15/12/2016 Business Questions

for my credentials as a Unionist, and I want to see prosperity spread

to every part of the United Kingdom. I thought the Scottish Government

economic policies will also help contribute to that. Business

question. Could I ask the Leader of the House to please tell us the

forthcoming business? The business for next week will be as follows.

Monday the 19th of December, a general debate on exiting the

European Union and science and research. Tuesday the 20th, a

general debate on leasehold and commonhold reform, followed by a

general debate on matters to be raised before the forthcoming

adjournment. The business for the week commencing the 9th of January

will include Monday the 9th of January, remaining stages of the

technical and further education bill. Tuesday the 10th of January,

remaining stages of the Commonwealth development Corporation Bill,

followed by consideration of lords amendments to the policing and crime

Bill. Wednesday the 11th of January, an opposition day, allotted day,

debates on opposition motions, subject to be announced. 12th of

January, debate on a motion on Yemen, followed by a debate on

Security and the political situation in the African great Lakes

situation. Friday the 13th of January, private members bills. The

traditional business for the week commencing the 16th of January will

include, Monday the 16th of January, second reading of the National

citizens service bill, Lords. I should also like to inform the House

that the business in Westminster Hall for the the 12th of January,

will be a debate on the fourth report from the Justice committee on

restorative justice, followed by a general debate on the future of that

UK maritime industry. The subjects of these debates were determined by

the liaison and backbench business committees. As this is the last

exchange of questions ahead of recess, could I conclude by wishing

not just right Honourable members on all sides, but particularly the

staff of the House, in all departments, a happy, peaceful and

restful Christmas recess. The car and I thank the Leader of the House

for forthcoming business? Can I pressed him yet again on that last

day for summer recess? People are desperate to print those little

calendars. We do need that. Can I ask invalid beat on the restoration

and renewal report? I understand there's a date being floated around,

I wonder if he could and light in all of us and perhaps let me know

whether the resolution that is going to be put before the house on this

issue will be in the form of motions, whether all the options

will be put before the house or whether other members can table

further resolutions as well? Could I also ask when the bus service will

be arriving? It has a flashing sign. That would be helpful. 21 years ago

today, European leaders announced their new currency would be known as

the usual. It was a Tory government that took us into this European

exchange mechanism and out again, but it was a Labour government that

devised the five economic tests before we joined the judo and that's

why we want get the government a blank check for article 50. We want

to see that framework. We know the vital statistics, 50 to leave, 40

remain, and over 20% didn't vote, so we need to find a way forward that

encompasses every view. The to leave the EU and our job is to make sure

appreciate that exit. We need to shake the exit to ensure jobs, the

economy and our living standards are priorities. To ship the exit so that

trade and services with and to the EU are not damaged. We need to shape

the exit to make sure all the good things about our place in the world,

that we act with other countries to protect the vulnerable against

bullies. Negotiating to preserve the rights that were secured for our

workforce, that has powered this economy through knowledge, skills

and creativity, by hand and by brain. Could I ask the Leader of the

House between January and March, could he ensure there are

discussions through the usual channels, that there is a proper

forum for debate. There are many committees producing reports, we

don't want the public to be confused. We want a proper form of

motion and proper recommendations. All that needs to be shaped to shake

the government's thinking before article 50 is triggered. We need

that debate. On Friday last week, the Secretary of State said he's not

interested in transitional arrangements. Then the Chancellor

said the government would likely seek a transitional deal in order to

avoid disruption that would risk Britain's financial stability. The

Prime Minister was very emphatic that Prime Minister's Questions,

that we are leaving the EU. Could we have that statement on the correct

position? We need to look at the effect on leaving the EU on young

people. We need a debate on how these policies will affect them,

because 75% of young people between the ages of 18 and 24, voted to

remain. They say younger people will be hardest hit, because since 2007,

median income for those between 22 and 30 has dropped by 7%. Inflation

is going up, the cost of food and other necessities is also rising.

Can I ask the government to implement the real living wage,

which is ?8 45 and hour or ?9 75 in London. At Prime Minister's

Questions, many members mentioned the' Jo Cox. The place I reckon my

thanks to those who did a fantastic job of organising and playing on it.

Steve Harley, KT Tunstall and the brilliant community choir. Many

colleagues here have taken by it and even those who, like Lady Macleod,

who came back to sing. Jo Cox's family will have to face their first

Christmas with out. Many members on all facing hostility, they have to

endure court cases, they have to deal with this with courage. Can I

asked the Leader of the House and all members on a cross-party basis,

to try and find out the nature and evidence of what is happening.

