20/04/2017 Business Questions

fellow, we can hear from him later. There will be some anticipation in

the House over what he's planning to raise! Business question. Thank you.

Could the Leader of the House give us the forthcoming business for next

week? The business for next week will be as follows. Monday 24th of

April, consideration of a business of the House motion followed by all

stages of the Northern Ireland ministerial appointments and

regional rates bill, followed by, if necessary, consideration of Lords

amendments. Tuesday the 25th of April, committee of the whole House

and the finance number two bill, followed by consideration of Lords

amendments to the health service medical supplies costs bill,

followed by, if necessary, consideration of Lords amendments.

Wednesday 26th of April, a motion to approve a ways and means resolution

on the digital economy Bill, followed by consideration of Lords

amendments to this. Followed by, consideration of Lords amendments to

the criminal of finances Bill, followed by, if necessary,

consideration of Lords amendments. Thursday 27 people, consideration of

Lords amendments. A House may also be asked to consider any Lords

messages that may be received. The House will not adjourn until Royal

assent has been received to all acts. Since this is probably going

to be the last regular weekly business statement in this

parliament, could I simply take the opportunity to thank first of all

the staff of the House for the service they provide every one of us

throughout the course of Parliament, and wish them a happy opportunity to

put their feet up a little bit over the forthcoming weeks, and secondly,

to wish particular good fortune to those honourable members on all

sides who have decided that they will not seek election. Each of them

in their own way has striven to represent the interests of their

constituents during the years here. Each of them has brought particular

experiences, particular political commitments, to the causes for which

they have fought, and all of them have contributed to the building of

democracy in this country, and I would like to place our banks on

record. Can I thank the Leader of the House for the business of the

last week, and I will save my thanks to the end of my response. It was an

eventful parliament not least because of the death of PC Keith

Palmer, Lesley Rhodes, and now Andrea Christie, and others who were

cathedral said at the memorial injured. As

service, a clock that counts the service, a clock that counts the

minutes, hours and years of lives. And of course, our beloved colleague

Jo Cox, who should be fighting this election. We need to remember them

as we campaign for a country that is tolerant and just. The Prime

Minister wants stability and to strengthen her hand in negotiations,

but blames the opposition parties for calling a general election. But

it is her dithering and confusion and watching her back, firstly what

an arrogant statement she should presume to know the outcome of an

election. Secondly, what has her government been doing for the last

nine months, and thirdly can the Leader of the House confirmed that

if the government wins, we're entering into a rolling programme of

snap during rogue ... We live under the rule of law, and parliament

should have a say. This is democracy. Then there was silence

from the government since July 2016. Her Majesty's opposition called for

a report on Brexit, silence and a speech to Lancaster House. But not

to this House. I found you very personable, but I think others are

scared of making a statement in this House!

