34:33 | |
550,000 overseas pensioners will be enacted when we return to this | 0:34:34 | 0:34:37 | |
House. Will the government bring forward a debate to allow us to | 0:34:38 | 0:34:44 | |
consider this? This issue has been raised on many occasions, and when | 0:34:45 | 0:34:52 | |
these pensions were moved, they were aware of the arrangements. It would | 0:34:53 | 0:34:55 | |
cost many hundreds of millions to sort this out. The government has no | 0:34:56 | 0:35:09 | |
plans to do so. Could the Leader of the House seek that Treasury | 0:35:10 | 0:35:18 | |
Minister attends the chamber to discuss the decision about Lloyds | 0:35:19 | 0:35:24 | |
bank to redeem notes early rather than waiting until they reached | 0:35:25 | 0:35:30 | |
maturity? We will have the debate over the next three days in the | 0:35:31 | 0:35:34 | |
budget, -- on the budget, and we will discuss this. The Chief | 0:35:35 | 0:35:39 | |
secretary will be here on Tuesday to make sure he raises the point. I | 0:35:40 | 0:35:47 | |
welcomed the Prime Minister's statement about universal superfast | 0:35:48 | 0:35:53 | |
broadband. That was a few months ago. Can we have a debate in | 0:35:54 | 0:35:58 | |
government time so we can see the mechanisms for it going forward? We | 0:35:59 | 0:36:02 | |
are all in favour of it, it should be debated, we should know exactly | 0:36:03 | 0:36:06 | |
what to do, and I could offer Anglesey as a pilot scheme. It is a | 0:36:07 | 0:36:12 | |
priority for the government to provide superfast broadband and | 0:36:13 | 0:36:19 | |
connectivity to all rural areas. I would want to see Anglesey included | 0:36:20 | 0:36:23 | |
in that. We have made good progress, we have got as far as any other | 0:36:24 | 0:36:28 | |
country in Europe in developing modern communication networks, but | 0:36:29 | 0:36:35 | |
there is work to do. In the last Parliament, the government tasked | 0:36:36 | 0:36:40 | |
the Law Commission with drafting a wildlife Bill. That may -- they have | 0:36:41 | 0:36:49 | |
done. Could he say when such legislation might come forward? We | 0:36:50 | 0:36:57 | |
cannot give advanced notice of what will be in the Queens speech in May, | 0:36:58 | 0:37:03 | |
but I have spoken to the ministers involved, who tell me they are | 0:37:04 | 0:37:06 | |
looking at the issue carefully and have to respond over the course of | 0:37:07 | 0:37:10 | |
this year, and Law Commission bills are normally given a parliamentary | 0:37:11 | 0:37:15 | |
slot, but I cannot commit to an exact timetable. Yesterday the | 0:37:16 | 0:37:21 | |
government claimed to be on the side of both the workers and the Next | 0:37:22 | 0:37:24 | |
Generation. Could be there for half action beyond the rhetoric and have | 0:37:25 | 0:37:28 | |
an urgent debate on the irony that workers aged under 25 are excluded | 0:37:29 | 0:37:33 | |
from the government's new national living wage? The evidence we are on | 0:37:34 | 0:37:40 | |
the side of workers and young people is in the number of apprenticeships, | 0:37:41 | 0:37:46 | |
the deep crease in the number of unemployed junk people, we are | 0:37:47 | 0:37:48 | |
making real progress. When I took over as employment Minister in 2010, | 0:37:49 | 0:37:54 | |
I regarded with some trepidation though sessions I had with six | 0:37:55 | 0:37:57 | |
formers and college students talking about their future prospects. I | 0:37:58 | 0:38:03 | |
would not have such trepidation today. They have business | 0:38:04 | 0:38:09 | |
investment, opportunities. It is a transformed picture compared to six | 0:38:10 | 0:38:15 | |
years ago. For the last two decades, the level of transport | 0:38:16 | 0:38:18 | |
infrastructure spend in London has dwarfed that of the regions. Perhaps | 0:38:19 | 0:38:23 | |
