25/01/2017

:00:35. > :00:37.Morning, folks, welcome to the Daily Politics.

:00:38. > :00:40.The Government lost its battle with the judges over Article 50,

:00:41. > :00:42.but it's confident it will win the war when it comes

:00:43. > :00:46.to Parliament kicking off the process of leaving the EU.

:00:47. > :00:50.The Government plans to rush a Bill through the Commons and the Lords

:00:51. > :00:53.of triggering Article 50 by the end of March.

:00:54. > :00:59.Labour has threatened to wage "hand-to-hand combat"

:01:00. > :01:03.to ensure proper scrutiny of the Brexit process.

:01:04. > :01:06.So will there be verbal fisticuffs at Prime Minister's Questions?

:01:07. > :01:11.Donald Trump will welcome Theresa May to the White House on Friday,

:01:12. > :01:14.the first foreign leader to meet the new President.

:01:15. > :01:18.So what are the chances of a new US-UK trade deal

:01:19. > :01:24.Some grammar schools in England say they could start

:01:25. > :01:27.asking parents for money to cope with cash shortfalls.

:01:28. > :01:36.But will they lose out under the Government's new funding formula?

:01:37. > :01:39.All that in the next hour and a half, and with us for the duration

:01:40. > :01:41.are Home Office Minister Brandon Lewis

:01:42. > :01:43.and the Shadow Brexit Minister, Paul Blomfield.

:01:44. > :01:53.Now, the Government says it's still on course

:01:54. > :01:57.of triggering Article 50 by the end of March.

:01:58. > :01:59.That would then kick off the formal two-year exit negotiation

:02:00. > :02:02.with the EU and, if all goes according to plan,

:02:03. > :02:04.would result in our departure in March 2019.

:02:05. > :02:06.Yesterday, the Supreme Court upheld a High Court judgment

:02:07. > :02:08.which said the Government could only trigger Article 50

:02:09. > :02:17.So what's the timetable between now and the triggering of Article 50?

:02:18. > :02:27.Tomorrow, the Government is expected to publish a short Bill mandating

:02:28. > :02:32.The hope for Theresa May is that she can pass

:02:33. > :02:34.the bill through the Commons in a couple of weeks.

:02:35. > :02:37.But opposition parties say they'll try to amend the legislation.

:02:38. > :02:41.And the bill will also need to pass the House of Lords,

:02:42. > :02:45.where the Government does not have a majority.

:02:46. > :02:50.The Labour Party is expected to set out four amendments to the bill,

:02:51. > :02:52.including one that would require the Government

:02:53. > :02:55.to produce a white paper, or formal policy document,

:02:56. > :03:01.That's set to be backed a number of Tory backbenchers

:03:02. > :03:09.who supported Remain in the referendum.

:03:10. > :03:11.And the Scottish National Party will table 50 amendments,

:03:12. > :03:18.to give the devolved administrations a bigger role in the Brexit process.

:03:19. > :03:21.So there will be a lot for the Prime Minister to mull over

:03:22. > :03:23.on her flight to Washington on Friday,

:03:24. > :03:27.world leaders to meet President Donald Trump.

:03:28. > :03:29.Discussions of a trade deal with the US will top the agenda,

:03:30. > :03:31.with Downing Street keen to capitalise

:03:32. > :03:33.on Britain's place at the "front of the queue".

:03:34. > :03:35.Back on home soil, Mrs May's self-imposed deadline

:03:36. > :03:38.to trigger Article 50 is the end of March.

:03:39. > :03:41.But can she get her Brexit bill through Parliament in time?

:03:42. > :03:51.And what will it look like when it becomes law?

:03:52. > :03:54.The Brexit Secretary, David Davis, has been speaking about the

:03:55. > :03:56.Government's next steps. Last year the British

:03:57. > :03:58.people made a decision The Government is going

:03:59. > :04:01.to deliver on that decision. Last week, the Prime Minister laid

:04:02. > :04:04.out a plan, answered every question that it's possible to answer,

:04:05. > :04:06.laid down by the Opposition, the Select Committee,

:04:07. > :04:09.seen as clear throughout the world and supported in many places,

:04:10. > :04:12.and we're going to deliver on that. The Article 50 ruling

:04:13. > :04:15.is not going to stop that. We're going to have legislation,

:04:16. > :04:19.very shortly, in the next few weeks, I'm joined now by the SNP's economy

:04:20. > :04:34.spokesman, Stewart Hosie. Welcome to the Daily Politics.

:04:35. > :04:38.Stewart Hosie, new figures show that Scottish trade with the rest of the

:04:39. > :04:42.UK continues to be with four times more than its exports to the EU, so

:04:43. > :04:45.these numbers just continue to underline why it is far more

:04:46. > :04:51.important for Scotland to remain part of the UK than the EU, don't

:04:52. > :04:55.they? Well, they certainly are bigger, no question about that, four

:04:56. > :05:04.times bigger, but the EU market is eight times bigger, and the growth

:05:05. > :05:07.in trade up until the figures today, I think in the seven years to 2014,

:05:08. > :05:10.from memory, was a 12% increase from Scotland to the rest of the UK, 20%

:05:11. > :05:14.increase to the EU, and 50% of the rest of the world, Jordan by EU

:05:15. > :05:19.agreements. Where is your evidence for that? We can publish those

:05:20. > :05:23.figures, I have been through this stuff, more than happy to do that.

:05:24. > :05:27.The whole point about it is there is no point looking at the static

:05:28. > :05:31.position. What we cannot do is surrender the growth we are seeing

:05:32. > :05:37.in the EU, and the growth we are seeing globally, Drouin by EU trade

:05:38. > :05:41.agreements. So it is vital, among other things, that we have trade

:05:42. > :05:46.agreements in place to replace the ones we are going to lose. I have

:05:47. > :05:52.got the Scottish Government export figures here, they have been done

:05:53. > :05:57.since 2002. Scottish exports to the European Union in 2002 were just

:05:58. > :06:02.over 10 billion. In 2014-15, they were just over 10 billion, they

:06:03. > :06:06.haven't moved in ten years. These are your government's figures. I

:06:07. > :06:11.have published the figures... The figures I have given you show the

:06:12. > :06:13.increase in trade to the EU and the increase in trade to the rest of the

:06:14. > :06:20.world, happily publish those figures. The increase in trade to

:06:21. > :06:26.the rest of the UK, under 30 billion in 2002, almost 50,000,000,020 14.

:06:27. > :06:30.That is where the rises. Scottish Government export statistics

:06:31. > :06:34.published by your government. I will publish the figures which I have

:06:35. > :06:39.given you today, I am happy to do that, but the point I am making is a

:06:40. > :06:44.substantial point, that we cannot surrender trade growth and access to

:06:45. > :06:47.EU and global markets by abandoning the EU trade treaties, unless and

:06:48. > :06:51.until other alternatives are put in place, and we don't revert

:06:52. > :06:56.immediately to the worst-case scenario of the tariff every WTO

:06:57. > :07:00.rules. But let's look at those figures in detail, in terms of the

:07:01. > :07:05.amount of trade, the latest export statistics, Scottish data shows the

:07:06. > :07:11.country sold ?49.8 billion to the rest of the UK in 2015. That is 2.1

:07:12. > :07:17.billion more than the previous year, it is increasing. Exports to the EU

:07:18. > :07:24.rose by ?520 million to a total of just ?12.3 billion. That is ?50

:07:25. > :07:29.billion versus 12.3 billion, so which market is more important? On

:07:30. > :07:33.the static figures, there is no disputing that the UK market is...

:07:34. > :07:39.By a massive margin! As is Scotland to the rest of the UK, the rest of

:07:40. > :07:44.the UK's second largest export market. Your colleagues said it was

:07:45. > :07:48.the first, about Scotland being England's biggest export

:07:49. > :07:54.destination, which was not true. That was in the context of the EU,

:07:55. > :07:58.it is the biggest market in the EU for exports. She didn't say that,

:07:59. > :08:03.she said the biggest export destination, and she was talking

:08:04. > :08:10.about goods and services, as compared to HMRC statistics, much

:08:11. > :08:15.higher to the USA. And indeed I have just said that, the whole debate was

:08:16. > :08:21.about the EU. Excuse me, I did that interview - she said quite plainly

:08:22. > :08:26.that Scotland was England's biggest export market. It wasn't just about

:08:27. > :08:31.the EU, and Alex Salmond said on Radio 4, Scotland is England's

:08:32. > :08:38.biggest export market. It is not true. The numbers are very clear.

:08:39. > :08:42.Yeah, it is not true. The US is the UK's largest export market, Scotland

:08:43. > :08:47.is the second. Given we are focused on the EU and Brexit, the argument

:08:48. > :08:52.that Scotland is the UK's largest export market in the EU is

:08:53. > :08:55.absolutely correct, but the key thing, we are about to abandon trade

:08:56. > :08:59.treaties that will begin trade growth around the world and revert

:09:00. > :09:05.to tariff heavy and damaging WTO rules. That is where we need to be

:09:06. > :09:09.having the focus. You are worried about tariffs being placed on goods,

:09:10. > :09:14.it will affect growth, and any free trade deal that might be done, so

:09:15. > :09:19.you are putting down 50 amendments on the Article 50 bill. Now, you

:09:20. > :09:22.have got 54 MPs, almost one third MP, is there any chance he will win

:09:23. > :09:28.enough support for any of those amendments? Well, our number one is

:09:29. > :09:33.a white paper. I think there is huge support for that. Secondly, this

:09:34. > :09:37.full is back to yesterday's ruling, we think the joint Ministerial

:09:38. > :09:43.Council should take a unanimous view so that any of the devolved nations

:09:44. > :09:47.are not railroaded. And then when we come to specific things, like

:09:48. > :09:52.ensuring academic funding of 2020, like ensuring trade arrangements are

:09:53. > :09:55.put in place, financial passporting for our financial services industry,

:09:56. > :09:58.one would imagine there would be substantial support for the

:09:59. > :10:02.certainty we currently do not have. If you don't get what you are

:10:03. > :10:06.looking for, what you feel you should be part of those discussions,

:10:07. > :10:14.when will you go for an independence referendum? We are not in a position

:10:15. > :10:18.of calling a referendum today. No, but by the end of March Article 50

:10:19. > :10:21.will have been triggered. We are in a position right now, the Scottish

:10:22. > :10:26.Government, trying to persuade the UK Government to take the least

:10:27. > :10:29.worst option, to mitigate some of the damage Brexit will cause. That

:10:30. > :10:35.is where we are at the moment, so we need to wait and see what the joint

:10:36. > :10:38.ministerial councils say formally about the Scottish Government

:10:39. > :10:43.submission, which is a very detailed paper indeed, far more detailed than

:10:44. > :10:45.the 12 point presentation the Prime Minister gave at Lancaster House.