LAUGHTER Only when you say or do! Only then setting out 12 points of

principle. Finally, the White Paper in February. Her Majesty is

opposition insisted there should be a final thought on the deal, and

force the government to agree because we are representative

democracy. As the prime ministers sat in front of the great portrait

of Robert Walpole twos signed the letter to Donald Tusk, she forgot to

mention Gibraltar, 96 of whom voted to remain. No wonder she forgot to

mention them. The government seems to be speaking for the 52%, while

Her Majesty's opposition will balance the views of the 52% and to

speak for the country. The confusion lies within her party, not the

opposition. Of course the government wants a general election because it

needs a new manifesto. Everyday the government breaks the manifesto

pledge. Grammar schools, no mention of... In case of National Insurance

contribution for self-employed workers. Ruled out of the manifesto

then became government policy, then a U-turn. The manifesto said nothing

cannot make a decision for the good vulnerable, yet there are cars

looks like? Because we on this side of the country. So, could we have

looks like? Because we on this side of the House... For students, no

increase in tuition fees. For society, an investment in public

services or local government grants are based on needs for local

services, protecting police forces and libraries, not special deals for

special friends. Ensuring small businesses thrive, supporting those

who care for others by an increase in carers allowance, and protecting

pensions and compensating women affected by an increase in the state

pension. Policies for the seven stages of life, that is what the

country needs. No dithering or confusion, but vision and strong

leadership. Her Majesty is opposition and government will work

for a tolerant, fare and dynamic United Kingdom. Finally, to echo

what the Leader of the House said, can I thank all of the House staff

for the brilliant supported me, you, Mr Speaker and your office, the

Leader of the House, his erstwhile deputy and his office blogger help,

my office, and everyone who has made my job easier, including my Chief

Whip, who tells me to stop the jokes! If

enough can I also mention the fact that tomorrow with a Majesty her

Queen's 91st birthday, one that she also shares with the honourable

member for Gateshead. It's a significant day. If he doesn't mind

me saying... If he doesn't mind me saying it, it's his 60th. And can I

say that rights oh, the honourable member as well. I won't say what the

age is, if she doesn't mind. 21! As are we all. And finally, to echo

what the leader of the houses, to all those people who are standing

down, who have given their life to public service, thank them all. And

finally, it's been an absolute privilege to be the Shadow Leader of

the House. Can I associate myself both with the honourable lady's

the tribute she paid at the start of the tribute she paid at the start

colleague Jo Cox and I hope it is her remarks, both to those who lost

colleague Jo Cox and I hope it is not long in the life of the new

parliament before the permanent memorial to Jo Cox can take its

place in the House of Commons, I know that is something that will be

supported by and welcomed by every single member of his house and the

next House Commons as well. I join her, obviously, in wishing that many

happy returns to Her Majesty and also to the honourable member for

Gateshead and my right honourable friend, the Member for animation. I

can say as my right honourable friend's constituency neighbour that

whatever number may be pinned to the years, nothing diminishes her vigour

or commitment to working on behalf of her constituents. And I have

equally, like the honourable lady, always enjoyed and appreciated my

relationship with my other constituency neighbour, The Right

Honourable member for Buckingham and indeed, following the last boundary

change in the Buckingham constituency, I have a particular

interest in the outcome. The honourable lady... I think if the

honourable gentleman peruses Mr Speaker's previous election

material, he may find the answer he is seeking. The honourable lady

asked me a number of questions. I have two say to her that when it

comes to Gibraltar, the front bench really does have a very short

memory. People in Gibraltar have not forgotten how the last Labour

Government tried to sell that territory down the river, how they

sought a joint sovereignty agreement, something that was

rejected by the people of Gibraltar by a margin of well over 90% in a

subsequent referendum. She also made a number of assertions about

policies that will, I'm sure, be debated in the country in the weeks

to come. I would simply say to her this - that I think all of us in the

House, whatever political perspective we bring to these

matters, want to see public services of our kind in which we can all take

pride and which we think and work effectively for our constituents who

are vulnerable and in need of help. It is the belief of this Government

and this party that the foundation for effective public services has to

be a strong and growing economy, and the plans put forward by the right

honourable gentleman, the Leader of the Opposition, would render any

such chaotic Government incapable of funding public services because they

would have bankrupted the British economy, raised taxes on ordinary

working families and piled yet more public debt onto the next

generation, a betrayal of young people. I would say to her finally

this- she said she looked forward to the Leader of the Opposition being

in a position to form a Government and yet we know that three quarters

of her own Parliamentary colleagues had no confidence in his ability to

continue as the leader of the Labour Party. I think that very few Labour

members of this outgoing parliament will be able to stand up and with a

straight face say that they really have confidence that the Leader of

the Opposition should be entrusted with the Government and leadership

of this country. I should just advise the House, pursuant to what

the Leader of the House said about our late and esteemed colleague Jo

Cox, that the memorial to her had been scheduled to be installed in

the chamber next month. That date fell within what will now be the

election campaign and therefore a rescheduling is essential, but I

would want the House to know that this matter was discussed by

relevant colleagues, the Jo Cox foundation and me yesterday and it

is fully intended that the installation will take place very

soon. Mr Speaker, notwithstanding my advanced years, I have appeared to

have gained no more wisdom because I'm going to ask the Leader of the

House for a debate on my favourite subject, and your favourite subject

know that, and the Leader of the House's favourite subject, HS2, but

I do think we need to consider whether we can have an emergency

debate on hay jested next week because the boss of HS2 David

Higgins, in evidence to the transport select committee

yesterday, indicated that their failure to consider conflicts of

interest led to the fiasco of a key contract withdrawing from a ?170

million contract. I want to know who is going to take responsibility for

this, as it is a massive project, the largest infrastructure project

in this country and I also think we need to examine whether senior

management is fit for their role and should be in charge of such large

when we all going to be away from when we all going to be away from

this place and not able to scrutinise it. Could we have an

emergency debate next week, please? My honourable friend is quite right

to pursue this matter that is of great importance to her constituents

and mine and those in other constituency is along the proposed

line of route. Clearly the failures of juju religions that Sir David

Higgins acknowledged had taken place ought not to have happened. I'm

therefore glad that our honourable friend the Secretary of State for

Transport made it very clear in his evidence to the transport select

committee yesterday that he gave a very high priority to the issue of

fair and transparent procurement within HS2 and within all such

projects for which he has responsibility.

