07/03/2018 Daily Politics

Morning folks, welcome

to the Daily Politics.

Ministers hold an emergency meeting

to discuss the suspected poisoning

of a Russian double agent.

The government says it will respond

"robustly" if it's proved

the Russian state was involved.

We'll have the latest.

The Chancellor says financial

services must be included

in our post-Brexit trading deal.

EU top brass says,

"Not on your nelly."

Battle lines are drawn so will

a comprehensive deal be reached?

He's leading a huge reform

programme in Saudi Arabia.

But, amid continued controversy

about human rights, should Britain

be rolling out the red carpet

for the young Saudi crown prince?

A busy day here in Westminster,

so plenty for Theresa May

and Jeremy Corbyn to

discuss at PMQs.

All the action coming up at midday.

All that in the next 90 minutes

and with me for the duration,

Treasury Minister Mel Stride

and the Shadow Work and Pensions

Secretary Debbie Abrahams.

Welcome to the show.

The Government's emergency committee

Cobra is meeting this morning to get

the latest on the suspected

poisoning of a former

Russian double agent.

Sergei Skripal and his daughter,

Yulia, have spent a third night

in a critical condition in hospital

after being found unconscious

in Salisbury on Sunday.

Our reporter Andy Moore is outside

the Cabinet Office where that

emergency meeting is taking place.

Any new developments yet? Do we know

what has been decided?

No, this

meeting started about 45 minutes

ago. These emergency meetings at

Cobra are held after a terrorist

attack, so it gives you an

indication of the seriousness with

which the government is taking this

incident. This will be a meeting

chaired by Amber arrived, the Home

Secretary, and it is attended by

senior Cabinet ministers, senior

police officers, maybe military

officials as well. We have seen a

number of people going into the

meeting, none of them commented on

the way in. We saw Gavin Williamson,

the Defence Secretary, the Attorney

General Jeremy Wright, the Health

Secretary Jeremy Hunt, so we are not

absolutely sure if he is attending

this meeting, it might be another

meeting. Boris Johnson, the Foreign

Secretary, we believe went into the

office behind me via Downing Street.

We are expecting the meeting to last

an hour or so. We might get a read

out from Amber Rudd, the Home

Secretary, in the next half an hour

or so. Whether it is the meeting to

decide what to do or a meeting just

to hear about information in the

case, it is probably the latter. It

is probably an update from the

police on what is happening with the

investigation. We heard Boris

Johnson talking about action will be

taken if a link is proven with the

Russians, but I suspect we are not

quite that far down the line yet.

Thank you for that update. The Cobra

committee meeting is still going on.

They like to call it a Cobra meeting

because it gives a sense of action,

whether they decide to do anything

or not is something else. The

Foreign Secretary has described

Russia as a malign and disruptive

force. Should the Russian state be

implicated in this poisoning, what

should the response be?

The Foreign

Secretary made clear in his

statement yesterday there will be an

appropriate and robust response. You

will be aware with the Alexander

Litvinenko case that we took

measures there when it was

established Russia was complicit in

that.

What did you do?

In that case

there was an expulsion of diplomats

and we tightened up the Visa regime

and we froze various assets.

You

froze the assets of the two suspects

and you summoned the Russian

ambassador to the Foreign Office.

That is about it. That must have had

the Kremlin checking in its boots!

On the broader point of sanctions,

you will be aware there are other

sanctions in place with Russia and

we have been at the forefront of

supporting them. The economy in

Russia was in recession in 2015 in

2016 and most people will say it was

down to the sanctions.

There is not

a recession any more. A lot of these

sanctions were introduced because of

the Ukraine and the Crimea. Not

because of the Alexander Litvinenko

case. I am still trying to work out

giving your past record, why would

the Russians fear anything?

The

sanctions are renewed periodically

and the United Nations and the UK is

in the room arguing whether they

should be continued or not. In the

event we find the state has been

involved in this, that will inform

the action we take. The sanctions

regime...

It is British policy to

renew sanctions regardless of what

happened in Salisbury.

We are

working on the assumption that

Russia was involved and we do not

know that, which is why we have had

Cobra, the National Security

Council...

My point is the sanctions

are British policy for other regions

rather than what has been happening

in the streets of Salisbury. What

would Labour do if it turns out the

Russian regime was complicit?

You

raise an important point. There have

been 14 other suspicious deaths of

supporters or people complaining

against Vladimir Putin since 2012.

It is not just Alexander Litvinenko.

What with the Labour government do?

In the urgent question that was held

in the Commons on Monday three

points were raised. There was an

ongoing investigation...

My question

was predicated on if it turns out

the Russian regime was complicit,

what would Labour do?

We need to use

all the leverage we have with our

partners.

What would you do?

The

second question was about

money-laundering which the

government was providing a lot of

obstacles against the amendments and

that would have put pressure...

A

lot of the money-laundering is being

done by the enemies of Vladimir

Putin. They are getting their money

out. How would that hurt the

Kremlin?

It shows an intent in terms

of how we intend to put pressure on

the foreign powers and also

individuals who may be doing this.

I

am struggling with the government to

find out what they are doing, we do

not know yet if Russia is implicit,

I emphasise that, but if we did, and

given the past track record, it is

reasonable to speculate. Let me try

one more time, what would Labour do

if you were in power?

My third point

as was raised at the urgent question

on Monday was in terms of again

putting pressure on other areas. So,

for example, Vladimir Putin's

announcement that he is going to

increase the restoration of nuclear

weapons is completely against the

international agreement.

How will a

Labour government stop that? We will

put pressure on him. How do you put

pressure on Vladimir Putin not to

increase his nuclear arsenal?

We

work with our allies.

That is

fantasyland. Why should he listen to

you?

Why should he not?

You

you?

Why should he not?

You have no

influence.

We have a non-nuclear

proliferation agreement.

That goes

back to the 60s. If Vladimir Putin

is watching this morning, I am sure

he has not turned white in fear from

any thing either of you have had to

say. The Crown Prince of Saudi

Arabia is arriving in London today,

it is an official visit. He is

getting the full red-carpet

treatment, he is having lunch with

the Queen, dinner with Prince

Charles, a trip to Chequers to see

the Prime Minister. He is an

interesting figure, he is only 32,

he has painted himself as a

modernising reformer and has been

designated as heir to the throne,

which does not often happen in Saudi

Arabia, but his critics are not

convince. Our security correspondent

can tell us more. Good to see you.

He seems to be a quixotic character.