:10:46. > :10:47.Stewart Hosie, thank you. Well, Labour says it doesn't trust

:10:48. > :10:49.the Government to negotiate on behalf of the country

:10:50. > :10:52.without them "keeping an eye on it". The Shadow Foreign Secretary even

:10:53. > :10:54.threatened to get physical in order to ensure proper scrutiny

:10:55. > :10:57.of the Brexit process. We think she wasn't

:10:58. > :10:58.being entirely literal, We do not trust them to go off

:10:59. > :11:04.on their own and negotiate on our behalf, in Europe,

:11:05. > :11:08.without us keeping an eye on them. That's why, today,

:11:09. > :11:10.what we were saying, was that Article 50,

:11:11. > :11:13.if it is going to be triggered, we will not get in the way of it

:11:14. > :11:17.but we will try and amend the legislation in order to ensure

:11:18. > :11:19.that they keep coming back, and if necessary there will be

:11:20. > :11:23.hand-to-hand combat on this. We need to make sure we get the best

:11:24. > :11:27.deal on behalf of the whole country. She can't say she acts on behalf

:11:28. > :11:30.of the whole country without actually negotiating

:11:31. > :11:47.with Parliament, Paul Blomfield, what did she mean by

:11:48. > :11:51.hand-to-hand combat? Well, I think you are right, we probably don't

:11:52. > :11:58.mean that literally! I am glad you clarify that! I am sure you are

:11:59. > :12:02.reassured as well! I think the point is we don't have confidence in the

:12:03. > :12:05.Government going away with no accountability to negotiate what is

:12:06. > :12:10.the most important decision this country has faced in our lifetime,

:12:11. > :12:15.and it is not just Labour, it was clear across the House and among

:12:16. > :12:18.businessmen I have been talking to. When the negotiations are taking

:12:19. > :12:22.place, do you expect ministers to come back to Parliament and say,

:12:23. > :12:29.well, we have negotiated this bit, can we have your approval? Do you

:12:30. > :12:35.expect them to give a tale to account for Parliamentary scrutiny

:12:36. > :12:39.while the talks are going on? -- a failed account. Not in that sense,

:12:40. > :12:44.but there needs to be scrutiny, there needs to be proper

:12:45. > :12:49.Parliamentary... So tell me how you would do it. The first thing is we

:12:50. > :12:52.would not have at any explanation if it had not been for Labour forcing

:12:53. > :12:57.that through on the floor of the House of Commons. We want a white

:12:58. > :13:02.paper or policy document. What do you want to do when the negotiations

:13:03. > :13:07.start? What you see at the role of Parliament then? I am confused. We

:13:08. > :13:16.expect the Government to report back regularly. But I just said that and

:13:17. > :13:19.you said no. What you said, with respect, Andrew, was in the gritty

:13:20. > :13:22.detail of day-to-day discussions. Those negotiating on behalf of the

:13:23. > :13:27.European Union will be reporting back regularly to the European

:13:28. > :13:32.Parliament. The British Parliament deserves no less. Will you publish a

:13:33. > :13:35.white paper? The government has been quite open about how we move

:13:36. > :13:40.forward, the focus is around looking at what people say, the Prime

:13:41. > :13:45.Minister outlined a plan, delivering on what the British people voted.

:13:46. > :13:49.Let me repeat the question, will you publish a white paper? In terms of a

:13:50. > :13:54.white paper, it is something the Government has got to be looking at,

:13:55. > :13:58.but it comes down to a process discussion. What the public are

:13:59. > :14:01.looking for is the Government to deliver what the public voted for,

:14:02. > :14:05.the Prime Minister has outlined a clear plan, we have to get on with

:14:06. > :14:14.delivering Brexit for the British people. So a white paper is a

:14:15. > :14:16.possibility, is that right? The Government has been clear about

:14:17. > :14:21.setting up the plans. And you want a white paper? If you don't get one,

:14:22. > :14:25.do you still vote for Article 50? We are going to be tabling a number of

:14:26. > :14:32.amendments, one on a white paper or policy document, which I think there

:14:33. > :14:34.is wide support for. We want to hold the Prime Minister to the

:14:35. > :14:38.negotiating objectives in terms of protecting the rights we have a

:14:39. > :14:41.cumulated over 43 years. One will be on meaningful votes at the end of

:14:42. > :14:46.the process, and that is what I mean when I say we want to have a grip on

:14:47. > :14:51.what is going on. But if you don't get your amendments or a white

:14:52. > :14:56.paper, do you still vote for Article 50? Article 50 triggers the process.

:14:57. > :15:02.I know what it does, are you going to vote for it or not. I was going

:15:03. > :15:07.to explain my vote in that context, because we respect the outcome of

:15:08. > :15:12.the referendum, we lost, so we will vote to trigger the process to start

:15:13. > :15:17.negotiations. Even if you don't get a white paper? We think we will get

:15:18. > :15:19.a white paper, because there is huge support for it on both sides of the

:15:20. > :15:28.house. It's hard to know what your party's

:15:29. > :15:32.position is. Yesterday Jeremy Corbyn called for a press reless of

:15:33. > :15:35.tariff-free access to the single market. 30 minutes later it was

:15:36. > :15:42.retracted, why? I cannot explain that. Aren't you the Brexit... I

:15:43. > :15:46.can't explain the details of the operation of our press team. But we

:15:47. > :15:50.have been clear at all stages and Emily was last night. This was

:15:51. > :15:56.Jeremy Corbyn's office. He said Labour would table an amendment to

:15:57. > :16:00.guarantee "Full tariff-free access across the single market." Which by

:16:01. > :16:09.the way is the Government's aim as well. If they do it is another

:16:10. > :16:17.matter. Yet, 30 minutes after the press release was issued, that

:16:18. > :16:22.sentence was removed, why? Let me be clear, we are in free of tar you

:16:23. > :16:26.have-free impediment free access to the single market. Why remove it? I

:16:27. > :16:30.cannot explain the actions of the press office but let's be clear, we

:16:31. > :16:33.want tariff-free access to the single market. We want to tie

:16:34. > :16:36.Theresa May down to that because that's what she claims she wants,

:16:37. > :16:41.too. Brendan what is the argument against, when the deal is done, when

:16:42. > :16:44.we see the terms of which we are leaving the European Union, the

:16:45. > :16:48.best, your Government has been able to get after the 20-year process and

:16:49. > :16:52.we see what the land lies as we leave the EU, what kind of deal it

:16:53. > :16:55.will be. What is the argument for not putting that to a referendum?

:16:56. > :16:57.Well the British people voted in a referendum to leave the European

:16:58. > :17:00.Union. They didn't know the terms. We were very clear in the referendum

:17:01. > :17:04.what it meant, it meant leaving the European Union. Anything that starts

:17:05. > :17:08.looking like or politicians doing things that looks like it is delay,

:17:09. > :17:13.the British people will be angry about. The British people voted in

:17:14. > :17:17.principle to leave the EU. They also had broad outlines of what that

:17:18. > :17:22.would mean, they felt it would mean controlling borders and so on. But

:17:23. > :17:26.you know that the deal itself will be much more complicated and you may

:17:27. > :17:30.not get all you want. Why can't we have another vote on that? What we

:17:31. > :17:33.have said and what the Prime Minister has outlined and David

:17:34. > :17:36.Davis, the Secretary of State has outlined is Parliament through the

:17:37. > :17:40.process, the opposite of what Paul outlined, will have a change to

:17:41. > :17:43.debate. I opened the debant we dated Brexit and securing and policing

:17:44. > :17:48.last week, there will be more debates like that. It gives a chance

:17:49. > :17:53.for Parliament to feed in, what it thinks about the issues. At the end

:17:54. > :17:55.of the process when we know what the deal is, Parliament,

:17:56. > :18:00.democratically-elected MPs will have a vote on that deal. But you can't

:18:01. > :18:04.say yet whether you would vote for the deal or not because you don't

:18:05. > :18:08.know the deal. So, that's still up for grabs, I assume. You need to

:18:09. > :18:12.see... The votes at the end of the process are up for grabs. What isn't

:18:13. > :18:15.up for grabs is voting to trigger the process. That's what the

:18:16. > :18:18.referendum delieded. Brandon is misleading on some of the debates

:18:19. > :18:22.we've had so far. The Government determined the topics of the debate.

:18:23. > :18:25.We haven't talked about the single market or customs union or the key

:18:26. > :18:29.issues facing the economy and jobs in this country. But there are more

:18:30. > :18:33.debates to come. So these things will be covered. Equally, of course,

:18:34. > :18:37.the Labour Party have opposition day debates, they could have brought

:18:38. > :18:41.them in those. We have had debates about important things. Last week we

:18:42. > :18:46.had a debate about what breaks it can mean and what our framework and

:18:47. > :18:49.desires are for security, law enforcement and criminal justice,

:18:50. > :18:52.just last week. All right. Would you support a referendum on the deal? We

:18:53. > :19:00.are not calling for a referendum. Why not? Because the British people

:19:01. > :19:03.have cast their verdict and to call their judgment into account at this

:19:04. > :19:10.stage would be clearly a wrong thing to do. So what we are calling for is

:19:11. > :19:13.for the Government to publish their plans, clearly and there is stuff

:19:14. > :19:18.about Theresa May having done so in her speech. She has sown the seeds

:19:19. > :19:21.of confusion on issues like the customs union, for example. We want

:19:22. > :19:22.clarity and accountability throughout. OK, we'll leave it

:19:23. > :19:28.there. So once Theresa May has got PMQs

:19:29. > :19:29.out of the way, the next big thing in her

:19:30. > :19:31.diary comes on Friday. Yes, that meeting with

:19:32. > :19:34.President Trump at the White House. Theresa May will be

:19:35. > :19:35.the first foreign leader And no doubt the prospects

:19:36. > :19:44.of a trade deal between the two Our next biggest single trade

:19:45. > :19:51.partner outside the EU is the USA, would be a big plus for

:19:52. > :19:55.the Prime Minister. Well, the new administration has

:19:56. > :19:56.been making warm noises We're excited that Prime Minister

:19:57. > :19:59.May is coming on Friday. The degree to which,

:20:00. > :20:05.I don't know yet. I'm sure we'll have an opportunity

:20:06. > :20:10.to brief you out. I don't believe we have any plans

:20:11. > :20:13.right now for a joint press conference but that's

:20:14. > :20:15.something our team will be working out with Prime Minister May

:20:16. > :20:22.and we'll keep you updated on that. Sean Spicer there, the White House

:20:23. > :20:25.press spokesman. Brandon Lewis, a former chief White House trade

:20:26. > :20:29.negotiator has said a trade deal with the US could help Britain

:20:30. > :20:34.become the Singapore of the Western world is that what you are aiming

:20:35. > :20:39.for We want it aim to make sure the UK and Great Britain, we don't want

:20:40. > :20:43.to be mirror images, or variations of somebody else, the same with the

:20:44. > :20:47.European deal. But a deal that is right for our country. With the

:20:48. > :20:52.amount of trade we do with the United States, any further work we

:20:53. > :20:58.can do in an improved and new trade deal has to be good for both our

:20:59. > :21:07.countries and the UK economy. She said the challenge will be coming

:21:08. > :21:13.with up a model that will work with both the US and UK. If that means

:21:14. > :21:15.the UK becoming a bit like Singapore, as Philip Hammond

:21:16. > :21:17.certainly warned,p didn't use the word Singapore but said they could

:21:18. > :21:21.do things economically that could prepare the UK if they didn't get a

:21:22. > :21:25.free trade deal with the EU that they would like, is that something

:21:26. > :21:27.you would like to emulate, Singapore, a successful country,

:21:28. > :21:30.somewhere you would like to emulate? You are right. A successful country

:21:31. > :21:33.but I'm focussed on getting the right deal with the European Union,

:21:34. > :21:36.getting a deal that's good for us and doing a deal with the United

:21:37. > :21:38.States. Historically our economy and the United States' economy have

:21:39. > :21:41.worked well. So coming up with a trade deal that works, that is

:21:42. > :21:44.beneficial for both countries has to be a good thing and actually for the

:21:45. > :21:47.global economy. Do you agree Singapore is a success story? It has

:21:48. > :21:51.been a success story on their own terms but not the terms we want for

:21:52. > :21:54.our country. You are right to highlight the extraordinary threat

:21:55. > :21:58.that Philip Hammond and Theresa May made last week, about the sort of

:21:59. > :22:00.country they'll make us if they don't get their way with the

:22:01. > :22:04.European Union. That wasn't a threat to Europe or the rest of Europe, it

:22:05. > :22:09.was a threat to the British people. Did you see it as a threat? Does it

:22:10. > :22:18.mean slashing corporation tax further? I never prejudge what might

:22:19. > :22:23.come in future budgets and we can't prejudge what will come. It is about

:22:24. > :22:27.making sure we get a deal, a win-win, good for our country and

:22:28. > :22:30.good for partners in Europe? But would you be prepared to take those

:22:31. > :22:34.steps, would you see it as a win-win? That's something the

:22:35. > :22:37.Chancellor will have to lack at as we go through the process based on

:22:38. > :22:41.the decisions we are able to agree with the European Union. But

:22:42. > :22:47.decisions on a trade deal with the America, if we get that the Treasury

:22:48. > :22:50.and Government will look at what is right about this country. Always,

:22:51. > :22:54.our first duty is what is right for the UK. Are you excited about the

:22:55. > :22:57.prospect of Theresa May meeting Donald Trump? I have to say, I find

:22:58. > :23:02.it extraordinary that Brandon is leaving the door open for a bargain

:23:03. > :23:05.basement, low page, low packs poor public servant economy. Is that what

:23:06. > :23:10.he said? That's what you are alluding to in your question about

:23:11. > :23:15.Singapore and what Philip Hammond was threatening, we would try to be

:23:16. > :23:19.the cheap man of Europe, competing on those terms, reducing costs.

