09/12/2015 Daily Politics

David Cameron's off on his European travels again today still trying

to drum up support for his renegotiation of Britain's

membership of the EU. But the PM's expected to get

a frosty reception in Poland - they've declared in work benefits

a red-line issue when it comes to EU renegotiation.

That means it's the Chancellor, George Osborne's big day

Joining him for PMQs for the first time, Labour's Angela Eagle.

The Prime Minister's friend and Conservative chairman,

Lord Feldman, is facing claims - which he denies - that he was told

And should this man become the become the next President

Donald J Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown

of Muslims entering the United States until our

country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.

All that in the next hour and with us for the duration two MPs

who unfortunately would never say anything controversial,

The Energy and Climate Change Minister, Andrea Leadson,

and the Shadow Education Secretary, Lucy Powell.

Now, before we get to talk about anything serious spare

a thought for one poor chap who unwittingly stole

The Croatian president is on the right. The man there is pulling his

trousers up! The president is thoughtfully using this very large

award to hide his embarrassment. His name is Ivan and he was therefore a

human rights award but it did not go to plan. You feel for him. Maybe he

has been on a diet. Indeed but there are things called belts! A few more

notches needed in the belt! When you were appointed you said you

had not met Jeremy Corbyn, what is his leadership style like? I have

got to know him really well over the last few weeks, we talked a lot

about education policy and share views about the direction of travel

and wants to see education policy go. He is kind and generous and

principled and I have got to know him and like him. Actually, apart

from some of the things you might have read about happening at Shadow

Cabinet meetings, actually, the meetings have been comradely, with

wide discussions, and we have shared views in an open and honest way and

I welcome that. So you share views and agreed so the idea of collective

responsibility has gone out the window with Syria and Trident? On

the issue with a free vote, some of us came to a different conclusion

than Jeremy but for the vast majority of us, we shared the same

concerns one way or another and it was a very finely balanced judgment

in the end and those of us who voted for air strikes did so by a few

percentage points in that final judgment, as did many of my

colleagues who voted the opposite way and we respected each other's

views on that. On the whole, Jeremy and I have had many hours of

conversations about education policy.

I have given a presentation to the Shadow Cabinet about those issues.

He was criticised for not appointing a woman to the top three jobs, was

that a mistake? The raw many women in the Shadow Cabinet. Strong and

capable and able women. We will see Angela Eagle deputising today. He

was clear about that. I really welcome her there at the dispatch

box. The Prime Minister was in trouble last week for calling Jeromy

Corbyn and people like him as terrorist sympathisers. David

Cameron's comments were really unhelpful to say the least and he

was absolutely wrong about that and it was a dangerous game trying to

criticise that. How do you describe people at Stop The War? He is a

long-standing loyal member of that organisation and they are a

principled organisation that believe that war and military intervention

can't ever be part of the process towards peace. I would like to

think... That is not what they say. They are not against all wars at

all. I understood... They did not raise a voice against the Russian

invasion into Ukraine Crimea. As far as I'm aware. Well, they are

certainly against military intervention in the middle East. As

I was going to go on to say, clearly, given the difference of

opinion that Jeremy and I came to last week, I don't agree with

everything that the Stop The War coalition advocates. Jeremy does. It

is an organisation that he has had a long-standing relationship with, it

is entirely a matter for him whether he wants to continue that. It was

the terrorist sympathisers I wanted to talk about and how you would

describe people at Stop The War. After Paris, Stop The War said

France reaped the whirlwind of foreign policy and they said Islamic

State had the same spirit of international that motivated the

brigade before fascism in the 1930s. Does it indicate some sympathy

towards terrorists? I totally disagree with the comment. So does

Jeremy Corbyn as I understand. Those comments were not statements of the

organisation themselves but of members within them, and as we often

have on debating forums, whether it be newspapers... Stop The War

comparing him and his colleagues to Islamic State is shameful, isn't it?

I disagree with those comments and as I understand it so does Jeremy

Corbyn. Why is Jeremy Corbyn going to do their Christmas fundraiser?

That is a matter for him coming he has a long-standing relationship

with the organisation and as I understand it, those comments were

not from the organisation but were put on there by individuals

associated with Stop The War and were taken down as quickly as they

went up there which is often the case. If you look at the Daily Mail

or Guardian website or the Labour Party website or Tory party website,

I am sure you can find abhorrent opinions being posted. That is not

the same. Some take awhile to be taken down. As I say, I do not agree

with Stop The War. Should Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party,

the associated with an organisation that says those sorts of things not

just once but twice? Some of your colleagues say it is shameful.

Caroline Lucas has stepped down from her role because of the things that

were said should Jeremy Corbyn? Are they the views of the organisation?

Are they a statement from the organisation? I understand that they

are not. The statements from individuals associated with it which

many people including Jeremy Corbyn had distanced themselves from an say

they do not agree with it. Should Jeremy Corbyn he allowed, be able,

and should he come to his own decision about whether he wants to

go to an event organised by an organisation that he himself said

Arp, that he has a principled view that he supports, of course he

should be allowed to. -- he himself set up. He was elected because he

came from a principled... You are happy to be associated with that

organisation? I am not happy... The comments they came from people at

Stop The War. We can have a different view about that but my

understanding is that they are not the views of the coalition

themselves. Some colleagues have urged him not to go? They have and I

understand that but is a matter for Jeromy and if he wants to go, he is

a man of principle, he was elected, he was supported because he was a

man of principle and we might not agree with all of his views and I

don't agree with all of what Stop The War said, but it is up to him

whether he wants to go or not. David Cameron won't be taking PMQs

today because he's off to Romania and Poland

for a couple of days. No, not Christmas shopping,

but making the case for restricting migration to the UK with two

of his most implacable opponents. to in the Daily Politics

renegotiation guide update. After calls for clarity from Britain

by EU Parliament president Martin Schulz, David Cameron wrote

to EU Commission President Donald Tusk setting out four

well-rehearsed, areas for reform. Economic governance -

an explicit recognition that the euro is not the only

currency of the European Union to ensure countries

outside the eurozone Setting a target for the reduction

of the "burden" of excessive regulation and extending

the single market. Allowing Britain to opt out

from the EU's founding ambition to forge an "ever closer union"

of the peoples of Europe so it will not be drawn

into further political integration. And an area that has

proved problematic - Restricting access to in and out

of work benefits to people who've been in the UK for

less than four years. to seal a deal at the EU summit next

week, but in a letter this week ahead of that meeting Donald Tusk

stated consultations have shown that "issues raised by the British Prime

Minister are difficult." "The fourth basket on social

benefits and the free movement of persons is the most delicate",

with Poland declaring it But as David Cameron flies

to Romania and Poland today to make his case for reform,

talks remain in deadlock, and the Prime Minister's

timetable in tatters. Andrea, if the Prime Minister was to

get to achieve the demands that she outlined there, would you vote to

stay in? Well, what we have got to do is wait and see what he achieves.

