:00:00. > :00:00.about it in terms not just of what we ourselves hold as an opinion but
:00:00. > :00:08.what other people might think and we'll leave it there for now. We now
:00:09. > :00:12.come to business questions. Valerie vows.
:00:13. > :00:23.Could the Leader of the House please give us the forthcoming business?
:00:24. > :00:30.Thank you, Mr Speaker. The business for next week will be Monday 10th of
:00:31. > :00:35.July, second reading of the relief from non-domestic rate is built. 11
:00:36. > :00:41.of July, consideration in committee and remaining stages of the
:00:42. > :00:47.organising bill following by the bill procedure. Wednesday 12 July, a
:00:48. > :00:51.general debate on the Grenfell Tower Fire enquiry and Thursday 13th July,
:00:52. > :00:58.general debate on the commemoration of Passchendaele. 14 July, the House
:00:59. > :01:03.will not be sitting. I would also like to inform the House that the
:01:04. > :01:07.business at Westminster Hall for the 13th of July, will be Thursday 13th
:01:08. > :01:13.July, debate on the supply of homes and affordable homes to buy followed
:01:14. > :01:18.by a debate on the introduction of an opt out system for organ donation
:01:19. > :01:22.in England. Colleagues will want to be aware that the election of select
:01:23. > :01:29.committee chairs will take place on Wednesday 12 July from 10am until
:01:30. > :01:33.4pm in committee room eight. Finally, Mr Speaker, I was delighted
:01:34. > :01:37.to hear of the hard work that both you and the lord Speaker have put in
:01:38. > :01:41.to ensure the parliament properly marks pride weekend. Among other
:01:42. > :01:45.activities, the rainbow coloured flag will be projected onto the
:01:46. > :01:50.Palace for the duration of the weekend and I am sure members from
:01:51. > :01:55.across the House in this, the most diverse parliament ever, will join
:01:56. > :02:02.me in sending our best wishes to all those celebrating this weekend and
:02:03. > :02:06.the rest of pride month. Thank you. Thank you, Mr Speaker and can I join
:02:07. > :02:12.the Leader of the House and her good wishes for everyone taking part in
:02:13. > :02:16.pride week and know that we are in the business of equality for
:02:17. > :02:26.everyone. Maybe you need to wear a rainbow tie next week. I probably
:02:27. > :02:31.want require any encouragement. Can I thank the Leader of the House but
:02:32. > :02:35.she made no mention of the specific debate I asked for last week on the
:02:36. > :02:40.judgments that were made in the High Court, particularly on the plan for
:02:41. > :02:46.clean air and the benefit caps. She also made no mention of any
:02:47. > :02:50.opposition dates. The last time we had an opposition date was in
:02:51. > :02:54.January. She also made no mention of when she is going to schedule the
:02:55. > :03:02.debate on the instruments on tuition fees regulations. It is important,
:03:03. > :03:05.Mr Speaker, particularly as the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the
:03:06. > :03:10.latest report said that students in England are going to graduate with
:03:11. > :03:17.an average debt of ?50,800 after interest rates are raised on student
:03:18. > :03:20.loans to 6.1% in September. Interest rates, they say, are very high
:03:21. > :03:25.compared with the current market rate. The report also goes on to
:03:26. > :03:31.state that with a higher debt, students from the purest 40% of
:03:32. > :03:35.families now accrue around 6500 in interest during the study. The first
:03:36. > :03:40.Secretary of State in a speech at earlier, said there was a national
:03:41. > :03:44.debate we need to have about university tuition fees. I do not
:03:45. > :03:50.know where he was from May until the 8th of June but he is the got an
:03:51. > :03:52.answer, a minority Government. Could the Leader of the House please
:03:53. > :03:55.honour that parliamentary convention and let's debate that Dutch cherry
:03:56. > :04:02.instrument. It seems young people are being rejected by this minority
:04:03. > :04:07.Government. Can we also have a debate about women against eight
:04:08. > :04:12.pensions inequality. It is so far been signed by 124 honourable
:04:13. > :04:17.members from all parties. There was a debate in Westminster Hall
:04:18. > :04:21.yesterday, which was oversubscribed. Standing room only. Could the Leader
:04:22. > :04:28.of the House please find time to debate this injustice to 1950s
:04:29. > :04:32.women. Or are those 1950s women also rejected by the minority Government?
:04:33. > :04:39.So far the financial Hall is ?1.5 billion for the deal, the National
:04:40. > :04:43.U-turn has left a 2 billion hole in public finances over the next five
:04:44. > :04:47.years. The concession last week in support of women in Northern Ireland
:04:48. > :04:54.quite rightly was made, but has not been costed. Many other Secretary of
:04:55. > :04:56.State had been acting for extra money, 1 billion for education,
:04:57. > :05:00.Secretary of State has also asked for money. The financial Hall is
:05:01. > :05:04.getting bigger. The Government announced in the Queen's speech that
:05:05. > :05:08.the world have refinanced bills over the course of this Parliament. Could
:05:09. > :05:12.she say when we will have the summer Finance bill, which I think has been
:05:13. > :05:16.suggested by the Treasury and picked up by the shadow Treasury team?
:05:17. > :05:22.Unless there is going to be no in Parliament, just an announcement in
:05:23. > :05:27.October in Manchester. Guess who said this, tell the others who have
:05:28. > :05:30.got their own opinion to shut up. There is a sense you have at the
:05:31. > :05:34.moment of everybody doing their own thing, nobody asserting what they
:05:35. > :05:43.want to do in the national interest. We cannot go on living from hand to
:05:44. > :05:51.mouth in this sort of shambolic way. Former Tory party chairman lord
:05:52. > :05:56.Patten. He said that, Mr Speaker, because of this... On the 3rd of
:05:57. > :06:04.July, in response to the honourable member's written question, the
:06:05. > :06:08.Government's manifesto had a free vote on the hunting bill. A U-turn.
:06:09. > :06:13.Free school meals, the Minister has responded this week. The Government
:06:14. > :06:17.has decided it is right to retain the existing universal infant free
:06:18. > :06:21.school meal provision. A U-turn. Grammar schools, the Secretary of
:06:22. > :06:27.State for Education confirmed any written to the honourable member
:06:28. > :06:30.there is no education bill in the Queen's speech and therefore, the
:06:31. > :06:35.ban on opening new grammar schools will remain in place. Another
:06:36. > :06:39.U-turn. The triple lock on pensions. The Government wanted to scrap the
:06:40. > :06:45.loch by 2020 because of their deal to stay in Parliament. Another
:06:46. > :06:50.U-turn. Winter fuel allowance. The Government's means testing has been
:06:51. > :06:55.dropped. Another U-turn. Everything in their manifesto, all dropped. No
:06:56. > :06:59.policy. What is left? Strong and stable. I think that is another
:07:00. > :07:04.U-turn. Mr Speaker, you will remember that the Prime Minister was
:07:05. > :07:10.billed as the second incarnation of another female Prime Minister, whose
:07:11. > :07:14.nickname for those of us who can remember was Jena. There is no
:07:15. > :07:25.alternative. We say, in Her Majesty's opposition, here we are,
:07:26. > :07:35.there is an alternative. -- nickname was Tina.