:23:20. > :23:23.That's your interpretation. My question is are you proud, looking

:23:24. > :23:25.forward to Theresa May, the Prime Minister here being the first

:23:26. > :23:30.foreign leader meeting Donald Trump? I think it is unfortunate while she

:23:31. > :23:32.was issuing threats to Europe and our Foreign Secretary was casually

:23:33. > :23:36.comparing French politicians with Nazis, that we are falling over

:23:37. > :23:40.ourselves or that Theresa May is falling over herself to ingratiate

:23:41. > :23:44.the UK with Donald Trump, who is a protectionist. It is going to be

:23:45. > :23:52.very interesting to see what these trade deal discussions lead to?

:23:53. > :23:55.Every indication is he could be an isolationist, protectionist, his

:23:56. > :23:59.inauguration speech pointed in that direction - buy American, hire

:24:00. > :24:02.American, America first. The Foreign Secretary didn't say anything like

:24:03. > :24:06.what Paul inner iffed and it is not what I said either. In terms of the

:24:07. > :24:12.Prime Minister going to the United States, I am proud of that. I think

:24:13. > :24:15.it really reinforces the fact the world's largest globally economy,

:24:16. > :24:18.the super power in the world at the moment, the United States, our

:24:19. > :24:21.oldest, strongest ally, we do more with them in security and trade than

:24:22. > :24:25.any other single country in the world and the fact they want to see

:24:26. > :24:30.our British female Prime Minister first is a good indication of where

:24:31. > :24:33.we are. And you dismiss the comments about building a war, making Mexico

:24:34. > :24:38.play, outrageous comments, that can be parked, can it? No, it can't. I

:24:39. > :24:40.think one of the points to remember in a good friendship, between

:24:41. > :24:44.friends, you are able to have frank conversations. Is she going to have

:24:45. > :24:47.that frank conversation? Snipe' confident our Prime Minister,

:24:48. > :24:51.Theresa May, will have the strength and steel to explain exactly where

:24:52. > :24:54.we stand as a country, things we don't always agree on and gooder

:24:55. > :24:57.partners do have to have those conversations. The strength of our

:24:58. > :24:59.friendship with America, as a country is that we can do that. All

:25:00. > :25:03.right, thank you. Now, as you know, on this programme

:25:04. > :25:05.we are always looking for ways And the good news today

:25:06. > :25:08.is that exports of British spirits are indeed up -

:25:09. > :25:10.especially gin, according So what better way to toast this

:25:11. > :25:20.success, Your Majesty, We know this is your favourite

:25:21. > :25:25.daytime programme. than stirring into your Dubonnet,

:25:26. > :25:27.some mother's ruin, that is making And what better way to serve

:25:28. > :25:32.than on the rocks with a sliced This is a shame I am ale on Dry

:25:33. > :25:40.January. But you know, there is only

:25:41. > :25:43.one way to get your gin That is to guess when all this

:25:44. > :25:54.happened. # Poison

:25:55. > :26:08.flashing images coming up. # You're

:26:09. > :26:09.poison running through my veins NEWSREEL: The Chancellor,

:26:10. > :26:13.Nigel Lawson resigned tonight, taking the Government,

:26:14. > :26:16.Westminster and financial markets around the world

:26:17. > :26:24.totally by surprised. # You will never,

:26:25. > :26:30.never, never know me...# # I've been around

:26:31. > :26:33.long enough to know # This time I know it's

:26:34. > :26:38.for real...# there between the SDLP,

:26:39. > :26:43.and the SLD and the SNP and the SDP # Before you tear me

:26:44. > :26:53.all apart # Before you go and

:26:54. > :27:11.break my heart...# To be in with a chance of winning

:27:12. > :27:13.a Daily Politics mug, send your answer to our special

:27:14. > :27:16.quiz email address. Entries must arrive by 12:30 today,

:27:17. > :27:20.and you can see the full terms and conditions for Guess

:27:21. > :27:22.The Year on our website. It's coming up to midday here,

:27:23. > :27:31.just take a look at Big Ben, Yes, Prime Minister's

:27:32. > :27:40.Questions is on its way. A very foggy London today, but Laura

:27:41. > :27:47.Kuenssberg has made it through the fog. I have. Are we going to return

:27:48. > :27:52.to Europe today with Mr Corbyn? Well, as ever, it is always a bit

:27:53. > :27:55.dangerous to be too sure about it. I think it would be pretty surprising.

:27:56. > :27:58.This was so much the subject not just of the weekend, the thing

:27:59. > :28:02.everybody has been talking about really since the new year but

:28:03. > :28:06.absolutely of the moment with Labour and some Tory rebels, we call them

:28:07. > :28:10.now, rebel Remainers, pushing for once at the same thing, both of them

:28:11. > :28:15.pushing at this idea of forcing the Government to come up with a white

:28:16. > :28:18.paper, a document in terms of presenting formally their plans for

:28:19. > :28:23.the Brexit negotiations T maybe that Mr Corbyn decides to use some of his

:28:24. > :28:27.questions to go on that. -- it may be. However, word suggesting he may

:28:28. > :28:31.also pick up on the rough sleeping statistics on homelessness out this

:28:32. > :28:34.morning. We know Jeremy Corbyn has made times raised the issue of

:28:35. > :28:39.housing much those figures show a big rise. He may choose to mention

:28:40. > :28:49.that. Is this line, we have heard it several times now, that we don't

:28:50. > :28:53.want a bargain basement Britain, we don't want rights to be curtailed

:28:54. > :28:57.and go the, at that haven way. Is that a line he might pursue? Indeed

:28:58. > :29:03.I think they are trying it make that stick N terms of a critique of the

:29:04. > :29:09.Government's plan for Brexit that is something, given that Labour

:29:10. > :29:15.disagrees intermly over the facets of this, it is a message they are

:29:16. > :29:19.unite around, we don't want the country to go in a direction they

:29:20. > :29:23.are not happy with and workers' rights exploited. We know that's

:29:24. > :29:31.something that Jeremy Corbyn has picked out again and again in terms

:29:32. > :29:34.of Brexit. But, Paul Blomfield, Sadiq Khan, the Labour Mayor of

:29:35. > :29:37.London says he has spoken to a number of people, including Frances

:29:38. > :29:41.O'Grady who have been dealing with the Government, I've spoken to them

:29:42. > :29:46.as well and he says - I don't think they want to weaken workers' rights,

:29:47. > :29:49.I have seen no evidence in the conversations I have had, with

:29:50. > :29:52.senior members of the Government that that is their aI conspiracy or

:29:53. > :29:56.intention with something they want to do. It is indeed what what they

:29:57. > :30:01.said and I think it is probably for Brandon or others to answer - what

:30:02. > :30:08.did they mean by that threat, when Philip Hammond made his point and

:30:09. > :30:12.Theresa May echoed it in her speech last beak, a different economic and

:30:13. > :30:16.social model, what does it mean? But Sadiq Khan would not say this,

:30:17. > :30:21.unless he believes it to be true. Well, we aim to hold the Government

:30:22. > :30:25.to account on the pledge which David Davis made again yesterday, they

:30:26. > :30:28.don't want to weaken workers' rights. So what does that

:30:29. > :30:34.threatening change in our economic model mean? How are they using this

:30:35. > :30:38.as a bargaining chip? Not a helpful quote from Sadiq Khan Know nor is

:30:39. > :30:41.what one Government minister said to me yesterday, in the department they

:30:42. > :30:43.were talking about - they were looking to be more progressive and

:30:44. > :30:45.actually entrench rights in their particular part of Government than

:30:46. > :30:48.actually currently under the EU legislation. I think it goes to the

:30:49. > :30:51.fact that actually while Brexit s if you like a menu without prices, it

:30:52. > :30:54.is difficult for Labour to be able to be clear. It is rhetoric

:30:55. > :30:58.attacking rhetoric, rather than raet Rick going after a reality. What are

:30:59. > :31:03.the chances the Government whips out a white paper from its handbag in

:31:04. > :31:06.the next couple of weeks? I think it is not impossible and ministers are

:31:07. > :31:09.very happy to have this up their sleeve. However there has been a

:31:10. > :31:14.debate about whether or not they should do it now T would be an

:31:15. > :31:19.unplanned defeat, if you like, an unplanned concession, when they felt

:31:20. > :31:23.really very chipper last night in the wake of the legal ruling but it

:31:24. > :31:28.is not impossible they go - here you are, here is one I made earlier.

:31:29. > :31:31.Stnt just a cut and paste job of Theresa May's speech with the odd

:31:32. > :31:44.foot note. Well... Hold that without. Over to PMQs.

:31:45. > :31:53.I am sure the whole House will wish to join me in welcoming Mr Speaker

:31:54. > :31:59.and his colleagues. Order, questions to the Prime Minister, Helen Jones!

:32:00. > :32:04.Number one, Sir. The Prime Minister. As the response from the whole House

:32:05. > :32:08.showed, we do indeed all welcome the Speaker of the Burmese Parliament

:32:09. > :32:12.and his colleagues to see our deliberations today. I am also sure

:32:13. > :32:17.that the whole house will join me in sending our thoughts to the police

:32:18. > :32:22.officer who was shot in Belfast over the weekend, and to his friends and

:32:23. > :32:27.family. PSNI do a superb job in keeping us set and secure. Mr

:32:28. > :32:33.Speaker, this morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and

:32:34. > :32:36.others. In a addition to my duties in this house, I will further such

:32:37. > :32:42.meetings, and later this week I will travel to the United States for with

:32:43. > :32:45.President Trump. May I join the Prime Minister in sending good

:32:46. > :32:52.wishes to the police officer who was shot in Belfast? They are the best

:32:53. > :32:59.strikers on social mobility, 99% are rated good or outstanding, and 65%

:33:00. > :33:02.of their places are in the most deprived areas of this country. So

:33:03. > :33:09.why is the Prime Minister introducing cuts that threatened the

:33:10. > :33:13.very existence of maintained nursery schools? When it comes to social

:33:14. > :33:19.mobility, her actions speak far louder than her words. I want to

:33:20. > :33:23.ensure, and this Government wants to ensure, that we see good quality

:33:24. > :33:28.education at every age and at every stage for children in this country.