He is known as something of a

domestic reformer, but the number of

beheadings since he was named Eric

Parrott have doubled in Saudi

Arabia. He is known to be a

moderniser, but he is also involved

in an aggressive and horrendous war

in the Yemen. Tell us more about

him.

I met Tim four years ago when

he was nobody. Nobody had even heard

of him, so he has risen to power

very quickly. He is a moderniser and

a reformer, but let's not be starry

eyed about him. He is no democrat.

Saudi Arabia still has a very poor

human rights record and as you say

it is involved in the damaging war

in Yemen. He has a vision for Saudi

Arabia. Diplomats have said this is

the guy that is needed to shake up

the sclerotic Saudi system. It could

not go on the way it was. Oil prices

are declining in real terms. The

youth population is bolding, 70% of

the Saudis are under the age of 30

and a lot of them have not got jobs.

Without democracy, sooner or later

something had to give. He is saying,

it is absurd that in 2018 half the

adult population are not allowed to

drive, so that will happen from

June. He is reintroducing cinemas

and is allowing women to run their

own businesses and travel abroad,

things the hard line extremist

clerics previously had not allowed

them to do. He is pushing back the

power of the clerics, in that sense

he is a moderniser. But he is no

democrat, he has locked up 200

people and taken away their assets,

and accused them of corruption. He

himself has a £450 million yacht

that he bought a few years ago and

the most expensive property in the

world, a large chateaux in France.

But he is very popular with young

Saudis. When it comes to Yemen he as

defence Minister brought Saudi

Arabia into a war that was already

under way. The Saudis did not start

this war, the received rebels did,

but six months later he led an air

campaign thinking he could bomb them

back to the negotiating table and

they would sue for peace. That has

not happened, they have held on and

Yemen has suffered as a result.

Should the British be right in

wanting to get close to him? We do

not know where his domestic reform

programme will lead. He is bogged

down in the Yemen, a war very much

with his name stamped on it. The

Saudis have lost massive influence

in the Lebanon. They have lost out

to the Iranian backed forces in

Syria and they have not been able to

cow little Tatar. Is he going to

succeed? Is he someone you want to

be alongside?

You have to ask what

is the alternative? I will not say

yes or no, we should be friends.

There is no disputing, and even his

opponents would not dispute that

Saudi Arabia as a country is

important. It is the birthplace of

Islam, it is home to the two holiest

shrines of Islam, it is the site of

one of the biggest pilgrimages in

the year and it is the world's

biggest oil producer. But its

policies definitely need to go under

the microscope. If Britain were to

cut ties, we would lose what little

influence we do have over them.

There is some influence. When it

comes to Yemen for example, RAF

officers and others have been

restraining the Saudis, have been

lecturing them, to not hit civilian

targets. I can hear people scoffing

at that as I would if somebody said

it to me because they have caused

enormous damage in that country. But

it would be even worse. The Saudis

feel they are surrounded by an

advancing, aggressive, Iranian

expansionism. After 2003 Iran

expanded its militias into Iraq,

Syria and Lebanon and now they are

feeling they are surrounded by Yemen

as well and they are trying to push

back.

Frank, as always a pleasure to

talk to you. 10,000 killed in the

Yemen so far. Half a million

suffering from cholera, 20 million

in need of humanitarian assistance.

Are you happy that all this is

happening with the force of British

arms?

The situation in the Yemen is

clearly very tragic indeed and we

have a situation that we have to

deal with. As one of the largest

humanitarian donors to those in the

area we are working using our

influence on the inside to make sure

they open up humanitarian and

commercial routes and the ports that

have been blockaded.

But we have not

managed it.

We have made progress,

but more needs to be done. But the

most important point is we use our

influence to move toward a peace

process and to reopen dialogue.

White in 18 months if we have not

even manage to draft a resolution

for a ceasefire with the UN? We keep

pushing. We have not, we have not

drafted a resolution.

# The alternative, I would suggest,

is you draft a resolution for the UN

security council which would

concentrate minds and we haven't

managed to do that.

Security Council resolution to go

through on a unanimous basis, and we

are working with the UN and working

with the Saudis...

But 18 months, we

haven't even had that.

We're using

our influence. The whole crux of the

discussion is whether we should

engage with Saudi Arabia say we're

going to cut ties with them and I

think as Frank was suggesting, you

would then lose influence if you to

do that. It's far better to engage

and work and push for progress than

step aside.

Before we move on, can

you give me one example of where

there has been progress?

There is in

the case of Yemen, yes, getting

humanitarian supplies through.

There

have been periods of... There are

still massive blockades going on,

there are still bombing of

civilians. It's the biggest,

according to some NGOs, the biggest

humanitarian crisis in the Globe and

by goodness, there are plenty of

candidates for that.

It is far from

satisfactory but the critical

question is as I say, do you engage,

don't make the imperfect the enemy

of the good. Better to engage and

get change that way than stepping

aside and washing our hands on it.

Deborah Abrahams.

It's Debbie, and

only Deborah when I'm naughty.

I

will stick with heavy for the moment

but I might change! Your shadow

front -- Foreign Secretary said that

Labour would stop the War in the

man, how?

I wouldn't disagree about

maintaining the Englishman but it's

the different -- engagement but it

is the difference between engaging

and running up the red carpet.

How

would you stop the war in Yemen?

Minitab engagement but not the terms

like having -- we need to have

engagement but not sound like having

a 's royal state visit.

But how

would you stop the War?

You make

sure you engage with them...

You

would stop any arms sales.

We have

said that we need to make sure that

we have proper regulations around

this.

I think your policy is to say,

no more arms. Why would the Crown

Prince listen to you at all? They

see your lead -- leader as

sympathetic to Iran, he has appeared

on Press TV, why would they give you

the time of day in the Saudi

Arabia?

We would be the government of the

time.

But synthetic to Iran, why

would they listen to you?

The most

important thing is that you do not

have trade at any cost. So you need

to make sure the trade deals we have

fulfilled some principles. My key

issue today with the state visit is

it's totally inappropriate. What

Saudi Arabia have been doing in

terms of disproportionate and...

So

you would not have them here at all?

We wouldn't have a state visit but

we would...

It's not all about

trade, it also about security. Isn't

it? We have a security relationship

with them. We had an attack

it? We have a security relationship

with them. We had an -- we would

have had an attack on the

Olympics...

We have to move on.

The Chancellor Philip Hammond

is making a big Brexit

speech later today.

He's not exactly known

for his oratorical prowess

but it is being billed as a strongly

worded challenge to the EU

and so-called "sceptics" who think

Britain can't get an ambitious

free trade deal.

He will argue that Britain's

financial services sector will have

to be included in any deal.