:07:36. > :07:43.Can I start by replying to the honourable lady on the subject of,
:07:44. > :07:47.as she puts it, U-turn is. Just explain to her that, as she knows,
:07:48. > :07:51.as all honourable members know, this result of the journal collection was
:07:52. > :07:58.not as we would have wished it. We do not have the majority we would
:07:59. > :08:02.have wished for. All members can satisfy themselves that therefore,
:08:03. > :08:05.the measures that are being brought forward by this Government are
:08:06. > :08:11.focused on those measures that we can all support. Making a success of
:08:12. > :08:15.leaving the European union, making sure that we can continue to trade
:08:16. > :08:21.and collaborate with our EU friends and partners. Secondly,
:08:22. > :08:27.strengthening the economy. New measures on being a world leader in
:08:28. > :08:30.autonomous vehicles, commercial space flights, industries of the
:08:31. > :08:34.future that will create the jobs of the future. Thirdly, improving our
:08:35. > :08:39.society. We went to see strength and support for the mental health
:08:40. > :08:42.problems in our society and measures to protect people from domestic
:08:43. > :08:47.violence. These are measures the whole house can get behind. More
:08:48. > :08:52.measures to strengthen the United Kingdom, to prevent extremism and to
:08:53. > :08:55.protect us from terrorism. These are the sorts of measures that this
:08:56. > :09:00.Government will be bringing forward that I do urge all members to look
:09:01. > :09:05.at and take very seriously. This will represent real progress in this
:09:06. > :09:09.Government. Specifically on her points on some of the court
:09:10. > :09:13.judgments that are before us, those remain with judges and so, as she
:09:14. > :09:18.will know, we do not comment on judgments, as she would wish is to
:09:19. > :09:24.do. On opposition days and sitting Fridays, Private member Hills days
:09:25. > :09:29.and so on, those will be brought on in due course. They will be at least
:09:30. > :09:32.in line with the number of days provided in standing orders but
:09:33. > :09:37.there will be other days provided in addition to that through the usual
:09:38. > :09:42.channels. Then she talks about the debate on student fees. She points
:09:43. > :09:49.out the interest rates on student fees. I do need to set clear for the
:09:50. > :09:53.House that student debt is not like normal commercial loans. Student
:09:54. > :09:57.fees are made available to all students, regardless of their
:09:58. > :10:01.financial history. The repayable according to income, not according
:10:02. > :10:08.to the amount due. Of course, the off by the taxpayer after 30 years.
:10:09. > :10:13.They are not like normal commercial loans. The act more as a
:10:14. > :10:18.contribution, only a contribution because the taxpayer continues to
:10:19. > :10:22.pacing of the concerns, towards the cost of receiving a degree that
:10:23. > :10:27.means that individual will earn more during their career. Erin more than
:10:28. > :10:35.those taxpayers who do not have the benefit of a degree. It tends to be
:10:36. > :10:40.fair to the student and fear to the taxpayer. I want to point out our
:10:41. > :10:43.measures to improve apprenticeships, nearly 3 million in the last
:10:44. > :10:46.Parliament and a commitment to many more millions of apprenticeships in
:10:47. > :10:51.this Parliament offer real alternatives to young people who do
:10:52. > :11:00.not want a good university. Finally, the point made by the University --
:11:01. > :11:02.the point made by the Prime Minister, that should be a good
:11:03. > :11:11.thing, celebrated by the whole house. Thank you. I am sure the
:11:12. > :11:15.Leader of the House will agree that the House would want an early debate
:11:16. > :11:19.on any Government programme where the costs are rising, where it is
:11:20. > :11:24.looking like it is not good money for a value for the taxpayer, where
:11:25. > :11:28.senior personnel are leaving, where procurement processes are down and
:11:29. > :11:35.where technology is being overtaken by other more moderate developments.
:11:36. > :11:41.Can we have an early debate on the phase one of the high-speed rail
:11:42. > :11:47.before we enter into the folly of entering into phase two. Can we see
:11:48. > :11:51.whether if it is going ahead, it could be used for another form of
:11:52. > :11:56.transport, perhaps for those autonomous vehicles on which the
:11:57. > :12:00.Leader of the House is so keen. Well, my right honourable friend and
:12:01. > :12:05.I have worked for a very long time on representing both constituencies
:12:06. > :12:12.of hours in every way we possibly can. My constituents are to Iraq
:12:13. > :12:20.have grave concerns about the impact as it passes through our
:12:21. > :12:25.constituencies. -- have grave concerns. I am sympathetic to her
:12:26. > :12:29.cause. She knows as well as I do, that is a commitment to the
:12:30. > :12:32.high-speed rail. These one has received a cent. We will continue to
:12:33. > :12:39.look at the construction phase and what more can be done to compensate
:12:40. > :12:43.our constituents. A lot of my constituents are very hacked off
:12:44. > :12:48.about the matter as well. I thank the House for what passes for
:12:49. > :12:54.business for next week. Can I join her in wishing well all of those
:12:55. > :13:01.participating in pride week. There are no this week. Anon next week
:13:02. > :13:07.probably no votes before we get into the summer recess. This is quickly
:13:08. > :13:11.becoming the zombie cop flicks Parliament -- Apocalypse Parliament
:13:12. > :13:17.where they look for brains only to seek the help all left the country,
:13:18. > :13:25.like everybody else. I wonder how long they will be able to pad out
:13:26. > :13:29.the business. The will of this house will have to be tested. We are all
:13:30. > :13:34.going to be deciding the chairs of the select committee. It is good to
:13:35. > :13:36.see the select committees up and running but what is happening with
:13:37. > :13:42.the standing committees of this house? They have already passed
:13:43. > :13:47.secondary bills and another one next week, they have to have a
:13:48. > :13:50.conversation and discussion about them because they are important than
:13:51. > :13:54.the passing of legislation. I have looked at the arithmetic and I have
:13:55. > :14:01.figured out they should be nine Conservative members, seven Labour
:14:02. > :14:04.members and to SNP members. The reader of the House can correct me
:14:05. > :14:08.if I have that wrong but when will we see in Motion coming to this
:14:09. > :14:11.house. When will be standing committees be up and running? Can I
:14:12. > :14:18.support the shadow Leader of the House on having a full debate on the
:14:19. > :14:22.50s women issue. There are so many members of Parliament wanted to
:14:23. > :14:27.represent their view my constituents born in the 1950s. We have to have
:14:28. > :14:29.the debate here on the House and noticed there is a cooling in the
:14:30. > :14:37.mid and Conservative members of this. We saw that ?1 billion bill
:14:38. > :14:43.for the DP. Let's have a vote here. Lastly, it was one year ago before
:14:44. > :14:47.we had the Chilcott report. I remember we debated this for two
:14:48. > :14:53.days. Today, Sir John Chilcott said that Tony Blair was not straight
:14:54. > :14:55.with the nation. Is it now not time for a parliamentary committee to
:14:56. > :15:04.investigate this properly and take appropriate action against the
:15:05. > :15:11.Thank you, Mr Speaker. I encourage the honourable gentleman to
:15:12. > :15:15.consider, perhaps in Hansard, if he wasn't listening, the strong case
:15:16. > :15:21.and made for the measures this government will be taking to
:15:22. > :15:25.significantly take steps forward for our country to improve the situation
:15:26. > :15:31.for all of our residents across the UK. He says there have been no
:15:32. > :15:37.votes, and that is testament to the agreement across the House that's
:15:38. > :15:41.what we are doing is right. I encourage him and his honourable
:15:42. > :15:45.friends to continue to support the government efforts. His comments on
:15:46. > :15:51.standing committees are being looked at. They will be appointed in due
:15:52. > :15:56.course and those issues will be resolved. On the Waspi issue, we
:15:57. > :16:01.have had five debates on this, and as with all high-profile and very
:16:02. > :16:07.concerning issues, the government continues to look at these issues.
:16:08. > :16:11.But he will appreciate that unfortunately, we are still trying
:16:12. > :16:17.to deal with the problems in our economy left to us by the last
:16:18. > :16:24.Labour government. No, you might groan on the opposition benches, but
:16:25. > :16:29.the reality is that this government is still clearing up the mess from
:16:30. > :16:35.the last Labour government. Therefore, we have had to take tough
:16:36. > :16:40.decisions across those people coming up to retirement age as well as
:16:41. > :16:45.those of working age. His final point about the Chilcot Inquiry,
:16:46. > :16:48.that was a seven-year long inquiry. The government has looked at this in
:16:49. > :16:51.great length and it has been discussed. And the government
:16:52. > :16:55.continues to learn the lessons from the Chilcot Inquiry and will be
:16:56. > :17:01.committed to continuing to do so. But it doesn't have plans at the
:17:02. > :17:04.moment to reopen a further inquiry. Can we have a statement from the
:17:05. > :17:10.Secretary of State for the environment about dog thefts and
:17:11. > :17:15.dogfighting? There are far too many dog thefts in my part of the world
:17:16. > :17:22.and probably others, many of which are used as bait for dogfighting,
:17:23. > :17:27.which is disgusting. There appears to be not enough done about this by
:17:28. > :17:29.the law enforcement agencies and animal welfare agencies. Can we have
:17:30. > :17:33.a statement from the Secretary of State as to what he intends to do to
:17:34. > :17:40.clamp down on this disgusting practice? Right honourable friend
:17:41. > :17:46.raises an important point. There is no doubt that we are a nation of dog
:17:47. > :17:51.lovers. As Secretary of State for Defra, I did spend a lot of time
:17:52. > :17:55.trying to improve the rules on puppy licensing, to get backstreet
:17:56. > :18:00.breeders out of the way and improve the issues around animal welfare and
:18:01. > :18:05.training. But he raises an important point and I encourage him to get in
:18:06. > :18:11.touch with Defra again on what is an important matter for all of us.
