08/12/2016 Business Questions

friend the Leader of the House the honourable gentleman's comments.

THE SPEAKER: Business question. Could the Leader of the House give

us the business. Mr Speaker, the us the business. Mr Speaker, the

business for the next week will be as follows, Monday, 12th December,

remaining stages of the savings Government contributions Bill.

Followed by a debate on a motion relating to the welfare cap.

Tuesday, 13th December, remaining stages of the neighbourhood planning

Bill. Wednesday, 14th December, an opposition day. 16th allotted day.

There will be two debates, the first entitled the disproportionate

negative effect of the Government's Autumn Statement and budgetary

measures on women. Followed by a debate on homelessness. Both debates

will arise on opposition motions. Followed by a motion to approve a

statutory instrument relating to counter-terrorism. Thursday, 15th

December, a debate on a motion on the creation of a commercial

financial dispute resolution platform. Followed by a general

debate on broadband Universal Service Obligation. The subjects for

both these debates were determined by the backbench Business Committee.

Friday, 16th December, Private Members' Bills. The provisional

business for the week commencing 19th December, will include Monday,

19th December, a general debate on exiting the EU and science and

research. Tuesday, 20th December, a debate on a backbench business

motion subject to be confirmed by the committee. Followed by a general

debate on matters to be raised before the forthcoming adjournment.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I thank the Leader of the House for coming

to the House today. He had a very busy week. It almost reminds me of

what Margaret Thatcher said that everyone needs a Willie Whitelaw and

he is rapidly becoming the Willie Whitelaw of this Government. He is

there when everyone needs him. The Leader of the House published the

dates for Easter May Day and Whitsun. Can I push him for one more

date? He failed to say when the House was going to rise on the final

recess, the summer recess. Some people are suggesting it is 20th

July, but I'm not sure if it is or not. Yesterday, Mr Speaker, the

Government finally accepted they needed a plan, a strategy, a

framework. The Leader of the House may have

said that the Opposition were quarrelling like mutiny on the

team, a genre I'm sure the British team, a genre I'm sure the British

Film Institute are thinking where Film Institute are thinking where

does this fall? Can I remind the Leader of the House it was 40

Government MPs who were going to vote on the Opposition motion which

then resulted in the Prime Minister from Bahrain to concede to the

Labour motion and where was the Terrence la and the spider was

missing too! As ever, Mr Speaker the message is confused. We have the

Chancellor saying we're going to be out of Europe, but actually we're

going to be in Europe, but we're paying for it, so we're out and then

we're in. In sounds like Government hokey-cokey and it is con excusing

for earn. Even our farmers so could we have a debate on the effect of

exiting the EU which is causing concern to our farmers? In 2014 the

UK exported ?12.8 billion of products to the EU which is 73% of

our total agri food exports. Could we have a response to the letter to

the Prime Minister signed by 75 organisations asking for the

tariff-free access to the single market and a competent, reliable

workforce? They want protection. For food safety, security and hygiene

and proper Stewartship of our countryside and they say affordable

food is at risk if ministers fail to deliver access to labour and best

possible single market access. Could we have a debate on the report into

opportunity and integration? If this Government is serious about

opportunity integration in this country, they would reverse the ?45

million cuts to ESOL. I know of a learner under ESOL who learned

English and learnt to drive and became a driving instructor and oh,

she just happened to be a Muslim woman. Members can find examples

where people have taken their opportunities under ESOL. Could the

Leader of the House ensure the Government restores grants to local

authorities so libraries, community facilities, the provision of skills,

training, prevention work with families are not cut and restore the

migration impact fund set-up by the former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.

That was cut by the coalition Government in 2010. The Conservative

manifesto put it in in 2015 called controlling migration fund. OK, they

can change the name, but they have not introduced it. We need to

support our schools and ensure that the equalities and Human Rights

Commission remains funded. Independent and is able to

scrutinise the equality impact of policies and legislation.

As we celebrate Human Rights Day, Mr Speaker, on 10th December, could we

have a debate on protecting the Human Rights Act? It is an important

piece of legislation. The United Nations declaration became the

European Convention on Human Rights and some argued it was a moral code,

but had no legal obligations, but the Human Rights Act gives it that.

It gives it legal force. Because every right that was incorporated Mr

Speaker into the Human Rights Act was systematically violated during

the Second World Warment could I ask the lead are of the House to follow

up on the PM's request to my honourable friend for Hampstead and

kill burn to secure the release of a British national who is imprisoned

in Iran. If the Foreign Secretary is too busy trying to learn who his

counterparts are, perhaps we can ask for the help of the United States

who signed that agreement. That's why we need to the Human Rights Act

to protect basic freedoms every day, everywhere. I understand there were

two near misses on the electrical overload on the site. We cannot turn

off the lights and it is to the down to our fault. I wonder if the leader

can update us on that? The member for Strangford and your chaplain,

both received awards this week. The whole Parliamentary family

acknowledges and congratulates them. Mr Speaker, as for hrge's op s, yes

we will be carrying on. We will be carrying on regardless, trying to

secure, wait for it, trying to secure economic and social justice

on behalf of all the British people. THE SPEAKER: The Leader of the

House. Can I first of all join in the congratulations to you and to

the chaplain for the recent awards? Can I wish the honourable lady

opposite many happy returns of yesterday. We will try and give the

summer recess dates as soon as we can, but it is not usual for those

to be announced at this stage in the Parliamentary year.

