08/02/2018 Business Questions

intervention in the first instance.

Border. Business questions.

Could

the Leader of the House give us the

forthcoming business.

Thank you, Mr

Speaker. The business will include

Monday the 19th, the house will not

be sitting. Tuesday the 20th of

February, second reading of the

sanctions in the anti-money

laundering laws. Where's the 21st of

February, remaining stages of the

Finance number two bill. Thursday

22nd of February, debate on the role

of disabled people in economic

growth followed by a general debate

on cancer strategy. The subjects of

these debates were determined by the

back bench committee. Friday the

23rd of every private members bills.

We commencing the 26th of February,

estimates date, first allotted day.

Choose their the 27th, second

allotted day. The house will be

asked to agree all outstanding

estimates. I'm sure the whole house

will want to join me in marking

children's mental health week. The

earliest years of vitally important

for lifelong emotional health and

I'm strongly supportive of our

efforts in this area. Both houses

have now agreed to the same motion

regarding the restoration and

renewal of the Palace of Westminster

on my right honourable friend the

Leader of the House of Lords and I

will be presenting a paper on next

steps to a house commissions within

the next few weeks. And then, Mr

Speaker, we were all proud to take

part in the celebrations marking 100

years of women's votes. We have made

huge progress in advancing women's

rights, but there's still a long way

to go, especially when dealing with

the vicious personal abuse which is

so often directed at women.

Parliament needs to show the high

standards, so I'm delighted that

today a report on an independent

complaints and grievance policy has

been published. I hope these

proposals will demonstrate a renewed

commitment to treating everyone who

works in this place with dignity and

respect.

Thank you. Can I thank the

Leader of the House rather

forthcoming business and ask again

about the date that we are going to

rise in July. People need to plan

their lives. I know the government

is focused on Brexit. I wonder if

the Leader of the House could

explain the European research group?

Does the leader know if they will be

publishing any sectorial analysis or

is this another secret society that

operates around the house that only

a few people can join? The

government should publish the list

of ministerial responsibilities.

Maybe then the government will know

what they are doing. Sending junior

ministers out to debates to answer

urgent questions instead of

ministers. This is an ideological --

if this is not ideological I don't

know what is. That is close railway

line has 91% satisfaction rating.

Forfeiting the contract has 2.2

billion. The shadow Secretary of

State for Transport said it would

add another £380 million to the

bailout. Quite rightly, the NAO has

launched an enquiry. What are the

costs so far associated with this

debacle and can she say whether or

not the Minister may be decision

against advice? Sorry, who benefited

from midnight visit the secretary of

state to see LG from number 11 are

in difficulties. The local MP said

she had worn since 2013 and 2014

that they could not cope with the

level of cuts. Further discussion

has been stifled. As the Minister

said yesterday it's not appropriate

to comment whilst the inspection is

going on. Camberley the right to me

and inform me how long the

inspection will take on what other

terms of reference. Is the Leader of

the House where on any statement

from the government on the misuse of

statistics? The head of the

statistics authority said that the

Prime Minister was misusing the

statistics on waiting times. In

England she uses time from decision

to admit from time to admission to

another part of the health service.

In Wales she quotes the entire time

patients wait from arrival. When

will this be corrected. The

government statement said they

accept the assessment, but fair

assessment in this target still

stands. That is bizarre. Bumblebees

correction be published in response

to Sir David's comments? Let us also

acknowledge that from the oldest

language in Europe which was

celebrated this week in the Welsh

grand committee, but more delays by

the government. Disabilities in the

built environment, the report, there

has been no response. The Minister

says I refer to my answer earlier.

This affects blind people. When will

the government take people with

disabilities seriously?

The test of the Government is their

commitment, deeds not words. Can the

Government explain my former

military wives are losing out on

pension credits. Deeds not words on

House of Commons research which

found that 86% of austerity falls on

women. Cuts of £97 billion. Deeds

not words on equal pay for equal

work. The Leader of the Opposition

has done his deeds because we have a

Shadow Cabinet or 50% women, you

cannot say that about the Cabinet.