The Chancellor points out that

"every trade deal the EU has ever

done has been unique" and given

it was willing to offer some

provision on financial services

on previous deals with the US

and Canada, it's "very much

in our mutual interest" to organise

a deal going even further

with the UK - the EU's "closest

financial services partner by far".

But the mood music from

Brussels hasn't been

pleasant to British ears -

Chief Brexit negotiator

Michel Barnier has repeatedly

claimed a free trade agreement

on financial services

"doesn't exist".

Could we agreed to a deal that

didn't include financial services?

Where eating for a unique deal --

we're looking for a unique deal and

I have no doubt that we will get a

deal.

I know you think there will be

a deal but my question was, would we

agreed to a deal that did not

include extensive coverage of

financial services?

We will get a

deal on financial services.

Would we

agree to one if we didn't?

I saying

that we would get a deal, we will

exclude the possibly do that we

didn't.

You don't know for sure. Mr

Barnier's negotiating position, I

don't think it's the end game. I

understand that. But if in the end,

he says, no on financial services,

would we still do a deal?

I have

said that I am absolutely certain

that there will be the also I'm

excluding the positivity that there

would be a deal. Firstly because in

previous deals, financial services

have been an element.

Quite a small

one, though.

The City of London is

not Canada, it's a major financial

provider to the whole of Europe. It

provides competitive finance that

supports European businesses and

consumers. And the European Union

will be as concerned as we are that

that continues. So I don't think

they will be going down the road of

trying to fragment that business

because it will only benefit

ultimately, not Paris and Frankfurt,

but Hong Kong, New York and

Singapore and financial centres like

that. So we will be the same side of

the table, more so than some of

these opening salvos.

Do you accept

that even a good deal, even if we

get a good deal that includes

financial services, will still mean

less access for financial services

than now?

It depends where the deal

lands. I'm confident that what we

will not go for passport thing

because that would see us within the

single market...

That would mean

less access.

We will come to a

bespoke arrangement with the

European Union that will see the

health of the city continue, and

that's important to us. My question

was this. Whatever the deal, even if

it's a good deal, it will mean less

access for financial services than

now, correct?

You will have to see that deal with

the European Union in the context of

our future as a globally facing

trading union. It will free us up in

all sorts of ways.

It will mean less

access, that's my point.

We will do

more...

It will mean less access to

Europe. If it didn't, why did the

Prime Minister says say, our access

to the European market will be less

than it is now? If that wasn't a

reference to financial services,

what was?

It's a sensible and

pragmatic point, it applies to all

areas. The City of London is 11% of

our economy, it pays 17 billion in

tax, it's hugely important to us and

it will be very high up our list of

priorities which is why the

Chancellor is taking today to make a

speech. It's right at the centre of

the negotiations from our point of

view and I've no doubt that we will

get a good and injuring sensible

deal.

Mr Corbyn was to take on the

power of Finance, that was his

phrase last week. He wants to

rebalance the distorted economy away

from finance. Does it matter to Mr

or Labour -- Corbyn or Labour that

we have less access?

It important

that we have a deal and I think that

has been taken out of context. We

would seek to have a UK, EU customs

agreement which would include

financial services.

How does the

customs union asset financial

services?

The arrangement that we

would come to with the EU would

ensure that we have an arrangement

and ran financial services as well.

But the financial services are

covered by the single market, not

the customs union.

You're talking

about the customs union, we're

talking about a new customs union.

Is there anyone in the world that

involves financial services?

That

happened in terms of the

arrangements being looked at.

Where?

I'm not aware of a customs union

being involved in customs --

financial services at all.

We're

breaking the mould here, Andrew.

financial services at all.

We're

breaking the mould here,

There are

no tariffs on financial services,

what is it have to do with the

customs union?

That is why we are

negotiating a new arrangement with

the UN this will be part of it. It's

so important because we have never

had any impact on pensions.

That's

important but we haven't got time to

go there. The one way of securing

the access we have the financial

services would be to stay in the

single market, not the customs

union. Why doesn't Labour commits to

that?

We are fully committed to

accessing the single market without

being a member of it. These are

subtle differences.

They are

systemic if you are Mr Barnier.

They

are often be presented wrongly in

language.

What it David Davis mean

when he said that Parliament cannot

block Brexit even with a meaningful

vote? The vote will have no impact

on our departure, what did he mean

by that?

I can't speak for him but

there will be a vote at the end...

I

know but he says it will not effect,

it cannot block Brexit. He says,

Vote People have no impact on our

departure, what does that mean?

What

the vote on the final deal means is

that Parliament will decide whether

it is accepted.

He seems to imply

that even if Parliament voted

against the deal, it would not

affect departure, he said we are

leaving at the end of March 2019

even with a meaningful vote. What's

the point of the vote, then?

The

position is very clear, there will

be a final vote on the final deal

and Parliament...

What's the point

if it would affect anything?

I don't

know in what context he said that,

when he said or what but the

position is very clear, it's very

clear.

So the vote could stop us

leaving the EU? Vote against?

It

could mean that Parliament would say

that the deal is not acceptable and

that could stop us leaving? I don't

want to speculative on what that

could lead to but we have been clear

as to what the vote means and we

have not changed our position on

that.

Perhaps David Davis could

clarify if he's watching.

Now, the snow has thawed

but there is still one big question

that remains unanswered

from when the Beast from the East

swept through Westminster.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz

Truss posted this photo last week

of flowers in a snowy Treasury

garden saying "had to compete

with loads of officials

to get this shot".

Nothing wrong with that,

you might think.

But hang on a moment.

Let's look at this tweet

from our guest of the day Mel Stride

who works with Liz in the Treasury

Department.

No officials in sight.

So, is the government

spreading #fakenews?

I don't know, I have a confession,

Andrew. You're the first to know

this. I know it's just the two of us

having this conversation. It wasn't

me that took the photo. So it came

to my office by a security guard.

So

is fake news!

It could have been

photo shop, she may never have been

met!

But, wait a minute,

hold your horses.

Eagle-eyed Daily Politics viewers

will have spotted that Liz Truss

wasn't photographing

the snow at all.

If you look closer, you can see

clearly she is actually taking

a photo of a rare species,

hardly ever seen in the wild.

To win one, just tell

us when this happened.

# I get knocked down but I get up

again

# You're never going to keep me down

# I get knocked down,

but I get up again

# You're never going

to keep me down

# I get

knocked down but I get up again

# You're never going

to keep me down...