Encourage them to report. Perhaps we can have a streamlined way of

ensuring their matters dealt with. Can I also asked the Leader of the

House of Lords and that's what is happening, if they will agree a

package to keep the office is secure? Apparently, it is not coming

through. I don't know what the leader of the houses giving the

Prime Minister for Christmas? Can I suggest a couple of books? Perhaps

the autobiography of John Major or perhaps The Team Of Rivals about

Abraham Lincoln and his cabinet, three of whom had previously won

against Lincoln. Finally, could I wish you, your family and your

office are very happy Christmas. The Leader of the House, his suave

deputy and his offers a very happy Christmas. The clerks, the

doorkeepers, everyone who has made me so welcome, from cleaning,

catering, postal workers, everyone. And all honourable and right

Honourable members of those house. A very happy Christmas and peaceful

New Year. Can I thank the honourable lady for

her personal good wishes. Can I say to her I want to express the

thoughts and prayers of everyone in this House will be with Jo Cox and

her family. I would salute other honourable member on all sides of

the house did to contribute to the recently released download. She

asked a serious point about the threats and abuse that a number of

honourable in a different political parties have been receiving. This is

something that I take and the House authorities take very seriously. She

will understand we don't normally talk about such a security matters

in detail in the chamber but the chairman of ways and Means and I

recently sent a letter to all members of the House alerting them

to the existence now of a dedicated to the police hotline to which any

such threats should be reported. Certainly both the chairman of ways

and Means and I would want to know of any evidence or suggestion that a

local police force were not taking such threats seriously, we would

take whatever steps where appropriate in receipt of that

information. Similarly, if there is evidence that for whatever reason

security improvements to members's homes and offices that are necessary

are being held up for some unreasonable grounds, I would

certainly be willing to do what I can, as with the chairman of ways

and Means, to make sure things are sorted out rapidly there. If I can

turn to the policy point that she also raised. I will try and give

dates for some as soon as possible although I think she will appreciate

that in line with precedent, it has not been the custom for any

Government to announce summer recess dates quite this early on in the

Parliamentary year. Similarly, I would hope to be able to satisfy her

appetite for dates both for the reform and restoration of the House

reports and through the Commons proceedings on the bus services bill

as as soon as possible. Her comments about the EU, she might have noted

that it was a Conservative Prime Minister John Major who did actually

ensure that this country had the opt out from the euro in the first place

and without Sir John major's efforts, that choice would not have

been available to the United Kingdom. I noted her comments about

EU exit. I have to say, I rather welcomed her statement of the Labour

Party's position. I have to say to her, this is at odds with what our

party's owned a spokesman on EU exit, the honourable member, it said

over a fortnight ago when he said we needed to keep our options open on a

second referendum. I really think that if we are to take the Labour

Party's wrote seriously, we have to accept whichever side we supported

during the referendum, whether we agreed or disagreed with the verdict

of the public, this was a decision that the electorate was

democratically entitled to take and which almost all of us in the Has

agreed in supporting the referendum bill should be delegated from

Parliament to the voters of the United Kingdom to decide finally. I

think that her appetite for debate on the European Union is going to be

more than seated in the New Year. I would also point out there are no

more than 30 different select committee enquiry taking place in

this House and in the House of Lords into various aspects of our

departure from the European Union. Where she is right is to say at the

Prime Minister has repeatedly said that it is in our interests and in

the interests of the other 27 members of the European Union that

we secure in negotiation that provides for as COBOL a divorce as

possible -- amicable. Although we are leaving the EU, we are not

leaving Europe and a strong productive, mutually beneficial with

the EU 27 is going to be important in the prosperity and security of

all 28 countries. But also for effective cooperation is an

international scale to deal with such challenges as large scale

migration from Africa, as the threat from international terrorism, that

are going to be with us for a long time into the future. She chided the

Government about our approach to the living wage, but I have to say that

we followed the advice of the low paid commission and the recent

increase in the national living wage and I note as well that the

resolution foundation, which is not always a champion of Government

policy, has said that 2016 has marked the best year ever for a low

paid workers because of this Government's commitment to the

national living wage. Finally, she asked me about Christmas presents,

Mr Speaker. I have to say that for some unaccountable reason, the

honourable lady omitted to mention that in the opposition's campaign

grid for this week, tomorrow is marked down as the day for Christmas

jumpers. I somehow think that this combination of garish design,

clashing colours and a general sense of nationalism, rather confuses were

the Cabinet is. Over the last three weeks or so, Chelmsford commuters

travelling into London by train have had nightmare journeys due to broken

down trains, faulty tracks and other problems. Would my right honourable

friend be able to arrange for a statement by the transport minister

as to what can be done to stop this sort of inefficient provision of

service, or would he advised me that I ought to seek to catch Mr

Speaker's I next afternoon to contribute in the adjournment debate

before we go into recess? For as long as I've been in the House, I've

known my right honourable friend is the most formidable champion of

commuters from Cheltenham. I think it's very important... I beg his

pardon, from Chelmsford. It's the Christmas spirit getting to me, Mr

Speaker. I think that there is an important message here for both the

franchise holder and for the railway workers who together have to make

that line operate that it should be the interests of the travelling