We couldn't take part in the photo

in central lobby because the Shadow

Cabinet were at the Museum with a

suffragette exhibition. A loaf of

bread was preserved for web the

suffragettes came out of prison and

they held it aloft to prove they had

been on hunger strike. Finally,

there deeds allows our words to

resound as we strive for equality.

I

am grateful to the honourable lady

for a series of questions she has

put to me and I think what I can say

in response to a number of her

requests for a letter is that I will

write to her on a number of the

points she has raised that I don't

have the specific answers to, to

hand. And of course through the

usual channels we will as soon as

possible give date for summary sets,

and as she knows the publication of

ministerial responsibilities is very

soon. She asks when the data

protection Bill will be introduced

in this House, and again that will

be done as soon as Parliament to

time allows. She asks about county

councils and she will appreciate

that under this Government, since

2010, we have seen in real terms,

taking into account inflation, the

decrease in council taxes and indeed

in non-real terms, another was

headline terms, some of the lowest

council tax rises since council tax

was introduced. This year the cap

has been lifted to 3% to take into

account inflation and that is

important. With regards to my own

county council, she will be aware of

particular concerns around the way

budgets and finances have been

managed there and it is subject to

an investigation by the Department

for communities in local government

and that is now in hand. She invites

me to celebrate the oldest language,

the Welsh language, I am delighted

to do that and also proud that my

honourable friend the Member for

Pudsey is himself a Welsh speaker

and I'm sure it could drag him to

the chamber to sing to us or

something like that but possibly he

might be cross with me for even

suggesting it. Finally she talks

about deeds, not words, and I think

on issues around the gender pay gap

she should celebrate that the UK is

one of the first countries in the

world to introduce mandatory gender

pay gap reporting. McKinsey, the

consulting company, estimates

closing the gender gap in work would

add £150 billion to the economy by

2025 but I am pleased to tell

honourable members the full-time

gender pay gap is lowest it's ever

been and we are committed to

eliminating it entirely.

As usual, a

great many members seeking to catch

my eye and I will do my best to

accommodate interests but there are

no fewer than three government

statements to follow these exchanges

and two select committee statements

before we even reach the debate due

to take place under the auspices of

the backbench business committee and

the debate that follows that so

there is a premium to date upon

brevity from back and front benches

alike. If colleagues have got

scripted screeds as prefaces to

questions, may I politely suggest

they abandon the scripted screed and

let's just have the pithy question.

Could my right honourable friend

find time for debate on banning UK

tour operators for selling rides on

Asian elephants? These wonderful

animals, when in training, are often

abused and I'm sure no UK visitor

would want to condone that.

As ever,

my honourable friend raises a

question of huge interest of UK, as

genuine animal lovers, and I'm proud

we have some of the highest animal

welfare standards in the world. We

don't believe changing the law in

the UK would make significant

difference, what we do agree is

making people aware of the situation

and allowing them to judge for

themselves is likely to result in UK

tourists addressing the problem with

their feet.

Can I thank the House

financing business for the week we

come back. After attempts to keep

the figures of the Brexit concealed

from the British public, we now know

the two costs of the disastrous

plans for the nations and regions of

the UK, and it takes a hit on

economic growth of up to 9% to pay

for the chaos. Scotland didn't vote

for the story hard Brexit but here

we are, tethered to this

dysfunctional Titanic is a careers

haphazardly towards the abyss. Can

we have a debate on these national

and regional breakdowns on design a

solution that will protect Scotland

from the worst of this madness? And

can we have a debate about who is

and how to achieve them because over

the weekend we were presented with

the prospect of Boris Johnson on

Jacob Rees Mogg, possibly our worst

nightmare and something designed to

keep the kids awake at night. How

much longer do we have to ensure

this Tory civil war and I extend my

offer to peacekeepers designed to

ensure this is conducted properly.

Lastly, we will have new estimate

debates when we return and for the

first time in recent history will

will get to debate estimates. The

one part of department to spring we

need to address was the ban to the

DUP, because this House has never

debated it and had a chance to give

its verdict on it -- the bung to the

DUP.

I thank the honourable

gentleman for his series of

questions. Firstly on the economic

analysis around the impact of Brexit

on different parts of the United

Kingdom, he will be aware that there

is a room in Parliament Street made

available for members wishing to go

and look at that. It was early

analysis and it hadn't been seen by

ministers, as he will be aware. He

talks about coups, for a moment I

thought he was talking about Cowles!