in the region of ten to one. That the government has come forward to | 0:38:24 | 0:38:29 | |
build Crossrail two, which so far has received no scrutiny in this | 0:38:30 | 0:38:34 | |
House. Could we have a debate in government time regarding this? He | 0:38:35 | 0:38:43 | |
is right to talk about the need to provide balance across the country | 0:38:44 | 0:38:47 | |
in investment and infrastructure. But if we look back at the years of | 0:38:48 | 0:38:50 | |
Labour government can do project that sat on the shelf, they are | 0:38:51 | 0:39:11 | |
being built. -- project that sat on the shelf, they are now being built, | 0:39:12 | 0:39:13 | |
which I did not see happening when the opposition were in power. Can we | 0:39:14 | 0:39:21 | |
have a debate on the withdrawal of mobility cars, which is preventing | 0:39:22 | 0:39:28 | |
disabled people carrying out jobs they have secured. Does it make any | 0:39:29 | 0:39:32 | |
sense to put disabled people out of work in this way? There will be | 0:39:33 | 0:39:40 | |
debates on the budget and on any changes in the welfare system, but I | 0:39:41 | 0:39:44 | |
will remind him that it is important for government to ensure we provide | 0:39:45 | 0:39:47 | |
support with that is needed, when it is needed, but we also get the best | 0:39:48 | 0:39:54 | |
value for taxpayers money. Trees are important to us all, some might say | 0:39:55 | 0:40:01 | |
in transforming much of the hot air that we expend, but particularly | 0:40:02 | 0:40:13 | |
ancient trees are bio by the, and there are only 2% left in the | 0:40:14 | 0:40:20 | |
country. Bio diverse. Can we have a debate about the protection of | 0:40:21 | 0:40:23 | |
ancient woodland? We must protect ancient woodland and | 0:40:24 | 0:40:31 | |
also create woodlands for the future. One of the most exciting | 0:40:32 | 0:40:34 | |
developments over the last few years have been the Woodland Trust's plan | 0:40:35 | 0:40:40 | |
for new forests in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to | 0:40:41 | 0:40:42 | |
commemorate the centenary of the First World War by turning farmland | 0:40:43 | 0:40:47 | |
into a Forest that will be enjoyed by generations to come. My | 0:40:48 | 0:40:51 | |
honourable friend is right, we need to protect what we have got, but we | 0:40:52 | 0:40:54 | |
need to create the ancient woodlands of the future as well. I have yet to | 0:40:55 | 0:41:01 | |
hear a satisfactory response to previous pensions questions I have | 0:41:02 | 0:41:04 | |
asked. So it is no surprise that the government is trying to force | 0:41:05 | 0:41:07 | |
through operating regulations which will have a devastating impact on | 0:41:08 | 0:41:11 | |
fully paid-up UK pensioners living overseas. The government cannot keep | 0:41:12 | 0:41:14 | |
ignoring these groups of people who have done the right thing. Surely we | 0:41:15 | 0:41:18 | |
must have an urgent debate to allow this to be properly discussed. There | 0:41:19 | 0:41:24 | |
has just been a debate on the issue of women's pensions. But the | 0:41:25 | 0:41:27 | |
honourable lady does not accept is that we do not agree with her. My | 0:41:28 | 0:41:31 | |
view on the issue of women's pensions is that it is a difficult | 0:41:32 | 0:41:36 | |
one. Putting any transition in place is always difficult because someone | 0:41:37 | 0:41:40 | |
is always affected by the changes, but if we are to have an affordable | 0:41:41 | 0:41:44 | |
and fair pension system for the future, we have to put through some | 0:41:45 | 0:41:48 | |
of these changes and sometimes not make changes, even though people may | 0:41:49 | 0:41:56 | |
want them. Many of my constituents are concerned about post Office | 0:41:57 | 0:42:01 | |
plans to move their local branch, despite strong local objections. | 0:42:02 | 0:42:05 | |