I am asking you if he does achieve what was outlined there, and these

are his official demands, would you vote to stay in? Yell at the they

are top lines and there will be a package where he can and initiate,

so I would vote to stay in. -- negotiate. We cannot really

speculate on how people should react into we see what he comes back with.

If he gets his top lines, that will be enough? They need to be defined.

As was said, on the issue of competitiveness, there is a lot

within that, within the possibilities of the single market.

It is vague and meaningless. It is not vague, it is principle. Less red

tape? Everybody says less red tape and then when you get into power you

give us more red tape so it is meaningless. The point he is

achieving is working towards negotiating the specific meaning of

work towards greater competitiveness, economic governance

must devil is in the detail but that is part of the negotiations and we

have to wait and see what he comes back with. Supposing we agreed

parameters by which we determine competitiveness and in five years'

time it turns out none have been met, what would happen? The thing

the EU has form on, and let's face it, the Prime Minister has done well

and has achieved a significant first. Never mind that, what would

happen if none of the competitive targets were met?

These things stick. He is looking for a legally binding... Not a

handshake and cup of coffee, he is looking for legally binding

commitment. It can be with an intergovernmental agreement. There

is precedence. It is legally binding. What happens if targets are

not met? It would be. In 2001, in Lisbon, the origin of the famous

Lisbon Treaty it was put in the treaty by 2010, Europe would be the

most competitive region in the world. How did that go? Bat was an

aspiration, not a policy. The Prime Minister is talking about specifics,

what measures will beat you be taking? Give me an exact measure.

Free trade agreements the Prime Minister is pitching for. The

completion of the single market where implementation... The

enforcement of rules agreed to. Europe is going through a free trade

agreement. It could do more. That would be legally binding? The

package the Prime Minister is looking for will be legally binding

on all member states. That free trade agreement with China, that

Europe does not have, that will be a legally binding requirement? The

work to go into getting more free trade agreements will be a

commitment. Europe is committed to more free-trade agreements. It takes

its time getting there and it is sometimes difficult to get all to

agree but it wants them, I do not understand how that will change. It

is policy to have more free-trade agreements. The view of the Prime

Minister is the European Union, in its own interest is, can do more to

be more competitive. Our position in world competitiveness, world GDP as

28 member states has dropped like a stone. We have to turn it around to

compete in a more global world. That is what the Prime Minister is

seeking to do. If the Prime Minister cannot get what he looks for on

welfare, in work welfare for migrants, which is even if they work

they do not qualify for in work welfare for several years. If he

does not get it, will it be a deal-breaker? He said he will rule

nothing deal-breaker? He said he will rule

speak. I am asking you if it deal-breaker? He said he will rule

be a deal-breaker if you deal-breaker? He said he will rule

it? He needs to negotiate deal-breaker? He said he will rule

four headings, that is his plan. deal-breaker? He said he will rule

will come back and it is for deal-breaker? He said he will rule

British people to decide. You are a member of the British people, what

does this British person think about the four-year break before migrants

qualify for in work welfare? Should it be a deal-breaker? I think some

shift in the unity of UK people to not be paying for migrants who have

not contributed is vital. In that sense it should be a deal-breaker,

but in the sense should it sense it should be a deal-breaker,

exactly this form, we have to see what the Prime Minister comes back

with. He is committed what the Prime Minister comes back

pillars. Why should it be what the Prime Minister comes back

deal-breaker since we learned from the OBR that even if we got it and

make no difference to the number of migrants coming head? Because it is

people who have not paid in should be automatically be able

people who have not paid in should out. It was presented as an issue

because the Prime Minister wants to reduce migration, but if it doesn't,

what is the point? The Office for Budget Responsibility do forecasts.

The Prime Minister's proposals would reduce pull factors. In other words

some reasons why coming to the UK to work are at the moment attractive.

That is not what the OBR says, it assumes continued rising migration.

That is why it forecasts on tax revenues. The key point is that we

will be looking to make it fairer to taxpayers who have paid into the

system over people who have just arrived. So now it is about

fairness, not about reducing migration? It is about reducing pull

factors. The OBR said it won't. They do not have a crystal ball. What is

the minimum wage in Romania? Reducing pull factors for people to

come here to get in work benefits, free housing, to send child benefit

home to children not resident in the UK, these are things my constituents

worry about. I understand that if the national minimum wage is over

?9, that is a big pull factor for many of these people. They will not

care about in work benefits. Over ?9 an hour will be beyond their wildest

dreams in Bulgaria and Romania and that is a pull factor. That will not

be the same issue constituents have about people coming to the country

and effectively living off taxes of people who work hard. Paying their

taxes for someone else to benefit on day one. There is an issue of

fairness and pull factors. Does Labour support what the Prime

Minister is trying to negotiate? What we want to see is a clearer

leadership from the government. About why it is important Britain

stays in the EU. Do you support the four areas outlined that he wants to

change our relationship? Does Labour support these areas? Broadly

speaking will stop but there is wiggle room. The in work benefit

issue, that was a Labour Party policy of the last election, albeit

for a shorter period. Is it still Labour policy? Yes. It is still

Labour policy that migrants coming from the EU should be denied in work

benefits for the first two years? We said we would look to get a deal on

two years. As the Prime Minister has said, his notion of a four-year

break on that is going to be possible. Is it still Labour policy

to want a two-year break? Yes, I dearly, yes. -- ideally. Does Jeremy

Corbyn support not paying for the first two years? I cannot remember

what he's said in that discussion but it is clear it is Labour Party

policy. As Andrea said, as the Prime Minister said, the idea we will get

agreement across Europe for a four-year break is impossible. I

think two is at the upper end of what is achievable. In 2014 your

party stated that EU migrants would have to wait two years before

claiming out of work benefits. Now you say it is at the upper end. As

Rachel Reeves, the then Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary when we

develop that policy, she spoke to a number of European colleagues about

whether they would agree to that move and that was just over a year

ago and all the people she spoke to win the European Commission, Germany

and other countries, had not heard from our government at that time

asking those questions. The key issue about Europe is because the

Prime Minister is hiding behind a pseudo- process. I thought you said

you supported it. We support the measures but we are not hiding

behind it to say only in those circumstances do we support Britain

staying the EU. We have ministers coming on the TV not able to say why

Britain benefits from being part of the EU. There are costs but they are

outweighed by the benefits and we need leadership on why the benefits

outweigh the cost. And keep. -- thank you.