# Slam it to the left if you're

having a good time

# Shake it to the right

if you know that you feel fine

# Shake it to the front, ha, ha

# Go round

# Slam it to the left

if you're having a good time

# Shake it to the right

if you know that you feel fine

# Shake it to the front, ha, ha

# High-see-yah, hold tight...

# I believe I can fly

# I believe I can touch the sky

# I think about it

every night and day

# Spread my wings and fly away...

# Don't speak

# I know just what you're saying

# So please stop explaining

# Don't tell me cos it hurts...

# It's time to make the final break

# But the memory will linger forever

# If I never see you again

# And think of me now and then

# Though it hurts so sweetly...

Clearly not a year for great music,

whatever the year was!

To be in with a chance of winning

a Daily Politics mug,

send your answer to our special

quiz email address -

Full terms and conditions are on the

website.

It's coming up to midday here -

just take a look at Big Ben -

and that can mean only one thing.

You can just see his face among the

scaffolding and the gloom.

Yes, Prime Minister's

Questions is on its way.

And that's not all -

Laura Kuenssberg is here.

I would guess, but you will know

better than me, that with the Crown

Prince, mind you, it doesn't put you

in an elite category!

Setting the

bar low!

The Crown Prince is in

town, Mr Corbyn likes foreign policy

issues like this, clear-cut. Sort of

thing he would be protesting about

if he wasn't leader of the Labour

Party. He would be on the streets.

He goes with that.

I would be very

surprised if he doesn't for

precisely those reasons. As a

backbencher, Jeremy Corbyn care very

deeply about these issues, he has

made foreign policy and his protest

against many regimes around the

world a central point of his

political career and for many Labour

activists, that something they care

deeply about so I expect him to go

on the visit of the Crown Prince to

London at prime ministers questions

today and I think he will try to

push Theresa May on some of the

ethical issues that surround the

kind of welcome that he's being

given. And also, as other MPs have

raised previously in prime ministers

questions, how the British

government is approaching the

situation in Yemen with that

dreadful conflict and the extent or

not Saudi involvement. Perhaps may

also raise the extent or not of

British involvement in that conflict

in terms of military hardware,

advisers and how we are involved on

the ground.

It will be a bit more of

ships passing in the night, the

Prime Minister will have come on

with all of the stuff about the

importance of Saudi Arabia to

Britain, for our geopolitical

position.

Yes, and whenever Saudi

Arabia, I'm afraid to say, it

always...

I would like to begin by updating

the House on the government's

response to the incident that

occurred in Salisbury on Sunday and

pay tribute to the work of all the

emergency services who responded at

the scene and those who are now

caring for the critically injured

individuals in hospital. The police

investigation is ongoing. Yesterday

afternoon I chaired a meeting with

the National Security Council where

we were updated on that

investigation which is now being led

by counterterrorism police. This

morning the Home Secretary chaired a

meeting of the government's

emergency committee, Cobra, and has

asked for an update later today. In

addition to my duties in this as I

shall have further such meetings

later on today.

Representing the

south-west constituency can I align

my remarks with those of my right

honourable friend, the incident in

Salisbury has caused concern across

the south-west and the country.

North Dorset cancels and I share the

Prime Minister's commitment to

delivering new housing, such as

creating 1800 new homes in

Gillingham in my constituency. We

understand how housing transforms

and supports local economic growth.

Can I welcome this week's

announcement from the Prime

Minister. Let's get Britain building

and deliver those quality homes of

all ten years that our constituents

now need.

My honourable friend is

absolutely right about the

importance of housing and earlier

this week I confirmed the government

is rewriting the rules on planning

to help restore that dream of home

ownership. We want to see planning

permission going to people who will

build houses, not just sit on land

and watch its value rise. New rules

will also make sure the right

infrastructure is in place to

support housing development and

planning changes will allow more

affordable homes to be prioritised

for key workers. The government has

made it a priority to build the

homes people need so everyone can

afford a safe and decent place to

live.

Jeremy Corbyn. I thank the

Prime Minister for the short

statement she made concerning the

incident in Salisbury and I think we

all thank the emergency and security

services for their response and we

await updates on the progress of

investigations into the cause of

that incident. Mr Speaker, tomorrow

is International Women's Day, a

chance to celebrate how far we have

come on equality for women, but also

to reflect on how far we have to go,

not just in this country, but around

the world. Later today, the Prime

Minister is

Minister is due to meet Crown Prince

Mohamed bin Salman, the ruler of

Saudi Arabia. Despite much talk of

reform there has been a sharp

increase in the arrest and detention

of dissidents, torture of prisoners

is common, human rights defenders

are sent to prison, unfair trials

and executions are widespread as

Amnesty International confirms. As

she makes her arms sales pitch was

she also called on the crown prince

to hold the shocking abuse of human

rights in Saudi Arabia?

First of

all, can I thank the right

honourable gentleman for telling me

that it is International Women's Day

tomorrow! I think that is what is

called man's planing!

called man's planing! I look forward

to welcoming Crown Prince Mohamed

bin Salman from Saudi Arabia...

Labour backbenchers from sedentary

positions are shouting shame. Can I

say to those backbenchers that the

link we have with Saudi Arabia is

historic, it is an important one and

it has saved the lives of

potentially hundreds of people in

this country.

this country. And can I say that

actually the fact that it is an

important link is not just the view

that I hold, the Shadow Foreign

Secretary this morning said, our

relationship with Saudi Arabia is an

important one. She also went on to

say that does not mean we should not

be pulling power punches and I

agree, which is why I will be

raising concerns about human rights

with the Crown Prince when I meet

him. As the right honourable

gentleman started on the issue of

International Women's Day, I welcome

the fact that Crown Prince will be

sitting down with and as the guest

of a female Prime Minister!

of a female Prime Minister!

Mr

Speaker, it is a year on and the

government is of course still

suppressing a report into the

funding of extremism which allegedly

found evidence of Saudi funding

going to terrorist groups here in

the UK, so threatening our security.

When will that report come out? Mr

Speaker, a humanitarian disaster is

now taking place in Yemen. Millions

face starvation. 600,000 children

have cholera because of the Saudi

led bombing campaign and the

blockade. 600,000 children with

cholera is something I think

everyone in this house should take

seriously. Germany has suspended

arms sales to Saudi Arabia, but

British arms sales have sharply

increased and British military

advisers are directing the war. It

cannot be right that her government,

Mr Speaker, it cannot be right that

her government is colluding in what

the United Nations says is evidence

of war crimes. Will the Prime

Minister use her meeting today with

the Crown Prince to halt the arms

supplies and demand an immediate

ceasefire in Yemen?

