11/04/2016

:00:00. > :00:00.that those who are there should claim asylum, that is the best and

:00:00. > :00:12.most effective way to get the help they need. Statement, the Prime

:00:13. > :00:18.Minister. Thank you Mr Speaker. Hear, hear! I like to make a

:00:19. > :00:22.statement on the Panama Papers. Dealing with my own circumstances

:00:23. > :00:25.first, yesterday I published all the information in my tax returns, not

:00:26. > :00:29.just for the last year before the last six years. I have also given

:00:30. > :00:34.additional about money inherited and given to me by my family. So people

:00:35. > :00:40.can see the sources that I have of income. The salary, the benefit I

:00:41. > :00:45.have of living in ten Downing St, the support I have received, the

:00:46. > :00:52.ready out of our London home, the interest on the settings that I

:00:53. > :00:56.have. Since 2010, I have not had any shares or investment. The

:00:57. > :00:59.investigation of a Prime Minister's tax information in this way is

:01:00. > :01:02.unprecedented but I think it is the right thing to do. I am not

:01:03. > :01:08.suggesting that they should apply to all MPs. The Chancellor has

:01:09. > :01:16.published today information on his task return -- tax. This begs the

:01:17. > :01:20.question how far the publication of tax information should go. I think

:01:21. > :01:24.there is a strong case for the Prime Minister and the Leader of the

:01:25. > :01:29.Opposition and for the Shadow Chancellor and Chancellor, because

:01:30. > :01:34.the are people who are and wish to be responsible for the nations

:01:35. > :01:37.finances. As for the MPs and already have robust rules of members

:01:38. > :01:41.interests and decoration. That is the model which you continue to

:01:42. > :01:44.follow. We should think carefully before abandoning completely all

:01:45. > :01:49.taxpayer confidentiality in this house as some have suggested. If

:01:50. > :01:53.this were to come in for MPs people would also ask for a similar

:01:54. > :01:57.approach for those who ask this question, those who run large public

:01:58. > :02:00.services, or lead local government. Or indeed those who added the news

:02:01. > :02:07.programmes or newspapers. Hear, hear! I think be a very big step for

:02:08. > :02:11.our country, and should not take place without a long and thoughtful

:02:12. > :02:15.debate, and is not the approach I would recommend. Let me deal

:02:16. > :02:19.specifically with the shares my wife and I held it in an investment fund

:02:20. > :02:25.or do the trust called Blairmore Holdings. The fund was registered

:02:26. > :02:32.from the beginning, it was properly awarded -- audit is every year. Its

:02:33. > :02:35.share price was listed in these Financial Times. It was not a family

:02:36. > :02:40.trust, it was a commercial investment fund for any investor to

:02:41. > :02:44.buy units in. UK investors paid all the same taxes as with any other

:02:45. > :02:50.share including and contacts on the dividends every year. There have

:02:51. > :02:56.been some deeply hurtful and untrue allegations made against my father,

:02:57. > :02:59.and I want to, at the house let me put the record straight, it was set

:03:00. > :03:02.up overseas in the first place because it was going to be trading

:03:03. > :03:08.in dollars securities. Like many other commercial investment funds it

:03:09. > :03:11.made sense to be set up inside one of the main centres of dollar

:03:12. > :03:14.trading. There are thousands of these investment funds and millions

:03:15. > :03:19.of people in Britain who own shares, many of whom hold them through

:03:20. > :03:23.investment funds or unit trusts. Such funds including those listed

:03:24. > :03:28.outside the UK are included in the pension funds of local government,

:03:29. > :03:34.most of it ten's countries -- companies and even trade unions.

:03:35. > :03:39.Even a quick look shows that the BBC and Guardian newspapers and one

:03:40. > :03:49.counsel entirely at random, Islington have these overseas

:03:50. > :03:56.investors. They have a portfolio of over 50 million in investment in the

:03:57. > :04:02.trade union unitized. This is not to criticise what they do. It is to

:04:03. > :04:06.make the point that this is an entirely standard practice and it is

:04:07. > :04:12.not to avoid tax. One of the countries leading tax lawyers has

:04:13. > :04:18.stated unequivocally that this was and I quote, a perfectly normal type

:04:19. > :04:23.of collective investment fund. This is the man who led the experts study

:04:24. > :04:29.group who developed the general anti-abuse rule, so much debated in

:04:30. > :04:35.this house that we find the enacted in 2013. It also shared the 1997 tax

:04:36. > :04:39.avoidance by the committee. He has said it would be quite wrong to list

:04:40. > :04:47.described the establishment of such funds as tax avoidance and would be

:04:48. > :04:49.utterly ridiculous to establish that investing in such funds would

:04:50. > :04:54.involve abusive tax avoidance. That is why getting rid of unit trusts

:04:55. > :04:57.and other such investment funds that are listed overseas has not been

:04:58. > :05:03.part of any Labour policy review, any conservative Polly -- party

:05:04. > :05:10.policy review, or aggressive tax avoidance. Invest these funds

:05:11. > :05:15.benefit from them being set up in jurisdictions with low or no taxes.

:05:16. > :05:19.This is a misunderstanding. Unit trusts do not exist to make profit

:05:20. > :05:24.for themselves before the holders of the units and those holders pay tax.

:05:25. > :05:30.If they are UK citizens they pay full UK taxes. Mr Speaker, it is

:05:31. > :05:34.right to tighten the law and to change the culture around investment

:05:35. > :05:41.to further outlaw tax evasion and discourage aggressive tax avoidance.

:05:42. > :05:44.We should differ aged -- differentiate schemes to reduce tax

:05:45. > :05:49.and those that are are encouraging investment. This is a government any

:05:50. > :05:55.country that believes in aspiration wealth creation. We should defend

:05:56. > :05:59.the right of every British citizen to make money lawfully. Aspiration

:06:00. > :06:04.and wealth creation are not somehow dirty words, they are the key

:06:05. > :06:08.engines of growth and prosperity in our country and we must always

:06:09. > :06:12.support those who want to own shares and make investments to support

:06:13. > :06:17.their families. Some people have asked, if this trust was legitimate

:06:18. > :06:20.why did you sell your shares in January 2010? I showed all the

:06:21. > :06:24.shares in my portfolio that year because they did not want any issues

:06:25. > :06:29.about conflicts of interest. Then I want anyone to be able to suggest

:06:30. > :06:33.that as Prime Minister I had any agendas or a vested interest.

:06:34. > :06:37.Selling my shares with the simplest and clearest way I can do that.

:06:38. > :06:39.There are strict rules in this house for the registration of

:06:40. > :06:44.shareholding, I followed them in full. The Labour Party has said it

:06:45. > :06:47.will refer me to the Commissioner to parliamentary standards, I have

:06:48. > :06:50.already given her the relevant information and if there is more she

:06:51. > :06:57.believes I should say I am very happy to say. I accept all of the

:06:58. > :07:01.criticisms for not responding more quickly to these issues last week.

:07:02. > :07:07.As I have said I was angry about the way my father's memory was being

:07:08. > :07:09.reproduced. I know he was a hard-working man and a wonderful dad

:07:10. > :07:16.and I am proud of everything he did to build a business that provide for

:07:17. > :07:24.his family. Hear, hear! On the issue of inheritance task -- tax people

:07:25. > :07:28.are embarrassed to pass these onto their children by keeping a family

:07:29. > :07:31.home in the family I believe is a natural human instinct and something

:07:32. > :07:35.that should be encouraged. As her parents passing to their children

:07:36. > :07:38.while they are still alive, it is a big the tax rules fully recognise.

:07:39. > :07:42.Many parents would have their children when they buy their first

:07:43. > :07:46.car, get a deposit for their first home, or face the cost of starting a

:07:47. > :07:50.family. It is entirely natural that parents should want to do these

:07:51. > :07:58.things and it is something that we should not just defend, but should

:07:59. > :08:01.probably support. Hear, hear! Let me turn to the Panama Papers and the

:08:02. > :08:06.action this government is taking to deal with tax evasion, aggressive

:08:07. > :08:09.tax avoidance, and international corruption abroad. When this

:08:10. > :08:13.government came into office there were foreigners not paying capital

:08:14. > :08:17.gains tax with settling that UK homes. There were private equity

:08:18. > :08:21.managers paying a low rate of tax for the people who clean their

:08:22. > :08:24.offers. There were rich buyers in any way without paying stamp duty

:08:25. > :08:30.because houses were in love companies. We have put an end to all

:08:31. > :08:39.of these things. The last parliament although we have made a

:08:40. > :08:47.unprecedented 40 tax changes. We will legislate for 25 further

:08:48. > :08:53.measures for 2021. No Labour government has taken so much robust

:08:54. > :09:01.action is this area. From my summit in 2013 I put tax cuts Red Sea on

:09:02. > :09:08.the global agenda. Over who pays taxes and where. Mr Speaker many

:09:09. > :09:18.said it would never happen, but today 129 jurisdictions have... Over

:09:19. > :09:21.not -- 95 jurisdictions have committed to implementing the report

:09:22. > :09:27.is dated on cash-strapped transit. Under this standard will receive

:09:28. > :09:29.information on accounts of UK taxpayers in all of these

:09:30. > :09:36.jurisdictions. In June this year, but it will become the first country

:09:37. > :09:39.in the G 2200 Public register of beneficial ownership. Everyone can

:09:40. > :09:43.see who really owns and controls its company. The government is also

:09:44. > :09:47.consulting on requiring foreign companies to own property or bid on

:09:48. > :09:52.public contracts to provide their beneficial ownership information. We

:09:53. > :09:55.are happy to offer typical support and assistance to any of the Enders

:09:56. > :10:04.-- and ministrations considering this. As the Panama Papers to make

:10:05. > :10:08.there we need to go even further. When making it harder for people to

:10:09. > :10:12.hide the proceeds of corruption offshore, they should does to smooth

:10:13. > :10:18.the way cannot go into that and to get rid of wrongdoing. The McGill

:10:19. > :10:23.with Crown dependencies and over and seize territories. They have already

:10:24. > :10:24.agreed to exchange taxpayer financial account information

:10:25. > :10:30.automatically and will begin doing so this September. That never

:10:31. > :10:32.happened before I became Prime Minister, I got around the cabin

:10:33. > :10:37.table and said that this must happen. We do need to go further. I

:10:38. > :10:41.can tell the House today that we have now agreed that they will

:10:42. > :10:45.provide UK law enforcement of tax agencies with full access to

:10:46. > :10:51.information on the beneficial information of companies. We're

:10:52. > :10:59.finalise arrangements for all of them except Anguilla and another.

:11:00. > :11:08.You police and law enforcement will be able to see who owns and controls

:11:09. > :11:14.every country -- company. Cayman Islands, British roads in Ireland,

:11:15. > :11:18.Isle of Man and the lot. This is building on the progress they made

:11:19. > :11:22.and I welcome the government in these territories to work with us.

:11:23. > :11:25.The house should know that this will place our overseas territories and

:11:26. > :11:32.crime dependencies well ahead of many other jurisdictions. Also

:11:33. > :11:35.crucially ahead of many of our international partners including

:11:36. > :11:40.some states in the United States of America. Next month we will seek to

:11:41. > :11:44.go further still to seek our anti-corruption Summit to have

:11:45. > :11:47.considered is not unjust exchanging information but publishing

:11:48. > :11:55.information. As we're doing here in the UK. We want everyone and with a

:11:56. > :12:01.stake in fighting corruption to use this data and help us rid out and

:12:02. > :12:05.deter wrongdoing. Next we will take a major step in dealing with those

:12:06. > :12:11.who fight corruption. It is difficult to prosecute a company

:12:12. > :12:16.that assists in activation. We will legislate for a new criminal offence

:12:17. > :12:23.to apply to corporations who failed to prevent the representatives from

:12:24. > :12:28.taxation. Providing new funding of up to ?10 million for a new cross

:12:29. > :12:31.agency task force to swiftly analyse all of the information that has been

:12:32. > :12:35.made available from Panama and to take rapid action. The task force

:12:36. > :12:40.would include analysts, compliance specialist, and investigators from

:12:41. > :12:47.across HMRC, the national crime agency, and the contact authority.

:12:48. > :12:52.We will be the international agenda to crackdown on evasion and tax

:12:53. > :12:57.avoidance. It is important and needs to be combined with the approach we

:12:58. > :13:03.take in this country. Low tax rates but taxes that people and businesses

:13:04. > :13:07.have to pay. That is how we will tackle these issues and build a

:13:08. > :13:12.strong economy that we need. It is that strong economy, creating jobs,

:13:13. > :13:15.rewarding aspiration, that is the true voters of this government and I

:13:16. > :13:26.think that will be made under the party opposite. I commend the

:13:27. > :13:32.statement to the house. Hear, hear! May I think the Prime Minister for

:13:33. > :13:42.the advanced side of his statement. It is absolutely a master class in

:13:43. > :13:48.the art of distraction. I am sure the Prime Minister would join me in

:13:49. > :13:53.joining -- welcoming the outstanding journalism that has gone into

:13:54. > :13:58.exposing the scandal of destructive global tax avoidance by the Panama

:13:59. > :14:03.Papers. What they have driven home is what many people have

:14:04. > :14:09.increasingly felt. There is now one rule for the super-rich and another

:14:10. > :14:14.for rest. I am honestly not sure that the Prime Minister fully

:14:15. > :14:19.appreciates the anger of those out there over this injustice. How can

:14:20. > :14:24.it be right that street cleaners, teaching assistants and nurses work

:14:25. > :14:31.and pay their taxes get some of the top think the rules simply don't

:14:32. > :14:35.apply to them? What has been revealed in the past week goes far

:14:36. > :14:38.beyond the Prime Minister has called his private matters. There are six

:14:39. > :14:45.questions he needs to answer today to the house and perhaps equally

:14:46. > :14:52.importantly to the public as a whole. Firstly, why he chose not to

:14:53. > :14:56.declare his offshore tax investment in the House of Commons register of

:14:57. > :15:02.interest. There is a requirement to provide information of any peculiar

:15:03. > :15:07.interest which might reasonably be thought to affect their actions. The

:15:08. > :15:12.Prime Minister said he thinks he mishandled the events of the past

:15:13. > :15:17.week, does he now realised how he mishandled his own nine declaration

:15:18. > :15:20.six years ago we decided not to register and offshore tax haven

:15:21. > :15:27.investment from which he has personally benefited? Can you

:15:28. > :15:31.clarify to the house and the public when he sold his stake in Blairmore

:15:32. > :15:36.Holdings in 2010, he also disposed of another offshore investment at

:15:37. > :15:42.that time in particular whether any of the ?72,000 shares he sold were

:15:43. > :15:48.held in offshore tax havens? The ministerial code states that

:15:49. > :15:56.ministers must ensure that no conflict arises or could reasonably

:15:57. > :16:00.be perceived to arise between their public duty and private interest

:16:01. > :16:03.financial or otherwise. All ministers must provide a full list

:16:04. > :16:11.of all interest which might be thought to give rise to a conflict

:16:12. > :16:13.including close family interest. Did the Prime Minister provide the

:16:14. > :16:18.permit secretary with an account of his offshore interest, and if not

:16:19. > :16:23.did he realise that he had a clear operation to do so? Part of his

:16:24. > :16:29.wealth was tied up in offshore tax havens. He is now making policy

:16:30. > :16:36.decisions that have a direct bearing on the operation. For example in

:16:37. > :16:41.2013, the Prime Minister might roads to the president of the Council

:16:42. > :16:44.opposing centre registers of beneficial ownership of offshore

:16:45. > :16:49.trusts. Thirdly, does the Prime Minister now accept that

:16:50. > :16:53.transparency of their best beneficial ownership must be

:16:54. > :17:01.extended to offshore trusts? The Panama based law firm register more

:17:02. > :17:09.than 100,000 secret firms in the British Virgin Islands. Mr Speaker,

:17:10. > :17:13.it is a scandal that UK overseas Territories registered have to shell

:17:14. > :17:19.companies set up by them. The truth is that the UK is that the heart of

:17:20. > :17:27.the global tax avoidance industry, it is a national scandal and it has

:17:28. > :17:35.got to end. Last year, Mr Speaker, this government opposed the EU tax

:17:36. > :17:40.Commissioner's blacklist of 30 uncooperative tax havens, that

:17:41. > :17:46.included the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands. With the

:17:47. > :17:51.Prime Minister now stop blogging European Commission plans for a

:17:52. > :17:59.blacklist of tax havens? As it turns out, the former conservative Home

:18:00. > :18:04.Office minister was absolutely right, when he rode to the Cayman

:18:05. > :18:07.Islands government in 2014 to reassure them that our Prime

:18:08. > :18:15.Minister was making a pearly political gesture about cracking

:18:16. > :18:19.down on tax havens at the G8. It was designed and I quote, to be a false

:18:20. > :18:27.initiative which will divert other member states from pursuing their

:18:28. > :18:34.agenda. Last June treasury officials lobbied Brussels not to take action

:18:35. > :18:39.against Bermuda's tax secrecy. According to the European Union's

:18:40. > :18:44.transgressor register the tech giant Google has no fewer than ten

:18:45. > :18:53.employees lobbying Brussels. Bermuda is the tax haven favoured by Google

:18:54. > :18:55.to channel billions in profits. Conservative MPs have been

:18:56. > :18:59.instructed on six occasions since the beginning of last year to vote

:19:00. > :19:06.against action to clamp down on aggressive tax avoidance. This is a

:19:07. > :19:13.party incapable of taking serious internationally coordinated action

:19:14. > :19:20.to tackle tax dodging. Across the country and on this side of the

:19:21. > :19:27.house there is a thirst for decisive action against global tax avoidance

:19:28. > :19:31.scams. That sucked revenues out of our public services while ordinary

:19:32. > :19:36.taxpayers have to foot the bill. It undermines public trust in business

:19:37. > :19:43.politics, it can and must be brought to the and. The Prime Minister

:19:44. > :19:47.announcement today to make new copies liable for employees that

:19:48. > :19:53.facilitate tax cheating is welcome but it is also too little too late.

:19:54. > :19:57.It was announced by the former chief Secretary of the treasury a year

:19:58. > :20:01.ago. People won a government that acts on behalf of those that pay

:20:02. > :20:07.their taxes. Not those that dodge their taxes in offshore tax havens.

:20:08. > :20:11.Yesterday my friend the Shadow Chancellor set out a clear plan for

:20:12. > :20:17.transparency and he is a member of this house who has spent all of his

:20:18. > :20:22.time in Parliament exposing tax havens and tax avoidance. On his

:20:23. > :20:27.neighbour included calling for an immediate public inquiry into the

:20:28. > :20:31.Panama Papers revelations to establish the harm done to our tax

:20:32. > :20:38.revenues and to bring forward serious proposals for reform. I say

:20:39. > :20:42.gently to the Prime Minister, a task force according to the Chancellor

:20:43. > :20:50.and the Home Secretary is, but members of a party funding by donors

:20:51. > :20:55.in the implicated in the leaks will not be credible. What he Prime

:20:56. > :21:00.Minister backed a credible and independent public inquiry into the

:21:01. > :21:07.abuses of the leaks? Our tax transfer the plan also called for a

:21:08. > :21:13.specialised tax enforcement unit, properly resourced Mr Speaker and

:21:14. > :21:19.that has to be the key. The 2010 there have only been 11 prosecutions

:21:20. > :21:24.of offshore tax evasion. A situation the Public Accounts Committee

:21:25. > :21:31.described as woefully inadequate. Having slashed resources and cut

:21:32. > :21:37.14,000 staff since 2010, will the Prime Minister today guarantee that

:21:38. > :21:44.resourcing will increase in this Parliament? Re-support real action

:21:45. > :21:48.to end the abuses that allow the wealthy to dodge the rules that the

:21:49. > :21:53.rest of us have to follow. We need to ensure that trust and fairness

:21:54. > :21:58.are restored to our tax system and our politics. In the sense and the

:21:59. > :22:02.reality that there is wonderful for the richest and another for

:22:03. > :22:12.everybody else. The Prime Minister has a tax -- attacked tax dodging as

:22:13. > :22:24.immoral. But has clearly failed to give account of his own tax dodging.

:22:25. > :22:29.Also take essential action... Also take essential action to clean up

:22:30. > :22:36.these system while blocking what efforts to do so. There are clear

:22:37. > :22:43.steps to bring tax havens and dodging under control. The minister

:22:44. > :22:52.is standing at the bar shrieking into an absurd manner, he must calm

:22:53. > :22:55.himself, or leave the chamber. I suggest Mr Speaker the Prime

:22:56. > :23:01.Minister record particularly over the past week shows the public no

:23:02. > :23:08.longer have to trust in him to deal with these matters. Does he realise

:23:09. > :23:11.what people are so angry? Does he realise, the members opposite

:23:12. > :23:17.realise why people are so angry? We have gone through six years of

:23:18. > :23:21.crushing his charity. Family is lining up at food banks to feed

:23:22. > :23:27.their children. Disabled people losing their benefits, elderly care

:23:28. > :23:33.cuts and slashed, living standards going down. Much of this could have

:23:34. > :23:39.been avoided if our country had not been ripped off by the super-rich

:23:40. > :23:46.refusing to pay their taxes. I say to this, I say to the Prime

:23:47. > :23:49.Minister, ordinary people in the country simply will not stand for

:23:50. > :23:53.this anymore, they want real justice, they want the wealthy to

:23:54. > :24:01.pay their share of taxes like they pay when they work hard all the

:24:02. > :24:04.time. First of all let me join the right honourable gentleman in

:24:05. > :24:10.congratulating the journalists who have broken the story about this

:24:11. > :24:13.huge cache of information. I think what matters now is that information

:24:14. > :24:18.is shared with tax authorities including here in the United Kingdom

:24:19. > :24:21.so that action can be taken. The right honourable gentleman accused

:24:22. > :24:26.me of a distraction to my think the biggest attraction today was waiting

:24:27. > :24:33.for the right honourable gentleman's tax return. We finally got published

:24:34. > :24:39.at 335 PM after the session had begun. How incredibly convenient

:24:40. > :24:47.that no one can scrutinize it. No one can scrutinize it. Each and

:24:48. > :24:53.every one of the questions that he said. First of all, he asked whether

:24:54. > :24:57.we would resourced with the right amount of money, we put ?1.8 billion

:24:58. > :25:01.into various initiatives is to does intend to make sure they have the

:25:02. > :25:06.resources to find this money, first one, second point he asked me about

:25:07. > :25:11.my register of members interests, I have comply with every aspect of it.

:25:12. > :25:14.Even before the Labour Party complaint has arrived at the

:25:15. > :25:19.commissioners door I provided her with all of the necessary

:25:20. > :25:24.information. He asked me when I made the sale of the shares, isolated the

:25:25. > :25:29.Glenmore shows in January, everything else in June. Yesterday

:25:30. > :25:34.whether I shared a list of these with the Cabinet secretary but I sat

:25:35. > :25:37.down with her and went to all of my interests and connections and

:25:38. > :25:41.friendships, and family, as all ministers are advised to do. See you

:25:42. > :25:47.have a proper conversation with the Cabinet secretary in that way.

:25:48. > :25:53.Fourth question was why were we not extending to beneficial ownership of

:25:54. > :25:57.companies the beneficial ownership of trust, and one international

:25:58. > :26:00.action to take place in the very clear advice I got was if we

:26:01. > :26:03.included trust in our interested we would not get any international

:26:04. > :26:08.action done. This government has done more than any

:26:09. > :26:16.He asked about the tax passport square HMRC, the serious crime

:26:17. > :26:21.office than others I want to be investigating all of the information

:26:22. > :26:24.coming out of Panama. They have operational independence, if they

:26:25. > :26:28.find people to prosecute, prosecute them. They find information of Ula

:26:29. > :26:33.Delta, act on them. They are independent and that that is exactly

:26:34. > :26:35.what they will do. They are reported to the Home Secretary under Chapter

:26:36. > :26:40.because we want to make sure that radical action is taken. But they

:26:41. > :26:43.have total operational independence and is the Shadow Chancellor is

:26:44. > :26:48.questioning the professionalism of the Inland Revenue of crime agency,

:26:49. > :26:52.he should not be doing that. Finally, let me answer the last

:26:53. > :26:56.question, which is the action we have taken about the overseas

:26:57. > :27:00.Territories and the Crown dependencies. No government has done

:27:01. > :27:04.more to encourage them to take part in a changing information, reported

:27:05. > :27:08.tax information, and making sure that they give us the information on

:27:09. > :27:11.beneficial ownership. The leader of the Labour Party has suggested that

:27:12. > :27:17.we should force them will stop out as he clung to for some? What is he

:27:18. > :27:22.going to do? How do we find a Prime Minister that once again Argentina

:27:23. > :27:29.-- give the Falkland Islands and advantage of altered? What we have

:27:30. > :27:32.seen from the Labour Party as their true colours when it comes to

:27:33. > :27:35.inheritance tax. If you want to bash her home to get children, they will

:27:36. > :27:40.tax it. If you want to help your children, they will tax it. We see

:27:41. > :27:44.the true colours, they are the enemy of aspiration, the enemy of them was

:27:45. > :27:47.won to support each other. That is the real lesson of today. --

:27:48. > :27:55.families that want to support each other. All going to call the chair

:27:56. > :28:03.of the committee, but he is tunneling out of the chamber. -- I

:28:04. > :28:10.was going to call. Get in there. LAUGHTER

:28:11. > :28:26.Order! Order! Am sure there will be worth waiting for. Very good of you

:28:27. > :28:29.to give me the good Lord Mr Speaker. -- the floor. I don't think the

:28:30. > :28:40.prominent or has done anything wrong. -- the Prime Minister. Except

:28:41. > :28:46.possibly be, and the Jimmy Carter illegal and should be very pursue it

:28:47. > :28:50.with criminal prosecution. And imprisonment. Tax avoidance is not

:28:51. > :28:55.illegal. If the Government on home and do not like it, there is no

:28:56. > :29:00.point in demoralising it. Does the prominence it agreed that to do with

:29:01. > :29:05.tax avoidance we need to perform to close loopholes and vigorous tax

:29:06. > :29:11.simplification to assure there are fewer of them? I'm very glad that he

:29:12. > :29:18.was detained before leaving the chamber. I think he is right, tax

:29:19. > :29:22.evasion is illegal and tax avoidance, if the government dispose

:29:23. > :29:26.of it, should be legislated against. That is the approach we have taken.