George Osborne's hopped back from four days in New York

Rumour has it the Christmas shopping has gone rather well.

I bumped into him on 5th Avenue just a couple of days ago.

But George shouldn't you be ticking off your Christmas list

If you want one of these delightful little stocking fillers,

Yes, we'll remind you how to enter in a minute but can you guess

# We've come too far to give up who we are...#

I came into politics to try and make a difference and now I am leaving

politics to try and make a difference in a different way.

# And we'll never be royals (royals).

# That kind of luxe just ain't for us.

that is for sure. of lungs on him,

# I belong with you, you belong with me, my sweetheart.

# My sweet. you belong with me.

# All I wanted was to break you off.#

above us. the roof collapsed

# I see it all, I see it now, I got the eye of the tiger.

# Cos I am a champion through the fire.

To be in with a chance of winning a Daily Politics mug,

send your answer to our special quiz email address

Entries must arrive by 12.30 today, and you can see the full terms

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Yes, Prime Minister's Questions is on its way.

Without the Prime Minister. Nor the Leader of the Opposition.

A Conservative Party activists said he warned the chairman about alleged

bullying in the youth wing five years ago. Patrick Sullivan is the

man who told Newsnight he put together a dossier with another

Tory, Ben Howlett, now an MP. I have known Ben Howlett for a number of

years. He won election for Conservative future chairman and was

subjected to bullying during that campaign and subsequently withdrew

his chairmanship. He has a strong anti-bullying stance in his

campaign. As I said there had been a culture of bullying. As soon as he

is elected, myself, Ben, helped compile a dossier and that dossier

was given by Ben to Lord Feldman and Sayeeda Warsi. The dossier is not

the only thing. There were complaints about Mark Clarke that

were given to Roger Pratt in 2008. So complaints about Mark Clarke have

been something the Conservative Central office have known about for

a very long time. For a very long time. Why did it take so long for

the Conservatives to do anything? The first thing I would like to say

is this is a serious and awful story. A number of people I work

within Parliament new Elliott Johnson, the young man who took his

own life. I would like to say I am sorry to hear about that. Genuinely

I do not know the background to this story and therefore I think it is

right we have a completely independent of what has gone on. It

is taking opportunities to get to the level of independence. Every

is taking opportunities to get to to be moved to a new level of

is taking opportunities to get to independence and even now people are

not entirely sure it is -- sure. I am absolutely assured it is an

independent review. Five years, we are told, and there were regular

accusations of bullying and we are told the dossier was passed over by

someone who is now a Tory MP colleague of yours and nothing was

really done until this matter came to a head in an appalling tragedy

you refer to. That is terrible, isn't it? I genuinely don't know. It

is an absolute tragedy. That is why it is important we get to the bottom

of it. The trouble something for the Conservative Party is how long this

saga is going on, and the way in which more and more revelations keep

coming out. It has claimed Grant Shapps as a minister who resigned

over the affair and now questions continue for Lord Feldman. Right

now, he is emphatic in his denials he did not know exactly what was

going on. It is difficult for the party, I think, to appear to have

taken this seriously enough when many people say they have been too

slow to act. I have had to alter the approach in terms of an independent

enquiry. There was going to be an in-house investigation. As often in

these quite tangled stories, that sometimes comes down to different

people'sversions of event is, it is all about who knew what and when

they knew it. At the moment the question of contention is what Lord

Feldman knew and when and he is adamant he did not know about these

kinds of allegations. We are told the dossier was handed over by Ben

Howlett in 2010 to Lord the dossier was handed over by Ben

Baroness Warsi. We cannot get hold of Ben Howlett

Baroness Warsi. We cannot get hold cannot get hold of Aaron Nastase

this morning, why? I think -- Baroness Warsi. This is about

personal relationships. Mark Clarke Baroness Warsi. This is about

was a controversial figure in Conservative Party headquarters for

a long time. But the level of emotion and personal animosity

caught up in this, understandably, because the outcome for the

caught up in this, understandably, family were so appalling, people are

holding back in terms of wading in this. Ben Howlett might be on the

benches waiting for George Osborne to take to the dispatch box. He has

an opportunity to clear this up. Has anyone seen the dossier? Beyond

those... Patrick Sullivan apparently has. He did not keep a copy. A

Conservative source said they had been looking for the dossier and had

not been able to find it, which is why it is crucial to hear from Ben

Howlett in terms of whether he handed it over. It is difficult to

imagine that someone would not have kept a copy. Interesting that

Patrick Sullivan, who spoke to Newsnight, was explicit hard copies

had been passed over and in his view this is a document that existed, but

we are not clear what the precise nature of the allegations in a

while. Or how strong. This is the crucial thing. We will come back to

that. We can go to Prime Minister's they will not enjoy a season of

goodwill. Why is he choosing down to cut the budget of the Birmingham

They help to 24,000 loan shark victims to get debts written off.

Will he have a word with his Business Secretary who seems to

refusing to answer questions on the Daily Mirror on this question. We

take very seriously illegal loan sharks and excessive interest

charges on payday lending which is why the Tories introduced a cap on

payday lending. On the question of funding for illegal money-laundering

and loan shark teams, we are looking at a levy on the industry to meet

funding requirements. Can you give an update on action against jacquard

-ists who not only attack Muslims but almost or so pillage mosques.