Can I... This will be the last business arts questions are very

parliament, it has been a pleasure working with the right honourable

gentleman and not extend that to the honourable leader and I will give my

thanks at the end of my contribution. Could we have a big

shout out for all of these members of Parliament that are competing in

the London Marathon on Saturday, particularly my honourable friend,

who has the distinction of being the first SNP member of Parliament to be

competing in the London Marathon. It is on Sunday, he is shouting. This

sometime over the weekend, Mr Speaker. Can I just say, high pity

her political opponents when she laps on the leaflet run during the

general election. We have to have an urgent statement on the status of

all of the Conservative members of Parliament currently under police

investigation for electoral fraud. It seems there may be up to two

dozen Conservative MPs facing the possibility of being prosecuted

while we are in the middle of an election campaign. The public

deserves to know what will happen under these circumstances that will

it be possible for them to continue as candidates in this general

election if that was to pass? A lot of people suspect with the first

charging decision to be made on the 20th of May, this is the real reason

for the snap election and we need to hear from the Government if this

played any feature in the deciding of determining this date of

election. I would like to hear from the Leader of the House on this

issue. And can we have a debate about debates, and particularly our

Prime Minister who seems fair to participate in the television

variety. She unilaterally called this election but will not debate

with other litter colour balance and it is absolutely right that

broadcasters are considering empty chairing the prime ministers a

maximum embarrassment is achieved. And finally, I wish members of

Parliament, nearly all members of parliament, a good election and can

I also pay my tributes to the members of Parliament who will be

standing down. And also to thank the staff who have served us diligently

during the course of these past two years, to you and your office Mr

Speaker and I echo the words of the honourable lady. I think as we leave

today, we all remember Jo Cox and wish she was out there on the stumps

fighting with us for the election and it is so tragic that it has been

taken away from this House. I join the honourable gentleman in wishing

every success both to his colleague, the honourable lady from Livingston,

and to all colleagues from all political parties in the House as

they make their final preparations for the London Marathon on Sunday. I

am sure the honourable gentleman is right in suggesting that the

Marathon training will serve them all in good stead for the seven

weeks that now beckon us all. It may give the rest of us the opportunity

to wear out some shoe leather as well, though not I suspect quite as

well as well have been done by those competing on Sunday. And I hope as

well all those members are successful in raising large sums of

money for the various charities for which they are supporting in the

marathon. The honourable gentleman made a serious point to me about the

police investigations. I want to reiterate, Mr Speaker, what the

Prime Minister said yesterday, that we stand behind all our candidates

at the forthcoming election, who will be out campaigning for a

strong, stable Government in the national interest. A number of

police forces have conducted investigations and many have been

dropped. It is right these matters are investigated properly but the

battle bus was directed by the National party, as was the case with

other political parties, and we are confident that individual colleagues

acted properly. First way I commend my right honourable friend for being

an exemplary Leader of the House. He is widely regarded as someone of

impeccable integrity and he has conducted the office impeccably

during this parliament and I hope nothing will change. May I also just

draw his attention and put down a marker about select committee

staffing. We have one double staff, they work incredibly hard, but the

committee specialists tend to change too often. This doesn't happen in

the library, where specialists sometimes remain in post for a

decade or more and this would strengthen the role of select

committees if we could look at changing the nature of this tapping,

rather than the turbulence we put up with at the moment -- of this

staffing. I appreciate this is for the next parliament but I wonder if

he could leave something on his file to remind him when he gets back. I'm

grateful to my honourable friend for his kind remarks. Clearly there is a

balance to be struck between the value of continuity that my

honourable friend described and also, on the other side of the

balance, the need to ensure that individuals have the opportunity to

develop their careers in service through a variety of different

experiences and occupations, but I will make a note and whether it is

high or somebody else who has these duties when the new parliament

assembles, I'm sure they will want to take a close look at this. I'm

very grateful, Mr Speaker. The backbench business committee in this

Parliament has concluded its business and I'm very grateful to

the Leader of the House as in this last Parliamentary session, we have

had our full allocation of backbench time and we are very grateful for

that. We have offered outstanding debate applications which are lying

unheard and if it is all right with the Leader of the House, I will ask

our committee Clerk to write to his office to seek an airing of those

debates in the new parliament, possibly before the time when the

new backbench business and new parliament is established, because

that happened in the last Parliament, General debates put down

by the Leader of the House and some of those subjects could be debated

in that time. Mr Speaker, could I also place thanks on record to the

members of the committee, the ever presents, the members for Harrow

East, Paisley and Renfrewshire North, Birmingham and Yardley, later

arrivals from Torbay, Hazel Grove and Whitney, members who departed

during the term from Wellingborough and catering and those who had more

than a cameo appearances from Aldwych and Brownhills and Ipswich.

Can I thank you, that is me done for this Parliament. Thank you. Mr

Speaker, can I thank the honourable member for Gateshead and the members

of his committee for the sterling work that they have done during this

Parliament. I think that backbench business does provide members in all

parts of the House to raise issues that are of importance to our

constituents but may well not be the subject of Government legislation at

any particular time. I will take careful note and obviously consider

very carefully the particular point he made to me about the scheduling

of debates, general Today I will desist from illicit

--... I would return to pursue an appalling company here, and I will

be asking you, Mr Speaker, if you received an apology from the company

for misleading myself. But can I turn to the Leader of the House,

does he agree with me that early in the next parliament, the committee

needs to revisit standing order an hundred and 202A, to ensure it

reflects the reality of contested elections for select committee

chairs, and the expectation of the House that those elected into these

roles will serve the full term of the parliament in which they are

elected? I am grateful for giving the notice of this issue, has given

me the unexpected opportunity to study standing order 120 28, and

associated standing orders of the House. I concede that the standing

orders relating to the election of select committees is capable of

being construed in a number of different ways. It seems that the

way forward would be for the committee in the new House of

Commons when that is constituted to take this issue away, examine the

current standing orders, consult across parties and come back with

recommendations in due course. Can I thank members of the House are

making clear we will remember Jo Cox at the earliest opportunity, and

wishes that she could be on the campaign train with us. I shall not

be returning to this House, so can I thank you and everyone here for the

20 years of the privilege to represent them in Edgbaston, it has

been a privilege. The next Parliament has a very difficult

task, the government has to implement the well of the people as

expressed on the 23rd of June last year. -- the will of the people. The

government has two ensure that we get the best deal. Finally, can I

just paraphrase, I shall miss this House, but I shall miss this House

more than the House will miss me. LAUGHTER.

The honourable lady was characteristically self-deprecating

and her remarks. Those of us who have served with her in this House

will remember her and her contributions for a very long time.

Thank you very much. I appreciate that we have very little time left

of this Parliament, but nevertheless I would still like to request that

consideration be given for debate on the additional ?10 billion this

government have committed to the NHS until 2020, that is certainly

starting to see results in my constituency, with the opening of

new units at Crow hospital. -- Crawley Hospital. I am grateful to

my honourable friend for raising this point, and would join him in

welcoming these new units. It seems to me that the commissioning

authorities in his part of the country have taken advantage of the

record government spending on our National Health service, to the

configure services in a way that will provide better services for his

constituents and those in neighbouring constituencies in the

future. Can I try again with the Leader of the House. Is it possible

in the next few days to have an urgent debate about the appalling

state of our roads? In Nottinghamshire, there's a ?320

million bill regarding repairs to roads, and some of the roads are

shocking. The response of the government is to give the Council

?40 million. It would take 30 years to repair all of the roads at that

rate. It is not good enough, the government has to do something about

it. The government set aside ?23 billion but infrastructure in the

Autumn Statement, and we are investing a record ?15 billion on

road schemes. The amount we are spending on roads include

allocations to local authorities, to fill in potholes and carry out other

essential road maintenance, as well as providing for the central

government spending on motorways and trunk roads. But regarding the point

I made to the honourable lady earlier, the ability of any

government to provide for increases in public expenditure, the kind that

the right honourable gentleman is seeking, rests on the capacity of

our economy to create wealth and increase employment. And the

policies, which I'm afraid his party at its pricing in this general

election campaign, will saddle future generations with debt.

we have a debate on hospital services in Shropshire. With the

reader in the Hayes -- the Leader of the House join me in welcoming the

recent comments of the leader of the hospital trusts, that the children

and women's unit in Telford is now safe and indeed new services such as

cancer care patient services will be introduced over the coming months.