And I did look into the question of the lights after her question last

week. My understanding from the House authorities is that there was

a serious fault in what is frankly an obsolete electrical circuit

system there. They hoped to have had the repairs done during the course

of this week, but I will ask the relevant executive in the House

service to write to the honourable lady to let her know the latest

details on that. Now, in terms of the other matters. I mean, when she

said carry on regardless, she did rather sort of provide the

description herself. I'm tempted to sort of indicate the cast list that

I have in mind! I'm going to astew that particular temptation. If I can

turn to the policy questions that she put to me. I mean, I think, what

was very striking about the vote last night was that for the first

time the Opposition frontbench and most, but not all of Labour members

of Parliament, accepted the Prime Minister's timetable to trigger

Article 50 by the end of March 2017. And given that the Shadow Foreign

Secretary had said as recently as September that we ought to go back

to the people before taking a final decision to leave the EU, that

suggests a possibly welcome change of heart on the part of the

Opposition. I hope it is genuine and sustained. On her points about the

impact of leaving the EU on the food and farming sector, I mean, this is

indeed a very important aspect of the forthcoming negotiation. The

food and farming sector is a major employer, a major contribution to

the United Kingdom GDP and many of its chief export markets are in

other EU countries. So the Government is consulting very

closely with the NFU and the CLA and other organisations, the Food and

Drink Federation and so on about the approach that will ensure their

interests are strongly represented in those negotiations.

Clearly the issue of Labour is going to be part of that as well as the

access to markets. I would see that I do think the opposition has to

acknowledge, as one or two of their banks, who served in ministerial

office in the past, have said publicly, that it is hard to see the

vote on June the 23rd is being evoked that would allow the

continuation of free movement of Labour as it currently exists. It

seemed to me from my experience, both looking at opinion polls and

talking to people during the campaign, that that question of

migration was very much in the forefront of their minds when they

came to vote in the referendum. On the other points she made, she

alluded to the KC report earlier this week about integration. I think

it highlighted some important and deep-seated social challenges. I can

trade statistics about money spent on teaching English as a second

language, and I don't want to dig drive the importance of making sure

that people who arrive in this country learn English as a matter of

priority, because without that, you cannot really play a full part in

the mainstream of society, but what I hope to see coming out of the

report will be a conversation and a growing, shared understanding a

cross-party political lines and around the country, about the fact

that these problems are not ones that are capable of solution by an

act of Parliament or a ministerial speech or a tweak to spending

programme here and there. We are talking about the problem of self

segregation of communities that have quite deep cultural roots. And we

have to work out locally and nationally how those can best be

addressed. She made a few points about other items of spending. I

have to say to the opposition that they cannot both attacked the

government for not moving quickly enough to reduce the deficit, while

at the same time criticising every action that is designed to obtain

savings and pay that deficit down. And frankly, we are having to take

tough decisions now because of the feeling of housekeeping of Labour

ministers when they were in charge here. On human rights, we have the

proud tradition in deed of human rights in this country. But that

tradition was strong and existed long before the Human Rights Act of

1988. There was no magic to that piece of legislation. This

government is committed to keeping human rights at the forefront of all

our policies. I agree on the importance of that particular case

mentioned and I hope the government in Iran will show mercy towards

higher and bear in mind the fact that her little daughter has been

separated from her parents for so long. British ministers and British

officials are doing everything they can on behalf of the family to try

and bring this case to the outcome we all wish to see. The Royal Bank

of Scotland have announced their latest round of NatWest branch

closures, which will have an impact in my constituency, along with many

of my colleagues. In Rochester alone, this commercial town will be

left with only one bank remaining in the centre. This has been a running

theme across the country, in which we have seen half the number of bank

branches reduced. Will the government make time for a debate on

the wider impact of these closures on the elderly, disabled, small

businesses and retailers, who rely on these very important services. I

completely understand why she is speaking out so strongly on behalf

of both domestic bank customers and businesses in her constituency. Of

course, what the banks will say is that more and more of us, both as

individuals and businesses, are moving to online banking services,

which therefore reduces the viability of the branch network.

These are ultimately commercial decisions for the banks, but I hope

very much that when bank directors and managers think about the impact

of a closure on a particular time, that they will take very carefully

into account the wider question of the impact on communities and

particularly on those people and businesses who cannot simply go to

an online service to provide them with banking services which are

essential to their needs. Can I thank the leader of the house for

announcing business for next week? It is good to see him back in his

more familiar habitat of business questions after his exertions

yesterday at Prime Minister's Questions. Such was his stellar

performance, several of us were thinking of him as a future Prime

Minister. Now we have the red, white and blue Brexit. After the killing

in of the Labour Party yesterday, meekly following the government

agenda, it will be the red, white and blue Brexit versus the tartan

Remain. After the Labour Party more or less caving in to article 50, why

does Jeremy not just bring through a proper vote. -- why does he not just

bring through a proper vote. The government's top legal officer in

Scotland told us that the convention was merely a political act and that

this house can't simply override the views of Scotland. I remember

speaking on it at length and the Tories 40 against every single

amendment be put forward. But I recall a debate that said the

convention would be in statute. This shows a massive disrespect to the

views of Scotland. Let me hear the government views on this. This week,

the House of Lords had a debate on the size of the House of Lords. It

was like watching turkeys voting on the size of the Christmas pens. When

will we have a similar opportunity? I think I'm grateful to him for his

opening remarks. I always think it's very dangerous territory when you

are being praised by a senior opposition spokesman in that way. I

would just say to him on the point is that he makes about Europe, that

we must not forget that 40% of the population in Scotland did actually

bought to leave. I can assure him that the government is going to be,

yes, looking for a Brexit that is red, white and blue, but that

pattern includes the flag of Saint Andrew, and the saltire's interests

will be very much in our minds throughout those negotiations. We

have just established a new government committee along with the

three devolved administrations, cheered by the Secretary of State

for exiting the EU, to make sure the three devolved administrations have

access regularly and access it misses a level to those leading the

negotiations on behalf of of the UK, and their interests are fully taken

into account and understood. He questioned me about the court case.