Along side protecting culture and heritage, can we ratify the Hague

commission? Thank you for raising this important issue and let me

update the house on military action. 16 aircraft are conducting strikes

as well as drones. There are 11 missions and there were four strikes

against oil fields and we are supporting Iraqi security services,

and the Foreign Secretary is going to be in New York for talks on

bringing an end to the horrendous conflict in Syria. Very

specifically, on the damage being done to the cultural artefacts of

the area and we are providing ?30 million as part of a cultural fund

and I have discussed that with the director of the British Museum.

Ratifying the Hague Convention, that is moving apace. Angela Eagle.

CHEERING Thank you, it is nice to get a warm

welcome! Our hearts go out to those suffering

the consequences of severe flooding in the north-west this week with

thousands of businesses affected. The priority has to be for the

government to get immediate help to all of them. One year on from the 20

13th-14th floods, only some have received payment from the government

scheme. Does the Chancellor agree that this cannot possibly be allowed

to happen again, these people need urgent help now? Will the Chancellor

give a guarantee that people will receive the help that they need and

quickly? Let me welcome the Honourable lady to her place and the

warm support she has on the other side. Let me join her in expressing

the sympathy of the whole House to those who have been with by the

terrible floods and the record rainfall that has hit Cumbria and

Lancashire. The update is that we have one severe flood warning in

place, power has been restored to 168,000 homes, the West Coast Main

Line is open, but we have to be there for the long term. We support

the immediate rescue efforts, the military have been deployed. On

recovery, I can now announce a ?50 million fund for families and

businesses affected in the area. This will be administered by the

local authorities to avoid some of the administrative problems she

alluded to. When it comes to rebuilding the Cumbria and

Lancashire infrastructure, we are assessing the damage to floods the

fences and the damage to roads and funds will be made available. One of

the benefits of the strong economy is helping people in need. I thank

the Chancellor for that answer but you would not think from listening

to him that he has got flood defence spending by a this year. -- that he

has cut. After visiting the floods in the Somerset Levels in 2014, the

Prime Minister told this House that money is no object in this relief

effort and whatever money is needed will be spent. I welcome the

announcement that the Chancellor has just made but will need factor will

he confirm that the same will apply? Absolutely money will be made

available to those affected and to the communities who have seen their

infrastructure damaged. ?5,000 will be made available to individual

families to repair their homes and protect them against future flooding

and we will provide money to businesses who have seen their

businesses ruins and there have been heartbreaking stories that we have

seen on TV about businesses that have been affected as well, so that

money is available. As I say, because we have a strong and

resilient economy, we are increasing the money we spend on flood

defences, and it is just not the case to say that that has been

reduced. Under the last Labour government, they spent ?100 billion

on flood defences. We are spending ?2 billion on flood defences and

increasing maintenance spending. -- ?1 billion. It is precisely because

we took the difficult decisions to fix our economy. I thank the

Chancellor for that and we will hold him to account on the promises he

has made today. I note that the government's own figures show that

the capital investment in flood defences will only protect one in

eight of those households that are at risk. Mr Speaker, I see that the

Prime Minister cannot be with us to answer questions today because he is

visiting Poland and Romania on the latest leg of his seemingly endless

European renegotiation tour. LAUGHTER He has been jetting all

over the place. No wonder he had to buy his own

aeroplane! Can the Chancellor tell us how it is all going? The good

news is... Groaning. We have a party leader who is respected abroad.

The Prime Minister is in central and eastern Europe because we are

fighting for a better deal for Great Britain, something that would not

have happened if there had been a Labour government. Well, Mr Speaker,

I have to tell him that many of his own backbenchers are pretty

unimpressed with how it is going. Mr Speaker, the honourable member for

North East Somerset has described the Prime Minister's renegotiation

efforts is pretty thin gruel. One honourable member has called them

lame and trivial, and honourable member has called them

honourable member for Richmond Park told the press that they were not

all that impressive. Mr told the press that they were not

Chancellor is well-known for his backbenchers. There is absolutely

nothing wrong with that. Can I ask him the question his own side want

answering? Given that the Prime Minister has pre-resigns, does he

really aspire to be written's first post EU Prime Minister? -- written's

-- Britain. Most opposition parties are trying to get momentum, they are

trying to get rid of it! We are are trying to get momentum, they are

Britain in Europe, we are fighting to make the European economy more

competitive for everyone and fighting for Great Britain getting a

fair deal. That is what we are fighting for but in the end this

will be something we put to the people of Great Britain in a

referendum, and the only reason that referendum is happening at all is

because the Conservative Party won the general election. Mr Speaker,

the Chancellor is that of obsessing about issues in the Labour Party

should be condemning activities in Conservative Future. I notice he did

not answer the question about his own prime ministerial activities, he

might be worried about somebody a few places down him on the bench, I

am not sure. He is looking very cross! It is Oliver! Oliver is

coming back for more! backbenchers, perhaps he will listen

to someone who has written it. backbenchers, perhaps he will listen

have a letter here. Mr Speaker, it is from Donald of Brussels.

LAUGHTER And he writes, uncertainty about the

future of the UK and EU is a destabilising factor. He is right,

isn't he? Well, since the Conservative Party announced its

policy on the referendum, we have received the lion's share of

investment into Europe here in this country. We have built a strong

economy because we stand up for Great Britain's interests abroad. It

is a competitive place to build and grow a business. There is someone

called Tony who has been writing today. He happens to be the most

successful Labour leader in history and he is describing the Labour

Party is a complete tragedy at the moment. Can she ask some serious

questions about the health service, the economy, social care? She can

ask any of these questions, she has one more question, let's hear it. Mr

Speaker, I prefer this quote from Tony. Just mouth the words. Five

more Tory years and you feel repulsed by what they have done to

our country. Mr Speaker, we all know that the Chancellor is so

preoccupied with his own leadership ambitions that he forgot about the

day job, and that is why he ended up trying to slash working families'

tax credits in the budget. Shouldn't he spends time focusing on the

national interest rather than his own interest? 3 million UK jobs are

linked to trade with the EU, half our exports go there, and that is

why they are putting it at risk by flirting with Brexit and that is why

we know on this side of the house that Britain is better off in. I

thought the Labour Party voted for the referendum when it came before

the House of Commons. We are fighting for a better deal for Great

Britain in Europe, and the truth is this. We have shown we have an

economic plan which is delivering for Great Britain, and whether it is

well funded flood defences of putting money into our national

health service, or backing our teachers in the schools, or

introducing a national living wage, we are delivering security for the

working people of Great Britain, and their economic and national security

will be put at risk if the Labour Party got back into office.

