28/10/2015

:00:07. > :00:13.Hello, and welcome to BBC Parliament's live coverage of the

:00:14. > :00:17.House of Commons. In half an hour, David Cameron will face Labour

:00:18. > :00:21.leader Jeremy Corbyn and back benches for prime ministers

:00:22. > :00:24.questions. After that, Labour MPs Chris Bryant will ask an urgent

:00:25. > :00:29.question on the Government's review on the House of Lords following the

:00:30. > :00:34.Government defeat on planned cuts to tax credits. The main business in

:00:35. > :00:40.the chamber will be opposition debates. The first focuses on the

:00:41. > :00:46.steel industry. The second debate is on junior doctors' contracts. The

:00:47. > :00:52.BMA is campaigning against changes promoted by Health Secretary Jeremy

:00:53. > :00:56.Hunt. -- proposed. Remember to join me for a round-up of the day in both

:00:57. > :01:03.houses of Parliament and the Select Committee rooms at 11pm this

:01:04. > :01:04.evening. First, we have questions to the Secretary of State for

:01:05. > :01:05.International Development, Justine Greening, and hope team of

:01:06. > :01:41.ministers. -- her team of ministers. Order, order. Holly Lynch. Question

:01:42. > :01:44.number one. We are doing climate smart development, and through the

:01:45. > :01:48.international climate fund we are helping millions of people cope with

:01:49. > :01:52.the effects of climate change and giving 6.2 million people access to

:01:53. > :01:55.clean energy. The Prime Minister recently announced that over the

:01:56. > :02:00.next five years the UK climate funding will increase by at least

:02:01. > :02:05.50%. 2015 is a once in a generation opportunity to make progress on both

:02:06. > :02:10.international development and climate change. In countries like

:02:11. > :02:16.Bangladesh and regions of Africa, connection between climate change

:02:17. > :02:20.and issues like child marriage is stark. The impact on livelihood of

:02:21. > :02:22.their homes, they are taking the decision to see their daughters

:02:23. > :02:26.married earlier and earlier in the hope that at least she will have a

:02:27. > :02:31.roof over her head and enough to eat. Too often this gamble is

:02:32. > :02:35.leaving girls at risk. We need a question. I hope that we will

:02:36. > :02:39.resolve climate change in order to deal with international department.

:02:40. > :02:42.She is right to point out that climate change has a number of

:02:43. > :02:45.different impacts that go well beyond simply the environment and

:02:46. > :02:52.impact people, too. She will know that last year we hold that Girls'

:02:53. > :02:55.On it. This was about harnessing and increasing the momentum to tackle

:02:56. > :03:02.child marriage worldwide. That is a flagship programme to do just that

:03:03. > :03:06.-- girls summit. 660 million Africans currently have no access to

:03:07. > :03:11.power at all. Can Mike honourable friend explain what she is doing to

:03:12. > :03:16.make sure that the global goals are met, but being careful and cautious

:03:17. > :03:20.about climate change. She will be pleased to hear that last week my

:03:21. > :03:23.honourable friend, the member for a while when garden city, announced a

:03:24. > :03:28.brand-new programme but the UK will be leading called Energy Africa, it

:03:29. > :03:38.is aborted by Kofi Annan meaning that we can get energy two people

:03:39. > :03:42.who are least likely to afford it. I wonder if she is concerned in anyway

:03:43. > :03:45.of the signals that the Department of energy and climate have been

:03:46. > :03:48.given from this country in the lack of support for renewable energy on

:03:49. > :03:54.the change in the regime and what that might mean for lessons in other

:03:55. > :03:58.countries? There are two aspects to tackling climate change. One is

:03:59. > :04:02.mitigation, many developed countries like the UK have significant plans

:04:03. > :04:06.to transition to becoming low carbon economies, but for many others,

:04:07. > :04:10.critically off in developing countries, the challenge is really

:04:11. > :04:14.about adaptation to how they are able to read that the climate

:04:15. > :04:19.change, which often hits them first, but also sustainable growth and

:04:20. > :04:22.development of the less. Could I congratulate her department on the

:04:23. > :04:24.excellent work that they have done with the Nepal the government on the

:04:25. > :04:31.community through forestry programme. It has seen the forest

:04:32. > :04:34.station increase in the poll. Have we got lessons to learn for other

:04:35. > :04:39.areas in which her department operates -- Nepal Matt

:04:40. > :04:47.when you work with a grain of nature and put in place programmes which

:04:48. > :04:50.allowed livelihoods to be sick successful and profitable, that can

:04:51. > :04:54.go hand-in-hand with preserving the environment. That is one of the

:04:55. > :04:58.number the department has in place to tackle reforestation and ensure

:04:59. > :05:11.that it happens. Question number two. We are supporting 11 partners

:05:12. > :05:14.with ?221 billion for the onset of winter. Vulnerable refugees will

:05:15. > :05:24.receive warm clothes, thermal blankets, fuel and cash. The

:05:25. > :05:28.Minister will be aware that in Lebanon, around 190,000 refugee

:05:29. > :05:32.families do not live in formal camps. Those who cannot afford to

:05:33. > :05:39.rent accommodation are often forced to live in tented settlements in

:05:40. > :05:46.rural areas or unfurnished buildings in urban areas. What steps are the

:05:47. > :05:51.department taking to support those who live outside as well as inside

:05:52. > :05:54.the refugee camps? As the honourable gentleman observes, there are no

:05:55. > :06:00.refugee camps in Lebanon. I visited the settlement to which he refers,

:06:01. > :06:04.and it is precisely for that reason that we support Unicef and the UNHCR

:06:05. > :06:12.to make the provision that we are paying for. Code the Minister told a

:06:13. > :06:15.House whether the persecuted Christians and other religious

:06:16. > :06:18.minorities are able to get into the camps, and whether they will be able

:06:19. > :06:26.to remain within them and take winter refuge? Mr Speaker, I have

:06:27. > :06:31.visited camps that are specifically for Christians. But I would be

:06:32. > :06:36.reluctant to make any kind of aid provision specific to a religious

:06:37. > :06:46.conversion, because that would be to port combustible on a conflict which

:06:47. > :06:50.is already in process. Mr Speaker, refugee children in Europe also face

:06:51. > :06:54.a tough winter. Last week, the UNHCR expressed concern that unaccompanied

:06:55. > :06:58.children moving in Europe are at a heightened risk of violence and

:06:59. > :07:03.abuse, especially in reception centres. Save the children operates

:07:04. > :07:06.in Italy and Greece, they identified that these children are operating a

:07:07. > :07:09.high level of psychological distress. Does the Minister agree

:07:10. > :07:14.that is because these children have arrived in Europe, it does not mean

:07:15. > :07:18.that they are safe, and can he remind the Prime Minister that I

:07:19. > :07:21.wrote to him on the 11th of September and I am still awaiting an

:07:22. > :07:26.answer? I don't dig that the Prime Minister will be needing any

:07:27. > :07:30.reminder about the nature of the crisis. It is precisely for these

:07:31. > :07:39.reasons that we provide core funding to the UNHCR and Unicef. The United

:07:40. > :07:42.Kingdom is rightly, in my view, taking 20,000 refugees. Their right

:07:43. > :07:49.eight categories of profiles of resettlement under the UNHCR

:07:50. > :07:52.guidelines -- there. Will the Government be using those

:07:53. > :07:55.guidelines, or will we be introducing our own guidelines,

:07:56. > :08:01.given that the eight categories do not include widows orphans? Mr

:08:02. > :08:09.Speaker, we will be using the UNHCR guidelines. Thank you, Mr Speaker,

:08:10. > :08:13.can I pre-emptively welcome the new Labour front bench team and look

:08:14. > :08:17.forward to working with them on these important matters. Does the

:08:18. > :08:19.onset of winter and the challenges it brings not highlight the

:08:20. > :08:23.importance of the UK playing a diplomatic role in resolving the

:08:24. > :08:28.crisis in Syria, and does the Minister agree that as the winter

:08:29. > :08:32.sets in and family start to freeze, this is what the government

:08:33. > :08:38.migration be prioritising? I agree in Tiley that we must bend every

:08:39. > :08:45.muscle to providing a settlement -- entirely. In supporting preparation

:08:46. > :08:49.for winter, can Mike honourable friend confirmed that it is the UK

:08:50. > :08:55.that is taking the lead in Europe in providing more resources than any of

:08:56. > :08:59.other of our European allies. He is quite right. This is the greatest

:09:00. > :09:09.humanitarian response that we have made to any emergency ever. Diane

:09:10. > :09:13.Abbott. There are terrible reports of the conditions in the Syrian

:09:14. > :09:20.refugee camps on the Greek islands like Lesbos. No shelter, no food,

:09:21. > :09:23.children's sleeping in bin bags, and conditions can only get worse as

:09:24. > :09:30.winter approaches. Is the Government really prepared to turn its back on

:09:31. > :09:34.people like these? We have already done work and are doing work with

:09:35. > :09:43.the UNHCR and the Red Cross. Chris Davies. Question three, Mr Speaker.

:09:44. > :09:46.Thank you, Mr Speaker. I should take the opportunity to welcome the

:09:47. > :09:49.shadow front bench team into their roles, I look forward to debate but

:09:50. > :09:53.also hopefully constructively working with them on the common

:09:54. > :09:58.cause on this agenda. Mr Speaker, the root causes of migration are

:09:59. > :10:01.diverse, they include conflict, lack of security, and also lack of

:10:02. > :10:06.opportunity and jobs. That is why we are providing help and security for

:10:07. > :10:10.refugees are affected by the Syrian prizes, and when we are doubling our

:10:11. > :10:16.jobs and growth it is not only did for the people in the country, it is

:10:17. > :10:19.in our national interest. The focus in recent weeks has been on migrants

:10:20. > :10:25.from the Syrian conflict, but what is her department doing to tackle

:10:26. > :10:29.migration from Africa? Two things, in short, working to create jobs. We

:10:30. > :10:34.doubled our economic development work across the department. Also

:10:35. > :10:37.helping African countries cope with refugees and displaced people that

:10:38. > :10:46.they themselves have, for example in Ethiopian, Sudan and Kenya. Thank

:10:47. > :10:52.you. Can the Minister confirm that migrants from Eritrea are no longer

:10:53. > :10:57.going to be described as economic migrants, since some of the worst

:10:58. > :11:01.human rights atrocities are taking place in that country? She is

:11:02. > :11:07.absolutely right to highlight the human rights concerns that we have

:11:08. > :11:15.in relation to Eritrea. In relation to her more specific question, let

:11:16. > :11:20.me write to her with an update. We are happy to hear the honourable

:11:21. > :11:26.lady. Thank you. Many women and girls come to our shores to escape

:11:27. > :11:30.evil and oppression abroad. Can the Minister update me on what the

:11:31. > :11:36.department is doing through our aid programme to fight the practice of

:11:37. > :11:40.FGM around the world? The UK has a flagship programme, the largest of

:11:41. > :11:46.its kind in the world, that is supporting this African led movement

:11:47. > :11:50.now to end FGM in 17 of the most affected countries. Our goals summit

:11:51. > :11:54.last year galvanised global movement on ending FGM child marriage, and

:11:55. > :11:59.indeed next month, the African Union are indeed themselves hosting an

:12:00. > :12:04.African summit to maintain momentum, which I hope to be able to join.

:12:05. > :12:09.This is a disappointing question. The root cause of migration is

:12:10. > :12:16.because they prefer the weather, of Britons to Spain. Will the Secretary

:12:17. > :12:19.of State have a word with the whips office to stop conflating the

:12:20. > :12:25.refugee crisis with economic migration?

:12:26. > :12:32.I was not expecting a question on UK pensioners in elation to migration

:12:33. > :12:36.but he has obviously made his point. The focus from a different

:12:37. > :12:40.perspective is to help people caught up in crises like Syria through

:12:41. > :12:44.no-fault of their own and ensure they get the support and medical

:12:45. > :12:54.treatment but also that their children, the education they

:12:55. > :12:57.deserve. Question number four, Mr Speaker. Registration is essential

:12:58. > :13:02.in order to enable refugees to obtain humanitarian services and

:13:03. > :13:09.protection under international law. To date, we have provided ?44

:13:10. > :13:12.million in Jordan and Lebanon on which will include coverage of

:13:13. > :13:18.registration and the issuing of birth certificates. I am very

:13:19. > :13:25.grateful to the that helpful answer as he outlines, registration can be

:13:26. > :13:31.vital. Some estimates suggest nearly 30,000 Syrian refugee children born

:13:32. > :13:39.in Lebanon on could fall into that category. Does the minister

:13:40. > :13:43.recognise this needs to be responded to, both from the Government and

:13:44. > :13:48.grassroots legal advice organisations on the ground and will

:13:49. > :13:54.he commit to supporting that registration? Can I suggest to the

:13:55. > :14:01.honourable gentleman that the deployment of a blue pencil is

:14:02. > :14:04.helpful on these occasions. I cannot confirm the figures, if they are not

:14:05. > :14:09.registered, it makes it rather difficult account. But he is right

:14:10. > :14:14.and it is essential we continue to work with the Norwegian refugee

:14:15. > :14:18.council which a particular expertise in securing the rights for refugees

:14:19. > :14:29.and that we continue to lobby the Government. Given the complexity of

:14:30. > :14:34.the situation, how meticulous and precise are the processes to insure

:14:35. > :14:40.that children most at risk are prioritised, trying to deliver a

:14:41. > :14:45.more acceptable outcome? I have visited the registration centres in

:14:46. > :14:53.Lebanon on and I can assure him, as to the extraordinary efforts that

:14:54. > :14:57.have gone to, by a remarkable staff. Undoubtedly, it has become

:14:58. > :15:04.challenging, since May, although it has improved more recently but we

:15:05. > :15:08.are on the case. I thank the minister for his answer on the 44

:15:09. > :15:13.million but what actual action is the Government going to take because

:15:14. > :15:17.there are specific issues, of fair complexity and cost of registering

:15:18. > :15:20.these stateless children and we don't want to see anybody left

:15:21. > :15:27.behind. Will he come back with a more specific cancer? I welcome the

:15:28. > :15:34.honourable gentleman to the front bench and I think it is important to

:15:35. > :15:40.put your money where your mouth is. 44 million is an important part of

:15:41. > :15:44.the answer. It is vital we work with the Norwegian refugee council and

:15:45. > :15:59.that we lobby the Government. I don't rule Lebanon on unfortunately.

:16:00. > :16:06.2.3 million people in Gaza and the West Bank have insecure access to

:16:07. > :16:15.food. 1.4 million are in need of water, sanitation and hygiene. This

:16:16. > :16:23.month, 58 Palestinians have been killed, 7042 Palestinians and 70

:16:24. > :16:29.Israeli 's have been injured. A related question on Gaza if I may.

:16:30. > :16:34.What assessment has been made of the destruction of UK funded facilities

:16:35. > :16:40.in Gaza by the bombing of the Israeli air force? It seems we are

:16:41. > :16:43.in a situation where we either directly or through the UN, provide

:16:44. > :16:48.facilities that get bombed and then have to provide them again. What can

:16:49. > :16:57.stop this tragic merry-go-round? Will he try to persuade the Israeli

:16:58. > :17:06.Government... These questions are too long, we are very short of time.

:17:07. > :17:09.12 UK underfunded UK schools were severely damaged in the hostilities

:17:10. > :17:20.and the only way we can prevent this is by peace process.

:17:21. > :17:25.Will he praised the doctors at the medical centre in Jerusalem who are

:17:26. > :17:30.showing real humanitarian characteristics by treating victims

:17:31. > :17:36.at and attackers at the same time? I think that is a lesson to the

:17:37. > :17:41.measure of leadership that is now required to overcome the huge amount

:17:42. > :17:45.of distrust and hatred. What discussions have the Secretary of

:17:46. > :17:49.State has with the Israeli Government about the increase in the

:17:50. > :17:55.illegal building on the West Bank and the impact that has had on the

:17:56. > :17:59.current levels of violence? I have had substantial discussions with the

:18:00. > :18:06.Israeli Government on this issue and could not have been more robust in

:18:07. > :18:14.my representations. That took me by surprise! What consideration has my

:18:15. > :18:17.taken to the provision of a desalination plant the Gaza as

:18:18. > :18:24.proposed by the Israeli Government which would provide all water needs

:18:25. > :18:29.for Gaza and would satisfy the humanitarian grounds we want to see.

:18:30. > :18:36.My honourable friend draws attention to this, the UN study predicts Gaza

:18:37. > :18:41.will become uninhabitable as a consequence of the water problem by

:18:42. > :18:44.2020 so it is vital there is a peace process so the level of investment

:18:45. > :18:57.required to drive such developments becomes available. My capacity this

:18:58. > :19:03.summer, I visited a prison in Jamaica where we negotiated a prison

:19:04. > :19:14.bill to transfer an arrangement for a national offender is reported by

:19:15. > :19:20.my right honourable friend. We spend lots of money incarcerating national

:19:21. > :19:25.offenders in this country, with the minister be kind enough to look at

:19:26. > :19:30.Pakistan, Bangladesh and Vietnam for future projects? My honourable

:19:31. > :19:37.friend will be pleased that her we do work in various countries. I just

:19:38. > :19:48.described Jamaica. I will shortly visit Ghana. Where does building

:19:49. > :19:53.prisons fit into the UK's state spending priorities for foreign aid

:19:54. > :19:56.and does the minister understand concerns about aid money perhaps

:19:57. > :20:05.increasingly being siphoned off for other purposes? As the honourable

:20:06. > :20:10.lady, mentioned, we have a strict regime about where money is spent

:20:11. > :20:20.but in the end it is about security both in those countries and at home.

:20:21. > :20:27.Topical questions. Last month I was at the UN for its historic adoption

:20:28. > :20:30.of the 17 global goals and the UK provided a key role in creating

:20:31. > :20:38.goals that have a commitment to leave no one behind. The UK pressed

:20:39. > :20:44.for more support Syrian refugees and finally, at a Rotary event in last

:20:45. > :20:47.week alongside my right honourable friend for Southend West, we

:20:48. > :20:59.recognise that for the first time, there have been no cases in Africa

:21:00. > :21:07.of polio in over a year. I congratulate the honourable member

:21:08. > :21:14.for winning a procurement award. What more can she do for value for

:21:15. > :21:19.money in her department? It is an area I would be keen to deliver on

:21:20. > :21:24.Ashe I have been keen to deliver on for the taxpayer.

:21:25. > :21:31.We are now looking at how we can make it easier for SME s to work

:21:32. > :21:40.with... As a result of the on going conflict

:21:41. > :21:47.in Yemen, 21 million people are now in desperate need of aid. What is

:21:48. > :21:53.she doing to secure action by the UN Security Council for

:21:54. > :21:58.constructing... To the conflict in peace talks and providing

:21:59. > :22:03.humanitarian access? He is absolutely right to raise this

:22:04. > :22:08.forgotten crisis. At the UN in September I held a discussion with a

:22:09. > :22:11.range of people including UN agencies about how we can do a

:22:12. > :22:18.better job of reaching people in need. That fundamentally requires a

:22:19. > :22:25.dialogue on how to achieve peace. Given that the Government of Somalia

:22:26. > :22:31.are now taking control of a number of towns and areas that were

:22:32. > :22:35.previously occupied by Al Shaqab, does he agree it is crucial that

:22:36. > :22:44.effective local government services are put in place to support local

:22:45. > :22:50.communities? Her that salute you write that as we achieve rowing

:22:51. > :22:53.political stability hopefully in Somalia, we then back that up with

:22:54. > :22:57.allowing a more federal approach to Government and indeed we are pulling

:22:58. > :23:02.together programmes that will enable us to support local government to do

:23:03. > :23:09.the basic services people depend on. Speaking about the situation in

:23:10. > :23:11.Palestine last week, the Israeli Prime Minister declared Israel would

:23:12. > :23:18.have to control all the territories, his words, for the

:23:19. > :23:25.foreseeable future. He has no intention of allowing the creation

:23:26. > :23:32.of two states. What implications has that got for UK development policy?

:23:33. > :23:36.It is absolutely vital that we get a peace process back on track. I hope

:23:37. > :23:42.that at the weekend, the agreement that was made about the temple is at

:23:43. > :23:46.least a start to that process but the only way to address the issues

:23:47. > :23:59.that it raises is pursuing a two state solution. Can you update the

:24:00. > :24:03.House on what you are doing to help fragile states? Thank you. This is

:24:04. > :24:09.an area we have chosen to focus more work on helping fragile and failing

:24:10. > :24:12.states tackling instability and helping people affected by conflict.

:24:13. > :24:16.It is not just the right thing to do for those people and their

:24:17. > :24:24.countries, it is how we can keep our own country safe, secure and

:24:25. > :24:28.prosperous as well. On the 15th of October, human rights watch

:24:29. > :24:33.published a report on the deteriorating situation in Nepal.

:24:34. > :24:38.That document over 45 deaths in recent months and it criticises the

:24:39. > :24:40.Nepal the police. Given the department is funding the police

:24:41. > :24:48.there, can I ask if they would read the report and give a considered

:24:49. > :24:55.response data bindings? He raises an important point and the work

:24:56. > :24:59.alongside the police have been important to help us ensure

:25:00. > :25:07.humanitarian support gets to people affected by the earthquake. We will

:25:08. > :25:12.of course respond. Hampshire farm rescue played a critical role in the

:25:13. > :25:15.immediate recovery efforts after the earthquake in Nepal, what steps are

:25:16. > :25:21.being taken to insure economic recovery in that country? Beyond

:25:22. > :25:27.providing initial emergency humanitarian aid we now need to look

:25:28. > :25:32.at how we can look at hopping Nepal recover which includes investment in

:25:33. > :25:37.infrastructure in particular. Also broader investment in energy and

:25:38. > :25:42.access to energy and improving the business environment to get

:25:43. > :25:47.investment in the country. Can the minister reassure the House the

:25:48. > :25:54.steps the department are taking... INAUDIBLE

:25:55. > :25:59.Much of the work we do is aimed at engendering stability in countries

:26:00. > :26:03.but in the end, many of the issues the honourable members raise need to

:26:04. > :26:06.be dealt with at a political level and they need long-term leadership

:26:07. > :26:11.in order to ensure communities can live side-by-side. When that is in

:26:12. > :26:18.place we have the best prospect of development. The global humanitarian

:26:19. > :26:20.system is struggling to cope under the pressure of many crises in the

:26:21. > :26:26.world. Can the Britain is doing to reform the

:26:27. > :26:34.system so it is fit for purpose for years to come? Encouraging UN

:26:35. > :26:38.agencies to improve on value for money but secondly looking ahead to

:26:39. > :26:42.the world humanitarian summit in Istanbul next year, making sure the

:26:43. > :26:47.international community and UN agencies have a better response to

:26:48. > :26:50.protracted crises such as the one in Syria, where children are left with

:26:51. > :26:55.no education and people are left with no jobs. Those are the root

:26:56. > :27:01.causes as to why migration is now taking place from that region. It

:27:02. > :27:06.has been more than a month since the sustainable development goals worth

:27:07. > :27:11.agreed in the United Nations, when will the Government published its

:27:12. > :27:18.plans for the implementation of the goals? I think we can be proud of

:27:19. > :27:23.the work the UK did in shaping those goals. It was led by the Prime

:27:24. > :27:28.Minister and his participation in the high-level panel by that sex is

:27:29. > :27:35.up by the Secretary General of the UN. -- set up by the Secretary

:27:36. > :27:49.General of the UN. She has done fantastic word in

:27:50. > :28:00.tackling female genital mutilation, what further steps will she take to

:28:01. > :28:07.tackle the equally up rent -- abhorrent breast... It is absolutely

:28:08. > :28:19.vital women have voice and control in their lives. It is essential what

:28:20. > :28:21.we do and it will continue to be. I welcome the announcement of

:28:22. > :28:27.increased support to the urgently needed humanitarian relief in Yemen.

:28:28. > :28:35.Can she comet on the effectiveness of this aid when supporting the

:28:36. > :28:42.Coalition hurriedly carrying out indiscriminate bombing in civilian

:28:43. > :28:46.areas? The long-term solution to helping people in Yemen is going to

:28:47. > :28:51.be a political process that delivers peace but secondly, she is right to

:28:52. > :28:57.highlight the dire humanitarian situation which sees 80% of people

:28:58. > :29:00.in Yemen in need. I can assure her that we are working on improving

:29:01. > :29:05.access for aid getting into the country but also that making sure

:29:06. > :29:07.that aid, particularly fuel, that it can also get around the country to

:29:08. > :29:27.communities in need. I know the whole house will wish to

:29:28. > :29:31.join me and paid tribute to Michael Meacher. He died suddenly last week

:29:32. > :29:35.and we send our condolences to his family and friends. Michael

:29:36. > :29:40.dedicated his life to public service, diligently representing his

:29:41. > :29:44.constituents for a staggering 45 years. He was a passionate advocate

:29:45. > :29:47.of the causes he believed in, including the environment, and he

:29:48. > :29:53.was able to put these into practice as a minister between 97-2003. This

:29:54. > :29:56.house and our politics are poorer place without him and I know

:29:57. > :30:01.colleagues from all sides of this chamber will remember him with

:30:02. > :30:04.affection and miss him greatly. Mr Speaker, this morning I had meetings

:30:05. > :30:10.with ministerial colleagues and others, and in addition to my duties

:30:11. > :30:15.in this house to have further meetings today. Can I associate

:30:16. > :30:19.myself with the sympathies expressed by the Prime Minister. Will my right

:30:20. > :30:23.honourable friend join me in celebrating that one in ten of the

:30:24. > :30:34.world's tractors are built in Basildon? Yanuyanutawa not an Airbus

:30:35. > :30:41.Basildon. And it is attracting Basildon. And it is attracting

:30:42. > :30:44.investment from well renowned organisations such as the Royal

:30:45. > :30:51.Opera house. All of this is leading to job creation and opportunity.