I'm not going to comment on ongoing judicial proceedings, but simply to

see this, that the High Court Judgment Day to raise important

questions about the scope of prerogative powers and the

relationship between the executive and the legislature, which we

believe needs to be decided through the appeal to the Supreme Court. And

the High Court decision required not just a resolution to be passed by

both Houses of Parliament, but it should wired primary legislation. As

I've said before, we have two week the Supreme Court's decision, but

the ministerial code and the civil service code or oblige the

government at all times to obey the rule of law. Thank you for giving me

two bites at the Cherry and apologies were standing at the wrong

time earlier, which goes to show this place is quite confusing to get

used to, but thank you very much for being so generous. The floods of

2013 were absolutely devastating in Somerset, and my constituency

covered half of the area. The Somerset Rivers Authority was

established to do with flood resilience. David Cameron and his

secretary for the environment gave assurances that this authority would

be funded with the preset to go on the council tax bills. Could he give

me a assurances that the legal framework for this is being

established? I think anyone who remembers the TV coverage of those

dreadful floods in Somerset will understand why this was such a

searing experience, honourable friend's constituents. The

government house, of course, given additional funding to the local

authorities directly affected, so that they can make the necessary

provision for future flood management. What she now calls for

is for that sum of money to be ring fenced and handed over to the

precept be new statutory Rivers authority. We would intend to

legislate as soon as Parliamentary time is available. The leader will

be aware that on Monday and Tuesday of this week, the house rose

somewhat earlier than scheduled, as business had come to an end. I know

the reader does not have a crystal ball. I wonder if we can work

together to possibly schedule reserve backbench business debates

in the future. Members would accept that if government business run to

time, that those reserved matters would fall, but it would be useful

to have reserve backbench business debates for such eventualities in

the future. One of my constituents came from Pakistan, where he had

witnessed a double murder for which the perpetrator was imprisoned in

2004. The murderer was released after six years and my constituents

led to this country in 2012, when other witnesses to the original

crime were themselves murdered. The perpetrator had then become the

mayor of the region. Since 2012, my constituent has been wrongfully

accused and convicted in absentia of crimes he couldn't have committed

because he was using this country. The Home Office accept all of this

as fact, but have determined to send him back to face almost certain

death in Pakistan. Can I employed the leader of the house to urge Home

Office ministers to urgently review this case, in the name of British

values of fairness, justice and mercy. -- can I implore. I am happy

to have a discussion with him about that possibility, though it is

acknowledged in the way he framed the question, it's very difficult

for government business managers to understand in advance how much time

members from different opposition parties or our own backbenchers, are

going to want to spend debating particular amendments on report

dated how many divisions they will seek. As far as the constituency

cases concerned, I don't know the details of the individual case, I

will ask the Home Secretary to look into it, as he asks. In secondary

schools, the ones that are good or outstanding in the north-west has

increased by 3% in comparison to the national increase of 13%. Can we

have a debate to ask which measures we can put in place to support nor

the working-class boys and girls so that they can achieve their full

potential? I'd put him towards education questions on the 19th of

December, but the point he makes today is one which echoes the

argument made a speech earlier this week by Sir Michael Wilshaw, whereby

the two attention to the gap in achievement between northern and

southern England and called for a much more resolute, determined

exertion of leadership within schools, local authorities and other

agencies in the north to drive standards up. And I am sure my

honourable friend will do all he can to champion that effort.

The Secretary of State is doing anything other than making a huge

mess of our managing our railways. Southern Thameslink manage great

northern that affects many thousands of my constituents. This is the

largest franchise that is let by the Department of Transport and if

northern franzs is going to go the way of Southern which looks to be

the case, then we have a further, even greater disaster on our hands.

Can we have an urgent debate in this chamber on these train services that

affect people north and south of this capital city that the Secretary

of State himself will attend? The Secretary of State for Transport did

respond to an urgent question earlier this week on these matters.

He has always felt that local authorities and MPs should have an

appropriate say in local train service and I understand the point

the honourable lady is making, but it is the case that a lot of

suburban commuter services also serve communities in the Home

Counties. My own included and to place the entire lead role in the

hands of the Mayor of London and TfL would remove from my constituents

and those elsewhere in the Home Counties any kind of democratic

accountability for the management of their train services and the setting

of budgetary priority. It is a more complex question than some of the

critics of my honourable friend have been prepared to acknowledge. Can I

just gunshotly say to the Leader of the House actually the work done by

the honourable member for Suffolk Coast I think it is is over this

rivers authority is proving fruitful. I think the point that my

honourable friend for Taunton Dean who is not in her place, was trying

to make, this is not Somerset. This is throughout the United Kingdom. We

need to have another look at whole way flooding is administered in this

country. It is not synonymous with Somerset or any other part, we do

need look at descenting and we need to look at the legislation and I

know the Secretary of State is looking at. Would it be possible to

have a debate to discuss the whole concept? I can't offer an immediate

debate in Government time, but there maybe opportunities for my

honourable friend to raise this perhaps in the debate before the

Christmas adjournment. But I can only repeat what I said to the

honourable member for Taunton Deane that the Government is committed to

the changes that my honourable friend is seeking and we will

legislate as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

In January the Secretary of State promised the then mayor for London

that south-eastern's rail services would transfer to Transport for

London when the franchise came up for renewal. He told the House that

he looked at Transport for London's business case and it wasn't going to

provide improvements to passengers in terms of capacity and extra

trains both of which were incorrect. We know now his true reason is

because he wrote to the former mayor for London in April state that he

had changed his mind because he would rather keep suburban rail

services out of the clutches of a Labour mayor.

