24/01/2018 Daily Politics

Morning folks - welcome

to the Daily Politics.

Unemployment in the UK has

fallen again this morning,

it's good news for Theresa May -

and she probably needs it

after a bout of cabinet infighting

over whether to spend more public

money on the NHS.

Brexit secretary David Davis has

been talking to MPs this morning,

where it's been claimed the UK

will remain a 'vassal state'

of the EU for a further

two years, or longer.

The use of public funds to pay

private sector companies

like Carillion is still exercising

Labour, it says the party

is over for outsourcing -

we'll look at what that really

means.

All of which and more could come up

when the two party leaders face off

at Prime Minister's Questions,

we'll bring you all

the action live from noon.

All that still to come in the next

90 minutes of public sector

broadcasting that is so important

to the proper functioning

of the nation that we expect

all of our viewers to observe

the strictest cabinet

confidentiality.

By which of course I mean you should

tell everyone about it

at every opportunity.

And joining me for all of it,

two MPs who haven't

yet made the cabinet -

and so should feel free to keep

absolutely nothing secret.

It's the Brexit minister

Robin Walker and the shadow Treasury

minister Anneliese Dodds.

Welcome.

Theresa May is preparing

for Prime Minister's Questions

in about half-an-hour's time,

and after that she'll fly

to the Swiss resort of Davos

for the annual gathering

of the global business

and political elite -

including this year well-known

establishment types

like Donald Trump and shadow

chancellor John McDonnell.

The theme is finding a 'shared

future in a fractured world',

I have no idea what that means

either.

So perhaps she's hoping for tips

on dealing with her cabinet,

which yesterday became the latest

example of a challenge

to her authority thanks to her

foreign secretary Boris Johnson.

Lizzie is here to tell us

about the obstacles facing the PM.

Thanks Andrew and who knows,

Theresa May might even get a little

'down time' to have some fun

on the slopes.

After all she does

have some good news,

figures out this morning show

a fall in unemployment.

However, there are quite a few

tricky issues that the PM needs

to navigate if she's to avoid

a 'wipe out'.

We're now into the second phase

of the Brexit negotiations

and Mrs May will soon have

to show her hand and outline her

vision of the transition,

before we finally leave the EU.

Then of course there's the final

deal, will we mirror the EU's rules

and regulations to get full access

to their single market?

Or break away so we can

negotiate our own trade deals?

The Prime Minister has

a tough course to navigate.

Away from Brexit, Mrs May is also

facing criticism from

a number of senior back benchers

with the likes of Nick Boles,

Grant Shapps and Nicholas Soames

all publicly bemoaning

what they see as a

lack of ideas and direction

emanating from the government.

Then there's the

financial pressures on

the NHS with a constant stream

of reports of hospitals struggling

to cope over the winter period.

One man who claims

to have an answer is

Boris Johnson, who was planning

to demand spending an extra

£100 million a week on health

after we leave the EU.

The Foreign Secretary was slapped

down for going 'off piste'

in yesterday's cabinet meeting,

but there are rumours that

Mr Johnson may be on manoeuvres.

We're not sure whether

that's down hill or not.

Thank you for that. Let's now have a

look, before we go through some of

these things, at what the Brexit

secretary David Davis, he is Robin

Walker's boss, had to say in an

exchange with Jacob Reese-Mogg at

the Brexit select committee hearing

a little earlier.

Transition is

different because transition means

we are de facto inside the European

Union for that period. We are only

out at the end of the transition.

That's a big shift in government

policy and a big move away from the

vote in June.

vote in June.

We don't have

representation on the council and

the court and so on, we will debate

how we manage that. But I do not

accept your description.

Will we

accept EU rules?

That is an area of

some interest. The time it takes to

put a rule into effect, regulation

into effect in the European Union,

the average is 22 months. The

proposal we are having is we leave

in 21 months.

Lets start on Europe

Robin Walker, it is your department,

before we come onto some of the

other matters raised. If we leave in

March 2019 there is going to be a

transition period of perhaps up to

two years. Throughout that two years

we will remain subject to the

rulings of the European Court of

Justice?

What we said clearly is we

want to have access to the European

market on the same terms which we

think is in the mutual interest...

I

will come onto the single market, I

am asking about the European Court

of Justice.

It will remain the

Supreme Court over that and where it

rules on the rules of that market we

will have to take account of that.

We take account of the rulings of

the Supreme Court in the United

States but we do not follow them

unless we want to. So let me

clarify, we will remain subject to

the jurisdiction of the European

Court until 2021?

The implementation

period we would seek to agree would

say and the same rules, under the

same basis as our current membership

so yes. But we would be out of our

membership of the European Union, we

would be doing that for an agreed

time on it.

You say we would be out

of it but for most people it would

still feel like in. We would still

remain a member of the customs

union.

We would continue to access

the customs union on the same basis,

you have to be careful with your

definitions. If you talk to the EU

we have left...

We would still be

subject to the external tariffs of

the customs union for two years.

The

Prime Minister has been clear that's

the case.

And we would remain a

member of the single market for

another two years?

We would maintain

our access under the same rules and

regulations.

So we would have all

the obligations of being in the

single market, the customs union,

and the ECJ for another two years

without any representation on the

bodies which run these institutions?

We want to make sure we exit with

certainty and stability of how

things stand, that businesses and

government have time to prepare.

That is what the Prime Minister sent

out to achieve.

Its continuity,

nothing really changes. You're in

the single market, customs union, do

we continue with the free movement

of people?

People will be able to

come here to live and work and

contribute.

Robber still be free

movement?

We will want to introduce

a registration process...

Wilber

still be free movement?

People will

be able to come here but they will

need to register to prepare for our

new immigration system.

If Angela

Merkel and Emmanuel Macron

get-together and introduce a

transactions tax on financial

dealings, something Emanuel Macron

is very keen on, say that is

introduced in the summer of 2019, do

we have to introduce it?

I don't

think it's possible to get something

that significant through the

European system, I don't think

realistically...

If they could would

we have to implement it?

We have to

be clear that the UK has played a

role and will continue to play a

role in making these decisions right

up until our exit.

If they introduce

something like a transactions tax

during the transition period do we

have to implement it?

I don't

believe that is likely to be the

case, it's a theoretical.

