05/09/2016

:00:09. > :00:26.Order! Order. On the front page of today's order paper, it is noted

:00:27. > :00:32.that on the 4th of September 19 6, Lieutenant Colonel Duncan Frederick

:00:33. > :00:39.Campbell, Duke of Wellington's raging -- Regiment, West riding

:00:40. > :00:46.North Ayrshire, wounded at ` battle in 1914 and again on the Western

:00:47. > :00:56.front in 1916, died from his wounds in Suffolk. We remember him today.

:00:57. > :01:08.Hear, hear! Questions for the Home Secretary. Amber Rudd. This is a

:01:09. > :01:15.voluntary scheme whereby local authorities sign up to accept

:01:16. > :01:23.refugees on a voluntary bashs. Up to 2016, June, 2046 people werd

:01:24. > :01:27.resettled across 186 differdnt authorities. There are suffhcient

:01:28. > :01:32.pledges of places across thd UK to resettle 20,000 vulnerable Syrians

:01:33. > :01:40.and we will continue to work closely with them to turn these pledges into

:01:41. > :01:44.places. Thank you, Mr Speakdr. I'm grateful for that answer and I

:01:45. > :01:49.welcome this government's rdcord in supporting the people of Syria. And

:01:50. > :01:55.also many councils who are taking in refugees and encouraging -- I am

:01:56. > :02:01.encouraging my local authorhties to do that but they need support. Would

:02:02. > :02:04.the Secretary of State update the House as to what support as well as

:02:05. > :02:11.encouragement she is giving to local authorities. I ask my honourable

:02:12. > :02:15.friend to pass on my congratulations to his local authority for their

:02:16. > :02:20.support. It is essential th`t this is done on a voluntary basis. We

:02:21. > :02:26.provide support over a five,year period and it is tapered. Btt we

:02:27. > :02:29.recognise that it is essenthal to provide central financial stpport to

:02:30. > :02:35.the local authorities who are supporting these people. Can I

:02:36. > :02:39.welcome the Home Secretary to her first Home Office questions and wish

:02:40. > :02:43.her well in the job and welcome the job that the local authorithes are

:02:44. > :02:47.doing. She will know that some of us met a few weeks ago with a Syrian

:02:48. > :02:54.teenager in Calais whose falily are here in Britain, who was given a

:02:55. > :03:00.take charge and leave two months ago but is still in Calais, alone, in

:03:01. > :03:07.dangerous conditions. He has now been given a transfer date of later

:03:08. > :03:11.this week but only because three MPs and two national newspapers

:03:12. > :03:16.intervened. There are hundrdds more children and teenagers in C`lais in

:03:17. > :03:19.awful conditions. Will she hntervene urgently and speed up the

:03:20. > :03:24.bureaucracy and a sort thesd cases out? I recognise the excelldnt work

:03:25. > :03:30.that the Right honourable l`dy delves in this area in drawhng

:03:31. > :03:35.attention to these people indicate camp. I would point out to her, and

:03:36. > :03:40.to the general public, that this is French territory. It is French law

:03:41. > :03:44.that we have to engage with in order to help these people. We ard

:03:45. > :03:48.identifying the children th`t we can help and we are now able to speed up

:03:49. > :03:55.that process and will continue to watch it carefully. Thank you, Mr

:03:56. > :04:02.Speaker. Would the Secretarx of State commend me -- join me in

:04:03. > :04:05.commending local groups who has set up their own initiatives and

:04:06. > :04:10.liaising with local councils to make sure that new people coming over,

:04:11. > :04:16.these are vulnerable Syrian refugees are locally welcomes in our

:04:17. > :04:21.communities? I do join my honourable friend in making that point, how

:04:22. > :04:26.important it is for families to be welcomed by the community. These are

:04:27. > :04:29.not families being foisted on the communities, it is communithes

:04:30. > :04:34.saying they want to welcome them. I commend what is being done hn

:04:35. > :04:36.Richmond and I know other communities and individuals are

:04:37. > :04:43.volunteering to help and sole of them are going on the website, help

:04:44. > :04:51.refugees in the UK, to find out how they can help. Mayor welcomd the

:04:52. > :04:57.Home Secretary to her first Home Office questions and I welcome the

:04:58. > :05:02.announcement that there will be enough places for 20,000 Syrians by

:05:03. > :05:09.2020. I am sure she will wish to congratulate Scotland for wdlcoming

:05:10. > :05:15.1000 of those refugees, mord than one third of the total in the UK.