That's politically partisan and brings no benefits from my

constituents who suffered yet again this morning of delays on that rail

service. We need that Secretary of State back here in this House to

account for the chaos that is happening on our rail services.

I understand why the honourable gentleman as a London member makes

that case so vehemently, but as I said a moment ago, there are

interests to be borne in mind of communities outside the Greater

London area who depend utterly on those same routes for their own

journeys to work and the Department for Transport is wanting to work

jointly with TfL to get the best deal for passengers both inside and

outside London. Thank you mrrks speaker. In recent

days there has been further media coverage about the risk of fires in

certain models of the Vauxhall Carsa, it is welcomed that the DVSA

are looking into this again, but could we have a statement from the

Transport Minister as to what the department are doing to co-ordinate

activities and reassure owners? I will make sure that my honourable

friend's concerns are understood by the appropriate minister at the

Department for Transport and should ask the minister to write to him as

soon as possible. When can we discuss the injuries suffered in

sport? We have a chance then to congratulate the Welsh and English

rugby unions who have reacted positively to the new medical

knowledge of the deadly long-term effect in early Alzheimer's to those

who suffer repeated bruise to the head and could we look at

suggestions made last week that what we need is international action

throughout the rugby world and the boxing world to recognise that

practise has been tolerated for a long time and should no longer may

these sports acceptable to younger generations. It is right that it

should be for the sport's governing bodies to take the lead on this and

I'm sure that they since they are so keen to recruit and young women to

those sports want to be able to say confidently that the rules that they

have in place do everything that can be done in terms of protecting the

safety of competitors. I will ensure that DCMS ministers are aware of his

comments and questions DCMS and including to the sports minister are

coming up on Thursday, 15th December.

Dementia carers don't have access to blue badges to help their charges K

we have a debate on this so carers can park much more clearly and

easily? My honourable school friend right to

highlight the importance of this issue and I'm sure he would wish to

join me in saluting the work of the Alzheimer's Society and the creation

of a network of more than one million dementia friends throughout

the United Kingdom. The Blue Badge Scheme already allows for carers to

use a Blue Badge when accompanying the badge holder so the carer in

those circumstances doesn't need a badge in his or her own right. It is

then up to local authorities to decide whether to have an additional

local permit parking scheme for carers on their own and I think

given the very different constraints on car park capacity and patterns of

travel between one local authority air why and another, it is right

that those decision should be taken locally.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Now, that he had a bit of time to think about it,

can we have a statement or debate on Jobcentre closures and particularly,

the area of the Smith agreement which says the UK Government and the

Scottish Government should work together to establish more formal

negotiations and perhaps we can explain or the Government can

explain to Glasgow's MPs and the Scottish Government why they had to

read in the press that our Jobcentres were going to be closed?

My understanding is that the existing pattern of provision in

Glasgow means that there are significantly more small separate

Jobcentres in that city than is the case in other large Scottish cities.

And what DWP is proposing to do and the consultation is now underway is

to reduce the overall numbers so that services can be concentrated in

locations that are still accessible to everyone in the city and provide

a better quality service to people who need access to Jobcentres in

person. One of the reasons why fewer people have been using individual

job Jobcentres in Glasgow is because unemployment has been falling

significantly and I would wish sometimes the honourable member

would acknowledge that in his question.

In a recent surgery two of my constituents described how members

of their family had their lives turned around for the better by the

work of the Burton Addiction Centre in Staffordshire. Could we have a

debate on the provision of drug and alcohol services in Staffordshire

which is set to be considerably reduced by reductions in spending

next year so that we can ensure that the experiences of constituents are

not, will continue to be positive? Well, my honourable friend always is

acidous in speaking up for the interests of his constituents in

Stafford, but it is local authorities who are responsible for

commissioning effective drug and alcohol prevention and treatment

services and those decisions are based on the authority's

understanding of local needs. We have health questions on Tuesday,

20th December which may give my honourable friend the opportunity to

raise these concerns directly with the Secretary of State. Thank you Mr

Speaker, can I join with others in congratulating the honourable member

for Strangford on his award. A fellow Leicester City supporter. Can

I congratulate you and Mrs Bercow on your 14th wedding anniversary which

was yesterday! I noticed that you were yawning a

couple of teumts this morning -- times this morning, so it must have

been a very good party and maybe that's why the lights are still on

today! Can I ask the Leader of the House

the Prime Minister returns or has returned from the Gulf where she met

various kings and other heads of state and the issue of Yemen must

have been discussed. Would he arrange for an early statement by

the Prime Minister on her discussions with the heads of

Government on the issue of Yemen where 80% of the population are

still in desperate need of humanitarian care and assistance? We

hear about Syria and Iraq a great deal in this House, but not enough

about Yemen. Could we have that statement, please? I'm happy to add

my congratulations to those that the Right Honourable member expressed

both to the honourable member for Strangford and to you and Mrs

Bercow. I think that anybody who saw ferg app Keane's report on the BBC

earlier this week about the situation in Yemen will have been

shocked and moved by the plight of so many families who are suffering

grievously, the Prime Minister did discuss Yemen amongst many other

issues with the Gulf leaders during her visit this week. The Government

is, of course, committing significant sums, ?100 million so

far committed for this year towards humanitarian relief in Yemen and

we're also part funding the office for the United Nations Special Envoy

on Yemen because ultimately it is only going to be through a political

settlement that we can bring an end to this conflict.