:33:29. > :33:32.That is why we are looking at improving the number of good school

:33:33. > :33:36.places, budget talks about my record, speaking louder than words.

:33:37. > :33:40.Can I just point out to the honourable lady that I was very

:33:41. > :33:44.proud, as chairman of an education authority in London in the 1990s, to

:33:45. > :33:51.introduce nursery school places for every three and four -year-old whose

:33:52. > :33:57.parents wanted one? The Prime Minister laid out a clear and bold

:33:58. > :34:06.plan for Brexit in her speech last week. Honourable... Honourable

:34:07. > :34:11.members... Honourable members, quite rightly, want an opportunity to

:34:12. > :34:16.scrutinise that plan. Does the Prime Minister agree that the best way of

:34:17. > :34:23.facilitating that scrutiny would be a government white paper, laying out

:34:24. > :34:27.the vision for a global Britain, based on free trade, in goods and

:34:28. > :34:32.services, that will be to the benefit of ours and other European

:34:33. > :34:36.countries? Well, my honourable friend raises the question of

:34:37. > :34:39.Parliamentary scrutiny. I have been clear, as have senior ministers,

:34:40. > :34:43.that we will ensure that Parliament has every opportunity to provide

:34:44. > :34:48.that scrutiny on this issue as we go through this process. By directing

:34:49. > :34:52.nice, I set out that bold plan for a global Britain last week, and I

:34:53. > :35:01.recognise there is an opportunity for a white paper. My honourable

:35:02. > :35:07.friend's question, I can confirm to the House that our plan will be set

:35:08. > :35:16.out in a white paper. Jeremy Corbyn! Mr Speaker, I joined the Prime

:35:17. > :35:20.Minister in condolences, in expressing condolences, I am sure,

:35:21. > :35:23.the whole House to the family of the police officer who lost his life

:35:24. > :35:30.over the weekend in Northern Ireland. Mr Speaker, the Prime

:35:31. > :35:36.Minister has wasted 80 days between the time of the original judgment

:35:37. > :35:40.and the appeal, and is now finally admitting today, after pressure from

:35:41. > :35:45.all sides, that there is going to be a date paper. Could we know when

:35:46. > :35:53.this white paper is going to be available to us? And why it has

:35:54. > :36:00.taken so long to get it? LAUGHTER

:36:01. > :36:04.Prime Minister! Can I say to the right honourable gentleman, he asked

:36:05. > :36:07.for debates, I was very clear there will always be debates in this

:36:08. > :36:13.House, and there will continue to be. The asked for votes, the House

:36:14. > :36:17.voted overwhelmingly for the Government to trigger Article 50

:36:18. > :36:21.before the end of March this year. He asked for a plan, I set out, as

:36:22. > :36:27.my honourable friend for Croydon South said, a clear plan for a bold

:36:28. > :36:30.future for Britain. He and others ask for a white paper, I have been

:36:31. > :36:36.clear there will be a white paper. But I am also clear that the right

:36:37. > :36:41.honourable gentleman always ask about process, about the means to

:36:42. > :36:48.the end. I and this government are focusing on the outcomes. We are

:36:49. > :36:52.focusing... We are focusing on a truly global Britain, building a

:36:53. > :36:57.stronger future for this country, the right deal for Britain and

:36:58. > :37:01.Britain out of the European Union. Jeremy Corbyn! Mr Speaker, I

:37:02. > :37:06.question wasn't complicated, it's just asked when the white paper will

:37:07. > :37:12.come out! And will it be published before or at the same time as the

:37:13. > :37:17.bill that is apparently about to be published? Mr Speaker, last week, I

:37:18. > :37:22.asked the Prime Minister repeatedly to clarify whether her government is

:37:23. > :37:27.prepared to pay to secure tariff free access to the single European

:37:28. > :37:31.market. She repeatedly refused to answer the question, so I will ask

:37:32. > :37:37.again. Is there a government ruling out paying a fee for tariff free

:37:38. > :37:42.access to the single market, or the bespoke Customs union that she

:37:43. > :37:45.outlined also in a speech? Than I first of all say to the right

:37:46. > :37:50.honourable gentleman, in his reference to the timing issue, these

:37:51. > :37:54.are two separate issues. The House has overwhelmingly voted that

:37:55. > :37:58.Article 50 should be triggered before the end of March 2017,

:37:59. > :38:02.following the Supreme Court judgment a bill will be provided for this

:38:03. > :38:06.House, and there will be the proper debate in this chamber and another

:38:07. > :38:10.place on that bill. There is then the separate question of publishing

:38:11. > :38:15.the plan that I have set out, a bold vision for Britain for the future. I

:38:16. > :38:18.will do that in a white paper, and the right honourable gentleman knows

:38:19. > :38:25.that one of our objectives is the best possible free trade arrangement

:38:26. > :38:29.with the European Union, and that is what we will be negotiating for.

:38:30. > :38:33.Jeremy Corbyn! Some of this is very worrying too many people in this

:38:34. > :38:36.House, but more importantly it is worrying to many others. For

:38:37. > :38:42.instance, the chief executive of Nissan was given assurances about

:38:43. > :38:47.future trade arrangements with Europe but now says they will have

:38:48. > :38:53.to re-evaluate the situation about their investments in Britain. The

:38:54. > :38:57.Prime Minister, Mr Speaker, is threatening the EU that unless they

:38:58. > :39:01.give in to her demands, she will turn Britain into a bargain basement

:39:02. > :39:07.stacks save and off the coast of Europe. -- bargain basement tax

:39:08. > :39:09.haven. We on this side of the House are very well aware of the

:39:10. > :39:13.consequences that would have, the damage it would do two jobs and

:39:14. > :39:19.living standards and our public services. Is she now going to rule

:39:20. > :39:25.out the bargain basement thread that was in his speech at Lancaster

:39:26. > :39:29.House? Prime Minister! I expect us to get a good deal in trading

:39:30. > :39:34.relationships with the European Union, but I am clear we will not

:39:35. > :39:38.sign up to a bad deal for the United Kingdom, and as to the threats that

:39:39. > :39:42.the right parable gentleman claims about what might happen, and he

:39:43. > :39:46.often talks about this, he uses those phrases, talking about

:39:47. > :39:51.workers' rights, perhaps he should listen to his former colleague, the

:39:52. > :39:54.Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who has today said, to give credit to the

:39:55. > :39:59.Government, I don't think they want to weaken workers' rights, and he

:40:00. > :40:02.goes on to say, I have Cena evidence from the conversations I have had

:40:03. > :40:06.with senior members of the government that that is their

:40:07. > :40:13.aspiration or their intention or something they want to do. -- I have

:40:14. > :40:17.seen no evidence. As usual with Labour, the right hand is not

:40:18. > :40:27.talking to the far left! Jeremy Corbyn! Mr Speaker... Mr Speaker,

:40:28. > :40:30.the... The evidence of what the Tory party and this government really

:40:31. > :40:36.thinks about workers' rights was there for all to see yesterday. A

:40:37. > :40:43.private member's bill under the ten minute rule by a Tory MP to tear up

:40:44. > :40:47.parts of the international labour organisation Convention, talking

:40:48. > :40:50.down my friend the member for Grimsby's built to protect European

:40:51. > :40:55.workers' rights that have been attained in this country. That is

:40:56. > :41:08.the real agenda of the Tory party! Mr Speaker, what the Prime Minister

:41:09. > :41:13.is doing is petted -- petulantly aiming threats about a bargain

:41:14. > :41:18.basement Britain, is a priority the struggling NHS, those denied social

:41:19. > :41:24.care, children having funding cut, or once again be the cuts in big

:41:25. > :41:28.business taxation to make the rich even better off? Prime Minister! I

:41:29. > :41:31.would simply remind the right honourable gentleman on the issue of

:41:32. > :41:35.workers' rights that I have been very clear that this government will

:41:36. > :41:38.protect workers' rights, indeed we have a review of modern employment

:41:39. > :41:44.law to ensure that legislation is keeping up with the modern labour

:41:45. > :41:47.market. One of the objectives I set out in my plan for our negotiating

:41:48. > :41:50.objectives was to protect workers' rights, but he talks about threats

:41:51. > :41:56.to public services. I will tell him what the threat to public services

:41:57. > :42:02.would be, a Labour government borrowing 500 million extra! That

:42:03. > :42:09.would destroy our economy and mean no funding for our public services.

:42:10. > :42:13.Jeremy Corbyn! The threat to workers' rights, Mr Speaker, is

:42:14. > :42:17.there every day. Six million and in less than the living wage, many

:42:18. > :42:23.people, nearly a million, on zero hours contracts, no protection

:42:24. > :42:29.offered by this government. They are offering, once again, the bargain

:42:30. > :42:33.basement alternative. Will the Prime Minister, Mr Speaker, take this

:42:34. > :42:37.opportunity today to congratulate the 100,000 people who marched in

:42:38. > :42:40.Britain last weekend to highlight women's rights after President

:42:41. > :42:48.Trump's inauguration and express their concerns about his misogyny?

:42:49. > :42:51.Because many have concerns, Mr Speaker, that in her forthcoming

:42:52. > :43:00.meeting with President Trump, she will be prepared to offer up. Five

:43:01. > :43:03.is -- to offer up for sacrifice the opportunity for American companies

:43:04. > :43:08.to take over part of our NHS or our public services. Will she assure the

:43:09. > :43:14.House that in any trade deal none of those things will be offered up as a

:43:15. > :43:18.bargaining chip? Prime Minister! Again, I would point out to the

:43:19. > :43:20.honourable gentleman that this government introduced the national

:43:21. > :43:26.living wage. This government has made changes to 0-hours contracts.

:43:27. > :43:31.But on the issue of my visit to the United States of America, on the

:43:32. > :43:36.issue of my visit, I am pleased that I am able to meet President Trump so

:43:37. > :43:40.early in his administration. That is a sign of the strength of the

:43:41. > :43:44.special relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States

:43:45. > :43:50.of America, a special relationship on which he and I intend to build.

:43:51. > :43:55.But can I also say to the Leader of the Opposition, I am not afraid to

:43:56. > :43:59.speak frankly to a President of the United States. I am able to do that

:44:00. > :44:02.because we have that special relationship. A special relationship

:44:03. > :44:09.that he would never have with the United States. Jeremy Corbyn! Mr

:44:10. > :44:15.Speaker, we would never allow Britain to be sold off on the cheap.