:18:12. > :18:15.South Yorkshire has lost over 400 police officers since 2010. Can I
:18:16. > :18:18.ask the Leader of the House if we could have a debate on what extra
:18:19. > :18:26.resources can be made available to make people in Barnsley safe? I
:18:27. > :18:29.would like to welcome the honourable lady to her place and wish her
:18:30. > :18:37.success in her new role in this House. She raises an important
:18:38. > :18:40.matter across the country, that of policing. She will know the
:18:41. > :18:47.government has protected police funding in real terms. I met my own
:18:48. > :18:50.police and crime commission only yesterday to talk about the
:18:51. > :18:56.difference in the way that policing is happening. She will be pleased to
:18:57. > :19:01.know that crime has fallen by a third since 2010, enabling police
:19:02. > :19:07.forces to put more into cyber crime and crime prevention and online
:19:08. > :19:13.crime. Nevertheless, the relevant minister will have heard her points.
:19:14. > :19:19.With my honourable friend find time for a debate on the criteria for
:19:20. > :19:22.awarding city status? In every respect, Southend-on-Sea, with its
:19:23. > :19:29.many qualities, should already be a city. I believe it is an oversight
:19:30. > :19:36.which attention could be drawn to in a general debate. My honourable
:19:37. > :19:40.friend is a huge supporter of his constituency in Southend. I am sure
:19:41. > :19:43.all members will have spent happy hours on the beaches there.
:19:44. > :19:53.Nevertheless, he will appreciate that city status is a rare privilege
:19:54. > :19:58.to be conferred by Her Majesty on advice from ministers and not
:19:59. > :20:05.something for this House. In the last Parliament, I rose to seek the
:20:06. > :20:08.support of the then Prime Minister for a constituent who has been
:20:09. > :20:13.missing in Spain since November 2015, Lisa Brown. I now found myself
:20:14. > :20:18.having to rise again in relation to an additional constituent, Caroline
:20:19. > :20:21.Hope, who in travelling to Turkey on personal matters before returning
:20:22. > :20:25.home to Scotland has been diagnosed with cancer and sought emergency
:20:26. > :20:29.surgery and has now been infected with E. Coli and is now having to
:20:30. > :20:36.rely on the support of family and friends and strangers to raise over
:20:37. > :20:41.?30,000 to bring Caroline home to Scotland to West Dunbartonshire.
:20:42. > :20:44.Could I impress upon the Leader of the House to seek from the Foreign
:20:45. > :20:50.Commonwealth Office and the Foreign Secretary a quick response to a
:20:51. > :20:53.letter I have sent to them this week in terms of both Caroline's
:20:54. > :21:02.situation and for further support in terms of Lisa being missing in
:21:03. > :21:07.Spain? I am obviously incredibly sympathetic. That sounds like a
:21:08. > :21:11.terrible situation. He will be aware that there are oral questions to the
:21:12. > :21:19.Foreign Office next week and he may wish to raise it then. My village is
:21:20. > :21:22.lucky in the sense that it had flood defences put in place before the
:21:23. > :21:27.Boxing Day flood. But the water still got within one inch of
:21:28. > :21:30.people's doorstep and my village nearby had similar problems. The
:21:31. > :21:34.devastation has been huge and there has been a rush to put bigger flood
:21:35. > :21:38.defences in column but could I have a statement from the relevant
:21:39. > :21:41.minister in relation to the flood strategy for Leeds and with specific
:21:42. > :21:46.mention unconcern of what modelling has been done to ensure that more
:21:47. > :21:49.water is not coming down to my villages, which already have flood
:21:50. > :21:56.defences in place, but came close to being breached. I had the great
:21:57. > :21:59.pleasure as Environment Secretary to go to Leeds last year to see the new
:22:00. > :22:07.proposed move weirs, which should make a big difference to the ability
:22:08. > :22:10.to prevent water becoming overwhelming. The Environment Agency
:22:11. > :22:15.is working with Leeds City Council and the local flood groups to
:22:16. > :22:18.understand the latest flood modelling results and identify the
:22:19. > :22:24.most appropriate options. But there is a lot of work including ?3
:22:25. > :22:30.million of additional government funding to try and address the leads
:22:31. > :22:34.flood alleviation scheme. In west Yorkshire, our bluelight services
:22:35. > :22:39.and those who represents rank and file staff are clear that our
:22:40. > :22:42.emergency services are in crisis and staff are struggling. West Yorkshire
:22:43. > :22:48.has lost more than 1200 police officers since 2010 and 554
:22:49. > :22:52.firefighters. It is no wonder my constituents feel less safe. Given
:22:53. > :22:55.that we haven't had an opposition day since January, will the Leader
:22:56. > :23:04.of the House allow government time for this important debate before the
:23:05. > :23:10.summer recess? I refer the honourable lady to what I said to
:23:11. > :23:16.her honourable friend. Crime is down. This government has protected
:23:17. > :23:21.police funding. She may wish to raise the specific issues from her
:23:22. > :23:26.constituency by applying for an adjournment debate or a Westminster
:23:27. > :23:29.Hall debate. At the weekend, I joined a group of volunteers from
:23:30. > :23:35.the heart of Hednesford group who were planting hay racks on the
:23:36. > :23:38.platforms of the nearby rail station to give passengers a colourful
:23:39. > :23:43.welcome to the town. Will my right honourable friend join me in
:23:44. > :23:45.congratulating and thanking this group of volunteers, but could we
:23:46. > :23:49.also have a debate in government time about the role of volunteers
:23:50. > :23:57.and community groups in their local communities? I am delighted to share
:23:58. > :24:02.in her congratulations to her volunteers. We all appreciate the
:24:03. > :24:06.amazing work done by volunteers, whether it is litter picking,
:24:07. > :24:10.planting flowers, supporting vulnerable people and so on. We have
:24:11. > :24:15.frequent debates in this place on the subject of volunteers. I
:24:16. > :24:21.encourage her to have a further want to show our appreciation. Would the
:24:22. > :24:26.Leader of the House arrange for a statement to clarify the position of
:24:27. > :24:30.who is responsible for dealing with the increasing problem of urban
:24:31. > :24:35.foxes? This is something I have had huge buzz of complaints about
:24:36. > :24:38.recently. It is an area where no one takes responsibility. I am not
:24:39. > :24:46.suggesting the setting up of a Vauxhall hunt! But I am looking to
:24:47. > :24:51.help those constituents who are finding their lives not just
:24:52. > :25:03.intolerable in their homes, but what can be done and who takes
:25:04. > :25:07.responsibility? The more time the honourable lady is in her
:25:08. > :25:11.constituency, the more terrified the foxes will be! I think they have a
:25:12. > :25:16.cheek, going to Vauxhall with the honourable lady's views of foxes!