Mr Speaker, the

right honourable gentleman raised

two questions. On the first point he

made about the Home Office's

internal review, this government is

committed to stamping out extremism

in all its forms. I launched the

counter extremism strategy. The

current Home Secretary has appointed

a counter extremism commissioner.

The review we had gave us the best

picture of how extremists operating

in the UK sustain their activities

and it improved our understanding of

that and it's most important finding

is that contrary to popular

perception, Islamist extremists draw

most of their financial support from

domestic rather than overseas

sources. I understand that for

reasons of some of the personal

content in the report this has not

been published, however privy

Councillors have been invited to the

Home Office to read this report.

That invitation was extended to the

Shadow Home Secretary and so she and

other Privy Council colleagues on

the Labour front bench are free to

go and read that report. The second

issue that the right honourable

gentleman raised was the question of

the humanitarian situation in Yemen.

We are all concerned about the

appalling situation in Yemen and the

effect it is having on people,

particularly the effect on women and

children. We have increased our

funding for Yemen. Last year we

increased it to over £200 million

and we are the third largest

humanitarian donor to the Yemen. We

are delivering life-saving aid that

will provide nutrition support for

1.7 million people, clean water for

1.2 million people. I was pleased

when I went to Saudi Arabia in

December, I met with the Crown

Prince, I raised with him then the

need to open the border to

humanitarian and commercial supplies

and Saudi Arabia then did just that.

This vindicates the engagement we

have with Saudi Arabia, to be able

to sit down with them. Their

involvement in Yemen came at the

request of the legitimate government

in the Yemen and is backed by the UN

Security Council and we supported.

On the humanitarian issue I would

say it is for all parties in the

conflict to ensure they allow

humanitarian aid to get through to

those who need it.

Of course we all

want all possible humanitarian aid

to go to Yemen and help the people

who are suffering, but I refer her

to the remarks made by the former

International Development Secretary,

I quote, we must not be afraid to

condemn the nightly attacks on Yemen

by the Saudi air force which have

killed and maimed innocent men,

women and children. A ceasefire has

got to be urgent in order to save

lives in the Yemen. Mr Speaker, why

does the Prime Minister thinks that

rough speaking felt under Labour but

was doubled under the Conservatives?

First of all to respond to the first

question that he raised in relation

to the Yemen and the conflict that

is taking place there in the Yemen,

we have encouraged the Saudi Arabian

government to ensure that when there

are allegations that activity has

taken place which is not in line

with international humanitarian law

that they investigate that and learn

the lessons from it. 55 reports have

already been published as a result

of that. But on the issue of arms

exports to Saudi Arabia, can I also

say that he seems to be at odds with

his Shadow Foreign Secretary once

again who this morning said, the

arms industry is not something I am

seeking to undermine as long as it

is within international law. She

went on to say that she thought the

UK can sell arms to any country as

long as they are used within the

law. We agree, we have a very tight

arms export regime in this country

and when there are allegations of

arms not been used within the law,

we expect that to be investigated

and lessons to be learned on that.

On the issue of rough sleeping, I

say to the right honourable

gentleman that nobody in this house

wants to see anybody having to sleep

rough on the streets of this

country. That is why this is a

government that is putting millions

of pounds extra into dealing with

rough sleeping. It is why we are

piloting the housing first approach

in three of our major cities because

what we want to do is to ensure not

just that we deal with the situation

where somebody is found sleeping

rough, but actually that we prevent

people from sleeping rough in the

first place.

Mr Speaker, in November

the Chancellor of the extra

announced a rough sleeping task

force and £28 million for three

pilot schemes to tackle

homelessness. I understand four

months on the task force has not yet

met, not a penny has been spent on

that programme. There is a

homelessness crisis in this country.

Rough sleeping has doubled since

2010. Doesn't the Prime Minister

think it is a little unambitious to

say we will tackle rough sleeping by

2027?

Can I say we are going to

eliminate it, that is our aim by

2027. Let me just perhaps... Perhaps

it would be helpful if I was to

update the right honourable

gentleman because the task force he

referred to has in fact met. It met

today!

today! But more importantly because

the right honourable gentleman has

asked me this previously, more

importantly this is not the only

group of people we bring together to

look at rough sleeping. We have an

expert advisory group that has been

meeting over recent months and whose

reports and information and

expertise is being input into the

task force. He talks about

homelessness, statutory homelessness

is less than half its peak in 2003,

but we recognise there is more to do

and that is why we want to see more

homes

being built. On rough sleeping it is

not just a question, of course we

want people to have a roof over

their head, but we see half of rough

sleepers with a mental health

problem and that is why we are

putting more money into mental

health. That is why it is not just a

question of improving figures, it is

a question of changing people's

lives around. If he really cares, he

will look at the complexity of this

issue and realise it is more than

giving people a roof over their

heads, it is about dealing with the

underlying problems in the first

place.

I am glad the government

showed such urgency in setting up

this task force that it took four

months to have the meeting and it

still has not actually achieved

anything. Many people in this

country are very upset and very

embarrassed about the levels of

rough sleeping in this country. I

got a letter this week from Barry, I

volunteer in my hometown of

Southampton to feed the homelessness

because of the lack of care and help

for these individuals, it is a

disgrace. He points out the number

of unoccupied buildings in his town

and many others. Does the Prime

Minister believes that haircutting,

government cutting homelessness

services by 45% since 2010 has had

some effect on the numbers of people

that are rough sleeping?

I would say to the right Honourable

gentleman that if you think that the

only way you sold issue is that by

bringing people together in a

meeting, I have to tell him, that is

not the way to solve issues. The way

to deal with these issues is

actually to get out there on the

ground doing something about it.

That's why, that's why we are

finding 48 projects to help roughly

put into urgency accommodation and

to overcome the issues like a mental

ill health and substance. It is why

there have been councils around the

country that had been taking that

severe, during the severe weather,

insuring they are providing

accommodation for people who are

sleeping on the streets but also

dealing with the underlying issues

that lead to somebody sleeping on

the streets. It's why, it's why we

are ensuring that we are

implementing housing first in a

number of regions to put in trench

to roughly split to accommodation as

a first step to rebuilding their

lives. This is not about figures, it

about people. It's about ensuring

that we aren't taking the action

necessary -- we are taking reaction

necessary to deal with the problems

that people face which leads to

rough sleeping. It's also about

ensuring we build enough homes to

ensure that people are holding

houses when they are having planning

permission -- building houses, which

should please him.

I don't that

would come as much comfort for the

roughly put that I meet who are

begging every day to find enough

money to get into the night shelter.