I can assure him this Government is

working together to make a success

of leaving the European Union, both

for the UK and our 27 EU friends and

neighbours. I share his delight at

estimates being debated and

announced in the future business,

and with the efforts of the liaison

committee and the procedure

committee to try and resolve the

timing of those with the backbench

business committee. Finally he asks

about additional funding for

Northern Ireland, and in recognition

of the unique circumstances of

Northern Ireland we have committed

to making available 50 million of

the funding set out in the agreement

in this financial year for health

and education, but we do continue to

want to see the financial support

set out in the agreement decided

upon and spent by a restored

executive in Northern Ireland.

Does

my right honourable friend agree...

Does my right honourable friend

agree with me that...

The most

illuminating private conversation

but it must not be to the detriment

of the pertinent inquiry from the

honourable lady.

Does my right

honourable friend agree with me that

while income tax is devolved to the

Scottish Government that we should

debate the impact of the SNP tax

hike that will have on Armed Forces

personnel and how it will reduce the

demand for posting in Scotland.

I'm

grateful to my honourable friend for

raising her question and I do

commend her for standing up for her

constituents and raising an

important point. Over the coming

months the MOD will be reviewing the

impact of this latest decision by

the Scottish Government but she's

right to point out that in

accordance with the legislation, all

those who are identified as Scottish

taxpayers by HMRC will continue to

be issued with the appropriate tax

code and so must have Scottish

income tax applied on earnings.

And

very grateful, Mr Speaker. Can I

thank the leader for the

confirmation that the estimates

debates will take place on the 26th

and 27th, but the subject of those

debates is in the hands of members

of this House and applications have

to be made by next Friday, the 16th,

in order to determine which

departmental estimates will be made

so please, it is in your hands. Make

those applications. I'm also very

aware today we are pressed for time.

Can I humbly suggest we withdraw the

pre-recess adjournment debate and

devote the whole time to the

divisible motion.

Thank you, Mr

Speaker, and I'm genuinely sorry

time has been reduced today but the

honourable gentleman will appreciate

it's important the House is able to

question ministers on some of the

important issues in today's

statements. I will always consider

requests for backbench business time

and I was pleased to protect time

for the backbench debate on Tuesday

this week.

The Secretary of State

for deaf has said we will not have

American-style industrial factory

farming in this country -- Defra,

yet in my constituency there is an

application to have an unacceptable

amount of chickens slaughtered.

Would you allow me to bring in a

cage with the chickens in it to

demonstrate the appalling conditions

they have to live under?

No chickens

at any rate in the chamber.

I'm

grateful to my honourable friend for

raising this issue. As I've already

said, we have some of the highest

animal welfare standards in the

world, including for the weights

chickens are reared, but he raises

concerning point and I encourage him

to seek an adjournment debates so a

minister from Defra can respond.

Mr

Vernon Coker.

minister from Defra can respond.

Mr

Vernon Coker.

minister from Defra can respond.

Mr

Vernon Coker.

Then I apologise for

my earlier excitement first of all.

Can I ask the Leader of the House

whether we can have a debate on

crime statistics. In Nottinghamshire

the latest crime statistics show a

29% year on year increase. The Prime

Minister yesterday said this was

because of the different way it was

recorded. In Nottinghamshire we

believe it is due to police cuts and

there is an urgent need for that to

be clarified.

The honourable

gentleman raises a very important

point about policing and crime

statistics. He will be aware that

overall traditional crime is

continuing to fall. In fact by

almost 40% since 2010. It is also

the case the recording of crime is

improving and more people feel able

to come forward with crimes such as

domestic violence and so on the

never before. Nevertheless he is

right to raise the issue of specific

matters of crime and it is important

that communities are able to do more

to help themselves, that's why we

have awarded £765,000 to community

groups and more than 280,000 to

community projects that are

specifically working on ending gang

violence and exploitation. There is

much more to do but across all areas

of rising crime, the Government is

taking action to try to reduce it.