:30:52. > :30:53.Will he therefore do all he can to ensure that Britain remains a great

:30:54. > :31:03.place to do business and prosper in the? -- prosper in. Basildon has a

:31:04. > :31:07.special place in my heart. I didn't know all those statistics, but it

:31:08. > :31:15.now has an even more special place. I can to him that the long-term use

:31:16. > :31:19.claimants is down by 24% of the last year. He spoke about what a great

:31:20. > :31:23.place Britain is to do business. We are now six in the rankings in the

:31:24. > :31:29.world for the best place to setup and to run a business. I know the

:31:30. > :31:31.Leader of the Opposition, not least because his new spokesman is

:31:32. > :31:34.apparently a great admirer of the Soviet Union, will be pleased to

:31:35. > :31:42.start the day with tractor statistics.

:31:43. > :31:49.Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I start by associating myself with the

:31:50. > :31:54.remarks the Prime Minister made about Michael Meacher? On behalf of

:31:55. > :31:57.the Labour Party, his constituents and the much wider community, our

:31:58. > :32:01.condolences to his family. I spoke to them last night and asked how

:32:02. > :32:04.they would like Michael to be remembered. They thought about it

:32:05. > :32:09.and sent me a very nice message, which if I may, I will read out.

:32:10. > :32:14.Quite brief but very poignant. They said, when I was young one of the

:32:15. > :32:18.things he frequently said to me was that people went into politics

:32:19. > :32:20.because their principles and they wanted to change things to make

:32:21. > :32:24.things better, but in order to get into power they would often

:32:25. > :32:28.compromise on their principles and that this could happen again and

:32:29. > :32:31.again until, if they eventually did get into power, they would have

:32:32. > :32:38.become so compromise that they would do nothing with it. Michael was a

:32:39. > :32:44.decent, hard-working, passionate and profound man. He represented he his

:32:45. > :32:47.constituency with diligence for 45 years. He was a brilliant

:32:48. > :32:52.environment minister, as the Prime Minister pointed out. He was totally

:32:53. > :32:56.committed to parliamentary democracy and this Parliament, holding

:32:57. > :33:00.government or governments to account and he was a lifelong campaigner

:33:01. > :33:04.against injustice and poverty. We've remember Michael for all those

:33:05. > :33:07.things, we express our condolences and express are some these to his

:33:08. > :33:12.family at this very difficult time. His will be a hard act to follow,

:33:13. > :33:18.but we will do our best. Mr Speaker, following the events on

:33:19. > :33:21.Monday evening, and the belated acceptance from the Prime Minister

:33:22. > :33:26.of the result there, can he now guaranteed to The House and wider

:33:27. > :33:33.country that nobody will be worse off next year as a result of cuts to

:33:34. > :33:37.working tax credits? What I can guarantee is we remain

:33:38. > :33:42.committed to the vision of a higher pay, low tax, lower welfare

:33:43. > :33:47.economy. We believe the way to make sure that everyone is better off is

:33:48. > :33:52.to keep growing our economy, keep inflation low, keep cutting peoples

:33:53. > :33:56.taxes and introduce the national living wage. As for changes, the

:33:57. > :34:02.Chancellor will set them out in the Autumn Statement. I thank the Prime

:34:03. > :34:08.Minister for that, but the question I was asking was quite simply this.

:34:09. > :34:15.Will he confirm, right now, that tax credit cuts will not make anyone

:34:16. > :34:20.worse off in April next year? What we want is for people to be

:34:21. > :34:23.better off because we are cutting their taxes and increasing their

:34:24. > :34:28.paid, that he is going to have to be a little patient, because although

:34:29. > :34:33.these changes passed the House of Commons five times, with ever

:34:34. > :34:36.enlarging majorities, we will set out our new proposals in the Autumn

:34:37. > :34:40.Statement and you will be able to study them.

:34:41. > :34:44.Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Speaker, this is the time when we

:34:45. > :34:46.asked questions of the Prime Minister on behalf of the people of

:34:47. > :35:13.this country. Thank you. Mr Speaker, if I may continue.

:35:14. > :35:17.People are very worried about what is going to happen to them next

:35:18. > :35:22.April. So what exactly does the Prime Minister mean, is considering

:35:23. > :35:26.it, there is an Autumn Statement coming up? We thought he was

:35:27. > :35:32.committed to not cutting tax credits. Is he going to cut tax

:35:33. > :35:38.credits or not, are people going to be worse for next in April next

:35:39. > :35:41.year? You must know the answer. First of all we set out in our

:35:42. > :35:48.election manifesto that we would find ?12 billion of savings on

:35:49. > :35:54.welfare. Order, there is too much noise in the chamber. Order! A bit

:35:55. > :35:59.of calm. The questions must be heard, and the answers must be

:36:00. > :36:02.heard. The Prime Minister. Thank you Mr Speaker. It is an

:36:03. > :36:07.important point because every penny we don't save on welfare is savings

:36:08. > :36:11.we have to find in the education budget or in the policing budgets,

:36:12. > :36:15.or in the health budget. The second point I would make is the cause of

:36:16. > :36:18.what has happened on the other place, of course we should have a

:36:19. > :36:23.debate about how to reform welfare and how to reduce the cost of

:36:24. > :36:25.welfare. I am happy to have that debate, but of course it is

:36:26. > :36:29.difficult to have that debate with the honourable gentleman, because he

:36:30. > :36:33.has opposed everything all welfare change that was made. He doesn't

:36:34. > :36:38.support the welfare cap. He doesn't support the cap on housing benefit.

:36:39. > :36:42.He doesn't think that any change to welfare is worthwhile. I have to

:36:43. > :36:46.say, if we want a strong economy and we want growth, we want to get rid

:36:47. > :36:52.of our deficit, we want to secure our country, we need to reform

:36:53. > :36:57.welfare. What we are talking about our tax

:36:58. > :37:00.credits for people in work. The Prime Minister knows that, he

:37:01. > :37:04.understands that. He has lost the support of many people in this

:37:05. > :37:07.country that are actually quite synthetic to his political project.

:37:08. > :37:12.Some of the papers who supported him have come against on this. He did

:37:13. > :37:15.commit to ?12 billion worth of cuts in the welfare budget repeatedly

:37:16. > :37:19.refused to say if tax credits would be part of this. In fact he said

:37:20. > :37:25.they want. Can he now give us the answer we are trying to get today?

:37:26. > :37:29.Answer the question. The answer will be set out in the

:37:30. > :37:34.Autumn Statement when we set out our proposals. I have to say to him, it

:37:35. > :37:39.has come to quite a strange set of events when you have the House of

:37:40. > :37:42.Commons voting for something five times, when there is absolutely no

:37:43. > :37:47.rebellion among conservative members of parliament, or indeed amongst

:37:48. > :37:51.Conservative peers and the Labour Party is left offending and

:37:52. > :37:58.depending on unelected peers in the House of Lords. We British politics

:37:59. > :38:09.a new alliance. The unelected and the unelectable.

:38:10. > :38:19.SHOUTING. Mr Speaker, it is very interesting the Prime Minister still

:38:20. > :38:24.refuses to answer the fundamental question. This is not a

:38:25. > :38:30.constitutional crisis, this is a crisis for 3 million families in

:38:31. > :38:33.this country, for 3 million families in this country who are very worried

:38:34. > :38:37.about what is going to happen next April. Just before the last

:38:38. > :38:42.election, the former Chief Whip, now Justice Secretary, said in answer to

:38:43. > :38:49.a question on the BBC world at one, are you going to cut tax credits?

:38:50. > :38:55.The answer was, we are not going to cut them. Why did he say that?

:38:56. > :39:02.What I said in the election is that the basic level of child tax credits

:39:03. > :39:06.would stay the same. At ?2700 per child it stays exactly the same. The

:39:07. > :39:10.point is this, if we want to get our deficit down, if we want to secure

:39:11. > :39:15.our, me, if we want to keep on with secure growth, we need to make

:39:16. > :39:22.savings on welfare. Even with his deficit denying, borrow forever

:39:23. > :39:27.plan, presumably he has to make some savings in public spending? If you

:39:28. > :39:33.don't save any money on welfare, you end up cutting the NHS, you end up

:39:34. > :39:37.cutting even more deeply police budgets. Those are the troops. One

:39:38. > :39:43.is he going to stop deficit denial, get off the fence and tell us what

:39:44. > :39:53.he would do? Mr Speaker... A moment ago, the

:39:54. > :39:57.answer is a need to be heard, the questions need to be heard. The man

:39:58. > :40:02.is going to ask his question and it will be heard. If it takes longer,

:40:03. > :40:08.so be it. Thank you Mr Speaker. I've five

:40:09. > :40:14.times asked the Prime Minister today whether or not people will be worse

:40:15. > :40:17.off if they receive working tax credits next April? He still hasn't

:40:18. > :40:20.been able to answer me or indeed many others. Can I put him a

:40:21. > :40:40.question I was sent... CHEERING Mr Speaker, it might be very amusing

:40:41. > :40:48.to members said, but... I was sent this question by Karen:

:40:49. > :40:53.Why is the Prime Minister punishing working families? I work full time

:40:54. > :40:56.and earn their living wage within the public sector. The tax credit

:40:57. > :41:04.cuts will push me and my family into hardship. Can he give a cast-iron

:41:05. > :41:09.guarantee to Karen and all the other families who are very worried what

:41:10. > :41:13.is going to happen next April to therein come, how they are going to

:41:14. > :41:17.make ends meet, could give them the answer today, I hope you will. I ask

:41:18. > :41:19.him, for the sixth time, please give us an answer to a very

:41:20. > :41:24.straightforward, very simple question.

:41:25. > :41:29.What I would say to Karen is this, if she is on the living wage,

:41:30. > :41:33.working in the public sector, next year in April she will benefit from

:41:34. > :41:39.being able to earn ?11,000 before she pays any income tax at all. It

:41:40. > :41:44.was around ?6,000 when I became Prime Minister forced up if she has

:41:45. > :41:48.children, she will benefit from 30 hours of childcare every week. That

:41:49. > :41:52.is something that has happened under this government. But above all, she

:41:53. > :41:56.will benefit because we have a growing economy, because we have

:41:57. > :42:00.zero inflation, because we have two million more people in work, because

:42:01. > :42:05.we will train 3 million apprentices in this Parliament, and that is the

:42:06. > :42:10.fact. The reason the Labour Party lost the last election is they were

:42:11. > :42:15.completely un-trusted on the deficit, on debt and on a stable

:42:16. > :42:18.economy. And since then the deficit deniers have taken over the Labour

:42:19. > :42:24.Party. That is what happened. When you look at their plans, borrowing

:42:25. > :42:25.for ever, printing money, hiking up taxes, it is working people like

:42:26. > :42:37.Karen that will pay the price. Mr Speaker, in my constituency,

:42:38. > :42:42.unemployment has fallen by 30% since 2010. And this Government has

:42:43. > :42:49.delivered the M6 Link Road after 60 years. It will treat even more jobs

:42:50. > :42:52.in my area when it's completed. Does the Prime Minister agree with me

:42:53. > :42:58.that the Conservatives are insuring Morecambe is back open for

:42:59. > :43:01.business? I remember visiting his constituency and looking at the very

:43:02. > :43:06.important roadworks that were being put in place which will up the port,

:43:07. > :43:09.help when we bring in the new nuclear power station and the other

:43:10. > :43:15.steps he wants to see, I can tell him the long-term youth claimant

:43:16. > :43:19.count in his constituency has fallen by 30% in the last year, Young

:43:20. > :43:27.people now able to work, to benefit from our growing economy. Angus

:43:28. > :43:30.Robertson. We associate ourselves with the condolences expressed by

:43:31. > :43:36.the and the Leader of the Opposition about Michael. Last week I asked the

:43:37. > :43:38.Prime Minister Erdogan tragic circumstances of Mike O'Sullivan,

:43:39. > :43:42.from north London, a disabled man who took his life after an

:43:43. > :43:46.assessment by the Department for Work and Pensions. We know 60

:43:47. > :43:52.investigations had taken place into suicide wallowing the cancellation

:43:53. > :43:55.not been published. The Prime not been published. The Prime

:43:56. > :43:58.Minister said to me last week that he would look very carefully at the

:43:59. > :44:04.specific question about publication. Will he confirm when these findings

:44:05. > :44:09.will be published? I will write to him about this but my memory from

:44:10. > :44:13.looking into this afterward is there are very good reasons why we can't

:44:14. > :44:19.publish the specific report he talks about because it has personal and

:44:20. > :44:23.medical data in it which would not be appropriate for publication. If I

:44:24. > :44:25.got that wrong, I will write to him but that's my clear memory of

:44:26. > :44:32.looking into his question after last week. Tim Salter from Stourbridge in

:44:33. > :44:37.the West Midlands was 53 when he took his life. The coroner ruled a

:44:38. > :44:44.major factor in his death was greatly reduced living almost

:44:45. > :44:48.destitute. His sister said if of honourable people who will be

:44:49. > :44:53.affected the worst. The DWP need to publish these reviews. The Prime

:44:54. > :44:58.Minister says he is concerned about the views of the families involved.

:44:59. > :45:03.The families say the findings should be published. Really publish them? 3

:45:04. > :45:09.million families will have their child tax credit is cancelled. We

:45:10. > :45:13.knew the answer to these questions. Let me correct on its last point.

:45:14. > :45:18.Under the proposals we put forward, those people on the lowest levels of

:45:19. > :45:21.pay where protected because of a national living wage and those

:45:22. > :45:25.people on the lowest incomes where protected because we were protecting

:45:26. > :45:32.the basic award of a child tax credit in 2007 and ?80. The other

:45:33. > :45:36.part of the question is a bit I've already answered but I'll send them

:45:37. > :45:40.a letter if I got it wrong, they were too many personal and medical

:45:41. > :45:44.details for that to be published. I think they is an important

:45:45. > :45:52.consideration that in deciding whether to publish something. I'd

:45:53. > :45:58.like to ask the Prime Minister about Ruby, one of my youngest

:45:59. > :46:02.constituents, just one-month-old. Why should she faced the prospect of

:46:03. > :46:10.spending their entire working life paying off the debt would have been

:46:11. > :46:15.built up by this generation? I think Ruby is right, when we became the

:46:16. > :46:18.Government, one in ?4 spent by the Government was borrowed money. We

:46:19. > :46:23.had one of the biggest budget deficit anywhere in the world and

:46:24. > :46:27.it's always easy for people to say put off the difficult decisions,

:46:28. > :46:31.don't make any spending reductions, but what they are doing is burdening

:46:32. > :46:36.future generations with debt. What I would say to the Labour front bench,

:46:37. > :46:51.that is not generosity, that is actually selfishness. I think the

:46:52. > :46:57.lady must have misheard but Mrs Sharon Hodgson. We know about the

:46:58. > :47:01.broken promise about tax credits but for the final nail in the coffin of

:47:02. > :47:05.compassionate Conservative there's be hammered home everywhere to scrap

:47:06. > :47:11.universal infant free school meals in the spending review, taking hot

:47:12. > :47:16.meals out of the mouths of innocent name with infant children? Will he

:47:17. > :47:22.guarantee now not to scrap universal infant pre-school meals slowly does

:47:23. > :47:30.not go down in history as David the Denis Thatcher? I'm immensely proud

:47:31. > :47:34.it was part of the Government would introduce this policy 13 years of a

:47:35. > :47:40.Labour Government and did they ever do that? -- dinner snatcher. Do you

:47:41. > :47:45.remember the infant free school meals, Labour Party? I'm proud of

:47:46. > :47:49.what we have done and we will be keeping it.

:47:50. > :47:58.CHEERING Thank you. Mr Speaker, my right

:47:59. > :48:00.honourable friend has demonstrated considerable leadership in ensuring

:48:01. > :48:07.Britain is the second-largest donor of aid in Syria. There is another

:48:08. > :48:11.crisis going on which the world is largely forgetting. In Yemen is an

:48:12. > :48:16.ongoing war, 1.4 million people forced to flee their homes, 3

:48:17. > :48:19.million face starvation, half a million children are at risk from

:48:20. > :48:23.malnutrition and the president of the International Red Cross has said

:48:24. > :48:27.in Yemen, after five months, we're in the same position as we are in

:48:28. > :48:33.Syria after five years. Please can we do more? He's absolutely right to

:48:34. > :48:38.raise this and we have been involved in trying to help the situation

:48:39. > :48:42.right from the start, as in Syria, a major contributor in terms of

:48:43. > :48:46.humanitarian aid. We've made it clear all parties should engage

:48:47. > :48:50.without conditions and in good faith in peace talks to allow Yemen to

:48:51. > :48:55.move towards a sustainable peace and that needs to be a piece based on

:48:56. > :48:58.the fact that all people in Yemen needs proper representation by their

:48:59. > :49:02.Government. There are similarities with Syria, which is having a

:49:03. > :49:10.Government on behalf of one part of the country, never a sustainable

:49:11. > :49:16.solution. How dare anyone in this House earning ?74,000 a year tell

:49:17. > :49:19.families their combined income of ?25,000 is too much and they need to

:49:20. > :49:24.give something back to balance the economy? Did the Prime Minister

:49:25. > :49:31.accused the listener 's manifesto because he knew he wouldn't be

:49:32. > :49:35.elected? -- refused to put this in his manifesto. When I became Prime

:49:36. > :49:39.Minister, nine out of ten families were getting tax credits, including

:49:40. > :49:44.MPs. That's how crazy the system we inherited was. We would use that

:49:45. > :49:50.during the last Parliament, opposed of course by Labour and the SNP, 26

:49:51. > :49:54.out of ten families. Our proposals would take that down to five out of

:49:55. > :49:57.ten families but these are not proposals on their own but

:49:58. > :50:03.accompanied by a national living wage, for first time. By allowing

:50:04. > :50:06.people to air and ?11,000 before paying tax, for the first time,

:50:07. > :50:16.those sorts of measures will help the thought of family she talks

:50:17. > :50:23.about. The Prime Minister spoke about conference about the plight of

:50:24. > :50:27.young people in the care system. Can he answer what the garment will do

:50:28. > :50:29.to improve the chances of these young disadvantaged children and

:50:30. > :50:35.give them opportunities as they move forward in their lives? The most

:50:36. > :50:40.important thing we can do is to speed up the adoption system so more

:50:41. > :50:43.children get adopted. What we have seen since I've been Prime Minister

:50:44. > :50:49.is an increase in adoptions but, because of one or two judgments, it

:50:50. > :50:53.slipped backwards a bit and need to work very hard to make sure more

:50:54. > :50:56.children get adopted. For those who can't be adopted, we need to make

:50:57. > :51:00.sure our residential care homes are doing the best possible job they can

:51:01. > :51:05.and that's why today I can announce I've asked the former chief

:51:06. > :51:08.executive of Barnardos, an excellent public servant, who I worked with at

:51:09. > :51:12.the Home Office, to conduct an independent review of children's

:51:13. > :51:15.residential care reporting to the Education Secretary at myself so we

:51:16. > :51:25.can take every step to give these children the best start in life.

:51:26. > :51:28.Redundant steelworkers such as those in Wrexham pay national insurance

:51:29. > :51:34.contributions and played by the rules. Why then is this Government

:51:35. > :51:40.limiting mortgage interest support for them in the future and making

:51:41. > :51:48.them pay twice, once through national insurance and once through

:51:49. > :51:52.paying back a loan? Isn't that type of action and irresponsible

:51:53. > :52:00.Government like his should not be pursuing and isn't it an example of

:52:01. > :52:05.compassionate conservatism dying? He refers to a temporary recession

:52:06. > :52:09.measure on mortgage payments which was continued for five years but he

:52:10. > :52:13.does give me the opportunity to say, as I promised I would last night, to

:52:14. > :52:16.update the House on what we're doing to help the steel industry which is

:52:17. > :52:22.important to his constituency and, on energy costs, we will refund the

:52:23. > :52:27.full amount of the policy costs they full amount of the policy costs they

:52:28. > :52:32.face as soon as we get the state aided judgment from Brussels. I can

:52:33. > :52:36.confirm that payment will be made immediately and throughout this

:52:37. > :52:44.Parliament, far more generous than what has been proposed by the party

:52:45. > :52:49.opposite. Graham Evans. I have had hundreds of e-mails from

:52:50. > :52:56.constituents regarding the Northern Powerhouse and I have just chose

:52:57. > :52:59.one. John e-mailed me to say, not to listen to lead of the opposition

:53:00. > :53:06.with his strategy of higher spending, higher borrowing, more

:53:07. > :53:12.debt, but instead to stick to the long-term economic higher wages,

:53:13. > :53:21.lower welfare, low tax society for that does the Prime Minister agree

:53:22. > :53:24.with John? I do agree. He has demonstrated more sense in his

:53:25. > :53:29.Melbourne leader the opposition did in his six questions. Not only have

:53:30. > :53:34.we seen an economy growing, 2 million more people in work,

:53:35. > :53:42.inflation that is low, living standards are rising, but actually,

:53:43. > :53:45.680,000 fewer work less household and 480,000 fewer children in

:53:46. > :53:48.workless households. If you want to measure the real difference is the

:53:49. > :53:55.growth in the economy is making, think of those children and

:53:56. > :53:59.households and the dignity of work. Last weekend was the first

:54:00. > :54:07.anniversary of the death from cervical cancer of the girl aged 23.

:54:08. > :54:14.In June 2013, she was concerned to ask for an early smear test was

:54:15. > :54:18.refused because she was under 25. As has been highlighted, her family

:54:19. > :54:24.have now written an open letter to the Prime Minister. Can I ask him

:54:25. > :54:29.not to offer here a reflex repeat of the rationale for current screening

:54:30. > :54:32.age policy, but to reflect on the questions raised about how this

:54:33. > :54:38.translates into refusing smear tests to young women like this and to

:54:39. > :54:43.consider the age related level since it was increased in 2004? He raises

:54:44. > :54:48.an absolutely tragic case and our thoughts go to her family and

:54:49. > :54:52.friends. He raises an important case because the UK National screening

:54:53. > :54:55.committee set the age of 25 and my understanding is the reason for that

:54:56. > :55:00.is not a resource is based decision, but because of the potential adverse

:55:01. > :55:04.medical consequences of carrying out screening routinely below that age

:55:05. > :55:07.that there would be a number potentially false positives because

:55:08. > :55:14.of actually anatomical changes were to go on at that age full that

:55:15. > :55:17.reason, not of resources decision. It is worth looking at. Those people

:55:18. > :55:27.who fear they have a family history and ask for a test, I will write to

:55:28. > :55:30.him on that specific issue. Yesterday the EU said we can no

:55:31. > :55:34.longer have filters on the Internet to protect our children from

:55:35. > :55:42.indecent images. I want to know what the Prime Minister is going to do to

:55:43. > :55:46.make sure our children remain protected. I think it's absolutely

:55:47. > :55:50.vitally important we enable parents to have that protection for their

:55:51. > :55:54.children from this material on the Internet. Like her, when I read my

:55:55. > :55:58.daily main was morning, I spotted over my cornflakes because they work

:55:59. > :56:05.so hard to put in place these filters but I can reassure her

:56:06. > :56:09.because we actually secured an opt out yesterday so we can keep our

:56:10. > :56:13.family friendly filters to protect children and I can tell our House we

:56:14. > :56:17.will legislate to put our agreement with Internet companies on this

:56:18. > :56:24.issue into the law of the land so our children will be protected. Tim

:56:25. > :56:28.Farron. Mr Speaker, can I associate myself with the Prime Minister 's

:56:29. > :56:32.early remarks about the late Michael Meacher, a decent man, a good MP,

:56:33. > :56:37.and an extremely effective Environment Secretary. Yesterday I

:56:38. > :56:42.visited the refugee camps on Lesbos and there I met families that were

:56:43. > :56:47.inspirational, and desperate run alongside at a charity workers I

:56:48. > :56:52.found there. I am ashamed we will not offer at home to a single one of

:56:53. > :56:55.those averaging families. My ask the Prime Minister this question? Will

:56:56. > :56:57.not offer at home to a single one of those averaging families. My ask the

:56:58. > :56:59.Prime Minister this question? With the aggrieved with the save the

:57:00. > :57:01.children plea that we take as a country 3000 vulnerable and

:57:02. > :57:08.accompanied children some as young as six? Let me again welcome him to

:57:09. > :57:14.his place for them it's good to see such a high turnout of his MPs.