:44:16. > :44:20.How confident is she of getting a good deal for global Britain from a

:44:21. > :44:27.president who wants to put America first, by American and build a wall

:44:28. > :44:30.between his country and Mexico? Mr Speaker, Article 50 wasn't about a

:44:31. > :44:36.court judgments against this government, what is signified was

:44:37. > :44:41.the bad judgment of this government, the bad judgment of prioritising

:44:42. > :44:45.corporate tax cuts overinvestment in national health and social care. The

:44:46. > :44:52.bad judgment of threatening European partners whilst offering a blank

:44:53. > :44:57.cheque to President Trump! The bad judgment of wanting to turn Britain

:44:58. > :45:02.into a bargain basement tax haven. So will she offers some clarity and

:45:03. > :45:06.some certainty and withdraw the threats to destroy the social

:45:07. > :45:07.structure of this country by turning us into the bargain basement that

:45:08. > :45:18.she clearly threatens? We will be out around the world with

:45:19. > :45:20.the EU Americans and other countries negotiating good trade deals for

:45:21. > :45:24.this country to bring prosperity. The right honourable gentleman wants

:45:25. > :45:29.to talk about Brexit. I have to say to him, he is the leader of the

:45:30. > :45:33.party, he can not agree with his Shadow Chancellor about Brexit. The

:45:34. > :45:36.Shadow Chancellor can't agree with the shadow Brexit secretary, the

:45:37. > :45:38.shadow Brexit secretary disagrees with the Shadow Home Secretary and

:45:39. > :45:44.the Shadow Home Secretary has to read up the leader and tell him to

:45:45. > :45:48.change his mind. He talks about us standing up for Britain, they can't

:45:49. > :46:02.speak for themselves, they'll never speak for Britain. SHOUTING AND

:46:03. > :46:07.JEERS Thank you Mr Speaker, on 27th

:46:08. > :46:11.December, another young woman lost her life driving through the West

:46:12. > :46:17.Country on the A303. In the past decade more than 1,000 people have

:46:18. > :46:23.been killed or injured on that road. For 40 years governments have

:46:24. > :46:26.promised to dual the lethal parts of the road where they become two and

:46:27. > :46:30.three with no central reservation. The queues on the road are also

:46:31. > :46:35.legendary. I know the Government is comuted to an upgrade but can the

:46:36. > :46:39.Prime Minister assure us that the proposed tunnel at Stonehenge will

:46:40. > :46:44.not hold up essential work elsewhere and we'll soon see cones on the road

:46:45. > :46:46.and spades in the ground? Well my honourable friend raises an

:46:47. > :46:51.important issue. He is absolutely right to do that. I can assure him

:46:52. > :46:56.we are working generally to improve the safety of our roads. He refers

:46:57. > :46:59.specifically to the issue of the A303 and the tragic incident that

:47:00. > :47:04.happened on 27th December. We've committed to creating a dual

:47:05. > :47:10.carriageway on the A303 from the M3 to M5. I understand highways England

:47:11. > :47:12.have launched a a consultation into the route under Stonehenge and my

:47:13. > :47:17.honourable friend will want to look closely at this issue. This is all

:47:18. > :47:20.part of our ?2 billion investment in road improvement that will improve

:47:21. > :47:25.connections in the south-west but I can assure him that we have road

:47:26. > :47:32.safety at the forefront of our mind. I begin by wishing everybody a very

:47:33. > :47:38.happy Burns Day and of course extending congratulations to the

:47:39. > :47:49.Scotsman newspaper which is celebrating its by centenary today.

:47:50. > :47:52.Yesterday ... To Brexit. So, in the spirit of progress for Parliament,

:47:53. > :47:59.in advance of meeting President Trump, will the Prime Minister tell

:48:00. > :48:04.Parliament what she wants to achieve in a UK-US trade deal? Can I join

:48:05. > :48:09.the right honourable gentleman in his good wishes for a happy Burn's

:48:10. > :48:13.Day to everybody and also in recognising the by centenary of the

:48:14. > :48:17.Scotsman. I'm sure everybody in the house would join me in that. What we

:48:18. > :48:21.want to achieve in terms of our arrangements with the United States?

:48:22. > :48:25.It is very simple. We want to achieve an arrangement that ensures

:48:26. > :48:31.the interests of the United Kingdom are put first and that is what I

:48:32. > :48:35.will be doing, and we see a trade arrangement, as we will be looking

:48:36. > :48:38.for, from other parts of the world, to bring prosperity and growth to

:48:39. > :48:42.the UK and my aim for this Government is to ensure that economy

:48:43. > :48:46.works for everybody in every part of the UK. ! The European Union, which

:48:47. > :48:50.we are still part of, has amongst the highest food safety standards

:48:51. > :48:54.anywhere in the world. And we are proud on our continent to have

:48:55. > :48:57.public national health systems. The United States, on the other hand, is

:48:58. > :49:03.keen to have health systems which are fully open to private

:49:04. > :49:07.competition. They want to export genetically modified organisms, beef

:49:08. > :49:11.raised with growth hormones and chicken meat washed with chlorinated

:49:12. > :49:14.water. Will the Prime Minister tell President Trump that she is not

:49:15. > :49:18.prepared to lower our food and safety standards, or to open health

:49:19. > :49:25.systems for privatisation, or does she believe that this is the price

:49:26. > :49:30.worth paying for a UK-US trade deal? We will be looking for a UK-US trade

:49:31. > :49:33.deal Thame proves trade between our two countries that will bring

:49:34. > :49:37.prosperity and growth to this country, that will ensure we can

:49:38. > :49:40.bring jobs to this country as well. I can assure the right honourable

:49:41. > :49:48.gentleman in doing, that we will put UK interests and UK values first.

:49:49. > :49:52.Thank you, Mr Speaker, historic per capita spending in our region,

:49:53. > :49:58.including Yorkshire, when compared to London is up to 40% lower for our

:49:59. > :50:02.local authorities, up to 50% lower for our schools and up to 60% lower

:50:03. > :50:06.for transport prospects. Does the Prime Minister agree that if we want

:50:07. > :50:11.to build a country that works for everyone, we need a fair funding

:50:12. > :50:16.deal that works for everyone? I see the issues my honourable friend has

:50:17. > :50:20.raised. I can assure him our commitment in relation to the

:50:21. > :50:23.northern parts of England, including Yorkshire, is absolutely clear. We

:50:24. > :50:28.want business growth across the north. We are backing the northern

:50:29. > :50:34.powerhouse to help the great cities and towns of the north pool their

:50:35. > :50:36.strength and take on the world. Yorkshire LETs have received an

:50:37. > :50:41.additional ?156 million in Government funding this week and we

:50:42. > :50:46.are spending a record ?15 billion on transport across north. As a result

:50:47. > :50:49.there are more people in Yorkshire in Humber this the work than

:50:50. > :50:54.everybody before and employments rates are at a record high. Good

:50:55. > :50:59.news for the region and for the economy as a whole The European

:51:00. > :51:03.Medicines Agency provides a single drug licencing system for 500

:51:04. > :51:07.million people and results in the UK having drugs licensed six to 127

:51:08. > :51:11.months ahead of countries like Canada and Australia. Yesterday the

:51:12. > :51:17.Health Secretary stated that the UK will not be in the EMA. Can the

:51:18. > :51:22.Prime Minister confirm this and explain how she'll prevent delayed

:51:23. > :51:26.drug access for UK patients? Well, there are a number of organisations

:51:27. > :51:30.that we are part of as members of the European Union and as part of

:51:31. > :51:34.the work that we are doing to look at the United Kingdom in the future

:51:35. > :51:37.when we have left the European Union, we will look at the

:51:38. > :51:43.arrangements we can put in place to relation to those issues. We want to

:51:44. > :51:46.ensure that we continue to have, the pharmaceutical industry in this

:51:47. > :51:50.country is a very important part ever of our economy as are the

:51:51. > :51:54.ability of people to access these new drugs, I can assure the

:51:55. > :51:58.honourable lady we are looking seriously at this and will ensure we

:51:59. > :52:01.have the arrangements we need Too few British intren airs are

:52:02. > :52:05.connecting with the capital they need to start and grow. As part of

:52:06. > :52:10.her industrial sfreedge, which will be looking at access to capital,

:52:11. > :52:15.will the Prime Minister order a view of the enterprise investment scheme

:52:16. > :52:22.and the seed investment scheme in the hope they can be simplified,

:52:23. > :52:25.helping to achieve the pools of buccaneering capital that British

:52:26. > :52:29.industry needs? My honourable friend raises an important issue and he has

:52:30. > :52:40.long been a champion of intren airships in this country. . I can

:52:41. > :52:45.tell him we are committed to providing the best possible... There

:52:46. > :52:48.is a panel that is looking at barriers that exist in long-term

:52:49. > :52:52.investment and we are also increasing investment from venture

:52:53. > :52:58.capital by the British business banks by ?4700 million and that will

:52:59. > :53:05.un-- ?400 million which will unlock new finance. The Treasury will

:53:06. > :53:09.publish a consultation in the spring looking at these issues I'm sure my

:53:10. > :53:12.honourable friend willp wanted to sponchtsd four-and-a-half years ago

:53:13. > :53:18.my constituents were on a family holiday on the Greek island of Zante

:53:19. > :53:23.when their son Jamie was hit answer killed by a speeding motor bike. It

:53:24. > :53:26.was his ninth birthday. The rider was convicted but has appealed

:53:27. > :53:31.against his sentence and to date remains a free man. Will the Prime

:53:32. > :53:37.Minister agree to meet with Chris and Lidya to discuss how they can

:53:38. > :53:41.finally secure justice for Jamie? Can I say to the honourable lady I'm

:53:42. > :53:45.very happy to look at this case. I mean it is a tragic case she has

:53:46. > :53:50.described and our thoughts must be with Chris and Lidya at the terrible

:53:51. > :53:54.loss that they have experienced. To the issues of what is happening in

:53:55. > :53:59.terms of the Greek Criminal Justice System, of course that is a matter

:54:00. > :54:02.for the Greek authorities. But we will, I will look seriously at this

:54:03. > :54:06.case and see if there is anything that the Foreign Office can do in

:54:07. > :54:10.relation to this. President Trump has repeatedly said

:54:11. > :54:15.that he will bring back torture as an instrument of policy. When she

:54:16. > :54:19.sees him on Friday, will the Prime Minister make clear that in no

:54:20. > :54:23.circumstances will she permit Britain to be dragged into

:54:24. > :54:28.facilitating that torture, as we were after September 11th? I can

:54:29. > :54:31.assure my honourable friend that we have a very clear position on

:54:32. > :54:34.torture. We do not sanction torture. We do not get involved with that and

:54:35. > :54:39.that will continue to be our position.

:54:40. > :54:46.Thank you Mr Speaker. 70% of my constituents voted Remain. 15% are

:54:47. > :54:50.citizens of other EU countries and almost all don't trust her

:54:51. > :54:53.Government to negotiate a deal that secures the future prosperity of

:54:54. > :54:58.London and the UK. Will she give this House a veto on the deal she

:54:59. > :55:05.does, or will she put that deal back to a referendum of the British

:55:06. > :55:08.people? I say to the honourable gentleman, people voted differently

:55:09. > :55:13.across the country. Parts voted to Remain and parts voted to Leave.

:55:14. > :55:17.What we now do is unite behind the result of the vote that took place.

:55:18. > :55:21.We come together as a country, we go out there, we make a success of this

:55:22. > :55:26.and we ensure that we build that truly global Britain that will bring

:55:27. > :55:32.jobs to his constituency and his constituents. Mr Speaker, this week

:55:33. > :55:37.Milton Keynes celebrates its 50th birthday. We have been the most

:55:38. > :55:41.successful of new cities and have one of the highest rates of economic

:55:42. > :55:48.growth. Will the Prime Minister agree that Milton Keynes has a great

:55:49. > :55:52.future and will be central to delivering this Government's

:55:53. > :55:59.ambitious plans? Well, can I join my honourable friend, can I join my

:56:00. > :56:02.honourable friend in marking Milton Keynes's 50th birthday and also I

:56:03. > :56:05.understand he has secured a Westminster Hall debate. I

:56:06. > :56:09.congratulate him on having done that. I think Milton Keynes is a

:56:10. > :56:13.great example of what you can achieve with a clear plan and with

:56:14. > :56:17.strong, local leader sh. We are providing, as he knows, additional

:56:18. > :56:23.funding for the East-West rail prospect ject. I know he supported

:56:24. > :56:26.that by chairing the APGG as well as a Oxfordshire express road emschoo.