:29:27. > :29:31.But what I have said before if there are some practices of aggressive tax

:29:32. > :29:36.avoidance and I think the mirror proper questions and then action. To

:29:37. > :29:41.be fair to Jimmy Carr, as another was point out that he was in a

:29:42. > :29:45.scheme to reduce his income, he immediately changed his abrasive. He

:29:46. > :29:53.made it very clear and I pay tribute to him for doing that. That's

:29:54. > :29:57.changed his abrasive. Then I begin by welcoming the Prime Minister's

:29:58. > :30:02.statement, the new measures contained in it to tax evasion and

:30:03. > :30:06.aggressive tax avoidance. The publication of his tax information

:30:07. > :30:13.and his apology for the way that he has handled it was updated estimated

:30:14. > :30:17.that between 21 and $32 trillion a time and financial wealth is

:30:18. > :30:21.allocated to a -- a tax or likely tax and tax havens around the world.

:30:22. > :30:27.Elicit trust board estimated that more than $1 trillion for gear, ten

:30:28. > :30:34.times more than the global foreign aid budgets combined. The Panama

:30:35. > :30:37.Papers lake is so large that if one part of the file, the final deck --

:30:38. > :30:42.document will be held 650 million pages long. It is right that a

:30:43. > :30:46.special task force is being set up to go through this information as it

:30:47. > :30:51.has been linked. Have the Prime Minister said, public charges will

:30:52. > :30:57.be followed and criminality can't be proven. But the public are indignant

:30:58. > :31:03.here and they are indignant about the well. People are rightly angered

:31:04. > :31:05.by the different roles for normal taxpayers and small ultrarich elite.

:31:06. > :31:11.But we have to ask ourselves, whether this scale of the Bible has

:31:12. > :31:17.been taken seriously because it has not been thus far. Either

:31:18. > :31:21.domestically or internationally. UK bears a particular facility, given

:31:22. > :31:26.that the UK and its overseas territories and dependencies

:31:27. > :31:32.collectively said at the top of the financial secrecy index of the tax

:31:33. > :31:39.Justice network. In Scotland, we are confronted by the reality of a small

:31:40. > :31:48.number of landowners, owning huge parts of the country, Minikin tax

:31:49. > :31:54.haven. Across Scotland, land is owned through and transparent firms

:31:55. > :31:57.based in tax havens like, and the British Virgin Islands. May I ask if

:31:58. > :32:03.I minister the following specific questions? Will he be present --

:32:04. > :32:09.revisit his decision not to fully co-operate with European union

:32:10. > :32:14.partners on trust? On the welcome register a beneficial owners, across

:32:15. > :32:21.the British and overseas territories, specific question,

:32:22. > :32:29.whole would this be available to and when? Will be publicly available and

:32:30. > :32:32.if not, why not? Will the Prime Minister prioritise bilateral tax

:32:33. > :32:36.treaties with catalogue and other tax havens as part of global efforts

:32:37. > :32:42.to better co-ordinate against tax avoidance and will he regularly

:32:43. > :32:50.update this house on progress? Nicely, given is UK cabinet that

:32:51. > :32:54.agrees government actuals -- textiles, and arrangements with tax

:32:55. > :32:59.havens, with the Prime Minister ensure that all of his cabinet

:33:00. > :33:09.colleagues confirm whether they have ever benefited to offshore financial

:33:10. > :33:13.dealings? -- from. Let me agree with him. There is no doubt that and some

:33:14. > :33:16.of these jurisdictions and countries, there are some very bad

:33:17. > :33:20.things are happening in terms of the hiding of assets, but having a

:33:21. > :33:27.wealth of the avoidance of tax, and that is why we want to authorities

:33:28. > :33:29.to go through to recover the money. Just because those bad things are

:33:30. > :33:35.happening, it does not mean we should condemn unit trust that many

:33:36. > :33:38.investors, pension funds, local government, and trade you can, even

:33:39. > :33:43.the pigeons under this house, might well use as a totally legitimate way

:33:44. > :33:52.of investing and then paint attack. -- paying tax. I agree. But we

:33:53. > :33:56.should not do down the civil action, and the civil penalties that the

:33:57. > :34:03.custom site. 1100 cases going through, they can charge up to 300%

:34:04. > :34:08.of the money. On the issue, taken this it is a fine of, I would say

:34:09. > :34:14.this is the first country in the G7 and G20 to make tax transparency the

:34:15. > :34:18.number one issue at AG eight or G20. No not done before. We have

:34:19. > :34:23.government. You see these permit improvement. I'll think he is meant

:34:24. > :34:26.for only dependencies and overseas territory. Book your stay with a

:34:27. > :34:31.reputation and potentially broad problem. There have been a huge

:34:32. > :34:37.amount to adjust that. Now better placed others similar jurisdictions,

:34:38. > :34:40.states and the US to have left us closer and less repressive than they

:34:41. > :34:43.do. A not be unfair upon dependencies and overseas

:34:44. > :34:55.territories and on the side of the house. In terms of Scottish trust

:34:56. > :34:58.and transparency, happy to work with any WebCam. Again, we are happy to

:34:59. > :35:02.work with and are working with European partners on the issue of

:35:03. > :35:07.shots. The point was making is that we would have any progress on

:35:08. > :35:11.beneficial ownership if the included trust and that debate in the G8. But

:35:12. > :35:16.we did make progress and for the bridge and we do. And the honest of

:35:17. > :35:20.information and the Crown dependencies, he's asking for will

:35:21. > :35:23.be available to you. It will be available to law-enforcement

:35:24. > :35:28.initially, including our own. They are not producing public registers

:35:29. > :35:32.yet. I wanted to but let's be frank. There's only about three countries

:35:33. > :35:36.in the world, including Britain now, that have these public ownership

:35:37. > :35:39.register. If we're trying to push that onto the quad dependencies

:35:40. > :35:45.should away, I think we'll have not got as nearly as far as that we have

:35:46. > :35:48.got it today. A textured, I'm key and attempted cabinet ministers, I

:35:49. > :35:52.think the current rules for registering members interests are

:35:53. > :36:02.broad. As I said, we're going further. According to the official

:36:03. > :36:06.forecast, with likely to lose billion of tax revenue to

:36:07. > :36:10.multinational companies of the ensuing five years. -- 74 3 billion.

:36:11. > :36:15.They will solicit core and get the European Court of Justice to

:36:16. > :36:20.overturn the Texas we were supposed. With another 35 billion at risk.

:36:21. > :36:24.What can be do here to make sure those companies pay their fare

:36:25. > :36:29.amounts, which this Parliament wants but the easy jay doesn't? We take a

:36:30. > :36:33.certain action and the budget, and we have the government profit tax,

:36:34. > :36:37.which is a tremendous weapon of making sure these companies pay that

:36:38. > :36:42.tax and the jurisdictions where they are rightly earning the money. I

:36:43. > :36:46.think this will be able to change tax information, and having a common

:36:47. > :36:52.reporting standards, which is what we set off in 2013, they'll make the

:36:53. > :36:56.biggest difference. Desk that will make. But of the main benefits of

:36:57. > :37:01.the journalism that uncover the Panama Papers was that it showed so

:37:02. > :37:05.much every is that people do not want it to go. The Prime Minister

:37:06. > :37:10.makes great play that his government has done a great deal to improve

:37:11. > :37:14.corporate tax defensive. But it is nowhere near enough. When is he

:37:15. > :37:21.going to step up, and make sure that corporate can publish their tax

:37:22. > :37:28.information, so that everybody, the public, conceived where tax is being

:37:29. > :37:31.paid? -- can see. I am not saying we have a perfect record, but I think

:37:32. > :37:34.this government has done more than any previous government to make this

:37:35. > :37:40.happen. I'll answer it directly that our system is based on full

:37:41. > :37:44.disclosure, by companies to the revenue, but a basic deal of

:37:45. > :37:47.taxpayer confidentiality between companies and the retina. That is

:37:48. > :37:52.the way our system and most of the systems work. That is why the common

:37:53. > :37:55.reporting centres and the exchange of information between tax

:37:56. > :37:59.jurisdictions is so important. The mesh of these companies are telling

:38:00. > :38:02.the truth to us, and telling the truth to others jurisdiction. On

:38:03. > :38:10.happens Will we be able to recover the money. That's only one that

:38:11. > :38:13.happened. The ownership register that comes on place and over six

:38:14. > :38:19.with time, plus the announcement that the Prime Minister has made

:38:20. > :38:25.with regard to the code appendices and in a criminal act, would do much

:38:26. > :38:29.to do with tax evasion. At the house will forgive me, able to far more to

:38:30. > :38:35.ensure that the proceeds of crime, the proceeds of terrorism can not be

:38:36. > :38:43.allowed to do this jurisdiction. An antiseptic be welcomed. I detailed

:38:44. > :38:48.that the province is being -- kicked off a little. I know, personally,

:38:49. > :38:52.that we would never be agreement with the competencies without his

:38:53. > :38:58.personal intervention and without him being very tough. And he should

:38:59. > :39:01.be congratulated. It the deliberate without a single shot being fired of

:39:02. > :39:10.the Leader of the Opposition, putting books on the ground.

:39:11. > :39:14.Decibels underground. But he will remember -- what he will remember,

:39:15. > :39:17.but we did was get the Crown dependencies and the overseas

:39:18. > :39:22.territories around the table in the Cabinet room. The same day at and

:39:23. > :39:26.say we have to make descended. You don't have to go all the way to

:39:27. > :39:30.publish and registers, but another may just information available. As

:39:31. > :39:33.he says, that will mean not only more tax paid, but also great

:39:34. > :39:58.ability to uncover corruption. Can I ask the Prime Minister some

:39:59. > :40:01.questions about his welcome announcement in relation to Crown

:40:02. > :40:05.dependencies? Can ask him personally whether it is right that the British

:40:06. > :40:10.Virgin Islands, Bermuda, and the Cayman Islands have agreed to

:40:11. > :40:13.compile a rich set of beneficial ownership? Canada ask and secondly

:40:14. > :40:19.whether HMRC will have access to that register and cannot has,

:40:20. > :40:27.thirdly if he did not succeed in getting those territories to publish

:40:28. > :40:32.those registers publicly, he would use his powers to the Privy Council

:40:33. > :40:38.to order the tax havens to publish some? There are three things would

:40:39. > :40:44.have been asking the Crown dependencies anew. One is to change

:40:45. > :40:47.tax information, the second is to have a common reporting standards

:40:48. > :40:51.and the third is to establish registers a beneficial cell. They

:40:52. > :40:57.have now been altered. The answer her prescription, they have agreed.

:40:58. > :41:02.The Senate agreement, Guernsey but we hope that will come in the coming

:41:03. > :41:06.days. Second question, will our revenue had access to the register.

:41:07. > :41:10.Guess they will. A third question, I'm going to force them to have

:41:11. > :41:14.public registers. We think they should. We think that at the rate

:41:15. > :41:19.would go. Very few countries in the world, I think saying, Britain, and

:41:20. > :41:23.possibly one of two others have the public registers a beneficial

:41:24. > :41:27.ownership. Hard appendices and territories without the be far in

:41:28. > :41:30.advance of most of the country. The of attacking them, we aren't could

:41:31. > :41:35.raise affect him for what they have done. -- instead of attacking them.

:41:36. > :41:38.We ought to praise him. Shouldn't the credits just not out of the

:41:39. > :41:44.synthetic indignation animate the real point is that they hate anybody

:41:45. > :41:50.who has a hand of 12 and Allied? -- should the critics. May I support

:41:51. > :41:53.the Prime Minister and in the golf those who are attacking him,

:41:54. > :41:58.particularly in thinking of this place. If he does not, we were

:41:59. > :42:02.saying at House of Commons with stuffed full of low achievers, who

:42:03. > :42:07.hate enterprise, hate people who look after their own families, who

:42:08. > :42:18.know absolutely nothing about the outside world. Grateful for his

:42:19. > :42:22.support. We have a system of members interests, which is better placed at

:42:23. > :42:27.the end of 13 years of a Labour government. I think we should

:42:28. > :42:30.maintain that system. I do not want us to discourage people who've had a

:42:31. > :42:33.successful career in business or anything else to come into this

:42:34. > :42:38.house and making a contribution. That is why I said but Prime

:42:39. > :42:43.Minister than shadows, the Prime Minister is, subsequent, it is a

:42:44. > :42:49.different set of originals. That's a different set of derangement.

:42:50. > :42:55.That's does he recall had the time after he became Prime Minister under

:42:56. > :43:00.the Coalition, and had a time when he was dividing the nation between

:43:01. > :43:05.strivers and scroungers, I had to have a very important question about

:43:06. > :43:12.the windfall he receives when he brought off the mortgage of the

:43:13. > :43:19.premises and not until. And I said to him he did not write off the

:43:20. > :43:24.mortgage the one detachment for helping, at Oxford. I didn't receive

:43:25. > :43:46.a proper answer it then, maybe, dodgy Dave will answer it now. By

:43:47. > :43:54.the way,... Order! Order! Order! I must ask the Honorable gentleman, I

:43:55. > :44:01.don't require assistance from a junior minister. Absurd proposition.

:44:02. > :44:04.I advised him to withdraw the hated it that he used a moment ago. He is

:44:05. > :44:11.capable of asking his question without using that word. It is up to

:44:12. > :44:15.him, but I cannot reasonably ask you, Mr to ask that -- answer the

:44:16. > :44:24.question. Just withdraw the word epic or another. -- and think of

:44:25. > :44:30.another. I think he knows the word beginning with the and ending with

:44:31. > :44:34.wide that he inappropriately Jews. -- and appropriately used.

:44:35. > :44:47.There are simple, withdraw. This man has done more good about this

:44:48. > :44:59.patient than anybody else. He has look after his own pocket. And I

:45:00. > :45:07.still referred to him as dodgy Dave. Order! I am sorry, I must ask the

:45:08. > :45:21.Honorable gentleman to withdraw the word. The very well. Under the power

:45:22. > :45:25.given to me by standing order number 43, I order the envelope member to

:45:26. > :45:28.withdraw immediately from the house, for the remainder of this day's

:45:29. > :45:42.setting. -- sitting. Needless to say, no apply is

:45:43. > :45:58.required to that. We will take next. But we now know that the Prime

:45:59. > :46:03.Minister that is the hands of a lot of before becoming promised an

:46:04. > :46:10.unpaid taxes in full. Shocking. -- has paid his taxes. It follows on

:46:11. > :46:12.the question from the chairman of the treasury committee. As others we

:46:13. > :46:18.have the largest tax code in the world after India, on hard-working

:46:19. > :46:23.families away to legitimate ways of trying to minimise their tax bill? I

:46:24. > :46:28.get the gears for headlight attacks, to Madrid. Let me give him one

:46:29. > :46:34.suggestion. The best way to stop people avoiding paying inheritance

:46:35. > :46:42.tax, that tax is to abide by a manifesto commitment and a ball

:46:43. > :46:45.said. -- abolish it. I would say that we met our manifesto commitment

:46:46. > :46:51.on a heritage site, which was to exempt the family home. He is right

:46:52. > :46:53.that would be too simplified, but there is -- painfully into

:46:54. > :46:57.federations which is when you want simplified, but on the other where

:46:58. > :47:01.you see a abuse as a terror, you sometimes need to write new taxes in

:47:02. > :47:10.order to make sure that they cannot begins. -- abuses of care. I think

:47:11. > :47:13.he is right. With the Prime Minister now answer a question that both he

:47:14. > :47:18.and Anna Chancellor refused to answer a few years ago? And can he

:47:19. > :47:23.confirm that they both benefited, personally, from the cut to the top

:47:24. > :47:29.rate of tax, and on the day that the universal credit cards main

:47:30. > :47:32.part-timers can be over ?1000 figure wears off, does he think that the

:47:33. > :47:39.several thousand pound figure and was they both benefited out there?

:47:40. > :47:42.-- are fair. The information is contained in my tax return. And the

:47:43. > :47:48.House of Commons Library, everybody can look at it. But the key point is

:47:49. > :47:53.simply produced the top tax from 50 to 45p, would not only raise more

:47:54. > :47:57.revenue, which is money that we can spend on the public services that

:47:58. > :48:00.she supports, but also the richest 1% and our country are paying a

:48:01. > :48:10.higher overall percentage of income taxed at 27%. But my right

:48:11. > :48:16.honourable friend clarify again that kind of millions of our fellow

:48:17. > :48:20.citizens benefit from tax exempt investments and that most pages

:48:21. > :48:26.games do not pay tax on that investment income, which directly

:48:27. > :48:33.benefits hard-working people, saving for and receiving pensions? He is

:48:34. > :48:37.right about that. But I would also reinforce the point that millions of

:48:38. > :48:41.our fellow citizens own shares and many people choose to make the

:48:42. > :48:45.investments that do get a trust, to a safe form of investment because

:48:46. > :48:49.they share the risk. Many of those unit trust are listed in other

:48:50. > :48:53.countries, and many of them now in Dublin. They are sent up there at

:48:54. > :48:58.night to avoid tax, but to make sure that the revenues of return to the

:48:59. > :49:06.trust holder and then pay tax. That is the key point. Does he accept

:49:07. > :49:11.that the revelations last week that he personally intervened and 2013 to

:49:12. > :49:15.water down the effects of eg transparency rules of the trust that

:49:16. > :49:19.the -- damage his inevitable try himself as some sort of a champion

:49:20. > :49:22.and what he not commit to fully support eg transparency rules,

:49:23. > :49:25.including country by country reporting by corporations, showing

:49:26. > :49:34.exactly how much profit they make and wear? There were no EU

:49:35. > :49:37.proposals, the whole thing was based on a British proposal, a British

:49:38. > :49:41.initiative, to encourage all countries to have registered the

:49:42. > :49:46.beneficial ownership. The EU then joined and by suggesting extending

:49:47. > :49:50.to the trust, and we point out that if that happened, no one would pick

:49:51. > :49:53.up this proposal because trust is set up for all sorts of victim. The

:49:54. > :49:58.care of a disabled child, where support for a local school. Any

:49:59. > :50:02.number of things, perfectly reasonable under English common law,

:50:03. > :50:05.and the advice I had was that if we want for this proposal of going for

:50:06. > :50:10.beneficial ownership of companies and trust, the move that we have

:50:11. > :50:20.made that has happened to change the world and of the guard, would have

:50:21. > :50:25.failed. Would he encourage the Leader of the Opposition too write

:50:26. > :50:29.to him, to set out in detail the allegations he makes against him.

:50:30. > :50:34.I'd advocate a lot or with both the top. Having listened carefully to

:50:35. > :50:40.the Leader of the Opposition, I felt highly to comprehend what it is that

:50:41. > :50:44.he is going on about. -- I failed to cover him. I'm glad to see my friend

:50:45. > :50:49.Center for the overseas territories. You know that they can regularly --

:50:50. > :50:54.the Attorney General had a lot of dealings with him. And encouraging

:50:55. > :50:59.them to chant it just principles. They show themselves to be properly

:51:00. > :51:03.responsive to those representations. And they also agreed that the

:51:04. > :51:07.overseas territories are entitled to provide financial services, and not

:51:08. > :51:13.to beat them for trying to ensure the well-being of their own

:51:14. > :51:17.citizens. He is right. But we have tried to do with the overseas

:51:18. > :51:21.territories is that there is a perfectly legitimate business of

:51:22. > :51:25.providing financial services, but they, like us, should be doing it on

:51:26. > :51:28.the basis of a high standards, not low standards. I think that in the

:51:29. > :51:32.argument that they now accept and I can out and we should thank him for

:51:33. > :51:39.it. As for the first half, I listen to the demo, and I'm not -- I'm not

:51:40. > :51:45.sure how to read it again in letter. You can be forgiven for believing

:51:46. > :51:51.that the only virtue is just fancy, but privacy and inequality above

:51:52. > :51:53.important virtues that we value. -- and equality. That is the promised

:51:54. > :51:56.and agreed that given the many thousands of the painting formers,

:51:57. > :52:02.policy farmers and decision-makers in the country a publicly, the

:52:03. > :52:06.private companies effort to set an principle, it should be the public

:52:07. > :52:15.finance, publisher of fantasy. Who is paid but, by the taxpayers. Flag

:52:16. > :52:19.it with the first half of this question. That is a value and

:52:20. > :52:22.privacy and data slapping would have had this balance between what is

:52:23. > :52:29.disclosed and was not disclosed. -- have this balance. I has issued

:52:30. > :52:31.about a private service companies, the Chancellor had said something in

:52:32. > :52:37.the budget. That's on his issue. There is a case in making sure that

:52:38. > :52:41.people declare these arrangements in the proper way. The changes the

:52:42. > :52:44.Chancellor has spoken about will make sure that whether someone

:52:45. > :52:47.chooses to have a private sales company or chooses to be

:52:48. > :52:55.self-employed, the amount of tax rebate will be much more similar.

:52:56. > :52:58.That's the tax they pay. I'll come to prominence a public announcement

:52:59. > :53:03.there will be a new, no offence applied to corporations who fail to

:53:04. > :53:06.prevent the representatives from commonly facilitated tax abatement.

:53:07. > :53:11.That reflects the value to prevent bribery offences. -- tax abatement.

:53:12. > :53:21.There are nearly 40 begin other economic crimes, which are listed in

:53:22. > :53:25.the crime axle 2013. Well my friend had discussions with the Ministry of

:53:26. > :53:28.Justice and Law officers to measure we can add the tax offences that he

:53:29. > :53:32.was referred to, but those other economic crimes so that they can be

:53:33. > :53:38.dealt with under the failure to prevent system? He has a lot of

:53:39. > :53:49.expertise and I think the point he's making that we have to sure as we

:53:50. > :53:52.set out economic crimes we measured the properly publicise and

:53:53. > :53:55.understood and then properly prosecuted. We need to make sure the

:53:56. > :53:59.National Crime Agency and the Serious Fraud Office work together

:54:00. > :54:05.to integrate that he was keen when he was doing the job. The Prime

:54:06. > :54:09.Minister says that he is leading international efforts to cut down on

:54:10. > :54:14.tax evasion. So could he properly explained why he broke to the then

:54:15. > :54:19.European Council President -- and the boat, and ask him to what about

:54:20. > :54:25.the EU trade principles by trading trust differently than companies?

:54:26. > :54:29.And anti-money-laundering gloss, despite warnings that such a move

:54:30. > :54:36.could create the polls for tax dodges? -- loopholes for tax. I've

:54:37. > :54:46.answered this question several times. We were keen to get progress

:54:47. > :54:49.on the beneficial ownership of companies. If we had a set of

:54:50. > :54:52.proposals to include trust, that would have gotten completely bogged

:54:53. > :54:58.down and would have made nearly the progress that we have where we have

:54:59. > :55:01.every G7 country, Thomas G20 country signing up to have action plans on

:55:02. > :55:04.beneficial ownership of companies. If you do that which is, my advice

:55:05. > :55:12.would the holding would have slowed down to a trickle.

:55:13. > :55:17.As far as I'm concerned, it is perfectly clear that neither the

:55:18. > :55:24.Prime Minister nor his father, for that matter, have done anything

:55:25. > :55:27.wrong at all. Any statement he said that we must defend the right of

:55:28. > :55:32.every British citizen to make money lawfully. I agree with that

:55:33. > :55:37.wholeheartedly. It is slightly of variant to this description of

:55:38. > :55:40.people who have done that, as Morley apartment. Can the Prime Minister

:55:41. > :55:47.give us a promise that he will uphold the rule of law and not

:55:48. > :55:52.question him about the people who act lawfully with regard to their

:55:53. > :55:57.tax arrangements. I am grateful for his support. I agree with what he

:55:58. > :56:02.says. He is completely right. The rule of law is what matters overall.

:56:03. > :56:09.The simple point that I have often made, and will continue to make, is

:56:10. > :56:17.that of course, it is tax edition that is illegal. Not tax avoidance.

:56:18. > :56:21.Or into other perfectly legitimate ways of planning for the future in

:56:22. > :56:25.their family and all the best of it. I would say, what we have seen and

:56:26. > :56:29.sometimes it's oppressive measures, I mention some of them in my

:56:30. > :56:37.statement. People putting properties and envelopes, rather than paying

:56:38. > :56:40.stamp duties. It is difficult for the government to catch up quickly

:56:41. > :56:44.enough with the huge changes that are taking place. I think that a bit

:56:45. > :56:50.of leeway is necessary, but it is right. It is different that what

:56:51. > :56:53.matters. Does the Prime Minister Brill is that there is a difference

:56:54. > :57:06.between the vast majority of our constituents who pay their tax in

:57:07. > :57:10.the usual way, and very rich people who use tax havens for obvious

:57:11. > :57:17.reasons? That is by the accusation is made. Of course there is bad

:57:18. > :57:21.practice that takes place, not least in some of these jurisdictions that

:57:22. > :57:27.needs to be dealt with. That is what the tax transparency and sharing of

:57:28. > :57:31.information is about. The other thing to recognise that happened

:57:32. > :57:35.last week the ?11,000 personal allowance came in, so people could

:57:36. > :57:39.earn ?11,000 before they pay any income tax at all. That completed

:57:40. > :57:46.our work of taking 4 million of the lowest paid people in our country

:57:47. > :57:49.out of income tax altogether. Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister has paid

:57:50. > :57:54.his taxes and behave perfectly properly. Can I commend him for

:57:55. > :57:59.standing up to those who thought to be smart of his father's reputation.