Given that many such changes, good and bad, will be made by the Post | 0:42:06 | 0:42:09 | |
Office in constituencies across the country in the coming years, can we | 0:42:10 | 0:42:12 | |
have a debate on the post office's approach to its branch modernisation | 0:42:13 | 0:42:17 | |
programme and on its approach to consultation and taking into | 0:42:18 | 0:42:20 | |
consideration the views of local people? This is something that is | 0:42:21 | 0:42:25 | |
visible to members across the country. As my honourable friend | 0:42:26 | 0:42:29 | |
says, there has been a range of changes within the post office. I | 0:42:30 | 0:42:33 | |
would say that at least this is about upgrading post offices. We | 0:42:34 | 0:42:39 | |
have often battled to save post offices from closures. Now there is | 0:42:40 | 0:42:43 | |
an opportunity for them. We have seen sadly in the past, the | 0:42:44 | 0:42:46 | |
disappearance of many local bank branches. Of course, the post office | 0:42:47 | 0:42:50 | |
offers an alternative to many small businesses and I hope that will help | 0:42:51 | 0:42:53 | |
secure its future in many communities. This probably does not | 0:42:54 | 0:42:59 | |
need a debate, but this morning my question to DEFRA was | 0:43:00 | 0:43:02 | |
unceremoniously dumped by the department. Could the Leader of the | 0:43:03 | 0:43:07 | |
House looked at the possibility of ensuring that when such a thing | 0:43:08 | 0:43:14 | |
happens, that the department contact the table office rather than letting | 0:43:15 | 0:43:17 | |
them know by letter, which I only received yesterday? The honourable | 0:43:18 | 0:43:25 | |
lady once a statement on the matter. I am happy to give her a short one. | 0:43:26 | 0:43:29 | |
The question concerned was transferred between departments | 0:43:30 | 0:43:32 | |
because it was judged to be the best place for the question to be | 0:43:33 | 0:43:36 | |
answered. I have ensured that her question will be answered today. I | 0:43:37 | 0:43:40 | |
do think the department concerned did the right thing in telling her | 0:43:41 | 0:43:43 | |
that, but I will pass on the message that they might consider telling the | 0:43:44 | 0:43:51 | |
table office as well. Can we have a debate on inward investment? This | 0:43:52 | 0:43:54 | |
will give the House the opportunity to consider the announcements in the | 0:43:55 | 0:43:59 | |
past few days from Avon products, who intend to move their worldwide | 0:44:00 | 0:44:03 | |
headquarters from the United States of America to the UK, and from the | 0:44:04 | 0:44:08 | |
South African owned company who plan to create 6000 jobs in South Wales. | 0:44:09 | 0:44:18 | |
Those are two really good announcements which we welcome. | 0:44:19 | 0:44:24 | |
Given all the pressures in the steel industry, we want to see as many new | 0:44:25 | 0:44:27 | |
investments in Wales as possible. The honourable gentleman says it is | 0:44:28 | 0:44:32 | |
labour. Actually, it is because this government made the UK a strong | 0:44:33 | 0:44:35 | |
place for international businesses to invest. We also saw the decision | 0:44:36 | 0:44:41 | |
to build a new factory to build Aston Martin cars in south Wales. It | 0:44:42 | 0:44:46 | |
is reassuring to see that even in a difficult time internationally, the | 0:44:47 | 0:44:52 | |
UK is still seen as a strong place for international investment in the | 0:44:53 | 0:45:00 | |
long term. As of today, 78 members of this house, from seven parties | 0:45:01 | 0:45:06 | |
including the government party, have signed an EDM seeking to know a | 0:45:07 | 0:45:08 | |
statutory instrument freezing pensions. Regulations that deprive | 0:45:09 | 0:45:16 | |
overseas pensioners of blue uprating adjustment to their state pension | 0:45:17 | 0:45:19 | |