:56:27. > :56:32.We'll see a country that works for everyone. Milton Keynes has had not

:56:33. > :56:36.just a great 50 years but I'm sure a great future as well. Last week a

:56:37. > :56:42.freight train arrived at barking from China using the Chunnel and

:56:43. > :56:48.demonstrating the massive protension of rail treat, but containtal rail

:56:49. > :56:51.wagons and lorries on trains cannot be accommodated on Britain's railway

:56:52. > :56:56.network. Would the Prime Minister consider giving positive support to

:56:57. > :57:00.the GB gateway scheme which could link all the nations and regions of

:57:01. > :57:05.Britain both to each other and to Europe beyond and would take 5

:57:06. > :57:08.million lorry journeys off Britain's roads per year? The honourable

:57:09. > :57:12.gentleman has raised an issue, a different gauge on the railways here

:57:13. > :57:16.and on the continpent which has been an issue for some considerable time.

:57:17. > :57:23.We want to encourage freight on rails. We have been encouraging that

:57:24. > :57:29.and we'll continue to do so. Thank you, very much, Mr Speaker.

:57:30. > :57:36.The ministry of Cake in my constituency, a ?30 million turnover

:57:37. > :57:43.company has recently been bought by a French company. They trade across

:57:44. > :57:48.Europe and into China. Does this not demonstrate, Prime Minister and

:57:49. > :57:51.would you agree with me that it demonstrates the confidence in our

:57:52. > :57:55.economy as a European company has bought in? It demonstrates that we

:57:56. > :58:04.can unlock global trade and it demonstrates that the south-west is

:58:05. > :58:08.a terrific place to do business? I absolutely agree with high

:58:09. > :58:13.honourable friend. I think the investment that she has referred to

:58:14. > :58:16.of the French company into a company in her constituency shows the

:58:17. > :58:19.confidence that people have in our economy for the future T shows the

:58:20. > :58:24.fundamental strengths of our economy. -- it shows. And it also

:58:25. > :58:31.shows that we can unlock global trade and of course the south-west

:58:32. > :58:35.is a very good place to do business. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Robert Burns

:58:36. > :58:42.said whatever damages society or any least part of it, that is my measure

:58:43. > :58:47.of inequity. Would the Prime Minister agree that that applies to

:58:48. > :58:52.the tax system found to be illegal by British courts under which 10,000

:58:53. > :58:57.asylum seekers were denied a fair trial and some probably unlegally

:58:58. > :59:02.deported to death and torture? I say to the honourable gentleman the

:59:03. > :59:08.issue of the detained fast track system in the asylum system I looked

:59:09. > :59:13.at when I was Home Secretary and we looked at the a number of changes on

:59:14. > :59:17.how we operate it but it was built on a strong principle - which is if

:59:18. > :59:21.there is somebody whose case for asylum is such that they are almost

:59:22. > :59:26.certain to be refused that asylum, then we want to be ensure they can

:59:27. > :59:29.be removed from the country as quickly as possible, hence the

:59:30. > :59:33.detained fast track. I would like to ask my friend the

:59:34. > :59:37.Prime Minister if she would insist in trying to get an enterprise zone

:59:38. > :59:40.in my constituency as part of the industrial strategy. It turns out

:59:41. > :59:46.that the Labour Council and Labour county council, who are talking

:59:47. > :59:50.about an enterprise zonesque project in the area, have not applied for

:59:51. > :59:55.any funding whatsoever. Would my right honourable friend assist me in

:59:56. > :00:00.this endeavour? Well, can I say to my honourable friend I know what a

:00:01. > :00:03.champion for his constituency it is. And I'm sure that the Chancellor and

:00:04. > :00:08.the Business Secretary will look at the issue that he has raised. I also

:00:09. > :00:12.say how sad it is that Labour councils are not willing to put

:00:13. > :00:13.forward proposals to increase the prosperity and economic growth in

:00:14. > :00:26.their area. Closed question. Number 11. I will

:00:27. > :00:29.meet the First Minister and leaders of the devolved administrations at

:00:30. > :00:34.the joint ministerial committee on Monday, but we regularly engage with

:00:35. > :00:37.the Scottish Government on a number of issues. When she meets with the

:00:38. > :00:41.First Minister, will she confirm whether she supports the principle

:00:42. > :00:45.of the Scotland Act that whatever is not reserved is devolved and will

:00:46. > :00:50.she be able to tell what powers will come to the Scottish Parliament in

:00:51. > :00:55.the event of Brexit? Can she confirm the Great Repeal Bill will not be

:00:56. > :00:59.the great power grab? I have been very clear, echoed yesterday by the

:01:00. > :01:04.Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, that no powers that

:01:05. > :01:08.are currently devolved will be taken back to the UK Government. What we

:01:09. > :01:11.will be looking at, and what we will be discussing with the devolved

:01:12. > :01:15.administrations, is how we deal with powers which are currently in

:01:16. > :01:18.Brussels when they come back to the United Kingdom, and what we want to

:01:19. > :01:22.ensure, we want to ensure those powers are dealt with so we can

:01:23. > :01:28.maintain the important single market of the United Kingdom. Thank you, Mr

:01:29. > :01:34.Speaker. It is currently hand offence to assault a police officer,

:01:35. > :01:40.an immigration officer way prison officer, but it is not a specific

:01:41. > :01:44.offence to assault an NHS worker, doctor, nurse or paramedic. Does the

:01:45. > :01:48.Prime Minister agree with me that we should consider extending a specific

:01:49. > :01:52.offence to these people to make it absolutely clear that the public

:01:53. > :01:58.will not tolerate violence towards our hard-working members of the NHS?

:01:59. > :02:02.My honourable friend raises an important point, we condemn assaults

:02:03. > :02:04.on anybody and any violence that takes place, but the Secretary of

:02:05. > :02:12.State for Health has heard the KC has put and will be happy to look at

:02:13. > :02:20.that issue. -- has heard the case that he has put. Will be Duke of

:02:21. > :02:25.Westminster still received ?407,000 year, will Duke of Northumberland

:02:26. > :02:32.still receive ?475,000 a year, and will the Earl of either still

:02:33. > :02:35.receive ?915,000 a year from the British taxpayer? The honourable

:02:36. > :02:41.gentleman seems to know a lot about these ducal matters, I will be

:02:42. > :02:45.fascinated by the reply! One of the tasks that we will have, and the

:02:46. > :02:50.honourable gentleman is right, when we leave the European Union, is to

:02:51. > :02:54.decide what support is provided to agriculture as we are outside of the

:02:55. > :02:57.Common Agricultural Policy. We are taking the interest of all parts of

:02:58. > :03:02.the UK into account when we look into what the system should do in

:03:03. > :03:10.the future. A Hampshire Nice, Sir Gerald Howarth! Last weekend, the

:03:11. > :03:16.Secretary of State for Defence made a very welcome visit to Ukraine,

:03:17. > :03:19.where he said that freedom and democracy are not tradable

:03:20. > :03:24.commodities. As we mark the 25th anniversary of relations between our

:03:25. > :03:28.two partners, could I invite my right honourable friend to declare

:03:29. > :03:30.the support of the UK for the maintenance of an independent

:03:31. > :03:37.sovereign state in Ukraine, which has been subjected to the most

:03:38. > :03:40.outrageous annexation of part of its providence by Russia? I am very

:03:41. > :03:43.happy to join my honourable friend in confirming our commitment to the

:03:44. > :03:47.independent sovereign state of Ukraine. The Foreign Secretary has

:03:48. > :03:52.been doing a lot of work with other Foreign Ministers on this particular

:03:53. > :03:55.issue, we provide significant support to Ukraine, and I hope soon

:03:56. > :04:03.to be up to meet the president and talk about the support we provide.

:04:04. > :04:07.Pat McFadden. Last week the Prime Minister said that Parliament would

:04:08. > :04:12.get a vote on the final deal between the UK and the European Union. Kuqi

:04:13. > :04:17.set out what would happen if Parliament said no to the terms of

:04:18. > :04:22.that deal? -- could she set out. Would she negotiate an alternative

:04:23. > :04:29.deal, or would no deal option be falling back on WTO rules, which

:04:30. > :04:35.mean 10% tariffs on cars, 20% on food and trick, and a host of other

:04:36. > :04:39.barriers to trade, investment and prosperity in the UK? Prime

:04:40. > :04:43.Minister. As I also said in my speech, I expect we will be but to

:04:44. > :04:47.negotiate a good deal in terms of trade with the European Union,

:04:48. > :04:52.because it would be in our interests and those of the European Union as

:04:53. > :04:57.well. There will be a vote on the deal for this Parliament, but then,

:04:58. > :05:02.if this Parliament is not willing to accept a deal that has been decided

:05:03. > :05:05.and agreed by the United Kingdom Government with the European Union,

:05:06. > :05:11.I have said that if there is no deal, we will have to fall back on

:05:12. > :05:13.other arrangements. Mr Speaker, a great pleasure to welcome my

:05:14. > :05:20.honourable friend the Prime Minister and her Cabinet to Khazri earlier

:05:21. > :05:23.this week, and I welcome the Government industrial strategy to

:05:24. > :05:30.bring high skill, high wage jobs to close the North-South divide, and

:05:31. > :05:34.the message is that Britain is open for business. I and the whole

:05:35. > :05:38.Cabinet were very pleased to be able to visit, pleased to be able to sit

:05:39. > :05:42.down and meet with small businesses on that particular site to hear the

:05:43. > :05:46.support they have for what the Government is doing in the

:05:47. > :05:49.industrial strategy. Britain is open for business, we will be trading

:05:50. > :05:54.around the world, a global leader in free trade, bringing jobs, economic

:05:55. > :06:02.growth and prosperity to every part of this country. Thank you, Mr

:06:03. > :06:05.Speaker. We are now aware of the hundreds of thousands of women who

:06:06. > :06:11.marched in behalf of women's rights last weekend. In this House, we have

:06:12. > :06:15.been lobbied by members of the women against state pension inequality,

:06:16. > :06:20.and many MPs have lodged petitions asking the Government to act. Can

:06:21. > :06:24.the Prime Minister tell us how many MPs have lodged such petitions? I

:06:25. > :06:27.have to say to the honourable gentleman that I think the number of

:06:28. > :06:32.petitions presented in this Parliament is a matter for the

:06:33. > :06:34.authorities, but the Government has already taken action in relation to

:06:35. > :06:39.the issue of women's pensions to reduce the changes that will be

:06:40. > :06:44.experienced by women and putting extra money into that. Following her

:06:45. > :06:49.excellent EU speech last week, will the Prime Minister consider

:06:50. > :06:53.unilaterally guaranteeing the rights of EU citizens living and working in

:06:54. > :06:58.the UK? This isn't just the decent thing to do, but by taking the moral

:06:59. > :07:02.high ground, it will be a source of strength going forward in the

:07:03. > :07:06.negotiations, and we can always return to the issue of

:07:07. > :07:09.non-reciprocation and necessary later in those negotiations. I

:07:10. > :07:12.recognise the concern that my honourable friend has raised in

:07:13. > :07:16.relation to this issue, but my position remains the same as it

:07:17. > :07:21.always has been. I expect and intend and want to be able to guarantee the

:07:22. > :07:24.rights of EU citizens living in the United Kingdom, but as the British

:07:25. > :07:30.by Minister it is only right that I should give consideration to the

:07:31. > :07:33.rights of UK citizens living in the remaining 27 member states of the

:07:34. > :07:38.EU, and that is why I wanted that reciprocal arrangement. As I said

:07:39. > :07:44.last week, Ira Main open to this being an issue we negotiate at a

:07:45. > :07:47.very early stage. -- I remain open. A number of other European bodies

:07:48. > :07:55.want that, and I'm hoping we will be up to do it at an early stage. Dr

:07:56. > :08:00.Lisa Cameron. Thank you, Mr Speaker. As chair of the all-party

:08:01. > :08:03.Parliamentary group for disability, we recently compiled an important

:08:04. > :08:07.report into the Government's pledge to halve the employment gap.