public that should be first and foremost in their priorities at all

times. I am sure that if my right honourable friend does catch your

aye, Mr Speaker, the transport minister will not only be too happy

to respond to that. Can I thank the Leader of the House for announcing

the business of next week. I thought very minute he was trying to talk

out of business questions. It is good to see a Leader of the House

Minus the lederhosen. Then I take this opportunity, Mr Speaker, to

wish you a happy Christmas. I extend that to the house staff who have

looked after us then their usual exemplary fashion. Maybe we should

have a debate about 2016 and perhaps vowed never to have another year

quite like that, we have lost so many of our stars and artists, the

election of Donald Trump in the States to this accidental clueless

Tory Brexit, maybe we can learn the lessons from 2016 and vowed never to

go back there again. Today's piece of Tory Brexit clues move comes

courtesy of our man in Brussels, it might actually take ten years to get

a tree deal with our European partners and some European capitals

might never ratified Brexit. But this is only reflecting the views of

the 27 nations were supposed to be negotiating! Only in the weird world

of Tory Brexit cluelessness does that make it all right. Mr Speaker,

with the Christmas recess coming in a few short days, it may be weeks

before we get an opportunity to debate the deteriorating situation

in Aleppo. Before we rise next Tuesday, we get an opportunity to

have a statement from the Foreign Secretary to keep us updated before

we go on to recess? Lastly, I know the whole House is engaged to get

this Jo Cox single foundation for the number one for Christmas. We're

really grateful to everyone in the House to make sure we do that. The

Leader of the House would also like to join me in thanking Sir Mick

Jagger and Keith Richard for waiving the royalties, to get even more

money to the Jo Cox Foundation. I will happily endorse the honourable

member's tribute to Keith Richards and Mick Jagger in weaving their

royalties. I will pass on to my right honourable friend the Foreign

Secretary, the honourable gentleman's Westbury further

statement on Aleppo next week. This is the subject I think on which the

house is united in a sense of horror what civilians there are having to

endure. I know Foreign Office ministers are only very keen to

ensure the House is informed as soon as possible about recent elements. I

have worked in my previous ministerial rule with Ivan Rogers

over a number of years. He is a formidable public servants who

always reports to British ministers and successive governments what he

picks up, is said to him from various people in different

Government and EU Administration 's. It's not, Mr Speaker, that unusual.

It may be hard for you to believe that in some countries, people who

are part of the same Government say slightly different things on the

subject of the future. The truth here is that we have not set out to

our 27 colleagues what the Government's objectives are in this

negotiation nor have they yet met to have out what their mandate is to

their appointed negotiators. The speculation about how long

negotiations will take seems to me as remarkably premature if there is

good well and strong political intent, I'm confident and amicable

and good negotiation can lead to an agreement in which all sides can

take pleasure. As we approach the time of the year at which there was

no room in the in for Jesus to be born, can we have an early debate on

the position facing many of our constituents who are looking to move

into new shared ownership properties. Many of my constituents

exchanged contracts in early September and the completion date

has been ruled endlessly forward. The are being chased by their

landlords, taken to court, some of them are pregnant and hoping to have

children, are expecting to have children shortly, and they don't

know when they can move on. To make things worse, I understand that some

of the developers are concentrating on finishing off their own

properties first, leaving these shared ownership tenant is totally

at the mercy of when will be able to move into their new homes. AM

concerned by what my honourable friend says about this case in his

own constituency. And while the Government is right to press forward

with an ambitious programme of new home building and of all types of

tenure, we need to be very clear that where sites have planning

permission, those developers have a responsibility to move ahead as

quickly as possible. The most important step in the question of

shared ownership is for developers and authorities work closely

together at local level to ensure that once permission is granted,

work on building out the site is taken forward as rapidly as

possible. We are taking action to enable a planning Bill, as my

honourable friend knows, to remove some of the causes of unnecessary

delays to development. But I hope local councils will use the power

that they have, both resetting conditions to development and

through negotiation of section 106 planning agreements, to ensure we

get the rapid develop -- delivery of shared ownership properties as well

as properties for sale. Could I join all members in wishing

you, the Leader of the House and all members of the house and staff of

the House and our constituents, a very happy Christmas and a very

happy, healthy and peaceful New Year. Good I also thank the Leader

of the House for the business announcement this morning. A number

of members have been asking me why we haven't had a debate about Yemen,

and I'm glad he has announced we have that scheduled for the 12th of

January, along with the general debate about the African great Lakes

region. Yemen has been a topic have been asked about an awful lot. Can I

also thank the Leader of the House for his generous cooperation since

he came to his offers, which has helped us to plan ahead in the

backbench business committee, so can I thank him for that? I am grateful

to him, both for his Christmas wishes and for his final remarks. It

is always a juggling act to try and ensure we have adequate time

available or the business that different members in different parts

of the House want to see debated, but we always do our utmost to

accommodate the backbench business committee. Today, the sustainability

and transformation plan for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire has

been published. There is a lot of good common sense in it, but there

is also a statement that they need to consider whether to move from

three to two accident and emergency sites and one Arjun carers Centre.