Two years

is a long while, they could do lots

of things. Labour agrees, want to

stay in the customs union and single

market and you like the ECJ.

What we

find frustrating is that Labour has

been saying for a long time that

until the government gets its act

together we would have two as a

country accept the reality of

needing a transition period because

we're not going to be ready. Finally

the government has caught up with it

but we still have all this

conclusion.

The government is now

doing what you wanted to do.

Yes but

it is still confused.

We are all

confused! Do you want to stay in the

customs union after the transition?

We don't want the government to rule

out options like staying in...

Do

you think we should stay?

We want

the benefits we currently have

because we recognise if we were in

the driving seat for negotiations we

would have to be talking to the

other 27 countries. There are a lot

of benefits of that union. Relating

to the comment about how the

government is trying to keep things

on an even keel during this process,

I have been in the customs bill

committee hearing from businesses

about how the government is not

taking on the union customs code

which is not something people

mentioned to me when I was

campaigning in the referendum. It is

adopting a different process making

huge disruption for business when it

should have said we will continue

with the current system.

We have

just passed EU withdrawal bill to

provide continuity which Labour

proposed.

Because of the power grab.

Let's come onto the issue which

dominated Cabinet yesterday. We were

promised by the Leave side there

would be more money for the NHS

after breakfast, Brexit! After

breakfast as well! We know the NHS

is currently under severe financial

pressure, so why not make it down

payment? Why not put more money into

the NHS now?

I fully support

increasing funding and the NHS and

we are delivering on that. What we

have seen in 2010 is an increase of

about 12 and a half billion. We saw

extra money for winter pressures

last year which was vital. I have

seen the biggest investment in my

hospital since it was built in the

90s. I think we need to keep up with

investment.

If you are keen on

investment the last Labour

government run 1987-2010 on average

in real terms increased NHS spending

by £5 billion a year over that

period. On average how much have you

increased NHS spending?

We have

increased it every year.

By how

much?

Billions more going on. About

2 billion per year.

So you put into

billion per year since 2010 the last

Labour government put in 5 billion a

year.

That was in the context of the

government losing control of the

country's debts and running a huge

deficit...

We had a financial crisis

and you took support of the measures

we took.

Do you not see the hard of

a problem that under the last Labour

government spending rose by 5

billion per year on average. Under

you, just under 2 billion per year

which is the problem because the

demands on the NHS are ever rising

but the rises in cash you are giving

it are falling.

I think it's also

about how we invest the money and

make sure it makes the most

difference, increasing spending on

mental health which is at the

highest it has ever been can save

money elsewhere in the system.

It is

clear your 2 billion per year is not

enough, just look at the NHS, there

might be other things you have to

do, I'm not saying it's on money,

but it's clear your 2 billion per

year which is only 40% of what

Labour was putting in terms of the

increase not enough.

I stood on a

manifesto last election offering a

more substantial increase to the

NHS, meeting the terms the NHS had

asked for.

You have not matched the

Labour Party's record. We are in a

different context.

We had to pick up

the pieces after the financial

price. We have made the NHS a top

priority.

Except you are still going

to increase its only by about 2

billion per year.

I do not recognise

that. What we are seeing will take

us up to about 16 billion...

Let's

go to 2018-19, on real terms you

will be 126 billion which is 14

billion more than 2010-11 when he

came to power, that, divided by six

is less than 2 billion per year. So

you're not increasing it in real

terms by much at all.

We are every

year and we are taking steps to

increase the number of front line

staff in the NHS, to make sure we

have less dependence on the very

expensive agency workers.

10% of

nursing posts are unfilled. Nurses

are leaving the NHS at a higher rate

than ever.

We had the biggest

increase in medical training going

on...

Even in young nurses are

leaving.

I'm sorry, in my local

trust the number of vacancies is

declining.

That is very unusual.

I

am sure it is Shangri-La at your

local trust but across the country,

is this what Nick Boles meant about

your inability to rise to the

challenge when he called the

government tenet and lacking in

ambition and what Nicholas Soames

called dull, dull, dull, one Cabinet

minister said we are governed by

visionless mediocrity that is what

your government has come to.

Visionless mediocrity.

I don't think there is anything

visionless. Meeting the demands of

the NHS, 10 billion more funding in

this government, raising the

priority on mental health.

Why are

you timid and lacking ambition,

dull, dull, dull and visionless.

We

had to make sure people see an

increase in their wages through a

significant increase in the national

living wage, which we will see this

April.

This is not meeting its,

these are Conservatives saying it.

It is always good for the

backbenchers to challenge the

government to do more. We are seeing

fairer funding for our schools.

What

have you done for the just about

managing?

We have increased the

national living wage.

That was done

by George Osborne, what has Theresa

May done?

May done?

Continuing to drive this,

focusing on productivity, which

Labour said for many years we

couldn't turn around...

That is one

quarter's figures.

It is beginning

to show real improvement and that

means higher wages. We want to

combine that with the lowest paid

paying less tax.

The figures this

morning show wages are lacking

behind prices and in real terms,

wages are still falling.

Productivity is the key...

You said

wages were rising.

wages were rising. Would Labour

increase NHS spending by £5 billion

a year?

Yes we would and we set out

how we would do it at the general

election. We would also

election. We would also lift the PEI

cap, which is having an impact on

recruitment.

What was the main

source of the 5 billion a year?

It

is all set out, for example,

reversing some of the changes to the

top rate of tax the government said

it wanted to prioritise.

It could

cost you money?

It could, but we had

many different funding sources. My

trust is struggling because we

cannot get enough people in and the

number one reason they cannot work

in my city is because the wages

cannot keep track of costs.

Let's

move on.

This time last week we were talking

about the impact of the collapse

of the construction firm Carillion

and today Labour is trying to force

a binding vote in the Commons

which would make ministers hand

over their risk assessments

for the company before it went bust,

hoping to prove they knew

it was in trouble before

handing over big contracts.

Well we know Labour believes this

is a watershed moment in the way

the public views the use of private

companies to provide public

services, and this week they set out

more of their thinking.

Shadow cabinet minister Jon Trickett

said on Monday Labour would change

the way procurement works

"within hours" of taking office.

He said on Twitter: "Let me be

clear to the outsourcing

firms: the party is over.