Every two minutes a child dies of

malaria in this world. Can my right

honourable friend arrange for the

secretary of state to give a

statement or for us to have a debate

in the Chamber on what we are going

to do to combat malaria, this

dreadful disease, and the

opportunities we have at the

Commonwealth meeting in April to

promote the treatment of malaria

across the world?

We would all share

a desire to see malaria stamped out

and other insidious diseases that

affect particularly children in

poorer regions of the world. He may

want to seek a backbench debate in

order to share views with other

colleagues across the house.

Come

the Leader of the House find time

for a debate on old toll bridges and

the traffic chaos that they cause?

The Warburton toll bridge in my

constituency for the sake of a 12p

toll is causing traffic jams right

round all the main roads and the

Department for Transport seems to

hold no data on the impact of these

bridges. Isn't it time we debated

this and abolished these

19th-century tolls?

Well I'm

absolutely sympathetic. I've had my

own experience of these roads and

the queue going down the street for

the sake of 5p or 10p. I share her

frustration and I encourage her to

raise it at departmental questions.

I'm sure ministers, if she persists,

will look into it for her.

Mr

Speaker, unlike the SNP spokesman my

constituents are actually optimistic

about post-Brexit Britain. Could I

suggest to be Leader of the House

that she provided government time

for a debate when a minister from

every department, including the

Treasury, could come to the house

and outlined the advantages to

Britain of leaving the EU? We would

need at least a full day for it.

What is my honourable friend would

expect I will be delighted to

deliver that to him. I share his

enthusiast and for the prospects of

the United Kingdom outside of the

European Union. You might want to

put that to every department in

questions.

As the Leader of the

House may be aware there are

widespread concerns over the

outsourcing of the patient services,

the Pence many of him facing

financial difficulties. In my

constituency of violent offender was

released without a risk assessment

by the CRC. Coming have a debate

statement on the future of

outsourcing operations services?

This is a very important every. The

honourable lady will be pleased to

know that our reforms to probation

means we are monitoring 40,000

offenders who have previously been

released with no supervision at all.

It's a positive change the public

safety. Overall I can tell her the

community rehabilitation companies

have reduced the number of people

offending. If she has a specific

concern, she might want to raise it

with the Department.

Can I support

my honourable friend for Harrow

regarding tackling malaria. Can I

ask if we can have a debate on the

status of recommendations made by

trusts special administrators, in my

case the mid Staffordshire trust.

This report that the cost of £20

million was accepted by the

Secretary of State for help with a

lot of recommendations that are

really important for my

constituents, but we are seeing some

erosion of them, despite the best

efforts of the trust that took mid

Staffordshire over to implement

them. Can we have a debate on them

because it's vital that my

constituents know that those

recommendations are firm and will

continue.

My honourable friend has

always championed his constituency

and in particular he has been a

strong advocate for improvement to

his hospital and I do to seek an

adjournment debate so he can hear

directly from the Department of

Health.

Through a written statement

Department the business energy

strategy announced the creation of

an office or product safety. Can we

have a debate so we can better

understand the Department's

responsibilities, especially around

counterfeit electrical goods sold

online and electric white goods.

The

honourable lady raises an important

issue and we have heard a number of

times of problems with counterfeit

goods. I'm certainly very happy

either issue was the right to me to

raise it directly with the

Department or I suggest she sings an

adjournment debate so she can raise

it directly herself.

One of the

important pieces of legislation for

the post-Brexit world is the

immigration bill and reason

statements from the Home Secretary

would suggest that there has been

some backsliding on the potential

timescale for this important piece

of legislation. Can the Leader of

the House tell us when can we expect

to see the immigration bill before

the House?

Well, my honourable

friend should absolutely rest

assured that we are determined to

make a success of leaving the

European Union and all legislation

that is necessary to ensure that

that is the case will be brought

forward as soon as we need to do

that. .

A constituent of mine's

husband was murdered in 2002. The

killer was released after ten years.

Four years on, his supervision may

stop. She is petitioning for killers

to be kept in prison for life.

I am

truly sorry to hear about that. It's

a difficult situation for his

constituents. The Secretary of State

for Justice is reviewing the

processes of the parole board and

I'm sure there will be further

updates to the House in due course.

Members will know next year -- or

the Leader of the House allow time

for debate on empty. I am running

the London Marathon to help

sufferers of this debilitating

condition.