It's clear from the demand and Tess Daly that all the accident and

emergency sites are required. Can we have a debate on this issue

urgently? It is vital our constituents know their interests

are being considered. He will be very trenchant in defending the

interests of his constituents and he is right to say that sustainability

plans must not just be locally tailored, but also must deliver

services that are good quality and sustainable for the future of a

particular locality. Any changes must have to meet the four tests,

they have to have support from GPs, demonstrate clinical evidence,

support from patients and consider patient choice. The local scrutiny

committee of any locality has the right to object to a planned service

cheese and referred that to the Secretary of State for a decision. I

know the timing of statements is never easy, but given the importance

of the local government settlement for places like Birmingham, which

are virtually bankrupt, and the fact that many of us will be serving on

public bill committees from 1130 today, can I ask the Leader of the

House for an urgent debate on the combined impact of social care,

education and local government funding decisions on towns and

cities that are not run by Conservative administrations? I

don't want to pre-empt what my honourable friend the Minister for

local government is going to see in a statement this afternoon. There is

an opportunity next Tuesday in the debate for as I see the kind of

local, city or county specific issues that he has in mind. The Post

Office has recently closed. As in my constituency and moved its services

to a local shop despite opposition. It now appears that promises made

during the consultation about services may not be being fully

adhered to by the Post Office. Can we please have a debate on the

impact on rural communities of changes to the Post Office branch

network, and the assurances given by the post office being adhered to. I

would be concerned to hear that the Post Office was going back on

conditions that have been previously accepted. He may wish to raise that

in the adjournment debate next Tuesday. The Post Office does run as

an independent business and the government doesn't intervene, but

the Post Office has a responsibility to carry out proper consultation

locally and seek feedback from people, and I hope that he will be

bringing the concerns of his constituents directly to the

attention of senior managers in the Post Office. Just before I called

the member for Gordon, I should inform the house that he received an

award last night in Brussels, and the award is an initiative to honour

individuals and organisations standing out in defence of cultural

and linguistic diversity, intercultural dialogue,

self-determination, the rights of minorities, peace, democracy and a

united Europe. Can I say to him, I hope the circumstances, he

deservedly feels and will sound even more chipper than usual? Mr Alex

Salmond. Thank you so much. Congratulations on the

pronunciation, also the quality required by leaders of the house.

Can we have a brief statement from the Leader of the House, showing

that he alone on the government understands the difference between

access to the single market, which just about everybody in the world

has, and membership of the single market, which is in economic

advantage which only 500 million people have on the planet. How many

answers to business questions does he believe he will be able to cram

into the ten years that Sir Ivan Rogers estimates will take to

complete trade negotiations? I sometimes think that the Right

Honourable gentleman wants to continue debating these matters

indefinitely, rather than come to a decision and a good outcome for this

country, but can I genuinely congratulate him on his award. I

think, in response to his points about the single market, I would say

this to him. One thing I learned in my six years as Europe Minister is

that the four freedoms discussed in the context of the single market,

none of them are unqualified in their operation. If we look for

example at the single market in goods, it is much more developed at

EU level than a single market in services is, at present. To present

in or out of the single market in binary fashion as he does, it does

not do justice to the complexity of the negotiation and ahead of us. The

Prime Minister has made it clear she wants both the maximum access for UK

companies to the European single market, but also the greatest

possible freedom for UK companies to operate within that market and for

reciprocal rights for EU companies here. Can we please have a debate on

essential services? This will give me and other members across the

house the opportunity to thank and pay tribute to our armed forces, who

are serving both in this country and around the world, and not just them,

but also the police, our NHS, care sector workers, printers and

officers, energy sector workers, transport workers, broadcasters and

the many others who will have to work this Christmas period. He makes

a very important point indeed. Many of us in our constituencies and

families will know of people working in the health service, the police,

the army and other key public services, he will be on duty over

the Christmas period. I think we want to wish them and their families

well, and to see a profound thank you to them for their continuing

servers. Having spent time on the police Parliamentary scheme and seen

close up the excellent work are police officers do up and down the

country, I am concerned the government are now planning to make

being a police officer a graduate entry occupation. It seems to me

there is a number of officers that don't have degrees, but are

excellent police officers, especially on the beat. Can we have

a statement from the government about their plans in regards to

this? I think if she looks at what is being proposed, and the College

Of Policing, she will see the degree requirement as one of three options

that they have suggested for consideration. Another is for an

apprenticeship scheme, in order to provide enhanced education and

training for police officers after recruitment. The point that the

police service believes itself it needs to address, is that we ask

police officers, even at the most junior new constable level, to carry

out fairly sensitive decisions on our behalf, including whether to

initiate a process that may lead to a family's children being taken into

local authority care. Including whether a person should be

physically restrained, because they represent a threat. It is right that

police officers should have the expertise and training, so that they

are capable of taking those decisions wisely. That is what the

College of Policing is seeking to ensure. Residents in my constituency

are concerned about the lack of Post Office in the village. Will you join

me in asking this matter to be expedited, to get the post office

opened again for Christmas. I know that he will continue to champion

the interests of his own constituents in securing the opening

of post office services locally. As I said earlier, the government does

not intervene in these day-to-day business decisions by the post

office, but I'm sure that post office senior management will have

heard what he has said. We learned in about 12 hours after the vote

that the 350 million was nonsense. Could the Leader of the House commit

to a debate on government time on the real impact of the EU and health

and issues we need to concern regarding Brexit. There are going to

be many opportunities when we return in January for every aspect of our

departure from the European Union to be debated in full, and foreign

ministers from all relevant departments and be questioned.