THE SPEAKER: We will hear about Yemen in the chamber next week.

I was delighted to hear there is to be a debate about broadband, but

discussions on broadband tend to focus on rural areas. I have got

nothing against rural areas, but there are pockets of urban areas

including areas of Cheltenham which are affected. There are specific

factors affecting urban areas, can we have a debate on the roll out of

super fast broadband in urban areas? I understand the point that my

honourable friend makes and the problems he has described in

Cheltenham is one that is experienced in spots in other towns

and cities. I know how frustrating this is for businesses and houses.

The Chancellor did announce in the Autumn Statement some additional

funds that are available to try to develop high-speed broadband

further. I hope that may provide opportunities for Cheltenham as well

as for other places. Mr Speaker, Post Offices play a

vital role in many communities across the country particularly in

rural constituencies. Can we have a debate about the importance of

maintaining shall shops particularly in rural communities so the Post

Office and others can see the importance of any social impact of

their closures? I can't promise the honourable lady a debate, but there

are questions to the Secretary of State for Business on Tuesday, 13th,

next week and it seemed to me that this subject falls within that

department's responsibilities. There are, of course, provisions in place

for communities to take over and operate the last retailer or the

last pub in a particular community and I know of examples in my county

where local communities have stepped in successfully in that way. That's

under a provision that this Government and its predeses --

predecessor brought in. When more people are accessing services and

shopping online, there is an escapable relationship between

customer demand for the services provided by small shops and the

viability of those shops as businesses and the message to our

constituents has in part to be, you do need to use those services or you

risk losing them. Precept Following a remarkable and

brief interview on this morning's edition of woman's are, which I

commend to listeners to listen to online, may we have a statement

about the delayed action of the deadly threat posed to pupils and

teachers by the continuing presence of asbestos in schools? I did not

hear the interview on Woman's Our this morning, but I will highlight

his interest to the relevant minister at Education and ask for a

letter to be sent to him. It is welcome news that Tata steel have

committed to keep the site open at Port Talbot. Does he agree we ought

to have a debate about ensuring that survival was forward for our steel

industry and in particular, that the workers, in agreeing this deal,

don't lose out on their pensions? There are, of course, some legal

requirements that govern pension schemes and that give a measure of

protection. It is too accrued rights under the old pension scheme, that

is proposed to close, remain reserved. Can I share his welcome

for the agreement that was reached yesterday and paid tribute to those

in all political parties in Wales, who have fought so hard for such an

agreement to be struck. It is good to see that a wave looks to have

been found to in able steel production to continue at Port

Talbot. I will ask ministers to address a particular point that he

has raised, but we have business questions next Tuesday, and it seems

to me, he may want to try his luck in raising this question again then.

It is almost the first anniversary since the Boxing Day floods which

devastated my constituency and large parts of West Yorkshire. Before the

recess for the Christmas break, could the leader of the house

arrange a statement from death row to explain what has been done over

the past year to prevent any such brother flooding in my constituency

and other communities in West Yorkshire, and what arrangements are

in place if such terrible floods do happen again on the bank holidays

over the Christmas period to ensure a rapid response from all

authorities? Each area now has a designated local authority, either

the County or the unitary authority, that has a lead responsibility for

coordinating flood management and response to flooding. The government

has also ensured in its response to more recent floods in the north-west

of England, and the south-west, that money is being released at a much

earlier stage than has sometimes been the case previously. Spending

on flood management continues, and the recently published each flood

resilience strategy that sets out a plan for the longer term future. But

I will make sure the Secretary of State for Defra is aware of his

particular concerns about his own area, and she may you wish to reply

in more detail about those issues. Liverpool City Council is conducting

an online consultation on how to find ?90 million more of cuts in

addition to the ?330 million it has already found since 2010, meaning

that by 2020, it will have lost 70% of its government support. Can we

have a debate in government time on the disproportionate impact that

these cuts are having on authorities like Liverpool City Council? And in

all fairness, can he come forward and see how the government can help

to alleviate this problem it has caused? It is undoubtedly true that

local authorities, whether in northern or southern England,

whether they are conservative odd Labour councils, art having to take

some very tough financial decisions about relative priorities. Just as

government departments sensually are having to take some very difficult

decisions. These are not decisions that any of us, local or Westminster

leaders, relish having to take, but they arise from the fact that in

2010, we inherited an economic wasteland, a deficit that was worse

than that accumulated by any government in our history, that need

to be paid down as a matter of urgency. -- needed to be paid down.

