23/03/2016

:00:36. > :00:38.Hello and welcome to the Daily Politics.

:00:39. > :00:42.The authorities in Brussels say two brothers who were known to them

:00:43. > :00:45.are amongst those responsible for the Brussels attacks.

:00:46. > :00:49.A third unsuccessful airport bomber also linked to the Paris attacks

:00:50. > :01:00.As Europe reels from the third serious attack in 15 months,

:01:01. > :01:03.this time striking the de-facto capital of the European Union,

:01:04. > :01:06.does passport-free travel inside the EU make us more

:01:07. > :01:11.The Chancellor confirms that he's cancelled proposed changes

:01:12. > :01:15.to Personal Independence Payments for disabled people,

:01:16. > :01:18.but he's already broken his own spending limits on welfare,

:01:19. > :01:22.so how will he make the promised savings?

:01:23. > :01:24.And, with friends like this, who needs enemies?

:01:25. > :01:27.When it comes to attacking the Government, why Conservative MPs

:01:28. > :01:37.All that in the next hour, and with us for the whole

:01:38. > :01:39.of the duration today, Housing Minister Brandon Lewis

:01:40. > :01:46.So, Belgian authorities have identified two of the bombers

:01:47. > :01:54.responsible for yesterday's attacks as Khalid and Brahim el-Bakraoui.

:01:55. > :02:03.They were both known to the authorities.

:02:04. > :02:07.They have both been jailed for serious crimes involving AK-47s.

:02:08. > :02:09.And both are linked to the prime suspect in the Paris massacre,

:02:10. > :02:16.Salah Abdeslam, who was detained in Brussels last week.

:02:17. > :02:22.A third man pictured at the airport but whose bomb did not apparently

:02:23. > :02:33.detonate has been named as Najim Laachraoui,

:02:34. > :02:40.a 24-year-old who is reported to have travelled to Syria in 2013.

:02:41. > :02:43.He's thought to be the Paris bomb maker, and has just been arrested

:02:44. > :02:50.in the Anderlecht district of Brussels.

:02:51. > :02:59.He is thought to have made the suicide belts as well. Reports are

:03:00. > :03:06.that he was arrested in Anderlecht this morning.

:03:07. > :03:16.Do we know for sure yet or not whether the man in the right hat has

:03:17. > :03:22.been arrested and Mac white hat? We don't know for sure. We had reports

:03:23. > :03:27.and our ago that he had been, that was widely reported in the Belgian

:03:28. > :03:32.media, and now those reports are being withdrawn, so he may well not

:03:33. > :03:35.have been arrested, which would be a blow for the Belgian authorities who

:03:36. > :03:39.have already been hugely criticised for their failures of intelligence

:03:40. > :03:44.both in the run-up to the Paris attacks in November and these

:03:45. > :03:51.attacks in Brussels yesterday. This is a key suspect. As you said, his

:03:52. > :03:56.DNA was found in one of the houses that was used by the Paris

:03:57. > :03:58.attackers, he is very closely linked to the Paris attacks, and

:03:59. > :04:08.significantly he travelled to Hungary last year before the Paris

:04:09. > :04:15.attacks with Salah Abdeslam. He was arrested on Friday, the police in

:04:16. > :04:19.France and Belgium had been looking for him, he escaped from Paris after

:04:20. > :04:24.those attacks, the only one of the attackers who got away. He slipped

:04:25. > :04:29.into Belgium, he was hunted for four months, he was caught last Friday,

:04:30. > :04:33.and ever since he has been interrogated while he is awaiting

:04:34. > :04:39.extradition. There is a theory that the accomplices close to Salah

:04:40. > :04:43.Abdeslam put forward any other attacks they were planning because

:04:44. > :04:46.they knew he was being interrogated and might well give them names and

:04:47. > :04:52.addresses away, might expose them to the police, so because these attacks

:04:53. > :04:55.in Brussels were only four days later, perhaps there is a link

:04:56. > :05:00.between that arrest and what happened yesterday. It would seem

:05:01. > :05:05.that the Belgian authorities need some kind of victory quite quickly

:05:06. > :05:10.to restore their credibility. We learned that the man was at the

:05:11. > :05:16.police shoot out in Brussels ten days ago, part of the Salah Abdeslam

:05:17. > :05:21.manhunt, the man that they now have for the Paris bombing, he got away,

:05:22. > :05:27.not only that it seems he found a new address, access to guns and

:05:28. > :05:35.explosives, and in just over a week it was at the airport with two other

:05:36. > :05:38.suicide bombers. Yes, critics of the Belgian authorities will say they

:05:39. > :05:46.have been huge intelligence failures. They are not as on top of

:05:47. > :05:50.what terror suspects there are in this city as, for example, British

:05:51. > :05:56.intelligence agencies and counterterror police are in the UK.

:05:57. > :06:03.It is difficult, they would say, because some areas of the city of

:06:04. > :06:06.Brussels, with high Muslim populations, are difficult to

:06:07. > :06:10.penetrate, they don't have much human intelligence on the ground.

:06:11. > :06:14.They have not done well. The first raid where it seems he may have

:06:15. > :06:19.escaped, although they raided the property, they were not expecting to

:06:20. > :06:22.find terror suspects, but it seems extraordinary that a couple of them

:06:23. > :06:27.could escape pretty much at the back while the police came to the front.

:06:28. > :06:32.It seems a bit basic. There have been failures, and the Belgian

:06:33. > :06:39.security forces have been described as the weak link in the European

:06:40. > :06:43.fight against terror. On big brothers, with the famous gloves on

:06:44. > :06:50.only one hand, which is hugely significant, we now learn, I have

:06:51. > :06:57.not had this confirmed, but one of them was jailed for nine years in

:06:58. > :07:03.2010 for firing at police with an AK-47 during a robbery, and the

:07:04. > :07:12.other was jailed for five years in 2011 for carjackings and also

:07:13. > :07:19.touting an AK-47. I don't know what the question is to you now, having

:07:20. > :07:24.just read that out! One of the points is that a lot of the people

:07:25. > :07:27.involved in the Paris attacks and these latest attacks appear to have

:07:28. > :07:32.criminal records for a variety of crimes. Salah Abdeslam was one of

:07:33. > :07:39.them. He maybe got further radicalised in prison. You are

:07:40. > :07:45.right, one of the brothers, who was using a false name, had rented a

:07:46. > :07:51.flat in an area of Brussels which was raided last week, he was

:07:52. > :07:56.responsible, it seems, for the metro attack yesterday. The brothers

:07:57. > :08:00.carrying out the operations, but he was the one who attacked the Metro

:08:01. > :08:05.station, his brother was the one who attacked the airport, if you

:08:06. > :08:09.remember the CCTV image, the three of them pushing the trolleys, he was

:08:10. > :08:16.in the middle. Huge questions for the Belgian police, security

:08:17. > :08:20.agencies, judiciary about how it deals with these people and the

:08:21. > :08:24.wider question is, they knew there was a cell in Brussels that was

:08:25. > :08:28.partly responsible for the Paris attacks, they were trying to track

:08:29. > :08:33.them down, it now seems that the number of terror suspects in

:08:34. > :08:36.Brussels and in Belgium was much larger than anything they had

:08:37. > :08:44.anticipated before or anything they had expected. We have partly seen

:08:45. > :08:51.the results of that yesterday. A sad day in Brussels, many questions

:08:52. > :08:54.remain to be answered. We are just getting confirmation that the

:08:55. > :09:04.Belgian media is now backtracking on staying that the suspect in the

:09:05. > :09:10.white hat, also wanted with his DNA found in the Paris bombing, they are

:09:11. > :09:12.backtracking on whether or not he has been arrested, it seemed that he

:09:13. > :09:13.has not been. Joining us now from Brussels

:09:14. > :09:26.is Ukip's defence spokesman Do you think it was right to start

:09:27. > :09:29.making political capital out of what was happening before the Belgian

:09:30. > :09:37.authorities had even had a chance to count the number of dead? I don't

:09:38. > :09:41.believe I was making political capital. I have been talking about

:09:42. > :09:47.open borders for the last year, nobody was listening. We live in a

:09:48. > :09:52.media world, something happened and the media call you up straightaway

:09:53. > :09:56.and want to know a comment, so this is the world we live in. I have been

:09:57. > :10:02.talking about this for over a year, open borders. Do you want to take it

:10:03. > :10:07.back, now you can give a more considered response? Everything I

:10:08. > :10:11.have said yesterday, I have said over months, and I stand by it. Two

:10:12. > :10:17.of the suspected suicide bombers, the brothers, were Brussels

:10:18. > :10:23.residents, so what did Schengen have to do with that? These people that

:10:24. > :10:28.were arrested last week and who carried out this attack yesterday

:10:29. > :10:33.seemed to have had free range, moving about freely through Europe,

:10:34. > :10:37.with open borders, they have been across to Syria on several occasions

:10:38. > :10:45.to be trained, and anybody who thinks open borders is not a part of

:10:46. > :10:49.this is naive and quite dangerous. If they had Belgian passports, they

:10:50. > :10:58.would be able to move between European countries regardless of

:10:59. > :11:06.Schengen. Correct? I worked in Calais last year, and this year, and

:11:07. > :11:09.passports are quite easily gained, they can change their identity

:11:10. > :11:15.within minutes. Whatever passport they were using, and they were

:11:16. > :11:21.probably using false passports, they are easily gained. We know one of

:11:22. > :11:26.the people who was arrested with Salah Abdeslam did come in on a fake

:11:27. > :11:30.Syrian passport into the EU. But even if we were outside the EU,

:11:31. > :11:34.would we not still face that problem? We would have to be alert

:11:35. > :11:38.to the possibility of fake Syrian passports or fake European

:11:39. > :11:45.passports, and we cannot always be sure that we will be, there are some

:11:46. > :11:51.sophisticated fakes around. If we had our own sovereignty and borders,

:11:52. > :11:56.we controlled our borders, we can check who is coming in and who is

:11:57. > :12:03.going out. If they have got a Syrian passport... Interpol and other

:12:04. > :12:07.agencies can gain intelligence. It one of the German defence ministers

:12:08. > :12:13.have said nearly 50% of the member states don't pass intelligence. What

:12:14. > :12:17.do you say to that, Rachel Reeves? We are not part of Schengen, so we

:12:18. > :12:27.do control our borders. Not for people with European passports. We

:12:28. > :12:31.are not part of Schengen. But with a European passport you can come to

:12:32. > :12:36.this country. But your passport is checked, you cannot just cross the