I wish my honourable

friend and others mad enough to take

part in the London Marathon. MND is

a terrible disease.

I'm working with the Royal Society

of Public health to look at child

mental health link to social media.

Could I ask her to make time for a

debate that focuses specifically on

child mental health and the impact

social media has on that?

I

genuinely commend him for sorting

that out. We are seeing such a spike

in young people having problems

which are attributed to use social

media. What I can tell him is we are

putting a record £1.4 billion into

children and young people's mental

health and there are now record

numbers of children mental health

beds available at one 1140. We are

training staff in schools regarding

mental health. There is still a lot

more to do.

A lot of local

government problems have been laid

bare this week. I have warned about

this time and time again. Could we

have time to have a debate in this

Chamber regarding problems in local

government.

There was a debate

yesterday afternoon on the subject

of local government funding. There

are regular opportunities to raise

that in the house and if he feels is

its -- it is important to have a

further debate I would encouraging

to have a backbench debate.

The drug

re-purpose in report produced by the

said group is now on the desk of

Lord O'Shaughnessy. When can we have

a statement from the government on

its recommendations?

If the

honourable gentleman wants to write

to me on that point I can find out

from the department and get back to

him.

Following the debate in this

Chamber last week on HS2, would my

right honourable friend consider a

further debate on statutory

compensation, not just HS2, but

other major infrastructure projects

of national importance.

I'm sure

both you and I will support a

further debate and the honourable

lady may want to seek an adjournment

debate so she can raise her

concerns.

Can we have a debate on

the failure to report on the Royal

Bank of Scotland's treatment.

The

issue has been raised in this place

and if he would like further action

I suggest he seeks an adjournment

debate so that ministers can respond

directly.

I would like to ask my

right honourable friend if we can

have a debate on encouraging more

women in public office. It's

pertinent as we celebrate women

getting the vote 100 years ago.

100

years after the first women got them

right to vote we have made

advancements, but there is a long

way to go and fish personal online

abuse has no place in our public

life. Some of the things I can do

in, we are introducing an Internet

safety transparency report. The

Prime Minister has said that the law

society will also investigate and

social media code of practice will

be published later this year setting

out clearly then a minimum -- been

minimum standards expected of social

media platforms.

It's a delight that

thanks to the introduction of major

trauma centres around the country

500 more people are kept alive every

year, but unfortunately more a

quarter of those major trauma

centres have no rehabilitation

consultant and they are not able to

get the really important support

they need to get them back on their

feet, able to look after themselves.

We can make a real difference to

people's lives if we try harder.

I'm

sympathetic to his question and I

myself recently met a constituent

whose husband had been brain injured

by thugs and was herself in that

situation. It is terrible when it

happens, both the and their

families. I'm sympathetic and he may

wish to raise that directly with

ministers at departmental questions.

Coming have a debate on family

dynasty days. Earlier this week we

celebrated Scottish family business

days. Of the top five family

businesses, two up in my

constituency. All my right

honourable friend join me in

congratulating these two firms for

their contribution to the local

economy and for what they do to the

local area?

My honourable friend is

was a great champion for his

constituency and I'm proud to tell

him I own a Johnston was much. The

British business bank is supporting

£276 million. In addition the

start-up loans has delivered over

3000 loans were over £20 million in

Scotland. Much more to do, but he is

a great champion for all of those

small businesses.

A recently held my

first jobs and apprenticeships fair,

but too often young people in towns

like mine field there are a lack of

opportunities and the only

alternative is to move to the big

city. Come we have a debate on how

we can nurture talent in Britain's

small and very proud towns?

I'm

delighted she is supporting

apprenticeships, as many of us do.

Every time I get the chance I do

commend to colleagues to get an

apprentice in your own Parliamentary

office. I have had one for each of

the last seven years. It has been

brilliant for me and them. Across

all about towns I'm delighted that

we are now and with more than 3

million apprenticeships since 2010,

we are making progress but there is

much more to do. We need to combine

forces to improve life opportunities

for these youngsters.

Come we have a

report on the progress on

house-building and the further

action needed to build the number of

homes set urgently needed in this

country.