A Corbyn Government will

reverse the presumption

in favour of outsourcing."

Under a Labour government,

firms will only be be able to bid

for a public contract if it

meets rules including:

Giving full union recognition

for their workforce and comply

with collective

bargaining agreements.

Move towards a pay ratio of 20-1,

meaning the highest paid employee

could earn no more than

20 times the lowest.

And firms would have to agree

to maintain high environmental

standards and adopt best practices

in equal opportunities.

Let's have a look at this. Can you

name any FTSE company where the boss

is paid only 20 times the lowest

paid?

I cannot say to you I know

exactly what the ratio is for every

FTSE company, but I can say it is a

mainstream opinion. I saw in the

recent submission, that the

government hasn't fulfilled its

promise...

Let's look at how it

would work. You wouldn't get a

government contract unless the

average pay of the boss was no more

than 20-1. Lockheed and British

Aerospace are building our new

fighters for the aircraft carriers.

Neither meets the 20-1 criteria, who

would build our fighters?

We think

this could change behaviour in the

private sector. When you look at

other countries who have adopted

similar, that is what happened.

Really? You are telling me the boss

of Lockheed would take a massive pay

cut in order to continue to supply

30 firefighters?

We don't think

essentially government should be

paying for these massive pay

packets.

If the boss of Lockheed and

Bae, it is bigger in America than

here now, if these two company say

sorry, we're not cutting executive

pay. It wouldn't just be the boss it

would be all executives, but they

wouldn't do it, who would supply the

fighters?

We would have to change

that business behaviour.

If they

don't change, who would supply them.

Who is going to innovate new F35

fighter which has been 15 years in

development and still not ready for

our carriers?

We need to look at

this system from start to end,

because we're not talking about pay

issues, but also export credit

guarantees...

But Bae, it is the one

that jumps out. The NHS, it is a

huge success story of this country,

we have some of the biggest

pharmaceutical companies in the

world and they supplied drugs to the

NHS. Their executives are paid more

than 20-1, who would supply our

drugs if they didn't change the PEI

ratio?

Labour isn't saying we want

every single company in the whole

country to change.

You have said it

would be a condition of getting a

public contract that the pay ratio

is 20-1, so who would provide the

drugs?

You are not outsourcing

services, you are purchasing the

drugs from them. The NHS has done

that. We're looking at things like

cleaning and catering.

IT, you

outsource massively. Hewlett

Packard, IBM and the French company

have been named as part of the top

20 companies you outsource to.

Hewlett Packard is a massive

American company. Who do you go to

if they will not cut their American

executive pay?

We need to look at

how we would do with multinational

companies like that.

How would you

deal with that?

I accept it is

something the Labour government

wasn't always perfect act, but we

have many problems at the moment and

we need more accountability for that

process. If that means potentially

more firms coming in who don't have

that...

What British company could

do that Hewlett Packard does for the

government?

We have these contracts

going to these huge firms that

haven't delivered. It might mean

smaller portions of these contracts

going to different firms.

going to different firms.

The French

company, is massive, what if they

say we don't want British contracts

any more, where do you go?

At this

point, I cannot say off the top of

my head, but the public are fed up

with the system where taxpayers are

supporting very, very high pay

packets. Through that public purse

and that has got to end. Government

activity can change these issues.

Theresa May herself for saying she

was thinking of looking at this

issue of pay ratios, not just for

outsourcing, but for the whole

economy. She hasn't done that.

It is

your policy, the Spanish

construction company, key to the

Crossrail programme going on, could

be key to the new Crossrail going

from north to south. Its boss is

paid £3.7 million. Unless he cuts

his pay on your ratio, to around

£400,000, he couldn't bid for these

contracts?

We believe there should

be a change in that kind of pay

system and we have been upfront

about that.

No major international

construction company would not be

able to bid for a contract?

That is

not the case. We think people would

cut their pay, potentially.

You

think they would cut their pay to

get a British contract?

When we are

looking at international firms, we

need to focus on the national

leadership and management.

So in

international company could get a

construction contract with the boss

being paid millions, but a British

company wouldn't get it unless the

boss wasn't paid very much?

That is

not what I said, I said about the

leadership within the country so we

would compare like with like.

You

haven't thought this idea through,

have you?

We have. The government

said itself it would look at these

pay ratios but it has abandoned

that.

You name one company that

would fall in with that. It would be

an infrastructure programme that

would be dead on arrival because

nobody would be around to do it

because they wouldn't have you

fixing their executive's pay.

Unless

we grasp this nettle of high pay at

the top end as we have seen falling

wages at the bottom end, we will

have continued public anger around

this problem. Labour is trying to do

something about it.

I understand

that and that is why I am

questioning you. But I think we have

gone as far as we can today.

The United States experienced

another government shutdown

at the weekend, which means many

government agencies stopped working

and thousands of federal employees

are placed on temporary unpaid leave

because of a disagreement over

the Budget in Congress.

The White House released a series

of photographs of president

Donald Trump to show he at least

was hard at work

to end the shutdown.

Here he is in the Oval Office.

Critics of the president,

of which there are many,

were quick to claim that it looked

perhaps a teensy bit staged.

I don't think so, it is always like

that.

Certainly the desk looks a bit

empty, although he's previously been

criticised for having a busy desk

so perhaps that just shows

you can't win them all.

Sadly the White House didn't relate

who exactly the president

was calling although we understand

it was a matter of

national importance.

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It's coming up to midday,

just take a look at Big Ben.

That means Prime Minister's

Questions is on its way

and Laura Kuenssberg is here.

It is the Elisabeth Tower.

I know

that. It is for our viewers.

Sorry.

We talked earlier in the programme

about David Davis and the European

Court of Justice continuing to have

jurisdiction over us through the

transition period. How has that gone

down?

Use a transition period but

many Brexiteers would rather see

implementation phase.

The Prime

Minister has been using that phrase

but we know it is transition.

It's

absolutely vital that it is an

implementation phase for some loud

voices on the Tory backbenches. The

viewers want to throw their

dictionary at the TV, the important

distinction and white Brexiteers are

worried about people talking about

transition as David Davis did this

morning is that an implementation

phase as set out by the Prime

Minister, the whole idea is that

both sides...

I'm going to up to

stop you, we will come back to this

but for the moment I apologise we go

straight to the House of Commons.