I recently visited David Wilton Holmes apprentice workshop and saw

what the construction industry is doing to support apprenticeships in

Hampshire. Can he tell us what more schools can do to promote

apprenticeships as a viable alternative to post-16 study? I

think my honourable friend raises an important point. Schools have a duty

to provide pupils on the range of training and education and if

schools can tell their pupils about the increase in the number of

apprenticeship places we are funding... There will be 3 million

apprentices in this Parliament, a huge commitment to young people in

this country and a big commitment to the construction industry. We want

homes to be built and a challenge is to get skilled people in the

industry, something no doubt race by the business she spoke to. The 3

million will help. Occasionally, highly toxic and dangerous materials

are transported around the country. Is the public right to expect the

highest safety standards and cooperation between safety agencies?

Absolutely, they are expected to have that cooperation. If he is

talking about the transportation of nuclear materials from the fast Lane

base -- Faslane base, I met teams there. But if he has some thing else

to ask about go ahead. There are reports in the North of Scotland

about plans to transport dangerous material including potentially

nuclear weapons grade uranium from a nuclear facility, on public roads to

Wick airport and it is believed it will be flown to the United States.

What will this nuclear material used for and have any of his colleagues

or himself spoken to a minister in the Scottish Government about this?

The transportation of nuclear materials has happened across this

country over many decades. There are procedures for doing so. The Royal

Marines and police service in Scotland provide security. If he has

specific concerns he wants to raise about the plans for the

transportation, he can raise them with us. The arrangements are in

place to make sure we protect the public.

The Chancellor will know the Prime Minister said in his recent

conference speech we have to get away from the lock them up or let

them out mentality when it comes to prison reform. Our prison system

costs constituents of fortune. Would he agree the time for rehabilitation

that works is now and we should not be afraid to look at other

jurisdictions to find new ideas to tackle an ongoing state failure? I

think he is right to raise the question of is an reform. People who

commit crime should go to prison but was and should be suitable to

rehabilitate prisoners. It is our Victorian prisoners that are not --

prisons that are not suitable and that is why we will knock them down

and build housing in cities which is desperately needed and build modern

prisons on the outskirts of inner cities and cities. I am proud a

Conservative government is taking on this progressive social reform. They

are a great British institution that earn billions for the economy but

I'm sure he will share my concern two curry houses a week are closing

in this country due to government policies. The specialist propose

colleges have failed. As a fan himself, will he reviewed the

situation? He once likened the elements of a strong economy to that

of a good curry. Will he head of the curry crisis? We all enjoy a great

British curry, but what we want is the curry chefs trained in Britain.

So we provide jobs for people in this country and that is what our

immigration controls provide. He is well aware from my representations

of the need for a Southern relief road and bypass in Lincoln, delayed

by bureaucracy for almost 100 years. He is acquainted with the need to

drive growth and economic well-being, utilising infrastructure

to field the Midlands engine. What would he say to constituents should

he visit the beautiful city of Lincoln other than any new road is

better. I congratulate him on securing extra funding for Lincoln

and ensuring a bypass will go ahead. I know he has concerns that the

bypass is not big enough and it needs to be a dual carriageway

bypass. What we need is to make sure the local authorities agree with his

assessment and I am happy to help him in that task. Since his budget

in July I have asked time and again about how he intends to make women

prove in order to qualify for tax credits. Will he admit that this

abhorrent policy is not workable and will he dropped the clause? It is

reasonable to have a system that is fair to those who need it and those

who pay for it, as well. We identified the specific case she

identifies in her question about women who have been the victim of

domestic abuse or indeed women who have been the victim of

that is why we are discussing changes to protect those vulnerable

women. Over 4000 apprentices are being created in my constituency.

Recently I met with a group of local businesses to discuss skills and

apprenticeships. Would he confirm what the government is doing to help

small businesses help people into what the government is doing to help

training and employment and to continue to secure the economy of

the Midlands engine? The great news is jobs are being created in the

Midlands engine and in her constituency and we are investing in

infrastructure there and also in the skills of the next generation with

the apprentices she talks about. We are backing the small businesses by

cutting corporation tax that small businesses pay and indeed increasing

the employment allowance so they can take on more people without paying

the job sacks. Medecins Sans Frontieres report that despite

giving GPS coordinates, several of the hospitals have been bombed by

particularly Assad forces, killing medics as well as patients. Can he

explain, with so many forces involved in air strikes, how the

government proposes to avoid this? Of course, there was the tragic

situation of the bombing of the hospital that she mentions and there

is a review going on to make sure the coalition has got accurate

information for strikes. When it comes to Yemen, we are working with

the Saudi government to ensure they review this information and it is

accurate. As for the Syrian government and President Assad, we

have no control over them, which is one reason we would like to see a --

Assad go. In my constituency new jobs, good news for a constituency

where unemployment has halved since 2010. Will he continue to vest in

the solar region economy. -- to invest in the Solent region economy.

I am glad to hear about regeneration and it is part of good news in his

area where the claimant count is down 25% in the last year, thanks to

local businesses and to the work he has done as a new MP is attracting

investment into his constituency, and I am glad he likes the red book

of the government and does not have so much time for the little red book

brandished by those opposite. During the Autumn Statement the Chancellor

removed vital buses and support the student nurses. I have spoken with

nurses and some of the students and all have said they would not have

been able to have studied nursing without vital bursary support. What

will you say about those who might be prevented from pursuing their

dreams? Currently, we have a situation where two thirds of the

people in England who applied for nurse training are turned down. That

cannot be right and it means hospitals increasingly rely on

agency or overseas nurses. We are reforming the education of nurses so

that those who apply for nursing places are more likely to get.

Carlisle and Cumbria has experienced a traumatic few days with the

floods. It was good the Prime Minister saw first-hand the

tremendous work of the emergency services and the issue surrounding

flood defence and the impact of those floods on families. As part of

the recovery, Cumbria foundation, it has launched a flood appeal. I wrote

to the PM asking for government support for the appeal as it would

help many affected people in the county. With the Chancellor be able

to offer such support from the government towards this much-needed

fund? I think everyone will pay tribute to the people of Carlisle

and the resilience they have shown and the acts of friendship

neighbours have shown to those affected by these terrible floods.