:25:17. > :25:20.Very brave of them. There are obviously strict rules around
:25:21. > :25:23.dealing with wildlife in urban as well as rural areas and keeping the
:25:24. > :25:28.fox population down is an important issue. I suggest that she writes to
:25:29. > :25:32.the Secretary of State for Defra. Gosh, just as we are talking about
:25:33. > :25:35.foxes, who should come into the chamber but the Secretary of State
:25:36. > :25:42.for International Development! How very timely. Given the number of
:25:43. > :25:46.terrorist acts carried out in the UK by people who are prevented from
:25:47. > :25:51.going to the Middle East, may we have a statement from an appropriate
:25:52. > :25:56.government minister setting out the arguments for and against preventing
:25:57. > :26:02.would-be jihadists who are adults from travelling abroad and keeping
:26:03. > :26:10.them at home when we know that they cannot all be monitored at home
:26:11. > :26:16.around the clock? My honourable friend raises an important issue.
:26:17. > :26:20.Approximately 850 UK linked individuals of national security
:26:21. > :26:25.concern have travelled to engage with the Syrian conflict. We think
:26:26. > :26:29.about half have returned to the UK and over 15% have subsequently been
:26:30. > :26:33.killed in fighting in the region. Our priority is of course to
:26:34. > :26:36.dissuade people from travelling to areas of conflict and our Prevent
:26:37. > :26:41.strategy includes a lot of work to support individuals at risk of
:26:42. > :26:44.radicalisation. This is clearly something for the commission of
:26:45. > :26:48.countering extremism which is being set up. And I am sure the foreign
:26:49. > :26:56.affairs select committee will also be interested. The Leader of the
:26:57. > :27:00.House mentioned in her opening remarks extremism. Will the Leader
:27:01. > :27:05.of the House make time available for us to have a debate on the report
:27:06. > :27:10.into extremism and the funding of extreme activity in the UK which has
:27:11. > :27:17.not yet been published by the government? Members are entitled to
:27:18. > :27:19.know, for instance, whether it is because there are many references to
:27:20. > :27:28.the activities of the Saudis in this report. Can we have time for such a
:27:29. > :27:32.debate? The honourable gentleman will appreciate that this is clearly
:27:33. > :27:36.something for the commission for countering extremism. It will be
:27:37. > :27:44.looking at reports of what has gone on already and they will be keen to
:27:45. > :27:48.take up. ChildLine, which is now part of the NSPCC, was founded 30
:27:49. > :27:52.years ago and over that time has helped more than 4 million children.
:27:53. > :27:56.Can we have a debate about how the government could work more closely
:27:57. > :28:03.with ChildLine and the NSPCC, particularly in areas such as online
:28:04. > :28:07.abuse and children's mental health? My honourable friend has been a huge
:28:08. > :28:12.advocate of the work that ChildLine do and everybody across the House
:28:13. > :28:17.would want to congratulate them on show appreciation for the excellent
:28:18. > :28:21.work they do. He will be aware that teachers and school staff across the
:28:22. > :28:24.country have started training to be able to identify and respond to
:28:25. > :28:30.early signs of mental health problems among pupils, which is a
:28:31. > :28:34.very good thing. He may want to expand on that discussion in
:28:35. > :28:39.applying for a debate. I would encourage him to look at the early
:28:40. > :28:47.years infant mental health, which is so important is that young people up
:28:48. > :28:51.with lifelong emotional well-being. The M56 is the printable economic
:28:52. > :28:55.artery not just for West Cheshire, but large parts of north Wales and
:28:56. > :29:00.continues to jam up regularly, at which point all the roads around it
:29:01. > :29:03.jam up as well. Can we have a debate on why the Reg Treasury has failed
:29:04. > :29:10.to find any investment for the M56 in the last 20 years -- the road
:29:11. > :29:14.strategy has failed to find investment. This government has
:29:15. > :29:19.significantly invested in roads and continues to do so. If he has
:29:20. > :29:22.specific issue about the M56, I encourage you to apply for an
:29:23. > :29:26.adjournment debate, but this government is committed to improving
:29:27. > :29:27.on our infrastructure to get the economy going and boost even more
:29:28. > :29:44.jobs for people in this country. We share a strong interest in giving
:29:45. > :29:48.babies the best start in life. I am greatly encouraged by the government
:29:49. > :29:54.'s's commitment to a mental health Bill in the green's speech and
:29:55. > :29:59.particularly for the amendments to an equalities Bill to reduce any
:30:00. > :30:03.discrimination against people with mental ill-health. Can she give us a
:30:04. > :30:08.timeline for that legislation and what it may cover, to promote
:30:09. > :30:13.perinatal mental health in giving our children the very best start in
:30:14. > :30:18.mental health in their lives? I am very grateful to him for raising
:30:19. > :30:24.that issue, very dear to his heart and mind, giving babies the best
:30:25. > :30:30.start in life through secure early bonding is absolutely vital, and I'm
:30:31. > :30:35.sure it will be part of our new Mental Health Act that was mentioned
:30:36. > :30:38.in the Queen's speech, and that there will be members right across
:30:39. > :30:45.the house keen to put forward their views. That's timing will be decided
:30:46. > :30:49.in due course. After Home Office questions on Monday, when the Home
:30:50. > :30:53.Secretary claimed police funding had been protected, although it has not
:30:54. > :30:58.been on Merseyside, there was yet another firearms discharge in my
:30:59. > :31:02.constituency. That makes over 100 shootings across Merseyside in the
:31:03. > :31:05.last 18 months, involving five murders. Can we have a debate about
:31:06. > :31:11.the increasing gun crime happening across Merseyside, and what the
:31:12. > :31:15.government will do better to equip our police to deal proactively with
:31:16. > :31:24.the serious threat to public safety that it represents? She is exactly
:31:25. > :31:29.right to raise this issue, in her constituency, it's very serious. She
:31:30. > :31:34.will be pleased to know that since 2010, there have been over 370,000
:31:35. > :31:38.fewer violent crimes a year, but that doesn't help at all, when in
:31:39. > :31:44.her constituency, there have been many of them, and I do suggest she
:31:45. > :31:50.takes that up via a Westminster adjournment debate. Could we have a
:31:51. > :31:55.debate on the accountability of local councils? Taunton Deane
:31:56. > :32:00.council have given permission for 17,000 houses. One company alone has
:32:01. > :32:03.built up a multi-million pound land bank on the assumption that the
:32:04. > :32:08.council will be giving them permission. Could we please have the
:32:09. > :32:12.tightening of rules on that before that is a serious situation, where
:32:13. > :32:18.councils are accused of all sorts of things that I suspect they don't
:32:19. > :32:22.want to be. He raises an important point, which is that housing needs
:32:23. > :32:25.to be sited in an appropriate place and there needs to be clear and
:32:26. > :32:29.transparent rules around planning. But there is a balance, because we
:32:30. > :32:36.desperately need to be building more houses. We have a great record of
:32:37. > :32:40.building over 800,000 new homes since 2010 in this country, which is
:32:41. > :32:47.a very good contribution. More needs to be done. He may want to raise his
:32:48. > :32:51.specific point at the questions that will happen before the end of this
:32:52. > :32:56.summer session. Further to the point made just a moment ago, and in light
:32:57. > :33:03.of the recent terrorist attacks in London and Manchester, and
:33:04. > :33:07.yesterday's report by the Henry Jackson Society on foreign funding
:33:08. > :33:13.of extremism in the UK, can I ask when the Prime Minister will either
:33:14. > :33:16.publish the report into the foreign funding of terrorism that was
:33:17. > :33:19.commissioned when she was Home Secretary, or make a statement to
:33:20. > :33:29.this house on foreign funding to extremist groups in the UK? In
:33:30. > :33:32.answer, he will know that this is an enormously important issue for the
:33:33. > :33:36.Prime Minister personally, and that she has committed to doing
:33:37. > :33:42.everything possible to keep our people safe. She is setting up the
:33:43. > :33:45.commission for countering extremism and she is fully occupied in
:33:46. > :33:50.resolving this issue, so I'm sure he can rely on the fact that she will
:33:51. > :33:56.be doing everything possible to stamp out extremism in all its