Is it not more evidence that the NHS is safe in Conservative hands

locally and nationally? I very much welcome the news from Telford and

Shrewsbury, I think it is important that these detailed decisions about

the configuration of services are taken at local level and driven by

the assessment of those in charge of our NHS at local level, what is

needed for their particular communities. One particular setup is

not going to work equally well in every part of the country. There

needs to be local sensitivity, and I am pleased that is what seems to be

happening in Shropshire. The reputation of politics was rock

bottom, now it is subterranean. We've done nothing to reform the

deep corruption at the heart of our political system by doing nothing

about the revolving door. What the country needs is a leader of

integrity, a man not mired in corruption and not dedicated to

seeking office in order to gain insider knowledge that they can then

prostitute to the highest bidder when they leave office. We need a

man who is different to what we have had. That is what the country is

looking forward to. When can we investigate the activities between

previous ministers and Blackstone investments? These are unresolved

problems where we have people leaving this House, but they have

the consolation of our salaries of up to ?650,000 for a part-time job.

This does not honour politics, it drags politics down into the gutter.

What we need is a new Prime Minister of integrity. The honourable

gentleman, as always, speaks with passion and in this case on the half

of the 25% of Labour MPs who support the Leader of the Opposition. I say

to him that... Put it this week, I think he may not have meant it in

this fashion, but I think he was being extremely unfair to successive

prime ministers on both the breath -- from both the main political

parties in this country and those who have served in the governments

who have gone on after leaving office and membership of this House,

to work in other capacities in our country. These are men and women,

whether Conservative, Labour road Liberal Democrats, who have things

to offer, and it is right that subject to codes and rules that

applied, but when they leave office and membership of the House of

Commons, they should be free to pursue those new avenues. The

honourable member for Birmingham Edgbaston is wrong. She will be

missed by the House. Will my right honourable friend find time for a

debate on the persecution of Christians throughout the world,

given that we start proceedings each day with prayers, I think if we held

such a debate it will send out an extremely strong message. I cannot

talk my honourable friend the debate, I think every member of the

House will have been shocked by the attacks on Coptic churches in

particular in the jute during holy week, and that will reinforce and

all our minds the importance of the points he has made. -- in particular

in Egypt. The Prime Minister and her Easter message spoke up strongly

about the need to defend religious freedom around the world,

particularly with reference to Christians and religious minorities

we do not -- who do not have the same freedoms we can cherish in the

UK. One month ago I asked the leader for a debate on female

representation in politics. Two weeks from today, the voters of

Renfrewshire will elect a new councillor, and at best will offer

50-50 split among its candidates. Only 29% of Labour, and 17% of

Conservative candidates are women. Flavour is doubly fortunate to

return to the House -- if the leader is fortunate enough to return to his

role, can we have a debate on the subject? I would say, this

government could not have been clearer about our wish to encourage

more women to take part in public life, both in seeking membership of

the House of Commons and local authorities and in many other forms

of public service, and successive leaders of my party have worked very

hard to promote that, not least my right honourable friend the Prime

Minister. I would say to the honourable gentleman, unlike his

party, my party has a woman leader in Holyrood and Westminster. Can I

start that I seeing the honourable member for Edgbaston has been an

outstanding member of Parliament, and her successor has an incredibly

difficult act to follow. Can the Leader of the House confirmed that

the prison and courts Bill has now been abandoned in this Parliament

and will have to start its passage into the House in the next

Parliament, and can he tell us which bills will go through the rather

grubby process of the wash-up, which is an unsatisfactory way to pass

laws? The bills that would introduced to this House quite late

in the current parliamentary session and which received carry-over motion

Sodhi could be debated in what would have been the third session of the

current Parliament, including the prisons and Courts Bill. In my

statement I referred to some of those measures we will be addressing

during the wash-up period next week. As my right honourable friend knows,

there are discussions going on through the usual channels about how

to handle particular pieces of legislation, and I do not want to

prejudice the outcome of those discussions. Can I thank you and the

Leader of the House for your kind remarks about my neighbour and

friend, Jo Cox. She will be an all our minds as we fight the election.

She was a radical underperformer, she cared about their size, but she

was discontent with the House because she thought it was not as

accountable for a modern age as it could be. Could we think about this

during the election period and when we come back could we have an early

debate, whoever is the Leader of the House, I fancy it for myself!

LAUGHTER There is no ageism here. Could we have a serious debate about

we can make this place more accountable. Many of my constituents

find that the call for an early election has gotten the way of

accountability for people like me, who have wanted to stay in the

European Union, accepted the will the people, but are going to fight

like mad to make sure we get a good deal. If we have money for public

services he mentioned, surely we should have a good deal, and this

House will now have a weakened position in terms of making

I simply don't see the connection that he asserts between their being

a general election and this has being in a weak position. I would

have thought the fact that we had a house of Commons charged with a new

mandate from the people to carry through the referendum outcome would

mean that there was greater strength of purpose in this House, as indeed

on the part of the Government in going forward to what will be very

challenging negotiations and I would say to him there is absolutely no

doubt in my mind about my right honourable friend the Prime

Minister's utter determination to secure the best possible deal for

all the people of every part of the United Kingdom at the end of those

negotiations. Would the Government be able to make time for a statement

or North Korea? Whilst security concerns are currently uppermost in

many people's minds, would the Government convey the concern of

many of us in this House at the possibility of the Chinese

Government of returning refugees from North Korea back to the North

Korean regime, to near certain death or lifetime imprisonment, sometimes

going on for three generations of their families. It is not something

many of us as has want to be silent about. My honourable friend makes a

very cogent point the Government is concerned that China continues

regard North -- both Korean refugees as migrants rather than refugees and

as we all know, the scale of human rights abuses in North Korea is too

severe for the international community, including China, to

ignore. We have repeatedly called upon the Chinese authorities to at

the very least is Makovich respect the fundamentals built into the

United Nations conventions and we did this in our recent UK - China

human rights dialogue. I recently met with the father of toddler Harry

Studley who honourable members may remember was shot in the head with

an air rifle in South Bristol last July. Harry's dad has impressed me

with not only his resilience in the face of this adversity, he has told

me Harry is doing well, but also his determination as a nation that we

learn something from this incident. So can we have a debate about what

measures the Government can put in place to improve air rifle safety?