This morning I had meetings with

ministerial colleagues and others in

addition to my duties in this house

I shall have other such meetings

later today and later I will travel

to Switzerland to attend the World

Economic Forum and I might even bump

into the Shadow Chancellor why I am

near!

As you know, last week was the very

successful launch of the engineering

campaign aimed at changing the

perception of engineering and

inspiring the next generation of

engineers, I know the Prime Minister

is personally committed to this

campaign so can I invite her to join

me and 80,000 young people at this

year 's Big Bang fair to reinforce

the message that engineering is a

great career and open to anyone

regardless of background, ethnicity

and gender.

My honourable friend

makes an important point, this issue

of engineering particularly for more

women seeing engineering as a career

is something I have promoted for

many years now. Engineers are vital

to our economy and that is why we

want to see everyone and it's not

just about gender, it is background

and ethnicity, everybody whatever

their background having the chance

to build a career in engineering and

the year of engineering gives us a

great opportunity to work with

business to do exactly that. If I

have the opportunity, if my daddy

allows, I would be happy to attend

what he refers to. -- if my diary

allies.

I join in the Prime Minister

in commemorating Holocaust Memorial

Day, many members will attend the

events tomorrow, we have to teach

all generations that the descent

into Nazism and the Holocaust must

never, ever be repeated. Anywhere on

this planet. Does the Mr mac agree

with the Foreign Secretary that the

National Health Service needs an

extra £5 billion?

extra £5 billion?

I think the right

honourable gentleman, as I recall

was here in the chamber for the

autumn budget given by my right

honourable friend the Chancellor of

the Exchequer where he announced we

would be putting £6 billion more

into the National Health Service.

The only problem with that Mr

Speaker is that it was 2.8 billion

spread like thin gruel over two

years. Two weeks ago the Prime

Minister told the house and I quote

it is indeed the case that the NHS

was better prepared this winter than

ever before. 68 senior accident and

emergency doctors have written to

the Prime Minister about what they

describe as serious concerns for the

safety of our patients, they say

patients are being treated in

corridors and they are dying

prematurely. Who should the public

believe, the Prime Minister or the

doctors?

It is right that the NHS

was better prepared for this winter

than it ever has been before. We saw

3000 more beds being brought into

use over the winter period. We

sought the use of the one-on-one

call system leading to the

significant reduction in the number

of call-outs. We have seen changes

made in accident and emergency with

GP streamlining helping to ensure

that people who do not need to go

into hospital went into hospital.

Overall, overall we have seen 2.8

million more people last year

visiting accident and emergency than

did so in 2010. Our NHS is indeed

providing for patients. There are

winter pressures, we were prepared

for those winter pressures and we

will ensure, as we have done every

year under this Conservative

government that the NHS receives

more funding.

Mr Speaker since 2010

we have lost 14,000 NHS beds, the

King 's fund, the health foundation

and Nuffield trust all agreed the

NHS and needs another 4 billion. In

December, the month just gone, NHS

England recorded its worst ever

accident and emergency performances

with more patients than ever waiting

over four hours. Now the UK

Statistics Authority say the numbers

might be worse because the figures

have been fiddled. Can the Prime

Minister tell the house when figures

calculated in line with previous

years will be published?

I have to

say to the right honourable

gentleman that the NHS is open and

publishing a whole variety of

figures in relation to the targets

it has. We are putting more money

into the NHS every year and we are

continuing to do that. If he wants

to talk about figures and targets

being missed... Yes the latest

figures show that in England 497

people were waiting more than 12

hours. But the latest figures also

show that under the label government

in Wales -- under the Labour

government in Wales 3471 people were

waiting...

The Prime Minister is

responsible for the underfunding of

the Welsh government. And despite

that, despite that, the overall

Welsh Labour health budget has grown

by 5% in 2016-17. It is Labour Wales

with the problem of underfunding

from a Conservative government based

on Westminster. So far Mr Speaker

this winter 100,000 patients have

been forced to wait more than 30

minutes in the back of an ambulance

in NHS England for which is she is

responsible. Yet still the Prime

Minister refuses to give the NHS the

money it needs. Can she tell us how

many more patients will face

life-threatening weights in the back

of ambulances this winter?

I say to

the right honourable gentleman that

of course we want to ensure that

people are not waiting in those

ambulances. But the only answer he

ever comes up with is the question

of money. No, no, this is... The

question... The question is this,

the question is this, why are there

are some hospitals where the

percentage of patients waiting more

than 30 minutes is zero and other

hospitals where the percentage of

patients waiting more than 30

minutes is considerably higher? If

he wants to talk about funding

perhaps we should look at what the

Labour Party promised that the last

general election last year... It's

all very well shadow ministers

shouting about the comparison of

money, the point is that at the last

election the Institute for Fiscal

Studies said this, Labour and the

Conservatives are pretty much on the

same page. There is not much to

choose between them in terms of the

money they will put into the NHS.

A

Labour government would not be

underfunding the NHS, a Labour

government would not be privatising

the NHS, a Labour government would

not be underfunding social care, a

Labour government would be committed

to an NHS free at the point of use

as a human right. Mr Speaker,

according to the whistle-blower, as

many as... Hang on, hang on,

according to a whistle-blower, as

many as 80 patients were harmed or

died following significant ambulance

delays over a three-week period this

winter. This is a very serious

situation and the Prime Minister

must be aware of it. What

investigation is the Department of

Health carrying out into these

deeply alarming reports?

When we

hear reports of that sort of course

they are very alarming. That is why

the Department of Health does make

sure that investigations take place.

That might be undertaken by the

Department of Health or by the

particular trust involved, the

ambulance trust or the hospital but

these issues are investigated

because we don't want to see that

happening. We want to see people

properly cared for and if there were

lessons to learn to them they will

be learned because we want to do is

that our support for the NHS is

about providing it with the funding,

doctors and nurses, treatment and

capabilities that it needs in order

to deliver for patients. That is why

we are backing the NHS with more

funding, that is why we ensure they

get the best treatments and survival

rates for cancer are higher than

they have ever been before. It is

why we are ensuring better joined up

services across the NHS and social

care so those people who do not need

to go into hospital are able to be

cared for at home and it is why we

are ensuring we are reducing waste

in the NHS so taxpayers money is

spent as effectively as may be on

patient care. That is a plan for the

NHS but it is a plan which put

patients first.