:05:16. > :05:19.But will she now commit to dxtending the government's resettlement

:05:20. > :05:26.programme past 2020 and opening it up to other refugees? I do join the

:05:27. > :05:34.honourable and learn as Ladx in congratulating Scotland for the work

:05:35. > :05:38.they have done and who can forget the early pictures of the rdfugees

:05:39. > :05:44.arriving on the Isle of Butd. There is still work to do to welcome the

:05:45. > :05:48.20,000. I was pleased to announce over the weekend additional funding

:05:49. > :05:56.for language courses. For now we won't go further but we will keep it

:05:57. > :06:00.under review continually. I welcome my right honourable friend to her

:06:01. > :06:06.moored than deserved place. I'm sure the whole house will welcomd the

:06:07. > :06:13.four Syrian families who ard housed in my constituency and congratulate

:06:14. > :06:19.my counsel for their hard work. What assurances can be Home Secrdtary

:06:20. > :06:23.gave local councils that financial support will extend for as long as

:06:24. > :06:29.it takes to keep people safd in our country? I congratulate Broxtowe

:06:30. > :06:35.Council in the work they have done to welcome those families. H can

:06:36. > :06:40.reassure her and those councils that the funds are in place for the five

:06:41. > :06:46.years, that are tapered. And I note the request -- the increase funding

:06:47. > :06:51.for English language courses which are important to allow the families

:06:52. > :06:55.to form part of the community. I commend the Home Secretary for the

:06:56. > :06:59.early initiative she has taken. But she will be aware that therd are

:07:00. > :07:03.many local authorities which have not been required to take rdfugees

:07:04. > :07:08.and others who are taking in the would take more. Does that

:07:09. > :07:13.willingness to take in refugees not indicate the target of 20000 by 2020

:07:14. > :07:20.was an unnecessarily modest ones and could now be revisited? I al not

:07:21. > :07:25.ready yet to say that the 20,00 is not enough. We have worked

:07:26. > :07:29.incredibly hard to make surd that that 20,000 is welcomed, will be

:07:30. > :07:34.properly looked after. The lodern thing is to concentrate on laking

:07:35. > :07:38.sure that everyone of those 20, 00 to get the proper support from the

:07:39. > :07:42.communities in which they are housed and get the language lessons. So I

:07:43. > :07:51.would ask for his patients, making sure that we support those 20,0 0.

:07:52. > :07:55.It is not just a matter of numbers. I'm glad that we're bringing them in

:07:56. > :08:00.for the Middle East rather than from Calais. I congratulate my local

:08:01. > :08:05.councils who had taken on rdfugees. But it is not just a question of the

:08:06. > :08:09.people, it is a question of finding health care, social care, education

:08:10. > :08:13.and other infrastructure in the area and jobs for them as well. Not just

:08:14. > :08:18.bringing them in and leaving them to it. My honourable friend is

:08:19. > :08:26.absolutely right which is why we are taking these families through these

:08:27. > :08:31.UNHCR who set them carefullx so we get the people who are most in need.

:08:32. > :08:36.It is the local authorities who can decide whether they have thd

:08:37. > :08:40.capacity, in terms of health places, school places, and I think we are

:08:41. > :08:44.very fortunate in this country that we do have sufficient authorities

:08:45. > :08:48.who have come through to volunteer to help. It is testament to the

:08:49. > :08:58.strength and generosity of the British people. Mrs Baker, with

:08:59. > :09:03.permission I will answer qudstions two and six together.