Tomorrow is local charities day, and we all have very good local

charities in our constituencies. One of mine is Crazy Hats, run by

enthusiastic volunteers. They've raised over ?2 million by people

wearing crazy hats. And they spend that money on breast cancer in

Northamptonshire. Would the Minister be able to say how those charities

could be further supported? I indulge him further period of his

question, but I'm glad he has now taken at hats off, and I sincerely

hope he won't put it on again, preferably at any time, but

certainly not in the chamber. I thought for one moment he was

auditioning for a role in a remake of the film Else. I think that the

Chancellor has demonstrated, through improvements in the Gift Aid scheme,

that the government is keen to provide better opportunities to

small local charities to benefit from donations. But as legislation

going through Parliament at the moment, that will make further

concessions to help such charities, but I think we would all want to

celebrate tomorrow the work that so many thousands of local charities do

in every constituency in this country. You can do you weren't able

to call me on International trade questions, and I wish you a very

happy Christmas and particularly, because at one stage, it looked like

the House of Commons children's Christmas party wouldn't happen, and

I believe you had some role to play in making sure it did happen. We had

a lovely party on Tuesday, all the kids had a great time and so did the

parents and grandparents. Thank you for that. Before I came in today, I

consulted my constituents about neglected things they wanted to go

back to in the New Year. Aleppo, of course, the disgraceful blot on our

civilised world. Secondly, the fact that we are likely to lose our A

Hospital in Huddersfield. And thirdly, that we are neglecting the

people that make things in our country, the manufacturers. In trade

questions today, the word manufacturing was barely spoken.

Those are the concerns of my constituents. Could we have them

early in January? I will look for opportunities to

provide for debates on all those important subjects. I think on the

subject of sustainability and transformation plans, those plans

must all meet for specific criteria and the honourable gentleman's local

authority has the right to challenge and referred to the Secretary of

State any change to services to which the object. On Aleppo, this

has been debated, the subject of questions already this week, I don't

think there's any member of this House who does not sure the

honourable gentleman's horror of what we have seen and is a matter of

the utmost regret, that's putting it to mildly, that Russia sometimes in

line with other countries, have consistently vetoed Security Council

resolutions designed to ensure a ceasefire and the peaceful

evacuation of civilians from the affected areas. In respect of

manufacturing, support for manufacturing and the upgrading of

our skills base in this country so that we can compete internationally

in high-value manufacturing in the future is a core element of this

Government's economic and industrial strategy. Was the last two sets of

women and equality 's questions, by right honourable friend has

committed she will publish the consultation document on

discolouration legislation in this country that will give British

Hindus the opportunity to ensure this ill thought out divisive and

unnecessary legislation is removed from the statute book. Mr Speaker,

time is running short. The only three more days of parliamentary

time before the end of the year when this consultation is promised to be

released. Can my right honourable friend ensure we have a statement to

the House before Parliament rises on this consultation document so that

the British Hindus in ours is IT have the optimum opportunity to

respond to that consultation? I will draw the attention of my right

honourable friend the Secretary of State to my honourable friend's

concern. Mr Speaker, yesterday I was hosting as chair of the kidney group

in the leading experts in kidney disease along with the member of

North Norfolk. One of the things that shocked us was that a quarter

of people on dialysis have diabetes. And that early monitoring in

diabetic kidneys of renal failure would actually make a huge

difference to those who go on to need dialysis and transplantation.

Can we have a debate on how we join up that knowledge so that actually

we prevent people needing dialysis and needing transplants because of

early diagnosis of those with diabetes? The honourable lady makes

a very interesting and important point and it might be the subject

for a future backbench committee debate but I will also make sure

that health ministers have their attention drawn to the point she has

me today. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Earlier this week was the finals of

the British high street words and Seaview Street in Cleethorpes hosts

one of the finest, winning a silver in one of the categories. The street

itself is a collection of independent retailers, could we have

a debate on the role and the contribution that independent

retailers make to our communities and the economy? I think we all

accept that today with the growth of online sales, we face a very

challenging environment for all retailers and particularly for small

high street shops. That makes it all the more welcome that Seaview Street

in Cleethorpes has won this award and I would like to add my

congratulations to all the retailers there who has clearly worked

extremely hard and in an innovative fashion to ensure they still bring

the customer zone. The last Leader of the House feel to tell me how far

it was from Castlemilk to Newlands. I am surprised at that given when

the DWP cat to do the distance they didn't use any of the great

resources at our fingertips, instead be used Google maps. This is what

they've used to calculate eight of Glasgow's 16 job centres being

close. And here we are eight days after that announcement and the

consultation is still not on the DWP website. That is at least eight days

we are going to have to extend it by. Can the leader of the housing

help me facilitate getting that up on the website today and will he

also can be our frustration to the Minister in the way they've handled

this whole our fear? The central point here is that there will be no

change in the level of service that job centres offers people in

Glasgow. What DWP is doing is merging a number of small offices

into bigger sites as leases come to the end so we can save taxpayers,

including Scottish taxpayer's money, without changing the service that is

being offered. The Government has already consulted on these plans but

there will be further consultation in areas where people have to travel

more than three miles or more than 20 minutes to reach a job centre.