My honourable friend raises

an important point. This week the

Prime Minister chaired the inaugural

meeting of the housing

implementation task force to talk

about the progress we are making an

Watmore actions are needed. Over

217,000 homes were delivered last

year. Is the highest level we have

seen in all but one of the last 30

years. It takes us to 1.1 million

extra homes since 2010. More to do,

but good progress.

Activists in Honduras have been

targeted with a wave of

surveillance, intimidation and

violence. Last year we found out

last week the UK for the first time

ever has approved the sales of

inception equipment to the Honduras

government. Wilma Leader of the

House make time for a statement for

the Secretary of State to come to

this House and talk about how the

consolidated... 100 lawyers have

been killed and 50 opposition

members have been killed just in the

last year by their sister party.

The

honourable gentleman raises a point

that will be of concern to many

members in this House and his right

to do so. He might want to seek an

adjournment debate but we do operate

one of the most robust arms export

control regimes in the world and a

license will not be issued where

there's a clear risk items to be

licensed might be used in the

commission of a serious violation of

humanitarian law.

Can we have a

statement or debate on the benefits

of switching energy suppliers, and

how we should encourage even more

consumers to switch.

My honourable

friend raises an important question

for so many people in this country.

I'm glad to tell him there has been

good news, since 2010 the number of

energy suppliers has gone from 13th

to over 60 and 7.8 million energy

switches took place in 2016, an

increase of nearly 1.7 million on

2015 meaning customers are saving on

average £308 by switching from a

standard variable tariff offered by

the big six and he will be aware of

our commitment to bringing forward

and NG -- and energy price cap bill.

Confirmation has received from the

DWP that... Can only have a debate

about the impact of this policy and

the utter madness of people being

forced to sell their homes on

claiming more money in housing

benefit than mortgage interest

relief would cost the Government.

I

understand the point the honourable

gentleman is making but as he will

appreciate the reality is for many

very significant value in their

property on the importance in this

is to be fair to taxpayers as well

as those who need support in meeting

their mortgage costs.

In her role as

Leader of the House, can she say

what she's done to satisfy herself

on the accuracy of reports into the

economic impact of Brexit produced

by civil servants and will she make

a statement on what she's doing to

prevent ministers attacking the

motives of those who produce the

reports?

I simply don't accept that

people are attacking the credibility

of those reports. What honourable

members on the side and across the

House say, which is quite right, is

economic forecasts are often subject

to independent but nevertheless the

views and import to the economic

models used and therefore they are

not an exact science and therefore

they are often wrong and you only

have to look at economic forecasts

in the past and see the outturn to

see they are not always accurate. In

direct response to his question

however, he will be aware there is a

room it's been made available for

people in Parliament Street for

people to see the economic forecasts

for themselves.

Could we have a

debate on decision-making

protests... Many people in Malawi...

Can the Minister look into that case

and can have a debate on the

failures of UKVI.

The honourable

gentleman raises an important point

in his constituency, the Government

department will look into it for him

if he raises it with them.

The

remains of Royal Navy sailors who

died serving our country on board

HMS Exeter, HMS Electra, are being

buried in shallow mass graves in

Indonesia. The Dutch government is

acting in support of the Dutch

sailors from lost warships but the

UK Government is not. Can we have an

urgent debate to make sure we are

taking every step to at least rebury

our fallen sailors with the dignity

they deserve?

I am very sympathetic

to what the honourable gentleman is

saying. He might be aware we have

Foreign Office questions on the

first day of the House return in

February and he might wish to raise

a guy -- raise directly with

ministers.

This sentence represents a clear

violation of his right to freedom of

religion and a worrying trend in

Yemen so would the Leader of the

House agreed to statement on this

issue.

The honourable gentleman

raises a very concerning issue of

freedom of religion and he will be

aware that this House fully supports

freedom of religion and is totally

against any form of depriving people

of their human rights. I encourage

him to seek an adjournment debate so

he can take this up directly with

ministers.

We have made timely

progress.

My honourable friend from

Glasgow zero has raised a case in a

previous question so thanks for the

opportunity but I would add to the

Leader of the House this is an

urgent case and it is next week,

this exchange visit is due to take

place, so if she could look into it

urgently I would appreciate it.

The

honourable gentleman has made his

point and I hope he is content.

Good,