:12:37. > :12:41.board without any checks. But that would be true whether we were in or

:12:42. > :12:45.out. The point is we do control our borders because we have passport

:12:46. > :12:49.controls. People can come and work in this country, but you are still

:12:50. > :12:54.checked at the border will stop that would be true if we were in or out

:12:55. > :13:01.of the EU. If one of these people who has been trained by Islamic

:13:02. > :13:03.State comes to Europe, then gets a European passport, it will be more

:13:04. > :13:09.difficult to stop them coming in. How would we know? That would be the

:13:10. > :13:13.case if they got a fake passport and came directly to the UK. This is an

:13:14. > :13:18.argument for strengthening the border police, better control and

:13:19. > :13:23.ports and airports, so we know who is coming in, we are checking

:13:24. > :13:27.everything robustly. It is not an argument about our membership of the

:13:28. > :13:33.EU. What do you say to that? I agree. One of the problems with the

:13:34. > :13:41.argument that Ukip made, apart from the crassness of the timing... It

:13:42. > :13:44.was disgraceful. But the reality is, if somebody has a fake passport, the

:13:45. > :13:51.challenge of dealing with that is the same if you are in or out of the

:13:52. > :13:56.EU. We have the ability to share information, it is a strength. What

:13:57. > :14:05.intelligence are we sharing? Being part of Europe, even as of today and

:14:06. > :14:12.yesterday, we are offering support... We do that anyway. That

:14:13. > :14:18.intelligence sharing is done at a bilateral level. Brussels

:14:19. > :14:23.intelligence shares with our intelligence services, we share with

:14:24. > :14:26.French, that is not an EU process, that is a bilateral arrangement, and

:14:27. > :14:34.surely that will continue in or out of the EU. It could do, but part of

:14:35. > :14:38.our renegotiation, some of these countries might want to change the

:14:39. > :14:43.agreement. Why would they stop sharing intelligence? We are far

:14:44. > :14:47.closer sharing with the United States and Canada, and we were not a

:14:48. > :14:57.member of the United States or Canada.

:14:58. > :15:02.The point that is being me doesn't stack up. We have control of our own

:15:03. > :15:07.borders because we are not part of Schengen. The ability for submitted

:15:08. > :15:11.to come to this country because of being part of Europe is a false

:15:12. > :15:15.statement. We haven't got control in the sense that if someone presents

:15:16. > :15:19.an EU passport at our borders and we regard it as kosher, as a bona fides

:15:20. > :15:23.passport, you can't stop them coming in. That's the same whether we are

:15:24. > :15:28.in the European Union or not. You could stop them if we weren't in the

:15:29. > :15:31.EU. If you're travelling abroad, if you've got a genuine passport, you

:15:32. > :15:35.would be allowed to go into that country regardless of whether or not

:15:36. > :15:41.it is part of the EU. The argument they are making simply doesn't stack

:15:42. > :15:46.up. You've heard what our guests are saying. I'll give you a final word.

:15:47. > :15:50.What is disgraceful as allowing terrorists free movement across

:15:51. > :15:53.Europe. Terraces begin to our country, and I'm from the port of

:15:54. > :16:01.call and we had 18 migrants that came in through Hull. We need to

:16:02. > :16:05.check our borders. There are seven member states now who've reinstated

:16:06. > :16:09.their borders because they are frightened to death of what's

:16:10. > :16:10.happening with terrorism. Mike Hookem in Brussels, thanks for

:16:11. > :16:13.joining us this morning. Conservative MPs rallied around

:16:14. > :16:15.George Osborne as he closed the Budget debate and explained that

:16:16. > :16:17.he'd listened and learned, cancelling changes to

:16:18. > :16:19.Personal Independence Payments for the disabled, as well as

:16:20. > :16:21.the so-called tampon tax And he had warm words

:16:22. > :16:25.for the departed Work and Pensions Secretary Iain

:16:26. > :16:28.Duncan Smith, as he tried But has the unravelling of last

:16:29. > :16:33.week's Budget left the Chancellor in the naughty corner,

:16:34. > :16:36.and what does it mean for his plans The Conservative Party Manifesto

:16:37. > :16:41.promised to keep spending on working-age welfare,

:16:42. > :16:44.so that excludes pensions, But George Osborne is already

:16:45. > :16:51.on course to breach the cap next year, set at some ?115.2 billion,

:16:52. > :16:57.with spending on working-age welfare forecast to be over ?4

:16:58. > :17:01.billon more than that. And by the end of the Parliament

:17:02. > :17:04.the overspend is predicted But the Budget says that will be put

:17:05. > :17:09.right in the Autumn Statement, However, the new Work

:17:10. > :17:15.and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb said on Monday there were no further

:17:16. > :17:20.plans for welfare cuts other than those already in the pipeline,

:17:21. > :17:23.and confirmed the changes to Personal Independence Payments,

:17:24. > :17:27.or PIPs, that prompted the resignation of Iain Duncan Smith

:17:28. > :17:31.will not go ahead. The Chancellor was hoping the PIP

:17:32. > :17:35.changes would save ?1.3 billion So will the Chancellor press ahead

:17:36. > :17:41.with further cuts to welfare or abandon his welfare cap and break

:17:42. > :17:47.a manifesto promise? In the Commons yesterday,

:17:48. > :17:49.he reiterated what Stephen Crabb had Well, my right honourable friend

:17:50. > :17:55.said yesterday exactly We have no further

:17:56. > :18:00.plans to make welfare savings beyond the very substantial

:18:01. > :18:04.savings legislated for by Parliament two weeks ago, which we will

:18:05. > :18:16.focus on implementing. George Osborne in the House of

:18:17. > :18:19.Commons yesterday. Brandon Lewis, the Chancellor said he was sorry

:18:20. > :18:22.that Ian Duncan Smith had resigned but he didn't apologise for the

:18:23. > :18:27.policies that drove him to that resignation. Should he have done? I

:18:28. > :18:30.think in outlining as he did yesterday the fact that we have

:18:31. > :18:38.said... As he has done before, actually. He outlined yesterday that

:18:39. > :18:40.he had listened to colleagues and people across the House and it's a

:18:41. > :18:44.good thing we've got a government that is bred to listen and make

:18:45. > :18:48.changes. So in your view he has apologised for the policies? They

:18:49. > :18:53.were the wrong policies to pursue? He outlined last week what the

:18:54. > :18:56.government's policy was. Having listened to colleagues and listen to

:18:57. > :19:01.people across the country and right across the House, making those

:19:02. > :19:04.changes, it they have been clear we will not move forward. Was a clear

:19:05. > :19:08.message. We are listening to people and making decisions a stomach

:19:09. > :19:12.information and taking the budget process seriously. Democracy in

:19:13. > :19:17.action. It is clear, then, that there will be no welfare cuts in

:19:18. > :19:22.this Parliament? You can confirm that? You've just seen on the clip

:19:23. > :19:26.their, there are no plans other than what was voted for a few weeks ago.

:19:27. > :19:30.No plans to leave it open. I want to know and the viewers want to know,

:19:31. > :19:33.are they going to be no further cuts to welfare in this Parliament? Well,

:19:34. > :19:37.not just because I'm not the Secretary of State for the DWP or

:19:38. > :19:42.the Chancellor, we've got four years left of this Parliament, so there

:19:43. > :19:47.are several fiscal positions with all Autumn Statement and budgets to

:19:48. > :19:49.come through. The OBR will report back up the Autumn Statement and

:19:50. > :19:53.then the Chancellor will have to ally where we are with regards to

:19:54. > :19:59.the welfare cup. But there are no plans for further welfare cuts. So

:20:00. > :20:02.you can't rule it out? I accept your not a Chancellor Angela Merkel in

:20:03. > :20:06.the department... You might be after this programme! But you can't rule

:20:07. > :20:10.it out? We've got four years of Parliament left and none of us know

:20:11. > :20:16.what the economic... What we are very clear about is that we would

:20:17. > :20:20.need to get the deficit under control, which has led to difficult

:20:21. > :20:23.decisions, but I'm very pleased we got a government that listens to

:20:24. > :20:26.people and is making decisions based on the thing of the information in

:20:27. > :20:30.front of it. How will people trust what George Osborne says if you're

:20:31. > :20:35.sitting here today saying, "There are no plans at the moment but there

:20:36. > :20:41.could be because of your commitment to the welfare cup"? He's also had

:20:42. > :20:47.to U-turn on tax credit changes and do the same on the changes to PIP.

:20:48. > :20:52.If you are disabled person and you are watching this, you will think,

:20:53. > :20:55.even now, my future is still uncertain in terms of future

:20:56. > :20:58.finances, it is if there are going to be no further cuts, how is George

:20:59. > :21:04.Osborne going to meet his welfare cup by the end of the Parliament?

:21:05. > :21:06.Firstly, to be very clear for vulnerable and disabled people in

:21:07. > :21:11.that position, not only have we spent 3 billion more in the last few

:21:12. > :21:15.years than we had in 2010, spending for disabled people goes up every

:21:16. > :21:19.year in this Parliament. But it doesn't go up in the way it has been

:21:20. > :21:23.and that was the point. The changes were going to mean that that

:21:24. > :21:26.increase would be lower. But answer the question about how he is going

:21:27. > :21:29.to meet his welfare cup. Let me answer the point you made about how

:21:30. > :21:34.people will have trusts around the welfare cup. We are determined to

:21:35. > :21:37.get that deficit and debt down and protect the most honourable but I

:21:38. > :21:44.think people will like the fact that we have a government that listens to

:21:45. > :21:48.people and has responded to that. How is George Osborne GoToMeeting is

:21:49. > :21:53.welfare cup by the end of the Parliament? We've already predicted

:21:54. > :21:59.that we will have a very clear surplus by the end of the

:22:00. > :22:03.Parliament... BIF S have said that is going to be very difficult but as

:22:04. > :22:07.it stands at the moment, you are going to breach that cap and you are

:22:08. > :22:12.not going to make the savings that George Osborne hopes to because of

:22:13. > :22:15.the changes to PIP being scrapped so as I say, he's either going to

:22:16. > :22:19.breach his welfare cup on the figures we have now or he's going to

:22:20. > :22:22.make further cuts. Which is a? We will outline at the Autumn Statement

:22:23. > :22:31.where we are in terms of the welfare cup. We are also very clear we will

:22:32. > :22:34.show that surplus in 2021. Used said he's not going to make further cuts

:22:35. > :22:42.so where is he going to meet his welfare cap? We are talking about

:22:43. > :22:47.the welfare cap. How is he going to meet his welfare cap if he is or do