Can we have a debate on horse racing and in particular the bravery of

jockeys? Horse racing is undoubtedly the finest sport that there is and

plays an important part in many communities, local economy. It

wouldn't be possible without jockeys and their bravery. One in ten jump

jockey's ride ends any fault. He jockey recently suffered life

changing injuries from a fall on the flat. Mark Enright recently spoke

about the mental health problem he has faced another jockeys have faced

in keeping their weight down to ride horses. Such a debate would enable

us to praise those jockeys, the British horse racing authority and

the professional jockeys Association. Will the Minister Grant

a debate and see if the Government can help the horse racing industry

tackle these matters? Mr Speaker, I think there are millions of people

in this country and who enjoy horse racing in all its forms and admire

the guts and determination of jockeys. It is a very risky

occupation. It is an occupation for which those jockeys volunteer and

the accept the sort of devastating risk that he has described as part

of their work, but also derive huge pleasure and a compass went from

doing it. Can I ask the Leader of the House To offer up a feast for

members on all sides of the house, that is the Transport Secretary at

that dispatch box, two answer for the chaos that our constituents are

being suffering on the rail services? It would give him an

opportunity to explain why he refused to give suburban services to

the mayor the London on political grounds. Something which is now

supported by businesses in London and it would give them an

opportunity to listen to what members of Parliament think about

his decision. I my right honourable friend the Transport Secretary

answering honourable member 's questions about this within the last

two weeks. I do hope that the honourable member, part of his work

on railways, might perhaps drop a line to Aslef enquiring as widely

refused to respond to the Transport Secretary's invitation to them to

come to talks to try to end this devastating strike that taking --

affecting so many commuters on a site of England. Mr Speaker, can we

please have a debate on the implementation of payments? A number

of constituents have contacted me with serious long-term health issues

who are grievously in receipt of TLA that you have been assessed with low

scorers in relation to PIP. My concern is some of the most

vulnerable in our society are being cast aside by a system which is not

working as it should. As she knows, personal independent payments are

designed to provide a means of compensating people for additional

costs of living that the incurred as a result of their disability.

Certainly, if she has particular cases where she believes there is

some systemic problem over the way in which awards are being assessed,

then she is welcome to join to my attention. I will pass it to the

relevant ministers. The approach is surely right with the Government to

concentrate on enabling all those disabled people who wish to work to

get into employment as record numbers are now doing and to support

people at the same time at additional costs. Can be Leader of

the House arranged for a debate on the availability and of drugs,

high-cost drugs, for children with rare medical condition is? A young

child in my constituency sufferers from do Chen muscular dystrophy.

There is a consultation taking place about the withdrawal of the drug to

help this which has dramatically improved his life. There are many

other such conditions of which I'm not aware where drugs such as that

are not available to families. This is a really urgent matter that

affects many children and others across our country and I think the

Minister needs to talk to the Department of Health and ask them to

come to this House and discuss and debate without that funding for the

availability of high-cost drugs. If the honourable gentleman would like

to let me have a note of the particular constituency case I will

pass that on to the Health Secretary but as he will understand, the

general principle to which we and the previous Labour Government

adhered is that decisions about the availability of drugs to treat

unusual conditions should be determined either by nationally or a

local commissioners looking always at the clinical effectiveness of

those drugs and I don't think it would be right to go back to a

system in which ministers, perhaps influenced by the political voices

of which campaign shouted loudest, to take those decisions instead of

the bodies. Can we have a statement or a debate on Government time

regarding the world health organisation pulled a goal to

eliminate the illicit trade in tobacco products? In June, any

response to a Laurence P Q, the Government is fully committed to

this. To require the licensing of tobacco machinery. The growth was

criminal trade continue to threaten public health and result in a loss

of Government revenue. Isn't it time we had an update? There will be an

excellent opportunity for the gentleman to raise this question to

the Health Secretary next Tuesday. Sadly in July my constituent's

teenage daughter needed to seek acute mental health care on an

inpatient basis. The nearest available bed was in Colchester, an

eight hour round trip by car causing her family untold hardship both

emotionally and financially. With the Leader of the House clarify it

is this what his Government means by parity of esteem and he hoped he

agrees with me that you serious as of this issue, we need an urgent

debate. We have not only legislated to give mental and physical health

equal parity in law by the Government has introduced the first

ever access and waiting standards for mental health services which

never existed under previous administrations. 1400 more people

are accessing mental health services every day compared with 2010. An

increase of 40%. We are investing more taxpayer's money in mental

health than ever before. Yes, there is more to be done, I don't deny

that an instant. This garment has shown great determination more so

than any of its predecessors in moving forward to improve the

quality of mental health services available to our constituents. Many

thanks, Mr Speaker. May we have a debate on the importance of

accessibility for disabled people to local sports grounds and amenities?