Mr Speaker, the

Prime Minister must be aware of

ambulances backed up in hospital car

parks with nurses treating patients

in the back of ambulances, ambulance

drivers and paramedics desperate to

get on to deal with the next patient

cannot leave because the patient

they are dealing with at that moment

cannot get into the accident and

emergency department. It has been

reported a man froze to death

waiting 16 hours for an ambulance.

Last week a gentleman wrote to me

saying my friends 93-year-old father

waited four hours for an ambulance

after a fall. These are not isolated

cases. These are common parlance all

over the country. It needs money, it

needs support and it needs it now.

The Prime Minister is frankly in

denial about the state of the NHS,

even the absent Foreign Secretary

recognises it by the Prime Minister

is not listening. People using the

NHS can see from their own

experience it is being starved of

resources. People are dying

unnecessarily in the back of

ambulances and in hospital

corridors. GP numbers are down.

Nurses are leaving. The NHS is in

crisis. Mr Speaker, Tory MPs might

not like it but I ask this question

of the Prime Minister, when is she

going to face up to the reality and

take action to save the NHS from

death by a thousand cuts?

There is

only one part of the NHS which has

been cut, seen a cut in its funding,

it is the NHS in Wales under a

Labour government. This is a

government, this is a government

that is backing the NHS plan, that

is putting more money into the NHS,

that is recruiting more doctors and

nurses, that is seeing new

treatments come on board which

ensure people are getting the best

treatment that they need. This is a

government that recognises the

priorities of the British people.

Priority is to ensure the NHS

remains a world-class health care

system, indeed the best health care

system in the world. Priority is to

build the homes people need, to make

sure our kids are in good schools.

This is a government which is

building a country which works for

everyone, a country in which... A

country in which people can look to

the future with optimism and hope.

Thank you Mr Speaker, the British

people need to be confident in the

integrity of our voting system. So

what is my right honourable friend

doing to follow up on Sir Eric

Pickles report securing the ballot

to minimise voter fraud, whether

this is for referenda, general

elections or local elections?

My

honourable friend raises an

important point, can I congratulate

him for a very good council

by-election result, the

Conservatives taking a seat from the

Labour Party. But he raises an

important issue about strengthening

our process and enhancing the

confidence people have in our

democratic processes. We will

shortly be running pilot screams in

five local authorities to identify

voter ID by nationality, and in

Tower Hamlets and slow and

Peterborough they will pilot

measures to improve the proxy and

postal vote process. Democracy

matters but it's important people

have true faith in it.

Can I wish

you a happy Burns day for tomorrow

Mr Speaker and can I associate

myself with the remarks of the Prime

Minister for Holocaust Memorial Day,

we should never forget the horrible

tragedy and the price people had to

pay but we should remember a

genocide happening in many

territories since that time as well

and we must work to eradicate that

scourge our society. Mr Speaker,

earlier this week the Royal Bank of

Scotland chief executive officer

admitted in a leaked memo that

closing 22 local branches would be

painful for customers. 13 towns are

to lose their last bank in Scotland.

Prime Minister I will give you one

other opportunity, as the majority

shareholder will you meet with RBS

and make the case to keep the

branches open?

The right honourable gentleman has

asked me this on a number of

occasions and I have made the point

in every answer, and that will not

change today. We do have a duty as a

government and we look at how the

market is working. That is why we

establish the access to banking

standard that commits banks to carry

out a certain number of steps before

closing a branch and that is why we

welcome the post office but welcome

customers to use Post Office

services. 99% of personal customers

can carry out their day-to-day

banking at a post office as a result

of a new agreement. People are

covered by the services they need.

I

would say to the Prime Minister, we

owned RBS and it is time you took

responsibility. By closing these

branches and replacing some with a

mobile banking vans which do not

provide disability access, The Royal

Bank of Scotland appears to be in

breach of the UK a quality act. A

wheelchair user has described using

this as degrading. Does the Prime

Minister agree RBS has the

responsibility to deliver services

to disabled people and will she be

held accountable and this issue.

We

all want to be able to see that all

customers are able to access the

services they need. That is

customers who are disabled and

customers who live in remote areas.

As I have said, this is a commercial

decision taken by The Royal Bank of

Scotland. Banks are closing

branches, other banks are closing

branches because what they see is

less use being made of those

branches. As the right honourable

gentleman has been talking about

matters financial, I am sorry he

wasn't able to welcome the fact the

trade figures for Scotland showed

their biggest export market remains

the rest of the United Kingdom.

Damian Green.

Damian Green.

Thank you. It is

easier asking them than answering

them. It is vital for long-term

prosperity the government maintains

infrastructure investment. With this

in mind and especially as proposals

for new bridges are fashionable, can

I ask the Prime Minister to commit

the government to a practical idea,

which is an early start on the lower

Thames crossing between Kent and

Essex which would create 5000 jobs,

relieve pressure on the motorway

network and provide a boost to the

economy of the whole eastern side of

England?

Prime Minister.

My right

honourable friend is right in

drawing attention to the impact of

infrastructure when it is developed

in various parts of the UK. In terms

of the Thames crossing it will

unlock growth for the region and

offer new connections and better

journeys. It is the best investment

in the road network in a generation.

Highways England have announced the

preferred route last year. I

recognise this has raised concerns

in effect constituencies, but can I

get sure that there will be further

opportunities for those who both

support the proposals and those who

do not, they can give their views

and have their say. But he is right,

infrastructure developments can make

an impact, not just on jobs during

the infrastructure but on the

economy locally and nationally.

Outside the customs union, many UK

businesses would face, complex and

punitive rules of origin tariffs.

Given the Prime Minister's aim of

frictionless trade post Brexit, can

she confirm if it is her intention

to pursue a customs union with the

EU?

I have said this on many

occasions and I am happy to repeat

it. Leaving the European Union means

we will be leaving the single

market, we will no longer be members

of the customs union. We want to

sign and implement trade deals with

other parts of the world as part of

an independent trade pussy. But in

the negotiations we are looking

forward to for Abbas but feel, we

will be looking for a tariff free

and frictionless trade agreement as

possible.

possible.