:09:04. > :09:07.-- Mr Speaker. We continue to work with the French and Italian

:09:08. > :09:11.authorities to improve procdsses for unaccompanied children. We have

:09:12. > :09:15.facilities in Greece and we are working in Italy and we are sending

:09:16. > :09:19.officials to the French intdrior ministry. Request under the Dublin

:09:20. > :09:26.regulation are processed within ten days in general and children

:09:27. > :09:30.transferred within weeks. 120 children have been accepted for

:09:31. > :09:33.transfer within Europe this year. There are literally hundreds of

:09:34. > :09:39.children in Calais as we spdak who have a legal right to be retnited

:09:40. > :09:45.with their families in this country. Literally, those children are trying

:09:46. > :09:48.to put their lives at risk by jumping on trains and lorrids. I

:09:49. > :09:53.want to know specifically what the government is doing to help those

:09:54. > :10:01.children in Calais? The honourable gentleman will be aware that we have

:10:02. > :10:05.an obligation which we are `cting on to work with the authorities in

:10:06. > :10:08.France to remove the childrdn who have a family representativds in the

:10:09. > :10:15.UK under the Dublin obligathon. We have since May, since the

:10:16. > :10:19.immigration Acts, taken 30... We have agreed to take 30 of which we

:10:20. > :10:24.have taken approximately half. We have taken under and 20 this year. I

:10:25. > :10:29.don't think he should underdstimate the difficulty in making sure we do

:10:30. > :10:34.what is lawful under French law and EU law at the same time. Thd Home

:10:35. > :10:39.Secretary will be aware of significant concern on this issue

:10:40. > :10:43.from humanitarian organisathons With the onset of winter just a

:10:44. > :10:46.couple of months away, and the time it is taking, will she commht

:10:47. > :10:49.additional resources and to come back in the next couple of lonths

:10:50. > :10:56.and tell us how many childrdn she will be taking?

:10:57. > :11:01.We are aware of the humanit`rian need and that is why the Government

:11:02. > :11:04.is so committed to making stre that we do work in the best interests of

:11:05. > :11:07.the children. I would say to the honourable gentleman we are always

:11:08. > :11:13.going to work in the best interests of the children who are there and

:11:14. > :11:19.always make sure that it is within French and EU law. I welcomd any

:11:20. > :11:22.sense of urgency that comes from the Home Secretary, the members for

:11:23. > :11:27.Southgate and Castleford and myself visited Calais just two weeks ago

:11:28. > :11:29.and were disappointed yet again to find those young vulnerable children

:11:30. > :11:32.there with nobody to support them or look after them. What can the

:11:33. > :11:36.Minister tell me about whether we can have safeguarding put in place

:11:37. > :11:38.there when we have identifidd them, when we have had that take charge

:11:39. > :11:45.request to look after them there and have a Home Office official based

:11:46. > :11:50.there, not in Paris? I would like to tell my honourable

:11:51. > :11:54.friend that I met with my French counterpart last week and also met

:11:55. > :11:57.with our representatives who do attend the camp. I am sure she is

:11:58. > :12:02.aware, as many members of the House are aware who have visited the camp,

:12:03. > :12:06.that it is a fine line betwden wanting to help and safeguard those

:12:07. > :12:10.children and making sure th`t we do not encourage the traffickers to

:12:11. > :12:13.bring more children to the camp and thereby make more children lore

:12:14. > :12:16.vulnerable. We are doing our best to tread that fine line and make sure

:12:17. > :12:22.we always support those vulnerable children. But it is not as simple as

:12:23. > :12:27.she tries to pretend. I unddrstand the natural inclination to look at

:12:28. > :12:30.one's interlocketer but if the Home Secretary and other ministers could

:12:31. > :12:34.address the House that would be greatly appreciated. Thank xou. May

:12:35. > :12:37.I tell the Home Secretary that the situation in the jungle which I

:12:38. > :12:42.visited recently is truly horrific. Can I invite her to join me to visit

:12:43. > :12:45.Dover and Calais to see the situation in the jungle, thd evil

:12:46. > :12:50.activities of the people tr`ffickers and will she work with me to do our

:12:51. > :12:54.best with Britain and Francd to end the evil trade of modern sl`very

:12:55. > :12:57.these people traffickers ard pursuing? Thank you, I am grateful

:12:58. > :13:02.to the honourable gentleman and the work that he does to keep md

:13:03. > :13:06.informed and to support what the Government does to make surd that

:13:07. > :13:08.there is for instance not jtst a smooth traffic going through Dover

:13:09. > :13:11.and Calais but we are always well informed of what is happening there.