:58:00. > :58:02.Can he remind us how much extra money is coming into the exchequer

:58:03. > :58:05.as a result of his government's closing down the loopholes that were

:58:06. > :58:12.set up under 13 years of Labour government? We have raised an extra

:58:13. > :58:16.12 billion and the last Parliament. We want to raise another 16 billion

:58:17. > :58:21.and this Parliament, stretching up to 2021. Also, by having a lower

:58:22. > :58:25.rate of corporation tax, we have seen more corporation tax come in.

:58:26. > :58:34.Low tax rates, but taxes that people paid. We have heard that the rule of

:58:35. > :58:41.law is paramount. The government controls what is legal. And what is

:58:42. > :58:46.illegal and tax law. Can the Prime Minister guarantee that the ball

:58:47. > :58:54.will make offshore tax dodging in all its form illegal? -- the law.

:58:55. > :58:56.Eve eating tax is already illegal whether you are doing it in the UK

:58:57. > :59:10.or somewhere else. -- elevating. If they were admitting tax. We

:59:11. > :59:15.should not use that to say that it is wrong for people or trade unions

:59:16. > :59:20.or companies or pension schemes to invest in trusts listed in other

:59:21. > :59:27.countries as that is a legal way of investing. Can I congratulate my

:59:28. > :59:31.right honourable friend for bringing the transparency to the office of

:59:32. > :59:34.Prime Minister by publishing his own tax return? Can he say whether he

:59:35. > :59:40.had any thoughts about whether they should be extended to prime

:59:41. > :59:47.ministers many of whom still receive public money. I would be very

:59:48. > :59:55.interested in seeing be tax-deferred of Tony Blair. I would say that I am

:59:56. > :00:00.not claiming some perfect record, but on the coming Prime Minister I

:00:01. > :00:06.have cut the Prime Minister's kbyte 5%. I rejected the Prime Minister's

:00:07. > :00:10.tax allowance of ?20,000 a year. I reform the Prime Minister's pension.

:00:11. > :00:16.It is contributory for the first time. As Mr Speaker knows they have

:00:17. > :00:27.given up their state pension that gives you half your salary in

:00:28. > :00:31.perpetuity. I did it. All of those steps have been taken, which I think

:00:32. > :00:38.they are the right thing to do. Thank you Mr Speaker. Will the

:00:39. > :00:44.Chancellor of the Exchequer be clarifying the tax situation of his

:00:45. > :00:52.family company which he holds a in, but has paid no UK corporation tax

:00:53. > :00:57.in seven years? What I would say is that the Chancellor's family firm is

:00:58. > :01:02.exactly the sort of manufacturing small firm we want to encourage our

:01:03. > :01:05.country. For many years I gather that they have not been making a

:01:06. > :01:09.profit, but I am glad that the company is doing well and are now

:01:10. > :01:14.paying a dividend. That is a bishop should welcome. It's tax matters are

:01:15. > :01:20.a matter between the company and the Inland Revenue. That is the way that

:01:21. > :01:24.it should be. I would like to join members on the side of the House and

:01:25. > :01:27.welcoming the Prime Minister's statement this afternoon. I would

:01:28. > :01:33.like to ask when he meets with world leaders in London this May, for the

:01:34. > :01:36.global anti-corruption summits, what will he pass them to agree actions

:01:37. > :01:43.to expose corruption wherever it exists? I think that it is good beer

:01:44. > :01:48.having the summit. I am writing in a document that will be released

:01:49. > :01:53.before the summit, and no country or politicians can claim that they have

:01:54. > :01:57.a perfect an unblemished record in this regard. All countries are

:01:58. > :02:03.battling against these problems as we did in this House of Commons. I

:02:04. > :02:08.want to encourage people and the Prime Minister of Afghanistan is

:02:09. > :02:11.contributed, the president of Nigeria is contributing, they are

:02:12. > :02:14.admitting that their countries are rife with corruption, but it needs

:02:15. > :02:19.to be dealt with. The problem is that if nobody steps up and talks

:02:20. > :02:31.about these issues and sets out an action plan, nothing will get done.

:02:32. > :02:37.At the last count, 30 6000, 364 properties in London were owned by

:02:38. > :02:42.offshore companies. That is one in ten of one London borough, and 7% of

:02:43. > :02:46.another London Borough. We should know who owns those properties. Many

:02:47. > :02:55.believe that it is dirty money from countries like Russia and the Middle

:02:56. > :02:58.East. Driving up costs 50% increases, what is the Prime

:02:59. > :03:03.Minister are going to do about dirty money propping up the London

:03:04. > :03:09.property market? The first thing that we have already done is to say

:03:10. > :03:12.that if a property is owned by a company, a so called them to look

:03:13. > :03:17.structure, so you can't get to the name of the person that owns that

:03:18. > :03:22.property, they have to pay an annual stamp duty charge of something like

:03:23. > :03:25.15%. This has been a massive money raiser to spend on public services.

:03:26. > :03:30.In a huge disincentive for this sort of behaviour. I want to go further,

:03:31. > :03:36.we need to have more information about who owns what in our country.

:03:37. > :03:41.Can I think the Prime Minister for his very clear statement. This

:03:42. > :03:49.afternoon I received a furious e-mail from a man in my constituency

:03:50. > :03:53.who said that he watched Sky News yesterday. He is so shocked that the

:03:54. > :04:01.Scott Philipp Shadow Chancellor deliberately misled viewers and that

:04:02. > :04:05.his... For a Shadow Chancellor to be so blatantly misleading is not

:04:06. > :04:12.acceptable. I am quoting here. The Marxist's moron was not an excuse.

:04:13. > :04:16.The Prime Minister cannot have paid inheritance tax even if you wish to

:04:17. > :04:24.as taxes leveled on these... Order, order! This is all very well, but is

:04:25. > :04:31.nothing to do with the responsibility of the Prime

:04:32. > :04:34.Minister. Order, order! Don't argue with the chair. The Prime Minister

:04:35. > :04:38.is not responsible for what the Shadow Chancellor has said. I do say

:04:39. > :04:45.that to the honourable Lady kindly. But with some authority in these

:04:46. > :04:51.matters, believe me. No one in this house should have to feel family

:04:52. > :04:55.members are being attacked unfairly. And not, the Prime Minister is

:04:56. > :04:58.absolutely correct. Can I tell him that it is not clear to me what he

:04:59. > :05:05.believes about holding shares in offshore trust and tax havens. Does

:05:06. > :05:09.he think that it is perfectly OK, and which is why was his clothing

:05:10. > :05:14.them be a conflict of interest? Does he think that tax havens are eight

:05:15. > :05:20.problem that needs fixing. And which case why did he have been in the

:05:21. > :05:24.first place. Let me into this question in full. Do I think that it

:05:25. > :05:27.is OK to own shares in eight units trust that is registered in another

:05:28. > :05:34.country whether that is in Dublin, or in Guernsey. Guess I do. That is

:05:35. > :05:38.why trade unions hold the shares. Pension funds. Many people in our

:05:39. > :05:43.countries hold unitrust. Here is the key point. The units trust does not

:05:44. > :05:48.exist to make money for itself. It makes money for the unit holders. If

:05:49. > :05:52.the unit holders used in Britain they pay British income tax and all

:05:53. > :05:58.of the wrecks. That is why these arrangements have been in place for

:05:59. > :06:03.many years. No Labour or policy review has ever thought of getting

:06:04. > :06:10.rid of them. That is my answer to her first question. Why if I thought

:06:11. > :06:13.that there was nothing wrong with that that I sell my shares because

:06:14. > :06:16.there might be a conflict of interest? I sold shares in every

:06:17. > :06:23.company that I own because I thought that there were two back options,

:06:24. > :06:27.you can put things into a blind trust, a very good way to go about

:06:28. > :06:31.it, but I thought that even simpler and more straightforward was to sell

:06:32. > :06:36.everything. Then I was not own any shares of any of the companies that

:06:37. > :06:38.I previously had a shareholding and poop or have deep that had dealing

:06:39. > :06:54.with the government. There was no for the Prime Minister confirm that

:06:55. > :07:02.the only a regular thing about the summary of his tax return is the

:07:03. > :07:06.fact that he voluntarily took the tax allowance something that was

:07:07. > :07:10.enjoyed by many of his predecessors including those opposite. Instead,

:07:11. > :07:13.he rightly focused on increasing the personal allowance so that many of

:07:14. > :07:19.low income earners could appoint paying tax altogether when he

:07:20. > :07:22.pledged to continue that policy. I am grateful to give him that

:07:23. > :07:29.reassurance. We have the target in our manifesto. We want to meet that

:07:30. > :07:32.target. I think that what I did as a Prime Minister was the right thing,

:07:33. > :07:37.not least because as it says in the information from a tax return, there

:07:38. > :07:41.is support for me and my wife from the Conservative Party in terms of

:07:42. > :07:44.some of the costs and issues of travel and other things you have to

:07:45. > :07:49.deal with as the leader of a party. Whether that was a better way of

:07:50. > :07:56.doing it. Party money, not taxpayer money, on which they text charge. Is

:07:57. > :08:02.it the right thing to do to be claiming expenses to live in a great

:08:03. > :08:09.delete make an apartment, but making a big profit out of it. I am baffled

:08:10. > :08:20.by the honourable Bolton summoned. With all of the information

:08:21. > :08:23.necessary. He has not yet made a complaint. I hope that he is going

:08:24. > :08:28.to find the time later on and do what he said he was going to do. The

:08:29. > :08:33.point, I think that he has misunderstood. I am very likely to

:08:34. > :08:40.live in number ten Downing treat. Precisely number 1011 and 12. I

:08:41. > :08:47.received a benefit in kind. Because of that benefit, I pay a tax in that

:08:48. > :08:51.benefit in kind. There is not a subsidy that I am getting. It is a

:08:52. > :08:59.benefit that I am very grateful for, and I get the tax man money in

:09:00. > :09:02.respect of it. May I tell the Prime Minister that he should not be a

:09:03. > :09:07.shame that he has a good fortune to be born into a well-off family. He

:09:08. > :09:12.has nothing to be ashamed about. Make a tiled the Prime Minister that

:09:13. > :09:16.it is not a sin for his parents, quite naturally, to want their

:09:17. > :09:20.savings to be cascaded down to the generations. He has nothing to be

:09:21. > :09:25.ashamed of. Can I warn my right honourable friend, no matter how

:09:26. > :09:28.much information he wants to the voltage, nothing will satisfy some

:09:29. > :09:35.of those people on the Labour front bench. I am grateful for my friend

:09:36. > :09:39.says. I think that there is a point of which were you have to say I

:09:40. > :09:43.published the information that I think is relevant. I came back over

:09:44. > :09:48.the last six years. That is the limit of what I'm going to release.

:09:49. > :09:53.Some people said, well what about your wife's tax returns or your

:09:54. > :09:57.mother's financial affairs. I think that there comes a time or we should

:09:58. > :10:03.say we have a register of member's Angers, Prime Minister, chances,

:10:04. > :10:10.opposition... We should rely on their interested release the rest of

:10:11. > :10:16.our affairs. Given that more of the half of the companies in the Panama

:10:17. > :10:19.Papers are registered in the UK, does the Prime Minister regret

:10:20. > :10:26.telling this house in 2013I don't think that it is there any longer to

:10:27. > :10:29.refer to any of the overseas territories as tax havens. Can he

:10:30. > :10:33.try to rebuild some of the public trust that he has lost in the last

:10:34. > :10:39.week by making sure that in terms of publishing information, the Crown

:10:40. > :10:43.dependencies and overseas territories do you follow the UK's

:10:44. > :10:53.examples and will be taking concrete action, ... We got the Crown

:10:54. > :10:57.dependencies and overseas territories for the first time to

:10:58. > :11:00.share automatically tax information but the United Kingdom government.

:11:01. > :11:03.That is something that did not happen under the last Labour

:11:04. > :11:07.government, something that we did a cheap and it was a different

:11:08. > :11:16.approach. Now he is right we want to go further. The announcement today,

:11:17. > :11:18.but they will give us access to their information about ownership.

:11:19. > :11:23.Just so he knows how different things were under the last

:11:24. > :11:27.government, the then financial Secretary of the Treasury, in

:11:28. > :11:35.response to questions about the overseas territories said this,...

:11:36. > :11:39.Is essentially a matter for the Crown dependencies themselves. He

:11:40. > :11:43.was saying it is nothing to do with me. It is up to them. That is the

:11:44. > :11:51.government that we replace, and we took a different approach. We made a

:11:52. > :11:59.lot of progress. Forgive my lack of voice. I understand the Prime

:12:00. > :12:05.Minister's is due to protect his father. His father did nothing wrong

:12:06. > :12:14.whatsoever. The Prime Minister inch and a long and thoughtful debate,

:12:15. > :12:23.can I'd say that when... That there are no more knee jerk reactions and

:12:24. > :12:28.that's a debate is given it to everybody else. Thank you for your

:12:29. > :12:32.support. He makes the point that we should try to make decisions about

:12:33. > :12:39.these things calmly and rationally after debate. I felt that after all

:12:40. > :12:41.of the questions that I was being asked, the right thing to do with

:12:42. > :12:45.publicist information. I cannot be cleared today that that I don't want

:12:46. > :12:54.to see this as a president. I think that we should be... But taxpayer

:12:55. > :13:00.confidentiality. Some other countries do have complete

:13:01. > :13:15.publication of all tax information. That is not our way. We have... It

:13:16. > :13:24.speaking as a low achiever, the biggest and multinational company

:13:25. > :13:28.earned more income in a single week in the combined income of all and

:13:29. > :13:33.piece together. The Prime Minister had become a transparency before,

:13:34. > :13:35.and that is why many of us want to make sure that the country by

:13:36. > :13:40.country information that multinationals will be obliged to

:13:41. > :13:43.provide to HMRC should be put in a public domain. Or he or a menace to

:13:44. > :13:49.meet with myself and other members of the committee to discuss this

:13:50. > :13:52.proposal? I have always thought of the honourable Lady is a high

:13:53. > :14:02.achiever. She'd certainly put the boot into my predecessor. The point

:14:03. > :14:06.about the country to country reporting, is what we are trying to

:14:07. > :14:10.achieve as I said in my statement, is a common reporting standards

:14:11. > :14:13.about companies purport to tax authorities in the same way, and

:14:14. > :14:20.then the sharing of that information so that you can see if company a is

:14:21. > :14:25.paying a certain amount of tax in one jurisdiction and one in another.

:14:26. > :14:27.I think that at the moment is the most powerful way of achieving what

:14:28. > :14:32.we want to achieve. There are those that say we need to go even further

:14:33. > :14:38.and public declarations of tax. That is an interesting argument. Let's

:14:39. > :14:45.not make the Gilly that the enemy of the good. I want to say that

:14:46. > :14:50.completed. Does my right honourable friend agree that any course of

:14:51. > :14:56.action designed to reduce tax which does not constitute tax evasion must

:14:57. > :15:00.by definition be legal, even if some may regard it as a corrective tax

:15:01. > :15:09.avoidance. It is up to this Parliament to legislate to make such

:15:10. > :15:13.courses of action legal? Where there is aggressive avoidance taken place

:15:14. > :15:16.it is against the spirit of the law. Then Parliament should act. As I

:15:17. > :15:21.said many times, that is what the Chancellor has done and what HMRC

:15:22. > :15:25.advises us about. I think that there sometimes are a for the tax

:15:26. > :15:33.avoidance is so aggressive that it is right to warn those taking a a

:15:34. > :15:41.bit that legislation will follow in that office happens also. He arrives

:15:42. > :15:46.the tax arrangements discussed today as standard. Will he be issuing

:15:47. > :15:49.guidance, perhaps in the form of a leaflet to every UK household, so

:15:50. > :15:56.ordinary taxpayers can find out how they can benefit from offshore tax

:15:57. > :16:02.havens? The point is that there are many people and our country, over 12

:16:03. > :16:09.million shareholders, many hold shares in unit trusts. They don't

:16:10. > :16:14.need any information from me. If you are a UK resident, you must pay UK

:16:15. > :16:21.income and capital gains taxes as in any organisation. I would not

:16:22. > :16:25.recommend doing this, but reading back Hansard over the last 13 years

:16:26. > :16:31.of the label government, I cannot find a single occasion of which the

:16:32. > :16:34.Member for Islington North raised any of these issues. The closest he

:16:35. > :16:43.came with the Labour government's decision to use order in Council to

:16:44. > :16:53.take control of the Turks and Caicos islands as undemocratic. Which he

:16:54. > :16:58.now says is... I am interested to see the right honourable gentleman

:16:59. > :17:02.conducted a U-turn. He has recently suggested taking control of these

:17:03. > :17:08.territories. I cannot see a use for the nuclear submarines as they head

:17:09. > :17:15.off towards the title of man -- Isle of man. . Much more sensible to get

:17:16. > :17:21.them to do the things that they ought to be doing. Life does the

:17:22. > :17:24.Prime Minister think so many companies are registered

:17:25. > :17:29.independents Gilly Panama in the first place? Why not London or New

:17:30. > :17:38.York? The reason why a lot of units trust order in different countries

:17:39. > :17:43.is because they want to be able to market their services not just to UK

:17:44. > :17:49.residents who pay UK taxes, but to other people. That is why if you

:17:50. > :17:53.look at the revenue in the way that they arrange it, they actually want

:17:54. > :17:58.to make sure that UK funds managers can be involved and pay their taxes

:17:59. > :18:05.here in the UK and begin building investment industry that this

:18:06. > :18:08.country can be proud of. Can I think my right honourable friend for his

:18:09. > :18:15.open and frank statement today. I think that he has exonerated

:18:16. > :18:24.himself. Can he confirm under HMRC rules that the supporting

:18:25. > :18:36.information has been... Should he be defined? -- be fine. It is

:18:37. > :18:42.disappointing that we got it at 345I think that when I was on my feet.

:18:43. > :18:52.Matters for fines of late production of tax returns, I think that is a

:18:53. > :19:06.matter for the HMRC. 2013 best man was found guilty of an egregious --

:19:07. > :19:11.this man, ... And for taking ?10,000 a month as a payment for lobbying

:19:12. > :19:14.for the Cayman Islands. He had no punishment from his party and was

:19:15. > :19:20.allowed to get away with it with a brief apology to the House of Lords.

:19:21. > :19:25.With the Prime Minister tell us that it's an future if any

:19:26. > :19:30.parliamentarian in his party uses his privileged position and

:19:31. > :19:38.prostitutes it in order to make private gain, he will act ended up

:19:39. > :19:42.doing back discipline them? We have rules in this house for the

:19:43. > :19:47.declaration a member's interest. We have a policeman, as it were, in

:19:48. > :19:53.terms of making sure it they are properly carried out. We also have a

:19:54. > :19:59.punishment, including expulsion for Miss declarations and this

:20:00. > :20:06.behaviour. I am not as the money or -- I am not as familiar. While the

:20:07. > :20:14.conversations around Panama are interesting to the front bench lead

:20:15. > :20:23.back bench and the opposition, actually benefit from inheritance

:20:24. > :20:28.tax. , does my friend agreed with me that the time is now to further

:20:29. > :20:34.reform inheritance tax to help more people, mainly my age, get on the

:20:35. > :20:38.property ladder? There is a role for making sure that people can pass on

:20:39. > :20:42.the family home exempt from inheritance tax. That is why we set

:20:43. > :20:46.out the steps during this Parliament to make sure that that can happen.

:20:47. > :20:53.That's completely set out at our manifesto. I think the public would

:20:54. > :20:58.be taken to TB Prime Minister at word. Had the Prime Minister not

:20:59. > :21:15.appointed this man... Can they say what sorts of money he

:21:16. > :21:26.got to pay this man and does someone with those views through late-night

:21:27. > :21:30.along in the HMRC. The report that was in the paper points out he had a

:21:31. > :21:35.commercial career at Simmons and Simmons, one of the most respected

:21:36. > :21:39.legal practices that there is. It is a good thing that we can attract

:21:40. > :21:42.people from private practice into the Revenue and Customs to make sure

:21:43. > :21:51.that we collect all the money that we should. Can the Prime Minister

:21:52. > :21:55.assured the House that in the future, any changes to the taxation

:21:56. > :21:58.will do nothing to diminish the aspiration of working families so

:21:59. > :22:01.that those families who want to do the right thing and provide for

:22:02. > :22:07.their future, save for their retirement, and pass onto their

:22:08. > :22:12.children, can continue to do that? I think my friend is absolutely right.

:22:13. > :22:14.If you look at our reforms to inheritance tax and pensions,

:22:15. > :22:18.enabling people to take and spend more of their money as they choose,

:22:19. > :22:22.they are also able to pass it onto their children and to help with

:22:23. > :22:27.those key purchases. First come, first car, helping young people with

:22:28. > :22:32.there. All of those cascades down the generations and helping people

:22:33. > :22:36.to do that as a part of our goal. The Prime Minister's announcement

:22:37. > :22:41.that people will be criminalised if they assist with tax evasion,

:22:42. > :22:42.particularly as it was announced by the Secretary of the transitive

:22:43. > :22:53.delete put Ford in Coalition to see if they

:22:54. > :22:59.can also play a significant role in dealing with a really difficult

:23:00. > :23:02.issue of tax evasion? It is true that the Coalition Government

:23:03. > :23:09.achieved a lot in this area. It was led by myself but the second Lord of

:23:10. > :23:12.the Treasury in terms of driving that agenda. Particularly at the G8

:23:13. > :23:21.in the G20, but at the G20, but Abby Fulp Philip at that point we had the

:23:22. > :23:24.full support. I listen carefully to the words of the Leader of the

:23:25. > :23:28.Opposition. Does the Prime Minister share my concern that the reader of

:23:29. > :23:34.this opposition seem to forget or possibly what seemed unaware of the

:23:35. > :23:37.aspiration that determination and prospect of finance reward were

:23:38. > :23:42.ingredients of the strong economy that behalf which lead to jobs and

:23:43. > :23:47.for many. Does my right honourable friend agreed that we should condemn

:23:48. > :23:52.these politics of envy, and will he stick to the politics of opportunity

:23:53. > :23:57.and aspiration? My honourable friend is absolutely right. What we want is

:23:58. > :24:00.a society would be set low tax rates and encourage people to make the

:24:01. > :24:04.best of themselves and for their families. That will build not only a

:24:05. > :24:16.strong economy, but a shocker society. -- stronger society. The

:24:17. > :24:21.Prime Minister referred to his anti-corruption Summit. Can he tell

:24:22. > :24:26.us which countries are going to be represented there and will and

:24:27. > :24:32.imitation be extended to either president Putin or some of his

:24:33. > :24:38.corrupt cronies that fund the propaganda channel to explain the 2

:24:39. > :24:45.billion dollars held in Panama by that corrupt regime? He has been

:24:46. > :24:48.restored to rude health. I welcomed him earlier and I know that the

:24:49. > :24:52.Prime Minister will welcome him. I'm glad to see him back in his summa

:24:53. > :24:57.your place. The guest list is still being worked on for the correction

:24:58. > :25:00.Summit. The point is this. We will be asking people on the basis that

:25:01. > :25:05.that they were in perfect countries or governments, but are they going

:25:06. > :25:11.to commit to public declarations of things like open that official

:25:12. > :25:15.ownership registration, sharing tax information, making sure that when

:25:16. > :25:18.assets are alluded that we can confiscate them and restore them to

:25:19. > :25:22.the people who they belong to. If countries want to sign up for that,

:25:23. > :25:26.however much their record in the past may have been imperfect, you

:25:27. > :25:35.will be encouraging them to come and do just that. My mother spent 32

:25:36. > :25:45.working at a factory. Like the Prime Minister's mother she lost things.

:25:46. > :25:50.Can I say how hurtful those remarks must have been to the Prime Minister

:25:51. > :25:53.over the last few days? Can be Prime Minister tell the House what message

:25:54. > :25:56.they want to send to the millions of people and all of our constituencies

:25:57. > :26:01.who want to do the right thing by the next generation?

:26:02. > :26:07.I am grateful, and I am sure my mother will be too. She says she is

:26:08. > :26:12.developing a thicker skin with every week. He is right that many people

:26:13. > :26:16.want to pass wealth and assets, help their children in all of the ways

:26:17. > :26:21.that they can. That is not something we should be ashamed of, but we

:26:22. > :26:27.should actively encourage it. It would help build a stronger society

:26:28. > :26:29.in our country. The prime minister acknowledged that under current

:26:30. > :26:35.legislation is difficult to prosecute countries to assist with

:26:36. > :26:41.tax evasion. I, and many others would add fraud and corruption to

:26:42. > :26:45.that list to. The government promised in a manifesto to extend

:26:46. > :26:49.corporate offences to deal with all economic crime, not just tax

:26:50. > :26:54.evasion. Would the Prime Minister committed today to urgently review

:26:55. > :27:00.the legislation to extend the offence that would incorporate fraud

:27:01. > :27:04.and corruption to? She makes an interesting suggestion, and I will

:27:05. > :27:11.look at it carefully. We announced a proposal and identified an

:27:12. > :27:14.opportunity in a future bill -- inclusion in the future bill. I

:27:15. > :27:19.think she is arguing for an extension of the offences, so that

:27:20. > :27:27.they can be used in the same way and I will look carefully. We have had a

:27:28. > :27:30.full exchange, and we must move on to the second statement. The

:27:31. > :27:44.secretary of state for business innovation and skills. Thank you Mr

:27:45. > :27:49.Speaker. I would make a statement on Britain's steel industry. We are

:27:50. > :27:57.familiar with the perfect storm that has led to the global still collapse

:27:58. > :28:03.in 2015. For all of the economic challenges, this is a huge one. Over

:28:04. > :28:08.the past 11 months I have visited steel communities all over the UK.