:57:15. > :57:20.LAUGHTER . Let me answer him directly. We

:57:21. > :57:24.have taken a decision as a country to take 20,000 refugees and we think

:57:25. > :57:28.it is better to take them from the camps instead of taking them from

:57:29. > :57:36.inside Europe. I repeat again today that we believe we will achieve 1000

:57:37. > :57:38.refugees brought to Britain and housed and clothes and fed before

:57:39. > :57:42.Christmas, specifically on his question, though, about 3000

:57:43. > :57:45.children and the proposal made by save the children, I have looked at

:57:46. > :57:50.this very carefully and there are other experts to point to the real

:57:51. > :57:54.danger of separating children from their broader families and that's

:57:55. > :58:04.why to date we have not taken that decision. As he begins his

:58:05. > :58:08.negotiations on our reformed relationship with the European

:58:09. > :58:13.Union, in earnest, will my right honourable friend confirmed to our

:58:14. > :58:21.partners and the British people that no option is off the table, all

:58:22. > :58:26.British options will be considered, including the option of a

:58:27. > :58:30.relationship such as that of Norway if it's negotiable and within our

:58:31. > :58:34.interests? I can certainly confirm to my honourable friend that no

:58:35. > :58:38.options are off the table and, as I have been clear, if we don't get

:58:39. > :58:42.what we need in our green negotiation, I will absolutely rule

:58:43. > :58:47.nothing out but important, as we have this debate as a nation, we are

:58:48. > :58:49.very clear about the facts and figures and the alternatives,

:58:50. > :58:55.because some people are arguing for Britain to leave the EU, not all

:58:56. > :58:59.people, and have pointed to the position of Norway saying it's a

:59:00. > :59:03.good outcome. I would guide very strongly against that, Norway

:59:04. > :59:08.actually pays as much per head to the EU as we do and take twice as

:59:09. > :59:14.many per head migrants as we do in this country, but they have no seat

:59:15. > :59:17.at the table, no ability to negotiate. I'm not arguing all those

:59:18. > :59:22.who want to leave the EU say they want to follow the Norwegian pass,

:59:23. > :59:25.but some do, and I think it's important in this debate we are

:59:26. > :59:31.absolutely clear about the consequences of these different

:59:32. > :59:40.actions. Willa Prime Minister congratulate my 17-year-old

:59:41. > :59:45.constituent on her 3800 named in addition to get the exam board for

:59:46. > :59:51.the first time to accept women composers on the syllabus. Will he

:59:52. > :59:54.tell us is he a feminist? If feminism means that we should treat

:59:55. > :59:59.people equally, then, yes, absolutely. And I'm proud of the

:00:00. > :00:04.fact I have got sitting around the Cabinet table, a third of women on

:00:05. > :00:14.something we promised and something we delivered. Can I congratulate

:00:15. > :00:18.her, above all, for her achievement in terms of this eve petition. It

:00:19. > :00:29.sounds thoroughly worthwhile and her constituent and have done a good

:00:30. > :00:34.job. Andrew Turner. The NHS England knows that the Isle of Wight's

:00:35. > :00:39.clinical commissioning group is a significant outlier in relation to

:00:40. > :00:44.its allocation targets. Can my right honourable friend confirm that

:00:45. > :00:51.progress is being made to identify the factors affecting the island?

:00:52. > :01:00.Really benefit from amendments to the new CCG formula? What I can say

:01:01. > :01:03.to my honourable friend is its right that assistance on allocations are

:01:04. > :01:08.made independent of Government and not by Government and so that is how

:01:09. > :01:11.the formula is reached. I can also tell him is an independent review of

:01:12. > :01:15.the funding formula underway and we expect to see its recommendations

:01:16. > :01:19.later this year but these things should be done in a fair and

:01:20. > :01:25.transparent way. The Prime Minister will remember meeting my

:01:26. > :01:32.constituents, Neal Shepherd and Sharon Wood, nine years ago this

:01:33. > :01:35.week. Neil took their children on holiday to Corfu and the children

:01:36. > :01:41.tragically died of carbon monoxide poisoning. The family's dearest wish

:01:42. > :01:44.is no other family suffers this heartbreaking tragedy they have

:01:45. > :01:50.endured. Tomorrow in the EU Parliament there will be a vote on a

:01:51. > :01:53.recommendation that the commissioner brings forward legislation to

:01:54. > :01:59.improve carbon monoxide safety and fire safety for tourism premises in

:02:00. > :02:04.the EU. Can I ask the Prime Minister that is MPs supported and if that

:02:05. > :02:08.motion falls, will he instigate legislation nationally in this

:02:09. > :02:13.country? First of all, I do remember the meeting we had and the great

:02:14. > :02:16.bravery of the parents after their terrible loss. Wanting to go on and

:02:17. > :02:20.campaign to make sure others did not use children in the way they had. I

:02:21. > :02:24.will look carefully at what you said about the European Parliament as for

:02:25. > :02:29.legislation in this country, we have strict regulation on particular

:02:30. > :02:32.things about fire resistant materials but I will look carefully

:02:33. > :02:42.at that too. Question 14, closed questions. Prime Minister,... We

:02:43. > :02:45.said at a long-term plan for the Midlands making its future engine

:02:46. > :02:48.for growth for the whole of the UK and across Government we are working

:02:49. > :02:53.with business leaders and local authorities to progress this

:02:54. > :03:00.ambition. I thank him for his answer. The Northern Powerhouse will

:03:01. > :03:03.help millions but it's the West Midlands which is the only region in

:03:04. > :03:10.the UK which has a trade balance surplus with China and its Greater

:03:11. > :03:14.Birmingham which is the fastest rate of private-sector job creation in

:03:15. > :03:21.the UK since 2010. So will the Prime Minister now ensure, in the national

:03:22. > :03:26.interest, but the West Midlands secures the best devolution deal

:03:27. > :03:28.possible? I think we have huge potential here to secure massive

:03:29. > :03:34.devolution to the West Midlands first ball I would say to everyone

:03:35. > :03:37.concerned they will be left out by the Northern Powerhouse, I think the

:03:38. > :03:41.West Midlands is in a perfect place to benefit both from the success and

:03:42. > :03:45.growth of London and of course a rebalancing of our economy towards

:03:46. > :03:49.the North of England. In terms of the West Midlands, we look forward

:03:50. > :03:54.to the West Midlands combined authority coming forward with its

:03:55. > :03:57.plans and what I would say to these areas contemplating devolution and

:03:58. > :04:01.devolution deals, the more you can put on the table, the builder you

:04:02. > :04:07.can be with your vision, the bolder response you would get Government.

:04:08. > :04:12.Can I tell a the Chancellor the strong support of the parties,

:04:13. > :04:15.businesses across the West Midlands, for a properly funded and

:04:16. > :04:20.significant devolution deal to strengthen the economy, boost

:04:21. > :04:23.productivity and get the brown site redeveloped to tackle congestion so

:04:24. > :04:28.we can transform the West Midlands with more jobs, better skills, quick

:04:29. > :04:32.transport links and new homes? I'm glad to hear from the honourable

:04:33. > :04:35.gentleman what an opportunity there is in the West Midlands to work

:04:36. > :04:39.across party to get the very best deal across all these authorities

:04:40. > :04:43.because, as I said, the more we can get the local authorities to come

:04:44. > :04:48.together and work together, and put their ambition and vision on the

:04:49. > :04:49.table, the better response they will get from the Government. Simon

:04:50. > :05:01.Burns. Does my right honourable friend

:05:02. > :05:06.agree with me that bullying in the workplace is reprehensible? Can he

:05:07. > :05:10.tell me whether the Government is planning any review of the

:05:11. > :05:19.legislation with a view to extending it to this chamber? Given that my

:05:20. > :05:24.right honourable friend has been called for a primaries as questions

:05:25. > :05:27.at 12:38pm, I would have thought any hint of bullying was clearly

:05:28. > :05:31.overemphasise in every conceivable way. He suffers no disadvantage and

:05:32. > :05:35.that's a good thing but bullying in the workplace is a problem and we do

:05:36. > :05:41.need to make sure it is stamped out and dealt with and that should apply

:05:42. > :05:58.in Parliament as elsewhere. Urgent question.

:05:59. > :06:08.The Leader of the House, Chris Grayling. Mr Speaker, on Monday, the

:06:09. > :06:12.House of Lords rejected a financial measure that had been approved three

:06:13. > :06:18.times by the elected House of Commons. We are clear that this

:06:19. > :06:23.raises constitutional issues that need to be examined carefully. We

:06:24. > :06:29.need to ensure we have arrangements in place... Order. I apologise for

:06:30. > :06:35.interrupting the leader of the house. This is a very serious

:06:36. > :06:38.matter. I think it would be seemly if colleagues who are leaving the

:06:39. > :06:45.chamber did so quickly and quietly and if others inclined to conduct

:06:46. > :06:51.private conversations perhaps decided to conduct those private

:06:52. > :06:55.conversations outside the chamber. There is a very important matter

:06:56. > :07:01.being dealt with in response to the urgent question. The leader of the

:07:02. > :07:05.house. We need to ensure that we have arrangements in place that

:07:06. > :07:07.protect the ability of elected governments to secure business that

:07:08. > :07:12.has the support of the elected house. Yesterday the government

:07:13. > :07:16.announced that it is in the process of setting up a review to examine

:07:17. > :07:22.how to protect the ability of elected governments to secure their

:07:23. > :07:24.business in Parliament. It will consider how to secure the decisive

:07:25. > :07:30.role of elected House of Commons in relation to its privacy on financial

:07:31. > :07:35.matters and secondary legislation. It will be led by Lord Strathclyde

:07:36. > :07:38.and supported by a small panel of experts. The relationship between

:07:39. > :07:42.the Commons and the Lords is extremely important and when

:07:43. > :07:47.conventions are put in doubt it is right that we review that. Clearly

:07:48. > :07:57.the house will be fully updated once more details of the review have been

:07:58. > :08:01.agreed. It is clear that the government intends to give the House

:08:02. > :08:05.of Lords a kicking but it should remember, as it fashions this

:08:06. > :08:10.pretend constitutional crisis, that the vast majority of people in this

:08:11. > :08:15.country uploaded the Lord's on Monday because this was not in the

:08:16. > :08:20.government's manifesto. Does he see no irony at all in getting a member

:08:21. > :08:24.of the House of Lords to review the financial privilege of the House of

:08:25. > :08:30.Commons and a hybrid of trade peer at that? Is this the right person to

:08:31. > :08:35.be doing it? In 1999 Lord Strathclyde said of the convention

:08:36. > :08:38.that the Lords did not strike down statutory instruments, I declare

:08:39. > :08:42.this convention is dead. That same day he and the Lords voted down two

:08:43. > :08:48.Labour government statutory instruments. He thinks it is an

:08:49. > :08:53.utter disgrace to do so. Is there one rule for Tory regulations and

:08:54. > :09:03.another one for Labour ones? Is he a convert or hypocrite? Why are there

:09:04. > :09:08.no representatives... Order. I am perfectly capable of dealing with

:09:09. > :09:17.these matters. I do not require any sedentary cantering. He should

:09:18. > :09:23.withdraw that term. I withdraw that unreservedly. I presume he is a

:09:24. > :09:26.convert. Why are there no representatives of other parties or

:09:27. > :09:32.the House of Commons? Would it not be better for this house to conduct

:09:33. > :09:35.its own inquiry? Could not the public administration and

:09:36. > :09:38.constitutional affairs committee whose church is admirable and

:09:39. > :09:46.sitting in the chamber now do the job vibrator? Is there not a far

:09:47. > :09:57.simpler means or guaranteeing financial privilege? Stop relying on

:09:58. > :10:01.secondary legislation. In all honesty is not a disgrace that

:10:02. > :10:06.measures that affect 3.2 million people in this country should be

:10:07. > :10:11.decided on a 90 minute debate with no opportunity for amendment? There

:10:12. > :10:17.is a very simple principle. Money bills do not get scrutiny in the

:10:18. > :10:20.words so get extra time in the House of Commons. Secondary legislation

:10:21. > :10:24.does not get much time in the Commons so it gets consideration in

:10:25. > :10:29.the House of Lords. Does the leader not realise that the Lords only had

:10:30. > :10:33.the power they acted on Monday because the government tried to

:10:34. > :10:41.sidestep scrutiny by using secondary legislation dependent on the tax

:10:42. > :10:45.credits act 2002, section 66 of which specifies that changes to tax

:10:46. > :10:51.credit rates must be approved by the Houses of Parliament? The government

:10:52. > :10:56.relies on hundreds of acts that have the same provision. Does he intend

:10:57. > :11:00.retrospective amendments to each and everyone of these acts and as he

:11:01. > :11:05.intending to use the Parliament act to drive this through? We have very

:11:06. > :11:09.few checks to executive power in this country. If we do not protect

:11:10. > :11:14.our Constitution it is not worth the paper it is not written on. There is

:11:15. > :11:17.a real danger that of Parliament as a whole lets the government of the

:11:18. > :11:23.Day dismantle every check and balance it will no longer be

:11:24. > :11:32.governing by consent and that really would be a constitutional crisis. I

:11:33. > :11:36.have great respect for the honourable gentleman's experience

:11:37. > :11:43.but he will not be surprised that I do not anticipate the outcomes of

:11:44. > :11:46.reviews before they have started. I said we would be publishing full

:11:47. > :11:50.details of the terms of reference and the full review panel into cost

:11:51. > :11:58.so I am afraid he is going to have to wait to see the film detail when

:11:59. > :12:00.we bring it to the house. There is no restraint on any committee

:12:01. > :12:07.carrying out any inquiry it wishes to do. On primary legislation tax

:12:08. > :12:13.credits are classified as a benefit and cannot be included in a money

:12:14. > :12:15.belt. He would not certify them a bill that included them as a money

:12:16. > :12:38.belt. The 2002 act provided by Gordon

:12:39. > :12:42.Brown... Would he also confirmed that the Labour and Liberal peers,

:12:43. > :12:47.having discovered they have a large party political majority, in the

:12:48. > :12:50.upper House, are now using it with increasing frequency and they have

:12:51. > :12:56.cast a vote which is totally contrary to every sensible

:12:57. > :13:01.understanding of the constitutional position for the last hundred years,

:13:02. > :13:08.indeed it is an exact replica of the Conservative peers foolishly voting

:13:09. > :13:15.against Lloyd George's budget. Whilst I welcome the advice of my

:13:16. > :13:18.noble friend with whom I have enormous respect, would he not

:13:19. > :13:24.delayed too long before bringing forward legislation which sets out

:13:25. > :13:28.clearly what convention has previously established, because if

:13:29. > :13:32.the Lords keep repeating these party political votes, it will be almost

:13:33. > :13:36.impossible to have stable Government taking firm and difficult decisions

:13:37. > :13:43.for the remainder of this Parliament. Presumably they will

:13:44. > :13:50.start this behaving with ever more frequency. I do share your concerns.

:13:51. > :13:55.He makes his point with his usual wisdom. I hope Lord Strathclyde will

:13:56. > :13:58.address those issues. It is essential these matters are dealt

:13:59. > :14:02.with and it is worth remembering that in 13 years of Labour

:14:03. > :14:06.Government, the Labour Party did not have a majority in the House of

:14:07. > :14:08.lords and yet Conservative peers and others respect of lords and yet

:14:09. > :14:11.Conservative peers and others respectively conventions. It is a

:14:12. > :14:16.great shame that within a few days, it is very clear now that the Labour

:14:17. > :14:20.Party and Liberal Democrats have no intention of respecting conventions

:14:21. > :14:27.which will fundamentally change the relationship between the houses. I

:14:28. > :14:33.am sure that the British public are amazed and bewildered at this

:14:34. > :14:42.handbags at dawn spat between the Tories and the unelected Lords in

:14:43. > :14:46.this great battle of the nobles. Is it the case that the way democracy

:14:47. > :14:50.now works in the UK is if you don't like what one part of the

:14:51. > :14:54.legislature does, you simply emasculate it or reappoint it? Is

:14:55. > :15:02.this the democracy we are living in? The emergence of this as some sort

:15:03. > :15:11.of tribunes of the people is ridiculous. I have concerns about an

:15:12. > :15:17.unelected Tory peer handling this enquiring. The only comfort we take

:15:18. > :15:21.in this case is the fact he reviewed and reported on the Scottish Tories

:15:22. > :15:31.and set recommendations in place for the progress of the future and now

:15:32. > :15:39.they have 14% in the polls. I know what honourable gentleman is saying

:15:40. > :15:44.and I would say to him he can also take comfort in the fact that Lord

:15:45. > :15:54.Strathclyde is also a Scot and so brings to this job great wisdom. Can

:15:55. > :16:00.I thank my right honourable friend and can I assure him that the public

:16:01. > :16:03.administration and Constitutional affairs committee requires no

:16:04. > :16:09.instructions from the Government about what it will carry out. We

:16:10. > :16:14.have already started to cross examined witnesses about events

:16:15. > :16:19.yesterday... On Monday at our meeting yesterday and we will be

:16:20. > :16:26.looking at what Lord Strathclyde is likely to be looking at but there is

:16:27. > :16:30.a simple point to make. Wouldn't you agree that the 1911 packed

:16:31. > :16:34.established the principle of financial privilege at a time when

:16:35. > :16:41.there was very lettable secondary legislation. It should not now be

:16:42. > :16:47.too complicated ensure that principle is extended in the 1911

:16:48. > :16:52.act to secondary legislation to avoid misunderstandings like this in

:16:53. > :16:55.the future. I have no doubt might honourable friend and his committee

:16:56. > :17:00.will be looking closely at these issues and I am not surprised they

:17:01. > :17:04.have made a start on this already. Most people I think in this House

:17:05. > :17:06.realise this week has marked a significant change or potential

:17:07. > :17:11.change in the relationship between the two houses. What we now need to

:17:12. > :17:19.do is establish a firm foundation for the future. This committee will

:17:20. > :17:23.play an active role in that. When change is necessary I wanted brought

:17:24. > :17:26.forward as quickly and sensibly as possible. We need to make sure we

:17:27. > :17:31.deal with these issues for the foreseeable future. Could the Leader

:17:32. > :17:35.of the House in sure the review includes whether the House of lords

:17:36. > :17:39.have the right to vote down measures that have been brought forward by a

:17:40. > :17:42.Government that said they would not do those measures in the first place

:17:43. > :17:46.and could he tell me whether members of the panel will be paid a daily

:17:47. > :17:53.rate and difficult be higher than the minimum wage? We will bring

:17:54. > :18:01.forward full details of the review panel in due course. I would remind

:18:02. > :18:11.him nobody can be under any doubt we knew we would have to make tough

:18:12. > :18:13.decisions. Many of us believe as a point of principle those who make

:18:14. > :18:19.the law, should be accountable to those who live under it. Does my

:18:20. > :18:23.right honourable friend admit this is impossible as long as we have an

:18:24. > :18:27.appointed chamber and how does he feel about the fact that nowadays

:18:28. > :18:37.only Britain and Iraq have unelected clerics in our legislature? There

:18:38. > :18:43.are strong opinions in this has about the need of reform. This House

:18:44. > :18:52.has not chosen to pursue an avenue of reform with the House of lords up

:18:53. > :19:01.to now. The Lords were right and entitled to table the fatal motion.

:19:02. > :19:05.This is a smoke screen to detract attention from the pain that would

:19:06. > :19:09.have been inflicted by tax credit cuts on 3 million working families

:19:10. > :19:13.on low incomes. If the Leader of the House is wanting to reform the House

:19:14. > :19:18.of lords, can I recommend he dusts down all the hard work done in the

:19:19. > :19:25.Coalition and gets his party this time, to support those reforms

:19:26. > :19:27.instead of scarpering them? I am really not sure how the Liberal

:19:28. > :19:34.Democrats in France at their case for reform by throwing out

:19:35. > :19:38.conventions and behaving contrary to all workings of parliaments over the

:19:39. > :19:42.last few decades. By all means make the case for reform but don't behave

:19:43. > :19:49.in a way that is simply designed to wreck the manifesto of an elected

:19:50. > :19:59.Government. We all know too well in this House that a knee jerk reaction

:20:00. > :20:02.leads to Poor Law often. What assurances can he give us that such

:20:03. > :20:06.a hastily convened commission will be given reasonable time to carry

:20:07. > :20:10.out their work and no pressure will be brought to bear on them on the

:20:11. > :20:21.timetable so that we do not have results that are produced that we

:20:22. > :20:24.can regret at our leisure. I said clearly yesterday that I don't thing

:20:25. > :20:26.we should just do change on the hoof and I don't think we should rush

:20:27. > :20:32.headlong into change. But equally we have to accept there appears now to

:20:33. > :20:36.be a strategy in the House of lords, an alliance between Liberal Democrat

:20:37. > :20:41.peers and labour peers to demolish the Government's platform on which

:20:42. > :20:43.we were elected. This cannot wait forever but I accept your point we

:20:44. > :20:51.have to do this carefully and properly. Does he appreciate the

:20:52. > :20:54.irony of selecting and her Redditch rupiah who said this convection was

:20:55. > :21:01.dead previously to undertake this review? I think it is entirely

:21:02. > :21:05.sensible to pick a respected senior figure who knows the workings of

:21:06. > :21:12.Government and the House of lords and will undoubtedly produce words

:21:13. > :21:15.of wisdom for all of us. Mr Speaker, my friends on the Scottish national

:21:16. > :21:22.party's front bench want me to mention that from 1407, the Commons

:21:23. > :21:27.was given primacy over financial matters and that was confirmed in

:21:28. > :21:32.our motion of 1678 when all matters of taxation and expenditure were to

:21:33. > :21:36.be the preserve of this House. In 1839, the Speaker of the House of

:21:37. > :21:40.Commons insisted that an Amendment from the House of lords on a

:21:41. > :21:46.financial matter must be rejected. And that they would not even

:21:47. > :21:52.consider a turnpike trust if suggested by the House of lords, so

:21:53. > :21:55.jealous have we been of our privilege that the Democratic House

:21:56. > :21:59.must have control of taxation and expenditure. Might I urge my right

:22:00. > :22:03.honourable friend to send the clearest message to the House of

:22:04. > :22:07.lords that if their Lordships do not baby conventions have governed this

:22:08. > :22:13.country the centuries, they will be forced to buy legislation. He speaks

:22:14. > :22:18.with enormous wisdom about these matters. And, you will not be as a

:22:19. > :22:22.prize to remember that it was under the Labour Government history was

:22:23. > :22:25.downplayed in our curriculum and it is certainly the case that

:22:26. > :22:30.parliamentary history doesn't appear to be top of the knowledge of

:22:31. > :22:35.members in the other place. Her that salute the right and we have got

:22:36. > :22:41.traditions in this country that date back decades and centuries and they

:22:42. > :22:46.are cast away, I think, this week entirely inappropriately, but I

:22:47. > :22:51.think it is a huge mistake and it is a shame the party 's opposite do not

:22:52. > :22:57.appear to respect them. Can I ask you to face the House so we all get

:22:58. > :23:03.the then a fit? As we all carefully reflect on the 15th century... Can

:23:04. > :23:10.we also look to the modern world and it might be that a Government

:23:11. > :23:14.elected on 37% of the boat, 14% of Scotland, might not be expected to

:23:15. > :23:19.win every single division in this legislature? Could it not be the

:23:20. > :23:23.case that the Government should accept that its position seems to be

:23:24. > :23:29.based on a sense of entitlement as opposed to detachment to the

:23:30. > :23:34.Democratic ballot box? It is nothing to do with entitlement. No

:23:35. > :23:38.Government should ever take... Both or either houses of Parliament for

:23:39. > :23:43.granted but it is not unreasonable that when convection to have existed

:23:44. > :23:50.for decades and decades, that they should be respected. Would the

:23:51. > :23:54.Leader of the House agreed that time really has come for proper reform of

:23:55. > :23:59.the House of lords and when we talk about proper reform, that means a

:24:00. > :24:05.reformed chamber which is fully elected? There is no doubt and just

:24:06. > :24:07.talking to colleagues around this building, that the issue of the

:24:08. > :24:12.House of Lords reform has returned very much to centre stage. I would

:24:13. > :24:15.say that we face big challenges in this country and we have some

:24:16. > :24:21.important legislation to get through and I want to first deal with health

:24:22. > :24:24.and education and environmental matters and enterprise and the

:24:25. > :24:32.economy but there is no doubt these issues are now going to be discussed

:24:33. > :24:37.much more widely. The Leader of the House has explained why these

:24:38. > :24:41.measures were not in a finance bill. He seems to be confusing the

:24:42. > :24:47.fact that there is a big bill attached to the tax credits. With it

:24:48. > :24:52.being a finance measure. Surely if we followed his logic, no bill that

:24:53. > :25:00.involved any spending could go to the other place, be it legal aid,

:25:01. > :25:04.HS2 for example. This is a very simple matter, tax credits are

:25:05. > :25:09.officially categorised as benefits and not a tax matter. If we put a

:25:10. > :25:13.change on tax credits into a finance bill, the finance bill will not

:25:14. > :25:17.necessarily be certified as a money belt. That is the reality of what we

:25:18. > :25:25.deal with. That is why they are not in a finance bill. Hasn't the Leader

:25:26. > :25:31.of the House just said while the lords are entitled to reject... They

:25:32. > :25:36.did not reject it, they amended it and delayed it. Because it clearly

:25:37. > :25:41.is not a tax measure, had it been won, we would have put it in the

:25:42. > :25:45.finance bill. I do think we are seeing a knee jerk reaction to the

:25:46. > :25:49.House of lords doing what they are supposed to do. I am all for a

:25:50. > :25:53.review but let's have a proper review and take our time over it and

:25:54. > :25:56.would the Leader of the House reflect on that and announce more

:25:57. > :26:03.than just Lord Strathclyde heading the review? It is absolutely

:26:04. > :26:06.essential we do not rush this and we have said they will be a panel of

:26:07. > :26:13.people working with Lord Strathclyde and they will be announced in due

:26:14. > :26:16.course. I will just remind him that this instrument has only been

:26:17. > :26:21.rejected in this way by the House of lords five times in the past

:26:22. > :26:31.century. This is the first time this happened to measure that is very a

:26:32. > :26:37.budgetary measure. Before we all join the Lord's Resistance Army in a

:26:38. > :26:41.synthetic constitutional crisis, will the Leader of the House not

:26:42. > :26:43.acknowledge the real issue is not about the procedural part of

:26:44. > :26:48.respective houses in the Parliament but about the spending power of

:26:49. > :26:53.hard-pressed households and hard-working households and any

:26:54. > :26:58.reviews, will he make sure our first priority is to get this House in

:26:59. > :27:08.order, not another? I think this House is in perfect order.