Lord Porter has warned councils are

now beyond the point where council

tax can plug the gap, as a result of

the government slashing council

budgets and passing the buck. After

this deathly cold winter, we have

more than twice as many people

sleeping rough on our streets. Just

one step away from that fate are

60,000, 60,000 homeless households

in temporary accommodation. We are

the fifth richest country in the

world. The growing number of people

on our streets is a mark of national

shame. With fewer social homes being

built, less support for the

homeless, the task force that's

barely met, just how does the Prime

Minister really propose to tackle

the homelessness crisis?

We propose

to deal with the issue of

homelessness and to deal with the

issues of those people who are not

homeless but want to be able to have

a home of their own, by building

more homes in this country. We

propose to deal with it, as I said

earlier this week, by ensuring that

tenants get a fairer deal when they

rent the country. But I have to say

there are more council houses built

under this conservative government

that were built under 13 years of

labour. We have seen more social

housing being built in the last

seven years than in the last seven

years under the Labour government.

If he wants to look at the issue of

a record in relation to housing, he

should look at the record of the

last Labour government. And of

course it was the record of the last

Labour government that was described

as bringing... That was described,

the record of the last Labour

government was described...

government was described...

Order,

Mr Perkins, I know you're asking

about tennis at earlier but you

appear to be attempting some sort of

imitation of crochet and you should

not be making these curious to 60

nations, they make you look even

odder than... -- curious

gesticulations. They make you look

odder than... I thought your

behaviour was a tad odd and I'm

concerned about your well-being! I

think the members from Wirral and

Hull will look after you.

The record

of the last Labour government on

housing was described as in crisis

and bringing misery and despair. Who

said the last Labour government's

government was bringing misery and

despair? The leader of the position.

-- opposition. He said Labour didn't

have a good record on housing, I

agree, it is the conservatives who

are delivering the homes the country

needs.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Over

the last three years, more than 2000

new homes have been built in North

West Leicestershire including a

record 731 in the last 12 months.

Additionally my local authority

building new council houses for the

first time in decades. All in

contrast with just 227 houses

completed in the year to 2010, the

last time Labour way in government.

Will my right honourable friend use

this as an example to other local

garment, we have an unemployed

Madrid 1% and no rust eaters --

rough sleepers.

We are very happy to

join him in a good knowledge in the

example being set by North West

Leicestershire. It is not just those

figures that he had quoted which

have led to and contributed to last

year's 217,000 new homes being

built, which is the best year bar

one. But we are taking measures in

the budget to ensure money is

available, so we are helping people

onto the housing ladder through help

to buy. As he has referred to it, it

is the Conservative government which

are delivering the homes that people

need.

On the 6th of February, the

Royal Bank of Scotland announced

that ten branches that were

earmarked for closure were going to

be given a reprieve. Subject to

review at the end of the year. Will

the Prime Minister join with me on

calling on the Royal Bank of

Scotland to do what they can to

encourage people to open accounts to

make sure these branches are

sustainable?

Can I say to the right

honourable gentleman, as he knows

full well, it is the opening and

closing branches, which is a

commercial matter for the Royal Bank

of Scotland. We says to call on

people to open accounts and use

those branches, of course, one of

the reasons why bank branches are

closing is because more people are

choosing not to physically go into

the bank branches but bank on the

Internet. It is the customer to

decide the customer banking

arrangements that suits them.

I

should remind the Prime Minister

that we own the Royal Bank of

Scotland and the Prime Minister

ought to be holding the country to

account. I had a phone call from

constituent of mine who found the

Royal Bank of Scotland yesterday and

wanted to open a number of accounts

for him and his family. Rather than

opening them in the local branch

which is one which is earmarked for

a reprieve, he was told he should be

approaching a branch of swear. Mr

Speaker, that is outrageous. That

the Royal -- elsewhere. That is

outrageous, that the Royal Bank of

Scotland are undermining the ability

of these branches to stay open. Will

she caught in the chief executive

and tell him that this behaviour

must end?

To the right honourable

gentleman, he has raised these

questions before, and I say to him

that I would have thought that with

his background he would understand

that decisions are taken by

commercial organisations, by this

commercial organisations, that it is

not for the government to tell

people what sort of accounts they

have going to have or which branch

that should be opening those

accounts in. We take steps to make

sure that where there are branch

closures, that access to facilities

are available, which is why we have

the agreement with the post offers

to provide additional ability for

people to use the services through

the post-office. I have to say that

it is not right for him to suggest

that the government should be

telling people where they have their

bank accounts and how they should

hold but bank account. That is a

commercial decision for the bank and

a decision for individual customers

as to their own banking

arrangements.

We are now on to

backbenchers, I'm pleased to say.

But I want to hear lots of bank

bench members.

-- backbench numbers.

Thanks to income tax hikes by the

SNP government, thousands of UK

Armed Forces personnel who are

situated in Scotland will pay more

tax than their counterparts south of

the border. Can my right honourable

friend confirm that this

Conservative government is reviewing

steps that it can take to clean up

the SNP's mess and mitigate the tax

rise for our brave servicemen and

women?

This is a very important

point that she has raised. We do see

as a result of decisions taken by

the Scottish Nationalists in

government in Scotland that there

will be many people in Scotland

paying higher taxes. Somebody

earning over £26,000 pay higher

taxes in Scotland than the rest of

the UK. I was in the chamber for the

end of defence questions the other

day when my right honourable friend

the Defence Secretary said that the

point that she has raised is being

looked into.

Labour listed 1 million

children out of poverty. -- Labour

lifted 1 million children out of

poverty, this government is on

course to plunge a record 37% of

children into poverty. And

vulnerable people are denied social

care because of government cuts to

local authority. Is this really a

society working for everyone?

What

we see under this government is the

number of people in absolute poverty

has fallen under this conservative

government. We do want to insure

that families are supported in

supporting themselves, that is why

we have done things like increasing

the national living wage, increasing

the personal wage allowance so

people pay less tax and revising the

unfit to systems are more people can

get into the workplace.

-- the

benefit systems. I'm sure my right

honourable friend will agree with me

that air quality will improve the

lives of everyone in this country

and their children and

grandchildren. We are forming a

joint committee and working across

government is important cross

department, will be Prime Minister

put in a Cabinet minister to make

sure that our children and

grandchildren have good air quality?

This is an important issue and we

are committed to being the first

generation leading the environment

in a better state than the which we

inherited it, and we're taking

action to address abolition.