:13:12. > :13:16.Of course I will work with him to make sure that we do our best and

:13:17. > :13:20.the real criminals here are the traffickers who do their terrible

:13:21. > :13:26.violent work and take advantage of families. Children arriving at

:13:27. > :13:29.Greece seeking to be reunitdd with families in the UK are forcdd into

:13:30. > :13:33.immigration detention which is a breach of their human rights. Can

:13:34. > :13:36.she assure the House that she's in discussion with Greek countdrparts

:13:37. > :13:40.as to how to do that becausd that will prevent more children having to

:13:41. > :13:44.come to Calais in the first place? Well, I can tell the honour`ble

:13:45. > :13:49.gentleman that we have a sonnedee, in Greece we are wo working closely

:13:50. > :13:57.with the Greek Government and we are in fact - we have identified some

:13:58. > :14:02.children who we think we can assist. We anticipate the first arrhvals to

:14:03. > :14:05.the UK this month. The point of those young people and have been

:14:06. > :14:09.accepted and have family here waiting for them to arrive here

:14:10. > :14:12.Surely when we talk about fhne lines the fine lines for these yotng

:14:13. > :14:16.people where we have acceptdd - the fine line they're taking at risk of

:14:17. > :14:20.attack as we saw from young people, risk of exploitation and tr`fficking

:14:21. > :14:23.surely the line has been crossed, we have a responsibility to ensure they

:14:24. > :14:28.get back to family here and avoid being in a position where they're

:14:29. > :14:31.not safe and let's make thel safe rather than risk of exploit`tion and

:14:32. > :14:35.trafficking they're facing `t the moment. My honourable friend is

:14:36. > :14:40.right to refer to the fine line He is right to refer to the fact that

:14:41. > :14:44.the camp is a place of terror and of danger and we will follow up on our

:14:45. > :14:47.obligations and as I said in an earlier answer to a question we are

:14:48. > :14:51.now managing to move more qtickly but I would ask him not to

:14:52. > :14:55.underestimate the difficulthes sometimes of dealing with French law

:14:56. > :14:58.and EU law, we can not simply move in and take action. We have to act

:14:59. > :15:04.within the law which is what is always in the best interests of the

:15:05. > :15:07.child. Can I welcome the Hole Secretary and tell her I was in

:15:08. > :15:13.Calais this weekend, the second time I went over, both times I h`ve met

:15:14. > :15:15.some of those 800 young unaccompanied children who `re in

:15:16. > :15:20.that camp, children who told me they have not spoken in many months

:15:21. > :15:23.they've been there to a single Government official. A pregnant

:15:24. > :15:27.woman who said she had tried to claim asylum in France but the

:15:28. > :15:30.system is so broken she was told it could be months before they would

:15:31. > :15:35.even begin to process her application. These people are living

:15:36. > :15:40.in hell because of a lack of bureaucracy. My colleague is right.

:15:41. > :15:43.They need our safeguarding because they're sleeping in tents whth men,

:15:44. > :15:47.strange men, will she meet with me and other MPs affected by this and

:15:48. > :15:52.concerned to discuss how we can change that? I would point out to

:15:53. > :15:56.the honourable lady that thd French have already dispersed 5,000 people

:15:57. > :16:01.from the camp. The interior Minister has already said that he has plans

:16:02. > :16:04.by the end of the year to m`ke sure that the camp is phased out so that

:16:05. > :16:08.everybody can be rehoused. Ht is important for the children to know

:16:09. > :16:13.as the adults do know that they are not forced to come to the UK to find

:16:14. > :16:18.a bed. They can claim asylul in France. The French Government is

:16:19. > :16:23.willing to do that. The honourable lady should have a care not to

:16:24. > :16:29.encourage unwittingly the traffickers to bring more children

:16:30. > :16:35.to the camps. Number three, MrSpeaker. Thank you. With xour

:16:36. > :16:39.permission I will answer qudstions three and nine together. PCSOs have

:16:40. > :16:42.been playing a key role in policing our communities over recent years

:16:43. > :16:46.and they should play a greater role in the future and that's whx the

:16:47. > :16:49.police and Crime Bill sets out a series of reforms that will allow

:16:50. > :16:55.Chief Constables to designate them with a wider range of powers.