:27:09. > :27:15.I frequently take school children and visitors from other democratic

:27:16. > :27:18.countries on tours of this building and I always find it slightly

:27:19. > :27:28.awkward trying to explain that the House of Lords is appointed. Just

:27:29. > :27:37.like other members, is it not really time that we had a fully elected

:27:38. > :27:41.second chamber? He and a number of people feel that and it is the

:27:42. > :27:45.result of Monday's activities this debate is likely to restart in this

:27:46. > :27:54.parliament having not continued in the last one. We'll the Leader of

:27:55. > :28:00.the House except that there is a role for the other place in

:28:01. > :28:04.providing guidance to this House when they might feel it is out of

:28:05. > :28:10.sync with the country? Why should we take seriously the views of the

:28:11. > :28:15.Leader of the House when he continues to back it with 15 new

:28:16. > :28:22.peers at the same time as flushing by 50 members of the selected House?

:28:23. > :28:29.The reality is that this House has voted five times, prior to Monday it

:28:30. > :28:33.was the night times, for these changes. Ultimately it has to be the

:28:34. > :28:37.elected House of Commons that has the final say on these matters and

:28:38. > :28:45.that is why the action of the Lords in my view was not acceptable. Can I

:28:46. > :28:47.welcome the Strathclyde review and the Leader of the House's

:28:48. > :28:54.reiteration of the privately of this elected House of Commons? The shadow

:28:55. > :28:57.Leader of the House referred to the unwritten constitution of

:28:58. > :29:01.convention. Is it not the case that the House of Lords has breached that

:29:02. > :29:07.convention and by definition is acting in a very unconstitutional

:29:08. > :29:11.manner? I very much agree. I have heard many in the House of Lords in

:29:12. > :29:15.recent years stressed the importance of convention and this time they

:29:16. > :29:22.appear to have ignored the importance of convention which is

:29:23. > :29:31.why this issue has been created. Can I ask if there will be any political

:29:32. > :29:35.balance on this matter? We will give more detail about the composition of

:29:36. > :29:43.the panel and the terms of reference shortly. Is it not true that changes

:29:44. > :29:51.may be necessary to the House of Lords but the last thing we want is

:29:52. > :29:56.another House of Commons? What he sets out as one of the great subject

:29:57. > :30:01.of debate every replace the House of Lords with something else shouldn't

:30:02. > :30:06.be elected or not? That is a matter that has been debated several times

:30:07. > :30:13.since he and I were elected in 2001. The important thing from my point of

:30:14. > :30:16.use to ensure the coming months that the strategy that some appear to be

:30:17. > :30:19.taking to the platform of elected government has to be dealt with. We

:30:20. > :30:26.have to resolve these matters quickly. The Conservative government

:30:27. > :30:31.keep trying to play politics with this and keep finding themselves in

:30:32. > :30:36.a hole. They did not put it in the manifesto which has allowed the

:30:37. > :30:40.Lords to vote against it. They removed it as a statutory

:30:41. > :30:48.instrument. They have appointed a hereditary peer to do a review. When

:30:49. > :30:51.will the government stop digging? We have appointed a respected former

:30:52. > :31:00.Leader of the House of Lords to do this. A compatriot of hers and I am

:31:01. > :31:03.sure he will do an excellent job. Yesterday the Chancellor said the

:31:04. > :31:10.House of Lords had gnome and date for tinkering with the tax credit

:31:11. > :31:14.issue but with 14% of the voted is his government that has no mandate

:31:15. > :31:19.to introduce these vicious welfare reforms in Scotland. After the

:31:20. > :31:21.tinkering we have had, with the solution not be to abolish the House

:31:22. > :31:27.of and replace it with terrain English Parliament? The Scottish

:31:28. > :31:33.nationalists keep making this argument but I have listened to them

:31:34. > :31:37.expressing fury and it would give them less say over matters that

:31:38. > :31:40.would affect Scotland, but an English Parliament would give them

:31:41. > :31:49.no say, so the argument does not stack up. Points of order. The

:31:50. > :31:56.Leader of the House of Lords to answer any of the terms about

:31:57. > :32:00.whether people would be paid or be able to take evidence. He said he

:32:01. > :32:05.would make this available in the fullness of time. He did not choose

:32:06. > :32:08.to make a statement to the House. We cannot presume he is going to make

:32:09. > :32:13.that available to the House before the rest of the country. I wonder

:32:14. > :32:19.whether he might want to leap to his feet to point out he will put all of

:32:20. > :32:27.this and make this available in the library of the House. The Leader of

:32:28. > :32:38.the House is entitled to rise to his feet, but is not obliged. It would

:32:39. > :32:41.be fair to say... These matters are under consideration. Conclusions

:32:42. > :32:48.have not been reached. The detail is not yet known. It will be decided in

:32:49. > :32:55.June course. The request is that the House be informed first. I think it

:32:56. > :32:58.would be a reasonable supposition that if an important part of the

:32:59. > :33:05.subject matter is the prerogatives of the House of Commons it will

:33:06. > :33:12.occur to the leader first to notify the House of Commons of the

:33:13. > :33:18.particulars. I think to judge from the gentle board of ascent from the

:33:19. > :33:23.Leader of the House from which the government Chief Whip does not your,

:33:24. > :33:34.that that is indeed, at any rate now, the government's intention. And

:33:35. > :33:48.there will be statement. And what he said in his statement. Order. Point

:33:49. > :33:51.of order. In order for the Leader of the House to make a contribution he

:33:52. > :33:56.must go to the dispatch box and inform us of what he has just said.

:33:57. > :34:04.I am grateful, but I think I can make a judgment about the handling

:34:05. > :34:10.of matters. It is certainly open to the leader to come to the dispatch

:34:11. > :34:16.box but he is not obliged to do so. I think it is clear that we will get

:34:17. > :34:23.the details and that they will be communicated first to the House.

:34:24. > :34:32.Yes? Yes. We will take that as a yes. That is how it will be

:34:33. > :34:35.recorded. We will leave it there. I always appreciate the attempts of

:34:36. > :34:44.the right honourable gentleman at what might be called diplomacy.

:34:45. > :34:48.Point of order. At by ministers questions the Prime Minister stated

:34:49. > :34:52.that the last Labour government had failed to act in introducing free

:34:53. > :34:56.school meals. This is not correct and as the schools minister in the

:34:57. > :35:00.last Labour government I know that the Labour government had introduced

:35:01. > :35:05.three pilots for free school meals for all primary school pupils in

:35:06. > :35:09.Durham, Wolverhampton and new and the plan was to roll the mountains

:35:10. > :35:14.of timber 2010 but when the Coalition Government came into

:35:15. > :35:17.government the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats cancelled the

:35:18. > :35:25.scheme. Is it possible to correct the record? She has just done that.

:35:26. > :35:33.As a spirited and indefatigable parliamentarian she knows that that

:35:34. > :35:35.is what she has just done. In recent days I have received to my

:35:36. > :35:40.parliamentary written answers from two different departments on the

:35:41. > :35:45.same question on the vital issue of banning consequentials from HS2. The

:35:46. > :35:51.Department for Transport provided a straight answer. The Treasury

:35:52. > :35:54.regrettably was not as useful, offering a generic response which

:35:55. > :36:00.could be used to answer any question. What can be done to

:36:01. > :36:05.encourage the Treasury to follow the leader of the Department for

:36:06. > :36:10.Transport in answering questions? I suspect that a representative of the

:36:11. > :36:16.Treasury will shortly year of the honourable gentleman's point of

:36:17. > :36:20.order, meanwhile it has been heard by amongst others the Leader of the

:36:21. > :36:25.House. It has been a long-standing practice from which I certainly do

:36:26. > :36:29.not think this Leader of the House intends to depart that the Leader of

:36:30. > :36:35.the House cheeses ministers on the importance of timely and substantive

:36:36. > :36:39.replies. He is adding into the mix the incentive of wanting to compete

:36:40. > :36:47.favourably with another government department. The idea that the

:36:48. > :36:52.cleverly -- Treasury would want to be outclassed by any department

:36:53. > :37:00.strikes me as improbable. If there are no further points of order we

:37:01. > :37:06.come to the ten minute rule motion. Leave the given for me to bring in a

:37:07. > :37:08.bill to make provision about the use of bailiffs and other enforcement

:37:09. > :37:16.agencies to collect council tax arrears, to establish a code of

:37:17. > :37:21.practice and to create an independent ombudsman to administer

:37:22. > :37:26.the cord and adjudicate complaints. This deals with two interrelated

:37:27. > :37:30.problems. Taken together they are pushing many people into a debt trap

:37:31. > :37:34.by forcing them to borrow more to pay council tax arrears and

:37:35. > :37:38.unaffordable bailiffs seized. The first problem is that local councils

:37:39. > :37:45.ready to Colin the bailiffs when people fall into arrears. This is

:37:46. > :37:49.despite guidance which is meant to encourage local authorities to look

:37:50. > :37:53.towards establishing affordable repayment plans in such situations

:37:54. > :37:57.and avoid the bailiffs. This bill gives people a stronger right to

:37:58. > :38:04.challenge councils to offer an affordable repayment option. The

:38:05. > :38:07.second problem is that the bailiffs, despite the recent reforms, continue

:38:08. > :38:10.to use unreasonable methods such as aggressive behaviour and

:38:11. > :38:17.intimidation. They charge unreasonable fees and misrepresent

:38:18. > :38:23.their powers in order to gain entry to collect goods. This bill would

:38:24. > :38:31.ensure that they conduct collections activities in a reasonable and fair

:38:32. > :38:38.way. For the first time it will give people access to an independent

:38:39. > :38:42.ombudsman to secure redress. At present the circumstances an

:38:43. > :38:46.extremely limited a complaint can be made or whether action can be taken

:38:47. > :38:50.through complicated processes, leaving many people who feel they

:38:51. > :38:56.have been treated unfairly unsatisfied. The number of people

:38:57. > :39:01.contacting debt advice charities for help with council tax debts has

:39:02. > :39:09.increased rapidly in recent years. More than 63,000 people sought help

:39:10. > :39:15.in 2014 from one agency. The Hundred and 72% increase from 2010. Council

:39:16. > :39:21.tax arrears are the fastest growing problem debt dealt with by National

:39:22. > :39:28.Debtline. Printable -- 24% of clients had this particular debt. It

:39:29. > :39:33.is the most common debt issues in by Citizens Advice Bureau. Too many

:39:34. > :39:39.cases are sent to the bailiffs and sent to quickly. It is the default

:39:40. > :39:41.option for many councils. Half of clients who sought help were

:39:42. > :39:47.referred to bailiffs in a recent review. That is twice as many being

:39:48. > :39:53.offered an affordable repayment plan. Research from a trust in 2013

:39:54. > :40:00.found that councils had referred debts to bailiffs on 1.8 million

:40:01. > :40:05.occasions in a year, which rose to 2.1 million last year. Sending in

:40:06. > :40:10.the bailiffs often makes a bad situation worse than tips people

:40:11. > :40:14.further into problem debt. Many bailiffs still felt to comply with

:40:15. > :40:19.the national standards for enforcement agents and the high fees

:40:20. > :40:30.mean that many clients have paid at least they aren't and ?10 extra for

:40:31. > :40:33.bail of collections. -- ?310. Most people fell behind on other bills or

:40:34. > :40:38.borrowed from payday lenders are friends and families. This lack of

:40:39. > :40:43.help means that people are more likely to fall into debt. They are

:40:44. > :40:49.more than three times more likely to take out a payday loan and 50% more

:40:50. > :40:55.likely to fall into debt with other bills to pay the council tax demand.

:40:56. > :40:59.The last government committed to clamp down on aggressive bailiffs

:41:00. > :41:03.behaviour and there was a series of changes introduced last year to

:41:04. > :41:07.procedures. These changes are a move in the right direction but the light

:41:08. > :41:12.touch approach does not seem to have had much effect. Citizens advice

:41:13. > :41:16.have found that in the year since the regulations came into force

:41:17. > :41:21.there has been an extremely significant increase in the number

:41:22. > :41:27.of problems caused by bailiffs. Last year they helped with 77,000

:41:28. > :41:34.problems caused by bailiffs, an increase on 45,000 in the previous

:41:35. > :41:39.year. Evidence shows that people are continually intimidated by bailiffs.

:41:40. > :41:43.A client was told that it was looking at a prison sentence of up

:41:44. > :41:48.to 51 weeks if he did not pay his debt in field by the end of the day.

:41:49. > :41:53.Another bailiff told a client he was going to come round with the gang of

:41:54. > :41:56.lads if the debt was not paid and that that was made within 24 hours

:41:57. > :42:02.of the enforcement notice being issued. Step change evidence agrees

:42:03. > :42:08.with this. A bailiff called that one of their client's houses, a single

:42:09. > :42:11.parent. She was threatened with prison unless she allowed the

:42:12. > :42:16.bailiffs into the House and the bailiffs said in front of her child,

:42:17. > :42:21.do you want your son to be taken away from you when you go to prison?

:42:22. > :42:29.The way they apply fees and charges causes problems. There was one

:42:30. > :42:36.client who had been paying bills, paying a Magistrates' Court fine

:42:37. > :42:39.while she looked for work. When she found work the deduction stopped.

:42:40. > :42:43.She had been paying for a considerable period of time and she

:42:44. > :42:47.believed she had paid off the fine. She received notice from a bailiff

:42:48. > :43:02.regarding an outstanding amount of ?60. This was inflated to ?370.

:43:03. > :43:08.The bailiffs then contacted the client by phone threatening to come

:43:09. > :43:14.round that day with a locksmith and removal van if she could not pay in

:43:15. > :43:18.full. She offered ?170 that day, ?200 on the day she was paid, the

:43:19. > :43:22.following week, and the bailiff refused to accept that offer.

:43:23. > :43:28.Another common issue is when the bailiff from misrepresent their

:43:29. > :43:38.powers. Forcing entry to people's home. This is restricted to certain

:43:39. > :43:42.debts but 67% of advisers last year saw cases with the bailiffs

:43:43. > :43:48.misrepresented their powers and used force to take their goods. This bill

:43:49. > :43:52.will not solve everything but it will help to put existing good

:43:53. > :43:57.practice guidance for both councils and bailiffs from the department of

:43:58. > :44:00.community of local government and the Ministry of Justice, into a

:44:01. > :44:12.statutory footing and it will introduce and months button --

:44:13. > :44:16.ombudsman scheme for bailiffs. It will avoid pushing people into the

:44:17. > :44:22.debt trap. It is no use asking someone on low income to pay ?370 by

:44:23. > :44:27.end of the day. Problem debt costs the economy in the region of ?8

:44:28. > :44:30.billion with councils picking up the bill for at least 2 billion through

:44:31. > :44:34.the cost of homelessness, and additional demand for the care,

:44:35. > :44:39.support and the public health services. I fully recognise councils

:44:40. > :44:46.are under a huge pressure to balance their books and they are named and

:44:47. > :44:50.shamed based on collection rates but it is counter-productive if their

:44:51. > :44:54.actions simply adds to people's debt woes. They need to make more of an

:44:55. > :45:00.effort to ensure that there are reasonable payment plans available

:45:01. > :45:05.and gets on not simply passed on to bailiffs as a default. The reform

:45:06. > :45:08.and regulation bailiffs is not working, too many bailiffs still

:45:09. > :45:15.believe they can act like a heavy mob, Russia rising people to repay

:45:16. > :45:18.by using illegal tactics. -- pressurising people. I think this

:45:19. > :45:30.bill would take a step for further to remedying the situation. The

:45:31. > :45:34.questions that the member has to bring in the bill. As many as are of

:45:35. > :45:45.the opinion, say "aye". To the contrary, "no"... Andy McDonald,

:45:46. > :46:18.Anna Turley, Margaret Greenwood, Liz McInnis... Andrew Percy and myself.

:46:19. > :46:30.Regulation of enforcement agents, collection of council tax arrears

:46:31. > :46:35.bill. 20th November 2015. Thank you. We now come to the first of our two

:46:36. > :46:42.opposition day debates. Taking place today. The first is in the name of

:46:43. > :46:46.the Leader of the Opposition, on the steel industry. I should inform the

:46:47. > :46:55.House I have selected the Amendment in the name of the Prime Minister to

:46:56. > :47:05.open the debate, I call the Shadow Secretary of State 's Angela Eagle.

:47:06. > :47:09.I beg to move the motion in my name and in names of other honourable

:47:10. > :47:13.members. We have called this debate today because the British steel

:47:14. > :47:18.industry is in crisis. The Government seemed unwilling to do

:47:19. > :47:25.anything very practical about it. In the last three weeks alone, 2200

:47:26. > :47:29.employees in Redcar lost their jobs, 3000 on-site contractors have been

:47:30. > :47:35.laid off, 6000 further jobs will be lost in the local community. The

:47:36. > :47:39.hard closure of that site means the effective destruction of the

:47:40. > :47:43.steel-making assets there including what was the second largest blast

:47:44. > :47:50.furnace in Europe. The Government's reviews all the help has effectively

:47:51. > :47:54.ended 170 years of steel-making in Redcar, destroying specialist local

:47:55. > :47:58.skills and condemning the community to a bleak future. The announcement

:47:59. > :48:06.of the closure of the long products business in Scunthorpe and other

:48:07. > :48:11.places has cost 1170 jobs and ended steel-making in Scotland. The news

:48:12. > :48:19.that the part on industries has filed administration means 1700 more

:48:20. > :48:22.jobs are at risk. Alongside the tragedy of each individual job loss,

:48:23. > :48:29.Andy Raleigh vocations for the supply chains and the local

:48:30. > :48:32.economies, there is now a real worry that the UK steel-making capacity is

:48:33. > :48:38.being sacrificed on the other blaze a fair economics by a Government

:48:39. > :48:43.which will not act to preserve our country's strategic assets. Our

:48:44. > :48:46.contention on this side of the House is that steel-making in the UK is an

:48:47. > :48:52.industry of national strategic importance. It should be supported

:48:53. > :48:58.by the Government for that reason. It is important for UK

:48:59. > :49:02.manufacturing, it helps us balance payments and it is vital for our

:49:03. > :49:06.defence and security. If we are really about to embark on the huge

:49:07. > :49:11.infrastructure investment the Chancellor boasts about, surely, we

:49:12. > :49:19.should ensure that UK steel has every chance to compete and win

:49:20. > :49:23.those contracts. But to do that, we must ensure there is a UK steel

:49:24. > :49:28.industry, still in existence, when those contracts come up for

:49:29. > :49:33.competition. Yet as this industry has lurched deeper into this holy

:49:34. > :49:39.foreseeable crisis, the Government have been very quick to come up with

:49:40. > :49:49.expressions of sympathy but it has simply reluctant to take any

:49:50. > :49:52.decisive action. She will be aware as I am that concerns around the

:49:53. > :49:59.challenges facing the steel industry have been raised in this House, ten

:50:00. > :50:05.debate I think, repeated questions, meetings, for well over two years,

:50:06. > :50:09.is she very surprised it has taken until today for the Secretary of

:50:10. > :50:17.State for business to try to sort out of the mess in Brussels? I

:50:18. > :50:20.certainly am and I have to say that if the secretary for state the

:50:21. > :50:24.business needs to have an opposition debate to be encouraged to do his

:50:25. > :50:29.job by going to Brussels and talking to the commission after years of not

:50:30. > :50:35.doing, we will have more opposition steel debates so we can persuade him

:50:36. > :50:43.he should do what is his duty and what he should have been doing in

:50:44. > :50:47.the first place. I was proud to get a backbench debate on the crisis on

:50:48. > :50:51.the steel industry which happened to be one day before the Redcar

:50:52. > :51:00.steelworks ceased production. We were accused of showboating by the

:51:01. > :51:05.northern powerhouse. I was fairly astonished to read about the

:51:06. > :51:07.comments of the minister for what the Government called the northern

:51:08. > :51:15.powerhouse who said what had happened to red card was a tragic

:51:16. > :51:18.destruction from the work he was doing on the northern powerhouse. I

:51:19. > :51:22.would have hoped he would have seen it as part of his job to try to get

:51:23. > :51:32.this Government to take much earlier action in order to head off what was

:51:33. > :51:36.an entirely foreseeable occurrence. Would she agree with me that the

:51:37. > :51:42.Chinese have not just started dumping still, -- steel, they have

:51:43. > :51:49.been dumping steel for a very long time? They have and I will come onto

:51:50. > :51:53.the Chinese later in my remarks. Does she accept as one who lived in

:51:54. > :52:00.Sheffield myself of the best part of 30 years, that the real decline in

:52:01. > :52:01.the steel industry started with the absolutely horrendous

:52:02. > :52:09.nationalisation of the steel industry by the party opposite and

:52:10. > :52:13.furthermore, what steps have Labour Government ever taken to restrict

:52:14. > :52:17.state aids in other parts of the European Union which come from

:52:18. > :52:23.countries such as Germany and others? I suspect the

:52:24. > :52:29.nationalisation of the steel industry happened before I was born

:52:30. > :52:33.and we could actually look at a history lesson but I do know there

:52:34. > :52:37.are many examples of Government in the EU who do a lot better job than

:52:38. > :52:47.this one appears to have done so far of preserving their own steel

:52:48. > :52:50.industry. I give an example now, the House of Commons library just

:52:51. > :52:55.produced a paper on European state aids which says clearly, Germany for

:52:56. > :53:00.example, feeds over twice the amount of state aid which is given in this

:53:01. > :53:03.country. A whole raft of state aids are given in Germany which this

:53:04. > :53:10.Government decided not to do in this country. My honourable friend's

:53:11. > :53:19.comments speaks themselves. I am most grateful to the Shadow minister

:53:20. > :53:25.for allowing me to interrupter. This Conservative Government, when they

:53:26. > :53:31.were considering devolved and to the Northern Ireland, this Government

:53:32. > :53:34.was concerned it would be a state aid and illegal under EU

:53:35. > :53:39.legislation. However, where there is a will, there is a way and this

:53:40. > :53:47.Government has been able to devolve within the Stormont House talks, ...

:53:48. > :53:51.Corporation tax. This Gutmann should have a will to save the steel

:53:52. > :54:01.industry in this country and make sure it is not illegal in the terms

:54:02. > :54:06.of the state... Honourable lady is correct. There are many governments

:54:07. > :54:14.in the EU that managed to deal in a far more creative way with state

:54:15. > :54:21.agencies and this one does. On the issue of the EU, would my honourable

:54:22. > :54:26.friend agree there is a strong case for carbon tariffs from the EU so we

:54:27. > :54:31.don't display is clean steel, produced in Britain, the dirty steel

:54:32. > :54:36.produced in China and elsewhere? Art my honourable friend makes a

:54:37. > :54:38.practical suggestion. I think it should be looked at with great

:54:39. > :54:42.seriousness by the Government and the EU. The steel summit in

:54:43. > :54:47.Rotherham was only convened following the backbench debate and

:54:48. > :54:53.it ended up with more job losses and no significant Government announces.

:54:54. > :54:57.As the crisis has unfolded, the Government has had to be dragged

:54:58. > :55:01.kicking and screaming here to answer urgent question after urgent

:55:02. > :55:06.question. Steel is an energy intensive industry which inevitably

:55:07. > :55:11.results in extra costs being placed on it for environmental reasons. But

:55:12. > :55:14.it is clear the Government has the power to lower energy costs for

:55:15. > :55:22.steel producers through implementing the energy intensive compensation

:55:23. > :55:27.package immediately. Despite being announced in the Chancellor's Autumn

:55:28. > :55:31.Statement in 2011, the most substantial part of this package is

:55:32. > :55:35.still waiting to be implemented. Ministers are admitted in a

:55:36. > :55:40.parliamentary question to my right honourable friend, that they had not

:55:41. > :55:43.bothered to raise this issue with the commission in the last 12

:55:44. > :55:48.months. It is clear the Government has shown no leadership in Europe

:55:49. > :55:51.with the Business Secretary only visiting the commission for his

:55:52. > :55:59.first time today. Better late than never I suppose. What on earth has

:56:00. > :56:02.taken this Business Secretary so long? I welcome his visit and I

:56:03. > :56:06.trust he will emerge from the commission with some tangible

:56:07. > :56:16.progress but, after all the foot dragging and in action, it really is

:56:17. > :56:22.about time he did. We need to reiterate this point, the EU package

:56:23. > :56:27.has already been compensated. It is an EU wide market, taxation system.

:56:28. > :56:31.We are talking about the CPF which was implemented by this Chancellor

:56:32. > :56:36.who did not consult the industry or talk to the European Union and then

:56:37. > :56:41.had to go to Brussels... We don't know if he has yet but we presume

:56:42. > :56:45.today, to get compensation for a tax brought in by this Government,

:56:46. > :56:51.unilaterally without any consultation with the industry. That

:56:52. > :56:57.is the issue. When we talk about compensation packages, we talk about

:56:58. > :57:00.it for a British tax. My honourable friend to represent many

:57:01. > :57:10.constituents who have been directly affected by the closure in Redcar.

:57:11. > :57:16.He demonstrates his knowledge of the problems the British steel industry

:57:17. > :57:21.face and it is a pity the Chancellor of the dead did not acknowledge

:57:22. > :57:27.those problems when he came up with that policy. I said I would give way

:57:28. > :57:31.to the honourable gentleman opposite so I will be polite.