Emissions of toxic much junk -- to

address air pollution. Emissions

have fallen to them is more to do

which is why we have put in place a

plan to tackle air quality and

clean-up air transport which we will

be setting up this year. Both the

Secretary of State for business,

whose department covers the issues

around energy and air quality, and

indeed the Minister for energy who

attends Cabinet, are very well

versed in putting together the

arguments were better air quality.

As the Sandeep -- Saudi Crown Prince

Street across Westminster, will she

adjust the case of the writer who

has been in jail for six years

because he wrote something that the

government didn't

because he wrote something that the

government like? Will she stand at

that dispatch box and say that he is

no criminal and be set free?

I will

be raising a number of cases with

the Crown prince when I see him as

the next couple of days. The case he

has specifically referred to is not

a thing that has waited for this

visit to raise, we monitor the

situation and raise the question of

the Saudi government and we will

continue to do so.

Will the Prime

Minister support the work the oil

and gas authority are doing to help

facilitate the production of £1

trillion of oil and gas revenue from

the continental shelf, supporting

300,000 jobs? Will she join me in

paying tribute to the men and women

working offshore insuring our homes

stay warm?

I'm happy to join my

honourable friend in pain could be

to those who work in our offshore

oil and gas -- in paying tribute to

those who work in the offshore oil

and gas industry. We remain

committed to support the district,

building on the package announced in

recent budgets, and the Secretary of

State for business and the sector

recently committed to working

together to insure the UK continues

to enjoy the benefits of what is a

world leading offshore oil and gas

industry.

Nothing needs to find an

extra £12 million this year to care

for elderly and disabled people. --

Nottingham needs to find the money.

Her government's answer, adding 3%

to council tax bills, raises just

over three, leaving a huge gap to be

filled. No wonder Lord Porter,

Conservative chair of the LGA,

warned that some councils will be

pushed parallel perilously close to

the edge. Was she -- will she wake

up to the social care crisis and

give the local government the

funding it needs in the spring

statement?

We have recognised the

pressure that social care is under

which is why in successful fiscal

events, the Chancellor has given

extra money to local authority and

the social care statement. Next

week's statement is not a budget but

we have ensured that more money is

going into local councils, not just

through the presets that they are

able to raise but 2 million extra

has been put into social care.

By

far the most important market for UK

goods post Brexit and today is the

internal market. Does she agree that

the people and businesses of my

constituency and across Wales are

best served by the four nations of

the United Kingdom working together

positively and constructively to

make Brexit success?

I absolutely

agree. The four nations working

together to make a success of Brexit

but also this government is

committed to strengthening our

precious union in England, Scotland,

Wales and Northern Ireland. This is

about providing continuity and

certainty for people and businesses.

It's about making sure we don't

create a new barriers to doing

business, as my honourable friend

has said, in the internal market.

Mr

Speaker, York's housing crisis is

out of control. Whole families

crammed into tiny box bedrooms,

hundreds of damp and mouldy council

homes and Street homelessness at 15

fold since 2010. My constituents do

not want platitudes, they just want

warm homes. When can they have the

social housing they so desperately

need, and York's Tory Lib Dem

council have failed to deliver, as

has her strategy?

As she will have

heard earlier, this commitment is

making changes to ensure that we are

building more homes in this country.

I also say to the honourable lady,

one of the issues we have had to

look at is making sure that local

councils are producing local plans.

I believe that York has not had a

local plan for 15 years. I suggest

she speaks to her council about it

stop.

On Sunday evening, it was not Meryl

Streep winning an Oscar, but my

constituent Maisie, aged just six

years old. And born profoundly deaf

for her amazing performance in the

film The Silent Child. All she paid

tribute to the inspirational Maisie

and her school red Oaks primary

which has helped fill her potential?

I think everybody was captivated by

Maisie's example and by the film

that won the Oscar and I'm very

happy to join my honourable friend

in paying tribute to Maisie for her

in capital achievement. This is

important in highlighting the issue

of disabled people particularly deaf

children and this has captured the

imagination of many across the

world.

On Friday of next week, the

House will debate the private

members bill on refugee family

reunification being brought forward.

It's a very simple bill which will

allow families that have been torn

apart by conflicts to rebuild their

lives here together. It's supported

by a coalition of organisations

including the Red Cross, Amnesty

international and the refugee

Council.

For the government added

their support of this very important

Bill? -- will the government added

their support? We do have a good

record in this country of providing

places to refugees and helping those

who are particularly vulnerable. But

I understand as he will know that we

are listening to the point that we

hear in a mission to this bill. We

recognise the concern about family

reunification, there are rules

impose already but we will look

carefully at this.

carefully at this.

This week, its

national friendship week and as an

apprentice myself, I can highly --

National apprenticeship week. I can

highly commended this route. Levels

of apprenticeship are up from last

year but can I ask the Prime

Minister to insure that all schools

are promoting apprenticeships,

particularly degree level, as a

first-class choice, debt free, and

not a second-class option?

I think

it is very important that we do

promote apprenticeships not as a

second-class option but as an

equally valid route through training

for young people. It about getting

the right education for every young

person. We should in courage of

schools to talk about

apprenticeships at the first stage.

When I visited the school, one of

the points the sixth formers made is

that they had heard about universe

-- University throughout schooling

but only heard about apprenticeships

at the sixth form. Can the Prime

Minister explain why last year,

there was a 60% drop in

apprenticeships?

We have seen, we

have introduced the apprenticeship

levy and we are looking at the

application of that levy. And we are

ensuring, we have a commitment

through a period of years for a

project, we will increase them to 3

million over this Parliament. We

will look very carefully at the

apprenticeship levy and the impact

it has.

On International Women's Day

tomorrow, we will be celebrating

record numbers of women in work

including our second female Prime

Minister.

Minister. Yet attitudes toward

pregnancy mean that more than 50,000

women a year are forced out of their

jobs just for having a baby. When

will the government be taking

forward its review for existing

protections for pregnant women which

were suggested following an inquiry

into this issue?

She is right to

raise the issue. We have very clear

laws in this country that

dissemination in the workplace is on

lawful. There are clear regulations

in place which employ as --

employers must follow. --

discrimination in the workplace is

unlawful. We will review the

legislation relating to redundancy

in the next 12 months.

The Prime

Minister continues to sing the

praises of Universal Credit,

wilfully ignoring the devastation it

still causing. How do she square her

position with the fact that her Tory

colleagues in Stirling Council have

called for over half £1 million of

funding to mitigate the enormous

human suffering caused by Universal

Credit?