:33:57. > :33:59.forms. One of the regular issues to land in my inbox is litter and
:34:00. > :34:07.fly-tipping, and I'm sure it lands in many other members' inboxes as
:34:08. > :34:14.well. Fly-tipping alone costs local authorities in England ?49.8 million
:34:15. > :34:18.in 2015/2016, that's on top of the cost of litter clean-ups. Family
:34:19. > :34:23.have a debate on more can be done, how effective the enforcement of
:34:24. > :34:26.fly-tipping and Leicester is, and how we can encourage members of the
:34:27. > :34:34.public to dispose of the litter and waste properly? I'm very happy to
:34:35. > :34:40.encourage everybody to take their litter home with them, but she is
:34:41. > :34:46.right, this cost of street cleaning costs local government nearly ?800
:34:47. > :34:50.million in 2015/ 2016. There's a huge amount of money that could be
:34:51. > :34:54.better used to doing other things. I was very pleased to launch our
:34:55. > :35:00.national litter strategy for England, looking at the areas,
:35:01. > :35:03.enforcement, infrastructure for bins and also education. That
:35:04. > :35:11.consultation has finished and there will be further announcements coming
:35:12. > :35:16.forward very soon. Today is a sad day for Glasgow politics, as this
:35:17. > :35:22.morning is the funeral of Councillor Alistair Watson, whose life was
:35:23. > :35:25.celebrated in an early motion, a gentleman to give 22 years of
:35:26. > :35:31.service to the communities of Donald. I would like to send my
:35:32. > :35:42.condolences to his family and the members of the Glasgow Labour
:35:43. > :35:46.family. I would like to share with him in offering condolences to the
:35:47. > :35:51.family of the council that he mentions. And there are, right
:35:52. > :35:56.across the country, people who written many, many years of public
:35:57. > :35:59.service, trying to improve their own local community or indeed, the
:36:00. > :36:04.country that they live in, and that's absolutely vital to of us. I
:36:05. > :36:08.think he makes a very good points, that we should have a debate to try
:36:09. > :36:12.and encourage more people to get involved, but also to celebrate
:36:13. > :36:24.those who have, and I do encourage him to apply for a debate on that
:36:25. > :36:27.subject. As Daesh have failed to do love the caliphate, they grow more
:36:28. > :36:32.desperate. Maybe have an early debate on the application of
:36:33. > :36:35.international law to bring prosecution against Daesh fighters,
:36:36. > :36:40.those who choose to partner with them and even marry them, to make
:36:41. > :36:47.sure that every terrorist is held accountable for their barbaric
:36:48. > :36:54.crimes. We are very concerned about the appalling crimes committed by
:36:55. > :36:57.Daesh against Christians and other minorities, as well as against the
:36:58. > :37:05.majority Muslim population in Iraq and Syria. Ultimately, the only way
:37:06. > :37:09.to stop the abuse is to defeat Daesh and establish a long-term political
:37:10. > :37:13.settlement in Iraq and Syria. So we continue to work closely with the
:37:14. > :37:17.government of Iraq and the United Nations to do just that, but she
:37:18. > :37:24.should be reassured that any Daesh supporters returning to the UK will
:37:25. > :37:28.face the whole force of the law. Developers in London routinely use a
:37:29. > :37:32.variety of methods to aggressively drive down levels of affordable
:37:33. > :37:37.housing. The recent Battersea Power Station development being the most
:37:38. > :37:42.recent and high profile example. Can we have a debate about what more
:37:43. > :37:46.needs to be done to make sure that private development includes
:37:47. > :37:51.sufficient public gain an adequate levels of affordable housing? We all
:37:52. > :37:55.share the desire to see more affordable housing. There's a big
:37:56. > :37:59.commitment on the part of this government. More than 300,000 new
:38:00. > :38:04.affordable homes have been built since 2010. Of course, it is a
:38:05. > :38:07.matter for local planning authorities to make sure that the
:38:08. > :38:15.right proportions are built in new development. I heard what the Leader
:38:16. > :38:20.of the House said earlier about student loans. While the original
:38:21. > :38:23.policy introduced by the Coalition Government was widely supported and
:38:24. > :38:25.remains progressive, things have changed slightly, because the level
:38:26. > :38:32.of interest at which both living costs and studies will be repaid,
:38:33. > :38:37.rises to 6.1% this September, and that, allied with compound interest
:38:38. > :38:44.over a 30 year period, is what gave the IDF S in their reports yesterday
:38:45. > :38:48.the calculation of total debt being ?55,000. A number of us are very
:38:49. > :38:53.concerned about this. Could I urge you to find government time for that
:38:54. > :39:00.debate, which the first Secretary of State intimated he would like to see
:39:01. > :39:03.as well? Of all people, I think my honourable friend would recognise
:39:04. > :39:11.that student finance is not like a normal commercial loan. The taxpayer
:39:12. > :39:14.contributes significantly still to the cost of higher education for
:39:15. > :39:19.university students, and it's right that those who will benefit from the
:39:20. > :39:24.higher earnings attractive undergraduate rules should
:39:25. > :39:29.contribute to that cost. However, I think the mood of many colleagues
:39:30. > :39:36.has been heard, and I'm quite sure at the Department for Education are
:39:37. > :39:40.considering this. Gun and knife crime is up across London, and this
:39:41. > :39:46.month marks the two-year anniversary of the high-profile trial by
:39:47. > :39:50.mistaken identity shooting in Wood Green. And despite a number of
:39:51. > :39:56.representations, this homicide remains unsolved. Could we have a
:39:57. > :39:59.debate in government time around resources, particularly for London
:40:00. > :40:05.boroughs, where there is this increase in gun and knife crime, and
:40:06. > :40:09.in the light of Grenfell Tower, where 200 officers have now been
:40:10. > :40:13.moved over to the important work, that we can still rely on the fact
:40:14. > :40:20.that there will be enough detectives working to solve what is now a
:40:21. > :40:24.two-year-old crime? I do think it's very important to be clear that
:40:25. > :40:28.there are of course pockets, and there are terrible incidents that
:40:29. > :40:34.take place, and this sounds like a really awful experience in her
:40:35. > :40:38.constituency. But nevertheless, there are 370,000 fewer violent
:40:39. > :40:42.crimes since 2010, I do think it's important we speak in measured
:40:43. > :40:45.terms, because it's very easy to scare people into thinking things
:40:46. > :40:49.are getting worse when they are getting better. It has been made
:40:50. > :40:52.very clear that police funding has been protected, but the police
:40:53. > :40:58.themselves are changing the way they manage things operationally to put
:40:59. > :41:03.more money into cyber policing and dealing with online crime and into
:41:04. > :41:07.counterintelligence and so on. Nevertheless, she may wish to raise
:41:08. > :41:14.the specific issues in her constituency through an adjournment
:41:15. > :41:17.debate. She may be aware of the problems which writing schools up
:41:18. > :41:23.and down the country are having with the valuation office agency and
:41:24. > :41:28.their valuations ascribed to their premises. Some are now closing
:41:29. > :41:31.because of this, and this will undoubtedly have an effect on
:41:32. > :41:36.writing for the disabled. Could we have a debate on the subject, and
:41:37. > :41:43.perhaps she could raise it with her colleague in the cabinets? I'm very
:41:44. > :41:50.much aware of the issue for riding schools and other large premises in
:41:51. > :41:54.rural areas with rates. He may know that as part of the package of
:41:55. > :42:00.support lunched at the budget, the Chancellor announced a ?300 million
:42:01. > :42:05.discretionary relief funds to 2018 so that local authorities could
:42:06. > :42:09.provide additional support to local businesses. I encourage him to
:42:10. > :42:16.suggest his constituents that they apply to the local council to see
:42:17. > :42:19.whether they are eligible for this discretionary relief. Following the
:42:20. > :42:29.revelation contained in the independent audit on loans to state
:42:30. > :42:34.owned companies in Mozambique, those loans are now falling on the
:42:35. > :42:37.shoulder of any man, woman and child in the country. What measures are
:42:38. > :42:44.the UK Government considering to make sure that loans given to
:42:45. > :42:49.governments are transparent? The issue of transparency in government
:42:50. > :42:53.loans and indeed in overseas aid, is very important to the government.