:22:48. > :22:51.bridging it by 3.2 billion, at the 1 billion he was going to say from

:22:52. > :22:55.PIP. Where is he going to take it from if he's not going to do make

:22:56. > :23:01.further cuts to the welfare budget? There are no further plans to the

:23:02. > :23:04.welfare budget. He is going to breach his welfare cup. The

:23:05. > :23:07.Chancellor will assess where we are and make a statement about where we

:23:08. > :23:19.are with the welfare cap and have to make a statement to Parliament about

:23:20. > :23:22.the changes going forward. We have responded positively to what people

:23:23. > :23:28.have outlined. I think it is very clear that people appreciate having

:23:29. > :23:33.a government that listens to people and makes changes fall the most

:23:34. > :23:35.vulnerable people in society. You supported the welfare cap when it

:23:36. > :23:39.was introduced to stop I still in favour of it? I think there should

:23:40. > :23:42.be a cap on welfare spending but we would go about controlling the cost

:23:43. > :23:45.of Social Security in a very different way from the Tories. We

:23:46. > :23:48.never signed up to the specific numbers in the welfare cap that the

:23:49. > :23:53.government... Yours would have been higher? We said in the last

:23:54. > :23:56.parliament that we would have cancelled the bedroom tax, so that

:23:57. > :23:59.would have meant higher spending on social security but it would have

:24:00. > :24:03.been the right thing to do. How much I would it be, bearing in mind it is

:24:04. > :24:08.already a massive budget and the predictions are to go up to 230

:24:09. > :24:11.billion. I think it stands at 220 billion in the next two years. If

:24:12. > :24:15.you look at the reasons why Social Security spending is increasing,

:24:16. > :24:19.it's because the Government are not getting enough disabled people back

:24:20. > :24:22.into work. There are too many people in low paid work, relying on tax

:24:23. > :24:28.credits and universal credit to make en suite -- make ends meet. The

:24:29. > :24:32.employment figures have been good but so many jobs, about 25 descent

:24:33. > :24:38.of jobs, are paying less than the living wage so people are relying on

:24:39. > :24:43.benefits to make up the money. And if you look at house-building, it is

:24:44. > :24:50.at a record low, which means that the housing benefit bill is going up

:24:51. > :24:52.because rents are going up. So if you want to control the cost of

:24:53. > :24:56.Social Security, do it by ensuring there are more good quality jobs, by

:24:57. > :25:01.ensuring that more people are going out to work, being paid a wage they

:25:02. > :25:06.can afford to live on, and ensure there is housing... Is that what you

:25:07. > :25:09.are going to do? Let me help you little bit with where you might be

:25:10. > :25:12.able to find the money. How many houses would you have to build in

:25:13. > :25:17.order to bring the housing benefit bill down enough to bring George

:25:18. > :25:21.Osborne within his cap? We are up to 10,000 to get for house formation.

:25:22. > :25:27.We are aiming to build a million homes. Is that going to mean you are

:25:28. > :25:31.going to bring housing benefit down enough? If we build more homes we

:25:32. > :25:34.get more people into the web of their own home. The lowest level of

:25:35. > :25:40.house-building in this country was when John Healey was the housing

:25:41. > :25:44.minister in 2008-9. We have to venture because we have PMQs coming

:25:45. > :25:47.up in a few minutes but at the moment, I can't quite see how George

:25:48. > :25:48.Osborne is going to meet his welfare cap.

:25:49. > :25:53.I will ask him for you. Here at the Daily Politics,

:25:54. > :25:55.we pride ourselves on our loyalty. Loyal to BBC values,

:25:56. > :25:58.loyal to each other and, But not everyone rates

:25:59. > :26:01.loyalty so highly. Apparently, Jeremy Corbyn's allies

:26:02. > :26:07.have ranked every Labour MP by their loyalty to the leadership

:26:08. > :26:10.and then divided them into five groups, from a core group of those

:26:11. > :26:13.closest to Mr Corbyn down And Rachel is reported to be

:26:14. > :26:19.in the hostile group, along with the London mayoral

:26:20. > :26:23.candidate Sadiq Khan and the Labour Now, Rachel, we don't think

:26:24. > :26:32.of you as a hostile woman. In fact, we trust you so much, we've

:26:33. > :26:39.even lent you a Daily Politics mug. Please don't betray our

:26:40. > :26:41.trust by stealing it. And if you're a loyal viewer,

:26:42. > :26:44.you could win your own mug. # We don't need your

:26:45. > :26:54.money, money, money # It ain't about the

:26:55. > :27:03.ch-ching, ch-ching #. # I think I wanna marry

:27:04. > :27:15.you # We could have had it

:27:16. > :27:24.all # You had my heart and soul in your

:27:25. > :27:33.hands # You'd understand why I want

:27:34. > :27:50.you so desperately # Right now I'm

:27:51. > :27:53.looking at you and I can't believe # Security just can't fight them

:27:54. > :28:11.all # I'm in my Speedos trying

:28:12. > :28:16.to tan my cheeks To be in with a chance of winning

:28:17. > :28:24.a Daily Politics mug, send your answer to our special quiz

:28:25. > :28:26.email address, that's Entries must arrive by 12:30pm

:28:27. > :28:32.today, and you can see the full terms and conditions

:28:33. > :28:34.for Guess The Year on our website. It's coming up to midday here,

:28:35. > :28:46.just take a look at Big Ben, and that can mean only one thing:

:28:47. > :29:00.Yes, Prime Minister's Questions PMQs will take place to the backdrop

:29:01. > :29:05.of the developing story because it is far from over and a lot more will

:29:06. > :29:09.be coming out. How does that constrain Mr Corbyn? I think it

:29:10. > :29:12.means certainly the tone at the beginning of Prime Minister's

:29:13. > :29:16.Questions will be very sombre and the Home Secretary is also to make a

:29:17. > :29:21.statement later today. So I think as ever on these kinds of occasions,

:29:22. > :29:25.when there is a very upsetting, dangerous, difficult situation in

:29:26. > :29:28.one of our new neighbours, or frankly any of these events around

:29:29. > :29:32.the world, it does set the tone and their four restrict Mr Corbyn.

:29:33. > :29:38.However, there has also been an extraordinary few days politically.

:29:39. > :29:46.The most extraordinary few days the government has faced so far and

:29:47. > :29:54.whether or not he will mention that, there is a huge amount for him to go

:29:55. > :29:57.on. Many Labour MPs were disappointed that he didn't mention

:29:58. > :30:00.IDS earlier in the Commons. There will be difficult for him to make

:30:01. > :30:04.that tradition but strange if he didn't. After the Primus and Leader

:30:05. > :30:09.of the Opposition say what they have to say, it will likely move on to

:30:10. > :30:14.the whole business of the IDS resignation, the government pulling

:30:15. > :30:21.out of its welfare changes, the hole that is now the Chancellor's budget.

:30:22. > :30:24.You and I have sat here on many occasions saying, we would all

:30:25. > :30:29.expect Jeremy Corbyn to raise this issue or to go on this particular

:30:30. > :30:32.thing, and then he hasn't. That said, Labour have, they would say,

:30:33. > :30:37.and it is true that they have continually raise the question of

:30:38. > :30:41.measures to raise visibility payments... John McDonell made a

:30:42. > :30:44.huge response to that yesterday. Jeremy Corbyn also mentioned that in

:30:45. > :30:47.his response to the budget. So I thing we can expect questions on

:30:48. > :30:51.welfare. Whether or not Jeremy Corbyn inflates that web of

:30:52. > :30:58.complaints that with political difficulties...

:30:59. > :31:04.A Belfast prison of the died last week as a result of injuries caused

:31:05. > :31:09.by a bomb placed under his vehicle. A murder investigation is under way,

:31:10. > :31:14.a man has been charged, but we should offer our condolences to the

:31:15. > :31:19.family and friends. Let me also briefly update the house on the

:31:20. > :31:22.attacks yesterday in Brussels. Details are emerging, but at least

:31:23. > :31:31.34 people were killed and many others injured. Daesh claimed

:31:32. > :31:36.responsibility, following their attack in Istanbul. We are aware of

:31:37. > :31:40.for British nationals injured, and we are concerned about one missing

:31:41. > :31:45.British national. We face a common terror threat and I am sure the

:31:46. > :31:50.whole house will join me in expressing our solidarity with the

:31:51. > :31:54.people of Belgium. I spoke to the Belgian Prime Minister yesterday to

:31:55. > :31:58.pass on our condolences, our police and agencies are doing everything

:31:59. > :32:02.they can to support. We have increased police patrols and border

:32:03. > :32:06.screening here. The Home Secretary will make a statement later setting

:32:07. > :32:10.out the steps we are taking. Britain and Belgium share the same values of

:32:11. > :32:14.liberty and democracy, the terrorists want to destroy

:32:15. > :32:20.everything that we stand for, but we will never let them. I had meetings

:32:21. > :32:22.with ministerial colleagues and others this morning, and I shall

:32:23. > :32:33.have further such meetings later today. Bombers aim for public

:32:34. > :32:40.reaction and this unity. Can we disappoint them by uniting for hope,

:32:41. > :32:47.not hate? He is absolutely right to say that. These people packed their

:32:48. > :32:51.explosives with nails to kill as many innocent people, women and

:32:52. > :32:57.children, as they could, and we should unite in condemnation, stand

:32:58. > :33:00.with the people and Government of Belgium and with all countries

:33:01. > :33:09.afflicted by this appalling menace and say they shall never went. I

:33:10. > :33:12.wish to support the words just said by the member for Worthing and the

:33:13. > :33:16.Prime Minister in solidarity with the people of Belgium and the

:33:17. > :33:21.victims of the horrific attacks that have taken place in Brussels and

:33:22. > :33:25.Ankara in the last few days. We pay respect and tribute to their

:33:26. > :33:29.families and friends and enormous respect to the emergency services of

:33:30. > :33:32.all the nominations for the huge work they have done to save life. We

:33:33. > :33:37.must defend our security and values in the face of such outrages and

:33:38. > :33:43.refuse to be drawn into a cycle of violence and hatred. We take pride

:33:44. > :33:47.in our societies of diverse faiths, and creeds, and we will not allow

:33:48. > :33:52.those who seek to divide us to succeed. My right honourable friend

:33:53. > :33:59.will respond on behalf of the Labour Party to the Home Secretary. I also

:34:00. > :34:07.joined the Prime Minister in sending my deepest condolences to the man's

:34:08. > :34:10.wife and daughters, the people of Northern Ireland chose to follow the