I recently had an inspirational meeting, Mr Speaker, with use --

East Kilbride disability sports club who many I am delighted to inform

the house will be taking place in the Special Olympics next year. Will

the Leader of the House Agree this is an important issue that requires

access for all to maximise potential and to focus on ability rather than

disability? Mr Speaker, I completely agree with the honourable lady and

if I can wear my heart as the member whose constituency includes Stoke

Mandeville I think that sport has shown that it can provide one of the

best means available for people with disabilities of all kinds to show

that they can achieve great things and have those achievements

celebrated by the public as a holder. I hope all sports governing

bodies and the management of other premises will pay close attention to

her words. The drive for Justice campaign is being led by the

Sheffield Star and its sister publications to look at sentences

for death by dangerous driving. One mother described the drunken women

who had murdered her 15-year-old son, who only served one year in

prison, she described herself as serving a life sentence. Can we have

an urgent debate on sentencing guidelines for death by dangerous

driving? While the next transfer questions are not on the 12th of

January, and she will know that the Government has recently gone out to

public consultation on proposed increases to the severity of

sentences for dangerous driving and I hope that she and her constituents

will avail themselves the opportunity to make their voices

heard during that conservation. At the weekend, there were newspaper

reports that the Home Office estopped transverse to the UK of

unaccompanied minors registered in the refugee camp in France. Children

awaiting transferred in France are going missing and reports say that

children who have arrived in the UK under schemes operated by the

British government, have gone missing after their arrival here.

Can we have a statement from the Home Secretary before Christmas,

updating the house on the operation of the scheme, under the scheme? I

will draw her request to the attention of the Home Secretary, but

the Home Office continues to work very closely with the French

authorities to make sure we identify and give priority in a resettlement

plans to those children who are the most vulnerable. That was what was

envisaged under Lord Dubbs' amendment and matters of policy to

which the government remains committed. According to DWP figures

released yesterday, over 120,000 disabled people have had their

benefits severely downgraded, and that's despite living with chronic,

progressive conditions. Following the earlier question, could we have

a debate on how reassessments from DLA to PIP have been conducted? I

will draw the Work and Pensions Secretary's attention to her

concern, but the principle is surely right. Both, as has been announced,

people who are suffering from long-term, often degenerative

conditions and disabilities should be exempt from reassessments, but

also, people who have disabilities and medical conditions, who are

capable of returning to work of some kind, should be supported in doing

that. That helps restore to them the dignity that goes with working. This

is the third Christmas that six veterans, including my constituent

Billy Irving, will be stuck in jail in India, awaiting judgment. Will

you join me by making a new resolution by doing everything in

your power to bring these men home? Can we have a statement of what the

government will do to make sure this never happens? As she knows, these

men are being held under the Indian judicial system, and while we cannot

give orders to another country about how it operates its judicial system,

the case of her constituents and the other men being detained, has been

raised frequently by ministers, when they have spoken to their Indian

counterparts. It continues to be raised by our High Commissioner in

New Delhi, and we will continue to make such representation. Instead of

the traditional adjournment debate, perhaps the Tuesday debate could be

on a substantive role shouldn't, in tribute to our former colleague Jo

Cox, that this house believes we have more in common than that which

divides us. William Hill bookmakers have said they will donate all the

money staked on the MPs' single becoming number one, the alternate

back to the charity. Would it not be a great statement if all the other

bookmakers matched their generosity? I would like to pay tribute to the

action that William Hill have taken, it sounds to me as though they have

taken a precedent -- set a precedent that others might like to look at

closely. The announcement of job losses in my constituency have ended

years of industrial heritage. Family have a debate about how to protect

jobs in the sector, especially given plans to leave the biggest market in

the world? Any job losses are to be regretted, but I would think he

would surely welcome the fact that unemployment in Scotland has fallen

significantly since this government took office, and we have more people

in work in the UK today than ever before in his today. Can they say

when the Parliamentary amendments constituency Bill will move into

committee and if he cannot say, how will he say why he cannot say? As I

said last week, the response was, the bills published until three days

before it was to be debated. Now estimate or description of costs was

provided with the Bill. But our schoolwork, the government is now

having to undertake. Could we have a debate in government time, order

statement regarding the unacceptable delays in Tier one Visa tribunal 's?

I have a constituent regions December 20 15th the Visa for his

wife and another who is facing eviction from his home with his

family. Can the Leader of the House help my constituents, please? It is

clearly of concern when one hears the particular case history that she

has described. If she would like to let me have the details, I will pass

them onto Justice Secretary. Is he aware of the campaign started in

Chester by my constituents, in which low-paid bar and hospitality staff

are giving up a large proportion of the gratuities to charities

supporting children? It's now being rolled out across the country and

has made thousands of pounds in just a couple of years. Would now not be

a good time to have a debate about voluntary giving the celebrate the

success of my constituents? I would like to give unreserved

congratulations to the bartenders in Chester, who have acted in this way.