Many members on both sides

of the House, myself included have

expressed concern over the Ministry

of Defence. The Ministry of -- this

government will always take longer

to protect this country.

My

honourable friend has raised an

important subject. In July the

government initiated the National

security capability review, which

was in support of the

implementation, ongoing

implementation of the 2015 national

security review, to ensure we do

indeed, have the capabilities, the

investment in those capabilities we

need in our national security and

that investment, those capabilities

are as effective and joined up as

possible. I have agreed the

high-level findings with ministers

at the National Security Council and

have directed the work should be

finalised with a view to publishing

a report on this in late spring. It

has been significant and it will

ensure we have the right

capabilities. As part of that we

realise more work was needed on

defence to work on modernising

defence. We want to ensure the

defence budget is being spent

intelligently and efficiently and we

are investing in the capabilities we

need to keep the nation safe. And

the Defence Secretary will update

the House on this in due course.

It

is a tragedy that in the past year

knife crime has risen by 26%. The

youth of Ireland's commission is

conducting the first National youth

survey to look at their experiences

of trauma and violence. Will the

Prime Minister meet with me to

discuss the causes of youth violence

and how we can find solutions?

Can I

say to the honourable lady, it is an

important issue and we need to look

at this issue. Although she won the

crimes that are traditionally

measured by the National crime

survey have dropped over a third

since 2010, we need to consider

these issues of the root causes of

violence, among young people and

these knife crimes we seek among

young people. It is important we

remain adaptable and resilient and

we need to understand that. I am

sure the Home Secretary will be

happy to meet her to talk about

youth violence and the causes.

On

the 28th of December, the East of

England Ambulance Service attended

and addressed in lower soft in which

a man was sadly confirmed of having

died. It followed on from a call

from the previous afternoon from the

police regarding the same person who

was left outside in inhospitable

conditions. I have spoken to the

person who made the initial call and

I have concerns over how the matter

was handled by the case only came to

light in the last few days. I would

ask the Prime Minister to endorse

the request I have made to the east

of England Ambulance Service and

Suffolk police to immediately

instigate an independent enquiry to

establish exactly what happened and

to then put in place measures to

ensure such a tragic event does not

happen again?

Can I share his

concerns about this event, about

what happens, the tragedy that

happened here. We should recognise

our Ambulance Services, those

delivering services, work hard and

regularly go above and beyond the

call of duty to ensure our safety.

But there have been concerns raised

about the service in the East of

England ambulance trusts, including

this very, very worrying and tragic

case is my honourable friend has

raised. As I said in response to the

Leader of the Opposition earlier, we

take these cases very seriously. Any

claims patient safety has been put

at risk are taken seriously and the

Department of Health and social care

has received assurances these

reports are being investigated by

the trust as a serious incident. It

is an issue that my honourable

friend, the Minister of the health

has discussed with executives of NHS

England and NHS improvement.

3

million people in this country live

in homes that are unfit, posing a

threat to their health and safety.

It costs the NHS billions. The House

gave the secondaries into my housing

fitness pill which will give tenants

new legal rights to act against the

worst landlords. I was grateful to

have the support of the government

and the backing of these benches.

But time the Private member 's'

bills are limited and tenants cannot

wait. Canty ensure this important

bill will make rapid progress and

become law.

The honourable lady

raises an important point. We have

seen, over the last six or seven

years, a significant number of homes

now meeting the decent homes

standard. The condition in which

people are living is important and I

will ask the Leader of the House to

look at the issues she has raised

about her own bill.

Trudy Harrison.

Cumbria is internationally

celebrated for its lakes and

mountains and known for nuclear

excellence. This afternoon

Parliament is hosting a taste of

Cumbria, showcasing our final food

and rent. Can I extend a warm

invitation to yourself and the Prime

Minister, to come along and sample

some of our finest fare?

Can I say

to my honourable friend, I am afraid

my diary does not permit me to

attend that event this afternoon,

but if I can drop a hint, I

understand there was a taste of

Lincolnshire offend recently and my

honourable friend sent me some

Lincolnshire products after the

event. I am not hinting at anything,

but...

I will come along. Sarah

Jones.

Jones.

Mr Speaker, this morning,

thousands of us across the country

heard my friend and former boss,

Baroness Tessa jowl talk for the

first time since she was diagnosed

with a high-grade brain tumour. It

was a joy to hear her relentless

positivity and complete commitment

to changing the world. In a speech

in the other place tomorrow, she

will call for improved cancer

diagnosis and treatment. Will the

Prime Minister and the Health

Secretary meet with Tessa, me and

other health experts to talk about

how we improve outcomes, to meet her

goal and ultimately save lives?

I

will say to the honourable lady, I

am sure the whole House was saddened

to hear of the diagnosis of the

noble Baroness, the noble lady

baroness Abbott encouraged by the

approach he is taking. I told the

Home Secretary, and her speech this

morning was very moving in this. I

am sure everybody across this House

of Sand heard the very best wishes

at this time. We do want to make

sure cancer treatment is a priority

and we want to make sure the best

treatments are being provided. We

will consider investing in anything

that improves that and we have

accepted 96 recommendations in the

NHS Cancer strategy. We constantly

need to look at this. My right

honourable friend the Health

Secretary will be happy to meet with

the honourable lady and Tessa

Jowell.

Tessa Jowell has been an

outstanding public servant. In my 20

years of this place I have never met

a more courteous or gracious member

of Parliament.

The Prime Minister will no of the

devastation caused by fixed odds

betting terminals. Far cry from the

bingo Hall, the pools coupon. Given

there is a review, will she meet me

and others to discuss how the

maximum bet on these terminals can

be reduced. And to plan how a

crackdown on the online gambling

sites which target young children.

Mr Speaker, the stakes are too high

to gamble with our children's

futures.

We are clear the fixed odds

betting terminals stakes will be cut

to make sure we have a safe and

sustainable industry were vulnerable

people and children are protected.

As I suspect, he knows the

consultation the Department for

digital culture media and sports has

launched on this and a close

yesterday so a final decision will

be made in due course. He will know

with regard to the specific point on

children, there are in place,

controls to prevent children and

young people from accessing online

gambling and the gambling commission

has asked the gambling strategy

board to examine the wide

relationship between children and

gambling. It is important we

recognise the potential threats and

dangers but ensure we have the best

information possible to be able to

act.