:34:11. > :34:17.path of peace when they widely adopted the Good Friday agreement,

:34:18. > :34:19.the actions of an unrepresented few should not change the course

:34:20. > :34:25.supported by the overwhelming majority of people. On a different

:34:26. > :34:32.subject altogether, last week I got a letter from Adrian, he said, I am

:34:33. > :34:35.disabled and live in constant fear of my benefits being reassessed and

:34:36. > :34:41.stopped and being forced onto the street. Could the Prime Minister do

:34:42. > :34:46.what the Chancellor failed to do yesterday and apologise to those who

:34:47. > :34:51.went through such anguish and upset during the threat of cuts in their

:34:52. > :34:55.personal independence payment? Let me thank the right honourable

:34:56. > :34:59.gentleman for what he said about the terrorist attacks in Belgium and for

:35:00. > :35:03.what he said about Northern Ireland and the fact that we have achieved

:35:04. > :35:08.so much peace and progress in that valuable part of the UK. Turning to

:35:09. > :35:14.the issue of disability benefits, as I said on Monday, when you are faced

:35:15. > :35:17.with having to take very many very difficult decisions, including many

:35:18. > :35:22.spending reductions, as we were after becoming the Government in

:35:23. > :35:26.2010, you do not always get every decision right. I am the first to

:35:27. > :35:29.admit that, and on every occasion that happens it is important you

:35:30. > :35:35.learn the lessons of. But we will continue to increase spending on

:35:36. > :35:41.disability benefits, which will be ?46 billion more a year by the end

:35:42. > :35:48.of this Parliament, to pay to I became Prime Minister. Government

:35:49. > :35:52.figures published only this morning showed the number of people with

:35:53. > :35:58.disabilities and homeless is now up by 39% since 2010. 300,000 more

:35:59. > :36:04.disabled people are living in absolute poverty. That is why people

:36:05. > :36:11.like Adrian are very worried, there has been big disarray in the

:36:12. > :36:15.cabinet, so can the Prime Minister now absolutely, categorically rule

:36:16. > :36:22.out any further cuts to welfare spending in the lifetime of this

:36:23. > :36:26.Parliament? Simply, yes or no? Let me respond to the point he made. He

:36:27. > :36:32.talked about the number of people in poverty, we have seen poverty fall

:36:33. > :36:36.over this Parliament. Secondly, he referred to the regrettable rise in

:36:37. > :36:42.homelessness, with figures out today, but it is still 58% below the

:36:43. > :36:47.peak that it reached under Labour, that is important. They talked about

:36:48. > :36:51.the number of disabled people, this is a Government committed to

:36:52. > :36:57.supporting the disabled, but in the last two years there are extra

:36:58. > :37:01.293,000 disabled people who got it to work. We want to continue as we

:37:02. > :37:06.have set out in our manifesto to close that this ability gap. As for

:37:07. > :37:11.the question about further welfare reductions, let me repeat a

:37:12. > :37:18.statement that the new secretary made on Monday, the Chancellor made

:37:19. > :37:23.on Tuesday. I dealt with these issues on Monday. If he does not ask

:37:24. > :37:28.the questions, I get the answers, even if he had not given the

:37:29. > :37:32.questions, but we are not planning additional welfare savings other

:37:33. > :37:39.than the one that we set out in our manifesto and that are in train. My

:37:40. > :37:42.question was actually about the poverty of people with disabilities,

:37:43. > :37:49.which the Prime Minister did not answer. In his failure to explain

:37:50. > :37:54.how he would fill the hole in his Budget left by the change of heart

:37:55. > :38:01.on the IP, the Chancellor said, we can absorb such changes. If it is so

:38:02. > :38:04.easy to absorb changes of this nature, why did the Chancellor and

:38:05. > :38:09.the Prime Minister ever and answered in the first place? Will he now

:38:10. > :38:13.listen and learn and withdraw the ?30 a week cut to disabled ESA

:38:14. > :38:20.claimants, which is Government is pursuing? The changes have been

:38:21. > :38:25.through both Houses of Parliament, and it is important to note that

:38:26. > :38:30.employment and support allowance for the most disabled, the support

:38:31. > :38:35.group, are up by ?650 a year under this Government, we have increased

:38:36. > :38:39.the higher rate of attendance allowance, carers allowance, the

:38:40. > :38:43.enhanced rate of PIP, because a stronger economy should support the

:38:44. > :38:47.most disabled people, and that is what we have legislated to do. If he

:38:48. > :38:55.wants to get on to discussing black holes, I say, bring on the argument,

:38:56. > :39:00.because we inherited an 11% Budget deficit from the Labour Party. Under

:39:01. > :39:05.this team of ministers and this Chancellor, we have cut that deficit

:39:06. > :39:10.by two thirds since we became the Government. From Labour, all we have

:39:11. > :39:14.had is more proposals for more spending, more welfare, more taxes,

:39:15. > :39:18.more debt, all of the things that got us into the biggest mess with

:39:19. > :39:30.the biggest Black hole in the first place. If it is also fine and dandy,

:39:31. > :39:34.why did the member for Chingford feel it necessary to resign as Work

:39:35. > :39:41.and Pensions Secretary, complaining that the cuts being announced were

:39:42. > :39:44.to fit arbitrary fiscal targets? He said they were distinctly political

:39:45. > :39:50.rather than in the national economic interest. If the -- in the initial

:39:51. > :39:58.announcement he proposed cuts in PIP, then changed his mind.

:39:59. > :40:06.Is the honourable member right when he says it was a political decision?

:40:07. > :40:11.After seven or eight years of economic growth, it is right to be

:40:12. > :40:15.targeting a surplus, as a responsible Government put aside

:40:16. > :40:19.money for a rainy day. I do not want to be part of a Government that does

:40:20. > :40:24.not have the courage to pay off our debts and leave them instead to our

:40:25. > :40:27.children and grandchildren. That is the truth. What is dressed up as

:40:28. > :40:31.compassion from the party opposite just means putting off difficult

:40:32. > :40:36.decisions and asking our children to pay the debts we were not prepared

:40:37. > :40:42.to pay ourselves. I don't know why the shadow leader of the house is

:40:43. > :40:45.shouting at me. We have got an interesting document, the

:40:46. > :40:54.spreadsheet of which Labour MP is on which side. The honourable lady

:40:55. > :41:01.shouting, but it says here... She is neutral but not hostile. The Chief

:41:02. > :41:12.Whip on the other hand is being a bit quiet.

:41:13. > :41:24.Mr Speaker... There are five categories. We have core support,...

:41:25. > :41:36.I have got all the way. We have got poor support,... You can include me

:41:37. > :41:40.in that lot. They have -- the Chief Whip is being quiet because she is

:41:41. > :41:49.in hostile. I thought I had problems!

:41:50. > :42:01.If I could invite the Prime Minister to leave the theatre and return to

:42:02. > :42:05.reality... The reality is he has presided over a Budget that

:42:06. > :42:10.unravelled in two days and now contains a 4.4 billion black hole.

:42:11. > :42:14.He may wish to consult the Chancellor on get another change of

:42:15. > :42:20.heart on this matter. Could he now consult the Chancellor and tell the

:42:21. > :42:25.country who will pay for this black hole? Will it be cuts or tax rises?

:42:26. > :42:29.Where we'll be cuts fall, where we'll be tax rises take place? 4.4

:42:30. > :42:42.billion has to be found from somewhere. Suddenly the king of

:42:43. > :42:47.fiscal rectitude speaks! He may have noticed the Budget passed last night

:42:48. > :42:51.and it cuts the deficit in every year of this Parliament, it delivers

:42:52. > :42:55.a surplus by the end of this Parliament, and none of that will

:42:56. > :43:04.change. He talks about this Budget,... Hold on, hostile shout,

:43:05. > :43:05.that's right, but neutral but not hostile, you have to be quiet, I

:43:06. > :43:22.think. Hands up who is core support plus?

:43:23. > :43:27.Anybody else? I would tell you what this Budget did, it had a million

:43:28. > :43:30.people out of income tax, it saw more money for our schools, it

:43:31. > :43:35.helped the poorest people to save, it cut taxes for small businesses,

:43:36. > :43:39.for the self-employed, it made our economy stronger and our country

:43:40. > :43:46.fairer, and it will help this country do better.

:43:47. > :43:54.The truth is it was a Budget that fell apart in two days. Many people

:43:55. > :44:00.with disabilities went through the most unbelievable levels of stress

:44:01. > :44:06.and trauma after the attempt to -- after the PIP announcement was made.

:44:07. > :44:14.There are still people going through stress and trauma. I am not sure

:44:15. > :44:19.those members opposite that are shouting so loudly at the moment

:44:20. > :44:22.have any idea what it is like to try and balance a Budget at home when

:44:23. > :44:29.you do not have enough money coming in, the rent is going up and the

:44:30. > :44:34.children need clothes. Order. There is too much shouting on both sides

:44:35. > :44:38.of the house. Stop it. The public are bored stiff by it. The right

:44:39. > :44:44.Honourable gentleman will finish his question, we will have an answer,

:44:45. > :44:49.but no shouting from members of any grouping. The Budget has do mean

:44:50. > :44:56.something for everybody, however poor and however precarious their

:44:57. > :45:04.lives are. This Budget downgraded growth, downgraded wage growth,

:45:05. > :45:08.downgraded investment, the Chancellor has failed on debt

:45:09. > :45:14.targets, on deficit targets, as the official figures have shown. The

:45:15. > :45:18.fiscal rule is failing. The Treasury Select Committee scrutinised it,

:45:19. > :45:22.they could not find any credible economist who backed it. Can the

:45:23. > :45:29.primaries to find anybody that backs a Budget and a policy that is a

:45:30. > :45:31.Budget with a big hole in it and downgrades everything a forecast

:45:32. > :45:36.that they set themselves before the Budget was made?