:42:54. > :42:56.There are Foreign Office questions next week, I believe, and he will
:42:57. > :43:04.wish to raise that they are, I'm sure. There is some concern about
:43:05. > :43:08.broadcast media's coverage of the Brexit negotiations. You may have to
:43:09. > :43:12.watch Newsnight from last night to see why. One of my constituents has
:43:13. > :43:18.e-mailed me to say, I need to know whether I made the right decision,
:43:19. > :43:22.but the mainstream media just do not cover EU developments. Good the
:43:23. > :43:25.minister come to the dispatch box and justified that the BBC is
:43:26. > :43:31.continuing to comply with its Royal Charter? I think what we all want to
:43:32. > :43:38.see is balance in reporting. And giving as much time to the
:43:39. > :43:45.opportunities of leaving the EU as is given to the other side of the
:43:46. > :43:48.argument. I think a number of people expressed concerns that the balance
:43:49. > :43:56.isn't there. All of us across this house would wish to see that very
:43:57. > :44:00.closely. Will the Leader of the House provide temporary debate on
:44:01. > :44:04.local government funding. Kirklees Council, which covers my
:44:05. > :44:09.constituency, is losing ?1 million a week. Services are close to breaking
:44:10. > :44:13.point, with vulnerable people suffering the most. As the Cabinet
:44:14. > :44:16.now seem to be conducting a debate on a story ditty in the tabloid
:44:17. > :44:23.front pages, could we also have one in this house? I would remind her
:44:24. > :44:27.that it is this government that is sorting out our public finances. It
:44:28. > :44:36.is under this government that we have seen employment up by 2.9
:44:37. > :44:42.million people. Over 800,000 fewer workless households. A pay rise by
:44:43. > :44:48.30 million people through income tax cuts. Basic rate tax payers are
:44:49. > :44:52.?1000 a year better off under this government, so to suggest everything
:44:53. > :44:58.is falling apart is simply not true. Opposition members need to stop
:44:59. > :45:04.scaremongering. And I do urge her to look at the facts.
:45:05. > :45:13.Hamble lane, Eastleigh town centre and Berkeley sent to leave
:45:14. > :45:17.consistent queues and jams on the resultant air pollution which
:45:18. > :45:20.remains a key concern for my constituents, particularly parents
:45:21. > :45:26.of children with asthma. Will the Leader of the House can define time
:45:27. > :45:28.for a debate on air pollution so that we can tackle and really talk
:45:29. > :45:37.about this growing public health concern? Air quality is a serious
:45:38. > :45:42.public health issue, as she is right to point out that one of the major
:45:43. > :45:48.links is to asthma and that is a serious condition in itself. The
:45:49. > :45:51.honourable lady will have many opportunities to raise this in the
:45:52. > :45:57.future, when we have the judgment from the High Court and when our
:45:58. > :46:06.proposals from our consultation are published later in the summer. 200
:46:07. > :46:09.staff were let go on Sunday. There were supposed to be working at a
:46:10. > :46:12.Green Day concert which was cancelled at short notice by the
:46:13. > :46:21.promoters. And they were only offered their bus fare by their
:46:22. > :46:25.employer. Can we have a debate on contracts and workers' rights, and
:46:26. > :46:30.does she agree in this case that clearly, these workers have been
:46:31. > :46:38.exploited and that is unacceptable? I certainly agree that that does not
:46:39. > :46:42.sound acceptable if it is the case. On the wider point about zero hours
:46:43. > :46:47.contracts, there has been a lot of discussion in this House about the
:46:48. > :46:53.measures this government has taken to stamp out abuse of those
:46:54. > :46:58.contracts. It is the fact that for many people, they are content with
:46:59. > :47:03.their zero hours contracts and it works for them. So the honourable
:47:04. > :47:05.lady raises an important specific point, but the broader point has
:47:06. > :47:16.been well debated across this chamber. Some travel camps in Dudley
:47:17. > :47:20.have left behind them criminal damage and large clean-up bills for
:47:21. > :47:26.council tax payers. Could we have a debate on the use of police powers
:47:27. > :47:31.to remove illegal camps and also on proposals to allow combined
:47:32. > :47:35.authorities to pull provision for authorised travellers' sites, rather
:47:36. > :47:42.than insisting that each local authority has their own provision?
:47:43. > :47:45.My honourable friend raises a subject that has already been raised
:47:46. > :47:51.that every business questions so far, which highlights what an
:47:52. > :47:55.important issue this is for every member of Parliament. Local
:47:56. > :48:02.authorities and the police have a wide range of powers to help them
:48:03. > :48:05.take action, including being able to direct trespassers to leave the
:48:06. > :48:10.land, removing any vehicles and property from the land when there is
:48:11. > :48:14.a suitable pitch elsewhere in that authority area. I hear his point
:48:15. > :48:18.about pooling local authority resources. That is not something
:48:19. > :48:24.that is currently able to be done, but it is something he may wish to
:48:25. > :48:30.raise directly with ministers. Could I also raise with the Leader of the
:48:31. > :48:34.House the question of the need for a debate on illegal encampment is? In
:48:35. > :48:38.South Birmingham, the past few months have seen an unprecedented
:48:39. > :48:42.rise in the number of those encampments in their scale and
:48:43. > :48:45.frequency, often with public concern made worse by the anti-social
:48:46. > :48:53.behaviour associated with them and the level of mess that is left
:48:54. > :48:57.behind. Often, they will leave one place and be evicted, only to
:48:58. > :49:03.reappear down the road. So we need an early debate. We should review
:49:04. > :49:09.the status of the existing powers, review where best practice can be
:49:10. > :49:14.applied and if the powers that are available need further review, to
:49:15. > :49:18.set the ball rolling. Could we have short questions in order to get
:49:19. > :49:24.everybody in? I do not want to miss anyone out. Everybody has been
:49:25. > :49:29.standing. I say to the honourable gentleman again, there are already
:49:30. > :49:33.strong police powers. There are occasionally issues with
:49:34. > :49:37.enforcement, but where travellers fail to comply with a police
:49:38. > :49:41.direction, it is a criminal offence which is punishable by up to six
:49:42. > :49:44.months imprisonment. So is re-entry onto land by a person that is
:49:45. > :49:51.subject to that direction within three months afterwards. He should
:49:52. > :49:57.be aware that 84% of traveller caravans are now on authorised land
:49:58. > :50:00.compared to 77% in 2007. The government is committed to reducing
:50:01. > :50:04.the number of unauthorised sites by making sure there is reasonable
:50:05. > :50:09.provision for travellers that takes account of their cultural
:50:10. > :50:20.requirements to enable them to avoid being on unauthorised sites. The
:50:21. > :50:23.rugby club in Brecon and Radnorshire recently completed a sponsored bike
:50:24. > :50:27.ride in Wales, raising ?45,000 towards the cost of purchasing their
:50:28. > :50:32.rugby pitches from the local authority. Would my right honourable
:50:33. > :50:36.friend join me in congratulating all of the town on this outstanding
:50:37. > :50:42.achievement and also allow a debate on what more could be done to
:50:43. > :50:46.transfer assets to local community groups without exceptionally high
:50:47. > :50:51.costs to those groups? I certainly congratulate all of those involved.