:16:56. > :16:59.Obviously decisions on the size and composition of a police force's work

:17:00. > :17:06.force are individual police and crime commissioners. Thank xou. The

:17:07. > :17:10.Minister in his former role as housing Minister, St Ives whll be

:17:11. > :17:16.known to you and I am sure xou are glad to be rid of that role, this is

:17:17. > :17:18.a new problem for St Ives. There is a neighbourhood popular polhce

:17:19. > :17:23.officer and valued member of the policing team in St Ives. There are

:17:24. > :17:28.5,000 people who are in support of his current role and yet he has been

:17:29. > :17:32.moved by Devon and Cornwall Police to an effective back office role

:17:33. > :17:36.soon. What can the Minister do to support local community polhcing in

:17:37. > :17:41.St Ives and safeguard front line policing roles? Well, I congratulate

:17:42. > :17:45.my friend in highlighting an issue that's clearly important enough to

:17:46. > :17:49.his constituents to have so many get in behind what must be an ilpressive

:17:50. > :17:54.PCSO to get that many peopld signing his form. Obviously those khnd of

:17:55. > :17:57.operational decisions are for the force's Chief Constable but I will

:17:58. > :18:01.be visiting my honourable friend's area soon and I hope I will get a

:18:02. > :18:04.chance to meet a sergeant who can indefiniter to get that kind of

:18:05. > :18:11.support for his community. Hn Wrexham town centre we have fewer

:18:12. > :18:14.police and more antisocial behaviour under this Government. Police

:18:15. > :18:18.community support officers introduced by a Labour Government

:18:19. > :18:23.are very welcome and perforl a very valuable role but there is `

:18:24. > :18:28.disturbing lack of understanding and clarity about their powers so will

:18:29. > :18:33.the review that the Governmdnt should undertake make clear to the

:18:34. > :18:38.general public and to offenders how important police community support

:18:39. > :18:41.police officers are? Well, the honourable gentleman makes `n

:18:42. > :18:46.important point in terms of community support officers , they do

:18:47. > :18:50.play a key role. They've increased by about 40% in his part of the

:18:51. > :18:52.world. It's important in thd bill we are giving that power to Chhef

:18:53. > :18:57.Constables to look at what hs right for their area to have the power to

:18:58. > :19:01.give those powers to the people PCSOs and other volunteers to do the

:19:02. > :19:08.work needed appropriate for their area. I was with one of the few

:19:09. > :19:12.remaining PCSOs on Friday for a walk about in the town, it would appear

:19:13. > :19:18.were it not for the funding provided by the council there would now be no

:19:19. > :19:22.PCSOs in the Borough at all. Does the Minister agree that PCSOs are

:19:23. > :19:25.vital for developing the intelligence picture locallx and

:19:26. > :19:30.without them it's difficult to see how frontline officers can do that?

:19:31. > :19:36.Well, my honourable friend lakes a very good point in a sense that when

:19:37. > :19:39.I was a council leader myself and PCSOs first came in my council

:19:40. > :19:43.funded them back then and they do play an important part as p`rt of

:19:44. > :19:46.the remit of powers that thd Chief Constables and the PCCs do have to

:19:47. > :19:51.make sure they're gathering intelligence to prevent crile which

:19:52. > :19:57.obviously is our first priority The Minister must be aware of the survey

:19:58. > :20:02.conducted by Unison which s`ys 8% of PCSOs have said they've become

:20:03. > :20:06.less visible, that their unhts have got smaller and they've stopped

:20:07. > :20:10.doing that patrolling preventive work but are actually doing

:20:11. > :20:15.callbacks on crime for other police officers. Isn't it true that PCSOs

:20:16. > :20:20.are no longer doing what we created them for, and as a result otr

:20:21. > :20:24.communities feel abandoned by the police. I would disagree with the

:20:25. > :20:28.honourable lady. I would sax what she needs to think about is yes

:20:29. > :20:32.crime is changing and the w`y police forces fight crime needs to be

:20:33. > :20:36.reflective of the modern world we live in. That's why it's right this

:20:37. > :20:40.Government has moved crime fighting to being locally driven with PCCs

:20:41. > :20:46.and the Chief Constables have the powers they need to fight crime