:45:37. > :45:42.He's a bit late because the budget passed through this House with large

:45:43. > :45:43.majorities on every single vote. Let me remind him, this is

:45:44. > :45:48.a government that is spending more on the disabled than in any year

:45:49. > :45:52.under the last Labour government. We are spending more on the most

:45:53. > :45:56.disabled, including the most disabled children in our country. We

:45:57. > :46:00.got more disabled people into work and ever happened under Labour and

:46:01. > :46:04.what we see with this budget is the background of an economy that is

:46:05. > :46:07.growing, employment at a record high, investment that is rising,

:46:08. > :46:12.businesses that are creating jobs in Britain, that is the envy of other

:46:13. > :46:15.European economies. And it's because we got a strong economy that we are

:46:16. > :46:19.able to provide this support. That is what you concede, Britain getting

:46:20. > :46:26.stronger and the Labour Party a threat to the economic security of

:46:27. > :46:30.every family in our country. I'm sure the Prime Minister is as

:46:31. > :46:35.appalled as I am that incidents of anti-Semitism are on the rise. Does

:46:36. > :46:41.my right honourable friend agree with me that all organisations,

:46:42. > :46:45.public and private, should root out anti-Semitism without hesitation? I

:46:46. > :46:51.completely agree with my honourable friend. Anti-Semitism is an absolute

:46:52. > :46:56.cancer in our society and we should know that when it grows, it is the

:46:57. > :46:59.signal of many even worse things happening to ethnic groups and

:47:00. > :47:04.different groups all over our country. There is, sadly, a growth

:47:05. > :47:08.of anti-Semitism in our country and we see it in terms of attacks on

:47:09. > :47:13.Jewish people and Jewish students and it absolutely has to be stamped

:47:14. > :47:15.out. We should all, all of us, whatever organisation we are

:47:16. > :47:19.responsible for, make sure that happens. We do see a growth in

:47:20. > :47:23.support for segregation and four anti-Semitism in the heart of the

:47:24. > :47:25.Labour Party and I would say to the lead opposite it is his party, he

:47:26. > :47:42.should sort it out. Order! This sort of gesticulation

:47:43. > :47:46.across the chamber... Order! Is way below the level and the dignity of

:47:47. > :47:51.the senior members of the front bench on either side. Terribly

:47:52. > :48:00.tedious. Cut it out. Angus Robertson. When terrorists attack

:48:01. > :48:03.Russells or Paris or London or Glasgow, we are as one in our

:48:04. > :48:11.condemnation of these atrocities, as we equally condemn the killings of

:48:12. > :48:19.your CDs, of Kurds, of Syrians and Iraqis by other extremists. -- of

:48:20. > :48:22.Yazidis. We owe a debt of gratitude to those who work here and abroad in

:48:23. > :48:25.the face of the ongoing terrorist threat. Will the Prime Minister

:48:26. > :48:29.confirm that absolutely everything is being done to help the Belgian

:48:30. > :48:34.authorities and the people of Belgium in the wake of the Brussels

:48:35. > :48:38.tax? I can certainly confirm that. In my conversation with the Belgian

:48:39. > :48:40.Prime Minister, I made a number of offers about policing and

:48:41. > :48:46.intelligence assistance that we could give, particularly high-end

:48:47. > :48:50.expert and technical capabilities. There are already some intelligence

:48:51. > :48:54.officers embedded with the Belgian authorities and strong police to

:48:55. > :48:56.police co-operation. Clearly the Belgians could be with an

:48:57. > :49:02.unprecedented situation in their country. We stand ready to do

:49:03. > :49:06.anything more that we can and we are examined all the capabilities we

:49:07. > :49:11.have here to see what more we can do to safeguard our own country. A

:49:12. > :49:16.defining characteristic of a democratic society is our trust in

:49:17. > :49:19.our institutions and democratic oversight by parliamentarians of

:49:20. > :49:23.those who work so hard to keep us safe. We have that oversight with

:49:24. > :49:27.our police, we have that oversight with our security services. We don't

:49:28. > :49:31.yet have that with UK special forces under the intelligence and security

:49:32. > :49:38.committee or the Defence Select Committee. Will the Prime Minister

:49:39. > :49:41.address this? I'm afraid I just part company with the right honourable

:49:42. > :49:46.gentleman on this one. We have put in place I think some of the most

:49:47. > :49:50.extensive oversight arrangements for our intelligence and security

:49:51. > :49:53.services. They do a remarkable job and, of course, the police are

:49:54. > :49:58.regular record to account both locally and nationally. I think the

:49:59. > :50:01.work our special forces do is absolutely vital for our country.

:50:02. > :50:06.They are subject to international law, as everyone else's in our

:50:07. > :50:13.country, but I do not propose to change the arrangements under which

:50:14. > :50:16.these incredibly brave men work. In England, this government has

:50:17. > :50:18.delivered better GCSEs, better A-levels and a better chance of

:50:19. > :50:24.getting into university than Labour in Wales. Would my right honourable

:50:25. > :50:28.friend agree with me that members opposite have no right to criticise

:50:29. > :50:32.our education policies when their own education minister in Wales has

:50:33. > :50:38.had to issue a public apology for the failure of his own? I think my

:50:39. > :50:42.honourable friend makes an important point. What we've seen in England,

:50:43. > :50:47.and we should praise the teachers who worked so hard to deliver these

:50:48. > :50:51.results, but it's the result of rigour in standards, independents in

:50:52. > :50:55.our schools and accountability for results. And when we look at Wales,

:50:56. > :50:58.we don't see those things in place so I would urge the Welsh Assembly

:50:59. > :51:01.Government and urge Welsh people when they've got a choice that these

:51:02. > :51:05.elections to make sure that they vote for parties that but education

:51:06. > :51:13.reform, education standards, education rigour and education

:51:14. > :51:23.accountability first. In 1992, the oil tanker Bray ran aground on the

:51:24. > :51:28.coast of Shetland. It was carrying tonnes of crude oil which spilled

:51:29. > :51:33.into the seas and on our shoreline. It caused economic and environmental

:51:34. > :51:37.devastation. Since a report into that disaster, we have had an

:51:38. > :51:39.emergency pump stationed in the Northern Isles. It is our protection

:51:40. > :51:44.against ever being blighted in that way again. The Maritime and

:51:45. > :51:50.Coastguard Agency now wants to take that talk away. There will be no

:51:51. > :51:54.finance for it after September. Will the Prime Minister look again at

:51:55. > :51:59.that decision and will he give an undertaking to the people of

:52:00. > :52:05.Shetland that he made in 2014 not to leave them exposed in that way

:52:06. > :52:10.again? The writer will gentleman makes a very important point and my

:52:11. > :52:14.understanding is that the one told that has been there, sustained off

:52:15. > :52:19.the coast of Scotland, has played an important role in the past. The cost

:52:20. > :52:23.is between two and ?3 million the year and it is currently used very

:52:24. > :52:26.sparingly, so it is right to look at the right way to deliver the service

:52:27. > :52:29.in the future. Alternative options will take time to develop and

:52:30. > :52:33.implement, which is why we've announced that this will be funded

:52:34. > :52:36.until the 30th of September 2016 and will have to make a decision on

:52:37. > :52:44.provision in due course and I'll keep him in touch with those develop

:52:45. > :52:53.on. -- developments. We believe in doing the right thing and that's why

:52:54. > :52:55.it's absolutely right that the proceeds of crime are returned to

:52:56. > :53:01.the local communities that have been the victims of crime.

:53:02. > :53:03.Staffordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Ellis, is

:53:04. > :53:11.calling on community groups in Cannock Chase to apply for grants

:53:12. > :53:16.from his proceeds of crime fun. Does my right honourable friend agree

:53:17. > :53:18.that this shows that our excellent Conservative Police and Crime

:53:19. > :53:23.Commissioner is delivering real value for the people of

:53:24. > :53:27.Staffordshire? I think she makes an important point. I think Police and

:53:28. > :53:30.Crime Commissioners Ruby now have bedded in properly as a means of

:53:31. > :53:39.bringing up police to account. I think the a committee recently said

:53:40. > :53:44.that they provide clarity for policing and are the most vibrant

:53:45. > :53:52.public as providing accountability. When they bring forward ideas like

:53:53. > :53:59.using the process -- proceeds of crime light she says, they should be

:54:00. > :54:01.rewarded at the ballot box. The list of Cabinet ministers who have

:54:02. > :54:07.resigned since the premise expresses full confidence in them is extensive

:54:08. > :54:10.so does the Prime Minister still have full governors of the

:54:11. > :54:12.Chancellor? Of course because he is the one working as part of a team

:54:13. > :54:17.that has delivered the fastest-growing economy in the G7,

:54:18. > :54:20.2.4 million people in work, inflation that is virtually zero,

:54:21. > :54:31.wages that are growing, an economy that is getting stronger. The House

:54:32. > :54:37.of Commons library confirms that this year, our net contribution to

:54:38. > :54:45.the EU will increase by over ?2.6 billion. I think it is actually 2600

:54:46. > :54:49.?27 million. Prime Minister, should that money be spent supporting

:54:50. > :54:52.people in Bulgaria and Romania or should it be spent in this country

:54:53. > :54:58.supporting our vulnerable and disabled people? What I would say to

:54:59. > :55:02.my honourable friend is, our net contribution to the EU accounts for

:55:03. > :55:07.about just over 1p in every pound that is paid in taxes. So as we

:55:08. > :55:11.enter this vital debate, we have to work out whether we believe that

:55:12. > :55:15.that sort of investment, 1p out of every pound, is worth the jobs and

:55:16. > :55:18.the investment and the growth and the security and the safety and the

:55:19. > :55:22.solidarity that we get through working with our partners. I will be

:55:23. > :55:25.on the side saying that I think that it is and he is clearly going to be

:55:26. > :55:29.on the side saying that he thinks that it isn't, but we should have a

:55:30. > :55:33.polite and reasonable debate as we go about this. What I would stay,

:55:34. > :55:37.which I'm sure he will welcome, is we have, of course, limited our

:55:38. > :55:41.contributions to the EU budget because we set an overall budget

:55:42. > :55:47.which is falling over the next six years. The reason our contributions

:55:48. > :55:50.vary as part of it is generated determining on the success of your

:55:51. > :55:54.economy. Because our economy has been growing faster than others in

:55:55. > :56:01.Europe, we been making a slightly larger contribution than we

:56:02. > :56:06.otherwise would be. My constituents Susan suffered not only the death of

:56:07. > :56:09.her son but the unexplained circumstances in which this

:56:10. > :56:13.occurred. This meant a 12 year battle with the authorities in

:56:14. > :56:17.Belgrade, where this happened. The UK coroner has now ruled this as

:56:18. > :56:23.murder so would the Prime Minister or Foreign Secretary meet with the

:56:24. > :56:25.family and do what can be done to get a proper investigation to

:56:26. > :56:30.resolve the question marks that remain and achieve justice for

:56:31. > :56:35.Peter? I'm not aware of the case the honourable lady mentions but it is

:56:36. > :56:38.important that hurt constituent gets proper resolution in this matter and

:56:39. > :56:44.I'll make sure she has a meeting with Foreign Office ministers to