It is now good opposition members both saying the government is moving

too slowly to cut the deficit and at the same time, resisting each and

every measure to cut that deficit. Earlier this week, the results on

education standards were released, and sadly, for the 12 year in a row,

Wales lags behind the rest of the UK. That is causing the head of

Ofsted to say, this result is bringing the UK average down, while

the Welsh Liberal education minister said, we can do better. Can we have

a debate on how the Westminster government can help the devolved

nations to do better and bring the UK average up? He disliked a point

to the fact that Wales sadly performed less well than England and

also, it is true the results revealed a sharp decline in

standards in Scottish schools over the last ten years. The message from

Sir Michael Wilshaw, as the head of Ofsted, is that it is the quality of

leadership at school level and that local authority level, and the

quality of and energy given to the support for those leaders by elected

politicians, by business leaders and others, that is critical to driving

up the standards of education. If we are serious about tackling this

country's long-term economic challenges and our lack of

productivity, and addressing the challenge posed to so many forms of

education challenged by digital technology, we need to do everything

we can to drive up standards in schools so that young people are

able to prosper in that rapidly changing environment? The leader of

the house has been identified as our next Prime Minister but one. Can he

use his new-found authority to insist on a debate on the

negotiating strategy on Brexit. Invoking article 50 and going into a

time let Ltd negotiation without a broad light glowing of outcomes,.

Can we have a debate to avoid his meat being minced? I have been

looking at the order paper since we came back after the summer recess,

and it seems to me, I think it is right to say, we have had at least

one debate on an aspect of EU exit in every week or every week but one

since we first game back in September. We had a full day of

debate yesterday, at which exactly these issues were aired. The Prime

Minister made it clear that government will publish more detail

about its negotiating objectives next year, before we trigger Article

50 of the treaties. What we will not do and we should not do is to give

the sort of details explanation that I fear he is seeking. Bum of the

other 27 EU governments is doing anything like that and nor should

we. You do not reveal you negotiating hand when you are about

to start negotiations. -- none of the other 27 EU countries. The

United Nations estimate that 240,000 have been displaced from me and

Mark. The humanitarian disaster unfolding suggests that thousands of

becoming refugees in Bangladesh and other parts of Southeast Asia.

Islamic relief are doing their best to cope with this humanitarian

disaster, but could we have a statement from whoever it is deemed

appropriate on what the government is going to do to help those who are

refugees from Myanmar? He knows there is a long and very sad history

of communal tension in Myanmar, and in particular, a history of

discrimination against and persecution of a particular set of

people. British ministers, our embassy in the capital, British

Foreign Office officials here, constantly, when talking to their

borough mise opposite numbers, raise these issues about the need to

observe human rights standards and ensure the well-being of all

communities in Myanmar. We will continue to do that, as well as

direct some of our spending programme towards humanitarian

relief in that country. Periods are an annoyance for every menstruating

women, but the whole Muslim, they are far more than that. Sanitary

products and unaffordable for thousands living on the street, an

issue raised by the campaign Homeless Periods. Can we discuss

efforts to relieve the degradation and embarrassment suffered by

thousands every day. I can't offer an immediate debate, but she makes a

perfectly reasonable case for at this update to be looked up further.

I will make sure the relevant Minister does so. The news coming

out of Port Talbot yesterday is hugely welcome in Korby after months

of uncertainty in the steel industry. The might of that news, I

want to pay tribute to ministers and cross-party colleagues and also to

the unions for the construct of what we have seen take place to get to

this point. Can we have a statement next week, so that we can discuss

next steps as we move this forward to reaching final agreement?

Throughout his time here since 2015, he has been a formidable spokesman

for his constituents in Korby and for the interests of the UK steel

industry more generally. I join him in his welcome to all those who made

this deal possible. The Secretary of State for this will be here next

Tuesday. I'm sure there will be questions to him on the subject. I

am sure the leader of the house will remember the report earlier this

week which details the case of nearly 1000 women in England and

Wales who have been killed by Menson 's 2009. Can we have a statement

from the government into response of the report to tell us what they are

going to do to stop more women being killed at the hands of men in

domestic violence? The report is an important one, and it is one that

ministers will want to study and reflect on before announcing any

possible policy initiatives. I think it is good that more people now are

willing to come forward and report instances of domestic abuse before

they get to that really critical stage that he has described, where

somebody's life is actually under threat. It's also true that the

police are much readier married to take action and investigate than

might have been the case some years ago. These are lot was difficult

judgments for police officers, social workers dealing with

individual families, to take. But the key to this has to be for people

who are victims to feel confident that, if they come forward, the

allegations they make will be taken very seriously, will be investigated

properly, and whether there is evidence, that prosecutions will

follow. If you years ago, it emerged that if the then Prime Minister Tony

Blair was indisposed or worse, that John Prescott would take over as

Prime Minister. I know the nation slept sound because of that. When it

emerged that William Hague would take over if the coalition Prime

Minister was indisposed or worse. It then it emerged that when David

Cameron was here, it would be my right honourable friend for Tatton

who would take over. It now emerged yesterday from this superb

performance of the leader of the house, that it is clearly he who

would take over as Prime Minister if our Prime Minister was indisposed or

worse. But could we have a short statement but that on record, so we

know where everyone stands? I do think my honourable friend

spends time considering this. The Queen's Government will carry on

whatever circumstances may arise! Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker,

over the last few years, job finding services such as cards displaying

real jobs and telephones to call about the jobs have been stripped

from Jobcentres. With the unexpected news yesterday that Glasgow

Jobcentres will be cut by 50% including Annie's Land in my own

constituency, will he make a statement on the services my

constituents should expect in the new planned super centres?