My 25-year-old constituent lost her

battle with cervical cancer and died

in January last year. She went to

her GP around 30 times with symptoms

and repeatedly asked for a smear

test and was refused. She only got

the test when she paid to have it

done privately. Sadly the cancer had

spread by that point. We'll be Prime

Minister support of the family in

their campaign to introduce Amber's

law which would change the

regulations so that women under 25

can access a smear test on the

National Health Service when they

are symptomatic?

I send my

condolences and I am sure the whole

house does to Amber's family for

this terrible thing which has

happened. The smear test is hugely

important. Sadly what we see even

for those who qualify today to have

the test is that too many women do

not take it up. I know it's not a

comfortable thing to do. Because I

have it as other stew. But it's so

important for women's health. I

first of all want to encourage women

to actually take the smear test.

Secondly she has raised an issue

about the availability of that test

and I will ask my right honourable

friend the Secretary of State for

Health to look at this issue. It has

been raised before for those under

the age of 25. Action has been taken

in terms of the vaccine which has

been introduced for teenagers. There

have been questions about that, I

have had people in my constituency

raising questions about that. We

need to address this issue in every

way possible so we will look at the

question of age qualification and my

overall message is, please, those

called for a smear test, go and have

it.

it.

Would my right honourable friend

join me in congratulating Bexley

rugby club on its 60th anniversary

and agree with me that the pursuit

of sport is good for health and

well-being.

I can see to my right

honourable friend that I am very

happy to endorse what he has said

about sport and indeed to enjoy him

in congratulating the rugby club on

a significant anniversary. I am sure

over all of those years it has given

many young people and others an

introduction to the joy of sport and

the way sport can be good for the

community and society and also the

individual. I am happy to endorse

that.

This week I have been

approached by a constituent who is a

single mother and up until December

was a teacher. She has been told she

will have to wait over six weeks for

Universal Credit payment and been

denied hardship loans. This means

that she is living on £20 per week

child benefit and the charity of

food banks. Can the Prime Minister

tell us that is how Universal Credit

is supposed to work? And does she

regret that my constituent's son now

joins the nearly 9000 children

living in

living in poverty and Batley and

Spen?

We made changes to the

Universal Credit which were

announced in the budget including

changes which mean the availability

of advanced payments has increased.

The size of those advanced payments

has increased but if she would like

to send the details, write in with

the particular details we can look

at it and make sure it is properly

considered.

The latest figures from

the Office of National Statistics

show the government is making

further progress in reducing the

deficit. Would my right honourable

friend agree it would be reckless to

change course now in terms of a

policy of Reena as localisation --

of renationalisation?

My honourable

friend raises an important point, it

has not been easy to the dues the

deficit in the way that we have. We

had to deal with the biggest deficit

in our peacetime history left to us

by the Labour Party, decisions from

the government... Yes. Yes.

Order!

Labour might not like hearing it but

it is what happened. It is by the

hard work of the British people and

by decisions the government has

taken we have been able to produce

that deficit. But £170 billion extra

in order to meet the ideological

desires of the Leader of the

Opposition would saddle people up

and down this country with higher

debt and ordinary people would pay

the price.

Will she instruct the DWP

to release the details of benefits

claimants with disabilities who have

taken their own lives after the

claims were turned down, stop

without notice or significantly

reduced?

The DWP does not give

details of individuals with whom it

deals. That is absolutely right.

Absolutely right. What it does do is

ensure we have a welfare system

which provides support to those who

need it and welfare system that

increasingly encourages those who

can to get into the workplace

because we continue to believe work

is the best route out of other day.

In her December press release the

Bank of England described the UK

financial system as both a national

asset and a global public good. Does

my right honourable friend think it

is reasonable that the UK financial

services sector which pays billions

of pounds in taxes wants to hear the

government ambitions to ensure the

City of London remains a global

pre-eminent financial settlement in

the same way it set out ambitions

for other sectors in the summer?

I

have said in this chamber we retain

that ambition for the City of London

to remain a global financial centre,

I have said it outside this chamber,

it is indeed what we are working on.

I was pleased to welcome a number of

senior representatives from the

financial services sector to number

ten Downing St only a matter of

weeks ago. To sit down and talk to

them about how we can ensure that we

do exactly that. London's place as

the financial sector for the world

is not just to benefit the United

Kingdom, it's a benefit to the

global financial system and the

European Union.

It's absolutely

wonderful Mr Speaker that people are

top thing about building walls but

we in Britain are talking about

building bridges. But let me

reassure our American friends that

the Mexicans and the French will be

paying for it because our NHS needs

to be properly funded first. Can the

Prime Minister confirm that rather

than building 22 mile long bridges

over the English Channel or a £50

billion Boris airport in the Thames

estuary, when will be Western rail

link to Heathrow connect in Wales,

the South and the West directly to

Heathrow, when more that finally be

built and will we be subjected to

further studies and consultations?

Can I say to the honourable

gentleman that I believe there is

very strong cross-party support for

the Western rail link for Heathrow.

The honourable gentleman has

expressed his support and my right

honourable friend the member for

Newbury has been supporting this. It

would reduce journey times for

passengers in the south-west and

good support the Thames Valley

economy. It is something I have

looked into as a Thames Valley MP

previously. Development funding has

been committed for the project and

the Department for Transport will

write further detail in due course.

Can I congratulate the Prime

Minister and the parties in Northern

Ireland for the resumption today of

talks at Stormont. What more can be

done to ensure the executive is

restored and the nightmare of direct

rule avoided?

My honourable friend

is absolutely right, the people of

Northern Ireland need strong

devolved government and political

leadership and they cannot continue

to have their public services

suffered by lack of an executive

without ministers making key policy

and budget decisions. We are

determined to re-establish a fully

function inclusive devolved

administration which works for

everyone in Northern Ireland. We

believe that the basis for a deal

exists and that is why as my

honourable friend has said today,

the Northern Ireland Secretary

starting a set of political talks to

restore the executive. I would

encourage, strongly encourage all

parties to come together and focus

on the job of restoring devolved

government in Northern Ireland.