My understanding is they have raised more than ?7,000 during the last

year, when the money went to a Syrian aid. We rightly take pride in

this country at the fact that the UK has pledged ?2.3 billion of taxpayer

money to the humanitarian crisis in Syria. But I think what his

constituents have demonstrated is that that sense of solidarity with

the suffering people of Syria is felt widely and in every part of

this country. I recently visited a cafe in my constituency which

employs a lot of EU nationals. They are concerned about the future,

clock following the referendum. Could the government reflect on this

over the Christmas period and come back and make a statement in the New

Year, to give certainty to these employees who make such a

contribution to our society? On behalf of the government, I would

say first of all, yes, but we would want to say very clearly that people

from other EU countries who have come here lawfully in order to work,

are obeying the law, are paying their taxes, are people who are

contributing to our society. The Prime Minister has made the position

very clear on many occasions, that we want to see early agreement on a

deal which enables those EU nationals already in this country to

know that their rights here are secure, and equally, that UK

nationals living elsewhere in the EU, they will have their rights

respected on the same basis. As the great Tory party icon Ebenezer

Scrooge is thought about at this time of year, can we have a debate

on building a social security system built around helping the needs of

the most vulnerable and produced in our society? Does he agree with me

that initiatives such as the government community Tory bank,

which is provided toys for 700 families in the last two years, and

bringing into focus why such help is needed? Whatever system social

security we have in this country, voluntary initiatives such as the

government Tory bank, will have a significant additional role to play.

But we cannot shy away from the fact that we need to have a welfare

system which is they're both to those people who are in need and

also fair to taxpayers, especially taxpayers who work hard on modest

wages to pay for that Social Security system. On Monday at

defence questions, I asked the undersecretary of state why the

national shipbuilding strategy had not been published. She accused me

of complaining about the lack of a publication that has been published.

Can we have a government statement, preferably right now, to confirm for

my benefit, the country's benefit, the benefit of this Howes, but most

importantly, for the benefit of the undersecretary of state, that Sir

John Parker's report is not the National shipbuilding strategy, and

that the National shipbuilding strategy has not been published and

will not be published until the spring of next year. I think at the

end of his question, he was replaying a timetable I myself have

given in the past that this dispatch box. But I think he is right to say

that the Parker report has presented the government with some very far

reaching recommendations for the future of our shipbuilding industry.

I think he and his friends would have been the first to criticise us,

has government ministers rushed to the dispatch box abruptly after the

publication of the report, rather than first giving it the CD

consideration that it needs. He doesn't want to year what I've

got to save. The government made great play of this ?23 billion

investment funds. But there was a single budget line of ?7 billion it

has been put back to the year 2122, which is beyond the scope of this

Parliament. That budget line is called long-term investment. Would

the Leader of the House make a statement explaining what that money

is for and how a future government can be held to account for it? And

if it's for long-term investment, why are we not making the investment

now? Is it sensible to have provision in the medium-term

economic plan, and obviously, it will be for the government to decide

and if necessary, seek parliamentary approval for the details of spending

within that envelope, where we can take stock of where the economy is

closer to that date. I would have thought, talking about the Autumn

Statement, the honourable gentleman would have had the grace to

knowledge not only the 23 billion Chancellor has set aside for

infrastructure spending, but the hundred million infrastructure bonus

going to Scotland. I've just been informed of the remarkable

development, namely that an honourable member has beetle out of

the chamber and not asked his question, on the grounds that it had

already been asked. That has never normally stopped members. The

honourable gentleman is most unusual. Order. I am most grateful

to the Leader and colleagues. Just before I called the Secretary of

State for Communities and Local Government to make a statement, I

will just say this. I understand that a copy of the statement was

provided to the Opposition spokesman on the approximately 15 minutes ago.

That is, frankly, a discourtesy, not only to the Opposition, but to the

House. And it is a departure from a very long-standing and almost

invisibly adhered to convention in this place. I must say to the

Secretary of State and I see it in all courtesy, but I had considered

in the circumstances, a brief suspension of the House, but after

consultation and on reflection, I am persuaded, not least in the light of

other business, with which we have to deal today, that it is probably

best for the House to press on. That said, this must not happen again.

Moreover, I very gently say to the Secretary of State one further

thing, he enquired of my office earlier if it would be acceptable

for his statement to be of 15 minutes length, rather than the

normal ten, because he wished to provide the house with as much

detail as possible. And it is acceptable for him to do that on

this occasion, but, of course, compensation must be granted to the

Opposition spokesman, in terms of the length of his reply. All of that

said, I nevertheless would like to wish the Secretary of State and all

colleagues are very Merry Christmas. The Secretary of State for

Communities and Local Government. Apply to Michu Merry Christmas and

am sorry to