These are obviously matters that will be primary for the management

of Jobcentre Plus, but there will be the full range of Jobcentre Plus

services at these larger centres and I would, as said in response to my

honourable friend, I hope she and her colleagues will acknowledge that

one reason we need to provide a consolation of services, one of the

reasons we're doing that is because the number of people overall in

Glasgow and elsewhere in Scotland who are out of work has come down

very significantly. I do wish sometimes the Scottish Nationalist

colleagues here would balance their challenges to the Government with

recognition of the fact that there are more people in work in this

country than ever before. I was rather disappointed with the answer

given to my honourable friend the member for Halewood. Liverpool

Council, about Liverpool Council's spending difficulties. Bristol

impose add spending freeze as it bids to find ?92 million worth of

cuts over the next five years and the mayor has been as transparent

and open as possible going out to consultation what this means. Could

the Government not emulate that openness by having a debate on the

financial difficulties facing our core cities? I'm sure there will be

plenty of opportunities in various of the proceedings of the House for

these issues to be raised in generic terms or whether it is about local

authorities. This is not a challenge confined to Bristol or any other

city or any local authority, urban or rural, or are central Government

departments exempt from this. We have to live as a country within our

means and that means that we have to pay down the deficit that we

inherited, get rid of the remaining third that we inherited in 2010

because without that we will not be able to pay our way in the world.

Can I join with my honourable friends in asking for a debate in

Government time on Jobcentre closures in Glasgow and the effects

this measure will have on Social Security claimants? Can the Leader

of the House confirm a quality and impact statement will be published

so that all honourable members can provide their response to the

closures and the effects it will have on claimants. The DWP will

comply with all the regulations. They have had initial consultations

with the briefing of the trade unions hold be consulting their

members about DWP's proposal, but again, I would just say to the

honourable member, one reason for this consolidation is not just

Glasgow has at the moment more small individual Jobcentres than other

cities in Scotland, but unemployment in Scotland has come down. If we

look at what is happening, employment in Scotland since 2010

has gone up by 166,000 and the youth claimantsant count has gone down by

18200. Can we have a debate about environmental protection following

leaving the European Union? Because I'm concerned in the rush towards a

red, white and blue Brexit we will simply get rid of the green. The

Government remains very committed indeed to our climate change

objectives and to improving the United Kingdom's environmental

performance overall. That's why the Home Secretary played a leading role

with the French Foreign Minister last year in getting agreement on

the Paris deal, the first ever binding global agreement on carbon

reduction and climate change and why the Government is delivering through

its investment in renewable technologies, through its

investment, additional measures that were in the Autumn Statement on

electric and other ultra low emission vehicles to ensure we

maintain the green policies that will give us economic and commercial

opportunities as well as an improved environment.

Does the Leader of the House agree that the boundary review should be

carried out using the most up-to-date information? So

therefore, can he set out what is delaying the Parliamentary

constituencies Amendment Bill going into committee?

The fact was that the honourable lady, the sponsor of the Bill did

not produce a text to the Bill until it was three days before the Bill

was laid down for second reading. There was no memorandum or other

estimate of the costs that would be associated with that Bill. The

Government is therefore, in dealing with the request for a money

resolution to go through its own analysis of what the costs of

implementing the Bill would be, but I say to the honourable member

opposite, but for any boundary review there has to be a cut off

point at which you say the commission then gets on with its job

and if we were to follow the Labour Party's advice and simply abort the

current overdue boundary review we would be going into a 2020 election

on constituencies that differed vastly in the size of their

electorate and on the basis of population figures deriving from a

centre sis that would be by then 20 years old.

An unfortunate situation which maybe an unintended consequence of

legislation has been brought to my attention by a constituent regarding

a protracted period of unmroult, but being desperate for work he found

employment on a short-term contract basis abroad only to return home he

was ineligible for GSA. Maybe therefore have a debate on

Government time on the impact of the Jobseeker's Allowance and in

particular to the three months rule of UK nationals returning after

short-term contracts. If the honourable gentleman would like to

give me details of the constituency case, I will ask the minister to

look into that in more detail. Our state run nursery schools employ

fully qualified teachers and headteachers and they do a brilliant

job often in deprived areas, I have a number in my constituency. But

proposed Government funding changes are putting their very future at

risk. Can we have a statement from the Edication secretary and a debate

for these services? The Government, of course, is not cutting nursery

education, the Government is expanding the provision of nursery

and other early years education. There are education questions on

Monday, 19th December when the honourable member will be able to

raise the points with ministers. May we have a debate on pan cre

attic cancer. We had pancreatic cancer awareness month. This year I

lost my own uncle to this disease and my family like many others

across the United Kingdom are only too aware of how intractable it is

and that further funding, research and treatment developments are so

badly needed. The honourable lady makes a very

good point and one of the real challenges with pancreatic cancer is

the symptoms are not rock niced until it is too late for any kind of

effective treatment to be given to the patient. She will have noted

that in my statement I announced time for backbench committee

business which is as yet unassigned so she may want to take this up with

the chairman of the backbench Business Committee.

Mr Speaker could we please have a statement or a debate in Government

time on consultation periods? The Government announced two very

important consultations and both last over the Christmas period.