For example, the introduction of compulsory trigger locks on these

lethal weapons. Well, first of all, can I wish Harry a full recovery and

express my best wishes to those caring for him and those who are

treating his injuries. The Government keeps the legislation and

At present, we have -- at present, At

using those weapons do so we have no plans to license or

using those weapons do so responsibly and safely. High-powered

air weapons do require a firearms licence and even low powered air

weapons are subject to a range of controls, including restrictions

around their sale. I mean, the problem about introducing further

restrictions on low powered air weapons is that it would involve a

small minority of people who misuse, sometimes tragically, this use of

air weapons in England and Wales and it would, by introducing a further

set of controls, divert police resources from controlling the other

higher risk firearms such as rifles and shotguns, where we think the

police ought to give priority. I am sometimes asked by constituents,

when they have seen our proceedings on television, do you really hate

one another? They see as shouting at one another over the dispatch box

and they say, what are they like after you have done battle with

them? And then I is when the reality, that I had difficulty

sometimes more with people on my own side than the people opposite. They

know who they are. And they know who they are! But the reality is of

course we build a lasting and enduring friendships with members of

Parliament from all parties and none more so than the honourable member

for Edgbaston. She will leave an enduring legacy in the work that she

did on Brexit and I am grateful to her and with your end of term

latitude, Mr Speaker, I will say I will miss you, Gisela and I will

issue in the future and it wouldn't be business questions if I didn't

say, there is an issue with potholes in the Ribble Valley. I'm going to

spend the next seven weeks driving around looking at them as I visit

towns, hamlets and villages and I do hope that as part of our imaginative

manifesto for the future that we can think of ways whereby district

authorities are able to bid for some of that money made available by

central Government in order that we can fill those holes. Mr Speaker, I

wish you and all the parliamentary staff well for the dissolution and

also for preparation for the hard work that will come ahead in the new

parliament. I think my honourable friend makes a point of that it is

sometimes quite hard for people outside this House, who only see the

moments of high drama on their TV screens, to understand that actually

we all come into this phase with equal electoral mandate, we all come

in with passionately held political views about how best to make things

better for the people who we represent, but actually, there is a

certain amount of camaraderie that transcends party political

differences and friendships that can be built up across party lines over

very many years. On his policy point about the Ribble Valley, the idea of

having a system for bids, additional bits from local authorities, is an

interesting one and I will make sure that that is passed on and placed in

the in tray for the incoming transport minister after the

election. The Leader of the House didn't clarify, the 2nd of May? I

wondered if we could have some information about that but what I

really wanted to ask, is the Leader of the House aware that the families

of the victims of the Hyde Park bombings have been denied Legal Aid

to fund their pursuit in the civil action against the chief suspect?

Could the Minister look at meeting with the members and peers who

support the victims' campaign, in order to consider the Government

making exceptional funding available so the justice they have been denied

for 35 years can be delivered? As a Ulster Unionist Party may I

associate myself with all the remarks everyone else has made and

thanking all of those who have helped us over the period we have

been here and it is good to hear that we are marking the Jo Cox but

also the strength of her husband has been quite fantastic, the same time,

and may I wish all the best to those who standing down and may I just

share with you, because it is such good wording, from an Irish

blessing, for all of you when you are knocking on the doors, made a

road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, made the

sunshine warm upon your face, the rain fall soft upon your fields and

until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand. Thank

you. The whole house warmed to the honourable gentleman's concluding

comments. And I join him in his salute to Brendan Cox, who has shown

the most inspiring courage and fortitude over the months since Jo's

murder. But who has also spoken out fearlessly in defence of democracy

and human rights and against extremism at a time when he must

have been under the most appalling personal stress. The honourable

gentleman asked me two specific questions. On his point about Legal

Aid, I think implicit in his question to me was the fact that

these decisions are taking at arms length from ministers but I will ask

the minister responsible for Legal Aid to make contact with him and

other interested colleagues in both houses. On his point about Tuesday

the second, the... While the working assumption at the moment is that the

House will not sit then, that data is available should it be needed, to

ensure that business is completed. By law, the dissolution of

Parliament must take place at one minute past midnight on the third,

so Tuesday will be the last day on which members of this parliament

will have access to their offices in the House of Commons. I was somewhat

disappointed and dismayed to hear that Walsall Borough Council has

declined to take part in the Government's pilot scheme on voter

ID at polling stations. Is the Leader of the House aware of any

advice for presiding officers at the forthcoming local mayoral elections

and the general election to deter impersonation at polling stations?