:08:08. > :08:12.Research shows this pledge will not be met for 50 years. To date, no

:08:13. > :08:16.minister has met with the group to discuss the report. Will the Prime

:08:17. > :08:21.Minister place people with disability at the heart of policy

:08:22. > :08:26.and ensure that her ministers engage with our recommendations? The Prime

:08:27. > :08:32.Minister. The honourable lady raises an important issue about disabled

:08:33. > :08:35.people in the workplace. It is one we are aware of, and as we see the

:08:36. > :08:43.number of people in unemployed and going down, it does change the

:08:44. > :08:49.ratios to select ten. The Secretary of State is looking at how we can

:08:50. > :08:54.ensure that we are seeing more disabled people in the workplace,

:08:55. > :08:57.and I am sure he will have seen that request. Can I welcome the Prime

:08:58. > :09:03.Minister meeting with the president of Turkey on Saturday, when we can

:09:04. > :09:06.show our solidarity in the fight against terrorism, deepen our

:09:07. > :09:11.trading relationship, and the Prime Minister also seek support for a

:09:12. > :09:15.united and independent Cyprus free from Turkish troops? I thank my

:09:16. > :09:19.honourable friend for raising the important issues that I will be

:09:20. > :09:22.discussing with President Erdogan, and with the Prime Minister of

:09:23. > :09:27.Turkey when I meet them on Saturday. He raises the issue of Cyprus. I am

:09:28. > :09:31.hopeful that the talks will be able to continue to come to a solution,

:09:32. > :09:35.closer to a solution than we have been before. I have already spoken

:09:36. > :09:40.to the Prime Minister and the President about the need to ensure

:09:41. > :09:45.that we are creative in thinking and finding a solution for this, and I

:09:46. > :09:50.had a further telephone call over the weekend about this very issue.

:09:51. > :09:55.We stand ready, as a guarantor, to play our part in making sure we see

:09:56. > :09:58.a successful conclusion of these talks, and see the reunification of

:09:59. > :10:05.Cyprus, which people have been working for for some time. Thank

:10:06. > :10:08.you, Mr Speaker. I joined the Prime Minister in wishing a speedy

:10:09. > :10:13.recovery to the police officer who was shot and injured in my

:10:14. > :10:16.constituency in north Belfast on Sunday night. Thankfully, he was not

:10:17. > :10:21.killed, but that was not the intention of the terrorists, of

:10:22. > :10:24.course. It is very clear, Mr Speaker, that the political

:10:25. > :10:29.instability brought about by Sinn Fein's collapse of the assembly is

:10:30. > :10:32.in no-one's interest, and it is also clear that their intention is to

:10:33. > :10:37.rewrite the past. Will she make it very clear that the legal

:10:38. > :10:40.persecution of police officers and soldiers who did so much to bring

:10:41. > :10:47.peace to Northern Ireland will not be allowed to continue? I say to the

:10:48. > :10:49.right honourable gentleman that, as he indicates, the political

:10:50. > :10:53.stability in Northern Ireland has been hard earned over some

:10:54. > :10:57.considerable time, and none of us want to see and thrown away. He

:10:58. > :11:01.raises the issue of the current situation, where a number of

:11:02. > :11:05.investigations by the PSNI into former soldiers and their activities

:11:06. > :11:08.in Northern Ireland, and I think it is right that we recognise that the

:11:09. > :11:12.majority of people who lost their lives did so as a result of

:11:13. > :11:19.terrorist activity, and it is important that the terrorist

:11:20. > :11:22.activity is looked into. That is why one of the issues that my right

:11:23. > :11:24.honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is

:11:25. > :11:30.looking at is the legacy question and how that can take place in

:11:31. > :11:34.future. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Social care provided by Labour led

:11:35. > :11:40.council in my area is failing miserably. Serious errors in process

:11:41. > :11:44.have led to, quite frankly, shameful consequences for some of my most

:11:45. > :11:48.vulnerable constituents. It is clearly not about funding, as they

:11:49. > :11:53.said on reserves of about ?233 million. Will my right honourable

:11:54. > :11:57.friend instigate an urgent review of social care practice at the county

:11:58. > :12:01.council, because the people of Derbyshire deserve better? Prime

:12:02. > :12:05.Minister. My honourable friend has made an important point in relation

:12:06. > :12:08.to this issue, which is that successful social care is not wholly

:12:09. > :12:12.about funding, but the practice on the ground, and that is why we are

:12:13. > :12:16.very clear that it is important to see that integration between social

:12:17. > :12:18.and health care at a local level, and local authorities should be

:12:19. > :12:25.playing their part in delivering that. And this is any stew that we

:12:26. > :12:30.need to see addressed for the longer term as well. -- an issue. Frankly,

:12:31. > :12:34.it has been ducked by governments for too long in this country, and

:12:35. > :12:37.that is why we are determined to bring forward a sustainable

:12:38. > :12:46.programme in the future. Ed Miliband. It brings... The right

:12:47. > :12:53.honourable gentleman never knew he was quite that popular! Ed Miliband!

:12:54. > :12:57.I was going to say, Mr Speaker, it brings back memories, actually! Can

:12:58. > :13:00.I say to the Prime Minister, as the first foreign leader to meet

:13:01. > :13:04.President Trump, she carries a huge responsibility on behalf not just of

:13:05. > :13:08.this country but the whole international community in the town

:13:09. > :13:13.that she sets? Can I ask her to reassure us that she will say to the

:13:14. > :13:18.President that he must abide by and not withdraw from the Paris climate

:13:19. > :13:23.change treaty, and in case it is helpful, can she offer the services

:13:24. > :13:28.of UK scientists to convince the president that climate change is not

:13:29. > :13:32.a hoax invented by the Chinese? Prime Minister! Well, I recognise

:13:33. > :13:36.the role the right honourable gentleman has played in looking at

:13:37. > :13:39.this issue of climate change, and I hope he recognises the commitment

:13:40. > :13:42.this government has shown to be a stew of climate change with the

:13:43. > :13:46.legislation we have put through, and the changes that we have brought

:13:47. > :13:50.about in terms of the energy sector and users of different forms of

:13:51. > :13:54.energy. The Obama administration obviously signed up to the Paris

:13:55. > :14:00.climate change agreement, we have now done that, I would hope that all

:14:01. > :14:01.parties would continue to ensure that the climate change agreement is

:14:02. > :14:17.put into practice. Order... Well, 45 minutes after it started,

:14:18. > :14:21.it has come to an end. Looks like the speaker has now decided it

:14:22. > :14:26.should be 45 instead of 30. It seems a standed time. The Prime Minister

:14:27. > :14:30.took kavend planted question from a Tory backbencher, to announce there

:14:31. > :14:40.will be a white paper on the Government's Brexit position. It

:14:41. > :14:42.seems a standard time. -- the Prime Minister took a planted

:14:43. > :14:46.question. This probably took some of the wind

:14:47. > :14:51.out of the sails of Jeremy Corbyn. I suspect he was about to ask about

:14:52. > :14:56.that. He changed tact, I think and started to talk about - would we be

:14:57. > :15:01.prepared to pay to secure tariff-free access to the European

:15:02. > :15:05.single market. He went on to Nissan, was it reevaluating its investments

:15:06. > :15:10.in Britain and thenned about the bargain basement Britain which has

:15:11. > :15:18.become a favourite phrase of Labour out of Mr Corbyn. The Prime Minister

:15:19. > :15:21.quoted Sadiq Khan, the Labour Mayor of London saying he didn't think the

:15:22. > :15:24.Government was going tonne undermine workers' rights which you will have

:15:25. > :15:31.heard in this programme first but threw go, it was repeated at Prime

:15:32. > :15:35.Minister's Questions. And now, Mr Corbyn went on to talk about the

:15:36. > :15:39.question of workers' rights, even though he had to deal with a

:15:40. > :15:44.surprised white paper, he had to deal with the unhelpful quote of the

:15:45. > :15:52.Labour Mayor of London on that. While we were doing PMQs, the Labour

:15:53. > :15:57.Party's been in touch to say that I said earlier that the one statement

:15:58. > :16:02.was withdrawn yesterday and replaced with another. Now, this is what

:16:03. > :16:07.actually happened. You can decide. At 9.43 a statement was issued by Mr

:16:08. > :16:13.Corbyn's office, it included "Labour will seek to build in the principles

:16:14. > :16:17.of full tariff-free access to the single market, and maintenance of

:16:18. > :16:22.workers' rights and social and environmental protections." Mr

:16:23. > :16:27.Corbyn himself, through his office at 10.16, half an hour later, then

:16:28. > :16:32.made, what was in effect an identical statement, but did not

:16:33. > :16:37.include these words about full tariff-free access on that.

:16:38. > :16:41.Now, whether the first statement was withdrawn or simply superceded by

:16:42. > :16:45.the second statement, I'll leave you to make up your mind but we're happy

:16:46. > :16:52.to clarify that's what happened. What did they make of PMQs? The

:16:53. > :16:54.guard good by the way has said this was the Prime Minister's best PMGs

:16:55. > :17:00.since she became Prime Minister. Well, at the risk of repetition of

:17:01. > :17:04.some of what you said, there was an echo of much of your summary in the

:17:05. > :17:09.e-mails that came N Martin says "It was as if the Daily Politics had a

:17:10. > :17:14.crystal ball PMQs today saw the confirmation that we will have a cut

:17:15. > :17:19.and Pease white paper." One prediction we got right. Ian says,

:17:20. > :17:23."The worst session of PMQ that is Jeremy Corbyn has had. His attack

:17:24. > :17:27.was blunted by a Tory planted question on the white paper and

:17:28. > :17:32.destroyed completely when Mrs May used Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor's

:17:33. > :17:36.quote to shoot down his claims." Andrew says, "Mrs May declaring a

:17:37. > :17:41.white paper on Brexit #150e78d to flummox Jeremy Corbyn and he didn't

:17:42. > :17:44.seem to be able to respond, he had a scatter gun approach on various

:17:45. > :17:49.subjects with no question hitting home. -- seemed to flummox Jeremy

:17:50. > :17:55.Corbyn. They didn't feel he did W So, a

:17:56. > :18:00.white Paper? And a climb-down. Yesterday in the House, David Davis

:18:01. > :18:05.said it would be too difficult to do it in the time scale. Why a

:18:06. > :18:08.climb-down? Two parts - it is clever politically it takes one one of the

:18:09. > :18:13.likely amendments to the bill, before the bill is out, so avoids a

:18:14. > :18:18.potential defeat next week. Second of all, I just wonder if, having

:18:19. > :18:23.seen to be pretty consistently sort of taking more of the side of the

:18:24. > :18:27.Brexiteers in the Tory Party, it was felt perhaps it was time to give

:18:28. > :18:34.some kind of gesture to those... To the others. The Brexiteers have run

:18:35. > :18:38.most of the argument in the run-up to Mrs May's speech? And they were

:18:39. > :18:43.cock ahoop after Mrs May's speech. No question about that. But given

:18:44. > :18:47.last night they were told there would be no white paper. The sense

:18:48. > :18:54.from number ten, it was up their sleeves but not really to reveal it

:18:55. > :18:57.this is last-minute change of heart. And one senior Tory said to mee,

:18:58. > :19:02.welcome to the next two years, a very fluid process. So you knew the

:19:03. > :19:05.change was coming, why did the Government change its mind on a

:19:06. > :19:10.white paper? As I said. Very clear. We have been open about it. This was

:19:11. > :19:14.an issue process, in Westminster people get excited about but as I

:19:15. > :19:18.said earlier on, generally the viewers people out there want to see

:19:19. > :19:21.us getting on with delivering the plan the Prime Minister outlined.