The Prime Minister, before he left for Central Europe, asked me to make

sure we would be able to help on the point of my honourable friend

raises, which he raced with the Prime Minister, and I can say we

will support the work the Cumbrian foundation does and will match by up

to ?1 million the money they are raising for their local flood

appeal. When the Chancellor triples student

tuition fees he set the repayment threshold at ?21,000. He has frozen

that threshold and the Institutes of fiscal studies say many students

will bear many extra thousands in repayments. Given he has broken his

promise, will he send students of apology, or just a Bill? There seems

to be a collective amnesia on the other side they introduce tuition

fees. -- introduced. And when they introduced tuition fees, the payment

threshold was ?15,000. We have increased it to 20 1000. That

enables us to fund the lifting of the cap, so more people who are

qualified go to university. I would have hoped on this day, he would

welcome the big investment we are making into Cambridge, not least the

renovation of the Cavendish laboratory. The Hastings link road

will finally open, delivering a business park, new homes for a new

labour market and a countryside park. This has been talked about the

decades but been commissioned to build on the last five. Will he join

me in welcoming new business to relocate to Bexhill and Hastings and

to expand? I would encourage businesses to locate to his area and

he is right about the link road. For decades, people have called for it.

For all those years it is true there was a Conservative MP for Bexhill,

but there was a Labour MP for Hastings in many years and nothing

happened. Now we have Conservative MPs in both areas we get the

investment it needs. On the 7th of September, the Prime Minister told

me he could not remove refugees from the migration target because of the

requirements for the office national statistics. I wrote to the ONS and

they told me it would be possible. Will the Chancellor demonstrate

Britain will do its bit and remove refugees from the migration target?

First of all,... Let's hear the Chancellor. I'd tell you something

surprising, we talk to each other in this government. The cabinet get

round and have meetings and stiff discuss things and we agree and move

forward. They should try it in the Labour Party. On the honourable

lady's question, the ONS is independent but Britain is doing its

bit by taking the 20,000 refugees from Syrian refugee camps and we

have always provided a home to genuine asylum seekers. Under

current Tory regulations, small children can be engulfed in flames

by three centimetres in one second. Will the Chancellor speak to the

Prime Minister and ask if he will intervene with the Business

Secretary to see if we can bring in a statutory instrument to improve

flammability for children's play and dress costumes? I think my

honourable friend is right to raise this case and we all saw the tragedy

that befell the family of the Strictly Come Dancing presenter and

the campaign her family have undertaken to change the

regulations. It is true we don't have the same regulations for fancy

dress costumes for children, which seems wrong. The Business Secretary

is looking at it and we will make sure it changes. Will the Chancellor

take this opportunity to correct the bizarre claim made yesterday by

Donald Trump about parts of London being no go areas for the

Metropolitan Police? Will he point out there are excellent

relationships between the Muslim communities of London and the

police? I think the honourable gentleman speaks for everyone in

this House. The Metropolitan Police do a brilliant job and they have

fantastic relations with British Muslims and British Muslims have

weighed a massive contribution to our country. Donald Trump's comments

fly in the face of the founding principles of the United States and

it is one reason why those principles have proved an

inspiration to so many over the past 200 years. The best way to defeat

nonsense like this is to engage in robust, democratic debate, and make

it clear his views are not welcome. Cornwall Hospice care, one Hospice

is in my constituency. Well appreciated and respected by

constituents. The issue they have is they cannot run to capacity because

they only receive 11% of funding from NHS funding. When he worked

with me and colleagues in Cornwall to see what more money we can put

into our hospices and Cornwall Hospice care? I know my honourable

friend is a strong champion of his community and for the hospice he

talks about. We have taken steps to help the Hospice movement, not least

removing VAT paid in the last parliament. We want the right

balance. It is a good thing hospices are funded in part by local

charities and supported strongly by the community. They need the backing

of the NHS and we are putting money into the NHS because we have a

strong economy so they can help the Hospice movement. If business rates

are localised without equalisation, my authority, Gateshead, Bulls lose

?9.4 million a year and that is on top of already severe revenue

support grant cuts proposed. The seven north-east authorities will

lose 186 million a year and the combined 12 authorities in the

north-east, ?223 million. City of London will gain 222 million and

Westminster, 440 million. Is this the vision of the northern

powerhouse? The top up and tariff system will of apply as

powerhouse? The top up and tariff business rates to reflect

discrepancies he identifies. I would think the Labour Party would support

devolution of business rates. It think the Labour Party would support

an opportunity for local areas to grow and see benefits of back growth

and when it comes to the northern powerhouse we have the fantastic

announcement of the new train franchises which

announcement of the new train billion going into new trains,

faster journeys and better journey experiences for people in the north.

He should get behind it. Today there was an important report that said

the TV debates at the general election were a success, engaging

people not normally interested in politics,

people not normally interested in Would the acting Prime Minister, and

I know he may have a personal interest in this, be encouraging TV

debates at the next general election? The TV debates are decided

by a discussion between the parties and broadcasters. I think the Prime

Minister did exceptionally well in them last time. It is my

understanding the Home Secretary has banned 84 hate preachers entering

the UK. Will the government to lead by example in considering making Mr

Donald Trump number 85? The best way to confront the views of someone

like Donald Trump is to engage in a robust, democratic argument with him

about why he is profoundly wrong about the contribution of American

Muslims and indeed British Muslims. That is the best way to deal with

Donald Trump and his views, rather than trying to ban presidential

candidates. PMQs

George Osborne. Angela Eagle began with the floods, the biggest

domestic story by far and there was domestic story by far and there was

some argument about how much the government has spent on flood

defences. The Chancellor announced he was making ?50 million available

for people hit by the floods in the flood areas. She then moved on to

Europe and wanted to know how the negotiations were going but did not

quite get an answer on that. And then there was some argy-bargy over

what Tony Blair had said in an interview and what Donald Tusk had

said in a letter. I am not sure it got is very far. I have not seen the

Labour backbenchers enjoy themselves for quite some time, they were even

smiling. Not just Labour backbenchers, the viewers enjoyed

it. David said, more jokes from Miss Eagle then the variety show. Barry

said I like Angela Eagle. It would appear Miss Eagle is more popular

than her leader. Com Dent and professional Miss Eagle, boring Mr

Osborne. -- confident. In fact, I think the Chancellor was trying not

to laugh when he stood and answered the question. It was like PMQs in

days gone by. Both appeared to be well prepped and had jokes ready to

go. Both have statistics on particular issues and on the point

about flooding, this is something which is not dominated Westminster

this week but by goodness it has dominated lives in northern England.