:57:32. > :57:42.In that spirit, she and members opposite our right to be raising

:57:43. > :57:46.this as it affects many in my constituency. She mentioned

:57:47. > :57:49.environmental taxes. I have sympathy, but would she not concede

:57:50. > :57:57.that it was her previous government that brought in these environmental

:57:58. > :58:02.taxes? I think he needs to demonstrate to his constituents that

:58:03. > :58:09.he is fighting for their jobs now and he needs to be putting pressure

:58:10. > :58:13.on his front bench to have a proper strategy. What is a heavy industry

:58:14. > :58:20.which by definition is energy intensive. The problem that we are

:58:21. > :58:25.dealing with here is actually that the government do not have a

:58:26. > :58:31.strategy and are loving and to mouth trying to deal with the crisis that

:58:32. > :58:41.they should have seen coming. I think, thank her. Would she agree

:58:42. > :58:47.there is no strategy... Thameslink is about to have new trains built in

:58:48. > :58:50.Hornsey and yet there seems to be no attempt being made to get them to

:58:51. > :58:56.purchase steel from their own steelmakers? She comes up with yet

:58:57. > :59:00.another example of the lack that we have at the heart of this

:59:01. > :59:06.government, that it does not seem to believe that we should have an

:59:07. > :59:12.industrial strategy. Therefore, as these contracts come up, it does

:59:13. > :59:19.seem to be living from hand to mouth without actually having a coherent

:59:20. > :59:21.proper strategic approach which can use the power of government

:59:22. > :59:32.procurement to try to preserve UK jobs. Does she agree there can be no

:59:33. > :59:37.doubt that the party opposite does not believe in an industrial

:59:38. > :59:42.strategy? The Secretary of State for business said in The Financial Times

:59:43. > :59:48.four weeks ago that he does not like industrial strategy. Does she not

:59:49. > :59:55.agree that is a disgraceful statement foray Secretary of State

:59:56. > :59:58.to make? I agree. His constituents are particularly badly affected by

:59:59. > :00:03.the hard closure at Redcar which will come to be seen as the folly of

:00:04. > :00:10.the highest order committed on this government's watch. I will give way

:00:11. > :00:17.one more time. It is a short debate with lots of colleagues who want to

:00:18. > :00:23.get in. The member for Middlesbrough is right. The carbon price floor is

:00:24. > :00:26.about tax and tax on manufacturing. It is also true that five or six

:00:27. > :00:30.times in the last parliament when we debated energy prices on every one

:00:31. > :00:38.of those times the Labour Party voted for higher energy prices, in

:00:39. > :00:44.particular in December 2012 they voted for the accelerated closure of

:00:45. > :00:48.the British coalfield in advance of anything happening in Europe. The

:00:49. > :00:57.reason the carbon price floor is a unit at Dom act in a large tax is

:00:58. > :01:01.because the EU abandoned it. In this parliament we always have to

:01:02. > :01:08.remember the issues of climate change and tackling it but we also

:01:09. > :01:13.have to balance with the cost that that puts on our energy intensive

:01:14. > :01:23.industries and we have to ensure we get the balance right. I give way

:01:24. > :01:28.and then I want to get on. Would she agree that the carbon price floor

:01:29. > :01:31.was a tax introduced by the last government led by Conservatives that

:01:32. > :01:39.is a revenue raising tax and is absolutely nothing to contribute to

:01:40. > :01:43.combating climate change? Yes. I do. Rather than hiding behind the

:01:44. > :01:47.European Commission why does the government not take action first on

:01:48. > :01:52.energy intensive industry payments and get retrospective approval

:01:53. > :01:57.later? That is what Germany did with its renewable energy act. They did

:01:58. > :02:02.support to producers of renewable energy from January 2012. They did

:02:03. > :02:09.not submit the act for prior state scrutiny. State approval was

:02:10. > :02:14.achieved in November 24 two years after first providing support. Light

:02:15. > :02:18.and the government not looked after the interests of UK still in the

:02:19. > :02:23.same way? It is hard to avoid the conclusion that the government has

:02:24. > :02:30.been so slow to act because of an ideological aversion to

:02:31. > :02:36.intervention. The Secretary of State will not let the phrase industrial

:02:37. > :02:41.strategy across his lips. We support international trade but free trade

:02:42. > :02:45.must be fair. China is responsible for a tsunami of cheap steel being

:02:46. > :02:49.dumped on European markets and the UK should be at the forefront of

:02:50. > :02:59.demanding rapid and effective action to stop it. We are not just talking

:03:00. > :03:03.about the here and now but the longer-term economic vision that

:03:04. > :03:08.this country should have because as sure as night follows day the steel

:03:09. > :03:12.price will recover at some stage and we could find ourselves without a

:03:13. > :03:18.steel industry and beholden to other countries. He makes an extremely

:03:19. > :03:23.important point which is that the steel industry is very cyclical in

:03:24. > :03:27.nature and during the hard times and downturns it is very important to

:03:28. > :03:32.try to act to preserve important assets of strategic importance to

:03:33. > :03:40.our country so that we can take advantage of the upswing in May

:03:41. > :03:46.recovery when it comes. China is responsible for a soon army of cheap

:03:47. > :03:49.steel products. Last week's visit is over so I hope the Business

:03:50. > :03:55.Secretary will be making a case in Brussels today that we should act

:03:56. > :04:00.rapidly to stop the dumping of China's steel products in Europe.

:04:01. > :04:06.The scale of these Chinese imports and the speed of their arrival is

:04:07. > :04:10.staggering. Their surplus production is narrowly traced the annual

:04:11. > :04:16.production in the entire EU. It is increasingly finding its way here.

:04:17. > :04:23.It has grown from zero presence in the UK market in 2013 to 37% of it a

:04:24. > :04:28.year later. There are quality concerns with some imported Chinese

:04:29. > :04:33.steel. Chinese steel production causes more environmental damage

:04:34. > :04:37.than UK production so it is a false economy to allow it to continue. For

:04:38. > :04:42.both of these reasons action to tackle dumping is vital and overdue.

:04:43. > :04:53.Perhaps he she could tell us what she managed when she visited China?

:04:54. > :05:00.We raised this issue with the Prime Minister and his delegation gelling

:05:01. > :05:06.the recent state visit. Did she? If so, what is the government going to

:05:07. > :05:09.do about this dumping? When it comes to acting on China specifically

:05:10. > :05:13.perhaps the government should be less interested in selling off the

:05:14. > :05:18.nuclear industry and more interested in standing up for the strategic

:05:19. > :05:21.assets of the UK. Standing up for British Steel men standing up for

:05:22. > :05:27.the high-quality skills that have built some of the UK and some of the

:05:28. > :05:32.world's iconic landmarks. Register your built Canary Wharf, the new

:05:33. > :05:36.Wembley Stadium, Sydney Harbour Bridge and it will be building the

:05:37. > :05:40.freedom Tower in New York. We should be proud of what the UK still

:05:41. > :05:44.industry has achieved but the government cannot treat it as a

:05:45. > :05:49.relic of the past. It has to be a vital part of our future. That is

:05:50. > :05:53.why the government must do much more to see the industry through these

:05:54. > :05:58.tough times and prepared it to future opportunities. The government

:05:59. > :06:03.should publish an industrial strategy for steel and be open about

:06:04. > :06:07.how it envisages maintaining the strategic assets in this country

:06:08. > :06:13.during hard times. Firm action now will guarantee any future for UK

:06:14. > :06:16.production. Can I commend the campaign by the Daily Mail are

:06:17. > :06:24.setting out daily the compelling case to save our steel? In case

:06:25. > :06:30.ministers are in any doubt about the urgency, someone has described it as

:06:31. > :06:37.a patient on the operating table, likely to die without help. The main

:06:38. > :06:41.steel union has called for an urgent meeting with the Business Secretary

:06:42. > :06:47.because of the ongoing threat to jobs as it has emerged no

:06:48. > :06:58.representative of the workforce have yet been invited on to any of the

:06:59. > :07:03.working groups. The Minister says there is no need to invite

:07:04. > :07:12.representatives of the workforce onto these working parties but I

:07:13. > :07:17.hope she will reconsider. Ministers should also make the workers from

:07:18. > :07:21.steel-making communities including Teesside, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire

:07:22. > :07:26.and Sizewell is-mac who are lobbying Parliament today to hear first hand

:07:27. > :07:30.as I have the real cost of government inaction. The Prime

:07:31. > :07:36.Minister claims the government is acting on procurement. Yesterday the

:07:37. > :07:40.Minister for small business industry and enterprise told the business

:07:41. > :07:45.select committee, I would say by British because it is quality. The

:07:46. > :07:51.inadequacy of the government's response was laid bare on the very

:07:52. > :07:56.same day when was revealed that the government has just spent over ?3

:07:57. > :08:01.billion on three new Royal Navy ships and 589 specialist vehicles

:08:02. > :08:10.for the army which will use imported Swedish steel. She is a former

:08:11. > :08:17.defence minister and her department announced this year a ?2 million

:08:18. > :08:24.icebreaker for a be searched undertaking. I pity question down to

:08:25. > :08:29.the member who can give no commitment that that ship is being

:08:30. > :08:33.built at Birkenhead that it will have British Steel. Is that not an

:08:34. > :08:40.example were Macha department could put its money where my kids mouth

:08:41. > :08:49.is? I hope we can get some progress on procurement, not least from the

:08:50. > :08:53.business department that is contracting for this icebreaker,

:08:54. > :08:59.this research vessel, even as we speak, because otherwise all of this

:09:00. > :09:03.is a missed opportunity. The UK steel industry needs action, not

:09:04. > :09:07.good intentions. The government need to act much more effectively on

:09:08. > :09:12.procurement and if they might do we will support them but we will judge

:09:13. > :09:23.them on the contracts actually awarded. Not on warm words. The

:09:24. > :09:28.government should explore business rates. Sell your to act is not

:09:29. > :09:34.costly as the hard closure at Redcar demonstrates. With clean-up costs

:09:35. > :09:38.running into literally hundreds of millions of pounds, it may well be

:09:39. > :09:46.that in the long run strategic support is far better value than the

:09:47. > :09:47.cost of total closure. Last week the Business Secretary said the

:09:48. > :09:55.government would do everything within our power to support the

:09:56. > :10:00.industry. He said to our steel communities, we will not abandon you

:10:01. > :10:02.in your time of greatest need. The Prime Minister had previously stated

:10:03. > :10:06.that the government would do everything we can to keep

:10:07. > :10:11.steel-making in Redcar. The government then abandoned the people

:10:12. > :10:14.of Redcar by refusing to back the plant and save the assets keeping

:10:15. > :10:22.the possibility of a return to steel-making in the future. The

:10:23. > :10:26.Minister actually said yesterday in evidence, it needed that awful

:10:27. > :10:34.moment in Redcar to concentrate all political minds in government.

:10:35. > :10:39.Redcar has been sacrificed, minds have been concentrated. We need to

:10:40. > :10:43.know what the government is buying to do to safeguard the future of UK

:10:44. > :10:51.steel and what is left of our steel communities. In Redcar, Scunthorpe,

:10:52. > :10:56.and other places, those facing uncertainty in the Midlands and

:10:57. > :11:01.rather and Wales, people who have spent years developing highly

:11:02. > :11:03.specialised skills who have to find alternative employment in the

:11:04. > :11:08.economies that have been shattered by steel plant closures, waiting to

:11:09. > :11:14.see how this government intends to deliver on its warm words. We have

:11:15. > :11:20.seen this happen within the coal mining industry where jobs have gone

:11:21. > :11:28.and people are asked to retrain. It is an absolute disaster. The ?80

:11:29. > :11:33.million is to be welcomed but the fact is Redcar, Rotherham and the

:11:34. > :11:38.rest of the areas are areas of high unemployment. You can train people

:11:39. > :11:46.as much as you like, the employment is not there and the jobs are not

:11:47. > :11:50.there. Does she agree that the money should be invested in keeping the

:11:51. > :11:57.steel industry alive instead of closing it and trying to retrain

:11:58. > :12:01.people for jobs that are not there? He speaks with a lot of passion

:12:02. > :12:06.because he has been through this process in the coal communities and

:12:07. > :12:12.it is easy for the Minister to dismiss the searing experiences that

:12:13. > :12:17.our coal communities went through with the decisions that were taken

:12:18. > :12:26.by the previous Tory government. I do not think she should. We have to

:12:27. > :12:31.talk about this ?80 million. The statutory redundancy was part of

:12:32. > :12:35.that. That has dropped to ?50 million. The Northern Powerhouse

:12:36. > :12:38.minister wrote to one of his constituents informing him that last

:12:39. > :12:46.month's payroll would be paid out of that. I have not seen evidence of

:12:47. > :12:52.more than potentially ?3 million in relation to the 50 apprentices of

:12:53. > :12:58.the monies promised. At the day of the meeting, announced on the day of

:12:59. > :13:03.the liquidation, we were informed in front of other agencies that the

:13:04. > :13:07.vast majority of that ?80 million would be new money. I know and

:13:08. > :13:13.members now and the Minister knows that less than ?50 million of that

:13:14. > :13:16.is potentially no money. -- new money. I want to know for who and

:13:17. > :13:26.when. I don't get the Government does its

:13:27. > :13:29.cause any good by it attempted to artificially inflate the amount of

:13:30. > :13:34.money they are given to help a steel community that they refused to save.

:13:35. > :13:43.By getting involved in a hard closure. I apologise for

:13:44. > :13:49.interrupting. But there is a deferred division under way which

:13:50. > :13:53.has less than 15 minutes to run and the ballot papers have run out,

:13:54. > :13:57.there are no papers available to vote in the deferred division. Could

:13:58. > :14:00.you tell us what you are going to do about this and whether you will

:14:01. > :14:06.extend the period of division beyond 2pm? I am informed this has now been

:14:07. > :14:20.sorted. There are now ballot papers. If only it was so easy to sort out

:14:21. > :14:26.the problems of the steel industry. Other countries across the EU

:14:27. > :14:30.support their workers. Other countries across the EU find ways to

:14:31. > :14:35.support their industry. In Germany and the Netherlands, we saw the

:14:36. > :14:48.Government... I am coming to the end. Apologies. Slightly reluctant

:14:49. > :14:53.to give way! I would say I think her point is important and one of the

:14:54. > :14:55.things that will upset so many people who recognise the damage that

:14:56. > :15:00.has been done to their communities and the people left out of work in

:15:01. > :15:03.the steel industry is the sense this Government has not done all it can

:15:04. > :15:07.and they see people in other industries and other competitive

:15:08. > :15:12.nations around Europe being much better supported by the Government.

:15:13. > :15:16.The fact the Secretary of State has refused to turn up for this debate

:15:17. > :15:25.shows the contempt they have shown the steelworkers in our country. I

:15:26. > :15:28.am always happy to give way to my honourable friend and I are not

:15:29. > :15:38.reluctant ever to listen to what he has to say. But I think he has made

:15:39. > :15:42.an important point about other EU countries seemingly being much more

:15:43. > :15:45.able and more willing to support their strategic industries. I

:15:46. > :15:50.believe this is because they don't have the ideological qualms that

:15:51. > :15:55.this Government opposite has about the very idea of it having an

:15:56. > :16:00.industrial strategy. Why will our Government not show the same

:16:01. > :16:09.commitment? We need an active industrial strategy. We need a

:16:10. > :16:12.proactive Government, we need a strategic Government. Not a Business

:16:13. > :16:18.Secretary in thrall to an outdated economic theory, too eager to offer

:16:19. > :16:23.the chance like huge cuts to his department in the bid to burnish his

:16:24. > :16:28.credentials and prepare for the leadership battles ahead. Last week

:16:29. > :16:34.the Prime Minister claimed the Government wants a strong and viable

:16:35. > :16:43.steel industry. Now they have to tell us what they intend to do to

:16:44. > :16:47.secure it. The question is as on the order paper, I called the Secretary

:16:48. > :16:57.of State to move the Amendment in the name of... Thank you and I do

:16:58. > :17:01.beg to move the Amendment in the name of my right honourable friend,

:17:02. > :17:07.the Prime Minister. I am responding to the debate this afternoon on the

:17:08. > :17:09.half of the Business Secretary who is in Brussels having urgent

:17:10. > :17:11.discussions with European Commission is in Brussels having urgent

:17:12. > :17:14.discussions with European commissioners to address the crisis

:17:15. > :17:22.steel industry faces across Europe. I would like to start by saying I

:17:23. > :17:27.have total respect for constituency members who represent steel

:17:28. > :17:29.communities, coming here today to speak passionately and earnestly on

:17:30. > :17:34.behalf of the workers and their families affected by this crisis.

:17:35. > :17:38.What has been really disappointing about the debate so far, is the way

:17:39. > :17:50.the party opposite has tried to turn this into a political foothold.

:17:51. > :17:57.I looked across at those benches opposite and look at the faces of

:17:58. > :17:59.members who wear her before 2010 and I don't remember a single one of

:18:00. > :18:05.them coming to this place and standing up to speak up for steel

:18:06. > :18:08.workers during Labour's term of office when the number of

:18:09. > :18:13.steelworkers in the United Kingdom fell by half and the volume of steel

:18:14. > :18:20.production during Labour's period in office fell by half.

:18:21. > :18:35.So I just think that the party opposite does need to show just some

:18:36. > :18:42.humility on this issue of steel. As we debate this crisis... Order, I

:18:43. > :18:45.think we need to calm down and if the honourable gentleman is not

:18:46. > :18:53.giving away their members must sit down. If he does give way, he will

:18:54. > :18:58.say so. I am happy to give way. I was in this House from 2005, members

:18:59. > :19:03.on this side of the House repeatedly made representations to the Prime

:19:04. > :19:09.Minister at the time who listened to what we had to say. We did not have

:19:10. > :19:13.before 2010, the Carbon floor price which is now damaging the steel

:19:14. > :19:21.industry in a significant manner and which his side of the House is not

:19:22. > :19:23.doing anything about. I am not going to engage in a tit-for-tat on this,

:19:24. > :19:33.you let me just say the Record of the

:19:34. > :19:43.previous Government on steel and manufacturing was not a stellar one.

:19:44. > :19:47.Will he agree with me that members should do the courtesy of listening

:19:48. > :19:52.to what he has got to say and it was they who started bringing in the

:19:53. > :19:55.carbon taxes that have caused problems for manufacturers and this

:19:56. > :20:01.Government has tried to hold them down. As we debate this crisis today

:20:02. > :20:04.we rightly make the thousands of workers and their families who work

:20:05. > :20:08.in the steel industry, those who face devastating news about their

:20:09. > :20:13.jobs at this time and many more working under a cloud uncertainty,

:20:14. > :20:20.we rightly make them the central and primary focus of our concerns. When

:20:21. > :20:23.an individual loses their job, it can be a tragedy for the families

:20:24. > :20:29.and themselves, the pressures it creates. When whole communities are

:20:30. > :20:36.affected by large-scale job losses, the impact can be devastated and I

:20:37. > :20:40.completely recognise that. I am pleased he is now looking forward

:20:41. > :20:45.because my colleagues and I, on that side of the House have been raising

:20:46. > :20:49.since we were elected to Parliament in 2010, the issues and needs of the

:20:50. > :20:52.steel industry in our community and I think what we need to do is look

:20:53. > :20:57.forward together and work together to build a better future. It so

:20:58. > :21:04.happens that the Secretary of State, it is your Government that can make

:21:05. > :21:11.decisions now and not anybody else. I take his point and I appreciate

:21:12. > :21:16.the work you does. Thank you for giving way which is to make a

:21:17. > :21:24.similar point, the Honourable member for Scunthorpe is right to point out

:21:25. > :21:27.what he did, does he agree with me that it would be a cruel deception

:21:28. > :21:33.for anyone to suggest that the solution to this crisis is wholly in

:21:34. > :21:37.the hands of the Government and the best way forward on this is as much

:21:38. > :21:42.political consensus across both sides of the House as we do have in

:21:43. > :21:46.North Lincolnshire, because that is the only way of ensuring we do as

:21:47. > :21:51.much as can be done at a national level and EU level to deal with this

:21:52. > :21:55.crisis that sadly a lot of the factors are outside the control of

:21:56. > :22:01.any of those governments. That is an essential point about the global

:22:02. > :22:05.nature of the crisis which I will referred to in my remarks. Also the

:22:06. > :22:11.need for where possible, political consensus. Members who know me from

:22:12. > :22:17.Wales know that is the approach I like to take but it does require two

:22:18. > :22:23.sides. One more intervention and then I will make some progress. I

:22:24. > :22:28.say to the minister, there are jobs in my constituency at risk in

:22:29. > :22:33.Wolverhampton and I am Taskin Ahmed half, when did the Government first

:22:34. > :22:40.see the signs of this crisis and why has it taken them quite so long to

:22:41. > :22:46.do something about it? My constituents's jobs are at risk.

:22:47. > :22:53.This is a practical thing about job losses that might be happening.

:22:54. > :22:57.There is continuous engagement with the steel industry and there has

:22:58. > :23:00.been for a long time. We are discussing concerns with the steel

:23:01. > :23:05.industry and we have been since the beginning of the Coalition

:23:06. > :23:08.Government in 2010. One of the colleagues made a point earlier that

:23:09. > :23:15.this crisis has been around for a long time. The phenomenon, it was

:23:16. > :23:18.called a tsunami of cheap Chinese steel, that is a recent phenomenon

:23:19. > :23:23.that has changed the global dynamics of the steel industry. I am not

:23:24. > :23:28.going to take any more interventions for the time being. The steel

:23:29. > :23:32.industry across Europe and around the world is in the midst of a

:23:33. > :23:36.crisis, the magnitude of which has not been seen in at least a

:23:37. > :23:41.generation. We have chronic global overcapacity which squeezed prices

:23:42. > :23:47.so that the prices of certain products have halved in certain

:23:48. > :23:52.prices and are expected to fall further still. The Chinese economy

:23:53. > :23:56.which has until recently been the driver behind global steel demand is

:23:57. > :24:01.slowing down and the world is awash with cheap steel looking for

:24:02. > :24:05.markets. For some products, cheap Chinese imports have gone from

:24:06. > :24:10.accounting for 0% of the market to 37% of the UK market, within 18

:24:11. > :24:14.months. It is an extraordinary growth in a short period of time.

:24:15. > :24:22.Chinese steel exports roughly doubled between 2011 and 2014. This

:24:23. > :24:29.is the extremely challenging backdrop to the current crisis

:24:30. > :24:32.facing our steelworkers. It has been described as a perfect storm in

:24:33. > :24:39.different terms of the Confederation of different events and the

:24:40. > :24:43.phenomenon happening. That is why as a Government, we remain committed to

:24:44. > :24:51.doing everything in our powers to support steelworkers across Britain

:24:52. > :24:57.in the weeks, months and years ahead. One intervention. Do you

:24:58. > :25:02.accept that giving a contract on HS2 to the Chinese will increase the

:25:03. > :25:09.probability they will use Chinese steel? It would -- if it had been

:25:10. > :25:13.given to British consortium, those companies would have paid British

:25:14. > :25:20.tax, income tax, National Insurance, isn't it his laissez

:25:21. > :25:26.faire approach that has neglected British industry and isn't it at the

:25:27. > :25:30.root of this problem? He makes a slightly confused point. In terms of

:25:31. > :25:34.the investment going into the rail industry, that is creating

:25:35. > :25:38.opportunities now and in the future, for the UK steel industry and we are

:25:39. > :25:45.determined to help the UK steel industry take advantage of those

:25:46. > :25:48.investment opportunities. We are providing support for those

:25:49. > :25:53.communities and families who have been affected by recent ninth. In

:25:54. > :25:57.Redcar we have announced a support package worth up to ?80 million. We

:25:58. > :26:01.are working with the local task force and established to develop

:26:02. > :26:09.proposals to support the individuals and local economy. It is worth

:26:10. > :26:12.making the point that this is not a Whitehall top-down solution. Our

:26:13. > :26:14.commitment is to work with local partners to develop the right

:26:15. > :26:20.solution for those workers, their families and communities. In

:26:21. > :26:24.Scunthorpe, we have set the local task force looking at what needs to

:26:25. > :26:32.be done to support those affected. Funding of up to ?9 million has been

:26:33. > :26:35.provided. I thought today was a steel debate, we just have a

:26:36. > :26:40.minister reading out a simple service brief to the House. It is an

:26:41. > :26:45.insult in terms of the fact that he will not take any interventions. It

:26:46. > :26:49.is not his department so he might not understand the subject but

:26:50. > :26:55.surely somebody else might have been sent to knew about the subject. I

:26:56. > :27:03.think the honourable gentleman has put his point on the Record but if

:27:04. > :27:20.the Secretary of State can continue.

:27:21. > :27:28.We are also supporting Scottish Government's task forces and we will

:27:29. > :27:31.work with them to monitor the situation in the Black Country to

:27:32. > :27:35.make sure we are providing necessary support for those communities and

:27:36. > :27:44.families affected by the announcements.

:27:45. > :27:49.These are incredibly difficult market conditions row now, no

:27:50. > :28:08.question, excess capacity in global steel is enormous, 570 million

:28:09. > :28:11.tonnes, almost 50 times the UK's entire annual production. The price

:28:12. > :28:13.of steel slab has fallen by half in the past year alone, fluctuating

:28:14. > :28:15.exchange rates have added further pressures, and... I will take one

:28:16. > :28:18.intervention from the member... Interesting point about production,

:28:19. > :28:21.what we do have, in the home UK economy is 300 million tonnes of

:28:22. > :28:24.scrap steel, exporting that are dirty and China, and it comes back

:28:25. > :28:30.to us. Will the government look at a potential strategy for furnaces such

:28:31. > :28:38.as Redcar, to use to create a new market to supply the British market

:28:39. > :28:41.rather than exporting it. That is a useful and constructive point that

:28:42. > :28:46.has been made by the Honourable member, it is the model itself, the

:28:47. > :28:51.steel users in Cardiff, we are looking at all aspects of steel

:28:52. > :28:57.industry to identify future growth opportunities... He talks about what

:28:58. > :29:01.he cannot do, can he talk now about what he can do, which is in the area

:29:02. > :29:05.of procurement, can he tell us what proposals the government have to

:29:06. > :29:15.procure British steel products in the next 12 months to keep this

:29:16. > :29:19.business open and flourishing? I'm moving on to exactly those issues.