:56:45. > :56:47.discuss it. JP Morgan Chase, sun-seeker, Cobham lush and many

:56:48. > :56:54.other local businesses are supporting the inaugural mid Dorset

:56:55. > :56:57.apprentice ship and jobs fair. I know the Prime Minister will be

:56:58. > :57:04.warmly welcomed if he happens to be free. It is on the 15th of April in

:57:05. > :57:07.Wimborne. I know the Prime Minister will warmly welcome the news that

:57:08. > :57:11.unemployment in my constituency is down by more than 60% but will he

:57:12. > :57:16.ensure that we are not complacent and that we secure the vital

:57:17. > :57:21.infrastructure needed to get good quality jobs in Dorset and across

:57:22. > :57:24.the south-west? He is absolutely right. One of the reasons why we've

:57:25. > :57:30.managed to get our unemployment rate down to around 5% and we've seen 2.4

:57:31. > :57:38.will he and more of our fellow countrymen and women into work is

:57:39. > :57:41.because we've seen businesses recover and apprenticeships are

:57:42. > :57:46.taking place as part of the 3 million target for adventurous we

:57:47. > :57:49.have in this Parliament. Academics, civil society and the Scottish

:57:50. > :57:55.Government have all condemned the government's anti-lobbying clause in

:57:56. > :57:57.new grant agreements. How can the Prime Minister promote transparency,

:57:58. > :58:00.democracy and freedom of speech overseas when this clause is

:58:01. > :58:05.clamping down on those principles here in the UK? I would answer very

:58:06. > :58:13.simply that I want to see taxpayers' money going to good causes, rather

:58:14. > :58:16.than in lobbying ministers and MPs and spending money here. That's what

:58:17. > :58:20.they should be spending their money on. That it is worth making the

:58:21. > :58:26.point that we are only one day away from what would have been separation

:58:27. > :58:29.day for Scotland. Had that happened, there wouldn't be money for

:58:30. > :58:39.charities, there wouldn't be money for anything. Pubs are the beating

:58:40. > :58:43.heart of many communities across the UK. Will the Prime Minister join me

:58:44. > :58:50.in welcoming the support given to pubs in successive budgets, join me

:58:51. > :58:54.for duty frozen pint in the Crown Hotel in my constituency and tell

:58:55. > :58:58.the House more he can do to support this vital part of our economy? I

:58:59. > :59:02.thanked him for his kind invitation. I think we've seen in budget after

:59:03. > :59:06.budget this government supporting the pub industry is such an

:59:07. > :59:10.important part of our economy and such an important part, particularly

:59:11. > :59:13.of rural communities. I can make one announcement today which is that

:59:14. > :59:17.subject to the usual conditions, will be extending pub opening hours

:59:18. > :59:22.on the 10th and 11th of June this year to mark Her Majesty The Queen's

:59:23. > :59:28.90th birthday. I'm sure that will be welcome right across the House. If

:59:29. > :59:31.you compare my constituency to the constituency of the Prime Minister

:59:32. > :59:34.and the Chancellor, you will find that I have four times the number of

:59:35. > :59:39.youths unemployed, more than double the disabled claimant count and an

:59:40. > :59:43.average weekly wage of 20% less. Are these the reasons that the Prime

:59:44. > :59:46.Minister and Chancellor never had the compassion to realise that the

:59:47. > :59:51.disabled cuts were so obviously wrong when everybody else did? I

:59:52. > :59:53.give him one further opportunity - will he apologised to my

:59:54. > :59:57.constituents who have been scared witless over the past week?

:59:58. > :00:00.Obviously there remain challenges in his constituency but the claimant

:00:01. > :00:06.count is down by 16% in the last year alone but at the claimant count

:00:07. > :00:10.has fallen by 50% since 2010 and the claimant count but he is visibly

:00:11. > :00:18.mentioned has fallen by 12% in the last year. That has been because we

:00:19. > :00:22.have a strong economy, businesses want to invest in our country, we

:00:23. > :00:25.are supporting apprenticeships and we are making sure that growth is

:00:26. > :00:29.delivering for people and in just two weeks, the national living wage

:00:30. > :00:34.will come in, giving the poorest people in our country a ?900 a year

:00:35. > :00:40.pay rise and that will be tax-free because we are lifting the tax

:00:41. > :00:45.threshold in our country. Does my right honourable friend the Prime

:00:46. > :00:48.Minister - is my right elbow friend the Prime Minister aware of the

:00:49. > :00:51.remarks of Sergei Lavrov this morning that we should put aside our

:00:52. > :00:55.differences, that terrorist should not be allowed to run the show, and

:00:56. > :00:58.will he agree with me that we should be stronger if we could work

:00:59. > :01:03.together but to do that we are going to have to have a better

:01:04. > :01:08.understanding of Russian security? What I would say is, of course we

:01:09. > :01:12.want to work with everyone we can to combat terrorism but when it comes

:01:13. > :01:16.particularly to what is happening in Syria, it is vitally important that

:01:17. > :01:22.the Russians stopped any attacks and do not restart any attacks against

:01:23. > :01:25.moderate Sunnis, moderates in opposition, which clearly have to

:01:26. > :01:28.form a part of our country. You cannot in the end defeat terrorism

:01:29. > :01:33.simply through use of guns and missiles. You defeat terrorism

:01:34. > :01:37.through governance and good working democracies cause in that way,

:01:38. > :01:44.people can see their own interests being represented by the countries

:01:45. > :01:46.in which they live. The former Work and Pensions Secretary described the

:01:47. > :01:50.cuts to personal independence payments for the disabled as

:01:51. > :01:56.divisive, unfair and against the national interest. The Chancellor's

:01:57. > :01:59.U-turn suggests he now agrees. Can the Prime Minister explain how on

:02:00. > :02:04.earth he allowed this to happen in the first place? Well, it's good to

:02:05. > :02:09.have an intervention from someone who I think is neutral but not

:02:10. > :02:15.hostile. I'm sure if she keeps going, she could join core group

:02:16. > :02:19.plus. She'd be very welcome in core group plus. I'll tell you what this

:02:20. > :02:24.government has done - it has increased spending on disability

:02:25. > :02:28.benefits, it's seen 293,000 more disabled people into work in the

:02:29. > :02:31.last two years, 2.4 million more people into work. That is bringing

:02:32. > :02:39.the country together. We've got a growing economy that is delivering a

:02:40. > :02:42.fairer society. My right honourable friend will have seen the recent

:02:43. > :02:49.OECD reports on literacy and numeracy in England. Based on data

:02:50. > :02:54.from 2012, it ranks our teenagers as bottom out of 23 developed countries

:02:55. > :03:03.for basic maths and reading. A damning indictment of 13 years of

:03:04. > :03:09.Labour's education policy. Doesn't this show... Order! The honourable

:03:10. > :03:15.lady is entitled to ask a question. The same goes for every other

:03:16. > :03:20.member. Doesn't this show why a more rigorous curriculum and more

:03:21. > :03:26.autonomy for schools to succeed are vital to turn around the life

:03:27. > :03:31.chances of the next-generation? My honourable friend makes an important

:03:32. > :03:34.point, which it is worthwhile benchmarking your education system

:03:35. > :03:38.against other advanced countries. And what we've seen in recent years

:03:39. > :03:40.is that the competition is very tough but when you let other

:03:41. > :03:45.countries that are succeeding, whether it is the Republic of Korea

:03:46. > :03:48.or Finland, they have well-paid teachers, they have proper

:03:49. > :03:52.accountability systems for results, they have a rigour in terms of their

:03:53. > :03:55.discipline and that is exactly what we are introducing in our country

:03:56. > :04:06.with the new curriculum coming in right now. The women of this country

:04:07. > :04:10.are tired of waiting, waiting for equal pay, waiting for an end to

:04:11. > :04:16.maternity and pregnancy discrimination and waiting for a

:04:17. > :04:22.fair deal for pensioners. It is 2016. Can I ask the Prime Minister

:04:23. > :04:26.how much longer? The honourable lady is absolutely right to raise these

:04:27. > :04:31.issues and it is good that the pay gap is now at a historic low. It is

:04:32. > :04:34.almost evaporated for under 40s, but there is more to be done in the

:04:35. > :04:40.public sector and the private sector to bring that about. On the issue of

:04:41. > :04:44.pensions, what we've introduced is a pensions system which will benefit

:04:45. > :04:49.many, many women in years to come because we've got a single tier

:04:50. > :04:53.pension without a means test, operated for prices, earnings or

:04:54. > :04:57.2.5%. We were only able to do that because we raised the pension age,

:04:58. > :05:02.saving over the long-term something like no 5p. A difficult decision but

:05:03. > :05:06.the right one because it means we can look our pensioners in the eye

:05:07. > :05:19.and know they are getting security in their old age. -- something like

:05:20. > :05:23.?0.5 billion. If we are going to meet the target for apprenticeships

:05:24. > :05:26.to which the Prime Minister referred, the whole public sector

:05:27. > :05:31.needs to play its part. Will the Prime Minister and ensure that every

:05:32. > :05:36.part of the public sector invests in training our young people so we have

:05:37. > :05:42.the skills the country needs? He is right to raise this. It is a very

:05:43. > :05:45.stringent target, getting 3 million apprentices trained in this

:05:46. > :05:48.Parliament. We are going to have to see those large companies that have

:05:49. > :05:52.put their shoulders of the wheel on this agenda to continue to do so,

:05:53. > :05:56.but there are two sectors where we need to do better. One is in the

:05:57. > :05:59.public sector, where we need more public sector organisations to get

:06:00. > :06:02.behind apprenticeships, and we need to make it simple and attractive for

:06:03. > :06:08.small businesses to start training apprentices again. That is what my

:06:09. > :06:11.right honourable friend, the Member for Grantham, is doing and we all

:06:12. > :06:19.need to work very hard to do this by the end of the Parliament. If the UK

:06:20. > :06:21.votes to leave the EU in June, does the Prime Minister believed that the

:06:22. > :06:33.EU institutions will respond vindictively? It's a very difficult

:06:34. > :06:40.question to answer. I think that if we were to vote to leave, I do think

:06:41. > :06:42.we should be naive about believing that other countries would

:06:43. > :06:48.automatically cut us some sort of sweetheart deal. I think if you just

:06:49. > :06:54.take one industry as an example, take farming. Our farmers now know

:06:55. > :07:00.they have duty-free, quota free, tax free access to a market of 500

:07:01. > :07:04.million people. Were we to leave, can we really guarantee that French