:28:09. > :28:12.There are different plans in different faces, but there is one

:28:13. > :28:16.thing that unites them. The pride, and the dedication of the highly

:28:17. > :28:20.skilled people that I meet. All they want is to carry on doing what they

:28:21. > :28:27.do so well. I am doing everything I can to help them do just that. Mr

:28:28. > :28:33.Speaker, I will talk first about Port Talbot. It's becoming secretary

:28:34. > :28:38.of state for business I have been in frequent contact with the senior

:28:39. > :28:44.management of Tata. This includes several meetings last year and this

:28:45. > :28:50.year. Several weeks ago, Tata told me, and confident, they were

:28:51. > :28:56.considering immediate closure of port Talbot. I would have meant

:28:57. > :29:00.thousands of workers would have been out of a job and thousands more

:29:01. > :29:07.would have been facing a bleak future. I was not prepared to let

:29:08. > :29:17.that happen. Any days that followed I worked relentlessly... . Order!

:29:18. > :29:21.The statement must be heard. The record shows that the chair

:29:22. > :29:28.facilitates a very full and thorough interrogation. The secretary of

:29:29. > :29:35.state will expect nothing less, but he needs the courtesy of being hurt.

:29:36. > :29:41.Thank you. I worked relentlessly to convince Tata that it was within

:29:42. > :29:50.everyone's interest to keep the factory open. I was told they were

:29:51. > :29:56.open to that process. That has paid off. They announced their intent to

:29:57. > :30:03.sell off their planned rather than to close it. Since then I have made

:30:04. > :30:06.with executives here, and in Mumbai. I have been joined by the business

:30:07. > :30:16.minister and our member from Wales. We have been assured Tata will be a

:30:17. > :30:21.responsible seller and find a buyer. The formal process begins today. I

:30:22. > :30:24.have been in contact with potential buyers, making clear that the

:30:25. > :30:29.government stands ready to help. This includes looking at the

:30:30. > :30:34.possibility of how investing with a buyer on commercial terms. We have

:30:35. > :30:46.appointed you why on behalf of the government. -- EY. I cannot divulge

:30:47. > :30:49.ongoing discussions, I will update the house when appropriate. I would

:30:50. > :30:52.take this opportunity to thank the first Minister of Wales for all of

:30:53. > :30:59.his hard work, because his support in all of these works has been

:31:00. > :31:07.invaluable. I will turn to tarmac's one product division. There has been

:31:08. > :31:11.an additional agreement with Tata. They protect jobs, and minimizes

:31:12. > :31:15.costs to taxpayers. We have been closely involved in the sales

:31:16. > :31:19.process from day one, including making a commercial offer on

:31:20. > :31:25.financing if possible. We will continue to work with them to make

:31:26. > :31:28.sure that this gets done. Moving on to Scotland. Friday, we sought

:31:29. > :31:37.liberty house receive the keys to to Tata Mills. It is a great result for

:31:38. > :31:48.the people of Scotland. The Scottish government deserves applause. The

:31:49. > :31:56.steel industry is still a long way from its peak, from its pre-crisis

:31:57. > :32:07.deep. Our support continues. The steel Council, which has been

:32:08. > :32:11.meeting has worked toward solutions. We have worked with unions. I would

:32:12. > :32:18.like to thank the community for its positive and constructive approach.

:32:19. > :32:23.We had taken on power. ?76 million has been paid to steel makers to

:32:24. > :32:29.compensate for bills, and we expect to pay more than ?100 million this

:32:30. > :32:36.year. We have acted on procurement. New rules make it easier for public

:32:37. > :32:40.to buy British. We are leading calls in the EU against unfair trading

:32:41. > :32:45.practices. We favoured anti-dumping measures in our votes last year. We

:32:46. > :32:51.voted in favour of measures on rebar and coal products in February of

:32:52. > :32:59.this year. These measures are having a real effect, with regard down 99%.

:33:00. > :33:04.We are still looking at ways to improve the EU tax mechanism to help

:33:05. > :33:14.the steel industry without harming other sectors. Let me be clear on

:33:15. > :33:18.this. We have, repeatedly, donated, and voted on tariffs for unfair

:33:19. > :33:25.Chinese steel, and we will continue to do so. Mr Speaker, I would love

:33:26. > :33:28.to stand here and declare the crisis is over, to say that not one more

:33:29. > :33:36.jobs will be lost in the steel industry. That is not a promise that

:33:37. > :33:41.I can make. But, I can promise that this government has consistently

:33:42. > :33:47.done all that we can to support Britain's steel industry, and we

:33:48. > :33:53.will continue to do so. We know, Mr Speaker, there are no easy answers.

:33:54. > :33:59.Too many jobs have been lost. Where that has happened we have worked to

:34:00. > :34:05.ensure no one is left behind. The committed ?80 million to help those

:34:06. > :34:14.affected by the closure. We stand ready to help you back industry

:34:15. > :34:20.where it is facing redundancies. Britain's steel industry is a vital

:34:21. > :34:23.part of our economy. I want to secure its long-term future, to see

:34:24. > :34:29.made in Britain stand in steel used around the world, and I want to

:34:30. > :34:36.protect the jobs of the workers who worked in the industry. The people

:34:37. > :34:44.of Port Talbot, Scunthorpe, and of their one industries around the

:34:45. > :34:49.country. I commit this to the house. Can I thank the secretary of state

:34:50. > :34:54.for his statement. Can I also welcome the good news on the sale of

:34:55. > :34:58.the lung products division, Scunthorpe, after nine months of

:34:59. > :35:12.negotiation. I know the business secretary claims it as a business

:35:13. > :35:18.success -- government success. The actual factory said they need help

:35:19. > :35:22.from the government, but it was not forthcoming. This has turned into an

:35:23. > :35:27.existential crisis. This government and this secretary have been found

:35:28. > :35:35.wanting. When I met workers on the 18th of March I noticed the mood was

:35:36. > :35:40.darkening and they were looking forward to the meeting in Mumbai. My

:35:41. > :35:45.friend was so concerned that he flew to Mumbai with the secretary of the

:35:46. > :35:50.community you need to meet directly with Tata. Where was the business

:35:51. > :35:57.secretary? Was he fighting tooth and nail to ensure a UK foundation

:35:58. > :36:04.industry? Mr Speaker, he is not -- was not. He was on his way to

:36:05. > :36:08.Australia to fulfil pleasant engagements down under and leaving

:36:09. > :36:14.his junior minister to take the flak back home. It is this incompetence,

:36:15. > :36:18.this in action which has characterised his response to this

:36:19. > :36:24.crisis from the beginning. He has claimed he was caught unaware by

:36:25. > :36:29.Tata's decision to sell its entire operations, putting at risk of

:36:30. > :36:33.40,000 jobs. A week, on the side of the house, had been a morning there

:36:34. > :36:39.was a gathering of urgency, and that it was coming to a head. Labour MPs

:36:40. > :36:43.have raised this issue more than 200 times since the election a year ago

:36:44. > :36:48.and we have been brushed off with warm words and no action, month

:36:49. > :36:56.after month. The business secretary's indifference to storage

:36:57. > :36:59.steel making and red car, an action that will not be forgiven in the

:37:00. > :37:10.Northeast for a very long time. The government has been the -- accused

:37:11. > :37:19.of plundering by their own backbenchers. -- foundering. Since

:37:20. > :37:23.you steel crisis made the front pages -- we have an ideological

:37:24. > :37:28.disengagement policy because of their dogma. This could be an

:37:29. > :37:34.existential moment for the whole of the UK manufacturing base, but Mr

:37:35. > :37:41.Speaker, I welcome the long overdue admission from this government that

:37:42. > :37:46.it is their duty to help find a place for steel making. I hope it is

:37:47. > :37:49.not too little too late. He is simply telling it because he has

:37:50. > :37:57.overcome his ideological tastes, and if so, I say, we say, about time.

:37:58. > :38:01.Given that the Scunthorpe deal took nine months, can you tell us how

:38:02. > :38:10.long Tata are planning to keep the plant operational until the deal,

:38:11. > :38:13.and can he assure us that any sale is an integrated operation? Does the

:38:14. > :38:19.secretary of state agree with me that for jobs to retained in the

:38:20. > :38:25.industry, it is crucial that the UK retains the capacity to make as well

:38:26. > :38:31.as recycle and remake the steel. Waxing will he take to ensure the

:38:32. > :38:36.blast furnace is kept? What support is the government willing to make

:38:37. > :38:41.available to secure a sale to a responsible owner? If he hasn't

:38:42. > :38:47.already done so, will the secretary of state undertake Emma today, all

:38:48. > :38:53.of the customer base and to reassure them that he plans have a viable

:38:54. > :38:56.future. They will remain open for business so that they can be

:38:57. > :39:05.confident about placing orders. But will the government's Plan B for

:39:06. > :39:09.still making? The business secretary has ruled out temporary

:39:10. > :39:17.nationalization, but his junior minister has not. Which is it? On

:39:18. > :39:23.the dumping of Chinese steel, with the secretary of state rethinks his

:39:24. > :39:28.action on the duty rule light of the tariffs that the Chinese have

:39:29. > :39:39.provocatively imposed on special speciality steel. On procurement,

:39:40. > :39:45.British steel industry was made the priority. With 178 billion

:39:46. > :39:49.commitment to equipment over the next ten years, will the government

:39:50. > :39:57.change this to support the British steel industry was

:39:58. > :40:07.I am ashamed that she has taken this attitude. Instead of working

:40:08. > :40:10.together, Mr Speaker, she seems interested in cheap, political

:40:11. > :40:16.shots. The process, rather than the substance. I suggest she learns from

:40:17. > :40:20.her friend, the first Minister of Wales, who has been nothing but

:40:21. > :40:25.constructive and positive in his approach. The lady talks about

:40:26. > :40:37.Labour's long-running concern for the steel industry. Let us. During

:40:38. > :40:44.Labour's last term in office between 97 - 2010, 40,000 jobs were lost in

:40:45. > :40:48.the British steel industry. Output was more than halved. During those

:40:49. > :40:55.years, the lady herself mentioned the word actor won twice in the

:40:56. > :41:02.House of Commons. The current Leader of the Opposition mentioned the word

:41:03. > :41:09.still not once during that period. And, Mr Speaker, she talks about her

:41:10. > :41:15.long-running concern. In the last Parliament, the then Leader of the

:41:16. > :41:20.Opposition, the shadow Chancellor and shadow business secretary, how

:41:21. > :41:28.many times did they mention steel? Not once. Not once, in five years.

:41:29. > :41:31.To the right honourable Lady I say she and the sheep, political shots

:41:32. > :41:36.and worked constructively with this government and the hard-working

:41:37. > :41:43.people in this industry deserve nothing less. The lady talks about

:41:44. > :41:47.industrial strategy. We have dozens of councils. We set up the good

:41:48. > :41:51.counsel. We are not interested in picking winners we are interested in

:41:52. > :42:03.doing what works. Not ideologically, but what works. Manufacturing is up,

:42:04. > :42:07.employment is up. Our auto industry and aerospace industry are having at

:42:08. > :42:14.their best years ever. May I suggest that she spends less time on whether

:42:15. > :42:17.this score is a strategy and spend more time on celebrating the

:42:18. > :42:28.stunning success of British industry? Now, she asked about the

:42:29. > :42:30.actions that we have taken so far. Action on energy costs, compensation

:42:31. > :42:38.for energy intensive industries which will now be moving to a policy

:42:39. > :42:43.of exemption. We have changed procurement policies applying to all

:42:44. > :42:47.parts of the public sector. We have also taken action on unfair trading,

:42:48. > :42:53.something she asked for. There are 37 measures in place with 16

:42:54. > :42:57.concerning China. What we are interested in our measures that

:42:58. > :43:09.actually work. If you look in the design regard, Chinese emperor is

:43:10. > :43:14.down 99%. Wire rod, down 90%. Interested in what works, we will be

:43:15. > :43:21.given by the evidence. The evidence is here that, so far, the EU

:43:22. > :43:27.policies work. We wanted to to work faster, but we are not interested in

:43:28. > :43:36.rewriting the rule book for trade. We are interested in action for

:43:37. > :43:42.steel. If she gives suggestions for steel, I will listen. She also

:43:43. > :43:48.talked about timing in relation to the Tata sale. These discussions we

:43:49. > :43:54.have had with Tata. The key discussion took place in Mumbai,

:43:55. > :43:59.where Tata has said, while they do not have an unlimited amount of

:44:00. > :44:03.time, something we understand, then upping the down a set time frame.

:44:04. > :44:07.They will assure that there is a reasonable amount of time to find a

:44:08. > :44:15.buyer. Today more information will be released on the sales process. I

:44:16. > :44:18.believe it will reflect that. She asked about government support to

:44:19. > :44:27.secure sales. We have been working on this for weeks. The decision by

:44:28. > :44:31.Tata was sensitive so we cannot discuss earlier. There are a number

:44:32. > :44:38.of areas the government is looking at concerning power supply,

:44:39. > :44:43.pensions, and infrastructure. In doing so, we will work with unions,

:44:44. > :44:47.trustees, the pension plan and the Welsh Government in coming forward

:44:48. > :44:59.with the best offer civil. She also asked about -- best offer possible.

:45:00. > :45:04.We are very clear that the best way forward for any steel operator, if

:45:05. > :45:08.you look at the best operators in the world, they are privately run

:45:09. > :45:12.and nationalization is really the answer. We are working to fight a

:45:13. > :45:18.commercial buyer to ensure the long-term future of our Talbot and

:45:19. > :45:27.all of the other parts of Tata. As I have said, Mr Speaker, steel is a

:45:28. > :45:30.vital industry for the UK. It is important for our economic and

:45:31. > :45:38.national security, and I don't want to live in a country that relies on

:45:39. > :45:43.importing steel. We will do everything we can to assure its

:45:44. > :45:49.future. The workers in the steel industry deserve nothing less. Does

:45:50. > :45:55.he agree that Tata is an excellent company who have succeeded in making

:45:56. > :46:02.access as of Land Rover, turning into one of the finest car

:46:03. > :46:06.companies. It was a nationalised industry, and the fact that they

:46:07. > :46:10.cannot make a goal of British steel reveals the problems that he is

:46:11. > :46:16.facing. Would he also continued to reject the simplistic solutions on

:46:17. > :46:23.offer, like turf wars on China, regardless of whether it is dumping.

:46:24. > :46:27.Subsidy accommodation with Italy in breach of EU rules we have always

:46:28. > :46:31.insisted on, or nationalization on the basis that we carry on paying

:46:32. > :46:36.for the losses and poured billions of pounds any taxpayer's expense

:46:37. > :46:44.until something changes. If the changes. As we all want to see news

:46:45. > :46:47.in Port Talbot as we have seen in Scunthorpe, will he work for a

:46:48. > :46:51.sensible investor who understands steel as a proper business plan, and

:46:52. > :46:58.you can give a credible future for the best products for this business

:46:59. > :47:05.which, no doubt, could have a Bright future with the right plan. I agree

:47:06. > :47:13.wholeheartedly. He speaks with experience. First of all, Tata,

:47:14. > :47:17.beyond skill had shown responsibility investing in this

:47:18. > :47:23.country. What I found with their workforce, unions and others at Port

:47:24. > :47:30.Talbot and others with the Tata group is that they have nothing but

:47:31. > :47:36.good things to say about Tata about their values. I agree with his

:47:37. > :47:39.remarks about terrorists and being careful. I also agree with

:47:40. > :47:44.nationalization. It has to be commercial, that is how the best

:47:45. > :47:54.companies are run and how we want British companies run. I thank him

:47:55. > :47:59.for his statement. I will commit the news that Tata has confirmed a buyer

:48:00. > :48:02.for its operations in Scunthorpe. This will be good news and I hope

:48:03. > :48:07.the same can be found for Port Talbot and other sites. There are

:48:08. > :48:15.concerns about possible erosions of worker conditions, but let's be

:48:16. > :48:21.clear. This has happened in spite of this government's shameful approach

:48:22. > :48:26.to this crisis. Doing as little as possible and as little as if I could

:48:27. > :48:33.get away with. The business secretary was at the other side of

:48:34. > :48:37.the world. A perfect metaphor and personification for the Tory

:48:38. > :48:41.approach to be steel industry. In a stark contrast to the way the

:48:42. > :48:48.Scottish Government approached the crisis facing the Scottish plants.

:48:49. > :48:53.Nicholas Sturgeon said no stone would be unturned to send a crucial

:48:54. > :48:59.industry, and that is what happened. I welcome that the business

:49:00. > :49:06.secretary amended those efforts. We, on the benches stand in solidarity.

:49:07. > :49:25.-- commented. Imagine what could've been achieved,

:49:26. > :49:35.Mr Speaker, had a minister spent the last year three in Europe pressing

:49:36. > :49:49.for action on steel as opposed to visit EU referendum gamble.

:49:50. > :49:56.If you have done the work she has claim she has, he has nothing to

:49:57. > :50:05.hide. It may well repair his tarnished reputation. Thank you, Mr

:50:06. > :50:11.Speaker. As I said in my statement, I commend the Scottish Government on

:50:12. > :50:17.the two mills in Scotland. I hope that he recognises the scale of the

:50:18. > :50:21.problem of the UK is a larger, and you can find it within himself to

:50:22. > :50:27.appreciate the challenge of the industry in the UK. I think he is

:50:28. > :50:33.wrong to suggest that the government has not already taken action in

:50:34. > :50:38.regards to helping the industry. I mentioned a number of things. Energy

:50:39. > :50:43.prices are making a big difference, our action on procurement is also

:50:44. > :50:47.making a difference. Then I urge him, at this point, to work with his

:50:48. > :50:53.colleague in Edinburgh to see if they can change their procurement

:50:54. > :50:59.rules to help not just common, but the UK. Or will he look at finding a

:51:00. > :51:10.long-term, cheap energy solution for Port Talbot. That is crucial, and

:51:11. > :51:19.what restraints are the EU clicking on helping the steel industry? He

:51:20. > :51:24.speaks with experience, and he is ready to identify that energy is an

:51:25. > :51:28.issue. I don't think that the constraints are, really coming from

:51:29. > :51:35.the EU. We have demonstrated that there is action that we can take but

:51:36. > :51:40.there is more that we can do. My friend has good ideas, and I look

:51:41. > :51:47.forward to discussing them. To secure a long-term future the focus,

:51:48. > :51:54.surely, needs to be on developing mainstream comics for sectors

:51:55. > :52:08.collaborating with customers with innovative design. How will the

:52:09. > :52:12.secretary of state ensure that downstream capability is maintained

:52:13. > :52:17.while at potential buyer is found? In his response to the shadow

:52:18. > :52:21.business secretary, he mentions sector groups. What has he

:52:22. > :52:27.facilitated with the sector groups, like the automotive counsel or oil

:52:28. > :52:30.gas and offshore wind councils to ensure closer cooperation to

:52:31. > :52:41.customers to provide a great future for steel steel? Thank you. And I

:52:42. > :52:44.thank him on his approach to this, especially to his chairmanship of

:52:45. > :52:50.the business select committee. He is right to point out other parts of

:52:51. > :52:56.the downstream steel of business. That is where the high value product

:52:57. > :53:01.is. One thing Tata have made clear in approach to this sale is they

:53:02. > :53:05.will not cherry pick. They know the downstream process is important to

:53:06. > :53:10.potential buyers. They will make sure a potential buyer can buy the

:53:11. > :53:16.whole group, an important commitment we have managed to secure. The

:53:17. > :53:19.long-established councils that cover many different sectors, the

:53:20. > :53:28.automotive and the aerospace sectors, both used steel from the

:53:29. > :53:37.UK. We work them -- work with them to maintain the supply chain

:53:38. > :53:49.implementing steel products from the UK. Is the best support a long-term

:53:50. > :53:53.vision supporting long-term, quality sale and an attractive government

:53:54. > :54:04.package? And encourage customers to buy? Thank you. Thank you. She takes

:54:05. > :54:08.an interest on this from the select committee. The issue is that none of

:54:09. > :54:13.us want to be back in this situation years from now. We want to find the

:54:14. > :54:17.long-term buyer who will invest in the business, and that requires

:54:18. > :54:26.government support. We are ready to work with that buyer. Before I

:54:27. > :54:32.start, I would like to pay tribute to the steelworkers in the gallery

:54:33. > :54:38.today, along with the outstanding general secretary of community

:54:39. > :54:45.Union. I would also like to join with the secretary of state in

:54:46. > :54:53.paying tribute. What a contrast to the British Government. Within days

:54:54. > :55:01.?60 million were put on the table. As someone who is closing the gap.

:55:02. > :55:10.Order! I said when the secretary of state was speaking that he should be

:55:11. > :55:14.heard with courtesy. Order! The same goes for the honourable gentleman.

:55:15. > :55:20.It is not appropriate for people to yell, shame! And honourable member

:55:21. > :55:32.who is putting a legitimate question. Learn! The Welsh

:55:33. > :55:36.government put millions of pounds on the table, I hope the UK government

:55:37. > :55:41.will to. He asked for focus suggestions, here are three.

:55:42. > :55:48.Firstly, what is the government doing to secure the customer base?

:55:49. > :55:52.Honda, Land Rover? I hope that the secretary of state is picking up the

:55:53. > :55:58.phone to them and insuring that we maintain the integrity of the

:55:59. > :56:04.industry. Secondly, on the blast furnaces. Does the Secretary of

:56:05. > :56:10.State believe that the blast furnaces in a Port Talbot should

:56:11. > :56:16.continue as an integral part of the UK steel making industry? Thirdly,

:56:17. > :56:23.could he explain why the British Government detainees to block the

:56:24. > :56:29.scrapping of the best duty rule? -- continues to block? We are

:56:30. > :56:33.repeatedly told that by scrapping the lesser duty rule the intake of

:56:34. > :56:39.being measure would have a real teeth to deal with Chinese steel

:56:40. > :56:43.being dumped? Within the UK government rather cosy up to

:56:44. > :56:50.Beijing, rather than work with UK steel workers? First of all, can I

:56:51. > :56:56.say to the honourable gentleman that is a very difficult situation for

:56:57. > :57:01.his constituents. I am working with them and stand ready to work in any

:57:02. > :57:06.way I can to help them and to listen to what he has got to say. The

:57:07. > :57:09.meeting I have had with him has been useful, but I look forward to more

:57:10. > :57:15.as we jointly try to help the situation. He asked three questions.

:57:16. > :57:19.I think one of the most important things that we can do and that we

:57:20. > :57:28.are doing is to revive confidence that we can help to find and secure

:57:29. > :57:33.long-term interest in the steel works. That is what the customer

:57:34. > :57:38.base will want to know. We are in touch with many of them. I talked

:57:39. > :57:42.about the auto and aerospace industry, but providing confidence

:57:43. > :57:47.will be reassuring. He asked about the blast furnaces. The blast

:57:48. > :57:53.furnaces, which I went to see myself in action last week are hugely

:57:54. > :57:57.important. I don't think I am in a position to say exactly what the

:57:58. > :58:02.structure of the business should be going forward. I think that we will

:58:03. > :58:09.work with all parties to make sure that we can secure as many jobs as

:58:10. > :58:15.possible, and make sure that steel making a continues. Lastly, he asked

:58:16. > :58:19.about the lesser duty rule. I will point out that it has been

:58:20. > :58:24.long-standing. The previous Labour government and this government have

:58:25. > :58:32.made sure that it gets the right balance in terms of the industry and

:58:33. > :58:39.consumer. The last British are presented is sent to Brussels,

:58:40. > :58:44.appointed by Labour, supported that rule. I am interested in what works

:58:45. > :58:48.to help the industry. But we have seen is with tariffs imposed, they

:58:49. > :58:55.work. It leads to massive reductions in Chinese imports.

:58:56. > :59:01.That the's front bench interest in steel production is a new

:59:02. > :59:09.phenomenon. The last phenomenon mentions steel... Given the recent

:59:10. > :59:11.grandstanding does my right honourable friend agreed with me

:59:12. > :59:19.that this contributes absolutely nothing. In assisting the many Tata

:59:20. > :59:25.Port Talbot steelworkers who live in my constituency? My honourable

:59:26. > :59:33.friend, first of all I am pleased that we are able to talk the last

:59:34. > :59:36.few days. I agree with what he said, but I would also like to reassure

:59:37. > :59:41.him that we will work closely with him and other members of this house

:59:42. > :59:47.to try to bring back confidence to his constituents that we are trying

:59:48. > :59:50.to do everything we can to help. There is a real danger that the

:59:51. > :59:55.secretary of state is presenting sometimes the idea that everything

:59:56. > :00:01.has been done. The fact is that the issue is we still see... On

:00:02. > :00:03.procurement, the Ministry of Defense is not keeping records of where

:00:04. > :00:07.they're still comes from. On tariffs, he says that he will do

:00:08. > :00:14.everything, but he will not take action to scrap the lesser duty

:00:15. > :00:18.rule. What is he going to change and those industry fundamentals that are

:00:19. > :00:25.going to prevent us from sin crisis after crisis in the steel industry?