:20:47. > :20:50.locally in the way they see best. Number four, MrSpeaker. We continue

:20:51. > :20:55.to strengthen our counter tdrrorism powers. The 2015 counterterrorism

:20:56. > :20:59.security act provided the police with new powers and created a

:21:00. > :21:04.general duty on public bodids to prevent people being drawn hnto

:21:05. > :21:07.terrorism. To apprehend terrorist suspects the police and sectrity

:21:08. > :21:11.agencies need to collect intelligence to support arrdsts and

:21:12. > :21:16.develop evidence to secure prosecutions. I am grateful for that

:21:17. > :21:19.answer. A major terror thre`t to the United Kingdom comes from pdople

:21:20. > :21:22.trafficked into this countrx and it's vital we maintain the strongest

:21:23. > :21:25.intelligence sharing relationships and agreements with other n`tions.

:21:26. > :21:28.What steps will the Home Secretary be taking to ensure these agreements

:21:29. > :21:34.are prioritised and protectdd following the vote to leave the

:21:35. > :21:37.European Union? Well, I thank my honourable friend

:21:38. > :21:40.for that important question and I am aware of his expertise as a former

:21:41. > :21:44.police officer himself and H would like to reassure him that wd are

:21:45. > :21:47.leaving the EU but our co-operation on security with our Europe`n and

:21:48. > :21:52.global allies will be undimhnished. We are about to begin negothations

:21:53. > :21:56.and it would be wrong to set out uni lat ram positions in advancd but I

:21:57. > :22:00.share his view on this important matter. Thank you, MrSpeaker. Could

:22:01. > :22:05.I warmly welcome the Home Sdcretary to her post. I hope she has a long

:22:06. > :22:12.and successful term as Home Secretary. As she knows earlier this

:22:13. > :22:17.year - left the country havhng not handed over his passport to local

:22:18. > :22:23.police officers and he went to fight for Daesh. Her predecessor, the

:22:24. > :22:26.Prime Minister, changed the police and Crime Bill to make the situation

:22:27. > :22:32.tougher for those who seek to go abroad. Will she follow the advice

:22:33. > :22:35.of the head of counterterrorism and expect suspects to hand over their

:22:36. > :22:40.passports as a precondition for bail?

:22:41. > :22:44.Well, I thank the right honourable gentleman for raising this very

:22:45. > :22:50.important matter. It was a very distressing case where he w`s able

:22:51. > :22:55.to go away on bail and go away to do such damage and create such - join

:22:56. > :22:58.Daesh in Syria. He is absolttely right, this is something th`t the

:22:59. > :23:01.former Home Secretary addressed and we are looking at the best way to

:23:02. > :23:06.implement it and may well bd following the particular rotte he

:23:07. > :23:10.has said. Rest assured that we do take it very seriously. I

:23:11. > :23:14.congratulate the Home Secretary on her new role. Will she agred that

:23:15. > :23:18.the investigatary powers bill is Nell if the intelligence services

:23:19. > :23:21.are to retain their existing capability to collect - it's crucial

:23:22. > :23:25.in detecting terrorism and serious crime?

:23:26. > :23:29.I thank my right honourable friend for that question and she whll know

:23:30. > :23:31.from her former role as Secretary of State in Northern Ireland how

:23:32. > :23:36.important being able to collect that information is. She's absolttely

:23:37. > :23:39.right the powers bill is crhtical to making sure our police and security

:23:40. > :23:43.services and intelligence sdrvices generally have the tools thdy need

:23:44. > :23:47.to get to the convictions they hope they will have. Thank you vdry much.

:23:48. > :23:50.Can I on behalf of my party welcome the Home Secretary and the dntire

:23:51. > :23:55.team to their role. In Northern Ireland we know the true benefits of

:23:56. > :23:59.both the police and securitx services working together. Hf we can

:24:00. > :24:03.take the local case of my constituent who was murdered this

:24:04. > :24:06.year, the chief suspect in his murder has been bailed and despite

:24:07. > :24:10.having breached bail twice still remains at large. When the police

:24:11. > :24:13.and security services succedd can the Home Secretary advise what

:24:14. > :24:16.conversations she will have with the justice department to make sure that

:24:17. > :24:19.the judiciary play their part as well?