:29:20. > :29:23.But we must all acknowledge and be honest about this. There are limits

:29:24. > :29:27.to what we can do in response to the economic realities facing the steel

:29:28. > :29:31.industry. There are members of the sick shaking their heads, I make the

:29:32. > :29:35.point again, step back and be honest. -- there are members

:29:36. > :29:39.opposite shaking their heads. You must be realistic about the global

:29:40. > :29:43.steel crisis affecting manufacturers all across Europe and North America.

:29:44. > :29:48.And give the giving way, I grew up in a steel working family, I have

:29:49. > :29:52.constituents working in that, will you also accept that what is being

:29:53. > :29:55.said to me, it is not acceptable to me that the government has done

:29:56. > :29:59.enough, there is social consequences as well as economic. There is a

:30:00. > :30:02.problem at the moment in the steel industry of the globe but isn't this

:30:03. > :30:09.the very moment that the steel industry should be protected and

:30:10. > :30:14.capped for the future. I do not disagree with the point made by the

:30:15. > :30:16.Honourable member, that is exactly why my right honourable friend the

:30:17. > :30:19.Business Secretary is talking with European Commission is right now,

:30:20. > :30:23.that is why we have set up a programme of working groups to set

:30:24. > :30:28.up all aspects of the way that the UK steel industry identifies

:30:29. > :30:33.options, taking advantage of growth opportunities, and where we can,

:30:34. > :30:38.protect foundations of what is a strong UK steel sector. Madam Deputy

:30:39. > :30:42.Speaker, we cannot influence the price of steel, we cannot fix

:30:43. > :30:53.exchange rates, the rules governing the sector are very strict, the

:30:54. > :31:00.rules help to secure a level playing field for UK steel within Europe. We

:31:01. > :31:04.are doing all that we can to help the steel industry at this very

:31:05. > :31:11.difficult time. First... Let me... May I ask... I'm very grateful with

:31:12. > :31:14.the way that the Secretary of State is conducting his speech and not

:31:15. > :31:20.making party political points and that is good news but on this

:31:21. > :31:22.specific point, the government believes it can introduce

:31:23. > :31:27.compensation, the Prime Minister has said that at the dispatch box today,

:31:28. > :31:31.if we believe it is within state laws, we should get on and do it,

:31:32. > :31:40.even if the European Union... And worry about the consequence

:31:41. > :31:44.afterwards. We are pushing for a quick decision... A quick decision

:31:45. > :31:48.on state aid. The members opposite who referred to the German example,

:31:49. > :31:53.you know, I have looked at this, the issue was that Germany had a

:31:54. > :31:57.pre-existing scheme already set up. When the new rules kicked in, it

:31:58. > :32:02.prevented other European countries implementing the scheme on their own

:32:03. > :32:06.prior to seeking state rules, that is the reason why we have gone to

:32:07. > :32:11.get state aid approval prior to bringing forward the compensation

:32:12. > :32:18.package. Specifically on that point... The Secretary of State is

:32:19. > :32:22.well aware of these issues, we raised last year. Can he confirm to

:32:23. > :32:25.the house whether the state aid clearance for the steel industry

:32:26. > :32:28.that the government has said has been a top rarity has been at the

:32:29. > :32:34.top of the state aid clearance policies at any point in the last

:32:35. > :32:36.world to 24 months on it is all very well talking about what the

:32:37. > :32:41.secretary of state is doing today but has it been at the top priority

:32:42. > :32:44.list for the last 12 months? We have been pushing to get state aid

:32:45. > :32:49.clearance on this, it is really am poor and to do so, the prime Mr has

:32:50. > :32:53.made clear today the point that as soon as the state aid clearance is

:32:54. > :32:56.given, we will start paying compensation to steel companies. It

:32:57. > :33:05.is worth pointing out, we have already paid out ?50 million to a

:33:06. > :33:06.number of steel companies to compensate them for additional

:33:07. > :33:10.energy costs arising from environmental and climate change

:33:11. > :33:16.policies, which, Madam Deputy Speaker, a lot of work imposed by a

:33:17. > :33:20.previous Labour government. Madam Deputy Speaker, we are taking action

:33:21. > :33:24.to tackle unfair trade practices and have supported and voted for the

:33:25. > :33:28.renewal of anti-dumping measures at EU level and have lobbied for

:33:29. > :33:31.investigation into cheap imports of reinforcing steel bar. We lobbied

:33:32. > :33:35.the EU because the steel industry raised concerns with us. When the

:33:36. > :33:40.industry provides us with evidence we act on their behalf. We continue

:33:41. > :33:43.to do this by pressing the European Commission for further faster action

:33:44. > :33:47.against unfair trade practices and that is exactly what my right

:33:48. > :33:53.honourable friend is doing in Brussels right now. A few moments

:33:54. > :33:59.ago he referred to the pre-arrangement in Germany, by which

:34:00. > :34:05.their steel industry pays 4p per unit for electricity, and consumers

:34:06. > :34:08.pay between ten and 15p per unit. That was a prearranged thing but it

:34:09. > :34:12.cannot be right that the state aid rules do not apply to that and yet

:34:13. > :34:16.everything we try to do we fall foul of the state aid rules, that cannot

:34:17. > :34:22.be right, it may well be an EU rule but it is not adequate. I agree with

:34:23. > :34:28.my honourable friend, about the price differential, we do recognise

:34:29. > :34:31.that there is a very significant price differential and we are

:34:32. > :34:35.determined to take action but I do not agree that we have fallen foul

:34:36. > :34:38.to doing what we can within the to doing what we can within the

:34:39. > :34:45.rules, not just the British government but the UK steel industry

:34:46. > :34:54.themselves have signed up to. Would he accept that if we go down the the

:34:55. > :34:59.road of looking for EU approval for changes to state aid rules, that

:35:00. > :35:04.this issue will not be resolved quickly, when it came to corporation

:35:05. > :35:08.tax in Northern Ireland, when it came to the aggregates levy, we are

:35:09. > :35:12.still looking at that particular issue, after eight years. Does he

:35:13. > :35:19.accept that the steel industry could be well gone by the time that the EU

:35:20. > :35:24.makes a decision on this. I do not accept that it will be well gone, I

:35:25. > :35:27.think he is right when he talks about the length of time it takes to

:35:28. > :35:32.get state aid clearance, that is one aspect of the overall issue that we

:35:33. > :35:34.are pushing for, there has already been discussions with European

:35:35. > :35:38.counterparts and my honourable friend, the Minister for business,

:35:39. > :35:41.she has been having those discussions herself. This is

:35:42. > :35:45.something we are determined to take action on, not just the specific

:35:46. > :35:52.issue of state aid approval is but the overall process for speeding up

:35:53. > :35:55.state aid applications generally. My right honourable friend the Prime

:35:56. > :35:59.Minister also discussed this issue with the president of China jeering

:36:00. > :36:02.the state visit last week, recognising UK concerns and taking

:36:03. > :36:06.actions to address Chinese overcapacity. The working group on

:36:07. > :36:14.International comparisons within the steel industry, chaired by my right

:36:15. > :36:18.honourable friend for business and enterprise met last week and is

:36:19. > :36:22.looking at how we can speed up cases within the EU, working with other

:36:23. > :36:25.member states, and working with the industry to speed up the process of

:36:26. > :36:31.the industry, providing evidence of dumping. That means we can then take

:36:32. > :36:36.actions. Secondly, we are addressing the impact on intensive energy users

:36:37. > :36:39.like the steel industry, policies to reduce the negative impacts of

:36:40. > :36:43.climate change, giving 50 million in support already to the steel

:36:44. > :36:47.industry. We are the first EU country to pay compensation for

:36:48. > :36:52.indirect costs of the EU emissions trading system to energy intensive

:36:53. > :36:57.in 2013, we have paid compensation for the costs of the carbon price

:36:58. > :37:01.report, and as soon as the commission gave state aid clearance

:37:02. > :37:05.in 2014, we began paying out compensation for that. We exempted

:37:06. > :37:11.the metallurgical industry from climate change levy in 2014. As my

:37:12. > :37:13.right honourable friend the Prime Minister announced, we will be

:37:14. > :37:17.bringing forward further compensation for the industry from

:37:18. > :37:21.climate change policies with payment starting as soon as state aid is

:37:22. > :37:25.approved and continuing throughout this Parliament. He has been

:37:26. > :37:32.persistent, I shall give way. To the Secretary of State, behind all of

:37:33. > :37:35.this we must remember there are communities and individuals living

:37:36. > :37:41.within those communities who are facing a very uncertain future. Will

:37:42. > :37:46.he take this opportunity at the dispatch box to disassociate himself

:37:47. > :37:54.and the government from the views of his noble friend, Lord Heseltine,

:37:55. > :37:58.who said that " now is as good a time as any to lose a job? Isn't it

:37:59. > :38:05.time that he found himself a different job as well!

:38:06. > :38:15.I have no ideas what comments he's referring to... BOOING

:38:16. > :38:20.I do have... I do know that the noble Lords to who he refers as a

:38:21. > :38:23.track record of winning support for selling UK plc around the world,

:38:24. > :38:28.developing industry, driving up growth in some of the most deprived

:38:29. > :38:35.parts of the UK, that not a single member of the party opposite could

:38:36. > :38:40.aspire to. The support we are providing to energy intensive

:38:41. > :38:43.industries will all benefit from the compensation at the earliest

:38:44. > :38:47.opportunities. We are working with the commission to quickly gain

:38:48. > :38:52.approval for proposals to provide additional relief on energy policy

:38:53. > :38:56.costs, and the Business Secretary spokes commissioner last week, and

:38:57. > :39:01.again in Brussels today, making clear to colleagues of the need for

:39:02. > :39:03.urgency on these measures. Once in place, these measures will save

:39:04. > :39:09.energy intensive industries like the steel industry hundreds of millions

:39:10. > :39:12.of pounds over the next five years. Thirdly, Madam Deputy Speaker, we

:39:13. > :39:16.are determined to drive up the number of public contracts won by

:39:17. > :39:25.steel manufacturers in the UK and their partners. Through fair and

:39:26. > :39:27.open competition. In the last Parliament, we successfully

:39:28. > :39:29.negotiated EU procurement rules to allow wider considerations to be

:39:30. > :39:37.taken into account, we were the first country, to put those new

:39:38. > :39:44.rules into action in February, 2015 and we have identified over 500

:39:45. > :39:49.infrastructure projects valued in excess of ?400 billion, listed in

:39:50. > :39:54.the national infrastructure pipeline, to allow contracts to be

:39:55. > :40:01.fought for and won like Crossrail, which we are building with over

:40:02. > :40:04.50,000 tonnes of British Steel, HMS Queen Elizabeth, Tata providing

:40:05. > :40:10.40,000 tonnes of British Steel and right now we are embarking on the

:40:11. > :40:15.biggest programme of investment in our railway since Victorian times.

:40:16. > :40:19.Network Rail's ?38 billion, five-year investment and replacement

:40:20. > :40:23.programme includes demand worth billions of pounds for British

:40:24. > :40:29.steel. Madame Deputy Speaker, I make the point that Network Rail sources

:40:30. > :40:32.95% of the steel from the UK, I give way on one last time, I know that

:40:33. > :40:39.the honourable member does like talking about these issues. I know

:40:40. > :40:43.that it is not his department but the Department for the new polar

:40:44. > :40:47.research... The ?200 million contract... Can he give a guarantee

:40:48. > :40:53.today that that ship being built in Birkenhead will be produced with

:40:54. > :40:57.British steel? As the honourable member was already aware, I am not

:40:58. > :41:01.sited on the specifics of that issue but I will seek to give him an

:41:02. > :41:07.answer by the end of the debate. As you well-known. The steel

:41:08. > :41:12.procurement group met with UK steel last week to work out what steps

:41:13. > :41:15.must be taken to ensure that as much British Steel is used as possible,

:41:16. > :41:19.including considering the feasibility of more central

:41:20. > :41:27.procurement. To identify where more progress can be made, on October 16

:41:28. > :41:30.we posted a summit, bringing together trade unions, members of

:41:31. > :41:34.Parliament, senior members from the Parliament, creating a framework for

:41:35. > :41:38.action which will help us support Steelworkers now and in the future.

:41:39. > :41:42.Progress does need to be made, Madame Deputy Speaker, but at the

:41:43. > :41:45.same time, we need to find the right solutions rather than rushing into

:41:46. > :41:49.action. And so we have working groups from the summit who will now

:41:50. > :41:53.provide evidence and recommendations to the Department for business,

:41:54. > :41:57.including, as I say, driving up the number of public procurement

:41:58. > :42:01.contracts won by UK steel manufacturers, what lessons can be

:42:02. > :42:05.learn from other countries in the land beyond, and also looking at

:42:06. > :42:07.what more government can do to boost productivity and help steel

:42:08. > :42:13.manufacturers themselves to cut production costs. The UK steel

:42:14. > :42:18.industry is part of the foundation of many of the nation's great world

:42:19. > :42:22.beating supply chains... The Minister has indicated he will not

:42:23. > :42:24.give way, shouting minister from a sedentary position is not going to

:42:25. > :42:38.help anything. I also want to say: We will not be will to get everybody

:42:39. > :42:42.in visitors. If we keep those interventions to minimum then we

:42:43. > :42:45.might have a chance of getting it little bit down the list. This is an

:42:46. > :42:50.important debate and loads of members want to speak. I have been

:42:51. > :42:56.generous with interventions so I will bring Myra Marx to a close. As

:42:57. > :43:04.I said, the UK steel industry is part of the world beating supply

:43:05. > :43:09.change. The government remains committed to a healthy and growing

:43:10. > :43:12.steel industry in the UK. This is essential if we are to increase

:43:13. > :43:16.productivity and raise standards of living for everyone in this country.

:43:17. > :43:19.During this extremely difficult time for the UK steel industry we must do

:43:20. > :43:24.everything we can to support the families of those affected by these

:43:25. > :43:30.changes, as well as supporting the UK steel industry the Rand abroad to

:43:31. > :43:36.compete on a level playing field. The original question was, on the

:43:37. > :43:43.order paper, the question is that the original word stand part of the

:43:44. > :43:48.question. Before I call this Oaks person but the SNP, who will not

:43:49. > :43:52.have a time limit imposed on her, there will be a time limit of four

:43:53. > :43:57.minutes for back inch contributions.

:43:58. > :44:02.Thank you. I am pleased following last month's debate that we have a

:44:03. > :44:07.further opportunity in this house to discuss the challenges facing the

:44:08. > :44:11.steel industry in the UK. We on the SNP benches will be supporting

:44:12. > :44:17.Labour's motion. Since that debate, more challenges have arisen than

:44:18. > :44:22.solutions implemented. The global announcement about job losses have

:44:23. > :44:26.been apparent for a number of months and have been emerging for some

:44:27. > :44:31.considerable time longer, yet this government has been slow to act with

:44:32. > :44:34.our European orders. The steel industry has been clear and United

:44:35. > :44:40.in the request of government assistance but this government has

:44:41. > :44:43.been flat-footed for too long. Recognise some process, but the

:44:44. > :44:47.timely delivery of what they have promised is key. My hope is that

:44:48. > :44:52.this debate may offer the government another opportunity to set out in

:44:53. > :44:55.detail the measures they will take immediately to protect threatened

:44:56. > :44:59.jobs and support the continuing industrial production of steel in

:45:00. > :45:06.the UK. And for a timeline to delivered. Last week Tata Steel

:45:07. > :45:13.announced its intention to mothball its facilities, with the potential

:45:14. > :45:19.loss of 270 Scottish jobs. Each one of these 270 jobs supports a further

:45:20. > :45:21.three in the wider economy. The closure of these facilities will not

:45:22. > :45:32.just be felt locally but much further afield. My honourable friend

:45:33. > :45:37.'s will speak at greater in -- length about this. If there is to be

:45:38. > :45:41.a future for steel production in Scotland then the lights of these

:45:42. > :45:44.plants must not go out. The commitment of the SNP in the

:45:45. > :45:47.Scottish Government is clear, we will work relentlessly and do

:45:48. > :45:53.everything in our power to keep the plants open. I am pleased that the

:45:54. > :45:58.Scottish Government has assembled a cross-party, multi-agency Scottish

:45:59. > :46:02.skill task force, and our First Minister has visited both sites

:46:03. > :46:06.affected. All the task force will work to explore a future for these

:46:07. > :46:11.facilities, and that includes the trade unions, unlike the party

:46:12. > :46:17.opposite. I also want a commitment from Tata Steel to work with the

:46:18. > :46:22.Scottish Government. The plants are powerful assets. The labour force

:46:23. > :46:25.that is highly experienced in processing for steel for use in

:46:26. > :46:31.military products and the oil and gas industry. Whilst the climate is

:46:32. > :46:33.challenging, am confident that my colleagues in the Scottish

:46:34. > :46:43.Government and its agencies will do everything that it can to preserve

:46:44. > :46:48.jobs. Whatever the outcome, our first consideration will always be

:46:49. > :46:52.the effect on communities. Every job loss and every single redundancy

:46:53. > :46:55.tells its own personal story. For the communities of Motherwell and

:46:56. > :46:58.Cambuslang which have been home to the societies for generations this

:46:59. > :47:02.could not have been more devastating news. The workers and families now

:47:03. > :47:08.face an anxious and devastating time. Modern apprentices these

:47:09. > :47:11.losing the opportunity to learn a trade in an industrial setting.

:47:12. > :47:17.Workers who dedicated their entire working lives of 30 years or more

:47:18. > :47:21.face losing their livelihoods and the nation faces losing a key part

:47:22. > :47:24.of its industrial heritage. I'm confidence that this is not just

:47:25. > :47:28.being felt in Scotland but in South Yorkshire, the West Midlands and

:47:29. > :47:36.Scunthorpe, all of whom will be subject to similar announcements of

:47:37. > :47:39.closures. I would express our solidarity with those workers across

:47:40. > :47:45.the UK with an uncertain future ahead of them. The primary challenge

:47:46. > :47:51.for Scottish, English, Welsh and European steel is a common one.

:47:52. > :47:55.Excess global capacity is expected to the in the 645 million tonnes

:47:56. > :48:02.above demand this year. Much of this husband driven by rapidly expanding

:48:03. > :48:06.Chinese steel production. It has been the case since 2010 that China

:48:07. > :48:14.has been a net exporter of steel. Since 2013, and near collapse for

:48:15. > :48:18.domestic steel in China has led to a dramatic increase in Chinese

:48:19. > :48:23.exports. There are likely to exceed 100 million tonnes this year. If we

:48:24. > :48:25.supply then it will be largely supply then it will be largely

:48:26. > :48:31.incumbent on China to reduce capacity. This could require as much

:48:32. > :48:37.as 30%, somewhere above its current target of 80 million tonnes of

:48:38. > :48:44.overcapacity by 2017. Regrettably I will not give way. European produced

:48:45. > :48:58.steel is unable to compete with such alternatives. The presence of XS

:48:59. > :49:04.Cheney is still in European markets is an issue which requires urgent

:49:05. > :49:10.redress -- presence of Chinese steel. There is some evidence that

:49:11. > :49:16.the anti-dumping duties are having some success and there may be case

:49:17. > :49:20.for further action. I would urge the government to participate fully with

:49:21. > :49:29.our European partners to decide what the further action might be. And to

:49:30. > :49:32.consider carefully the effect of further anti-dumping duties. I was

:49:33. > :49:38.pleased to note that the Secretary of State for business has recognised

:49:39. > :49:44.the importance of working with partners. The pressure lease today

:49:45. > :49:48.announces, Business Secretary competes steel top of the Brussels

:49:49. > :49:53.agenda. What I would not wish to rerun his parade, I'm sure that when

:49:54. > :49:57.he arrived in Brussels the commissioners were well versed given

:49:58. > :50:03.that he has been taking action on these issues for over nine months.

:50:04. > :50:11.The Secretary of State might have accidentally the request from the

:50:12. > :50:13.Scottish Government to be here today and I'm disappointed that the

:50:14. > :50:22.Scottish Government has once again been frozen out... Point of order. I

:50:23. > :50:25.noticed that the Secretary of State has now left the chamber. I thought

:50:26. > :50:32.it was a convention that he should at least stay for two contributions

:50:33. > :50:37.before he left the chamber. Indeed, the honourable gentleman is

:50:38. > :50:40.absolutely right. But he has told me that he has popped out to do some

:50:41. > :50:52.media and is coming straight back again. Please. Please... On that

:50:53. > :51:00.point of order the gentleman is absolutely correct. But there is a

:51:01. > :51:08.minister listening to the rest of the contributions. It is his choice

:51:09. > :51:19.at the end of the day. So is it now convention that the... I think we

:51:20. > :51:22.have dealt with this. Order. Not only is the disrespect in Europe,

:51:23. > :51:32.there is this respect in this chamber. On government support for

:51:33. > :51:36.the industry, we do welcome the positive developments of the last

:51:37. > :51:41.week and welcome the government's commitment to implementation of an

:51:42. > :51:50.energy package to bring down the cost of energy. More time to meet

:51:51. > :51:56.directors on emissions. I would echo a note of caution from the direct

:51:57. > :52:02.review case do which hold the committee yesterday that time is not

:52:03. > :52:08.on our side. The issues facing the industry in UK are pressing. I would

:52:09. > :52:11.urge the government to bring forth measures to prevent any further

:52:12. > :52:16.damage to the UK industry or two jobs. These will of course be

:52:17. > :52:44.short-term measures to whether Ajmal truce period. -- to weather a

:52:45. > :52:52.tumultuous period. The DL Works can trace its story back hundreds of

:52:53. > :52:58.years. Scotland's industrial story became one of decline in early 20th

:52:59. > :52:59.century. The idea of this is encapsulated... The honourable

:53:00. > :53:02.member should listen because I am member should listen because I am

:53:03. > :53:07.going to make a very interesting point. This idea is encapsulated in

:53:08. > :53:12.a seminal hit by one of Scotland's favourite band and if you do not

:53:13. > :53:16.know them, you should listen. Bathgate no more was the lead Eric

:53:17. > :53:27.as the plant closed in 1986, when we regional war. -- Linwood no more.

:53:28. > :53:32.Bill grandfather spent a good part of his career at those plans and I

:53:33. > :53:41.do not want to see a new generation of Scots experiencing this decline

:53:42. > :53:44.in industry. The economic power that Scotland needs to be industrial eyes

:53:45. > :53:53.on the 21st-century remain with Westminster. But UK governments of

:53:54. > :53:59.all colours do not boast a proud record in Scottish industry. What a

:54:00. > :54:05.refreshing change it would be to be able to help our industry thrive and

:54:06. > :54:08.not just survive. To innovate, to compete and to succeed, rather than

:54:09. > :54:11.stepping in and picking up the pieces when the jobs are lost and

:54:12. > :54:16.the damage is done. I will conclude my comments the way that I started

:54:17. > :54:21.them, I paying tribute to the workers, their families and the

:54:22. > :54:24.communities. We salute the resoluteness in this period of

:54:25. > :54:29.adversity. We stand in solidarity with them as they face uncertain

:54:30. > :54:34.times. We on the benches want to reassure them that the SNP Scottish

:54:35. > :54:41.Government will even all stone unturned in seeking to keep their

:54:42. > :54:45.plants open and their jobs intact. Metal runs through the heart of the

:54:46. > :54:53.Black Country and the West Midlands and on a personal note my

:54:54. > :54:59.grandfather worked as a forger after the Second World War in the

:55:00. > :55:06.steelworks. He had an industrial accident bear in 1947 and was not

:55:07. > :55:11.able to work again after that. I know in the blood of my family the

:55:12. > :55:15.difficulties that are often faced by people in steel communities and as I

:55:16. > :55:20.see metal runs through the heart of the Black Country. Last Friday I

:55:21. > :55:25.took part in a Midlands steel task force group which had been set up

:55:26. > :55:34.either Director of their Institute Of Design And Ergonomic Acceleration

:55:35. > :55:39.at Birmingham University. That was following the collapse of Caparo

:55:40. > :55:42.across the West Midlands. I was pleased to see that there was

:55:43. > :55:49.cross-party representation at that meeting. The reason that Caparo has

:55:50. > :55:54.gone into administration as for complex reasons. Over a long period

:55:55. > :56:00.of time there has been financial difficulties in the Caparo group. It

:56:01. > :56:07.is a group that has been heavily debt-laden since a refinancing deal

:56:08. > :56:09.that was done by Caparo in 2008-2009. So not all of the

:56:10. > :56:15.problems about the Caparo are related to the issues of the global

:56:16. > :56:22.steel market. However, jobs are at risk in my constituency and in other

:56:23. > :56:25.areas across the West Midlands, and we need to do whatever we can to

:56:26. > :56:33.help those companies and those people who have their jobs at risk.