:00:26. > :00:29.Let me just pick up on one of the issues. He has identified three very

:00:30. > :00:34.important issues that affect the industry. The honourable gentleman

:00:35. > :00:42.mentions the patient delete like energy costs. The climate change act

:00:43. > :00:48.that he would have supported that was introduced by the last Labour

:00:49. > :00:51.government. This side of the House to but what we have been working on

:00:52. > :00:55.ever since is trying to mitigate some of the problems that was

:00:56. > :01:00.created for industry. I would have bought the honourable gentleman

:01:01. > :01:03.would have supported that. We should be under no misapprehension that the

:01:04. > :01:08.future of the global steel industry will be brutally competitive for

:01:09. > :01:16.many years to come. My right honourable friend is both accessible

:01:17. > :01:21.in finding safe harboured for steel that will be significant compliment.

:01:22. > :01:26.He must do that while upholding the lesser duty rule. It is an

:01:27. > :01:32.underpinning of free trade, it's a choice jobs and many other sectors

:01:33. > :01:36.of our economy. On the issue of tariffs, some talked about the

:01:37. > :01:41.Americans talked about a 200% tariff. That is because the Chinese

:01:42. > :01:45.provided no information defence. In that same instrument, the Americans

:01:46. > :01:52.put a 50% tariff on UK steel manufactured by Tata. I always

:01:53. > :01:58.listen very carefully to what my honourable friend has to say. He is

:01:59. > :02:03.respected member. He is right to point out the issue around tariffs.

:02:04. > :02:06.The concern, always, of any government is to strike the right

:02:07. > :02:10.balance between taking action where there is clear evidence of dumping

:02:11. > :02:14.and unfair trading, but not going any further than that because the

:02:15. > :02:19.real people that will pay that cost our consumers. It is hardly

:02:20. > :02:27.progressive and the poorest will be hit hardest. Steelworkers rocking

:02:28. > :02:41.this including those that travelled here today have pressed the

:02:42. > :02:46.government. They are asking that their... The government act on the

:02:47. > :02:49.pension fund and that there is a long-term industrial strategy to

:02:50. > :02:54.give potential buyers confidence. We are no clear from the secretary of

:02:55. > :03:02.state's statement what Fleet Bank Popsicle examples he has. The

:03:03. > :03:08.honourable Rick Lady raises her concerns. The concerns of her

:03:09. > :03:11.constituents. I can reassure her that we are looking at everything.

:03:12. > :03:16.She is aware of the actions that we have taken. She will understand that

:03:17. > :03:21.there is no magic wand. No government can make these problems

:03:22. > :03:23.go away overnight. This is an international challenge. Over the

:03:24. > :03:30.last few days and heard about problems in the US and Australia. I

:03:31. > :03:37.think that if she respects back, then she will work with us and

:03:38. > :03:41.trying to find a long-term solution. I commend the government on its

:03:42. > :03:44.plans to roll out its guidance on procurement practice to the entire

:03:45. > :03:49.public sector. And I asked my right honourable friend what he is doing

:03:50. > :03:52.to ensure that UK steel companies are aware of those opportunities and

:03:53. > :04:02.how they can be in the best possible place to win this contract. First of

:04:03. > :04:06.all, we have been the first of the EU countries to change our

:04:07. > :04:10.procurement was to take account the new flexibility and economic and

:04:11. > :04:14.social factors. We have now extended at further to the now entire public

:04:15. > :04:19.sector, not just central government procurement. We are also working on

:04:20. > :04:23.what I call the visibility of the pipeline. We have ?300 billion of

:04:24. > :04:29.infrastructure plan of the next five years. That is a huge amount of

:04:30. > :04:32.British steel. We are working with industries and groups like UK steel

:04:33. > :04:38.to make sure that there is maximum visibility. Faster the secretary of

:04:39. > :04:42.state and the Prime Minister said that they were doing everything they

:04:43. > :04:50.can to keep steel working on Teesside. Nothing was done.

:04:51. > :04:56.Deal-making was gone. The town is dealt a devastating blow. Why should

:04:57. > :05:03.the workers of Port Talbot and everywhere else around the country

:05:04. > :05:07.believe a word that he says? First of all, the honourable lady has

:05:08. > :05:12.fought very hard for her constituents and she is still doing

:05:13. > :05:15.a lot to help many of those workers that have lost their jobs. I have

:05:16. > :05:18.met with her and my right honourable friend has met with her. We will

:05:19. > :05:28.continue to work with those who have lost their jobs. She will also

:05:29. > :05:33.build... Know that the solution... She will know that the business was

:05:34. > :05:35.not viable after hundreds of millions of pounds of investment.

:05:36. > :05:39.There were no commercial buyers coming for. I know that it was

:05:40. > :05:43.difficult, but the honourable lady will know that. But we have seen

:05:44. > :05:47.with Tata already, if you look at today's news, with Tata products, we

:05:48. > :05:53.have seen that it is possible to find a commercial buyer. I have no

:05:54. > :05:57.doubt that the Business Secretary is focused on the key issues for

:05:58. > :06:00.potential investors in Port Talbot, like the pension fund in the energy

:06:01. > :06:05.costs. In terms of a bright long-term future for steel from

:06:06. > :06:07.Wales, can I encourage them to have her lead discussions with the

:06:08. > :06:13.Chancellor on the energy secretary about an announcement on the chair

:06:14. > :06:17.of the announced Marine energy review and in particular the

:06:18. > :06:22.proposed title and South Wales which will be an enormous boost to morale

:06:23. > :06:32.and in practice to producers of steel in South Wales. My honourable

:06:33. > :06:38.friend makes a good point. Energy is a big issue and remains a big issue

:06:39. > :06:42.for our energy intensive in industry. The title would do that he

:06:43. > :06:44.mentions is an in an board issued to look at. We have started a

:06:45. > :06:58.feasibility study Betty. Can I make it absolutely clear to

:06:59. > :07:04.the House that this is not just an issue related to whales or Port

:07:05. > :07:09.Talbot. It is a UK problem. I am sure that the secretary of stable to

:07:10. > :07:13.me on that. It is a national issue. The 900 steelworkers in my

:07:14. > :07:17.constituency whose jobs are now on the line, will expect the secretary

:07:18. > :07:21.of state to guarantee that he will do whatever it takes to give them

:07:22. > :07:27.the future than they deserve. However, there was an optimistic

:07:28. > :07:33.note in what he said. He mentioned: investment. Can he explain to the

:07:34. > :07:36.House what co-investment is and does this guarantee that the government

:07:37. > :07:43.is willing to intervene and do what ever is necessary to save our

:07:44. > :07:48.industry. The honourable lady is absolutely right. Is a wide problem.

:07:49. > :07:57.We talked about Scotland earlier as well as Wales. She is absolutely

:07:58. > :08:01.right to bring the House's attention to that. On co-investment, the ice

:08:02. > :08:07.had bad to demonstrate that when I say that we will look at all options

:08:08. > :08:10.be good to look at all options. It is possible I don't know at this

:08:11. > :08:15.point because the sales process is just beginning, but it is possible

:08:16. > :08:21.someone might come forward and ask for investments or funds. Of course,

:08:22. > :08:24.it has to be on commercial terms, but that is a demonstration of how

:08:25. > :08:32.far this government can go to make sure that still as successful. --

:08:33. > :08:36.steel. Customer confidence is mentioned by the honourable

:08:37. > :08:41.gentleman and is crucial. Can he assure the House that he and his

:08:42. > :08:44.colleagues and officials are doing all that they can with regards to

:08:45. > :08:51.existing customers for British Steel to ensure that the British

:08:52. > :08:55.Government is committed to a long-term future for British made

:08:56. > :09:01.steel in this country and that they can feel safe and secure and placing

:09:02. > :09:07.future orders? I can give my honourable friend that assurance. He

:09:08. > :09:13.is absolutely right to point out the confidence that the customers need.

:09:14. > :09:20.Equally be supply chain. We are breaking with suppliers and

:09:21. > :09:29.customers to get them that reassurance, -- working. Can I asked

:09:30. > :09:34.the secretary of state will be UK Government take on the pension

:09:35. > :09:46.liability of 15 billion 415 thousand Tata workers?

:09:47. > :09:52.The honourable lady is right to raise the issue of pensions. I said

:09:53. > :09:56.before that I think it is likely that any buyer that comes forward

:09:57. > :10:00.will want some kind of pension solution. It is going to be a

:10:01. > :10:04.challenge, but what I can reassure her on is that we are looking

:10:05. > :10:07.carefully at that. We are in discussion with the pension

:10:08. > :10:12.trustees. We want to come up with something that will back both

:10:13. > :10:18.mentors and help find a buyer. -- I mentors.

:10:19. > :10:29.When Danny Willett pulled on his jacket in Augusta, the cloth was

:10:30. > :10:35.woven and I do my constituency. I am proud of the infrastructure project,

:10:36. > :10:38.can the business sector secretary confirmed to me that he will be

:10:39. > :10:46.doing everything he can to put British Steel at the heart of this

:10:47. > :10:54.transformational project. I am sure the whole house congratulates Danny

:10:55. > :10:58.Willett on his victory. It is a question about Crossrail and eight

:10:59. > :11:06.asked to and specifically about HS two.

:11:07. > :11:12.The government procurement for aircraft carriers is 90% British

:11:13. > :11:16.Steel, and we will make sure we can do everything it can when it comes

:11:17. > :11:23.to adjust to it will be British Steel. He admitted that UK

:11:24. > :11:34.Government ministers knew in advance about Port Talbot's, -- Tata's

:11:35. > :11:42.contention. -- intention. When the faith of the plans were determined.

:11:43. > :11:47.This does not contrast well with the action of the Scottish Government

:11:48. > :11:52.which nationalise Tata's actions in Scotland to facilitate a private

:11:53. > :11:56.sale. As it not the case of the Welsh economy and workforce being

:11:57. > :12:01.let down by a careless Tory government here in Westminster and a

:12:02. > :12:10.complacent Labour government and Wales? Mr Speaker, the honourable

:12:11. > :12:14.gentleman could not be further from the truth. The reality is that the

:12:15. > :12:18.meeting emblem by that he is referring to was a board meeting

:12:19. > :12:23.deciding whether to accept the decision that was being made by the

:12:24. > :12:27.executive management of Tata Steel. -- mum five.

:12:28. > :12:35.If the British Government have waited it would have been too little

:12:36. > :12:39.too late. Action was acquired weeks before that. When we first heard

:12:40. > :12:42.about closure, that is he took action. I ensure that the honourable

:12:43. > :12:47.gentleman would agree with me that a sales process that has the ability

:12:48. > :12:58.to secure the future of these workers is far better than algebraic

:12:59. > :13:04.closure. -- out right closure. I had a meeting in sapphic. We talked

:13:05. > :13:18.about how to use innovation into the steel work sector. To look

:13:19. > :13:26.to support the 20% century steel industry. I think that my honourable

:13:27. > :13:34.friend makes a very good point. Obviously, in some parts of the UK

:13:35. > :13:38.there are enhanced credit of capital allowances. She makes an interesting

:13:39. > :13:42.suggestion that could help the industry more widely about tax

:13:43. > :13:50.credits. Of course I will meet with her. When the secretary of state

:13:51. > :13:57.comes to the dispatch box he needs to be careful of what he says. He

:13:58. > :14:00.referred to the 80 million promised to read car. I would dispute that

:14:01. > :14:07.figure about what has been delivered in our area and the last six months.

:14:08. > :14:13.Beyond that, today in our meeting, the secretary of state did not rule

:14:14. > :14:19.out a potential option of Tata remaining for all steel sides, not

:14:20. > :14:22.just as relation to these products. What type of investment that could

:14:23. > :14:25.he put forth to the House or that the House can see what potentially

:14:26. > :14:32.will happened to that he can discuss it on the floor of the House about

:14:33. > :14:35.the options available for UK steel? Mr Speaker, I know that the

:14:36. > :14:40.honourable gentleman means well and he has fought very hard for his

:14:41. > :14:46.constituents. I am sure that he understands that in terms of trying

:14:47. > :14:49.to secure a deal, it would not be in the interest of bad deal if the

:14:50. > :14:56.commercial terms were being discussed of the House. A lot of the

:14:57. > :15:00.issues for the buyers in the approach as an Tata, they will be

:15:01. > :15:03.commercially sensitive. Some will want to reveal that they are in

:15:04. > :15:08.discussions. We have to respect that. If we don't, we risk using a

:15:09. > :15:17.deal. I hope that the honourable judge Lincoln also respect that. The

:15:18. > :15:21.only way for the long-term future of the British steel industry is to

:15:22. > :15:28.stop Chinese dumping. The Americans have imposed a 266% tariff on the

:15:29. > :15:37.Chinese, but the British Government can't because it is in the EU. Would

:15:38. > :15:41.a Business Secretary agreed with me that it would be in the interest of

:15:42. > :15:45.the British steel industry and the government imposed a 200 and $.60%

:15:46. > :15:56.tariff now I'm worried about the EU later? -- and worried about the EU

:15:57. > :16:01.later I think that he is interested in Terrace that actually work. The

:16:02. > :16:07.right level has to be the level that actually works. Where as America has

:16:08. > :16:11.imposed higher tariffs, if they are high that will hurt the rest of

:16:12. > :16:16.industry and consumers. They will cost thousands of jobs in the supply

:16:17. > :16:25.chain. With the EU has actually imposed tariffs is driven by the

:16:26. > :16:33.evidence. In rebar, 13% tariff lead to a 99% fall. Thank you Mr Speaker.

:16:34. > :16:39.The European Commission wants to move away from the duty rule. When

:16:40. > :16:44.it is in place, the problem is that the duty of the community is going

:16:45. > :16:48.to be far less than the margin of the dumping. Can secretary of be

:16:49. > :16:56.clear, was the spokesman right when he said, and I quote, that the UK

:16:57. > :17:02.Government was the leader and blocking its reform? The first thing

:17:03. > :17:08.to say is that the duty that it leads to is either one that stops

:17:09. > :17:12.the dumping, or one that writes the entry of its course and industry.

:17:13. > :17:28.That is how the terrorists actually is calculated. All the evidence --

:17:29. > :17:33.the terrorists. -- tariffs. He is absolutely wrong about this issue.

:17:34. > :17:39.You will know that no single government can block this. You need

:17:40. > :17:44.a locking minority to have that. As I said and I will say again, if he

:17:45. > :17:52.has a suggestion that is targeted on steel, that I am willing to listen.

:17:53. > :17:56.My right honourable friend began his statement by saying that the

:17:57. > :18:00.collapse and the global steel price is a human tragedy. Can my right

:18:01. > :18:04.honourable friend of the House on measures that are being taken to

:18:05. > :18:13.support workers in our steel communities? It is a good point.

:18:14. > :18:20.Where there have been losses, we talked about places in terms of job

:18:21. > :18:23.losses, the government has worked with local councils and others and

:18:24. > :18:29.trying to secure more investments to that area to try to replace those

:18:30. > :18:31.jobs with further investment domestically and from abroad, but

:18:32. > :18:36.also with other measures such as skills training and recent illegal

:18:37. > :18:50.workers are that they are ready to take new jobs. It probably... --

:18:51. > :18:53.re-skilling. The secretary of state needs to realise that this is a

:18:54. > :18:58.crisis that affects the whole of the UK steel industry, not only Port

:18:59. > :19:02.Talbot, but we need action that will put us time. Time is key here to

:19:03. > :19:11.find a secure future for the UK plans. The honourable member is

:19:12. > :19:16.absolutely right. Time is going to be key. That's what I was keen to

:19:17. > :19:20.meet with Tata last week to try to get those reassurances. I believe

:19:21. > :19:28.that I have those reassurances. The old cement control of time will be

:19:29. > :19:33.with the seller. -- ultimate. I have every reason to bleed that Tata will

:19:34. > :19:40.be irresponsible seller. -- to believe. Can I also commend the

:19:41. > :19:48.Minister for her tireless work and keeping my neighbouring colleagues

:19:49. > :19:52.up-to-date. Can I also commend the workforce for the approach that they

:19:53. > :19:56.had taken which is been this responsible. Can my right honourable

:19:57. > :20:00.friend elaborate on how he is going to ensure that the public sector

:20:01. > :20:09.infrastructure and construction project are actually using British

:20:10. > :20:17.steel. Can I do join my honourable friend and welcoming 4000 jobs

:20:18. > :20:20.secured. That is hugely welcome news. That is a vote of confidence

:20:21. > :20:26.in the British steel industry. He asked about pie and procurement,

:20:27. > :20:34.about how we can make sure that it is British. The changes that we may

:20:35. > :20:38.to be true but rules -- procurement rules will help to achieve just

:20:39. > :20:42.that. I think that the way the Beacon health is that with these

:20:43. > :20:46.large industrial infrastructure projects we can get a lot more

:20:47. > :20:49.visibility to the steel manufacturers. That is the work that

:20:50. > :21:02.we are looking up to be still counsel. Business rates on plant and

:21:03. > :21:06.machinery are effectively a tax our investment -- on investment. They

:21:07. > :21:07.comprise a significant element of the cost of the steel industry that

:21:08. > :21:24.artists undermine good. Can the Minister confirm that this

:21:25. > :21:29.was so, why it did not take place, and would it be reconsidered and put

:21:30. > :21:37.together for a future buyer for Port Talbot? The honourable gentleman is

:21:38. > :21:40.right to raise this issue of business rates. It is something that

:21:41. > :21:45.has come up from the industry time and time again. It is right to look

:21:46. > :21:48.at it. I think that one of the issues is that if we are interested

:21:49. > :21:55.in looking at issues around the steel industry, that they can be a

:21:56. > :21:59.blunt instrument if you look at the total cost of making that change.

:22:00. > :22:02.How little of that will actually flowed onto the steel industry.

:22:03. > :22:08.There might be more focused way to do it. Having said that, where there

:22:09. > :22:11.are large steel operations, as we know with Port Talbot and Wales,

:22:12. > :22:15.there might be something that can be done there. The honourable gentleman

:22:16. > :22:18.will know that this is rich have Billy Mack can fall, with what we

:22:19. > :22:25.are talking about this issue with the Welsh government. I was pleased

:22:26. > :22:32.to here the secretary of state a few minutes ago acknowledging being part

:22:33. > :22:35.that high energy prices have played in the importunate situation with

:22:36. > :22:41.steel and other energy intensive industries. I am concerned that the

:22:42. > :22:50.carbon price floor in the at ?18 08 per tonne, adds to the price of the

:22:51. > :22:52.EU, placing a burden on each energy intensive industries that is four

:22:53. > :22:57.and a half times that of our European neighbours. I know that he

:22:58. > :23:02.has looked at a lot to alleviate this burden, but what he is group

:23:03. > :23:09.that now might be a good time to look at reducing the carbon price

:23:10. > :23:15.for? My honourable friend raises an important issue for this industry.

:23:16. > :23:19.Energy costs, especially when those are compared to other countries in

:23:20. > :23:25.Europe. He is right to point out the action that we have taken

:23:26. > :23:30.conversation moving to exemption. There are other ways to help. We are

:23:31. > :23:33.actively looking about. One way is looking at more renewable power

:23:34. > :23:40.sources, which are exempt for many of these costs. One of my colleagues

:23:41. > :23:49.mentioned a tidal lagoon. There are other ways of Beacon. We're looking

:23:50. > :23:55.at all of those options. I submitted many questions for the secretary of

:23:56. > :24:00.state's plan. Now I know what he wanted to keep that to do, because

:24:01. > :24:03.the plan proposed cutting over 4000 jobs, 40% of the insolvency services

:24:04. > :24:14.staff, who have been working flat out since the steel crisis. Given

:24:15. > :24:17.the deepening crisis, where the secretary of state go back to the

:24:18. > :24:23.drawing board and rethink those ill thought out through plans that will

:24:24. > :24:29.make his job so much harder to do. I am not sure but that has to do with

:24:30. > :24:41.steel. That is a matter of interpretation. He is in type

:24:42. > :24:45.entitled to to interpret. I am also grateful for the word that he has

:24:46. > :24:52.been taking Ford. To help pharmaceutical sites across the UK

:24:53. > :24:56.to the purpose and revitalise across trends. This he agreed that there

:24:57. > :25:05.are lessons that can be passed onto steel sector? Yes, I do agree with

:25:06. > :25:08.my honourable friend that way or jobs in any industry whether steel

:25:09. > :25:12.or underwent widespread wise where they are lost, that we should look

:25:13. > :25:19.at ways how we should look at ways of Beacon can regenerate that area.

:25:20. > :25:25.We talked earlier about red car in the loss of jobs in that area. One

:25:26. > :25:35.of the things is that attracting more investment and ways to attract

:25:36. > :25:47.more jobs. Can I pitch abuse to all of the people that worked -- pay

:25:48. > :25:53.tribute. Particularly the trade unions and management team, and

:25:54. > :25:57.suppliers as well, in addition to Tata. It is taken a lot of hard work

:25:58. > :26:01.over nine months to get to where we are today. In his statement, the

:26:02. > :26:11.secretary of state referred to the commercial offer it acquired. There

:26:12. > :26:15.are three things that are subject to... Can be secretary of state make

:26:16. > :26:19.it unequivocal that the government will do everything to make sure that

:26:20. > :26:25.that is not a barrier to this deal going ahead and also tackle the

:26:26. > :26:33.other UK based issue and not caveat that is still in place? Let me join

:26:34. > :26:38.the honourable gentleman and welcoming the news today about Tata.

:26:39. > :26:41.It is very encouraging. I am sure that it will bring relief to him and

:26:42. > :26:56.kiss constituents. I am joining him and welcoming back. And ... Heasked

:26:57. > :27:01.about financing and the government's Immelman and not. As I mentioned

:27:02. > :27:05.earlier, we have been involved in a transaction from day one. We put on

:27:06. > :27:06.the table an offer for government financing on commercial terms. That

:27:07. > :27:25.offer stands there. Should it... Having visited a site, I am grateful

:27:26. > :27:28.for the prime minister for having come as well, I am confident on the

:27:29. > :27:33.plan that has been drawn up to maintain the future of the plant. It

:27:34. > :27:38.requires time and investment. At the moment we have a business rates

:27:39. > :27:46.system that penalizes the investment. But will the Secretary

:27:47. > :27:50.of State do to put a stop to that? Can I commend him on how he has

:27:51. > :27:57.approached this issue which is hugely important to him and his

:27:58. > :28:03.constituents. I hope the business minister's visit builds confidence.

:28:04. > :28:09.He mentions business rates. There are an important part of costs. We

:28:10. > :28:17.have looked at them before and I think that all I can say at this

:28:18. > :28:19.point is that we will keep all taxes under a review for the steel

:28:20. > :28:33.industry to see in what ways we can help it. He has spoken about looking

:28:34. > :28:38.at all options to save jobs. Will he assure us that if there is any

:28:39. > :28:42.package to help workers include evenings at every stage of

:28:43. > :28:51.development? I can assure him of that. Again, let me say that I think

:28:52. > :29:00.the approach from the unions has been constructive and positive, and

:29:01. > :29:05.it is absolutely key. I highlighted earlier the collaboration with the

:29:06. > :29:11.Tata and the union on this issue. The people who run the union

:29:12. > :29:20.understand it is a role for everyone, and we will share

:29:21. > :29:26.information with them, of course. Can I take the Labour first Minister

:29:27. > :29:31.and the business secretary at working constructively with the

:29:32. > :29:34.union to look at everything we can possibly do. The government is right

:29:35. > :29:39.to support anti-dumping levels with our EU neighbours and partners. Can

:29:40. > :29:53.I ask him to confirm that these measures are starting to have real

:29:54. > :29:59.affect? -- the fact. I would like to join in and thanking the first

:30:00. > :30:04.Minister of Wales and commend the leader of the conservative group in

:30:05. > :30:11.Wales with his approach to make sure that he and his team help in every

:30:12. > :30:16.way. On the issue of terrorists and measures against dumping, what

:30:17. > :30:20.matters most are measures that work. What we have seen, so far, is just

:30:21. > :30:27.that. We want to make sure it continues. Why can't he admit the

:30:28. > :30:34.secret deal that everyone knows about? The Chancellor has promised

:30:35. > :30:37.to pull his punches on any effective action on steel dumping so that

:30:38. > :30:45.investment from China keeps flowing into this country? Mr Speaker, I

:30:46. > :30:53.don't know where he gets the idea from. I just talked earlier about

:30:54. > :31:00.action that we have led the way with, asking the EU to work faster.

:31:01. > :31:04.Action that we called for back in November in an extraordinary meeting

:31:05. > :31:11.that I called for and went two for more action, and that won't change.

:31:12. > :31:14.I appreciate all of the words the Secretary of State is doing to work

:31:15. > :31:21.with steel workers, and she should be commended. I would welcome the

:31:22. > :31:26.fact that he is already looking at seeing what more can be done to

:31:27. > :31:33.relocate employees who might need to find new jobs. Any west of England

:31:34. > :31:41.you will note we have engineer and manufacturer shortages. We have

:31:42. > :31:44.worked with companies to relocate employees who have lost their

:31:45. > :31:54.employment. Would he make that same commitment today to do the same if,

:31:55. > :32:01.of course, that one is lost? I would say I am positive, and all of us

:32:02. > :32:06.working together the government, the unions, and Tata, the Welsh

:32:07. > :32:14.government, with collaboration and we can have a positive conclusion.