have been forced through this House without a debate. Will the | 0:45:20 | 0:45:22 | |
government hid the cross-party initiative to annul this revelation | 0:45:23 | 0:45:25 | |
and bring forward a debate urgently to assess the devastating impact | 0:45:26 | 0:45:29 | |
these changes will have on UK pensioners living abroad and perhaps | 0:45:30 | 0:45:32 | |
this time, he might answer the question. I have answered the | 0:45:33 | 0:45:38 | |
question. I have been the work and pensions minister and have looked at | 0:45:39 | 0:45:41 | |
this issue before. The government has no intention of changing the | 0:45:42 | 0:45:45 | |
current situation. The cost of doing so would be enormous and the | 0:45:46 | 0:45:48 | |
situation these pensioners face has been in place for decades. Horlick | 0:45:49 | 0:45:54 | |
nationwide Limited are a recruitment business in rugby who have developed | 0:45:55 | 0:46:00 | |
IT software to much HGV drivers with haulage contractors. Last year, the | 0:46:01 | 0:46:05 | |
NHS spent 3.3 billion on agency staff and ministers are working to | 0:46:06 | 0:46:09 | |
reduce this figure. The owner of Katmai College believes he can match | 0:46:10 | 0:46:12 | |
available medical staff with hospital trusts and has outed | 0:46:13 | 0:46:16 | |
talking to the NHS innovations team. May we have a debate to consider how | 0:46:17 | 0:46:20 | |
companies in the private sector can share innovative ideas with the | 0:46:21 | 0:46:24 | |
public sector? My honourable friend talks about what sounds like a very | 0:46:25 | 0:46:29 | |
interesting opportunity. One of the tragedies of the argument that comes | 0:46:30 | 0:46:33 | |
particularly from those benches about removing the private sector | 0:46:34 | 0:46:37 | |
from the NHS is that we would lose the opportunity to see that kind of | 0:46:38 | 0:46:49 | |
innovation. People in my constituency of Halifax are under | 0:46:50 | 0:46:53 | |
pressure and facing hospital reconfiguration. We understand that | 0:46:54 | 0:46:57 | |
pharmacies are facing a cut of 6%, which the government expects will | 0:46:58 | 0:47:01 | |
see up to 3000 closed nationally. Can we have a debate to discuss the | 0:47:02 | 0:47:05 | |
role of pharmacies, the role they play in alleviating the pressures on | 0:47:06 | 0:47:09 | |
GP surgeries and our A departments and how those pressures would get | 0:47:10 | 0:47:12 | |
worse if we saw up to 3000 closed nationwide? I know this is an issue | 0:47:13 | 0:47:19 | |
of concern. The government is sticking to ensure we use the money | 0:47:20 | 0:47:22 | |
we have as effectively as possible, that we are funding the right mix of | 0:47:23 | 0:47:27 | |
pharmacies. We want to see pharmacies in all those communities | 0:47:28 | 0:47:31 | |
where they are required. I have no doubt this will be brought before | 0:47:32 | 0:47:35 | |
the House in due course. The minister responsible, my honourable | 0:47:36 | 0:47:40 | |
friend for North East Bedfordshire, is sensitive to the concerns she has | 0:47:41 | 0:47:43 | |
raised and he will seek to do the right thing in making sure we have a | 0:47:44 | 0:47:47 | |
balance between spending money wisely and maintaining the right mix | 0:47:48 | 0:47:53 | |
of pharmacy services. Will the Leader of the House make time for a | 0:47:54 | 0:47:56 | |
debate on the effect of sodium valproate, a drug given to treat | 0:47:57 | 0:48:01 | |
epilepsy and other neurological conditions, but which has an impact | 0:48:02 | 0:48:06 | |
on unborn babies? My constituent is campaigning for years following the | 0:48:07 | 0:48:12 | |
birth of her two sons, who were affected by this drug, which is | 0:48:13 | 0:48:17 | |
still being prescribed today. This is obviously a difficult and | 0:48:18 | 0:48:20 | |
sensitive issue. I don't know enough about the drug, but I will make sure | 0:48:21 | 0:48:25 | |