:56:34. > :56:36.At the Midlands Steel Summit, which I attended on Friday, we discussed a

:56:37. > :56:43.number of steps in the short-term that we should be considering in the

:56:44. > :56:48.leash on the Caparo. I think there is a strong argument for setting up

:56:49. > :56:51.a Caparo task group to work with the administrators, because, having

:56:52. > :56:55.spoken to the administrators and discussed it on Friday, it is clear

:56:56. > :57:00.that there are number of profitable, high-quality businesses

:57:01. > :57:04.in the Caparo group in high-end engineering which will be able to

:57:05. > :57:10.find buyers. I understand that the administrators of the group have

:57:11. > :57:15.found about 45 representations to acquire certain parts of the group.

:57:16. > :57:22.But we also need to take action in terms of the impact on the supply

:57:23. > :57:26.chain in the West Midlands. I do understand that there are some small

:57:27. > :57:29.and medium-sized companies that were not expecting Caparo to go into

:57:30. > :57:34.administration and are suffering from some cash flow difficulties. We

:57:35. > :57:39.need to identify as early as we can those companies which are going to

:57:40. > :57:45.be at risk, so that we can identify how skilled workers in those

:57:46. > :57:52.companies might be able to find work quickly. There is demand in the

:57:53. > :57:56.black -- Black Country, because it has been doing well in terms of

:57:57. > :58:01.manufacturing. There is a demand for high skilled work but we need a

:58:02. > :58:08.strategy in place. It is true that steel is a very important part of

:58:09. > :58:12.the supply chain. Another that has an impact on other companies in my

:58:13. > :58:15.constituency. There is no easy solution to the current problems, we

:58:16. > :58:25.need to take short-term action unleashing the Caparo and we need to

:58:26. > :58:29.make sure that we are taking measures to deal with trainees

:58:30. > :58:31.dumping. There are no easy solutions but there are things that the

:58:32. > :58:38.government is doing and things that we need to do to mitigate the issues

:58:39. > :58:43.resulting from the Caparo administration.

:58:44. > :58:49.like the honourable gentleman who has just spoken, I have one of those

:58:50. > :58:52.steel factories in my constituency, and the 200 workers who work there

:58:53. > :58:58.are facing troubled times, and it is vital that in part of the wider

:58:59. > :59:06.still strategy we look at the issues affected. On the select committee we

:59:07. > :59:10.held an investigation yesterday, I am grateful to all expert witnesses

:59:11. > :59:14.who came along and gave fantastic evidence. Starting with the

:59:15. > :59:17.positives, it was welcome to hear the minister to say to the select

:59:18. > :59:22.committee that she considers the UK steel industry to be of enormous

:59:23. > :59:26.value and strategic importance, her predecessor in post would not have

:59:27. > :59:29.said that. I'm afraid that others in government including the Prime

:59:30. > :59:33.Minister, Chancellor and Business Secretary do not necessarily feel

:59:34. > :59:36.the same way, and therein lies the problem, we need that strategic

:59:37. > :59:40.priority in the light of the challenges facing the industry. The

:59:41. > :59:43.UK steel industry is in grave crisis. All expert witnesses

:59:44. > :59:48.yesterday said that they could not recall a more serious time for the

:59:49. > :59:53.very survival of the industry. Since the summer, one fifth of the

:59:54. > :59:59.workforce in UK steel has lost their job or is at risk of losing their

:00:00. > :00:01.job. The tragedy of job losses for an individual steelworker, their

:00:02. > :00:08.families and their communities is immense. But those skills, those

:00:09. > :00:11.capabilities, that competitiveness, in a strategic industry, is going to

:00:12. > :00:17.affect British manufacturing for decades. The director of UK steel

:00:18. > :00:21.told us yesterday vividly that the industry was like a patient on the

:00:22. > :00:28.operating table, bleeding very quickly, " unless it stops very

:00:29. > :00:31.soon, we are likely to die". On that point, wasn't he is struck by the

:00:32. > :00:38.relative speed of the European Union responding to China, compared to the

:00:39. > :00:43.United States. I will come on to that comment, from my fantastic

:00:44. > :00:49.member of the business select committee, incredibly importing

:00:50. > :00:55.yesterday, but it is not necessarily a question of the government waving

:00:56. > :00:58.a magic wand, these are global forces I'm not suggesting that there

:00:59. > :01:03.is disproportionate influence from the UK Government over what is going

:01:04. > :01:07.on in the global steel industry but there is something that can be done,

:01:08. > :01:12.steel is a strategic industry, acting as a foundation for many

:01:13. > :01:18.parts of the value chain, I agree, a modern steel industry is at the

:01:19. > :01:21.heart of a competitive economy. The role of government is to level the

:01:22. > :01:26.playing field for British-based steelmakers and ensure they do not

:01:27. > :01:30.face costs and pressures which our competitors do not. The role of

:01:31. > :01:35.government is to go out and back for the British steel industry on the

:01:36. > :01:40.European and world stage. What came out clearly from the increased the

:01:41. > :01:45.day is that the government, despite words, has been slow and reactive,

:01:46. > :01:48.and has not prioritised, despite protestations, the steel industry as

:01:49. > :01:52.one befitting its strategic importance. The government has been

:01:53. > :01:57.left baffled and battered by the forces affecting global steel.

:01:58. > :02:00.Inevitable given the scale and gravity of the challenge but one

:02:01. > :02:06.which industry has been raising with government ministers for some time.

:02:07. > :02:09.Plant closures, job losses, they could have been lessened if the

:02:10. > :02:13.government had been more on the front foot and responded more

:02:14. > :02:17.swiftly. I have to say, I have enormous respect for the minister,

:02:18. > :02:20.but she sounded like Elvis Presley in the enquiry yesterday, she said

:02:21. > :02:24.she wanted a little less conversation and a little more

:02:25. > :02:26.action please. Those words are welcome but it became abundantly

:02:27. > :02:31.clear that in the main, words are all that we have got, words are not

:02:32. > :02:35.going to save the British Steel industry. But the summit on October

:02:36. > :02:40.16 we were provided with excellent analysis about the state of the

:02:41. > :02:43.industry from representatives, Leah and achievable 5-point plan on

:02:44. > :02:48.things like business rates, energy costs, vocal content and

:02:49. > :02:52.procurement. My problem with that, that analysis was not anything new,

:02:53. > :02:55.it has been known about for weeks and months and years. Government

:02:56. > :02:59.were familiar with the asks from industry long before the 16th of

:03:00. > :03:07.October, so for a strategic industry like steel, how, more urgent action

:03:08. > :03:10.was not taken sooner. The policy on voting in Europe on dumping is

:03:11. > :03:14.welcome but why did industry tell as yesterday that we in the UK are out

:03:15. > :03:18.on a limb and not acting in a co-ordinated way? In response to my

:03:19. > :03:23.noble friend on the select committee the Bedford, -- select committee

:03:24. > :03:27.from Bedford, we were told that of all the cheap Chinese still coming

:03:28. > :03:31.to Europe, an astonishing 94% comes to Britain at a time when domestic

:03:32. > :03:35.industry is dying. We have put up the white flag for the steel

:03:36. > :03:39.industry for the Chinese red flag, it is not appropriate. We were left

:03:40. > :03:42.in no doubt about the gravity of the situation, we may not have even

:03:43. > :03:46.reached the bottom of job losses and plant closures. It is not too

:03:47. > :03:50.melodramatic to measure the survival of the British Steel industry in

:03:51. > :03:55.weeks rather than decades. We do not have time to reflect or reassess,

:03:56. > :04:01.the government must move quickly, action, now. It is a pleasure to

:04:02. > :04:04.follow the honourable gentleman, I do not agree with the last 30

:04:05. > :04:08.seconds of what he had to say necessarily but actually, what he

:04:09. > :04:12.said, I could not put a cigarette paper between him and I, that is why

:04:13. > :04:17.I voted for him to be chairman of committee, he knows how to do it. I

:04:18. > :04:20.would say to him, that is the right approach, I apologise if I told

:04:21. > :04:24.anybody else that I was voting for them, but I did vote for the

:04:25. > :04:29.honourable gentleman (!) I tend to tell everybody that they will! --

:04:30. > :04:33.that I will! LAUGHTER Taking the politics out of it, which

:04:34. > :04:38.is what I said in my intervention, there are things that government can

:04:39. > :04:42.and cannot do, that has been said by the honourable member for livers

:04:43. > :04:45.and, this is not all in the hands of the UK Government. -- honourable

:04:46. > :04:49.member for Livingston. The less shouting, the better. That is not to

:04:50. > :04:56.say that people do not have a right to be angry, they do, and I am

:04:57. > :04:58.representing a steel area, as do many people in this place, I

:04:59. > :05:02.understand the passion, and people have contacted me in the last few

:05:03. > :05:06.days and said, we bailed out the banks, why not the steel industry.

:05:07. > :05:09.You know what, I cannot disagree with that, this is a strategic

:05:10. > :05:13.industry and it should be viewed by government, and I pay tribute to the

:05:14. > :05:17.minister who has said this time and again, it should be viewed like the

:05:18. > :05:21.banking industry, it is vital, it is important to this country, it should

:05:22. > :05:25.be supported appropriately. I pay tribute to the workers at Scunthorpe

:05:26. > :05:28.who do an amazing job producing the best steel in the world. I pay

:05:29. > :05:35.tribute also to the unions there, who have responded to this crisis in

:05:36. > :05:39.a sensible and measured way and have worked with everyone involved, and

:05:40. > :05:43.they do deserve credit on that one. Where are we at with Scunthorpe?

:05:44. > :05:47.Pretty bad place, we all know that, as local members of Parliament, we

:05:48. > :05:52.are committed to doing everything we can. We have two prongs of attack at

:05:53. > :05:57.the moment, the first, to support those who are affected by the

:05:58. > :06:00.announced and proposed job losses, I met with the Minister the other

:06:01. > :06:04.night to put forward a couple of requests, which I have put on the

:06:05. > :06:08.record again today as part of the ?9 million which has been announced to

:06:09. > :06:12.support those affected. We do welcome that, we wish it was not

:06:13. > :06:14.needed but we welcome it. The demands and requests are commonly

:06:15. > :06:21.want the support to be spent locally, we do not want outsiders

:06:22. > :06:30.coming in. -- the demands and requests are, we want the support to

:06:31. > :06:35.be spent locally. And we want a guarantee that the funding can be

:06:36. > :06:40.used to support local SMDs. The task force, already referenced by the

:06:41. > :06:43.Secretary of State, has also set important things, we know that we

:06:44. > :06:50.have an offshore wind revolution coming in the Humber, some of these

:06:51. > :06:54.skills can be used in the jobs that are coming. There is a gap between

:06:55. > :06:58.those that will lose their jobs and jobs coming in places like the South

:06:59. > :07:01.Humber Gateway. -- SMEs. We need support to ensure that workers can

:07:02. > :07:07.transition, we need support from the government to encourage Dong Energy

:07:08. > :07:16.to move beyond their memorandum of understanding with Able. INAUDIBLE

:07:17. > :07:22.... As were bringing forward some of the offshore wind. And I give way to

:07:23. > :07:26.my honourable friend. Thank you for giving way. British Steel was a

:07:27. > :07:30.quality product, talking about bringing forward projects, when I

:07:31. > :07:34.speak with companies in Pendle that use British steel, they use it

:07:35. > :07:38.because they have concerns about the quality of imported steel, are they

:07:39. > :07:42.concerned he would share? Yes, I'm sorry we do not have more time,

:07:43. > :07:46.there is more that I would like to say in this debate. Bringing me to

:07:47. > :07:53.the second point, to try to secure the long-term future of this site.

:07:54. > :07:57.We cannot lose this in Scunthorpe, Scunthorpe is a steel town, I want

:07:58. > :08:02.it to remain so. There is things we need to do, Chinese quality, that is

:08:03. > :08:05.an issue raised with me repeatedly, it is something we need to look at.

:08:06. > :08:09.The government long before this crisis, certainly before the recent

:08:10. > :08:15.announcement, had taken action in Europe and we welcome that. The

:08:16. > :08:21.carbon price was a mistake, we voted against it. I would agree with those

:08:22. > :08:26.who say that we need to bring forward the compensation scheme. I

:08:27. > :08:35.have sympathy for those who say, we should pay it, and never mind the EU

:08:36. > :08:39.approval. It is this government that secured new EU procurement rules

:08:40. > :08:46.that make it easier to get local content. We want the HS to contracts

:08:47. > :08:48.to go to Scunthorpe, we want them being brought forward, and we want a

:08:49. > :08:53.clear message from the government that it will do everything they can,

:08:54. > :08:56.as we have had since this new is broke, that under these new rules,

:08:57. > :09:00.UK content will be used as much as possible. -- HS2. We have been

:09:01. > :09:05.having used for meetings with the Cabinet Office about this. There is

:09:06. > :09:10.other things that need to be done around business rates. This is a

:09:11. > :09:15.huge site and underutilised and there is other things that can be

:09:16. > :09:21.done. I wish that I could say more but unfortunately I am out of time.

:09:22. > :09:29.Firstly I would like to pay tribute to the Royal Secretary -- demo

:09:30. > :09:38.secretary. He has led steel workers with dignity once again, and with

:09:39. > :09:41.great class and humour. In the gallery, we have over 40

:09:42. > :09:51.Steelworkers from across the UK who have come today to speak with MPs

:09:52. > :09:55.and demonstrate their desire to see a British steel industry. First

:09:56. > :09:57.small point, in terms of the Chinese dumping, yes, it is a problem, the

:09:58. > :10:01.quality of the steel being dumped is poor, in terms of self and safety,

:10:02. > :10:06.and environmental grounds. But it will get better. -- in terms of

:10:07. > :10:09.health and safety grounds. We can stop it now, there are provisions

:10:10. > :10:13.which we should be working on, but we can act upon it now anyway as an

:10:14. > :10:18.EU member state. The Chinese steel quality will get better and what we

:10:19. > :10:21.do then? The real issue at stake, do we want a British steel industry?

:10:22. > :10:26.That is a question of political will. More than anything else, more

:10:27. > :10:33.than any organisation or institution or legislation, do we want a British

:10:34. > :10:37.steel industry? British Steel is as British as roast beef, the union

:10:38. > :10:44.flag, it is fundamental to our national identity. On another point,

:10:45. > :10:47.in relation to the history of this country and how we define ourselves

:10:48. > :10:52.as defenders of democracy, and how we defeated fascism, it was still

:10:53. > :10:55.worked up and down the length and breadth of the country that made

:10:56. > :11:01.sure we could arm ourselves in that struggle. It has to be said, at that

:11:02. > :11:06.time, not by men on site, but in large part, by women, working in the

:11:07. > :11:12.industry, and often untold story. The arguments about carbon price

:11:13. > :11:18.floor, energy prices, China dumping, the current exchange rate, all well

:11:19. > :11:23.versed. All well made. In relation to Teesside, what I would like to

:11:24. > :11:26.see is, talking about the future. I think we have an excellent example

:11:27. > :11:31.where we can actually not just attract steel but other energy. If

:11:32. > :11:38.the government acts in the immediate and medium-term to bring those five

:11:39. > :11:40.industrial asks to defend and want politically British Steel industry,

:11:41. > :11:47.an Teesside weakened boy that even more. -- an Teesside, we can boy

:11:48. > :12:06.that up even more. Should the principle that is now

:12:07. > :12:14.applied be unilateral action. Dealing with a crisis situation?

:12:15. > :12:19.Thank you for reiterating the quote from the honourable member for

:12:20. > :12:29.Corby. What I want to talk about in relation to Teesside, before it up

:12:30. > :12:32.about business rates, in Teesside we are next to the Durham coalfield

:12:33. > :12:43.under the North Sea which could be gas -- gasified. The shale gas

:12:44. > :12:48.coming from America's only coming because they do not have the

:12:49. > :12:52.capacity to retain it. They will stop exporting gas to this nation

:12:53. > :12:59.and probably 10-15 years. We need our own gas supply. But we need to

:13:00. > :13:03.provide cheap energy and remove the threat of being taxes. If you did

:13:04. > :13:08.that then you would create a renaissance of industry on Teesside

:13:09. > :13:14.and across the UK. That in relation to taxation of the industry, quite

:13:15. > :13:20.apart from CPF, which is a British tax inflicted upon its own industry,

:13:21. > :13:23.business rate is, there are 17 English and Welsh sites that have

:13:24. > :13:30.business rate values of over ?1 million, and 15 of those 17 have

:13:31. > :13:33.outstanding leaf applications still not answered. Since 2010 business

:13:34. > :13:38.rates for the steel sector has increased by 19% in England. Not one

:13:39. > :13:46.steel site has seen any rate will leave yet. But in the retail sector,

:13:47. > :13:50.they have received ?1.8 billion in rate relief this year alone. That is

:13:51. > :14:00.paid for by the taxes of an industry which we are killing through CPF and

:14:01. > :14:06.lack of relief of business rates. But I want to ask the Minister, how

:14:07. > :14:12.long had the insolvency unit been monitoring what happened there? She

:14:13. > :14:17.disclosed to me that the ISU had been monitoring the situation for

:14:18. > :14:29.many months. Indeed they were alongside many companies like Caparo

:14:30. > :14:35.and Tata, but the anticipated SSI's pop to come in November. What was

:14:36. > :14:39.it? The lack of student loans, liabilities? You knew all this, but

:14:40. > :14:48.at what point did it all start? Could it have been pre-empted?

:14:49. > :14:54.Thank you. Many of the points relating to Scunthorpe have already

:14:55. > :15:03.been concisely covered by my honourable friend. Could I slightly

:15:04. > :15:06.Wednesday debate to the North Lincolnshire economy as a whole.

:15:07. > :15:10.They represent the neighbouring constituency. Many of my

:15:11. > :15:16.constituents work at Scunthorpe, but many also work in logistics, for

:15:17. > :15:22.example, which is heavily influenced by what happens in Scunthorpe.

:15:23. > :15:27.Indeed, Tata Steel have a site at the docks, which is the largest port

:15:28. > :15:30.in the country. I welcome the ?9 million which has already been

:15:31. > :15:33.indicated by the government, and I would say to the Minister that I

:15:34. > :15:37.know that some of my constituents that I met at the weekend were

:15:38. > :15:46.reassured by the interviews that she gave on the BBC last Friday. Where

:15:47. > :15:50.she did make a clear commitment to the continuation of the steel

:15:51. > :15:56.industry in Scunthorpe, and that was a clear commitment which was

:15:57. > :15:59.extremely welcome. Madam Deputy Speaker, I have spent all of my life

:16:00. > :16:03.living in the Grimsby Cleethorpes area and I have witnessed the

:16:04. > :16:09.decline of the deep sea phishing industry and can see what a loss the

:16:10. > :16:12.staple industry makes the local community, and its took a whole

:16:13. > :16:15.generation for the area to go anywhere near recovering from that.

:16:16. > :16:20.We need to learn from the mistakes that were made in relation to not

:16:21. > :16:27.just the Grimsby area but other parts. And give them the necessary

:16:28. > :16:34.support, which I know ministers are determined to do. Strategies are

:16:35. > :16:36.fine, but world conditions can change rather dramatically and you

:16:37. > :16:42.can have as many strategies as you like with what we need is hard and

:16:43. > :16:49.fast commitment from government. A task force has been set up under the

:16:50. > :16:56.able leadership of the leader of North Lincs Council. They have made

:16:57. > :17:03.some clear asks which my honourable friend Eric Lane, relating to

:17:04. > :17:12.enterprise, training for the burgeoning offshore industry -- my

:17:13. > :17:18.honourable friend outlined. There was a memorandum of understanding

:17:19. > :17:33.signed. The government did a great deal to support the establishment to

:17:34. > :17:38.the Able establishment. It might be a great boost to the area. On the

:17:39. > :17:43.issue of environment tax, there has to be a balance. It is all very well

:17:44. > :17:47.to see that we are all in favour of green, but heavy industries such as

:17:48. > :17:53.steel and oil refineries in my constituency and the lake rely

:17:54. > :18:00.heavily on cheap... Economic league priced energy. We need to achieve a

:18:01. > :18:03.real balance. The Chancellor has made repeated mentions of the

:18:04. > :18:07.importance of the Northern Lincolnshire con me as a part of the

:18:08. > :18:12.northern powerhouse. I have to say that many in the area are still

:18:13. > :18:20.sceptical about that. There is no real opportunity to show that the

:18:21. > :18:23.northern powerhouse the Northern Lincolnshire... The part that the

:18:24. > :18:27.Northern Lincolnshire can play in it can mean something. We want tangible

:18:28. > :18:31.benefits. The community will struggle for some time to recover

:18:32. > :18:37.from this, but positive action links to the northern powerhouse

:18:38. > :18:40.initiative can play a major part in the regeneration of the area and

:18:41. > :18:45.supplying the jobs that are so urgently needed.

:18:46. > :18:48.I have only been an MP for three years but it is becoming

:18:49. > :18:50.depressingly familiar to stand in this chamber following the

:18:51. > :18:55.announcement of another steel plant closing. Thousands more families

:18:56. > :19:02.facing uncertain future and the heart of yet another steel producing

:19:03. > :19:06.community to be ripped out. Rather their -- mother still is the best of

:19:07. > :19:11.the industry, it is vital to my constituency and we are currently

:19:12. > :19:20.facing 720 eminent job losses. Our local call me is Alliance on steel.

:19:21. > :19:23.If this government continues to allow it to decline, local

:19:24. > :19:27.businesses, large and small will also be hit hard. Apprentices would

:19:28. > :19:32.lose their career and young people would lose their hope of a future in

:19:33. > :19:38.steel. Madam Deputy Speaker, the ministers need to know that

:19:39. > :19:43.Rotherham is still feeling the effects of the loss of coal mining

:19:44. > :19:49.in the 1980s. The town was built on coal and steel and the loss of steel

:19:50. > :19:53.would -- the loss of coal hurt us deeply, the loss of steel would be

:19:54. > :20:01.incalculable. It is deeply ironic that the plant were the summit was

:20:02. > :20:04.held as built on a battle site which demonstrate our hard work and will

:20:05. > :20:08.to succeed despite what the government throws at us. But to

:20:09. > :20:13.succeed we must be given the tools to do so. Many commentators,

:20:14. > :20:20.including the honourable member, have compared this with the lack of

:20:21. > :20:24.ability to bail out the banks. The comparison is flawed. Steel does not

:20:25. > :20:31.need peeling out. It simply needs to be allowed to compete on a level

:20:32. > :20:35.playing field. It is world leading but hamstrung by a government which

:20:36. > :20:41.appears unconcerned by its present and unwilling to support its future.

:20:42. > :20:45.Parliamentary colleagues and I have repeatedly called on the government

:20:46. > :20:50.to address the energy costs which we've British steel unable to

:20:51. > :20:56.compete with European neighbours. I will give way.

:20:57. > :21:00.Just to clarify, I am not suggesting that they require a bailout. The key

:21:01. > :21:03.point is that the steel industry needs to be seen as strategically as

:21:04. > :21:09.important as the banking sector to this country. I completely agree and

:21:10. > :21:16.they understood his intention fully. What is needed now is abundantly

:21:17. > :21:18.clear. The government may be unable to control the pressure of the

:21:19. > :21:25.global Connelly, but there are steps that it could and should take. It

:21:26. > :21:28.must take action on business rates, which penalise investment in plants

:21:29. > :21:34.and technology the industry needs to survive. They must introduce the

:21:35. > :21:37.compensation scheme for high energy users to insure that the UK can

:21:38. > :21:44.compete with the rest of the world. They must reform energy to harass,

:21:45. > :21:49.commit to British Steel, that the government can decry the impact of

:21:50. > :21:54.cheap foreign steel fast turning to them for our infrastructure products

:21:55. > :22:00.is obscene. HS2 should use British Steel and also the skills and

:22:01. > :22:07.expertise that we can provide. We must work productively with our

:22:08. > :22:13.European neighbours on anti-dumping measures. We must move forward from

:22:14. > :22:19.words to action. The message to the government was very clear, we need

:22:20. > :22:22.actions, we need it and and that is what colleagues are repeatedly

:22:23. > :22:30.seeing in this chamber. And what did we receive? Yet again warn empty

:22:31. > :22:34.words. The government must have an industry strategy which places steel

:22:35. > :22:37.at its heart it seemingly has no industrial strategy at all. The only

:22:38. > :22:42.conclusion possible to draw is that this government does not care about

:22:43. > :22:46.steel, it does not care about industry and it does not care about

:22:47. > :22:51.the North. It is sad to see it feels we are back in the 1980s with a Tory

:22:52. > :22:55.government that is wilfully ignorant and insensitive to the needs of the

:22:56. > :23:00.industry. Once again it is my constituents who will be left alone

:23:01. > :23:05.to pick up the pieces. Thank you. Unlike the honourable

:23:06. > :23:12.lady that just spoke, I do not have a direct constituency interest in

:23:13. > :23:16.the steel industry. 25 years ago I visited the blast Furness at Port

:23:17. > :23:21.Talbot. It is one of those memories that will always be with you. When

:23:22. > :23:29.you see on in full flight like that. It is clearly a tragedy that the

:23:30. > :23:38.blast Furness at Redcar will no longer operate. We have heard about

:23:39. > :23:43.Chinese dumping and business rates. Chinese dumping is a major issue but

:23:44. > :23:54.as far as I am aware countries such as Germany and France are not

:23:55. > :23:57.closing these plans, not announcing job losses, and one of the reasons

:23:58. > :24:03.for that is that the steel industry in Germany and France pays 4p per

:24:04. > :24:11.unit for it electricity and the steel industry in this country pays

:24:12. > :24:15.9p per unit. No matter how efficient the guys watching us from the

:24:16. > :24:21.chamber are, to overcome an impediment like that is impossible.