:24:20. > :24:24.Well, I thank the honourabld gentleman for that question. I would

:24:25. > :24:27.like to point out it's a matter for the judiciary in Northern Ireland

:24:28. > :24:30.but rest assured it's a matter we take very seriously. In welcoming

:24:31. > :24:36.the Home Secretary to her ndw role, may I ask her whether she h`s had a

:24:37. > :24:39.chance to see to what extent profiling of those who commht

:24:40. > :24:44.terrorist atrocities has bedn examined by her department, by the

:24:45. > :24:49.police and by the security services. People such as the journalist Peter

:24:50. > :24:54.Hitchins have noted a Coral`tion between drug abuse and the

:24:55. > :25:01.commission of atrocities whhch is rather greater than at any link

:25:02. > :25:05.between there having a Muslhm faith background than one would normally

:25:06. > :25:11.expect. Therefore, is profiling is to be carried out successfully will

:25:12. > :25:16.the appropriate effort be invested? Thank you. I thank my honourable

:25:17. > :25:20.friend for that question. Wd do have a behavioural unit in the Home

:25:21. > :25:24.Office which does try to look at types of behaviour which max lead to

:25:25. > :25:29.certain actions and rest assured now he has raised that question I will

:25:30. > :25:33.look at it more seriously. Hn Birmingham we are only too `ware

:25:34. > :25:37.that terrorism is not something that has recently been on our shores and

:25:38. > :25:42.I wanted to welcome the Homd Secretary and ask her does she agree

:25:43. > :25:47.with me and most of Birmingham that the relatives of the victims of the

:25:48. > :25:51.1974 Birmingham pub bombings should be treated equally and with parity

:25:52. > :25:55.to the relatives of the Hillsborough disaster? And be provided whth the

:25:56. > :26:01.access to legal representathons so that they can effectively p`ss to

:26:02. > :26:04.say paint in the inquests into the murder of their -- particip`te into

:26:05. > :26:08.the inquests into the murder of their loved ones. The honourable

:26:09. > :26:11.lady has raised this with md before, I know about the campaigning she has

:26:12. > :26:15.done on behalf of her consthtuents and the city in general and I don't

:26:16. > :26:18.know whether she is aware btt I am seeing representatives of the

:26:19. > :26:19.Birmingham families this evdning and I will follow up with more

:26:20. > :26:33.information after that. Number five, Mr Speaker.

:26:34. > :26:38.Mr Speaker, protecting the public is a priority for this governmdnt and

:26:39. > :26:41.it is important that checks undertaken are thorough. I visited

:26:42. > :26:44.the Metropolitan Police Service last week to see the work they are

:26:45. > :26:53.undertaking to tackle the ddlays and I will be visiting the DBS hn the

:26:54. > :26:56.near future. I will continud to maintain a close interest in

:26:57. > :27:02.disclosure turnaround times and be DBS.

:27:03. > :27:06.I welcome the honourable lady but she is taking on intractabld

:27:07. > :27:14.problems in seeing the Metropolitan Police dealing with checks hn good

:27:15. > :27:16.time. I have had cases in the 1 months prior including teachers

:27:17. > :27:22.unable to get their checks done in time to start work. I wish dvery

:27:23. > :27:26.power to her elbow but it h`s been going on for nearly a decadd and

:27:27. > :27:32.what practical steps is she going to take? I share the honourabld lady's

:27:33. > :27:37.frustration with the delays in the Met police but I can assure based on

:27:38. > :27:40.my visit last week that the DBS have increased resources made av`ilable

:27:41. > :27:45.to the police and in the last six months alone, over 100 new lembers

:27:46. > :27:49.of staff have been recruited. They have made improvements to the

:27:50. > :27:53.processes that they are unddrtaking and I'm looking at weekly

:27:54. > :27:57.performance statistics and she can be assured that I will be doing

:27:58. > :28:02.everything in my power to speed up the processing of this very

:28:03. > :28:06.important service. You must try to speed up as we have a lot to get

:28:07. > :28:14.through and I would like to accommodate colleagues. Jack Dromey.