:07:05. > :07:07.farmers or Italian farmers or Spanish farmers wouldn't put

:07:08. > :07:11.pressure on their governments to give us a less good deal? I don't

:07:12. > :07:15.think we can and that's one of the many reasons I think we are safer,

:07:16. > :07:22.more secure and better off in a reformed EU. In April 2015, the

:07:23. > :07:25.Prime Minister said that there should be a new Carlisle principle

:07:26. > :07:30.to ensure that other parts of the UK do not lose out by Scottish

:07:31. > :07:33.devolution. Could the Prime Minister confirm that this principle will

:07:34. > :07:39.apply, who will review the position and when will it report and who will

:07:40. > :07:42.it report to? He is absolutely right and I think this is important,

:07:43. > :07:47.particularly for constituencies like his, very close to the border, to

:07:48. > :07:53.make sure that decisions that are made, quite sensibly and rightly, by

:07:54. > :07:59.devolved parliaments and assemblies don't disadvantage the rest of the

:08:00. > :08:01.UK. That was the principle set out and the Chancellor will report

:08:02. > :08:09.regularly on that as he updates the House on his fiscal plans. I trust

:08:10. > :08:14.that the Prime Minister will be aware that there is a critical

:08:15. > :08:17.meeting of the board of Tata in Mumbai on Tuesday. I will be flying

:08:18. > :08:22.out to Mumbai with the general secretary of community union to make

:08:23. > :08:25.the case for British Steel. That meeting will be deciding the future

:08:26. > :08:29.of the Port Talbot steelworks in my constituency. Will the Prime

:08:30. > :08:34.Minister join me in exhorting Tata to stand with that plan and to

:08:35. > :08:40.secure the future of the Port Talbot steelworks? I absolutely give him my

:08:41. > :08:43.backing on that. A team of ministers met yesterday to discuss all of the

:08:44. > :08:47.things that we can do to get behind the steel industry at this vital

:08:48. > :08:51.time. It is an extremely difficult market situation with the massive

:08:52. > :08:55.global overcapacity and the huge fall in steel prices but the areas

:08:56. > :08:59.where we've taken action already, and will continue to look at what we

:09:00. > :09:04.can do, and that is stated compensation so we can secure the

:09:05. > :09:07.energy costs, greater flexibility over EU emissions legislation. We've

:09:08. > :09:11.done huge amount in terms of public procurement, which can make a big

:09:12. > :09:16.difference our steel industries, and all of those things and more, and

:09:17. > :09:20.making sure that tartar and others understand how valuable we believe

:09:21. > :09:23.this industry is to the UK and as a government, within the limits that

:09:24. > :09:33.we have, we want to be very supportive and helpful.

:09:34. > :09:41.Jeremy Corbyn went on benefits for the disabled, linking it to

:09:42. > :09:46.homelessness, he wanted to know why it was rising, especially the poor

:09:47. > :09:52.and disabled numbers will stop he traded statistics with the Prime

:09:53. > :09:55.Minister. He then broadened it out into a general attack on the Budget

:09:56. > :10:00.and how the figures would now add up, given that the Government will

:10:01. > :10:11.not go ahead with other welfare cuts. He then ended with the Prime

:10:12. > :10:19.Minister falling back on a gimme, this list of Labour MPs, there are

:10:20. > :10:24.now five categories, they are divided into whether they are

:10:25. > :10:31.hostile or friendly, poor support or hostile, to Jeremy Corbyn. The Prime

:10:32. > :10:37.Minister said, you are core friendly, you are caught hostile,

:10:38. > :10:42.put up your hands all of whom are core support, and the Tories put

:10:43. > :10:43.their hands up. That is how the mother of Parliaments came to an end

:10:44. > :10:52.today. A lot of viewers thought Jeremy

:10:53. > :10:56.Corbyn missed an open goal in terms of mailing the Prime Minister on the

:10:57. > :11:00.changes. John Wakefield said, he was right to be shooting at camera and

:11:01. > :11:05.on his Chancellor's attempt to give tax cuts to the well off at the

:11:06. > :11:11.expense of the poor and disabled. Ian said, Jeremy Corbyn kicked the

:11:12. > :11:16.ball hard, it ricocheted off Cameron's crossbar and into his own

:11:17. > :11:21.net. He started OK but Cameron back at him away and started enjoying

:11:22. > :11:26.himself. Stephen said, Jeremy Corbyn asked him what he knew about

:11:27. > :11:29.hardship, this from a man who was privately educated and lives in an

:11:30. > :11:34.expensive property in Islington. John said, how long can the

:11:35. > :11:39.Conservatives bang on and on about the debt they were left by the Brown

:11:40. > :11:44.Government? Am I missing something or is PMQs is supposed to be the

:11:45. > :11:50.Prime Minister answering questions, not attempting a bad stand-up act?

:11:51. > :11:55.There has been a demonstration of a disabled lobby in the Central Lobby

:11:56. > :12:01.of the Commons. Literally just outside the chamber. There has been

:12:02. > :12:05.a couple of dozen people angry about what has happened with the

:12:06. > :12:12.disability cuts, they have gone to protest. John McDonnell has gone out

:12:13. > :12:18.to address them. That is a science that Jeremy Corbyn picked the right

:12:19. > :12:20.issue today. But whether he actually managed to get very far with the

:12:21. > :12:26.Prime Minister is a different question. Think about the last week,

:12:27. > :12:30.that should have been one of the worst PMQs that David Cameron has

:12:31. > :12:35.ever faced in his six years as Prime Minister, but at the end, he was

:12:36. > :12:38.cracking gags, he looked like he was in charge and enjoying every minute,

:12:39. > :12:44.partly because of the list you were talking about, and what will make

:12:45. > :12:46.its way into the coverage is an unfortunate week that was sent by

:12:47. > :12:52.one of the Labour backbenchers during that session, who was already

:12:53. > :12:56.in the hostile category, John Woodcock, no stranger to this

:12:57. > :13:03.programme, I will not use the language... I am glad to hear that!

:13:04. > :13:08.Watched by Her Majesty The Queen and young children and students learning

:13:09. > :13:13.about politics. I shall paraphrase his description of what just

:13:14. > :13:15.happened. It was a something something something disaster, the

:13:16. > :13:20.worst week for David Cameron since he came in, and that stupid

:13:21. > :13:24.something something list makes us look like a laughing stock. That is

:13:25. > :13:29.his view of PMQs come up on the Labour backbenches, but that is what

:13:30. > :13:35.will be picked up. He has deleted it, but it is doing the rounds. The

:13:36. > :13:42.dangers and the lights of social media, very little stays private for

:13:43. > :13:47.long. He was probably try to send it as a direct private message, a slip

:13:48. > :13:52.of the finger. How do you know? Moving along! Which of the five

:13:53. > :14:00.categories are you in on on the list? The list is disappointing. All

:14:01. > :14:03.Labour MPs have been in the chamber, trying to hold the Prime Minister

:14:04. > :14:09.and George Osborne to account for these cuts. There has been a lock to

:14:10. > :14:14.hold them to account for. Exactly, and a list like this which

:14:15. > :14:22.categorises us... Who has drawn it up? It is disappointing. The people

:14:23. > :14:24.which are hostile to the Conservatives, all Labour MPs are

:14:25. > :14:30.trying to get another Labour Government and get rid of the

:14:31. > :14:33.Tories, so I wish that the leader's office, if it comes from there,

:14:34. > :14:37.would concentrate on holding the Tories to account, rather than

:14:38. > :14:42.trying to divide the Parliamentary Labour Party. Jeremy Corbyn's office

:14:43. > :14:47.say they do not have knowledge of the list. Do we know who drew it up?

:14:48. > :14:54.The suspicion it was people in and around his circle, the suggestion

:14:55. > :15:01.that it was the former Labour MP who is now his political secretary.

:15:02. > :15:05.Whoever did it, it was apparently drawn up in January. If you think of

:15:06. > :15:09.those early days in the year, when things were more bumpy for Jeremy

:15:10. > :15:18.Corbyn around the pantomime around the reshuffle... Can we rule out

:15:19. > :15:25.Tory dirty tricks? My colleagues in the lobby who got hold of the list

:15:26. > :15:32.have got a pretty good track record. They think it is an internal list?

:15:33. > :15:36.Which category argue M? In January, I had just come back from maternity

:15:37. > :15:42.leave, I had been off work for six months, so I am not sure how hostile

:15:43. > :15:48.I was. I am not sure what I was doing that has so upset somebody.

:15:49. > :15:51.Hostility at a distance. The only people this benefits the

:15:52. > :15:57.Conservatives, and Labour have been working incredibly well together on

:15:58. > :16:04.asking some of those difficult questions, and these lists have no

:16:05. > :16:10.place. In the hostile column, I do there with annoyance or a sense of

:16:11. > :16:14.pride? I want there to be a column which is the Labour MP 's column,

:16:15. > :16:20.and I want us to work together. You have made that point, but are you

:16:21. > :16:25.happy or sad to be hostile? I am sad there is such a list, it is totally

:16:26. > :16:29.ridiculous. It gave the Prime Minister a get out of jail card. It

:16:30. > :16:34.got them off the hook. I don't want to agree with everything that John

:16:35. > :16:41.Woodcock wrote in that sweet, but it does make us look silly and a

:16:42. > :16:46.laughing stock. Maybe not entirely off the hook, because when the

:16:47. > :16:50.Leader of the Opposition asked the Prime Minister if there would be any

:16:51. > :16:53.more welfare cuts, the Prime Minister's reply was there would be

:16:54. > :16:58.no more cuts other than what is in the manifesto. The manifesto

:16:59. > :17:04.included ?12 billion of welfare cuts. Is that still Government

:17:05. > :17:10.policy? He outlined that today, it backs up what I said, Parliament

:17:11. > :17:14.voted on some welfare cuts, there is no more planned beyond what is in

:17:15. > :17:21.the manifesto. So there will be 12 billion pound of welfare cuts and

:17:22. > :17:28.they will be on the working poor? We have been clear that we will always

:17:29. > :17:37.ensure it pays to work and we will protect the most vulnerable. I am

:17:38. > :17:42.quoting Iain Duncan Smith. He said they had already made ?22 billion of

:17:43. > :17:48.cuts in welfare for the working poor, and because you have ring

:17:49. > :17:53.fenced pensions, the NHS, the 12 billion was coming out of cuts to

:17:54. > :18:00.the working poor. Never mind where they come from, can we get you to

:18:01. > :18:04.confirm that there will still be ?12 billion of welfare cuts in this