:50:52. > :50:57.That is an impressive sum for a sponsored bike ride. If he was
:50:58. > :51:00.involved, I commend him for that. As he will know, responsibility for
:51:01. > :51:06.grass-roots sport is devolved in Wales. Sport Wales are the
:51:07. > :51:09.organisation with responsibility for investing in and supporting
:51:10. > :51:13.grassroots sport. Sport England this year have launched a community asset
:51:14. > :51:15.fund worth up to ?15 million. He might want to talk to sport Wales
:51:16. > :51:24.about whether they have any similar schemes. I know the Leader of the
:51:25. > :51:27.House likes to be patriotic, like many of us, and used our national
:51:28. > :51:34.carrier airline, British Airways. But can we have a debate about the
:51:35. > :51:37.shameful way they are treating their cabin crew and the fact that the
:51:38. > :51:41.government has given permission to British Airways to do a wet lease,
:51:42. > :51:47.ie the planes on the stuff of cat are Airways, in order to keep
:51:48. > :51:49.flights going during the current industrial dispute, despite the
:51:50. > :51:55.terrible record that airline has with its female worker -- Qatar
:51:56. > :52:00.Airways? The honourable gentleman raises an important point about
:52:01. > :52:03.workers' rights. He will know that a good opportunity to raise that would
:52:04. > :52:08.be through applying for a debate in Westminster Hall or for an
:52:09. > :52:11.adjournment debate. However, it is important in all industrial disputes
:52:12. > :52:14.that the considerations for passengers are also taking into
:52:15. > :52:23.account. I am sure he would agree that that would be the right balance
:52:24. > :52:30.in all disputes. I welcome the government's commitment to expanding
:52:31. > :52:36.investment in our road networks such as the A303 in my constituency. I
:52:37. > :52:42.wonder if we could find time for a debate on how we can capitalise on
:52:43. > :52:47.that investment to deliver jobs, housing and skills development in
:52:48. > :52:52.association with that? My honourable friend is a great champion for his
:52:53. > :52:56.constituency and having spent many hours queueing patiently on the
:52:57. > :53:02.A303, I can understand his desire to see it upgraded. And also for the
:53:03. > :53:07.jobs and growth that new infrastructure brings in every
:53:08. > :53:11.constituency. It is something this government is committed to, with new
:53:12. > :53:16.investment in capital infrastructure spending. He may well wish to raise
:53:17. > :53:21.that through the usual channels to give all colleagues the opportunity
:53:22. > :53:26.to talk about the work this government is doing to build the
:53:27. > :53:30.economy. The Leader of the House will have heard, I hope, my question
:53:31. > :53:39.to the Prime Minister yesterday about my constituent and her
:53:40. > :53:42.daughter who is under threat of FGM. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister's
:53:43. > :53:46.reply was almost as bad as the letters I have had from the Home
:53:47. > :53:49.Office. Can we have a debate on the processes of the Home Office and the
:53:50. > :53:53.measures that are in place to protect women suffering from
:53:54. > :54:03.domestic violence on women and girls under the threat of FGM? There is
:54:04. > :54:06.nobody in this House would for a moment condone or have anything
:54:07. > :54:12.other than disgust and abhorrence at the whole subject of FGM. It is an
:54:13. > :54:18.appalling abuse of young girls and women and nobody would condone it.
:54:19. > :54:24.This government has made a huge effort to try and stamp out FGM. It
:54:25. > :54:29.is extraordinarily difficult, but we are getting breakthroughs. At least
:54:30. > :54:35.through her question today, we can highlight again the plight of those
:54:36. > :54:37.suffering this appalling abuse. The honourable lady raises a
:54:38. > :54:42.constituency point and I urge her to raise that in Home Office questions
:54:43. > :54:51.or to continue to raise it in PMQs. She has the support of the whole
:54:52. > :54:54.House in seeing this stamped out. Colin Smith received contaminated
:54:55. > :54:58.blood in 1983 when he was just eight months old. That blood turned out to
:54:59. > :55:03.be from Arkansas prison and he died aged just seven, his whole life
:55:04. > :55:08.spent fighting illness. So for Colin's family and all those
:55:09. > :55:13.affected, can we have an opportunity before recess to debate the new
:55:14. > :55:17.reports that suggest that risks of contaminated blood were known from
:55:18. > :55:26.1980? Those affected need a public inquiry to get to the truth. I agree
:55:27. > :55:31.that the contaminated blood situation over several decades,
:55:32. > :55:38.affecting people in so many ways, was a terrible thing to happen. She
:55:39. > :55:43.will appreciate that successive governments over decades have
:55:44. > :55:48.reviewed the situation and made compensation available to the
:55:49. > :55:52.victims. I am aware that the last review in 2015 has made further
:55:53. > :55:56.recommendations and that there are concerns about the possibility that
:55:57. > :56:00.there was some cover-up. I encourage the honourable lady to seek an
:56:01. > :56:07.opportunity for a debate to try and air that issue further. As we have
:56:08. > :56:12.already heard, the broken business rate system is so judgmental to
:56:13. > :56:15.business and is frankly a shambles. In fact, this is echoed in
:56:16. > :56:23.businesses across Europe including those trading in the shambles Luke
:56:24. > :56:30.Shambles. Can we have the consultation brought to this house?
:56:31. > :56:35.We were promised this in February and has not seen the light of day,
:56:36. > :56:42.so I would like to know why not. The honourable lady will know that
:56:43. > :56:44.rateable values are set independently by the VOA and reflect
:56:45. > :56:49.open market rental value. The government doesn't intervene in the
:56:50. > :56:51.independent exercise, but I understand that if the market rent
:56:52. > :56:55.for the area has changed, then rateable values change with them.
:56:56. > :57:00.She will be aware that the Chancellor announced a ?300 million
:57:01. > :57:09.discretionary fund over four years from 2017-18 to deal with issues of
:57:10. > :57:12.rates changing for particular businesses. That has been made
:57:13. > :57:15.available to local authorities so that at their discretion, they can
:57:16. > :57:24.support individual businesses with their issues. The companies and
:57:25. > :57:30.markets page of the Financial Times had an article this Monday talking
:57:31. > :57:34.about how investment in the car industry has slumped amidst Brexit
:57:35. > :57:39.concerns. This was raised with me numerous times during the election,
:57:40. > :57:42.as I have a large Ford plant in my constituency. What is clear from the
:57:43. > :57:47.article and the experience of Ford workers is that new investment is
:57:48. > :57:52.not coming into the plant. It has slumped by 30% across the UK. The
:57:53. > :58:01.Association of automotive traders and manufacturers have said that it
:58:02. > :58:05.would be a devastating impact and permanent damage to the UK car
:58:06. > :58:08.industry if, when the UK leads the customs union and the single market,
:58:09. > :58:15.this is not addressed. Can we have an impact on the impact of Brexit on
:58:16. > :58:20.the automotive industry? The honourable lady raises an important
:58:21. > :58:25.issue for her constituency. The UK has a thriving automotive industry
:58:26. > :58:30.and I am sure she will be delighted that we are bringing forward
:58:31. > :58:34.measures to support electric vehicles and be a world leader in
:58:35. > :58:39.that area. She may also be pleased to know that the department for
:58:40. > :58:42.industry and trade figures released today show a record-breaking number
:58:43. > :58:49.of foreign direct investment projects coming into the UK, up 2%
:58:50. > :58:54.on 2015-16. So the direction is in the right place. But she may wish to
:58:55. > :59:05.raise specific issues for Ford in her constituency through a
:59:06. > :59:09.Westminster Hall debate. Before 2015 general election, Chancellor Osborne
:59:10. > :59:15.made a commitment with the residents of Warrington that the Runcorn
:59:16. > :59:19.Bridge would be toll-free. Earlier this year, the junior transport
:59:20. > :59:23.minister broke that promise. Can I request that the Leader of the House
:59:24. > :59:26.arrange for the Secretary of State for Transport to come here and make
:59:27. > :59:32.a statement and inform when the government will announce that they
:59:33. > :59:39.will keep the promise, or arrange a debate? This issue is affecting the
:59:40. > :59:44.whole region. The honourable gentleman raises an important point
:59:45. > :59:47.for his constituency. He will be pleased to know that transport
:59:48. > :59:51.questions are on Thursday the 13th of July and I am sure he will be
:59:52. > :59:56.able to raise that with ministers then.