The electoral commission does provide such guidance to returning

officers and their staff, including those running polling stations, and

the handbooks from the commission specifically include a procedure for

dealing with impersonation and guidance in how to deal with

particular issues. I'm disappointed to hear my honourable friend say

that Walsall Council does not wish to follow best practice and I hope

that they might reconsider, following her representation. The

coalition Government introduced a fund of 173.5 million for public

transport in Leeds for a modern mass transit system. I was delighted that

this Government has stuck to that commitment. Of course now, with the

election, that is thrown into the air so can I ask the Minister what

will happen and can he assure me there will be proper scrutiny of

Leeds City Council's frankly unambitious and very poor plans for

spending that money, when actually, this place is not sitting? Of

course, first of all, there will be some election going on in Yorkshire,

certainly the greater Leeds area, this year but the processes for the

auditing and scrutiny of expenditure within Government continue,

ministers remain in office. What they will not become until the new

Parliament assembles, is the opportunity for members of

Parliament in this House to raise matters where they think that money

has not been spent to best effect. But we are talking only about a

matter of seven weeks, so I think it will not be long before members

representing Leeds and every other part of the country are able to

raise all these points. Can I echo what was said earlier by my

honourable friend in welcoming the Government's increased investment in

the NHS and also in acknowledging what the Leader of the House said

earlier about the need for local decision-making on Health Service

matters. Can nonetheless seek his reassurance that in the next

Parliament, we will have the opportunity properly to scrutinise

any proposed changes that come forward as a result of NHS England's

sustainability and transformation plans? There is, as he will know

because I have raised it in the House before, considerable concern

about services at North Devon hospital in my constituency, but the

concern is any proposed changes might be hastily imposed by the

local Health Service managers. Will he be able to reassure me that we

will have an opportunity to scrutinise those matters? And before

I take my seat, because it seems I have the privilege of being the last

member on this side of the House to ask a business question in this

parliament, can I echo all of the comments made about our colleague Jo

Cox. Mr Speaker, I thank you and your staff and the staff of this

House to help run the business of this has so smoothly and long may it

continue. I am grateful to my honourable friend. I can assure him

that the next House of Commons, both in the chamber, in Westminster Hall,

and through the Health Select Committee, when that is

re-established, will have the opportunity to consider

sustainability and transformation plans as they come forward in all

parts of the country, but any such plan has two major four tests for

service change. They must be supported by GP commissioners, be

based on clinical evidence, demonstrate public and patient

engagement and consider patient choice. And the NHS organisations

involved are obliged to consult the local authority's health overview

and scrutiny committees, so any proposed changes to substantial

changes on health services. Those committees can make a formal

objection to such a substantial service change and referred the

decision to the Secretary of State for a decision and the Secretary of

State, local ministers, is accountable to this House. With your

indulgence, just before I ask my question, I would like to put on

record my sincere thanks for the honourable members of it we've about

and Glasgow North West for assisting me when I was unwell yesterday. I

would also like to extend my thanks to the wonderful staff and medics

for their excellent usual care. In the culture, media and sport

questions on the 16th of March, myself and the honourable member for

North Ayrshire and Arran asked the undersecretary of state about a long

campaign on betting terminals. We were promised a long-standing

announcement by the Government would be made in the spring. Can the

Leader of the House committed a that this firm commitment will be kept

before the dissolution of Parliament?

I cannot promise that for the reason that once the general election has

been announced, the normal rules on government purdah start to apply

fairly promptly, certainly from the end of this week. This is a matter

to the Cabinet Secretary, rather than for ministers. And while

ministers will be free in the next 24 hours to make a number of

statements, as soon as the purdah rules come into play, which I expect

to happen tomorrow, then the government machine is prohibited

because it must maintain impartiality during an election

period from making such announcements. We all know that to

ensure constituents can get better paid better quality jobs and that

businesses can compete better abroad, we must ensure our people

have the skills. It is a disgrace therefore that in my area we are

facing further savage cuts of beyond ?20 million per year to our local

schools. So before the House is dissolved, can we have a statement

from the Education Secretary on why this government is pulling the rug

from under our young people and taking us back to mid-19 90s levels

of Tory underinvestment in our schools? Our young people deserve

better. I would point out first that the number of pupils attending

schools which are rated as good or outstanding has risen since 2010 to

the highest level ever. Some 89% of pupils attend such schools, and the

number of individual schools that meet those Ofsted standards is also

at a record high. He also chose not to mention this government's

commitment to 3 million good apprenticeship starts, nor did he

mention this government's renewed focus on technical and vocational

education, which is something that is essential if we are to give young

men and women the opportunities that he, like high, wishes to see them

enjoy. His question was an attack on the proposed new funding for

schools, but it has long been argued on both sides of this House that it

was not tolerable to continue with the situation in which schools and

almost geographical identical areas could receive almost half the money

per pupil than the other comparable school was receiving. As the

honourable gentleman knows, it is the subject of a public consultation

that has just closed. The Secretary of State is considering her response

to that and she will come forward with proposals. The Leader of the

House referred to Gibraltar. Can I remind him Gibraltar have a Labour

government and we know that any Labour government is always better

than Tory Government. But I wasn't going to ask about that. I want to

ask about why the government has broken its promise because Minister

after minister has said in reference to secondary legislation that if the

opposition demands a debate and vote, there will be a debate and

vote. But for the last two years, successive leaders of the House have

refused to allow us this. In particular, after dozens of

constituents are worried about changes to independent payments,

many of them with severe mental health problems concerned this will

go through without any debate or vote, why will the government

minister not say yes, we're going to have a debate and vote next week? He

knows an election has been called which makes a difference to the

allocation of time for business, particularly as we have to make

provision, and I think this is appointed leader across the House.

We have to make provision for emergency legislation in relation to

Northern Ireland, which will take time that might otherwise have been

available for other purposes. Regarding Personal

Payment is, if you looks at what he Payment is, if you looks at what he

is actually -- what is actually going on, the number of successful

appeals against this is only 3% of cases that have reached a decision.