:32:15. > :32:19.Even then, we have job losses and in such cases we will do everything we

:32:20. > :32:31.can to regenerate the area and, also make sure that nearby areas have

:32:32. > :32:37.clever solutions for employment. Can I press him further on pensions,

:32:38. > :32:49.particularly the legacy pensions played under the -- paid under the

:32:50. > :32:57.British steel industry scheme. Does the Tata mainboard in India have a

:32:58. > :33:05.unknowing unwillingness to maintain payments, and if that will be

:33:06. > :33:08.government step in? If not, will the government use the national pension

:33:09. > :33:20.production funds to make sure that comes about. --? We are looking for

:33:21. > :33:26.potential buyers. I think it is likely they wouldn't want to take on

:33:27. > :33:31.legacy costs. I don't think EU rules are in issue here, there are other

:33:32. > :33:35.challenges, of course. We are looking creatively at solutions. I

:33:36. > :33:45.want to reassure him that this is the front of mind when dealing with

:33:46. > :33:49.this charge. Can I congratulate him and his team on acting decisively in

:33:50. > :33:55.doing all of the can to safeguard this industry. Will he agree that

:33:56. > :34:09.part of the solution relies on bringing forward infrastructure

:34:10. > :34:13.projects. --? My honourable friend is right. We set up infrastructure

:34:14. > :34:19.pipelines, the largest in any five-year period with over ?300

:34:20. > :34:25.billion invested. Many of those projects have been announced. With

:34:26. > :34:29.the changes in procurement rules and investment plans we can make a

:34:30. > :34:33.difference here like never before, and make sure that in every project

:34:34. > :34:40.we do everything we can to make sure it is British steel. I am sure the

:34:41. > :34:45.secretary of state civil servants have been working extremely hard

:34:46. > :34:58.trying to safeguard 30,000 Welsh jobs at risk. Will he reassure my

:34:59. > :35:08.constituents that the hundreds of job losses at the solvency centre in

:35:09. > :35:14.Cardiff will happen, adding to the misery of Welsh workers? Why can

:35:15. > :35:19.assure the honourable Lady is that any job reductions taking place in

:35:20. > :35:27.any government department, there are more departments involved in this

:35:28. > :35:34.than just business, but the leader committee won't be involved. The UK

:35:35. > :35:38.wide impact was demonstrated by the tourism Association last week when

:35:39. > :35:44.the indicator indicated the likely impact on the date in South Wales --

:35:45. > :36:01.paid. To have a long-term and viable

:36:02. > :36:04.package for our steel industry? What my honourable friend highlights,

:36:05. > :36:09.rightly so, is that the gents at risk are not just the obvious ones

:36:10. > :36:17.in the steel industry itself. There is a knock on impact on tourism and

:36:18. > :36:21.the supply chain. I can assure you we are looking at all options and we

:36:22. > :36:29.will continue to do that, absolutely. He says the issue of

:36:30. > :36:36.pensions is at the front of his mind. Could he reassure me further,

:36:37. > :36:45.what guarantees is he seeing from Tata in regards to sell a pensions,

:36:46. > :36:48.and he -- can he guarantee no pensioners in my constituency will

:36:49. > :36:55.be worse off as a result of the sale? I can tell him that Tata is

:36:56. > :37:01.aware of its obligations, both legal and otherwise of the pension scheme.

:37:02. > :37:06.I believe when they publish their information they will say more about

:37:07. > :37:16.that. The issues I am focused on are making sure that the pension scheme,

:37:17. > :37:21.the challenges don't become an obstacle to finding a buyer. I'm

:37:22. > :37:37.discussing it with the trustees to make sure we find a buyer. Given the

:37:38. > :37:41.secretary of State's new-found robustness, can he assure us he will

:37:42. > :37:46.no longer be blocking the EU in their attempts to assure the China

:37:47. > :37:51.is not rated market economy status. They affect the steel industry to

:37:52. > :37:59.the tune of thousands of jobs to my buddy will also cause thousands of

:38:00. > :38:09.jobs in own constituency. The market economy status decision, a decision

:38:10. > :38:14.for the EU collectively to make, and she should know that I agree with is

:38:15. > :38:21.that any country that wants market economy status have to earn it. To

:38:22. > :38:25.earn it, in the case of China, for example, they are cutting capacity.

:38:26. > :38:33.I think the EU would want to see evidence. Even where countries have

:38:34. > :38:37.got market economies like in Russia, it does not stop the EU from taking

:38:38. > :38:46.defensive action, including on dumping. The secretary of state

:38:47. > :38:51.credits the Scottish Government. It is fair to say that Scott is still

:38:52. > :38:57.has a bright future things to the diligence of our first Minister and

:38:58. > :39:02.our business secretary. What lessons have been learned from Scotland, and

:39:03. > :39:05.will accelerate commitment be given today to provide cover support in

:39:06. > :39:16.the interim period until an alternative operator can be found?

:39:17. > :39:23.As I said, I am very pleased about the outcome Scotland. I hope she

:39:24. > :39:27.will agree that the reason those mills have a bright and secure

:39:28. > :39:33.future is because of the strength of the British economy. Had Scotland

:39:34. > :39:38.independent, I think the outcome would have been very different. She

:39:39. > :39:44.wants reassurance that we will do everything we can for still industry

:39:45. > :39:56.in other parts of the UK, and we will give that assurance. Tata has

:39:57. > :40:05.invested millions. They had generated a plan to have a negative

:40:06. > :40:07.carbon imprint. Will the secretary of state considered the possibility

:40:08. > :40:20.of a minority equity shareholding in tighter -- Tata steel? With the

:40:21. > :40:27.match any offer he gets to respective buyers, including help

:40:28. > :40:31.with pension funds? I know he has worked hard on this. He comes

:40:32. > :40:40.forward with good ideas, as well. When I visited Port Talbot for the

:40:41. > :40:44.fourth time last week I could see the blast furnaces and learned about

:40:45. > :40:59.the investment that has taken place in the efficiency. I think that we

:41:00. > :41:06.would look at: investment, partly to reflect clearly that there is no

:41:07. > :41:11.option off of the table. Labour has repeatedly called for a strategy to

:41:12. > :41:15.support UK steel and manufacturing. Given the current crisis which grown

:41:16. > :41:24.under his watch with the agree that this is now essential? We have an

:41:25. > :41:29.industrial strategy. You can call a industrial policy, strategy, and you

:41:30. > :41:34.can choose to focus on semantics or you can focus on the results. What

:41:35. > :41:40.of the reasons over the last five years that manufacturing prices

:41:41. > :41:46.employment and manufacturing are up is because of this government has a

:41:47. > :41:52.successful industrial policy. Hundreds of Tata one products jobs

:41:53. > :42:02.and design consultancy will be saved upon completion of the capital

:42:03. > :42:06.projects. We are concerned about the water productivity plan, and in

:42:07. > :42:10.particular water support for the supply chain and maintaining

:42:11. > :42:20.confidence in it. What is he doing to support that? A friend for wills

:42:21. > :42:26.has had some discussions on this, which I think the lady is aware of.

:42:27. > :42:30.She is ready to raise the issue of productivity. I don't think that the

:42:31. > :42:35.issue in our steel industry. You look at our worker output, they are

:42:36. > :42:38.second to none in terms of their productivity and we should take this

:42:39. > :42:49.opportunity to commend those women and men. Productivity, more

:42:50. > :43:02.generally, Jimmy W with the supply chain. -- can be dealt with with the

:43:03. > :43:07.supply chain at home. I think that, given the importance to the UK

:43:08. > :43:12.economy, the government ought to have a recall of Parliament anyway

:43:13. > :43:18.the Welsh Assembly was recalled to debate this very important topic.

:43:19. > :43:28.Given that the Chinese have the capacity to destroy it British steel

:43:29. > :43:31.the dumping and also by placing exorbitant tariffs on British steel

:43:32. > :43:42.in China, Canada government think again about its approach to the EU's

:43:43. > :43:48.lesser duty rule. Can also have a serious think about the granting of

:43:49. > :43:51.China on market economy status? That would be acceptable given the

:43:52. > :44:00.current situation with British steel. When it comes to tariff, I am

:44:01. > :44:05.interested in what works. I would encourage them to study the results

:44:06. > :44:10.and to look at the action that the EU has taken. Then, look at the

:44:11. > :44:17.results. He will find that, in almost every case, there has been a

:44:18. > :44:26.reduction in imports in every case, almost. If you has a particular idea

:44:27. > :44:34.that is focused on still, where the issue really is and will want to be

:44:35. > :44:48.focused on, I am willing to listen. Over have UK steel exports go to the

:44:49. > :44:56.EQ. That's half. I think the Secretary of State, a Europhile, I

:44:57. > :45:05.think, that impact would be devastating on British steel. We

:45:06. > :45:08.have to do everything to help British manufacturing. I think the

:45:09. > :45:22.long-term interests of our economy is to remain in the EU.

:45:23. > :45:28.I would like to make a statement on the EU referendum and public

:45:29. > :45:35.information. On Thursday, the 23rd of June, the British people will

:45:36. > :45:42.vote on whether the UK should remain in the EU or leave. Become a

:45:43. > :45:48.minister told Parmet on the 22nd of February that this referendum is,

:45:49. > :45:59.potentially, the most important choice the British people will make

:46:00. > :46:04.in a lifetime. The government has made it clear recommendation to the

:46:05. > :46:14.British people that we judge it in our national interest that the UK

:46:15. > :46:18.should remain. It is also important that this key decision by the

:46:19. > :46:29.British people should be made on the basis of the facts. LAUGHTER an

:46:30. > :46:34.independent poll, carried out has suggested that 85% of voters wanted

:46:35. > :46:41.more information. In particular, they wanted the government itself to

:46:42. > :47:03.send out more information by which the

:47:04. > :47:10.papers on the first and second of these topics have already been

:47:11. > :47:14.published. The third will be published shortly. These are

:47:15. > :47:17.available on a section of the government .uk website dedicated to

:47:18. > :47:24.the referendum, along with other information. The report has also

:47:25. > :47:29.been laid before Parliament. That is also true of a separate government

:47:30. > :47:38.report on the process of withdrawing from the the you, which, while not

:47:39. > :47:42.an obligation under the referendum act, represents the delivery of an

:47:43. > :47:50.undertaking given from the dispatch box in the House of Lords on my

:47:51. > :47:53.right honourable friend. The Treasury is also, as the Chancellor

:47:54. > :47:58.has already announced, going to publish a conference of the analysis

:47:59. > :48:07.of UK number shipped in a reformed EU, and the alternatives. --

:48:08. > :48:12.membership. The costs, benefits, and the risks associated with an exit.

:48:13. > :48:17.Separately, every household in the UK will receive a leaflet from the

:48:18. > :48:21.government setting out the facts, explaining why the government

:48:22. > :48:29.believes a vote to remain is in the best interests of the British

:48:30. > :48:34.people, and showing some issues we might face if we were to leave. It

:48:35. > :48:44.encourages the public to adjuster to go by the 7th of June -- encourages

:48:45. > :48:52.the public to register to vote by the 7th of June. We feature the

:48:53. > :48:59.leaflet on line and provide further information. Belief that follows

:49:00. > :49:06.precedent from previous referendums, including the membership in 1995, in

:49:07. > :49:18.the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly in 1997 -- 1975, and two

:49:19. > :49:31.leaflets in 2014 on the Scottish referendum. These distributions are

:49:32. > :49:41.entirely lawful. Special rules to limit government sending out

:49:42. > :49:45.leaflets will apply before the vote. The leaflet is 16 pages in length

:49:46. > :49:51.and will be delivered in England from the 11th to the 13th of April,

:49:52. > :50:03.ahead of England's local elections. In Scotland, Wales, and Ireland the

:50:04. > :50:14.week to -- commencing May. The total cost will be a nine 34p per

:50:15. > :50:19.household in the country. We will announce the designation of the two

:50:20. > :50:28.overall campaign groups ahead of the ten week official campaign period

:50:29. > :50:32.leading up to polling day. Those two groups will, in addition to their

:50:33. > :50:39.higher spending limit of ?700 apiece I'm a be entitled to publicly funded

:50:40. > :50:42.delivery of leaflets of their own to be sent to every household or two

:50:43. > :50:50.every collector as the campaign group chooses. This would be worth

:50:51. > :50:57.up to ?15 million for each of the designated lead and remain

:50:58. > :51:02.campaigns. Those two campaigns will be entitled to protests on

:51:03. > :51:09.television, the use of public rooms and a public grant of up to

:51:10. > :51:12.?600,000. This is in addition to the electoral commission's leaflet to

:51:13. > :51:17.every household in which both campaigns will be given a page each.

:51:18. > :51:23.Whether the UK should remain or leave the EU is a huge decision for

:51:24. > :51:29.this country. It is right that this should be a decision for the British

:51:30. > :51:34.people as a whole. Equally, it is right that people have the facts in

:51:35. > :51:42.front of them and understand the reasons for the government's

:51:43. > :51:53.recommendation before they both. Can I thank the Minister's statement and

:51:54. > :52:00.or his early presentation. This is completely legitimate to publish

:52:01. > :52:05.these leaflets, just as the Labour government did decades ago. They

:52:06. > :52:09.have an application to explain their view, not least because this is the

:52:10. > :52:19.biggest choice the British people will face -- will have faced over

:52:20. > :52:25.the last decades. I am told that we need the facts by people. This will,

:52:26. > :52:34.at least, set out the facts. The leaflet is clear about what it is

:52:35. > :52:45.about. The title page setup clearly the government's claim that we

:52:46. > :52:56.should leave -- should not leave the EU. Does the Minister agree with me

:52:57. > :52:59.that some of the reaction to this publication has been more about

:53:00. > :53:03.trying to silence the arguments for remaining than trying to counter

:53:04. > :53:08.them? The Minister will be aware that members of his party who have

:53:09. > :53:14.attacked the leaflet that have claimed it is inaccurate. If he were

:53:15. > :53:20.that these same people who have alleged that we have lost control of

:53:21. > :53:26.our borders even though the leaflet explains the UK is not part of the

:53:27. > :53:28.EU border free zone? We have the right to check everyone, including

:53:29. > :53:36.EU nationals from continental Europe. Kennedy Minister confirm

:53:37. > :53:43.that, if we leave the EU and to retain access to the free market, we

:53:44. > :53:52.would need permission for the budget. This is what Norway has to

:53:53. > :53:58.do to get access to the largest single market in the world. Can he

:53:59. > :54:03.further confirm to those who advocate for a trade deal like

:54:04. > :54:08.Canada's with the EU that it took 70 years for that to be negotiated and

:54:09. > :54:15.that poor sectors are excluded from free trade in agreement? The truth

:54:16. > :54:24.is that those advocating Brexit cannot say what the UK leaving the

:54:25. > :54:27.EU would look like. Members opposite have spent decades wanting to bring

:54:28. > :54:33.to break away, and it still cannot tell us what being out of it looks

:54:34. > :54:38.like. Rather than attacking the booklet, they might do well to work

:54:39. > :54:42.out what I'll looks like. Perhaps, they could share it with the rest of

:54:43. > :54:47.us before the 23rd of June. As the Minister seen another leaflet

:54:48. > :54:58.entitled, the UK and the European Union, the fax. -- the fax?

:54:59. > :55:11.On the back you will see that it has been bruised by, believe. That's

:55:12. > :55:14.produced. Shouldn't there be more transparent -- transparency so that

:55:15. > :55:22.the public can distinguish who is behind all of this? Labour campaigns

:55:23. > :55:28.for the UK to remain in Europe because of protection for British

:55:29. > :55:32.workers and consumers that depend on our continued membership. Leaving

:55:33. > :55:34.would put that at risk and diminish our influence in the world. We are

:55:35. > :55:46.better off in Europe. I am grateful to the honourable

:55:47. > :55:52.leading for specific questions that she is proposed to me. I can sadly

:55:53. > :56:00.confirm, but since we are outside the no Borders area we can and do

:56:01. > :56:04.apply border checks to people entering this country including EU

:56:05. > :56:12.nationals and shaker set itself as two UK nationals as well. It is

:56:13. > :56:19.indeed the case but where other cases in countries she said it

:56:20. > :56:24.Norway have an 18 access to the EU trade single market, that has come

:56:25. > :56:28.at a price, and that price has included the acceptance of the

:56:29. > :56:37.principle of freedom from movement for workers. Critically, and

:56:38. > :56:44.acceptance of the country concerned will implement European union rules

:56:45. > :56:51.including on product standards, without being present at the table,

:56:52. > :56:55.having a say, are having a vote how those rules should be made. Part of

:56:56. > :57:00.the government's case is indeed that in the interest of British jobs and

:57:01. > :57:06.growth in the United Kingdom are served by us having a role in

:57:07. > :57:11.leading and shaping the single market not simply excepting the

:57:12. > :57:17.rules that have been worked out by other countries in our absence. She

:57:18. > :57:21.is right to that in the case of Canada, we're looking at seven years

:57:22. > :57:26.so far and still no final agreement, and I think it is a mistake to

:57:27. > :57:33.underestimate the complexity involved in a free-trade agreement

:57:34. > :57:39.negotiation, particularly if it had to be conducted of the UK having

:57:40. > :57:50.decided to withdraw from the eat you. I think that no one could have

:57:51. > :57:54.any doubt that the leaflet is being distributed this week represents the

:57:55. > :57:58.views of the government. I have said the government is not neutral on

:57:59. > :58:04.this issue. We accept that this is an issue on which there are long

:58:05. > :58:11.standing, and honorably held differences of opinion by people of

:58:12. > :58:20.different political parties and... I have always respected those who had

:58:21. > :58:27.different views of my own. But the government not only has the right,

:58:28. > :58:30.it has a duty to explain to the electorate the reasons why the

:58:31. > :58:40.government has come to the recommendation that it has. It is an

:58:41. > :58:46.absurd proposition that the government of today is not entitled

:58:47. > :58:53.to form an Apollo policy or opinion on the role of the government in the

:58:54. > :58:58.modern world. Nor is it allowed to communicate the reason for having

:58:59. > :59:04.that policy to the electorate. As the general public are demanding

:59:05. > :59:08.more factual statements about the issues, rather than less, does he

:59:09. > :59:13.agree that those who disagree should actually come up in some calm

:59:14. > :59:18.description of the factual basis on which they believe they can

:59:19. > :59:25.negotiate some alternative role in this country and not just read

:59:26. > :59:31.resort to clustering about fear mongering or that we are somehow

:59:32. > :59:42.bending the rules and they think what the referendum represents? I

:59:43. > :59:53.think the government would want to the Dever box lability... I think

:59:54. > :59:58.that there is an equal obligation on those who booed championing a

:59:59. > :00:02.British exit from the European Union, to spat out both the

:00:03. > :00:10.arguments to which my right honourable friend referred, but also

:00:11. > :00:14.critically to spell out what the future relationship is with the

:00:15. > :00:19.European union that they are seeking. Because, having taken part

:00:20. > :00:23.in many debates and exchanges on the subjects of the European Union and

:00:24. > :00:30.the last for years, I find that there are almost as many visions for

:00:31. > :00:39.the future of the relationship of the EU and the United Kingdom as a

:00:40. > :00:42.are advocates for a British exit. The Minister will be aware that the

:00:43. > :00:46.Prime Minister said the debate comes from with grace and the difficulty

:00:47. > :00:57.that was from his own cabinet. He will also be aware of the so-called

:00:58. > :01:00.unity reshuffled that... What is more in quite wearing is that the

:01:01. > :01:06.Prime Minister saying that the work of the government could possibly

:01:07. > :01:14.suffer. These benches can offer a bit of advice. After the Scottish

:01:15. > :01:17.government enjoys the highest trust levels in Europe, significantly

:01:18. > :01:22.higher than the UK government and does he agree with me that there's a

:01:23. > :01:32.need to follow the gold standard set by the independent referendum. Hear,

:01:33. > :01:40.hear! I think what the leaflet we are dealing with this afternoon does

:01:41. > :01:58.is to explain the government's case in what is plain English, but it

:01:59. > :02:10.explains that in a language that is clear, it is not egg over the

:02:11. > :02:14.putting -- putting. Does the Minister accept that this is not

:02:15. > :02:19.some projects fear so much the project is slightly wearing as it is

:02:20. > :02:23.being done now, but is it a abusive public money and insult to the

:02:24. > :02:32.electors, and does he realise it would drive many more people to vote

:02:33. > :02:42.to leave? I returned to what I say earlier that there is clear evidence

:02:43. > :02:48.from an independent poll in research the methodology of that has been

:02:49. > :02:51.published by the country -- company concerned on its website. More

:02:52. > :02:59.information is wanted by the British public. That research finding bears

:03:00. > :03:07.out what I suspect many other honourable members on both sides of

:03:08. > :03:14.the House in conversations we comes with constituents. I am spending

:03:15. > :03:19.time virtually every day signing replies to members of Parliament who

:03:20. > :03:21.have enclosed letters to constituents where those

:03:22. > :03:25.constituents have said they feel they do not yet have enough

:03:26. > :03:33.information on which they can form a decision and he would like to have

:03:34. > :03:39.some more. I would hope that people look to the argument put forward to

:03:40. > :03:45.campaign groups once they have been designated, they will come to a

:03:46. > :03:48.decision about what they believe to be in the best interest of the

:03:49. > :03:53.United Kingdom as a whole. That is how the government is approaching

:03:54. > :03:59.this matter. The Minister will try as hard as he can to bolster --

:04:00. > :04:08.bluster but the public will see through this and they will realise

:04:09. > :04:17.it is deeply, deeply unfair. One fact, over 3 million UK jobs are

:04:18. > :04:21.linked to EU exports. Trade with countries in the EU with EU

:04:22. > :04:29.membership. He knows it is bit green is not necessary to be a member of

:04:30. > :04:34.the EU to trade with the EU. But the public will see from this leaflet,

:04:35. > :04:37.will be that they know the government, the Prime Minister in

:04:38. > :04:44.particular is not realising he is on the wrong side of this argument and

:04:45. > :04:47.he's going to lose in June. The honour I think the Honorable lady

:04:48. > :04:51.what she really wishes for is that the government should be neutral in

:04:52. > :04:56.this debate. The government is not neutral in this debate, the

:04:57. > :04:59.government is advocating that the British people should vote in favour

:05:00. > :05:07.of continuing membership with the EU. The Prime Minister, Chancellor,

:05:08. > :05:14.Foreign Secretary, other ministers have consistently said when the time

:05:15. > :05:17.came for the referendum to be held, the government would express its

:05:18. > :05:23.view clearly and make its recommendation known. We are

:05:24. > :05:28.delivering on what we have always said to the British people as

:05:29. > :05:36.regards to the honourable lady but one particular element in the

:05:37. > :05:42.leaflet. The footnote that support each of the statements made in that

:05:43. > :05:46.leaflet have themselves been published by the government online

:05:47. > :05:55.and she and other honourable members are welcome to go and check out

:05:56. > :05:59.these as source material. The weakness in my right honourable

:06:00. > :06:09.friend's case that this dodgy person does not actually contain fax. Not

:06:10. > :06:12.only is it a waste of public money, it effectively doubles the

:06:13. > :06:19.campaign's budget the budget has -- government has betrayed... The

:06:20. > :06:23.content of this leaflet that is advocated the responsibility to tell

:06:24. > :06:28.the truth on the issue. It is bad enough that we get junk mail but had

:06:29. > :06:39.junk more junk mail with our own taxes is the final straw? Hear,

:06:40. > :06:46.hear! I think Mr Speaker as I say in response for Vauxhall the source

:06:47. > :06:52.material on which there are various facts and arguments presented in the

:06:53. > :06:55.art -- government's leaflet. We are being completely transparent about

:06:56. > :07:02.the basis on which we are making those arguments to the British

:07:03. > :07:07.people. As I said earlier, what we are doing is following a precedent

:07:08. > :07:10.that has been set in many other referendum campaigns in this

:07:11. > :07:16.country. We are doing nothing that will stop the two campaign

:07:17. > :07:19.organisation in due course from putting their case to the British

:07:20. > :07:26.people with as much vigour as they choose. In the last 20 days of the

:07:27. > :07:33.campaign the government's ability to publish a tour on these matters will

:07:34. > :07:39.be severely limited but by statute law itself as well. I reject that

:07:40. > :07:45.this is somehow being unfair, I think the government is taking

:07:46. > :07:49.responsibility for presenting its case and recommendation to the

:07:50. > :07:53.British people over a decision that will have enormous consequences, not

:07:54. > :08:02.just for those voting this year but for future generations. Ten years of

:08:03. > :08:13.uncertainty? Economics incurred he added and? Prices will go up world

:08:14. > :08:18.stability questions these so fax called to the Minister agree that

:08:19. > :08:22.these facts are in dispute and it is for that reason that this document

:08:23. > :08:29.should come with a very significant and significant health warning the

:08:30. > :08:38.British people believe in fair play and fairness is the fundamental

:08:39. > :08:46.unfairness and Fairplay this is a scandal. I would refer the

:08:47. > :08:55.honourable gentleman to the detailed notes on the various statements made

:08:56. > :09:01.in the leaflet. Since he quoted the Honorable Lord I think he and others

:09:02. > :09:11.represent northern Ireland might say Lord Lawson expressed over the

:09:12. > :09:15.weekend that border controls would need to be established on the

:09:16. > :09:24.northern Ireland, Republican -- Republic of Ireland border. He needs

:09:25. > :09:31.to consider the serious impact on Northern Ireland businesses as well.

:09:32. > :09:36.Hear, hear! My right honourable friend must accept that any

:09:37. > :09:39.reasonable person would regard this not only of propaganda in their arty

:09:40. > :09:47.saying in all the national newspapers and blogs. Right away

:09:48. > :09:52.through the lands it is unfair, unfair to the British taxpayer who

:09:53. > :09:59.is having to bear the burden of the cost of this leaflet. Will he please

:10:00. > :10:04.explain to me personally, why he has broken the oath he gave me on the

:10:05. > :10:11.floor of the House when I put forward an amendment calling for

:10:12. > :10:14.accuracy and impartiality. When I said I would give way on my

:10:15. > :10:21.amendment if he was prepared to say so, he said certainly it is going to

:10:22. > :10:23.leaflet is not with the please leaflet is not with the please

:10:24. > :10:32.explain to the House why he has broken that oath? I reject that

:10:33. > :10:39.assertion. Not only was his intervention last year about

:10:40. > :10:48.information brought forward under the terms of the Lords amendment.