-- my goodness. In traditional style PMQs, that was the obvious thing for

Angela Eagle to go on today. I wondered if Jeremy Corbyn would have

chosen this. The negotiations continue and the Prime Minister

continues his tour around Europe and that is preoccupying the

Conservatives ahead of the summit next week. Angela was in great form

and use humour as well stop Mr Osborne coped. I don't think you

could describe it as a stellar performance by the Chancellor. He

did find coming he had his bags ready to go coming he looked

comfortable. He was not commanding but he was comfortable at the

dispatch box. In a way that is no surprise because before he rose to

become an MP and became part of the ministerial office, he was part of

the prep team for previous Conservative leaders for years. We

forget that. PMQs is such a focus at Westminster, but preparation often

begins on Tuesday and goes on for hours and hours. This is a big

preoccupation for both sides. Actually, that is what sometimes

makes some parties despair because it takes up lots of time. Great fun

for the viewers and an important session to hold people to recount

but no surprise that George Osborne is comfortable in that environment

because he has been up close and personal with it for some time. And

you have the money, look where the money is stop why are Labour MPs at

their happiest when Jeremy Corbyn is not there? That is not fair. You

have not seen them happier! Jeremy Corbyn's PMQ performance have been

good. He has brought a new style to it. Backbenchers don't smile and

laugh as they did today, that is clear. Most of the time they look

miserable. It is a completely different style, actually stop

Angela has adopted a more traditional style today and has done

it very well indeed, bringing humour and scrutiny in that more combative

traditional way that PMQs is delivered. Jeremy Corbyn should

learn from it. He has adopted a different and threshing style. Quite

a lot of the general public and punters like that as well, he has

kept PMQs very calm and asked very specific questions which have come

from people about important topics so he has adopted a more serious

tone and that is reflected in the backbenchers. The backbenchers

prefer more of a traditional style that the public preferred the Jeremy

Corbyn style. Have you been cutting flood defences? No, we have not, we

have increased money for flood defences. In the last Parliament, it

was 1.7 billion and in this Parliament it is over 2 billion. I

would like to say that I have attended the Cobra meetings since

Sunday, and it has been devastating what has gone on in the north of

England. We can see that from the pictures and human despair and

anger. I was watching one interview where a woman burst into tears on

television. Indeed, the interviewer said he was sorry for upsetting her

and said he would speak to when he has back. -- when he handed back. It

is not far from where I live. Lancashire and Cumbria. We have had

the edge of the storm in Manchester and it was an unprecedented amount

of rain in a short period of time. I think what many communities will

feel is that we go from the same cycle every time, where we get warm

words from the government immediately afterwards which is then

not followed through, and the most striking figure that was raised at

PMQs today was that from the 2013-14 floods which mainly hit the South

West of England, only 15% of homes had received the money they were

promised then. Only 15% a year on which is terrible. Exactly. So we're

not getting this aborts to be built quickly enough. We say the right

warm words afterwards and we look like we can get ourselves through

our programme or PMQs, but we actually need to get that many to

people faster so they can get their businesses back on their feet.

Particularly at Windsor. Yes. -- winter. I have been away but you

have been following this. In a way, there is something familiar about

this row. As ever, it it depends on how you count it. There was an

emergency extra cash that went in last years that has been a drop in

what was spent last year he gets it was a one-off special amount of cash

but the government is adamant it is spending more over time. If you park

all of that, very often, politicians get into trouble over this, what

happens after? A crisis happens, they get their wellies on, they go

up and looked like they are taking it seriously. It is often the

delivery of what comes through later that makes people cross. One other

thing worth noting this week is important and interesting. Lives

said it was part of climate change. -- Liz. Not every politician does

that. It absolves the government in not spending enough on flood

defences. The IPCC says in its report that it does not have the

scientific knowledge to predict with a high degree of confidence that

these extreme weather invents are links to climate change. -- events.

To deal with the first point first, you are right. What we have done

this time around, following this crisis, is the very clear. Greg

Clark is specifically asking that all of the pots of funding for

different bits of support should be merged into one and as the

Chancellor said, the money will be made available to local authorities

said the money can get two people really quickly, and we are talking

about what we can do to get things back on their feet by Christmas.

There is a real recognition that we need to do more but coming to your

point on climate change, we would never attribute and events to

climate change directly because you cannot be precise. She is saying it

is consistent. What is the difference? One event is not

necessarily attributable to climate change. You would expect to see more

and heavier rainfall and that is what we have seen. These floods are

half a metre higher on average than the previous downfall. Civet is

climate change? That is consistent with what you would expect from

climate change. -- so it is. I am not claiming that, I am saying... I

am being very clear, what we are saying is that no one event is

directly attributable to climate change because there could be other

reasons. The weather can be very unpredictable. It is unpredictable.

You would expect see heavier rainfall and the potential for

bigger floods. Lives trusted Beverly seemed to credit climate change in

the house. -- Liz Trust definitely. Is it true that Diane Abbott tried

to mimic your accident in the Shadow Cabinet? Not quite! She tried but

was not very good. Sort of stop Diane has her own special approach

to these things that usually loses hope the room, shall we say? Shall I

have a word with that? You can try if you

have a word with that? You can try accident? She had no chance! --

accent. Now to Donald Trump,

the wannabe Republican presidential candidate, who just

can't keep quiet. Yesterday he even provoked

a transatlantic row with Britain after he said parts of London

were so radicalised, David Cameron said it was wrong

of Mr Trump to question the courage of Britain's police and attacked

as divisive Mr Trump's call for a total ban on Muslims

entering the US. Let's have a listen to some

of Mr Trump's finest moments, Donald Jane -- Donald Trump! We will

have a wall. A wall will be built. The wall will be successful and if

you think walls don't work, all you have to do is ask Israel. Look at

Paris, they did not have guns and they were slaughtered. If you look

at what happened in California, they did not have guns and they were

slaughtered. I think it would have been better if they had guns. We

have places in London and other places so radicalise that's police

fear for their lives. -- so radicalised that the police fear.