Reforming the soft tissue claims process opened on 17th November and

closes on 6th January. That's a day over seven weeks and reform in

employment tribunal system opened on 5th December and close on 21st

January, one day less than seven weeks and Christmas surely knocks

out two weeks of that, so we're down to five weeks. The last Labour

Government guidance stated a minimum of 12 weeks and if it is over

Christmas, it should be longer, but this Government aMPeded this to a

proportionate amount of time. Surely five weeks is very little time to

respond to this crucial consultation and both should be extended to over

12 weeks because the Leader of the House, you know, the results of a

consultation is for life, not just for Christmas.

There is a balance to be struck in any consultation period between

allowing sufficient time for representations, but also ensuring

that we have a timetable in which decisions can be taken and policy

brought forward. I have to say that the honourable lady suggests that we

should simply write off two weeks over Christmas and the New Year

seems to me to be somewhat extraordinary. The two timetables

shao that she described allow for several weeks in case well apart

from the Christmas and New Year period and even at a time when

postal services are perhaps, you know, not running normally, all

these consultations invite responses online so it is not at all difficult

for people to take representations without relying on the post.

Yesterday the Government's announcement on Jobcentres will take

Glasgow's Jobcentres from 16 to eight. They will only consult on two

of those closures across the city. Members of Parliament had to read

about this in the press and it took seven hours after that story

breaking before a minister bothered to contact us. Given that, does he

not agree we do need a statement and if he is so confident about the

accessibility between closing Jobcentres and remaining, tell me

how far it is from Castle Milk to Newlands and how long it would take

him on a bus? What my Right Honourable friend the Secretary of

State for Work and pensions is propose something to bring the

distribution of Jobcentres in Glasgow in line with the pattern

that already applies in other Scottish cities. I note that there

is no outcry from those benches opposite to open additional

Jobcentres in other cities. It seems to me that what the department is

proposing is entirely reasonable and its objective is to provide an

enhanced service to those people who need help from Jobcentres.

As my honourable friend for Eltham set out, we know that the Transport

Secretary's own words that his decision not to pass the rail

franchise to the Mayor of London was party politics. As the Secretary of

State said on Monday, he has invited the Mayor of London and TfL to

engage in detailed discussions about how to work much more closely

together in the management of commuter routes, but I repeat again,

those routes do not serve just London constituencies and

communities. They serve and are critical to the travel to work

arrangements for tens of thousands of people living outside the Greater

London area. It is only right that those people too should have some

democratic route through which to challenge and to hold to account the

people responsible for taking decisions about their railway.

During the summer I carried out a consultation on VAT reduction for

tourism and it was very clear that we could create more jobs and get

more money into the local economy and the national exchequer if we

were to target a reduction in VAT. I got a letter from the Treasury which

can be summarised as non. I'm delighted if the honourable

gentleman has become a convert to the cause of lower taxation, but he

may have a job of work to do to persuade others in his party. But

there is also the necessity for any Government to raise revenue in order

to pay for services which he and his colleagues keep arguing to me should

receive additional spending, not less. The Government is committed to

trying to reduce taxation wherever and whenever it is able to do so,

but we have to live within our means as a country and that means raising

the revenue to pay for public services and to pay down the deficit

that is still too high. My constituents Mr Singleton

approached me recently because he had been told by his energy supplier

that has warm home discount would not reach until the month of May.

Happily, we now have assurances this payment will arrive early, but the

company has said other customers would get their payments before me.

It is totally unacceptable these payments have been delayed for so

long. Can we have an urgent debate on this issue? I hope the company

management will have heard the criticisms he is making on behalf of

his constituents, and that they will do what ever they can to speed up

those payments. One reason for a welcoming the ability of customers

to switch between different suppliers is that it does enable

people to move their energy accounts around to suppliers which they

believe will provide them with a better and speedier servers, but as

I say, I hope that the company will take note of the case he has

described, which I suspect will apply to other people as well. You

have Saudi Arabia, Iran and everybody moving in and profiteering

and playing proxy wars. It's a tragedy to watch it. Not my words,

but those of our Foreign Secretary, in footage released by the garden

yesterday evening. May we have a debate in government time on the

role but we are playing in this tragedy, not as innocent bystanders,

but as arms trading partners? People in this country are laissez faire

against terrorism because of the close cooperation that we have with

Saudi Arabia and the other states of the Gulf cooperation Council. They

are critical allies in that work and it is right that we should continue

that strong alliance, which the Prime Minister was seeking to cement

in visiting the summit last week. The all-party Parliamentary group

for freedom, they are concerned about laws from the Pakistani

government. They have gate-crashed the publications office, they have

raided a press and seized a magazine. It reflects that the

Pakistan authorities are attacking a group on the grounds of their faith.

Could ask the leader of the house for a debate on this issue?

Pakistan, like many other countries, faces a genuine challenge from

ruthless, organised terrorist groups. And there is always a tricky

balance to be sought between having an exercise in Paris that will be

effective against a real threat from terrorists, but at the same time

making sure that you do not trample upon basic civil rights. This

balance, and the complaints about abuse of human rights in Pakistan

through the application of anti-terrorist laws, are issues that

ministers and officials from this government reads constantly in our

conversations with Pakistani counterparts.

In we all agree the National Audit Office does a great job of scrutiny,

but last year, out of 108 investigations and reviews, 60% of

these will in Scotland. Can the leader of the house gave me a

detailed statement, with a detailed explanation, White now Parlett

consequentials arise from the contribution of over ?300 million

towards the National Audit Office's work? The National Audit Office is

not directed by the government, it is an independent body that sets its

own priorities. I will refer his question to the controller and

auditor General, asking him to write to the gentleman with the

information he is seeking. There are various points of order. I will take

first those