:10:49. > :10:54.This leaflet is out with the scope of the obligation under that act.

:10:55. > :10:59.Also, I referred to him as I have referred to other honourable members

:11:00. > :11:03.to the fact that the government has published the factual and

:11:04. > :11:08.statistical evidence upon which each of the statements made in this

:11:09. > :11:16.leaflet are based. If my Honorable friend wants to go and challenge

:11:17. > :11:22.some of those findings, the statistical survey, the Independent

:11:23. > :11:27.reports, which recite in those footnotes he is free to do so. But I

:11:28. > :11:31.believe the government has acted reasonably and responsibly in

:11:32. > :11:40.presenting its case clearly to the British people. Does the Minister

:11:41. > :11:47.agree with me that by publishing this leaflet the government is

:11:48. > :11:55.simply responding to huge public appetite for more information. The

:11:56. > :12:07.European Union stopped the recycling of tea or children under the age of

:12:08. > :12:09.eight from blowing up balloons? I hope when people read the

:12:10. > :12:17.information the government has published, that they will judge as

:12:18. > :12:24.ministers have done on behalf of the government that membership of the EU

:12:25. > :12:25.makes the United Kingdom stronger, safer, and better off than it would

:12:26. > :12:37.be outside. This really is a crass move by the

:12:38. > :12:42.government. It will hugely galvanise those who want to leave the EU and

:12:43. > :12:51.will do nothing to help those who wish to her main. It makes it very

:12:52. > :12:54.clear that if there is to be a balanced presentation, the view of

:12:55. > :12:59.the opposing side should be expressed. Will the Minister make ?9

:13:00. > :13:09.million available to the leave campaign? As I said earlier Mr

:13:10. > :13:15.Speaker, we judged that the benefit to the leave campaign to remain

:13:16. > :13:27.campaign once designated of a public funded leaflet distribution would be

:13:28. > :13:33.of the odd ?15 million. Those two campaign bodies will of course be

:13:34. > :13:40.free to campaign and communicate right up until the pulley and a.

:13:41. > :13:50.These last 20 days which the government -- Napoleon day. I have

:13:51. > :14:00.never felt that those who supported the British exit is a much

:14:01. > :14:08.galvanizing. LAUGHTER EU membership is valuable for Wales. We believe

:14:09. > :14:14.that there is another give you a little companion as such. There is

:14:15. > :14:21.negativity in the government campaign. We see it this morning and

:14:22. > :14:29.it is labelled as snappily titled. Will the Minister consider the

:14:30. > :14:38.mistakes of project fear LAUGHTER And the online version of this

:14:39. > :14:45.leaflet on sites available... The online version doesn't appear to be

:14:46. > :14:55.available in Welsh. Maybe thankfully so LAUGHTER I do not agree with the

:14:56. > :15:00.honourable gentleman. I think that when people consider how they vote

:15:01. > :15:07.on the 23rd of June will want to weigh up both the argument and

:15:08. > :15:15.benefits that the United Kingdom games from membership in the EU. And

:15:16. > :15:18.the potential risks to culture and trying to forge some other kind of

:15:19. > :15:25.relationship with the European union from outside. The judgement about

:15:26. > :15:37.whether or not we should remain members of the EU, is the one that

:15:38. > :15:41.is pragmatic I would say. We accept that not everything about the

:15:42. > :15:47.European Union is perfect. You cannot be a Europe minister and not

:15:48. > :15:52.know -- not think everything about it is perfect. We believe that the

:15:53. > :15:58.clear balance of the argument lies in continued membership that will

:15:59. > :16:00.help keep us more secure, and more prosperous and that is the balance

:16:01. > :16:13.we have tried to express in this publication. My right honourable

:16:14. > :16:17.friend, had many inquiries from Mike agencies eager to know more about

:16:18. > :16:33.what the government position is. May I tell him that this incestuous hot

:16:34. > :16:36.ice in this dismal press almost all grown-ups same opinion will want to

:16:37. > :16:51.know what the government's position is. I completely agree with my right

:16:52. > :16:56.honourable friend. LAUGHTER Me my constituents are concerned about the

:16:57. > :17:07.leucine or cutting our ties with the biggest market -- losing at a time

:17:08. > :17:11.when the media will be dominated by a bit empty EU press. The BBC has

:17:12. > :17:19.been dumbed down to give more weight to the flat Earth errors propaganda

:17:20. > :17:22.and the merits of continued membership so will the Minister

:17:23. > :17:29.undertake out not just to do a leaflet, but to do much more

:17:30. > :17:36.posters, TV, etc and other media to ensure the prison can make a

:17:37. > :17:43.rational judgement? I can't make the commitments that he is asking me to

:17:44. > :17:47.do, but I can't say to him that the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary

:17:48. > :17:54.and other ministers on behalf of the government be continuing to press

:17:55. > :17:58.and strongly persuade as strongly as he can the case for Britain's

:17:59. > :18:12.prosperity forever formed European Union. Can I remind my right

:18:13. > :18:17.honourable friend, the question I take from the debate is this how do

:18:18. > :18:21.we provide the critical assurances of what my friend said that the

:18:22. > :18:29.government will be restrained in their use of public money, and have

:18:30. > :18:35.no wish to compete with the umbrella campaign organisation whose job it

:18:36. > :18:41.is to leave the yes what is secret regrets more? That public money is

:18:42. > :18:51.entirely wasted and rid achieved the opposite of his position. I think my

:18:52. > :18:56.Honorable friend would like to check back, you will find my right

:18:57. > :19:09.honourable friend the Foreign Secretary in the Commons were of the

:19:10. > :19:12.centre. My Honorable friend spoke of this, that the government might be

:19:13. > :19:21.thinking of spending public money to deliver doorstep money -- mail. The

:19:22. > :19:31.government has no intention of doing such things. I said more or less the

:19:32. > :19:43.same thing during report stage on the 7th of September of last year.

:19:44. > :19:47.The turnout for the Scottish intervention was 85%. Could the

:19:48. > :19:53.Minister confirm which target it is setting for itself in terms of

:19:54. > :20:03.quarter turn out in what measure is trying to take for Dimock... I'm not

:20:04. > :20:10.going to set an arbitrary target but for particularly decision of this

:20:11. > :20:14.importance we want to see registration and turnout both as

:20:15. > :20:26.high a level as can possibly be achieved. I hope that everybody

:20:27. > :20:33.young, or old, Welsh, Irish Orwell Scottish, Jacob R key position. The

:20:34. > :20:39.government, as I have said, has linked in our leaflet and in our

:20:40. > :20:42.website to the procedures which electors should use in order to

:20:43. > :20:48.ensure they are properly registered for the deadline in addition to what

:20:49. > :20:52.the government is doing the electoral commission is conducting

:20:53. > :20:59.his own awareness campaign to maximise both registration and voter

:21:00. > :21:05.turnout. My right honourable friend is made much of the president

:21:06. > :21:10.sending the government handing out leaflets. But I am afraid people

:21:11. > :21:17.will see this as double standards. Because in the Welsh referendum, the

:21:18. > :21:20.government decided to remain strictly neutral believing that the

:21:21. > :21:25.people would trust the outcome of that referendum better if we

:21:26. > :21:29.with my right honourable friend take it from me that this is a matter of

:21:30. > :21:35.trust and are the people would address the government now when they

:21:36. > :21:41.are so blatantly trying to load the dice? There is a key difference

:21:42. > :21:47.which my right honourable friend alluded to. She said the government

:21:48. > :21:52.took a decision to respect the Welsh referendum intervenes strictly

:21:53. > :22:00.neutral. The government is not neutral in this river of rep

:22:01. > :22:14.referendum artist is about public the publication support that

:22:15. > :22:27.principle. White LAUGHTER Can I just suggest a little bit more balanced

:22:28. > :22:34.on red tape. This person can only dream of this rather than 28 or more

:22:35. > :22:38.at the moment. Indeed is a simplification that makes EU

:22:39. > :22:45.membership attractive to businesses. So could I suggest to the Minister

:22:46. > :22:52.that disputed issue of a follow-up booklet to expand the matters of

:22:53. > :22:57.debt. I think the honourable gentleman he is on an important

:22:58. > :23:05.point that the world single market is very successful in terms of

:23:06. > :23:15.trained in goods and in services. We are leading the debate within Europe

:23:16. > :23:22.on liberalization of the services. I think that particularly foreign

:23:23. > :23:32.economies such as ours roughly 80% of GDP comes in the service of our

:23:33. > :23:37.sector it would be a very violent risk to turn from that into being

:23:38. > :23:38.takers of rules set by other European countries with us absent

:23:39. > :23:49.from the table. This house has passed legislation

:23:50. > :23:58.allowing the government to produce this leaflet, as long as it is not

:23:59. > :24:03.within the last of the eight days of the referendum. Does the Minister

:24:04. > :24:06.agree that it is all part of a strange strategy when, instead of

:24:07. > :24:19.arguing the case, the league campaign prefers to, whether it is

:24:20. > :24:22.the had a bank or the head of the country, they prefer to say that

:24:23. > :24:28.that person should not say it at all. Does he agree that that is a

:24:29. > :24:37.nonsensical strategy? I think he puts his point well. I am waiting to

:24:38. > :24:42.hear from the league campaigners. I'm waiting to hear a consistent

:24:43. > :24:57.view of the alternative to European membership. I am sure he would agree

:24:58. > :25:01.that the leave leaflet is misleading and reprehensible. Does he share my

:25:02. > :25:11.concern that in large parts of Wales, this has been distributed

:25:12. > :25:16.instead of a leaflet about the Welsh Assembly and elections? We are

:25:17. > :25:19.trying to get to the root of how this happened, but if it was the

:25:20. > :25:28.Royal mint, when he joined me in condemning them? I will take no of

:25:29. > :25:34.what the gentleman says. I would want to understand what exactly has

:25:35. > :25:39.gone on, and whether what has gone on is the result of a policy or

:25:40. > :25:44.something that has been done by an individual deliver. I will draw the

:25:45. > :25:54.attention of the electoral commission to what he has described.

:25:55. > :25:59.Has he noticed that those who have mounted objection to the public

:26:00. > :26:03.provision of information at the taxpayer's expense appear not to

:26:04. > :26:09.have noticed that getting on for double the sum will be made

:26:10. > :26:15.available by the taxpayer for the we campaign? If they have a principal

:26:16. > :26:18.objection to such principle of taxpayer funding, they will

:26:19. > :26:27.presumably refuse that funding, or does he think that they are making

:26:28. > :26:36.better points? I tended toward the sacred interpretation -- the second

:26:37. > :26:42.interpretation he listed. Those who perfectly, properly and honorably

:26:43. > :26:47.advocate for departure wish that the government were neutral and silent.

:26:48. > :26:51.The government believes that there is a compelling case for continued

:26:52. > :27:02.membership in the EU in both economic and political interests.

:27:03. > :27:05.Put you remind us how many of those criticised his a surgeon voted for

:27:06. > :27:23.the legislation allowing it to happen? How many who raise their

:27:24. > :27:32.voice when the government distributed leaflets on the Scottish

:27:33. > :27:37.independent referendum? Misleading propaganda supporting things, not

:27:38. > :27:44.far candidate that things they disagree with. I think what the

:27:45. > :27:49.government has published is phrased with language that is both

:27:50. > :27:55.reasonable and accessible, and presents the case, I hope,

:27:56. > :28:02.persuasively in a moderate tone throughout. In the interests of

:28:03. > :28:10.fairness wouldn't it be better for funds to be made available or an

:28:11. > :28:15.increase in the leaf funding to be commensurate with -- can he agree

:28:16. > :28:23.with fundamental fairness and reasonableness of this argument? The

:28:24. > :28:28.two designated campaign organizations will have four weeks

:28:29. > :28:31.in the run-up to polling day when they will be completely free to

:28:32. > :28:36.publish and deliver whatever messages it was two to the

:28:37. > :28:42.electorate, and the government will be constrained severely and what it

:28:43. > :28:45.is able to do. But we have done, on this occasion, is in line with the

:28:46. > :28:51.precedent set under both conservative and Labour governments

:28:52. > :29:01.in the past. I see nothing inappropriate with what the

:29:02. > :29:03.government has done. The Minister will know that the ST LP will be

:29:04. > :29:19.campaigning for remain, -- do also know that even though you're

:29:20. > :29:29.campaigning for a stay, will not be welcoming of a leaflet from the

:29:30. > :29:33.government. --? The government was going to leave if we didn't have a

:29:34. > :29:41.special status. How will the government approach the risks if

:29:42. > :29:46.that is going to be decommissioned? The government position was

:29:47. > :29:55.announced after the February counsel this year whereby we secured very

:29:56. > :30:00.important reforms to the EU which, in particular, Congress under the

:30:01. > :30:03.notion of ever closer political union and ensure that no permission

:30:04. > :30:12.to buy euro zone countries against those who have chosen not to join

:30:13. > :30:25.the euro. I think we are advocating in the leaflet that even people in

:30:26. > :30:32.his constituency, and though they may not offer, I know they will be

:30:33. > :30:38.campaigning strongly and I welcome the.

:30:39. > :30:45.I was worried about the member, I wouldn't want him to be perturbed in

:30:46. > :30:53.any way. Thank you, I sometimes worry about myself. Inform my right

:30:54. > :30:58.honourable friend that public administration select committee is

:30:59. > :31:02.receiving evidence that this will be less fair referendum then in 1975

:31:03. > :31:08.before there were over rules for referendums. At least in that

:31:09. > :31:13.referendum be granted or not to campaigns were worth twice these

:31:14. > :31:18.grants. When the government distributed its own leaflet they

:31:19. > :31:25.distributed information on de novo as well as the yes vote. -- the

:31:26. > :31:34.noble. The idea that this has accident. Who now believes we live

:31:35. > :31:38.in a reformed EU? Or that we will keep our own border controls who

:31:39. > :31:44.says they are in EU citizen? Or we will not be part of further

:31:45. > :31:55.integration? Doesn't this compare to the claim that, decisions can only

:31:56. > :32:04.be taken after all members agree? We've heard all of these stories,

:32:05. > :32:11.but they are not facts! I don't think, Mr Speaker, the anything I

:32:12. > :32:15.can say that was published will influence my honourable friend,

:32:16. > :32:19.given his track record in this debate. He has been absolutely

:32:20. > :32:24.consistent and I respect that, even though I disagree vehemently with

:32:25. > :32:27.them. I take the serious point he made about the timing of the

:32:28. > :32:32.distribution, the fact that this was not going out at the same time as

:32:33. > :32:39.the leaflets for the remain and we campaigns. We would have preferred

:32:40. > :32:50.to, I think, circulate the leaflets later in the campaign, but the

:32:51. > :33:01.statutory rules that prohibited us from such medication did that do not

:33:02. > :33:13.apply any 1975 referendum period -- publication. It would be wrong to

:33:14. > :33:18.distribute the government leaflet that would interfere with

:33:19. > :33:25.distribution in Ireland and Wales and Scotland. In an ideal world, we

:33:26. > :33:33.had earlier than we might have chosen. The Minister is possibly the

:33:34. > :33:41.first Minister of the conservative persuasion that he is -- that I

:33:42. > :33:49.haven't felt sorry for her. He is a sacrificial lamb. In the support of

:33:50. > :33:52.the the EU, I am worried that the government is alienating as opposed

:33:53. > :33:58.to informing voters. If the government plan any follow-up the 20

:33:59. > :34:06.referendum? Can I recall the line from the Scottish national anthem?

:34:07. > :34:14.Sent homewards, to think again? We have no plans for further leaflets

:34:15. > :34:17.for every household. I did, in my statement, indicate the further

:34:18. > :34:26.publications which we have already committed ourselves to providing. He

:34:27. > :34:35.will be aware that governments are rarely shy of explaining their dues

:34:36. > :34:41.to the public about their campaigns. That is perfectly acceptable, and

:34:42. > :34:47.also to use taxpayer money. Since the government is not neutral in the

:34:48. > :34:52.campaign can he give me any indication that he understands the

:34:53. > :35:00.false argument that this should not be done, or should Brexiteers the

:35:01. > :35:06.believes that they should have editorial control? That should be

:35:07. > :35:13.answered by others, rather than by me. During the Scottish independence

:35:14. > :35:19.referendum in the UK government spent about three quarters of ?1

:35:20. > :35:26.million signing leaflets urging people to stay in the UK. One of

:35:27. > :35:30.promise made that Scots would maintain an influential vote in the

:35:31. > :35:36.EU. What is the government refused to uphold the in the event of

:35:37. > :35:46.Scotland voted to remain and the the rest of the UK voted to leave? Allen

:35:47. > :35:53.has a more powerful voice in the EU as part of the EU -- Scotland, more

:35:54. > :36:03.than she would have on her own. You can see the authority that the

:36:04. > :36:10.Scottish industry of whiskey has with power around the world. It has

:36:11. > :36:16.given the growth and jobs in Scotland. She is biting me to

:36:17. > :36:23.revisit territory of the House debated and voted on at the time of

:36:24. > :36:28.the Referendum Bill. It is the UK that is the Member States whose name

:36:29. > :36:35.is written into the treaties as the member State, so it is right to make

:36:36. > :36:40.the decision as a whole UK. I believe the Minister is a fair man,

:36:41. > :36:46.and this should have been a fair campaign. The spending of this

:36:47. > :36:49.money, clearly, is clearly unfair. Does he understand the anger in my

:36:50. > :36:56.constituency where there is pressure on public spending of this level of

:36:57. > :37:00.taxpayer money spent on electioneering? I was fortunate to

:37:01. > :37:04.get my copy this morning by was slightly disappointed that it was

:37:05. > :37:09.printed on a shiny, glossy paper. Had he been printed on something

:37:10. > :37:23.more absorbent or at least my constituents would have been able to

:37:24. > :37:30.put it to good use. LAUGHTER had Mr Speaker, the facts are the 85% of

:37:31. > :37:32.the public have been telling us that they wanted more information and

:37:33. > :37:44.that they want more information from the government, in particular. The

:37:45. > :37:49.cost of this leaflet is roughly 34p per household. I don't think, given

:37:50. > :37:56.the gravity of the decision, that that should be seen in any way a

:37:57. > :38:02.disproportionate. Thank you Mr Speaker. When the Scottish

:38:03. > :38:16.government had a white paper printed it had a catalytic impact. It was

:38:17. > :38:23.ordered over 100,000 times. People actively and proactively paid for

:38:24. > :38:29.it, irrespective what site of -- side of the campaign that they were

:38:30. > :38:34.on. Does he think this goes anywhere close to the success of the Scottish

:38:35. > :38:39.Government's White paper? I do not expect this to appear in the Amazon

:38:40. > :38:45.bestseller list, by Hope that every household that receives this will

:38:46. > :38:55.consider seriously the arguments the government is making. If people wish

:38:56. > :38:57.to explore in any greater detail the particular aspects of our EU

:38:58. > :39:03.membership that are not covered in this leaflet, they can follow up the

:39:04. > :39:07.source material from which the statements are derived. Those have

:39:08. > :39:14.been published. Or, they can look at the link for government publications

:39:15. > :39:24.that we have placed online under our governmental duty, and they can look

:39:25. > :39:33.at that too. The gentleman who represents the STL P is not the only

:39:34. > :39:38.one to take the position to remain but against the spending of taxpayer

:39:39. > :39:41.money on this leaflet. It was said on Radio 4 on Friday evening that is

:39:42. > :39:45.not acceptable for the government to be putting out propaganda in this

:39:46. > :39:55.way. Can the Minister tell us which of the two lines is being put

:39:56. > :39:58.forward to, which does he subscribe to? Does he subscribe to the line

:39:59. > :40:06.that this is information that the public wants, or does he commits

:40:07. > :40:11.himself to the line that this is, actually, the government arguing for

:40:12. > :40:14.one side of the debate? That is what the government's position is, and

:40:15. > :40:24.you cannot have it both ways. Either it is impartial and factual, or it

:40:25. > :40:32.is a commitment to one side. It will be for the two campaign

:40:33. > :40:37.organizations that make their own campaigns to promote their own

:40:38. > :40:41.messages to the public as they choose without the government

:40:42. > :40:46.interfering. The opinion research that we commissioned told us is that

:40:47. > :40:57.people wanted more information including clerk ask permission from

:40:58. > :41:05.the government as to -- clearer explanation from the government as

:41:06. > :41:19.to why we were making a commitment to our recommendation. Constituents

:41:20. > :41:23.have been asking for more information but I don't think that

:41:24. > :41:25.anyone has given a second of consideration as to how our

:41:26. > :41:32.constituents have been impacted by austerity cuts, how would they feel

:41:33. > :41:40.about ?9 million spent on a glossy leaflet that amounts to nothing more

:41:41. > :41:47.than a booklet of glossy pictures? I also wonder if people are asking for

:41:48. > :41:52.information about both sides of the argument? They are not asking for

:41:53. > :41:57.propaganda or facts which are not facts. They are not asking for a

:41:58. > :42:05.glossy booklet. They want unbiased information on both sides of the

:42:06. > :42:09.argument. Therefore, will you spend another ?9 million representing the

:42:10. > :42:18.other side of the argument? The two giving groups will have a -- the two

:42:19. > :42:25.campaign groups will have a grant for whatever leaflet they choose to

:42:26. > :42:29.produce, half to ?50 million apiece. In addition to that benefit, in

:42:30. > :42:35.terms of free delivery, they will each have a ?7 million spending

:42:36. > :42:41.limit which is higher than any other participant in the referendum

:42:42. > :42:47.campaign. They will be entitled to a television drug test and a

:42:48. > :43:06.government grant of ?600,000. -- the entitled to a television broadcast.

:43:07. > :43:12.There will -- for -- her views on Europe are consistent and well

:43:13. > :43:18.known, but given the seriousness of what it is at stake in this boat,

:43:19. > :43:24.for the government to be spending 34p per household I'm presenting its

:43:25. > :43:31.use in an accessible form seems, to me, to be utterly unreasonable.

:43:32. > :43:37.Perhaps we should be reasonably relaxed. Most of these leaflets will

:43:38. > :43:43.end up in the waste paper bin straightaway. People don't actually

:43:44. > :43:51.like propaganda, especially if they are being asked to pay for it. I

:43:52. > :43:56.think his answer to the chair of the foreign affairs committee was weasel

:43:57. > :44:00.words. We got from commitment that there would be brought equality of

:44:01. > :44:05.spending as far as the government was concerned, that was our

:44:06. > :44:10.understanding. It was weasel words to do that in the last four weeks,

:44:11. > :44:19.but not now. Why is it fair that while the taxpayer would give ?7

:44:20. > :44:27.million to the league campaign but ?60 million to the remain campaign?

:44:28. > :44:32.-- 16 million? Warned that leave a lasting taste of bitterness and

:44:33. > :44:37.unfairness? I advise my honourable friend to look back at the reports

:44:38. > :44:46.of the committee proceedings and debates that he cites. He will see,

:44:47. > :44:48.absolutely clear in black and white, that the government has always drawn

:44:49. > :44:57.a distinction between the last 28 days of the campaign period and the

:44:58. > :45:01.rest of the campaign. Indeed, there were amendments tabled during

:45:02. > :45:09.committee and report status on the Referendum Bill that would have

:45:10. > :45:13.extended to a much longer period the restrictions covered by the Liberal

:45:14. > :45:21.party's referendum act. Parliament decided not to extend the period.

:45:22. > :45:31.Thank you, Mr Speaker. The remaining template suggests that our security

:45:32. > :45:44.-- the remaining template -- leaflet. It suggests that we will be

:45:45. > :45:50.in more danger. How can that be when terrorists are travelling with EU

:45:51. > :45:58.travel documents, which, in future and now, would deny them access to

:45:59. > :46:02.the UK? That is actually an argument for a more effective cooperation

:46:03. > :46:09.between police forces and intelligence agencies. One reason

:46:10. > :46:16.why our security would be a hazard if we were to withdraw would be

:46:17. > :46:22.because living would mean leaving arrangements for police and judicial

:46:23. > :46:29.cooperation would have enabled us to detect and disrupt the work of

:46:30. > :46:38.terrorists and other criminals and to bring to justice people who have

:46:39. > :46:44.fled other countries to seek refuge. Also, it would remove jurisdiction

:46:45. > :46:47.for people to come to the UK. In the EU we could do that quickly and more

:46:48. > :46:55.cheaply than we could possibly do outside of it. Can't my friend

:46:56. > :47:01.explain why there is no reference in this document to the massive trade

:47:02. > :47:12.deficit which the UK has with the rest of the EU? There is a reference

:47:13. > :47:16.to various percentages but my constituent has e-mailed this

:47:17. > :47:23.afternoon, pointing out that those figures are, at best, meaningless

:47:24. > :47:30.and, at worst, totally misleading. What are the figures in terms of

:47:31. > :47:36.millions of pounds for our deficit? Does he agree with my response to

:47:37. > :47:43.those who are angry about this that rather than get angry, they must get

:47:44. > :47:50.even? My advice to Alan would be that we export roughly 44% of

:47:51. > :47:56.everything exported from the UK to the EU. I would not want to see that

:47:57. > :48:03.put at risk. Particularly when the fact that only 8% of the EU 27th

:48:04. > :48:10.exports go to the UK suggest that any event of a British from the EU

:48:11. > :48:19.the negotiation went over any future deal would lie with the 27% rather

:48:20. > :48:23.than us. My friend mentioned that the government's leaflets were sent

:48:24. > :48:27.out this week. They acknowledged then that it was not the case in

:48:28. > :48:30.Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland where they will not be distributed

:48:31. > :48:37.until after the elections on the 5th of May. This falls squarely in the

:48:38. > :48:40.referendum period and is a matter, which you will know, that the

:48:41. > :48:44.electoral commission have expressed great concern about. Would he accept

:48:45. > :48:48.that the late distribution of the leaflets in those parts of the

:48:49. > :48:54.country were given a very advances to the remain campaign given the

:48:55. > :49:03.sensitive nature of the documents? No, I don't. The fact that the

:49:04. > :49:09.remain and lead campaigns will be able to circulate their material and

:49:10. > :49:13.communicate as they think fit in the last 20 days of the campaign while

:49:14. > :49:22.the government is restricted in what they can say will enable both sides

:49:23. > :49:32.to be profamily to the electorate. In 2011 we held the referendum on

:49:33. > :49:37.the voting system. Can he confirm whether the Pentagon's quest but

:49:38. > :49:41.then? This was a referendum that could change the political makeup of

:49:42. > :49:47.our country for generations to come, and also the whole voting system?