She gets out and asks me ridiculous questions. You could see there was

blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever.

You have got to see this guy. "I don't know what I said,

I don't remember." He is going, "I don't remember,

maybe that is what I said." Donald Trump is calling for a

shutdown of Muslims entering Donald Trump is calling for a

United States until our government can figure out what the hell is

going on. I guess it shows British and

American politics can be very different. It certainly does. To his

advantage? I cannot imagine many people in Britain are aligning

themselves with those comments. 100,000 have signed a petition

saying he should not be allowed to come to this country because of what

he said. You can understand that. Most of what he says is awful and

dangerous. It whips up a fear that for a small number of people they

might share. Would you ban him? It is not so much about him being a

residential candidate. I am a child of the 80s and I remember Frankie

Goes To Hollywood being banned and it shot them to number one. He

courts controversy, he is saying this to get himself at the top of

the news. If you try to ban it, you raise it to the top of the news and

give it more airtime. We have two defeat his views by having robust

debates about them, rather than pretending they don't exist. Andrew,

you have just come back from New York and have heard the reaction.

His poll ratings seem to go up. Yes and maybe they have gone up in

the latest poll in Iowa, where the first caucus will take place in the

New Year. It dominated the air waves. It dominated the papers. It

was a premeditated... It... Donald Trump has a habit of speaking off

the top of his head, this wasn't this time. You have to see it in

context. It followed the terrible events in San Bernardino, where a

Muslim citizen, along with the wife he had brought in, met in Saudi

Arabia, created this terrible rampage. And then what was regarded

as a lacklustre performance from the president, from the oval office on

Sunday night, when even on the left wing shows they were saying he did

not do too well. I think Donald Trump saw his chance. He has to keep

stoking the fire. He needs to keep on saying things. He has attacked

Mexicans, the disabled, within. I guess it was only a matter of time,

given the context, Muslims would be next in line.

What was the reaction from people? On the conservative top radio shows

he had a lot of support. On the left, they were appalled by it. Also

be Republican establishment. The new Speaker of the house, appalled by it

as well. Jeb Bush attacked him. He said he was unhinged. Jeb Bush,

the establishment candidate, is down about 4% in the polls. The problem

for the republicans is Donald Trump is sucking the oxygen out of the

Republican campaign. It is him, him. I do not think he will win but on

the other hand six months ago I would have said I don't think he

would get as far as he has. He has turned out to be more formidable. It

speaks to the lacklustre range of candidates the Republicans have to

choose from. Jeb Bush, nowhere. Mark Rubio still trying to get cut

through. Until they get a credible candidate, Donald Trump will call

the shots. Now, it's 20 years ago this week

since Philip Lawrence, a headmaster, was stabbed to death

outside his school in North London. For today's Soapbox, Edward Adoo,

who was a pupil at Mr Lawrence's school, remembers his former teacher

and asks what has been done since to tackle the issue

of knife crime. This week is the 20th anniversary

of Philip Lawrence's murder. Philip Lawrence was my former

headmaster here at St George's, Philip allowed me to consider

a career in broadcasting by setting But when he helped a pupil

who was being attacked by a local gang,

Philip was stabbed and later died. His death shocked the nation

and raised the questions Last year, Ann Maguire was attacked

by one of her pupils at her school in Leeds and she died

from knife wounds. In Bradford, Vincent Uzomah

was stabbed in the stomach, But knife crime goes way

beyond the school gates. and Wales, knife crime rose

for the first time in four years. Later stats show there has been

a 15% increase in knife attacks. In London alone, there has

been a 20% increase. So far this year, 15 young people

have died from knife And they get stabbed

outside or inside schools. It's all about raising

awareness and making sure Possibly introducing security

guards in classrooms. The days of the playground scrap

or street brawl are over. It's not a punch-up,

it's a blade-up. Philip Lawrence died 20 years ago

and not enough has been done It's time for us to get together

to campaign to stop the stabbings. And Edwards joins us. Airport style

security sounds drastic. Do you think that would be the right

measure on the basis of the statistics that schools

particularly? You have to stop it. It is an epidemic and it is not just

a London thing. We have had a case of Aberdeen, Bradford, Leeds. It is

across political issues but more needs to be done. We need to engage

with role models, perhaps mentors, musicians. It would be great if you

and Michael Gove could go to an estate on a Saturday night and speak

to people on the streets and say, why are you involved in knife crime?

What is going on? The social issues, in London, it is about

gentrification, people being moved out of London, being moved to

Birmingham, Luton, places like that. We need to find out why it is

happening. I think we have ignored it. 19 deaths in London. That is

knife crime in general. In schools, would you want people with metal

detectors, even though the incident, of course, with Philip Lawrence,

outside the school gates. People in schools affiliated to gangs, it goes

to the crux of it. If there is a scrap in the classroom and someone

says, I will do you after school, it is not a punch-up will stop they

will get their gangs and it escalates. It is down to education

and protection. Not just for pupils but for teachers. The government

wants to scale back stop and search mainly because they said it was

unfairly targeted on black men. Because of the number of knife

incidents, a 20% interest increase in London, is stop and search a

useful tool? It should be targeted on everyone. Whether the families of

people connected, whether they are Kosovan, Somalian, wherever, it is a

problem that affects all people. A gentleman told me today he had a

case of a knife crime incident and it was connected... It was a faith

issue. We need to get all types of people together to discuss this.

Would you like to see security guards outside secondary schools

with metal detectors? Of course we would not like to see that. That is

not what education should be about. We have to look at all of these

issues. I think going deeper into some of the root causes, in my

constituency, a big part is Moss Side, which 20 years ago was driven

by gun crime and gangland problems. Moss Side is a completely different

place now. You have to engage the community.

There's just time to put you out of your misery and give

We will see what will Our winner from

The one o'clock news is starting over on BBC One now.

I'll be here at noon tomorrow with the big political stories

as BBC Two brings you some inspiring cultural treats -