:24:22. > :24:28.We have done that principally through a variety of things in the

:24:29. > :24:37.last few years. Energy is 15 to 20% of steel production costs. Something

:24:38. > :24:42.like 5% differential on the product. That is all of the margin that

:24:43. > :24:47.places like SSI and others make on your product. That is enough to make

:24:48. > :24:54.a difference. Aluminium industry and our country, ten years ago, had

:24:55. > :24:59.three major smelters. It is now decreased by 90%. There is one left,

:25:00. > :25:03.in Scotland, in fact, and that is on the left because it has its own

:25:04. > :25:10.hydropower and has no need for the electricity issues that exist. This

:25:11. > :25:13.is true not just in steel and aluminium, it is true right across

:25:14. > :25:18.what you call the foundation industries in our country, Saran

:25:19. > :25:23.mix, chemicals. Chemicals is a big industry, and that is what is coming

:25:24. > :25:29.next. Unless we act on energy prices. We will be here discussing

:25:30. > :25:34.chemical plant closures. And that industry, Madam Deputy Speaker,

:25:35. > :25:38.employs around about 900,000 people. I just make the point to both

:25:39. > :25:44.frontbenchers, we have ministers responsible for banking in this

:25:45. > :25:48.place, ministers responsible for digital, ministers responsible for

:25:49. > :25:50.farming and sport, we do not have the minister responsible for

:25:51. > :25:56.foundation industries. I think perhaps we should. I want to come

:25:57. > :26:01.back to the issues around climate change. When I intervened to the

:26:02. > :26:06.Shadow Secretary of State on this point, she immediately closed this

:26:07. > :26:10.point on. I said we have to be aware of climate change issues. That is

:26:11. > :26:14.true, but we cannot be aware unilaterally. No other country in

:26:15. > :26:23.the world has signed up for an 80% reduction by 25th. -- by 2050.

:26:24. > :26:27.Nobody has done it. We might be right that we are the only country

:26:28. > :26:31.the world who's going to fix a percentage of global emissions, but

:26:32. > :26:35.the cost is the stuff that we are talking about now and we all need to

:26:36. > :26:39.be aware of that. As I said in the intervention, I say to the party

:26:40. > :26:42.opposite, both of them, that whenever this issue is discussed in

:26:43. > :26:47.parliament they always take the side of going further and faster. Even in

:26:48. > :26:52.the chamber this week there were two examples of what I would describe as

:26:53. > :26:56.a virtue signalling on this issue by members opposite, seeing how green

:26:57. > :26:59.they are compared to the people here. Because we understand the

:27:00. > :27:05.impact of this and we know that unless we act to close that energy

:27:06. > :27:09.crisis differential we will be here discussing the closure of further

:27:10. > :27:14.industries. I was elected to this house in

:27:15. > :27:20.November, 2011, within a week I became vice-chair of the all parties

:27:21. > :27:26.grip on metal and steel. I have campaigned with members of all sides

:27:27. > :27:30.of the house, all governments of different political persuasions

:27:31. > :27:37.since then on the issues surrounding the steel industry. I do resent some

:27:38. > :27:43.of that opening remarks by the Minister, which tried to imply there

:27:44. > :27:49.was political partisanship. I know that all of the parties of this

:27:50. > :27:53.house have had a unified approach on all issues surrounding the steel

:27:54. > :27:58.industry. Never before has this been more necessary. I have Caparo

:27:59. > :28:05.headquartered in my constituency, and also several of the constituent

:28:06. > :28:09.companies. It employs altogether 1700 people in the Black Country,

:28:10. > :28:12.800 in the immediate locality of my constituency. The manufacturer range

:28:13. > :28:28.of products. When they went into administration,

:28:29. > :28:33.on Monday, October 19, it was not just the jobs that were involved in

:28:34. > :28:36.Caparo, but a whole and comprehensive network of small

:28:37. > :28:43.businesses that were dependent upon Caparo, that looked, with great

:28:44. > :28:49.trepidation, to their future. It is part of a complex supply chain in

:28:50. > :28:56.the Midlands with many companies and employees within those companies

:28:57. > :29:00.affected. If you actually look at the huge range in products, from

:29:01. > :29:08.computers, white goods, transport, cars, aeronautics, iPads, chances

:29:09. > :29:11.are, at least one of those components will be made by the

:29:12. > :29:20.highly specialised producers in the black countries. And these companies

:29:21. > :29:27.could not have anticipated the closure of Caparo. And the threat to

:29:28. > :29:32.them is even greater because they have now not had the chance to

:29:33. > :29:40.diversify, as happened when MG Rover collapse, 15 years ago. I want to

:29:41. > :29:44.first of all commend the work of the West Midlands economic forum, and

:29:45. > :29:50.the Midlands steel task force, which the honourable member for Halesowen

:29:51. > :29:54.referred to, for his recommendations to deal with this particular

:29:55. > :29:59.problem, and highlights some of them, which I feel are absolutely

:30:00. > :30:05.vital. The first action needed is some sort of transition fund, as was

:30:06. > :30:09.set up under the Labour government, when Rover went to deal with the

:30:10. > :30:14.immediate impact on small businesses that are tied in with Caparo. One of

:30:15. > :30:19.the issues is that PricewaterhouseCoopers is demanding

:30:20. > :30:24.payment within 15 days, 60 days is the norm in the industry. That

:30:25. > :30:29.potentially could cause enormous cash flow problems to a range of

:30:30. > :30:36.small businesses, and they need help to resolve that issue. The second,

:30:37. > :30:41.the skills, we have almost a unique blend of manufacturing skills in the

:30:42. > :30:45.area, it will not just be the contribution to the economy that is

:30:46. > :30:51.lost but the contribution to skills and the future that those skills can

:30:52. > :30:58.contribute to the economy which are lost. We need help with ensuring

:30:59. > :31:04.that young people have jobs to sustain their skills. We need help

:31:05. > :31:09.with specialised imports, many of them are, in fact, unable to be

:31:10. > :31:15.imported from China. The quality of goods locally has to be sustained,

:31:16. > :31:23.and that will need financial support in order to get the capacity there

:31:24. > :31:26.the future. I'm going to drop the time limit down to three minutes

:31:27. > :31:32.before I call the next speaker, then we will be sure to get everybody in.

:31:33. > :31:39.member for West Bromwich West. I was member for West Bromwich West. I was

:31:40. > :31:45.incredibly disappointed that not once have we talked about working

:31:46. > :31:49.together on this issue, which is so important to our constituents. This

:31:50. > :31:54.is why it is important, in Corby we have a rich steel industry, 600

:31:55. > :31:58.people are still employed in Corby, working in the steel sector at the

:31:59. > :32:05.Tartar steel plant, all of them are concerned by the events of recent

:32:06. > :32:10.weeks. It is not only of calls his constituents, but it is the whole of

:32:11. > :32:12.North Northamptonshire, my constituents in my industries are

:32:13. > :32:19.wrapped up with the steel industry in Corby, it goes much wider than

:32:20. > :32:28.one constituent. You make a very good point. I would like to start by

:32:29. > :32:31.pointing out that historically, since my election to the house,

:32:32. > :32:36.there has been cross-party support on this issue, but you would not

:32:37. > :32:41.know that based on what has happened today, watching from afar you would

:32:42. > :32:44.have not seen that cross-party support and that is disappointing

:32:45. > :32:50.because both sides of the house at knowledge how necessary it is to

:32:51. > :32:56.help to is supply help to the steel industry at this difficult time.

:32:57. > :33:02.I would like to thank everyone for their hard work and interest on this

:33:03. > :33:04.issue. They should be given much credit for making themselves

:33:05. > :33:14.available to talk to members on both sides. And

:33:15. > :33:18.the issue, they have done so much more than many who have gone before

:33:19. > :33:23.them on this particular issue. I believe this has made a positive and

:33:24. > :33:26.significant difference to the debate and my right honourable friend the

:33:27. > :33:29.Business Secretary is in Brussels today to discuss the state of the

:33:30. > :33:34.steel industry and the unfair practices that we are seeing through

:33:35. > :33:37.Chinese dumping. Add those discussions, I would urge him to

:33:38. > :33:40.stress the need for protection is enshrined in international rules to

:33:41. > :33:49.be deployed to the fullest possible extent. Canny answer this specific

:33:50. > :33:55.question, if the use says no, should we go ahead and do it anyway? -- can

:33:56. > :34:01.he answer. You know that I am sympathetic to that point of view,

:34:02. > :34:04.for me, one of the easiest solutions, get out of the European

:34:05. > :34:08.Union, that would be a solution which would solve that particular

:34:09. > :34:12.point. SHOUTING I know that members opposite make

:34:13. > :34:15.that point, they shout me down, but they quite often moaned about the

:34:16. > :34:20.European Union but they do not say very much about how we should put

:34:21. > :34:23.that right. Aside from this, there is some key issues which must be

:34:24. > :34:27.tackled before it is simply too late. On business rates, the way

:34:28. > :34:31.that they are calculated, the way that rates are paid not only on the

:34:32. > :34:35.size of the site but whenever a slight investment in new machinery

:34:36. > :34:39.or equipment. As I stated in September on the business debate,

:34:40. > :34:42.the UK prides itself on innovation in business, ministers maintain they

:34:43. > :34:46.want Britain to be the best place in the world to start and grow a

:34:47. > :34:50.business. As local MPs we see cutting-edge innovation week in and

:34:51. > :34:53.week out, British business is at the forefront of international

:34:54. > :34:57.innovation. It is difficult to understand therefore why industry

:34:58. > :35:02.such as steel is penalised for the business rate system -- through the

:35:03. > :35:07.business rates system. It pushes up costs, it makes no sense to me, it

:35:08. > :35:11.makes even less sense to the Tata executive sat around the boardroom

:35:12. > :35:15.table in India. An energy costs, and this is important, we need to be

:35:16. > :35:19.mindful of the impact green taxes and levies have on businesses. There

:35:20. > :35:24.is a clamour, quite often, to try to do more on climate change agenda I

:35:25. > :35:27.understand people are passionate, that we need to be mindful about the

:35:28. > :35:35.impact that has on the costs attached with doing business. As

:35:36. > :35:39.PMQs, the Prime Minister alluded to the energy compensation package, and

:35:40. > :35:44.I would be interested to see if the Minister can say a little more about

:35:45. > :35:49.that in her summing up later on. That is important and I support

:35:50. > :35:53.efforts to improve on the full package as soon as possible. At the

:35:54. > :35:56.steel summit she made the point that there were delays at the European

:35:57. > :36:00.level, I wonder if she can identify exactly where we are on that

:36:01. > :36:04.particular point. And finally, in terms of the issues, I want to touch

:36:05. > :36:09.on buying British, I have asked a lot of questions to ministers across

:36:10. > :36:13.government, we have a unique opportunity to try to use British

:36:14. > :36:19.Steel in key infrastructure projects which we have coming forward, High

:36:20. > :36:24.Speed two, fracking, Crossrail. -- HS2. We need to use British product

:36:25. > :36:27.where we can. It is incredibly important, that is another reason

:36:28. > :36:31.why I support this charter for sustainable British Steel, that

:36:32. > :36:34.should be adopted across government and local government and public

:36:35. > :36:38.sector procurement more generally. In conclusion I want to say this

:36:39. > :36:42.colour my constituents tell me week in, week out that they are sick to

:36:43. > :36:46.death of Pickering rather than sitting down and finding solutions

:36:47. > :36:50.to the challenges facing this country. -- bickering. The debate

:36:51. > :36:59.around the steel industry future has been largely Khairi Fortt out with

:37:00. > :37:03.-- has been largely carried out... Like honourable members I met with

:37:04. > :37:08.steel workers from my constituency and also officials from community

:37:09. > :37:14.union, and nobody who meets any of their constituents concerned can be

:37:15. > :37:18.in any doubt about the gravity of the situation and the scale of the

:37:19. > :37:21.crisis. Speaker after speaker will say in here today, it is an

:37:22. > :37:25.absolutely critical time for steel and we very much feel that the

:37:26. > :37:32.industry is on the edge. Quite rightly, in all of the debates, the

:37:33. > :37:34.numerous debates, the urgent questions, the focus has been on the

:37:35. > :37:45.devastating impact on Redcar, in my constituency we want to convey

:37:46. > :37:49.solidarity to steelworkers, family, community, trade unions, for what is

:37:50. > :37:53.an unbearably difficult time for those in steel, and because

:37:54. > :37:59.steelworkers in my constituency are feeling it as well. Nine weeks ago

:38:00. > :38:08.Tata announced they were mothballing several locations, the effect of

:38:09. > :38:14.that is that 175 contract is have gone, that will end this week, while

:38:15. > :38:21.mothballing is in place, and 100 tartare steel employees will be

:38:22. > :38:25.redeployed to Port Talbot and south-east Wales site. It is the

:38:26. > :38:31.third mothball in six years but this time we do not know when it will

:38:32. > :38:35.open again. Another is a flexible and, with the mills coming off and

:38:36. > :38:39.online depending upon market conditions, leaving local workers,

:38:40. > :38:44.especially contract is, feeling the pain. The dynamics of the market

:38:45. > :38:48.being absolutely plain to see. -- especially contracts. I understand

:38:49. > :39:04.the Secretary of State for Wales talked about the global challenges.

:39:05. > :39:08.-- contracters. The action on energy costs is crucial. Particularly

:39:09. > :39:14.effective if it takes energy straight from the grid. Action now

:39:15. > :39:21.is very important. Also, there has been affected by the actions taken

:39:22. > :39:25.by the United States, we talk about the action taken in Italy, we need

:39:26. > :39:29.to talk about what we can do to protect our own. Nearly two weeks on

:39:30. > :39:36.from the steel summit, what action have we had? Electrification,

:39:37. > :39:42.running through my constituency, on the major project, where is the UK

:39:43. > :39:46.steel in that? Please act now, please don't wait. In debates like

:39:47. > :39:51.this we talk about sacrifices steelworkers have had to make during

:39:52. > :39:56.difficult times for the companies, they need the government to act now,

:39:57. > :40:03.to be proactive, to have a strategy and an industrial strategy to help

:40:04. > :40:07.steel in the future. It is a pleasure to follow the member for

:40:08. > :40:11.Newport East not least because as I left school, I started work in her

:40:12. > :40:14.constituency in British Steel and I have to declare an interest I

:40:15. > :40:18.suppose as a British Steel pension holder. I would like to leave

:40:19. > :40:25.everyone with the impression that I was manfully manning a blast furnace

:40:26. > :40:29.but I was actually a junior filing clerk! LAUGHTER

:40:30. > :40:36.Semi-people from Monmouthshire are employed in this. There is a problem

:40:37. > :40:39.across the world, a glut in scale -- steel, caused by increased in

:40:40. > :40:47.production in China and a fall in demand. -- so many people are

:40:48. > :40:51.employed from Monmouthshire in this area. British Steel, must be used as

:40:52. > :40:55.far as we can, not ending or breaking the rules but changing the

:40:56. > :41:00.rules, so that we can buy our own steel. In industries such as High

:41:01. > :41:04.Speed two, but also fracking, which will be very important. I was glad

:41:05. > :41:08.to hear words in support of that industry across the floor, we all

:41:09. > :41:13.have our own responsibilities, it is no good blaming the government,

:41:14. > :41:16.members opposite must challenge themselves, challenge their own

:41:17. > :41:19.colleagues who are opposed to fracking on mysterious green ground,

:41:20. > :41:23.challenge those who say that we should support everything the

:41:24. > :41:27.European Union does, even when it is making it difficult for us to get

:41:28. > :41:32.around state aid rules. Most importantly of all this has come

:41:33. > :41:35.from backbenchers on all sides, we must do something about energy

:41:36. > :41:39.prices. No good blaming the government on this, the whole drive

:41:40. > :41:43.to push up energy prices started with members opposite who were

:41:44. > :41:46.persuaded, like so many others, in the idea of global warming. I wish I

:41:47. > :41:50.had 15 minutes to outline some of the obvious full-service that have

:41:51. > :41:56.been propagated around this but suffice to say, man-made carbon

:41:57. > :41:59.emissions are around about 30 gigatons a year out of a total of

:42:00. > :42:03.700 gigatons that come naturally, harbour and dioxide is a natural

:42:04. > :42:10.gas, only about 5% of it comes from man. Of that 5%, only 2% comes from

:42:11. > :42:14.the UK. A tiny fraction of the total amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

:42:15. > :42:19.There has been no warming of this planet the last 16 years despite the

:42:20. > :42:22.CO2 that has been pushed into it, none of the scientists can explain

:42:23. > :42:27.that, they will say it is volcano 's or something else, they blame other

:42:28. > :42:31.kinds of gases, they will say that there is a natural pause... In

:42:32. > :42:36.reality, there is no global warming going on at the moment, this has

:42:37. > :42:37.been accepted. Why are we levying all of these taxes on our

:42:38. > :42:50.industries? I support the government in freezing

:42:51. > :42:55.the full price. But I have a better idea, scrapped the carbon taxes.

:42:56. > :42:58.There is no point in having them if Chinese do not have them when we are

:42:59. > :43:04.only generating a tiny amount of CO2. A lower industry to compete on

:43:05. > :43:11.an equal basis with everyone else. Those not the global climate we need

:43:12. > :43:16.to worry about, it is the economic climate. I want to stab my

:43:17. > :43:24.contribution by way of reference to the three HMS Sheffields, two of

:43:25. > :43:29.which served in conflicts, the first saw action in World War II, the

:43:30. > :43:33.second in the Falklands War. But what they have in common is the use

:43:34. > :43:38.of the construction of stainless steel fixtures and fittings made in

:43:39. > :43:48.Sheffield. It is easy to see why all of these carried the nickname the

:43:49. > :43:52.Shiny Sheff. But I wish to draw attention to what I think is the

:43:53. > :43:58.most powerful case for maintaining a steel capability here in the UK.

:43:59. > :44:03.Mainly that the integrity of our defence demands it. Sheffield steel

:44:04. > :44:10.engineering continues to play a key role in maintaining our defences.

:44:11. > :44:18.Forge Masters, for instance, provide high strength steel for the Navy.

:44:19. > :44:23.They also produce products such as valves for the astute submarines.

:44:24. > :44:29.But it is not just Sheffield, we know that there would have been

:44:30. > :44:37.potential contribution to the Trident submarines by the two plants

:44:38. > :44:44.under threat in Scotland. And BAE Systems source steel from the plant

:44:45. > :44:47.at Scunthorpe. But BAE Systems has made it clear that UK steel

:44:48. > :44:51.providers do not manufacture the range of steel is needed by the

:44:52. > :44:58.company due to the complex range of the demands of its manufacturing

:44:59. > :45:01.specifications. That tells us a great deal about how far the steel

:45:02. > :45:10.capability in this country has been hollowed out. On its own,... You

:45:11. > :45:14.make suburb points about the specialism of the steel, but do you

:45:15. > :45:19.think this government recognises this is a modern, forward-looking

:45:20. > :45:23.industry? It is a very modern, efficient steel industry. They do

:45:24. > :45:37.not think the government recognises that at all. But on its own, there

:45:38. > :45:41.is justification for a strategy. The alternative is to stand idly by.

:45:42. > :45:47.That would be negligent and reckless. Steel-making in the UK has

:45:48. > :45:54.one of the most dedicated and skilled workforces in the world. It

:45:55. > :46:01.is reckless because we need a strong UK steel capability for the sake of

:46:02. > :46:06.our defence and security. I am grateful for her giving way. She

:46:07. > :46:11.talks of the defence supply chain. Could she also talk about other

:46:12. > :46:16.manufacturing sectors's supply chain, a rust this, automotive 's

:46:17. > :46:21.and offshore wind. We discussed that at the committee. I'm concerned that

:46:22. > :46:28.the working group is not looking at that. Absolutely. Tata Steel has its

:46:29. > :46:31.headquarters in my constituency and pleasing major part in providing

:46:32. > :46:34.components for the aerospace industry and would not be here today

:46:35. > :46:46.was not for the work done by the Labour government in 2009-2010. I

:46:47. > :46:56.pay tribute to Lord Mandelson as well. It is not just because it is

:46:57. > :47:02.good for GDP but also, Madam get the speaker, we surely would not want to

:47:03. > :47:06.see a defence industry dependent for a range of its pre-components on

:47:07. > :47:12.steel sourced from foreign shores. That is the important point here.

:47:13. > :47:18.Madam Deputy Speaker, I support the five demands laid out by UK steel,

:47:19. > :47:27.but the response from the government has been generally warm words. It is

:47:28. > :47:32.not good enough. But I conclude, by stating simply that we need to place

:47:33. > :47:37.these five demands in the context of the two strategic arguments that

:47:38. > :47:42.underpinned the case for government intervention to secure the future of

:47:43. > :47:47.the industry. First, are steel industry is one of the foundations

:47:48. > :47:49.of our manufacturing. It is a critical part to play in the job of

:47:50. > :47:55.rebalancing our economy. If we want a march of the makers then we need a

:47:56. > :47:59.steel capability, it is as simple as that. Secondly, we need to maintain

:48:00. > :48:06.and develop our UK steel capability in the best interests of defence and

:48:07. > :48:10.security. BAE Systems want to use UK steel, make it possible for them to

:48:11. > :48:16.use more UK steel. I hope that I have managed to convey a clear sense

:48:17. > :48:21.of this second strategic argument and I hope the Minister will be

:48:22. > :48:23.persuaded that the government needs to act sooner rather than later to

:48:24. > :48:35.deliver the stability that is needed for one of our oldest and most

:48:36. > :48:42.important manufacturing resources. At the last time of counting, 33% of

:48:43. > :48:45.the workforce at Redcar come from my constituency. I have no reason to

:48:46. > :48:52.believe that the figures are much different. In terms of the collapse

:48:53. > :49:00.of SSI, I think we do need to have an enquiry and I call the demand

:49:01. > :49:12.from my neighbour from Redcar who has done a sterling job for her

:49:13. > :49:21.constituents -- I echo. The bottom line is, this government could have

:49:22. > :49:26.acted in Redcar and it did not. The coke business was viable and it is

:49:27. > :49:33.an absolute outrage that the PWC were not directed to ensure that

:49:34. > :49:38.that was sustained. It was at the Telecom city into the National

:49:39. > :49:40.Grid, it was a viable business and people and people in Teesside cannot

:49:41. > :49:48.understand why the government just sat back and allowed it to fail. It

:49:49. > :49:52.is a very conservative failure and death by neglect. They sat back and

:49:53. > :49:56.did nothing at all. We have heard a lot of talk today about what the

:49:57. > :50:02.government cannot do. What we want to hear is what the government can

:50:03. > :50:07.do and what they will get on with. My honourable friend will be aware

:50:08. > :50:20.that for the sake of ?17 million the third grade could have made that

:50:21. > :50:25.business viable. The quoted cost was about a plant that was preplanned to

:50:26. > :50:29.be mothballed in 2016. But this one was profitable and viable and that

:50:30. > :50:39.is why it tried to reform itself as a new company. A former CEO of Tata

:50:40. > :50:42.Europe tried to set it up as a business himself.

:50:43. > :50:46.We heard that the call that was in situ was not suitable for other

:50:47. > :50:54.purposes other than the blast furnace. But it was not embraced.

:50:55. > :50:57.Any sensible government would have taken that opportunity and grasped

:50:58. > :51:02.it with both hands but they did not do so. A lot of the conversation has

:51:03. > :51:08.been about the price of steel being the cause of why SSI went under.

:51:09. > :51:12.What we are talking about here is coke. There are companies in Germany

:51:13. > :51:18.that were willing to buy all of the coke that we could make in those

:51:19. > :51:24.ovens. It was a profitable business that could have kept the coke

:51:25. > :51:28.someone's going. We could still have had steel-making on Teesside. My

:51:29. > :51:31.honourable friend is absolutely right. That would have been the

:51:32. > :51:37.basis for keeping that coke of and going and moth ball in that blast

:51:38. > :51:41.furnace. The reason all good coming to me after the event and telling me

:51:42. > :51:46.that she was his she had mothballed the site, that will not do. When we

:51:47. > :51:49.hear about bringing forward compensation packages, when the

:51:50. > :51:53.Prime Minister gets to that dispatch box today, it is as if it is a

:51:54. > :51:58.revelation to him that we will be talking about the compensation

:51:59. > :52:02.package, we have been talking about it for months and months. It is as

:52:03. > :52:10.if the skills have been removed from his eyes. He topped accurately about

:52:11. > :52:14.the role of Chinese steel, the honourable member. It is produced at

:52:15. > :52:17.less than cost. We have now heard from the pro-Minister that he

:52:18. > :52:22.discussed it with the president of China. What we want to know is what

:52:23. > :52:25.action will flow from that discussion. There is no point just

:52:26. > :52:32.bringing it up, we want to know what will happen. 90% of the steel coming

:52:33. > :52:37.into this Europe is dumped on these shores and it is up to these

:52:38. > :52:48.government -- this government to take action about it. I went to

:52:49. > :52:52.speak to representatives from a plant in Italy. What a difference

:52:53. > :52:55.from a government that not only identifies the strategic importance

:52:56. > :53:00.of this industry, but is prepared and has the political will to do

:53:01. > :53:03.something about it. They recognise the social impact on thousands and

:53:04. > :53:09.thousands of people losing their jobs, and they will do anything to

:53:10. > :53:13.stop that happening. That is what we want to see in this country. They

:53:14. > :53:19.have solidarity was so that people are not laid off. He changed the

:53:20. > :53:24.bankruptcy was so that all of the creditors that we saw, all of the

:53:25. > :53:30.businesses on Teesside, personnel agencies, engineers, here dresses

:53:31. > :53:34.and the whole lot, bankruptcy laws will be changed. That is what we