the Health Secretary is aware of the concerns she has raised. He is here | 0:48:26 | 0:48:28 | |
next week and I would ask her to consider bringing it up with health | 0:48:29 | 0:48:36 | |
minister is then as well. I previously asked the Leader of the | 0:48:37 | 0:48:39 | |
House if this House would have a debate on the disproportionate size | 0:48:40 | 0:48:42 | |
of the House of Lords compared to the House of Commons, but it was | 0:48:43 | 0:48:45 | |
dismissed, so I will try again. Can we have a debate on the role of a | 0:48:46 | 0:48:50 | |
bicameral parliament in a representative moxie in the 21st | 0:48:51 | 0:48:53 | |
century in order to consider whether it is appropriate that more than | 0:48:54 | 0:48:57 | |
half of the members of the UK Parliament are appointed by the | 0:48:58 | 0:49:00 | |
Prime Minister, rather than elected by the people? Last week, I remember | 0:49:01 | 0:49:05 | |
that the party opposite were praising the House of Lords for one | 0:49:06 | 0:49:08 | |
of the votes they had passed through. Right now, this country has | 0:49:09 | 0:49:15 | |
greater priorities than sorting out changing and reforming the House of | 0:49:16 | 0:49:23 | |
Lords. The Leader of the House didn't and so one of the points | 0:49:24 | 0:49:27 | |
raised by the honourable member for Perth and North Perthshire. There is | 0:49:28 | 0:49:30 | |
an amendment on the order paper today timetabled by colleagues from | 0:49:31 | 0:49:37 | |
Berwick-upon-Tweed, asking as a Budget amendment to remove the | 0:49:38 | 0:49:41 | |
tampon tax. Will he support this in solidarity with members Brexit women | 0:49:42 | 0:49:48 | |
across the country? Of course, the imposition of VAT on women's | 0:49:49 | 0:49:51 | |
sanitary products is a matter for the European Commission. We have | 0:49:52 | 0:49:54 | |
made representations as a government and are expecting a response | 0:49:55 | 0:49:57 | |
shortly. I hope the commission will agree with every person in this | 0:49:58 | 0:50:01 | |
House that this tax is inappropriate. If no one has yet | 0:50:02 | 0:50:10 | |
done so, may I wish you, Mr Speaker, with a certain amount of Irish blood | 0:50:11 | 0:50:17 | |
in me, a happy St Patrick's Day to you and a whole House? Mr Speaker, | 0:50:18 | 0:50:21 | |
it is unacceptable that this government should choose to do | 0:50:22 | 0:50:25 | |
nothing, not even allow a debate on the hugely important issue of the | 0:50:26 | 0:50:28 | |
uprating regulations of state pensions. It will affect half a | 0:50:29 | 0:50:36 | |
million or more overseas pensioners and will lead to them having their | 0:50:37 | 0:50:40 | |
pensions frozen. The Leader of the House is aware that this is due in | 0:50:41 | 0:50:44 | |
to come into force while this House is in recess, and given the depth of | 0:50:45 | 0:50:50 | |
feeling across this House, surely this is an issue worthy of an urgent | 0:50:51 | 0:50:55 | |
debate? This issue has been considered many times over the | 0:50:56 | 0:50:58 | |
years. The government position on it has not changed. The First Minister | 0:50:59 | 0:51:08 | |
of Scotland is committed to not 95 or any other figure, but 100% | 0:51:09 | 0:51:12 | |
coverage for superfast broadband for Scotland. Given that the UK controls | 0:51:13 | 0:51:17 | |
the regulations over mobile signals, can we have a debate on how the UK | 0:51:18 | 0:51:21 | |
Government might achieve that for mobile signals across the UK? We are | 0:51:22 | 0:51:28 | |
working to achieve that and we are looking ahead to the reduction of | 0:51:29 | 0:51:32 | |
five GN this country. I wait with interest to see how successful the | 0:51:33 | 0:51:38 | |
First Minister of Scotland is, having made a substantial promise. | 0:51:39 | 0:51:42 | |