And the number of people with mental health conditions who are getting

additional help under PIP compared with DLA is significantly higher. So

PIP represents a big improvement upon the situation that existed

previously. Finally I will say this, he is on very dangerous ground

regarding the Chief Minister of Gibraltar. One thing I know if at

all political parties in Gibraltar detested and resented the previous

Labour government's proposals. And I echo comments made about Jo Cox. She

was a huge champion of International development, and while I am pleased

to see the proposals going ahead for a memorial to her here in the

Commons, I think one of the greatest memorials would be to see all

parties recommitting to the cross-party agreement on 0.7% of

international development. It would be a tragedy if that was abandoned.

She was also a champion of the situation of older people in this

country, and we have a surprise general election, I wonder if we

might see a surprise statement from the government in the next few days

about correcting the historical injustice regarding pensioners

across this country, including mine workers who have been let down and

not received what they were expected to lose even the retirement. It is

going to be important as we leave the European Union that the United

Kingdom is more outward looking in the world even than it is already. I

am certainly proud of the way in which we use are very generous aid

programme to bring humanitarian assistance to people in need at the

moment in parts of central and eastern Africa, and to people inside

Syria and those who have taken refuge in neighbouring countries.

This point about the state pension age increase for women, transitional

arrangements are already in place, and the last government committed

more than ?1 billion to lessen the impact of those changes. No one will

see their pension age change by more than 18 months compared with the

previous timetable. The problem with what the honourable gentleman is

seeking a fact to reverse the pensions act 2011 would cost more

than ?30 billion, and neither he his party have any plan as to how they

would find that money. Six innocent UK military veterans, including

Billy Urban remain in jail in India. The Foreign Secretary has still not

met with families. This government has been in a tizzy over Brexit and

not focusing on these men. Now the selection means their perilous

situation slips even further down the priority list. These military

veterans deserve better. What is his government going to do to get Billy

and his colleagues home where they belong with their families? She has

raised this case before. But she knows therefore that the Prime

Minister has raised the case with the Prime Minister of India. That

Foreign Office ministers and our High Commissioner in New Delhi have

raised this issue many times with their Indian counterparts, and

representations continue to be made to the Indian High Commissioner here

in London. The case is with the judicial system within India, which

is a mature democracy, and we will continue to make or representations

we can, and we're not giving up. It is wrong to suggest we have done.

South Tees clinical commissioning group announced a fortnight ago that

they medical Centre serving over 5000 people in the village, many of

whom are elderly, will close at the end of June. NHS England provided

emergency GP cover for the last year after the previous company went into

liquidation. But not a single bed has been received, which are damning

indictment of this government's approach to health care. I have

written to the Secretary of State to step in urgently on the half of

those patients who rely on the GP service. But can he bring this of

the -- to the urgent attention... I will refer the particular case to

the Secretary of State for health and his team. But I would say in

respect of her strictures about the use of private sector contractors,

that it was actually under the previous Labour government that

there was a significant increase of four and a half percent of NHS

spending being delivered through contracting out services. The

proportion has grown only slightly since 2010. I return once again to

the issue of the National shipbuilding strategy, which have

been told since last summer is Imagen. -- is imminent. This

parliament was ensured it would be published in the spring of 2017. So

can the Leader of the House confirmed today that the

shipbuilding strategy will not be published before the end of this

Parliament, and does he accept that that will be seen by the shipyard

workers on the Clyde and elsewhere as a complete betrayal and another

gross dereliction of duty by this Conservative Government? We're not

going to be shy, Mr Speaker, publishing the National shipbuilding

strategy, but I would refer him to the answer he gave to his honourable

friend about the impact of purdah rules, and I suspect the honourable

gentleman and his party would be the first on the feet to complain if

during a general election campaign we had announcements coming out of

Whitehall which he would then argue work to help win the general

election. The Conservative government in London has spent

?7,000 per person on transport projects in the south-east for every

?1 per person spent in the North. Meanwhile, schools in Sefton face a

cut of ?518 per child and the loss of nearly 500 teachers, so before

the election, can we have a statement about whether the people

of Sefton Central have been let down by the government and why they have

had such appalling treatment? The honourable gentleman looks back --

if you looks back to the Autumn Statement, he will see there was ?13

billion reserved for Northern England, and I could list some of

the projects, improvements to Manchester Airport, 300 million for

the time Wear Metro, benefiting northern cities and regions

directly. In his question to me, he also ignored the fact that

investment in London can bring direct benefit to centres outside

the London -- outside London. Crossrail trains are being built in

Derby and providing jobs there. Components for London buses are made

in Falkirk and Ballymena. All parts of the United Kingdom are benefiting

from this programme. On a similar point, can we have a statement on

the procurement of type 26 frigates? The best shipbuilders in the world

have waited now for two years for work to start on these frigates, and

that the minimum, if we are not to receive a statement, to team sure

the Ministry of Defence could write to me with an update? As I think I

have said this dispatch box before, the government hopes that steel

cutting can begin on that programme as soon as possible, and he will

know that the two biggest warships ever built for the Royal Navy are

being constructed in Scotland as we speak. Following the official

opening of the power station in my constituency last month, attended by

the Minister for South Herefordshire, a number of

north-west businesses remain unpaid following the liquidation of the

project contractor by its massive Spanish parent. It is disgraceful

that our local businesses should lose out on major infrastructure

projects that is contributing to our national energy security. With the

leader arrange an urgent statement next week on a report made available

to these businesses during the period of dissolution.

It's clearly important, particularly for small businesses, that they are

paid in full and on time within the terms of their respective contracts.

As the honourable lady will know, if there is a liquidation involved,

then a particular legal regime does kick in. If she would like to let me

have some details, I will send those on directly to the energy minister.