:49:48. > :49:51.The crucial difference is that we are part of a Coalition government.

:49:52. > :49:59.The two parties took opposite views on the preferred outcome of that

:50:00. > :50:04.referendum. Therefore, there was no agreement on what the government's

:50:05. > :50:10.collective message should be. This time, the government has a very

:50:11. > :50:16.clear collective view that we should remain in a reformed European unit.

:50:17. > :50:26.The way we communicate the literature which we are distributing

:50:27. > :50:30.reflect the fact. He has made the point of the government came to a

:50:31. > :50:35.balanced view that the UK should remain within the EU. It was

:50:36. > :50:40.balanced I think it's to assume that the government thinks there are

:50:41. > :50:48.force and against a double-sided. What benefit does the government

:50:49. > :50:54.believed would be positive if we were to leave, and why wasn't that

:50:55. > :50:57.included? You had to come into a judgement about the costs and

:50:58. > :51:03.benefits of European Union membership. The government having

:51:04. > :51:09.considered this at considerable length and having gone to the

:51:10. > :51:15.considerations that precipitated the February counsel we came to the

:51:16. > :51:20.conclusion we would remain a more secure within the EU. One of the

:51:21. > :51:25.challenges to my honourable friend and those who share his view is that

:51:26. > :51:31.in an absence of a clear and coherent view of the UK's

:51:32. > :51:38.relationship with the EU, it is hard to form a judgement about the

:51:39. > :51:44.difficulties involved. We can estimate risks and we will certainly

:51:45. > :51:53.do that. It is incumbent on those championing the cause for leaving to

:51:54. > :51:59.explain it clearly exactly the nature of what our relationship

:52:00. > :52:04.would be. This follows on it so well with my honourable friend's remarks.

:52:05. > :52:18.The title missing is, what will it be like if we remain? There is no

:52:19. > :52:24.indication. The latest data shows that 60% of all of our laws are made

:52:25. > :52:30.in the EU. If the Minister has not noticed, is part of the remain

:52:31. > :52:36.campaign. In this booklet is opinion, partial and certainly not

:52:37. > :52:39.fact. Through the turmoil of this week we have seen a partial facts

:52:40. > :52:49.are dangerous thing to have a leaflet. She is disagreeing with the

:52:50. > :53:03.government about the government's relationship with the EU. I would

:53:04. > :53:07.correct on the points of the proportion of legislation here and

:53:08. > :53:15.in the EU. You're looking at roughly 40% of the total that have to do

:53:16. > :53:21.something with EU membership. The Brendon Todd leaflets are a view of

:53:22. > :53:24.part of the government. I don't know if the Minister has noticed, but

:53:25. > :53:28.there are half a dozen Cabinet ministers who are camping to leave

:53:29. > :53:33.alongside other ministers as well. When will the other side of the

:53:34. > :53:37.government get their leaflet? As a member of the Council of Europe,

:53:38. > :53:42.part of my responsibility is election observing. I look at the

:53:43. > :53:49.conduct of the campaign buyer to polling day. If I witnessed, in any

:53:50. > :53:53.of the countries I go to him but he sort of antics I is seen by this

:53:54. > :53:55.government I would condemn the conduct of that election as being

:53:56. > :54:17.not fair. If he reflects on what he just said,

:54:18. > :54:24.and on the election campaigns in Zimbabwe involving the murder,

:54:25. > :54:27.maiming and intimidation of voters, he might recognise that what he has

:54:28. > :54:38.just said was not his finest moment in the house. What the government is

:54:39. > :54:42.doing at the cost of 34p per household is a reasonable expression

:54:43. > :54:52.of the government's case for staying in the EU. It is a collective

:54:53. > :54:59.position, and quite exceptionally, he has agreed the individual

:55:00. > :55:01.ministers who dissent may do so in a public and personal capacity. That

:55:02. > :55:05.does not alter the fact that there is a collective government you

:55:06. > :55:10.agreed upon by the Cabinet that we are better off remaining.

:55:11. > :55:18.Thank you Mr Speaker they have said that the distribution of the leaflet

:55:19. > :55:23.is an unfair advantage to the state. Whether they come covering

:55:24. > :55:33.commission reviews whether they disparate distribution if not why

:55:34. > :55:38.not? The electoral commission is entitled to its view. We don't agree

:55:39. > :55:46.with that, on this point of principle, but we did as I said

:55:47. > :55:50.earlier, change our plans regarding the timing of leaflet distribution

:55:51. > :56:00.to take into account that it the effect impact might have on the

:56:01. > :56:02.election in the three areas. The independent, highly respected

:56:03. > :56:08.electoral commission says the government is wrong. But what is far

:56:09. > :56:14.worse and I have to wear this carefully, is that the time of the

:56:15. > :56:19.debates will reset from the dispatch box was with certain come certain

:56:20. > :56:29.conservative MPs were told we were told the government would not issue

:56:30. > :56:34.a leaflet. We have not clearly good clearly she would not have

:56:35. > :56:39.deliberately does let us. So when did government policy change and can

:56:40. > :56:43.the Minister confirm when his assurances were given, there was no

:56:44. > :56:52.intention of issuing this leaflet. When did the policy change? Mr

:56:53. > :56:58.Speaker, the government has always said that we would take and to

:56:59. > :57:04.express a clear view. The Prime Minister said as far back as last

:57:05. > :57:09.year in June. I do not want us to be neutral on this issue, I want to

:57:10. > :57:15.speak clearly and frankly. The Foreign Secretary and I have both

:57:16. > :57:22.repeated that point on several occasions in the House of Commons.

:57:23. > :57:29.If my Honorable friend refers back to those select committee reports,

:57:30. > :57:36.he will see that the Minister is consistently debate and referred to

:57:37. > :57:44.the absence of any intention to publish leaflets to carry out door

:57:45. > :57:47.drops, advertising in the context of debates and questions about the

:57:48. > :57:57.final 20 days of the campaign and whether or not a range of up to be

:57:58. > :58:06.the British public record as a deficit when they see one. This

:58:07. > :58:12.leaflet has unfair and on British and its nature. The moment it was

:58:13. > :58:18.announced, I've been inundated by people who wish to tell me to leave.

:58:19. > :58:21.Can my right honourable friend release figures for the propaganda

:58:22. > :58:32.leaflets that are returned in the post and have this been budgeted

:58:33. > :58:41.for? The cost for 34p per household I thought is reasonable. The public

:58:42. > :58:51.would be East honest -- astonished... I think the truth is

:58:52. > :58:55.that what my Honorable friend yearns for, is silence and neutrality on

:58:56. > :59:07.the part of the government and that is not what he's going to get. This

:59:08. > :59:11.is a factual document? If that is the case then I must have a few

:59:12. > :59:18.missing pages from mind LAUGHTER Because I don't see any fax, if the

:59:19. > :59:25.Minister is so keen on the fax he told us, with the devs that was last

:59:26. > :59:31.year between United Kingdom within the European Union and what our net

:59:32. > :59:37.contribution is to the EU budget every year because the summer reason

:59:38. > :59:39.those facts are missing from my particular document, salt like to

:59:40. > :59:48.apologise for that omission? LAUGHTER The Treasury analysis is

:59:49. > :59:54.published, but he will find that the full account given of the net

:59:55. > :00:00.contribution in the way that he would expect. The calculation of the

:00:01. > :00:09.net contribution is published every year by HM Treasury and that budget

:00:10. > :00:15.office. Who would have thought this week that the Labour Party would

:00:16. > :00:24.join my own government in supporting the plutocratic the investment

:00:25. > :00:29.banks, against the people. We wonder why politics is held in such a low

:00:30. > :00:38.regard. If I can address the Minister, he will know to date the

:00:39. > :00:50.vice president of the European... The government went too far with

:00:51. > :00:52.these EU leaving concessions. The negotiations are legally

:00:53. > :00:58.non-negotiable. Is it purely coincidence therefore that there is

:00:59. > :01:05.any records of his actual negotiations in this propaganda

:01:06. > :01:09.document? I've been looking at how the European Council is reported in

:01:10. > :01:15.the media around Europe, I have seen, the plenty about this being a

:01:16. > :01:18.big win for the United Kingdom diplomacy and in some cases outrage

:01:19. > :01:24.at what people in those countries have seen as the Trail of federalist

:01:25. > :01:27.ideals. I'd simply say to my Honorable friend, the president of

:01:28. > :01:33.the EU Parliament has made it clear that he wants the deal agreed to go

:01:34. > :01:41.through and she will work to that end. The head of the Council of

:01:42. > :01:45.legal services in the EU has made it clear that the agreement made in

:01:46. > :01:55.February is legally binding in every state. If I may just pick up on that

:01:56. > :02:02.point. The prime minister promises people in this country of a treaty

:02:03. > :02:06.change by June 23. We have no treaty change, so the propaganda that the

:02:07. > :02:11.government is pushing out cannot be guaranteed 100%. That any of the

:02:12. > :02:21.reforms we have got with the law. At the moment, we are consumed by the

:02:22. > :02:29.EU if we go to stay in, the courts both of the power to change what we

:02:30. > :02:34.have tried to do. What was agreed in February, including those aspects of

:02:35. > :02:37.the agreement that required the amendment to the EU treaties take

:02:38. > :02:47.the form of international law decision which is legally blind --

:02:48. > :02:52.binding. Of the 28 EU Member States and cannot be changed unless

:02:53. > :03:01.unanimous agreement. That is why I'm very confident this will go through.

:03:02. > :03:05.Hear, hear! Can the Minister confirmed there been any EU fights

:03:06. > :03:09.in the production of this leaflet and what procurement fraud processes

:03:10. > :03:27.were going through for the leaflet in the leaflets. -- websites.

:03:28. > :03:33.LAUGHTER The money involved is coming out of the Cabinet office

:03:34. > :03:38.departmental spending. Do the best of my knowledge, is coming straight

:03:39. > :03:46.out of the Cabinet offices departmental spending. There are no

:03:47. > :03:50.EU funds involved. In fact, it -- the president of the EU commission

:03:51. > :03:56.said it would be wrong for the commission to be participating in

:03:57. > :04:05.the British election -- referendum campaign. We will come to points

:04:06. > :04:09.order, but I want to do with the next matter on my agenda so the

:04:10. > :04:19.Honorable members are patient they will be heard ere long. In a moment

:04:20. > :04:24.I will call the shadow secretary to make an application for leave to

:04:25. > :04:30.propose a debate on the specific and important matter which she believes

:04:31. > :04:39.she got urgent consideration under the terms of standing order number

:04:40. > :04:48.24. To make such an advocation, the advocation -- Honorable Lady has up

:04:49. > :04:53.to three minutes and Eagle. The House should debate a specific and

:04:54. > :05:04.important matter. The House should consider that that Tata steel to

:05:05. > :05:10.sell its Corporation. On the 29th of March, Tata announced it would sell

:05:11. > :05:15.its entire British timetable for the future of the UK steel industry is

:05:16. > :05:19.now hanging by a thread. He a suitable buyer is not found, there

:05:20. > :05:26.will be enormous repercussions. 40,000 jobs are at stake at Tata and

:05:27. > :05:33.the supply of steel faced a deep and uncertain future. Steel is a

:05:34. > :05:41.foundation industry, and it is essential for the UK's manufacturing

:05:42. > :05:48.base. Defense, construction, automotive, nuclear all depend on

:05:49. > :05:56.steel. This crisis is also a threat to our manufacturing sector which is

:05:57. > :06:03.already struggling. The cost of failing would-be eight additional

:06:04. > :06:08.?4.6 billion over the next ten years. The UK current account

:06:09. > :06:15.deficit already standing at a high of 30 billion would widen even third

:06:16. > :06:22.further. We are dangerously reliant on overseas manufacturers. As all

:06:23. > :06:28.the economic cost, there'd be a holy human cost is well the devastation

:06:29. > :06:33.of entire communities and those who rely on the industry. These steel

:06:34. > :06:37.industry is sick and can be preserved for a strong future but

:06:38. > :06:51.only the right decisions are taken now. It is a matter brink of concern

:06:52. > :06:54.to the House -- grave concern. As top top announcement came during a

:06:55. > :07:00.recess, there has not been a chance to have a debate about this

:07:01. > :07:04.important matter. Not least because the government refuses, despite a

:07:05. > :07:12.petition signed by 52,000 people asking for them to do so. While Mr

:07:13. > :07:14.Speaker I welcome the Secretary of State statement earlier today I

:07:15. > :07:21.believe I was to follow this debate to allow members to not just pose

:07:22. > :07:27.questions but to scrutinize members plans in more detail. Mr Speaker,

:07:28. > :07:39.given the potentially devastating impact on... I begged for leave to

:07:40. > :07:44.seek this emergency now. Hear, hear! I have listened carefully to the

:07:45. > :07:47.application from the honourable member and I'm satisfied that the

:07:48. > :07:55.matter is proper to be discussed. Under the terms of standing order

:07:56. > :08:10.number 24. As the honourable lady have leave of the House? Aye

:08:11. > :08:17.LAUGHTER Thank you. The honourable member has obtained the leave of the

:08:18. > :08:24.House. The debate will be held tomorrow Tuesday the 12th of April

:08:25. > :08:29.is the first item of public business. The debate will last for

:08:30. > :08:35.up to three hours and will arise on a motion that the House is

:08:36. > :08:42.considered specified matter set out in the Honorable member's

:08:43. > :08:56.application. Order. I hope that is helpful.

:08:57. > :09:06.So, order I think I saw the Honorable lady first for her. Thank

:09:07. > :09:16.you Mr Speaker Avenue member and when I arrived there is a strict...

:09:17. > :09:21.I was there for surprised to learn that the Secretary of State have

:09:22. > :09:26.made in ministerial visit to my consistency without any visit to

:09:27. > :09:30.meet. This is disappointing me because I freeze this issue

:09:31. > :09:44.especially the rural parts of my constituency. Can you tell me what

:09:45. > :09:48.is available and is anyway to convey for your office Mr Speaker I be

:09:49. > :09:52.happy to arrange for the Minister to make a more informed visit on this

:09:53. > :09:57.occasion he may wish to read this and it just this me directly. I

:09:58. > :10:03.think the honourable lady for her point of order, and for her courtesy

:10:04. > :10:09.and giving me notice the of it. She is right. There is a firm convention

:10:10. > :10:13.that ministers should give advance notice to Honorable members that

:10:14. > :10:19.they plan to visit the constituency of those members on official as

:10:20. > :10:23.opposed to private or personal business. Indeed, this is required

:10:24. > :10:34.and spelled out in the ministerial code. The apparent failure to do so

:10:35. > :10:39.on this occasion is regrettable. Be so, it is regrettable to me to

:10:40. > :10:43.because I know the right honourable gentleman I've known him for 25

:10:44. > :10:50.years and knew him as a person of utmost courtesy. This does appear to

:10:51. > :10:55.be out of something of a lapse. In terms of remedy she can she wishes

:10:56. > :11:01.that the Minister arranges a perspective more informed visit. She

:11:02. > :11:05.has been most effective in putting this point on the record. The chair

:11:06. > :11:08.cannot facilitate such a visit and it does not for me to say whether it

:11:09. > :11:12.should take place. I'm sure the office has been hashed over husband

:11:13. > :11:33.heard. I have noticed that a former member

:11:34. > :11:38.of this House Doctor Bob has described himself and it is a number

:11:39. > :11:42.of occasions in his websites as a former Minister. I've cut a check

:11:43. > :11:48.with other colleagues with the House of Commons library and they are not

:11:49. > :11:56.able to confirm that. Do you Mr Speaker have any remedy or sanction

:11:57. > :11:58.for a former member of the House inaccurately or deceivingly

:11:59. > :12:09.described himself as a former minister? LAUGHTER The short answer

:12:10. > :12:16.to the honourable gentleman is no. I remember the good doctor of course I

:12:17. > :12:25.do. He certainly wasn't a government minister. I am not aware of what he

:12:26. > :12:30.may have may not set beyond what the honourable gentleman has just

:12:31. > :12:33.reported to the House. Let me just say this, whether someone has or has

:12:34. > :12:46.not been a minister of the Crown, is a matter of public record. It is

:12:47. > :12:53.indeed a matter of fact. One way or another. If someone is wrongly

:12:54. > :13:00.claimed to be a government minister, that is curious. I have however to

:13:01. > :13:06.say it is not a matter for the chair to seek to resolve notwithstanding

:13:07. > :13:10.the eagerness of the honourable gentleman that it should be.

:13:11. > :13:23.LAUGHTER We will have to leave it there.

:13:24. > :13:33.Is a want of clarity is that I perceive the ministers and national

:13:34. > :13:39.conduct authority. Please have clear and honest -- proper answers. I'm

:13:40. > :13:44.still Jenny get the butter of this matter and look for your guidance on

:13:45. > :14:06.this topic and what your current correspondence. The SCA does meet

:14:07. > :14:14.its requirements. ... Mr Speaker not once but twice that the SCA asking

:14:15. > :14:22.for additional time we've note not confirmed but the orders withholding

:14:23. > :14:25.can you guide me an out of confidence in the ability to do so

:14:26. > :14:29.independently of this government when you see we cannot answer my

:14:30. > :14:39.simple question without authorisation from 11000 Downing St.

:14:40. > :14:53.I think the honourable lady for this point of order. I understand, her

:14:54. > :15:00.frustration that she is not secure and clear on and people answering

:15:01. > :15:06.her questions. The information requested by the at CA is not a

:15:07. > :15:12.matter for any member of this chair to decide. She is made or concerned

:15:13. > :15:23.clear, very explicitly on the record and no doubt it will be heard on the

:15:24. > :15:26.Treasury bench indeed. There is a lustrous representative on the

:15:27. > :15:37.French best of her Majesty -- front ... I can say with certainty they

:15:38. > :15:45.have heard her grievance. My overall advice to the lady is to be

:15:46. > :15:52.persistent. If the honourable lady does not secure these answers she

:15:53. > :15:56.should keep asking questions in the best and proper sense of the term

:15:57. > :16:02.make an absolute parliamentary nuisance of herself in the end it

:16:03. > :16:17.very well may be felt if it is not worth the candle. Should stick at

:16:18. > :16:23.it. Point of order we just had a debate about the leaflet the

:16:24. > :16:30.government put out and I did say the legislation that comes from the

:16:31. > :16:36.European Union was not in their its about 13 or 14%. I had the Prester

:16:37. > :16:40.answer in March I went to the library and ask what the actual

:16:41. > :16:50.legislation amount was as that I would like to have the figures show

:16:51. > :16:56.2010 research paper the figure I got this figure only covers 13 to 15% an

:16:57. > :17:03.EU directive decision does not include EU regulations but without

:17:04. > :17:11.directly UK further measures EU directives require further

:17:12. > :17:16.implementation of the UK. I have dated the 20 10th paper in January

:17:17. > :17:24.2015, UK implemented a decision since grown she is, she is

:17:25. > :17:29.calculated at 2013 as you see it as racist because percentage to an

:17:30. > :17:34.average of 59% now I believe Mr Speaker, by repeating this low

:17:35. > :17:40.figure of 13 to 15% there's an absolute misleading the House

:17:41. > :17:44.inadvertently this is not a figure that can be accurately relied on in

:17:45. > :17:54.this the government is to put it out there issues up-to-date information.

:17:55. > :17:58.Mr Speaker what can we do to correct that error which has repeated after

:17:59. > :18:02.the Prime Minister gave that figure as well. The figure is not to be

:18:03. > :18:11.relied on the British people should not rely on it. She has found her

:18:12. > :18:19.own salvation through the ingenious use of point of order procedure.

:18:20. > :18:27.This is not uncommon, I didn't think... In raising a point of order

:18:28. > :18:29.sheet she was more actually what she had to say to me than what I might

:18:30. > :18:50.say to her. Point of order to get energy from waste

:18:51. > :18:54.plants in my constituency. It saves taxpayers from ?84 million of gear.

:18:55. > :19:00.They failed to the new technology working and planned to work away the

:19:01. > :19:05.cost hundreds of jobs and leaving the plans incomplete. Are you aware

:19:06. > :19:10.of any plans for ministers to make a statement to the House of how the

:19:11. > :19:13.ramifications and the government contract for ministers are doing to

:19:14. > :19:23.help seeking new developer could take over the plans and secure the

:19:24. > :19:27.jobs? No, but it is only Monday. There are other days in the

:19:28. > :19:31.parliamentary week and I have a feeling that the honourable

:19:32. > :19:36.gentleman will be waiting all of Gog to see whether his curiosity is

:19:37. > :19:44.satisfied. Forgive me but I can add nothing beyond the stage. Is there

:19:45. > :19:52.anyway I can bring to the attention of the House the fact that as of a

:19:53. > :20:00.few moments ago 207 thousand... Had signed a petition that they stop

:20:01. > :20:04.spending our money on by his campaign to keep bringing the EU.

:20:05. > :20:08.That figure is already almost certainly out of date which the rate

:20:09. > :20:17.of signatures are being added. Out of all the thousands of petitioners

:20:18. > :20:20.on the website the fifth most signs one that is still open for

:20:21. > :20:29.signature. It would be helpful to get that fact rather than net

:20:30. > :20:32.opinion on the record in some way. There was a wait you to bring this

:20:33. > :20:40.important matter into the House, there is and he sounded. He has

:20:41. > :20:48.demonstrated that with his care Rick characteristic point. I wondered if

:20:49. > :20:54.you could add for clarification explained about how the rest of the

:20:55. > :20:59.business will operate in terms of the hunt term of content a blood

:21:00. > :21:01.sport who need it because they received contaminated blood. I'm

:21:02. > :21:05.concerned because there's a lot of people travelling all around the

:21:06. > :21:10.world for that debate I want to be reassured that the debate will take

:21:11. > :21:18.place tomorrow, and will not be put on for another day. It is a fair

:21:19. > :21:23.inquiry, and I had to talk about this earlier in the short answer is

:21:24. > :21:29.that the subject to any discussion that might take place between the

:21:30. > :21:33.usual channels of which at this stage I'm unaware, debate of

:21:34. > :21:42.particular interest to the honourable lady will follow the S oh

:21:43. > :21:52.24 debate moreover it is protected time of three hours for that debate

:21:53. > :21:57.on contaminated blood but absolutely appreciate -- I absolutely

:21:58. > :22:09.appreciate the point she makes of people travelling to the House.

:22:10. > :22:15.Unless and strange decision is made, their expectation should be

:22:16. > :22:26.satisfied. That is on the record I sincerely hope no other plan is

:22:27. > :22:31.afoot. Good. If we have exhausted the appetites for point of order we

:22:32. > :22:39.camped proceed at 756 to the main business of the House. Order. The

:22:40. > :22:52.Clark will proceed to read the orders of the day. I called the

:22:53. > :22:56.Minister. Hear, hear! I do hope this will be worth waiting for. I baked a

:22:57. > :23:04.move that the bill will now be read a second time. Mr Speaker is my

:23:05. > :23:09.right honourable friend... The government long economic term plan

:23:10. > :23:34.is to. Our Labor market is to one of the most open economies in

:23:35. > :23:38.the world means that we are not immune to slowdowns, and shocks.

:23:39. > :23:44.That makes it all the more imperative that we continued hard

:23:45. > :23:50.work being carried out over the six years and that our economy face up

:23:51. > :23:56.to those challenges. This finance bill demonstrates the governments

:23:57. > :24:02.control. I will very happily take into consideration this afternoon,

:24:03. > :24:11.but let me first set out to the right honourable members all firstly

:24:12. > :24:15.outline how this bill out provides opportunities for households,

:24:16. > :24:25.promotes British businesses, and make sure British businesses pay the

:24:26. > :24:34.tax they owe. In the context of the European sign of the question to

:24:35. > :24:40.which he is referring, if you aware of the substantial deficit in the

:24:41. > :24:44.last quarter. In her relations with Europe which is causing a lot of

:24:45. > :24:51.difficulty for our economy to month last year we had a deficit of credit

:24:52. > :24:57.card transactions and goods and services of 58 billion or had a

:24:58. > :25:05.surplus with the rest the world the same services of all around 30

:25:06. > :25:09.billion where Germany had a surplus of 67 billion in relation to their

:25:10. > :25:15.dealings with the other 27 states which showed it different reason why

:25:16. > :25:22.we should leave the EU is the single market just doesn't work

:25:23. > :25:29.My honourable friend takes me to areas away from this finance bill.

:25:30. > :25:33.Let me say in response to him that I don't particularly accept his