:19:22. > :19:26.Why are you changing your mind? We didn't. You z yesterday David Davis

:19:27. > :19:29.said it would be too difficult to do it in the time. There will be a

:19:30. > :19:33.continued debate, the Government will look at this to make sure

:19:34. > :19:38.everybody... This is part of that process. I understand all that, but

:19:39. > :19:40.let me bring you back to the question for one last forlorn

:19:41. > :19:46.attempt. Yesterday David Davis told the House it would be too difficult

:19:47. > :19:49.to produce a white paper, 24 hours later, less than, the Prime Minister

:19:50. > :19:54.says there is going to be a white paper. What changed? Well, I think

:19:55. > :19:57.it is very, very simple in the fact that David Davis' team, the Brexit

:19:58. > :20:00.department and the Prime Minister, listening to people in the House of

:20:01. > :20:02.Commons, we should welcome the fact that the Government is listening to

:20:03. > :20:06.people and responding to that but the core point is this is a process

:20:07. > :20:09.we in Westminster get excited about. I understand that. But what people

:20:10. > :20:13.are interested in is delivering on Brexit and the plan the Prime

:20:14. > :20:17.Minister outlined at Lancaster House. So David Davis came away from

:20:18. > :20:19.the Commons yesterday and thought - oh, these were really strong

:20:20. > :20:24.arguments for a white paper. When I said there was no time for a white

:20:25. > :20:27.paper, that was really a stupid thing to say, let's have a white

:20:28. > :20:30.paper, that's what you are telling me? What the Prime Minister has

:20:31. > :20:35.outlined is we will publish a white paper. I got that. I'm trying to

:20:36. > :20:39.find out yu changed your mind. It is about delivering the right thing for

:20:40. > :20:43.the British people and doing in a way they can understand. I'm puzzled

:20:44. > :20:48.by Jeremy Corbyn's question to the Prime Minister about would she be

:20:49. > :20:54.prepared to pay to secure tariff-free access. Because the

:20:55. > :21:00.Prime Minister has said we won't be a member of the single market any

:21:01. > :21:05.more. A member. But she wants to do the best-possible free trade deal.

:21:06. > :21:10.But free trade deals do not avoid, involve paying for access. So why

:21:11. > :21:15.does he ask that question? Well, it is interesting because in response

:21:16. > :21:18.to a question in Brexit Questions a few weeks ago, David Davis said that

:21:19. > :21:25.the Government were considering that. So... No he didn't talk about

:21:26. > :21:31.that to secure access. He talked about there would be certain

:21:32. > :21:36.programmes that "We may wish to continue with", I think Arasmus may

:21:37. > :21:41.have been one. You mentioned other ones where you do have to pay a

:21:42. > :21:44.membership fee to get in, that's different to paying a generalised

:21:45. > :21:49.fee for access to the single market. So I say again, free trade deals and

:21:50. > :21:54.I have seen quite a few, the most recent one with Canada and the EU,

:21:55. > :22:00.free trade deals, by definition, do not involve paying for access to

:22:01. > :22:03.another market. Well, I #1257bd to be corrected, Andrew, I think that

:22:04. > :22:07.was what David Davis said a few weeks ago. But let me answer the

:22:08. > :22:11.question... Maybe he changed his mind. Let me answer the question he

:22:12. > :22:18.was struggling with. He changed his mind. He changed his mind a lot. The

:22:19. > :22:22.question Brandon was strug was clear, Theresa May recognised she

:22:23. > :22:26.was facing defeat, after yesterday, on Labour's first amendment. You

:22:27. > :22:30.asked me about what was bringing grit. Theresa May didn't want to

:22:31. > :22:34.concede a vote, she has been forced. She didn't want to publish a white

:22:35. > :22:40.paper, she has been forced much this is the grit Labour is bringing to

:22:41. > :22:44.the process by raising these issues. Finally, Laura, I would suggest she

:22:45. > :22:47.wasn't frightened of losing if she published a white paper but this

:22:48. > :22:52.makes it easier for her. No question. This was one of the

:22:53. > :22:55.questions where people on all parties were able to gather around.

:22:56. > :22:59.With this off the Type table it is hard to see what they can come up

:23:00. > :23:02.with next. In the big picture, what we have seen in the last couple of

:23:03. > :23:06.weeks, is a sense that people on the Remain side of the argument are

:23:07. > :23:10.really actually struggling to come up with concrete, convincing ways

:23:11. > :23:13.that they can actually try to nail the Government down and I think that

:23:14. > :23:16.certainly has been a feature. It is one of the interesting things,

:23:17. > :23:20.before Christmas, after the High Court decision, the Government was

:23:21. > :23:25.on the backfoo. Theresa May is on front foot this time. We should keep

:23:26. > :23:27.a score card of the changes. I'll have to go on, we need it squeeze

:23:28. > :23:33.another item in. Grammar schools in England

:23:34. > :23:35.are warning that they may ask parents for hundreds of pounds

:23:36. > :23:37.a year to cope with funding cuts. The Grammar School Heads'

:23:38. > :23:40.Association says that most money under the new national funding

:23:41. > :23:44.formula, which is due to be rolled out for schools in England

:23:45. > :23:46.later in this Parliament. Several Conservative MPs, whose

:23:47. > :23:48.constituencies will lose out under the plans, are unhappy and Labour

:23:49. > :23:51.are holding an Opposition Day Debate The Government announced

:23:52. > :23:54.the new formula last month and the Schools' Minister,

:23:55. > :23:57.Nick Gibb, appeared on this programme to explain

:23:58. > :23:59.the thinking behind it. What this has done -

:24:00. > :24:02.this national funding formula - is taken a series of principles

:24:03. > :24:05.that we consulted on for several widespread support from the people

:24:06. > :24:10.we approached and asked what their views were,

:24:11. > :24:16.because it is right to reflect the funding of schools based

:24:17. > :24:19.on deprivation, based on prior learning, based on how many

:24:20. > :24:22.children who speak English All those are key factors on how

:24:23. > :24:25.schools are now funded. It is much fairer and no other

:24:26. > :24:28.Government has grasped It is a very controversial

:24:29. > :24:31.thing to do. We decided we would do it,

:24:32. > :24:33.notwithstanding the other Joining me now is Graham Brady,

:24:34. > :24:39.Chairman of the Conservative 1922 Committee, and a vocal supporter

:24:40. > :24:48.of grammar schools. One of the schools, at trip ham in

:24:49. > :24:49.your constituency, is one of those asking for parental contributions on

:24:50. > :25:06.a voluntary basis. -- Altrchinham. It is in an of a

:25:07. > :25:10.fluent area. Isn't it rich for grammar schools to be pleading

:25:11. > :25:14.poverty? Well it isn't'ed have goo grammar school, it is my old school

:25:15. > :25:19.and I'm closely associated with it, still. This goes much, much wider

:25:20. > :25:23.than just grammar schools... Can we stick to grammar schools that's the

:25:24. > :25:29.issue we are talking about. ! I want to talk to it. That's the issue, I

:25:30. > :25:33.want to bring up that grammar school and my question. To put it in

:25:34. > :25:36.context the whole of the borough of Trafford, one of the worst-funded

:25:37. > :25:40.authorities for education in the country. One of the so-called F has

:25:41. > :25:45.40 groups, every single secondary school in the borough would be worse

:25:46. > :25:50.off under the draft funding formula. So whilst the principles that nick

:25:51. > :25:56.Gibb set out are entirely welcome, the real purpose of doing this is to

:25:57. > :26:01.raise the levels of funding in the lowest-funded areas. Those places

:26:02. > :26:06.where, for historical reasons, there are anomalies in funding but the

:26:07. > :26:10.problem is, this specific set of figures proposed don't work fairly,

:26:11. > :26:16.don't raise those badly-funded schools out of the bottom levels of

:26:17. > :26:20.funding. You set the context but you still haven't answered my question

:26:21. > :26:23.about grammar schools. Is it a bit rich for grammar schools, in an

:26:24. > :26:28.area, which is of a fluent, where they do have on average, fewer

:26:29. > :26:33.pupils who are entitled to free school meals or who maybe speak

:26:34. > :26:36.English as a second language or have special educational needs, that they

:26:37. > :26:39.should plead poverty over comprehensive schools in areas like

:26:40. > :26:44.Blackpool and Bolton, for example? This is why the context severing.

:26:45. > :26:50.That's why I pointed out that it is not just a school like the grammar

:26:51. > :26:53.school, it is like every school in Trafford. We have badly-funded

:26:54. > :26:56.schools, whether grammar schools, high schools or comprehensive

:26:57. > :27:00.schools in areas which historically have been underfunded which are

:27:01. > :27:04.seeing their funding cut if this formula goes ahead. I don't think

:27:05. > :27:07.this formula is going to go ahead in this form, because I think ministers

:27:08. > :27:12.understand that there are difficulties in what has been

:27:13. > :27:17.proposed and some of these anomalies are unsustainable. Let's ask Brandon

:27:18. > :27:20.Lewis, do you think it'll be dropped because of opposition that there

:27:21. > :27:24.just isn't enough money going into education Overall education is going

:27:25. > :27:31.up, at a record level just over ?40 billion. Hang on, the whole school

:27:32. > :27:35.system in England according to the National Audit Office, said they

:27:36. > :27:42.were facing a real terms cut of ?300 million. So it is wrong. . It is at

:27:43. > :27:48.record less. It is always at record levels. We put more, if you look at

:27:49. > :27:53.2010. It is now over ?40 million. A real term ut cut. It has gone up.

:27:54. > :27:56.But what Graham is saying the Government is doing a review to have

:27:57. > :27:59.a fair funding formula in consultation and I know the

:28:00. > :28:01.ministers will look at the feedback from that consultation, including

:28:02. > :28:05.Members of Parliament and schools, all over the country, not just in

:28:06. > :28:11.Cheshire. In ten seconds, Graham, Brady does

:28:12. > :28:13.it reassure you? It is reassuring, grammar schools also suffer, they

:28:14. > :28:19.have big sixth forms and they are the worst-funded part of a school,

:28:20. > :28:21.so they are cross subsidising from the 11-16 area, so it is another

:28:22. > :28:24.reason why it is a problem. There's just time to put you out

:28:25. > :28:33.of your misery and give It was 1989. Press the red button,

:28:34. > :28:38.please. Both of you. By partisan press there.

:28:39. > :28:40.Consensus at last. P The answer was 1989. David Lamb.

:28:41. > :28:42.Well done. The one o'clock news is starting

:28:43. > :28:45.over on BBC One now. Jo and I will be here

:28:46. > :28:47.at noon tomorrow with all the big political

:28:48. > :28:49.stories of the day. I do enjoy doing this, it's

:28:50. > :28:59.challenging brain surgery. You've got a very

:29:00. > :29:04.fragile-looking aneurysm.