:18:05. > :18:08.Parliament? The Prime Minister has been clear, we will deliver on our

:18:09. > :18:13.manifesto pledge, and on the legislation we passed. So, yes? We

:18:14. > :18:21.have to get the debt down, that involves reducing the Budget. Where

:18:22. > :18:27.will it come from? As has been outlined, getting more of those

:18:28. > :18:31.people back into work. That 12 billion assumes you add another half

:18:32. > :18:38.a million or so jobs by 2020. That is in the projections. Where will be

:18:39. > :18:43.12 billion come from? We have got an Autumn Statement coming up. As the

:18:44. > :18:52.Chancellor outlined, in light of the decisions made, responding, we will

:18:53. > :18:59.feedback on that, --. We have got to get the deficit down, we will

:19:00. > :19:03.deliver on our manifesto. Give me an idea that if there are still 12

:19:04. > :19:08.billion of cuts on the cards on welfare, which by a process of

:19:09. > :19:12.elimination will be largely on the working poor, where will it come

:19:13. > :19:19.from? I don't accept the second part of that. Answer the first part. I am

:19:20. > :19:24.not going to prejudge or be tempted into prejudging. We are in the same

:19:25. > :19:30.situation as we work during the election. I asked people like you

:19:31. > :19:38.again and again, where of the 12 billion coming from, the answer was

:19:39. > :19:43.none, now you are giving me the same answer. We will deliver on our

:19:44. > :19:47.manifesto pledge, protecting the most vulnerable, but I cannot

:19:48. > :19:57.prejudge the Autumn Statement. At the Treasury Select Committee, it

:19:58. > :20:00.was said that the government will Mrs welfare cut by ?20 billion over

:20:01. > :20:04.the course of this Parliament and the factors you can't cut social

:20:05. > :20:09.security spending without hurting the most vulnerable. Social security

:20:10. > :20:13.spending goes to people who are disabled and who are out of work and

:20:14. > :20:17.to an low pay, so the reality is it is going to hurt poor people. One

:20:18. > :20:20.thing worth noting through all of this, in the end, he might have had

:20:21. > :20:25.to resign to do it, but Iain Duncan Smith's actions did get ministers to

:20:26. > :20:29.commit to not raiding the welfare budget any further. If the 12

:20:30. > :20:33.billion a commitment or not? Much of the 12 billion cuts have actually

:20:34. > :20:37.been agreed and legislated for and this is part of the legislation that

:20:38. > :20:40.has gone through. Not all of it but the real question this week has been

:20:41. > :20:45.about whether or not the DWP would be expected to cough up the ?4

:20:46. > :20:51.billion of savings. That is a no and it was a very nifty move by the new

:20:52. > :20:53.Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions.

:20:54. > :21:03.It's not entirely clear whether or not the Chancellor wants to go that

:21:04. > :21:13.far. Laura, thank you very much. When you are quoting these MPs,

:21:14. > :21:18.you've got to be very careful. Ending violence against women has

:21:19. > :21:19.been a priority but there is no strategy for tackling violence gets

:21:20. > :21:22.men or boys. The former editor of Loaded magazine

:21:23. > :21:39.Martin Daubney thinks something It's time to face up to an ugly

:21:40. > :21:42.truth. It's not just men who can murder and violently attacked their

:21:43. > :21:47.partners. This has recently been brought into grim focus with the

:21:48. > :21:51.horrific murder of David Edwards, violently stabbed to death by his

:21:52. > :21:57.wife just eight -- of just eight weeks, Sharon. Women murdering men

:21:58. > :22:03.in Britain is still mercifully rare. Last year, 19 men died at the hands

:22:04. > :22:07.of their partners or ex-partners, compare to 81 women. However, the

:22:08. > :22:12.number of women convicted of domestic abuse as more than

:22:13. > :22:21.quadrupled in the last ten years, to almost 5000 cases in 2014-15.

:22:22. > :22:27.Indeed, according to the male domestic violence charity, for every

:22:28. > :22:32.three people who suffer domestic abuse, two will be female and one

:22:33. > :22:36.will be male, and the Office for National Statistics claims that half

:22:37. > :22:43.a million men suffered Partner abuse in the last year. But the true

:22:44. > :22:48.figure may be even higher. While more women suffer partner abuse than

:22:49. > :22:56.men in Britain, it is estimated that 10% of men tell the police, as

:22:57. > :22:59.opposed to 26% of women. Such statistics shatter the false

:23:00. > :23:05.narratives that only women get battered, men are never victims and

:23:06. > :23:09.women never attack. But while ending violence against women and girls is

:23:10. > :23:12.rightly a governmental priority, there is no similar strategy to

:23:13. > :23:19.tackle violence against men and boys. At least half a million

:23:20. > :23:23.battered men and murdered men, and David Edwards, do they not matter

:23:24. > :23:29.solely because they had the bad fortune to be born male?

:23:30. > :23:32.Martin joins us now. Welcome to the Daily Politics for stock doesn't it

:23:33. > :23:36.make more sense that more resources are being put towards, teen violence

:23:37. > :23:42.against women when clearly the statistics show that more women are

:23:43. > :23:45.victims? Absolutely and that is what is happening right now. Nicky Morgan

:23:46. > :23:49.announced ?80 million of additional funds to combat violence against

:23:50. > :23:53.women and girls, and it is amazing that that piece of strategy is one

:23:54. > :23:57.of the best pieces of legislation in living memory. It is an awesome

:23:58. > :24:01.piece of government and it just doesn't include men and boys. That's

:24:02. > :24:05.the point of my film. It directly doesn't include men and boys because

:24:06. > :24:08.it was formed to combat violence against women and girls. At the

:24:09. > :24:11.moment these men don't have a voice or anywhere to go. There is

:24:12. > :24:17.certainly not the funding to do this. The Mankind initiative needs

:24:18. > :24:24.40 grand to give its phone lines open and it can't get the money. Why

:24:25. > :24:27.doesn't it include that because the figures clearly show that men also

:24:28. > :24:31.the victims of domestic partner abuse? The focus is clearly on the

:24:32. > :24:36.larger side of this, women who suffer, but for men as well, we do

:24:37. > :24:40.fundamental advice line and local authorities who bid to provide the

:24:41. > :24:45.services can use the money for male support. Can you tell me how much of

:24:46. > :24:50.that 80 million quid will be helping men? You said none of it so you

:24:51. > :24:53.sounded like you knew. Do you know that none of it is going to men? May

:24:54. > :24:56.be an official answer might be clearer because I've looked at the

:24:57. > :25:01.legislation and I think it's nothing but I'd like to know if it's

:25:02. > :25:05.nothing. The cool authorities this money. They will use the money and

:25:06. > :25:08.it will be for them to look at what they need in the area, so they can

:25:09. > :25:12.use it for support for men. Which means they could make the decision

:25:13. > :25:16.not to use it to support men. The problem is that hostels for work and

:25:17. > :25:23.children are closing. 34 have closed in the last few years. I'm the

:25:24. > :25:30.patron of leads Women's Aid. Women are being turned away every day.

:25:31. > :25:36.Local authorities have got a reducing budget and women's hostels

:25:37. > :25:40.are closing. There are still 4000 refuge places to protect, rightly

:25:41. > :25:45.so, abused women. There are 25 for men. But you would want to take away

:25:46. > :25:49.the money and resources that go to women? Women's hostels are closing

:25:50. > :25:55.so it is hard for councils to fund yours. You are trying to raise

:25:56. > :25:58.awareness. Do you think that part of the problem is that men, certainly

:25:59. > :26:02.historically and traditionally, still view it as a stigma to talk

:26:03. > :26:08.about these issues in a way that means it's not cutting through? Of

:26:09. > :26:11.course. Men talk about their feelings and it is viewed as them

:26:12. > :26:16.being less of a man. But what I want to say is that strong men reach out

:26:17. > :26:21.for help because you can't just die in silence. What I want to do is to

:26:22. > :26:24.get the message across. Yesterday I found out that it is women calling

:26:25. > :26:29.these helplines for men because the men still feel the stigma and the

:26:30. > :26:32.shame. It is mothers, daughters, sisters, girlfriends, because the

:26:33. > :26:36.men feel disenfranchised and is empowered but when you talk about

:26:37. > :26:40.this issue on the streets... I'm here making a movie about domestic

:26:41. > :26:44.violence against men and the women I told about it were laughing. It is

:26:45. > :26:48.still seen as some sort of joke. It doesn't really exist and when it is,

:26:49. > :26:53.we will sweep it under the carpet. It is like domestic violence against

:26:54. > :26:57.women in the 1970s. It's like we are in a state of denial. It is time to

:26:58. > :27:00.face up to it. Do you think you are the right person to be campaigning

:27:01. > :27:08.on this? People might say, well, it's all right, you use to edit a

:27:09. > :27:17.labs' Madoc -- a lads magazine. Do you think it will finally get to an

:27:18. > :27:21.end but not through people like you? Anybody that has the voice is

:27:22. > :27:25.somebody. It is easy to shoot the messenger. I want people to listen

:27:26. > :27:30.to the message and Jamie Benn. Men listen to me because of my dubious

:27:31. > :27:35.heritage. Young men, lads, listen to people like me, not politicians. If

:27:36. > :27:39.they're told by men they kind of admire, or at least they listen to,

:27:40. > :27:43.that it's OK to talk out, I don't care if I get the flak. I just want

:27:44. > :27:47.these men to pick up the phone and get help. Rachel, do you think it is

:27:48. > :27:51.an issue that needs to be addressed, as well as the issue about domestic

:27:52. > :27:56.violence towards women? Absolutely. I pay tribute to you for speaking

:27:57. > :27:59.out about these things because you are right that people use to brush

:28:00. > :28:07.domestic violence against women under the carpet and just say, it's

:28:08. > :28:14.just normal and acceptable... And he won't do it again? Or, if he's had a

:28:15. > :28:20.difficult day at work or a few too many drinks but he loves you really.

:28:21. > :28:24.We have to end it there. Thanks very much. Very interesting.

:28:25. > :28:27.There's just time to put you out of your misery and give

:28:28. > :28:39.The year was 2011. Rachel, press the buzzer, which matches your dress.

:28:40. > :28:50.I notice you didn't try to pronounce that name! How is the wee bairns?

:28:51. > :28:55.Nine months now. Doing well. BBC One carrying the news shortly. We will

:28:56. > :28:57.be here on BBC Two again at the same time tomorrow. Until then, thanks

:28:58. > :29:00.for watching and bye-bye.