Universal Credit was

introduced as a more simple benefit

which is a benefit which enables and

encourages people to get into the

workplace. We have made a number of

changes in the way that Universal

Credit is operated, changes have

come into place and that includes

insuring that it's now possible for

someone to get a 100% advance of

their Universal Credit in very quick

time at the start of the application

where that is appropriate. Universal

Credit is a benefit that helps

people get into the workplace and

work is the best route out of

poverty.

Storm has left a trail of

destruction along the south coast of

Devon including washing away large

stretches of the A370 nine. Please

can the Prime Minister insure my

constituents that they will not be

left isolated and their community

separated, and can she pledge the

funds to help rebuild this vital

link and join me in thanking the

emergency services both in my

constituency and around the United

Kingdom for the extraordinary work

in desperately difficult

circumstances?

I'm happy and I'm

sure everyone is happy to join my

honourable friend in praising the

emergency services for the tireless

work they did to help people over

the severe winter weather. She is

right to raise concerns about the

A379 on the half of her constituents

and the Transport Secretary will

confirm that we will provide

financial assistance to insure that

this road is repaired as soon as

possible.

Battersea Power Station is

a £9 billion development pushed

through by Tory Wandsworth Council

with only 9% of so-called affordable

homes. 85% of these homes have been

snapped up by foreign investors.

This is an insult to the thousands

of people on the Wandsworth housing

waiting list. If the Prime Minister

in Paris that a Tory council is

siding with developers' --

embarrassed that a Tory council is

siding with developers' profit over

the Wandsworth people?

This is a

site that was derelict for over 40

years.

Order, order. It's very

discourteous, far too much noise in

the chamber. The question was heard

and very forcefully delivered by the

Prime Minister's answer must also be

heard.

This is a site that was

derelict for 40 years. It is now a

site that will be providing homes

and jobs. I would have thought that

is something to welcome.

Thank you,

Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker. March is brain tumour

research awareness month, dedicating

to supporting people affected by

brain tumours and raising funds and

awareness. They remain the biggest

cancer killer of children and adults

under 40, a fact that has to change.

There has been great progress over

the last month that the government

turning its attention to this

underfunded disease but so much more

candid and. Will the Prime Minister

join me in commending -- so much

more can be done. Will the Prime

Minister join me in commend all of

those raising funds this month and

recognise the many thousands of

people fighting this disease and

make a statement about how the

government will see the job through

it until we have the research, care

and cure that many people need?

I

would join my honourable friend in

commending all those who are raising

awareness of brain cancer and

working hard and tirelessly in

research and also raise funding in

this. It's a devastating disease. I

was right pleased to meet Barry

Strauss to hear her experience of

the NHS and is -- meet Baroness

Tessa Jowell and she has had a round

table on brain cancer. 20 million

will be invested over the next five

years helping to fund essential

brain Cancer Research and in

addition, Cancer Research UK will be

investing 25 million over the same

period.

The increase in provision of

health care within NHS England by

private providers continues to cause

fragmentation and undermining of

patient services. The Prime Minister

has thus far refused to exclude such

services from a US trade deal. Can

she tell us how the Scottish

Government will be included in such

negotiations so they can protect our

Scottish NHS from being bartered

away to get a deal?

She is a little

late because I was asked a question

about a US trade deal and the

National Health Service either

member for token on Monday in this

house and I -- by the member for

Twickenham on Monday and I maintain

that week maintain the principles of

the National Health Service and we

will not allow it to be undermined.

Later today, representatives from

the greater Grimsby transport board

will be meeting the Business

Minister to discuss the next stage

of their town deal. The proposals

would be a great boost for the

economy of Grimsby and Cleethorpes.

Could she reaffirm her support for

the proposals and similar

initiative?

He has raised this issue

with me before and I do welcome the

strong public private sector

approach which is being pursued by

the Great Grimsby Project board. I

know he is playing an active role in

that. There have been a number of

positive meetings of the Ministry of

Housing, communities and local

government and I would in courage

the board to in gauge -- in gauge

with officials continually so we can

see the developments taking place to

in the local area.

IMO is concerned

with protecting the -- I am always

concerned with protecting the rights

of smaller parties, so Nigel..

I am

grateful for your protection. Would

she acknowledge and praise the

success of the EU negotiator Michel

Barnier in bringing a measure of

progress in the negotiations in that

he has managed to unite the

opposition and the government in

utter defiance of the legal sexy has

brought forward and would she agree

that the EU need to get on and get

on and -- the legal text he has

brought forward. It is time that the

EU went on to the negotiations.

He

is absolutely right. It is now time

for the negotiators to get on with

the job of discussing the trade and

economic partnership for the future

and also within that, I'm pleased

that we will be able to discuss with

the Irish government and the

commission the practical details of

delivering on the solution for the

border between Northern Ireland and

Ireland so we continue to have the

free flow of trade between Northern

Ireland and Ireland and the rest of

the UK.

the UK.

Last month it was announced

that a proposed merger between the

British Transport Police and police

got them was put on hold in the wake

of widespread criticism from a

number of different parties. What

discussions has she been able to

have with devolved ministers and

what steps has been taken? Will to

scrap this all fated proposal?

I recognise the concerns that have

been expressed. We were committed to

delivering on the Smith commission

proposals and as part of that we

will be delivering housing proposals

to the Scottish Government. Priority

must remain the safety of the

British public and we are committed

to working with the Scottish

Government to ensure a smooth

transfer of the function should that

be their decision. It is for the

Scottish Government to decide. I

would urge them to ensure that as

they are taking those decisions they

are putting the safety of the

security of the public first.

Is it

the policy of the government that

England should pull out of the World

Cup and if not what on earth was the

Foreign Secretary on about

yesterday?

The point the Foreign

Secretary was making yesterday was

that depending on what comes out in

relation to the investigation into

the attack on the two individuals

that took place in Salisbury that it

might be appropriate for the

government to look at whether

ministers and other dignitaries

should attend the World Cup in

Russia.

In advance of the Prime

Minister's meeting with the Crown

Prince of Saudi Arabia today, would

she agree with me that in fact the

kingdom is a force for a tremendous

stability and a troubled region?

Would she offer reassurance to the

Crown prince that this country will

stand with him in his efforts to

bring modernity, development and

reform to our Middle Eastern ally?

I

agree with my honourable friend, we

have had a long-standing and

historic relationship with the

kingdom of Saudi Arabia and that

will continue. It has been important

in our security and defence and it

is important for the stability of

the region. We also see a Saudi

Arabia that is reforming and

changing and is giving greater

rights to women. We should encourage

that and stand alongside Saudi

Arabia and work with them to help

the Crown Prince delivered on his

vision.