:59:57. > :00:03.Can be heavy debate on Home Office intransigence? Ten Minister come to
:00:04. > :00:07.the size and explain why, despite following Home Office advice in
:00:08. > :00:10.submitting his application for leave to remain, my constituents and his
:00:11. > :00:15.wife have been stripped of their status, forced to quit their jobs
:00:16. > :00:18.and let their children, British citizens, destitute. Can we have an
:00:19. > :00:24.urgent debate on review of Home Office procedures that leaves many
:00:25. > :00:27.vulnerable and in desperate situations? He raises a very
:00:28. > :00:30.concerning case in his own constituency and I'm sure he will
:00:31. > :00:34.want to raise that Adalat oral questions to the Home Office or
:00:35. > :00:43.through writing to ministers, but as we all know, there is an MPs hotline
:00:44. > :00:46.and they do deal with as matter of priority with MPs' cases, so he
:00:47. > :00:54.might want to take that up with them. In 2015, the government
:00:55. > :00:58.promised not to sell HMS Ocean and not to close a barracks in Plymouth.
:00:59. > :01:04.The helicopter carrier and both pieces are no Brasil. Local region
:01:05. > :01:12.agreed to debate on base closures and how we maintain helicopter
:01:13. > :01:15.capability at Devonport? I welcome him and wish him success. He is
:01:16. > :01:21.using something dear to all our hearts, which is the fortunes of our
:01:22. > :01:25.military, whether Royal Navy, royal air force or the Army. Sadly, I feel
:01:26. > :01:31.his views are not shared by many on his side of the house, who argue
:01:32. > :01:36.against protecting our citizens, but nevertheless, his point has been
:01:37. > :01:45.heard and I am sure he will be raising it with ministers whenever
:01:46. > :01:50.he can. It has been common practice in the NHS for employees to be
:01:51. > :01:52.required to repay redundancy payments if they secure another job
:01:53. > :01:57.in the health service within a certain period of time, so given the
:01:58. > :02:01.fact that several members who lost their seats at the last election
:02:02. > :02:07.have now taken up page rules as government advisers, will use set
:02:08. > :02:10.aside time for a debate on whether it's appropriate for members to
:02:11. > :02:19.receive redundancy payments and then take up a page role as an adviser?
:02:20. > :02:27.Sheep shouts from a sedentary position, named names! My concern
:02:28. > :02:31.has been that members who lost their seats, particularly this time
:02:32. > :02:40.around, have actually struggled in some cases, genuinely struggled.
:02:41. > :02:44.With an ability to feed into the policies for members' pay and
:02:45. > :02:47.expenses, he raises an important point, but I think he will find that
:02:48. > :02:51.members across the house are concerned that members who loses
:02:52. > :02:58.seats are not being fairly treated, quite the opposite to that point.
:02:59. > :03:06.I'm remember a sample size of the house will want to wish a happy 69th
:03:07. > :03:11.birthday to the NHS, which clocked up the milestone yesterday. But
:03:12. > :03:20.local provision seems to be less healthy. We have lost to A and if
:03:21. > :03:24.this continues, there will be hardly any beds left. Can we have a debate
:03:25. > :03:34.on this cherished Labour created institution? She will know that this
:03:35. > :03:39.government is totally committed to the NHS and is funding it to a far
:03:40. > :03:46.greater extent than the Labour Party's on manifesto would have
:03:47. > :03:50.pledged. Under this government, we have seen millions more operations,
:03:51. > :03:57.A visits, we have seen enormous strides forward in medical science,
:03:58. > :04:01.in technology, that enables people to have far better treatments. The
:04:02. > :04:09.Commonwealth fund says the NHS is one of the best health services in
:04:10. > :04:13.the world. We are absolutely committed to the success of the NHS
:04:14. > :04:17.on this side of the house and I think all members should really do
:04:18. > :04:26.more to support the excellent work of our NHS staff, who do so much to
:04:27. > :04:30.support all of us. The shadow Leader of the House and other honourable
:04:31. > :04:34.members have raised very important question is, why has there not been
:04:35. > :04:40.an opposition day since the 25th of January? Given the scarcity of
:04:41. > :04:45.substantive government business, given the huge red issues raised on
:04:46. > :04:48.these benches, why is the leader of the highest refusing to schedule one
:04:49. > :04:58.for the summer recess? Why does she want to commit to one now? I can say
:04:59. > :05:02.that there are standing orders around opposition day, sitting
:05:03. > :05:08.Fridays and back bench business days. The government, through the
:05:09. > :05:10.usual channels, is working on setting out those days and the house
:05:11. > :05:22.will be informed as soon as possible.
:05:23. > :05:28.Last week, I mentioned just a few of the failings in the Scottish
:05:29. > :05:31.Secretary of State and I challenged the Leader of the House to list some
:05:32. > :05:35.of his achievements. She said that he has spoken up for energy in
:05:36. > :05:42.Scotland and he's been an enormous advocate for Scottish agriculture.
:05:43. > :05:50.When the government pulled the plug on carbon capture storage and
:05:51. > :05:53.renewables, and the government has withheld nearly ?2 million of EU
:05:54. > :05:59.funding meant for Scottish farmers, given that is his achievements, is
:06:00. > :06:02.there any other outstanding achievements she colours that makes
:06:03. > :06:11.my point for me that he is not standing up for Scotland? That is at
:06:12. > :06:16.nonsense and not worthy of the honourable gentleman. Would you like
:06:17. > :06:20.to mention the Secretary of State for Scotland's support for the oil
:06:21. > :06:24.and gas sector in Scotland, where he gave hours and hours of permitted
:06:25. > :06:30.time to discuss a package of fiscal relief to support the oil and gas
:06:31. > :06:35.sector in Scotland? The hours he spent working with me as an energy
:06:36. > :06:39.Minster, so I know very well what he did, working on a supply chain to
:06:40. > :06:43.give Scottish fabrication yards the chance to the parts of the wind
:06:44. > :06:49.sector, which this government has supported. We have half of the
:06:50. > :06:54.world's offshore wind turbines. He not mentioning any of the Roses.
:06:55. > :06:58.This is their petty and spiteful act of an opposition should be ashamed
:06:59. > :07:06.of itself. The Secretary of State has spoken up at every opportunity
:07:07. > :07:10.for the people of Scotland. In the last Parliament, the Public Accounts
:07:11. > :07:12.Committee and a number of constituency members of all
:07:13. > :07:19.parliaments raised concerns about the HMR see State reorganisation. It
:07:20. > :07:23.appears major contracts were signed while this House was dissolved in
:07:24. > :07:26.that appears to fly in the face of official guidance to the civil
:07:27. > :07:34.servants about not making big decisions about commercial contracts
:07:35. > :07:39.during that time. Would you look into this and make sure that a
:07:40. > :07:44.minister reports back, and given that the HMR see is not led by a
:07:45. > :07:52.minister, would she also grabbed a debate so that we can raise our
:07:53. > :07:55.concerns very directly? If she would like to raise specific issues about
:07:56. > :07:58.process for each MRC, I will certainly take them forward for her,
:07:59. > :08:05.but I would like to use this opportunity to point out that since
:08:06. > :08:10.2010, each MRC has secured ?150 billion for this country in
:08:11. > :08:20.additional compliance revenues, as a result of their work to tackle tax
:08:21. > :08:25.avoidance. In 2016 alone, HMRC collected record revenues of ?26.5
:08:26. > :08:32.billion for compliance activities. We've secured nearly 3 billion from
:08:33. > :08:36.offshore tax evaders. And in total, an additional 2.5 billion from the
:08:37. > :08:41.very wealthiest since 2010. So if she or anyone else in the chamber
:08:42. > :08:44.would like to praise HMRC for their contribution to sorting out our
:08:45. > :08:52.economy and getting it back to living within our means, then I'd be
:08:53. > :09:01.delighted to hear it. Earlier, the honourable member for Ealing Central
:09:02. > :09:05.and actor described the NHS as the Leeper institution. It is not a
:09:06. > :09:09.political institution, it does not belong to any party. There are
:09:10. > :09:12.members on all sides of this house who have served the NHS as we have
:09:13. > :09:18.the armed forces and other public services. If she was still in this
:09:19. > :09:26.place I would ask her to withdraw it. And therefore be in order to ask
:09:27. > :09:30.you that could be withdrawn? Your view is on the record and it is a
:09:31. > :09:35.point of order for the chair. We now come to the general debate relating
:09:36. > :09:36.to exiting the European Union