Some of her promises in the past have not come to fruition. This | 0:51:43 | 0:51:49 | |
House rightly celebrates community champions. One group organised a | 0:51:50 | 0:51:58 | |
lunch for disabled people who would otherwise have spent Christmas Day | 0:51:59 | 0:52:02 | |
on their own. Isolation affects millions. Can I ask if we can debate | 0:52:03 | 0:52:10 | |
this serious issue? It is clearly a big challenge for our society and | 0:52:11 | 0:52:14 | |
something that can only be dealt with in local communities and by the | 0:52:15 | 0:52:17 | |
kind of work he has described, which I praise. As he will know, I have | 0:52:18 | 0:52:23 | |
suggested to the backbench business community that they might set aside | 0:52:24 | 0:52:29 | |
a day for the whole House to debate the work of voluntary sector groups | 0:52:30 | 0:52:32 | |
that can make such a difference to people like those he describes. | 0:52:33 | 0:52:40 | |
Given the well-known views of the Leader of the House on matters | 0:52:41 | 0:52:44 | |
European, can I urge him to come to the aid of the thousands of UK | 0:52:45 | 0:52:49 | |
citizens living in the EU who face being deprived of their pension | 0:52:50 | 0:52:56 | |
upgrade, a move which is not even going to be discussed in this House? | 0:52:57 | 0:53:01 | |
And I urge him to overcome the European democratic deficit and | 0:53:02 | 0:53:09 | |
organise such a debate? That does not apply in the EU. On that same | 0:53:10 | 0:53:16 | |
theme, apart from the general unfairness of the frozen pensions, | 0:53:17 | 0:53:19 | |
analysis has shown that the frozen pensions prevent some pensioners | 0:53:20 | 0:53:25 | |
from emigrating and forces others to return to the country. So reversing | 0:53:26 | 0:53:30 | |
that would save money on health, welfare and housing, which should | 0:53:31 | 0:53:34 | |
appeal to the Leader of the House. Therefore, I will try again. Can we | 0:53:35 | 0:53:39 | |
have a debate on this? I am not of the view that government policy | 0:53:40 | 0:53:43 | |
should be about getting pensioners to move to other countries. The | 0:53:44 | 0:53:51 | |
Leader of the House wrote to me on the 24th of February in relation to | 0:53:52 | 0:53:58 | |
the issue of the pension fund of employees of the Commonwealth War | 0:53:59 | 0:54:02 | |
Graves Commission and said to me on the 24th of February that no | 0:54:03 | 0:54:06 | |
decision had been made. Yet on the 29th of February, ministers had said | 0:54:07 | 0:54:09 | |
a final decision was made in September. Could the Leader of the | 0:54:10 | 0:54:14 | |
House provide a statement as to why he gave such inaccurate information? | 0:54:15 | 0:54:18 | |
I would not have made that comment without having been told by the | 0:54:19 | 0:54:21 | |
Ministry of Defence that that was the case, so I will have to ask them | 0:54:22 | 0:54:27 | |
to respond to him. Order. Statement, the Secretary of State for Wales. | 0:54:28 | 0:54:36 | |
Secretary Stephen Crabb. I will make a statement on the publication of | 0:54:37 | 0:54:40 | |
the report of the mercury view. On the 5th of November 2012, the Prime | 0:54:41 | 0:54:45 | |
Minister announced the stubs of an independent review into the scope | 0:54:46 | 0:54:49 | |
and conduct of Sir Ronald Waterhouse inquiry into allegations of child | 0:54:50 | 0:54:53 | |
abuse in care homes include between 1974 and 1990. We are talking about | 0:54:54 | 0:55:01 | |
dark and shameful events that are stain on our nation. These were | 0:55:02 | 0:55:05 | |
children in the care of the state because they were vulnerable and the | 0:55:06 | 0:55:06 | |
state let them down. Our first thought will always be the | 0:55:07 | 0:55:19 | |
victims, supporting them in bringing the perpetrators to justice. A | 0:55:20 | 0:55:21 |