In the remaining days that we have of this parliament, can we please

have a debate about the Northern Powerhouse? Particularly because

London gets ten times as much per head of population to spend on

transport than Yorkshire and the Humber. Schools in my patch of

facing cuts of up to ?400 per pupil. The NHS, under the sustainability

and transformation plan, are said to see cuts of 328 million. The council

budget has been slashed by 50% and we have the lowest number of police

officers since the 1970s in Humberside. So can we please have a

debate about what the your Mac to lead Tories have against Yorkshire

and Hull in particular? Is she looks at the record, she will see large

sums of money and that money mentioned in the Autumn Statement

being used in Yorkshire, the Humber and northern England and she will

see that more than 60% of the increase in private sector

employment since the 2010 general election has been in parts of the

United Kingdom outside London and the south-east, so I think if she

looks at the record, she will say that Yorkshire and Humberside are

benefiting from the sound economic policies the Government are

pursuing. Yesterday, the Prime Minister said she would be out there

campaigning in every part of the United Kingdom in the coming

election. Can I help police suggest she visits the Stirling

constituency, where the presence of a hard Brexit, hard right,

pro-restorative touristy Prime Minister will do nothing but good to

determine winning the SNP campaign. I know my right honourable friend

the Prime Minister is looking forward with relish to coming to

Scotland and making the positive case for a Conservative Government

and also pointing out that after ten years of SNP stewardship, we see a

decline in the national Health Service in Scotland and standards in

Scottish schools overtaken by those in England, in Wales, in Poland and

in Stonier. -- in Estonia. I am proud to be part of a final

Caledonian flush in this last business questions although

hopefully on Sunday, it will be more of a Caledonian flash and all of you

are in a sprint to the election, but some of us have a marathon to run

and I wish the other 30 members of the House of Commons well in their

endeavours. It is in one of those occasions where politics aside, we

stand together and run together for those local charities first and

foremost as members of Parliament, we are there to stand up for our

local charities and organisations. I will be representing money in --

raising money for Jack Truman, who died from a rare form of cancer in

2015, his mother and family do a huge amount of work in our community

and Michelle Henderson, who was in the year below me at school and died

and it will be a proud moment for me running those grid that marathon and

I wish all of those well who are also running it. I reared charade

the wishes I gave to those earlier to those running in a marathon and

salute the work of the charity she is supporting. Many of my

constituents will be affected by recent changes to welfare policy

brought about by this Government. Considering we will soon be left

without a member of Parliament for over a month due to purdah, will the

Leader of the House make provision for urgent business next week to

reverse these iniquitous changes until after the general election?

No, Mr Speaker, the changes to welfare policies that the Government

has brought in have contributed towards a significant growth in

employment, which is at record levels in this country, including a

big increase in the number of disabled people who are now in work

and gaining the dignity, the self-respect, that they want to have

through participating in the Labour market, while at the same time, we

have increased and protected those benefits that are received by the

most disabled people in the United Kingdom. Can I thirsty echo the

comments the backbench business committee and as for some clarity

about whether or not there will be debates in Westminster Hall next

Thursday and your business will be carried over? He said a few moments

ago that we are elected with an equal mandate. Even Margaret

Thatcher recognise that the return of a majority of SNP MPs from

Scotland would be a mandate to take forward our policies on independence

and yet the current Prime Minister doesn't seem to respect the mandate

of the Scottish Parliament to give Scotland a choice, so could we

perhaps have a debate on which Prime Minister was right? I think that the

mandate that was given by the people of Scotland in 2014 was that

Scotland should remain in the United Kingdom. I wish the honourable

gentleman and his party would respect that. Mr Speaker, our

families sacrificed a lot for all of us to be in this House and over this

parliament, the family of Jo Cox gave the ultimate sacrifice. I know

personally that I couldn't undertake this role without the love and

support of my husband John and also my family and I'm sure that is the

same for every member of this House with families, partners and spouses.

On the 27th of March this year, the Prime Minister stated to the staff

of the International development team in a school bride "Because of

what you do every day, the United Kingdom and the values at its heart

is one of the greatest forces for good in the world today." Put the

Leader of the House intimate if they will be having a debate after the

general election in this House to ensure that this Government and any

future Government retain its commitment to 057% of GDP on

international aid and do not push it into budget headings of other

departments. The honourable gentleman knows that the 0.7% is

coveted by the OECD's definition of overseas development expenditure,

which is not confined purely to expenditure programmes controlled by

the Department for International development, but to Government

spending that meet those criteria. What I can assure him of is that

there will continue to be, if is re-elected, a strong United Kingdom

commitment to an active and generous fallacy of international

development, because it is right that we continue to help the

poorest, most vulnerable people in the world and Wright also that we

contribute also towards better governance and the long-term

stability of countries that are at risk, because that helps us to

tackle some of the broader international problems that we in

the United Kingdom and our European neighbours face. To follow an answer

to Arthur Scargill, Mr Speaker, with a bit of Glasgow fitness, no less.

It has been two years since getting elected this parliament and I have

to say at the start of it, I didn't think that two using, we would have

left the European Union, I would be on my second Prime Minister and

hopefully in a few weeks, my third Government but they say a week is a

long time in politics. All of the time he has been Leader of the

House, I have asked about many issues before the last six months, I

have consistently raise the issue of job centre closures in Glasgow.

Given what he has said two other colleagues on other announcements,

would I be right in thinking he expects Glaswegians to go to the

pool is not -- the poll not knowing which job centres his Government

intends to close? I see that he is wishing for a change in Government

and confirms that his party wishes to prop up the Right Honourable

member for Islington North as a leader of a putative coalition or

minority Government, and it is good to have that confirmation on the

record. On the point he makes on the provision of job centres in Glasgow,

as he has heard me say before, Glasgow had a greater concentration

of offices, of job centres, than any other major city in Scotland, what

we have seen is a proposal from the DWP to rationalise the estate in

Glasgow, so that his constituents and others in Glasgow can have a

better quality service in future, because all of the expert staff who

are needed will be concentrated on a smaller number of locations, but

which will be fully accessible to his