Over

Christmas Newcastle United football

fans raised over £50,000 for the

Western food bank in my constituency

which you are soon to visit Mr

Speaker, helping to feed people like

John who despite having COPD,

arthritis, dyspepsia, prose that is,

type two diabetes and anxiety and

depression was sanctioned for not

working hard enough to try to find

work. We'll be Prime Minister

congratulate the people of Newcastle

on their generosity and will she

explain why it was necessary?

All I

can say to the honourable lady is

that I applaud all those who give

their time voluntarily, raise money

across the board in terms of the

activities, she has raised a

specific example of the work of

people in Newcastle and I commend

people for when they do raise money

for causes. Can I just say to the

honourable lady, I cannot discuss an

individual case across this dispatch

box as she will knows. I think it's

important, it is important that we

do ensure we have a system which

works, does work properly and fairly

and I am sure if she wants to raise

the individual case with the

Secretary of State for Work and

Pensions it will be looked into.

The

Prime Minister will now be very

welcome and introduction of the

national minimum wage has created an

as yet unresolved difficulty for the

care sector. Specifically for 24

hour care for those with significant

learning difficulties. The issue is

commonly referred to as sleeping

shifts and owed money to the HMRC.

Will the Prime Minister meet with me

and a number of concerned colleagues

to discuss the best way forward?

My

honourable friend raises an

important issue which is of concern

to a number of organisations and to

others around the house. I am very

happy to meet her and looked into

this particular question. I would

say to my honourable friend this is

a matter the Cabinet Office has been

looking at and working with the

relative Ottoman departments --

government departments to find a

solution which I know has caused

concern. That is why there have been

the measures taken to defer the

abomination of certain aspects of

this but we continue to work on it

and are happy to look into it.

Nobody has been charged with the

death of Poppi Worthington despite

the 13 month -year-old having been

anally penetrated in the hours

before her death at home. She was

not known to social services despite

a staggeringly troubled family

history so will she agreed to a

public enquiry so we can learn the

lessons from this and the children

safer across the country?

I think

this is a case which has shocked and

appalled everybody around the

country when they have seen the

horrific abuse which was carried out

and obviously the tragic

circumstances of the death of Poppi

and obviously the tragic

circumstances of the death of Poppi.

I'm sure everyone will join me in

offering my condolences. As I

understand that the Crown

Prosecution Service has announced it

is considering the coroner 's

decision in the lesion with Cumbria

Constabulary and I think is right we

allow that process to continue to

take place and await the outcome of

it before considering any further

action being needed. I can assert

the honourable gentleman that I

think everyone across this house is

well appraised of the significance

of this issue and how appalling this

tragedy was and the need for us to

ensure there was indeed Justice but

also lessons are learned.

Order.

ANDREW: PMQs ending on a sombre

note. As expected, Jeremy Corbyn

went on the NHS. The extra money the

government was putting in wasn't

enough. And he quoted A&E doctors

and who should we trust, them or the

experts. The Prime Minister quoted

statistics, showing various areas

how she thought the NHS was doing

well. Inevitably, we may want to

start betting on this.

start betting on this. Jeremy Corbyn

use some detail, he said 100,000

patients had to wait more than 30

minutes in an ambulance. He talked

about the numbers waiting for how

the A&E figures, a weight of no more

than four hours have been regularly

breached. He said 80 patients had

been harmed or died over three weeks

while waiting in the ambulances.

That was the exchange. Whether we

got anywhere is another matter but

the NHS is always a powerful issue.

Labour think it is its issue and

that is why Jeremy Corbyn regularly

goes with it. And in the winter

there is plenty of material he has

to put to the government.

Let's discuss all this with Brexit

minister Robin Walker and Shadow

Treasury Minister Anneliese Dodds.

Laura Kuenssberg is here too.

Before I interrupted you, Laura.

You

did, well, John Bercow bid, by

starting on time.

I am happy to be

corrected. And finished early as

well. We talked about the NHS in the

first part of the programme and

spoke to the Minister about them. Mr

David Davis, the Brexit minister was

in front of a select committee and

was being asked questions, maybe it

was Jacob Rees Mogg that responded,

but he seemed to tell us that in

this transition period of two years

after we leave, the European Court

of Justice will still rule and have

jurisdiction in this land.

Explain?

And in her Florence speech, the

Prime Minister said the transition

period will be the status quo and

the rules and regulations will stay

broadly the same and that will mean

the oversight of the European Court

of Justice. The context is, the

government is expected to set and

much more detail about the two years

up Brexit day by the end of this

week. So ears are wagging around

Westminster for any clues. The

second thing is, for the Tory party,

this debate around what the

transition period looks like is one

of the central issues of dispute

between the Brexiteer tendency, of

course from top to bottom in the

party and those who were advocates

for Remain. And David Davis, who was

a Brexiteer but now had to make the

thing work. We were saying before

PMQs, there is even a row before you

get to the actual thing, there is a

row over what to call it. Is it a

transition period or in

implementation phase, which is what

the Prime Minister said last day.

That matters because implementation

is basically meant to be both sides

getting used to the new arrangements

and transition is things preserved

in aspect. In your view, what is it,

implementation or transition? This

matters to a lot of people.

If you

look at the joint report, it is

both, it refers to both terms. But I

think it is important to reflect the

fact that this is not a question of,

do we stay in the EU. It is, we are

leaving the EU but we are taking

time to do it in an orderly way.

There is a period, if you have two

years, were both sides of the EU and

the UK get used to set of new

arrangements...

Which would be

agreed.

Which would be agreed. Or

you have a two-year period which

would be the status quo and the UK

would be expected to abide by any

new rules. It will be interesting to

hear from the minister, people want

to know if the UK can set its own

rules during the two-year period?

As

you said, the Secretary of State

will be setting out in more detail,

the way it will work later in the

week. But what I want to point out,

the UK will be able to start to go

out and prepare a new policy,

prepare new ground for how things

will be different in the future. The

Prime Minister said in her speech,

both in her Lancaster House and

Florence beaches, we need continuity

during the process.

Will anything be

different in the transition period?

We will no longer be a member of the

European Union. Anything other than

that? That is a significant point.

How we prepare for trade policy, go

out and talk to countries. At the

moment, we can't.

That is not

implementation, it is a preparation

period.

It is both.

You couldn't

implement, under what is being

proposed, you could not implement or

sign in new free trade deal with a