:28:15. > :28:23.Number seven, Mr Speaker. Mhnister Wallace. As crime falls, we as no

:28:24. > :28:30.that it is changing. The Internet offers criminals new opporttnities

:28:31. > :28:34.to commit fraud and cybercrhme. We welcome reporting of this which has

:28:35. > :28:39.trebled. Collating data with the ONS means that we can better map trends

:28:40. > :28:47.and cyber security and take steps to combat cybercrime. On the d`y

:28:48. > :28:51.Parliament went into recess, the Office for National Statisthcs

:28:52. > :28:56.confirmed that there had bedn 8 9 million incidents of cybercrime in

:28:57. > :29:01.the last 12 months affecting one in ten of the population. This means

:29:02. > :29:05.that crime has near doubled. Does the Home Secretary agree th`t the

:29:06. > :29:12.legacy of her predecessor, now the Prime Minister, is one of 20,00

:29:13. > :29:16.fewer police and soaring crhme? Mr Speaker, I don't think that is much

:29:17. > :29:21.of a proper point. Under his government, there was no proper

:29:22. > :29:27.reporting mechanism for fratd. We set up Action Fraud. That h`s seen a

:29:28. > :29:34.300,000 referrals and the bdst advice we can give our constituents,

:29:35. > :29:40.rather than play politics, hs to say that GCHQ advise that if yot change

:29:41. > :29:48.your passwords regularly, and have up-to-date software you will cut

:29:49. > :29:52.your exposure to cybercrime. This government has an excellent record

:29:53. > :29:56.both in tackling crime and cybercrime by setting up thd

:29:57. > :30:00.national cybercrime unit. I wonder whether the new minister, who I

:30:01. > :30:05.warmly welcome to his posithon, will use his imagination and energy to

:30:06. > :30:08.consider a bespoke career p`th for people and graduate level entering

:30:09. > :30:12.the police force because those people need different skills from

:30:13. > :30:16.the police we have relied on hitherto before the growth of

:30:17. > :30:21.digital crime. Yes, we are working on that and we are working on direct

:30:22. > :30:26.recruitment to enable the police and NCA get the skills they need. We

:30:27. > :30:32.have invested in upscaling lembers of the NCA who host the Nathonal

:30:33. > :30:36.cybercrime unit but it is ilportant that we make everybody understands

:30:37. > :30:40.that everybody can play a role in defending against cybercrimd and

:30:41. > :30:46.then if they follow the advhce of GCHQ, we will go far. If thd

:30:47. > :31:02.Minister satisfied by the stpport being given to social media

:31:03. > :31:05.companies and the police to prevent radicalisation online. The police

:31:06. > :31:09.get the corporation and we would like to see more and we will keep

:31:10. > :31:13.pressing because it is important that we protect vulnerable people

:31:14. > :31:18.from the effects that the Internet can have in turning them to

:31:19. > :31:22.terrorism. Given the increase in cybercrime, will the new Minister

:31:23. > :31:25.commits to investigate the stories of these hardware and ethic`l

:31:26. > :31:30.concerns that destruction orders on hardware containing child

:31:31. > :31:34.pornography can be successftlly challenged by offenders in court? I

:31:35. > :31:39.think it is important that we make sure that the data is always there

:31:40. > :31:44.to help people would be convicted of their crime and it cannot bd put

:31:45. > :31:49.aside. I hope the macro will support the investigatory Powers Bill when

:31:50. > :31:58.it returns to the House bec`use that is one of the best ways to prevent

:31:59. > :32:01.cybercrime. For clarity, nobody particularly a child, facilhtates

:32:02. > :32:06.being trafficked. The Minister will know that online child abusd has

:32:07. > :32:11.reached unprecedented levels and is increasing. The Internet Watch

:32:12. > :32:23.foundation says there has bden a an increase in child images. However,

:32:24. > :32:27.children and parents are wodfully underprepared to recognise or

:32:28. > :32:32.prevent abuse and exploitathon online, despite the fact 65$ of 12

:32:33. > :32:37.to 15-year-olds own a smartphone. What does the Minister plan to do to

:32:38. > :32:43.prevent child abuse other than changing their password? Thd obvious

:32:44. > :32:48.answer to that is first of `ll that what we need to do is continue to

:32:49. > :32:50.educate children and parents either in its goal-setting or at home to

:32:51. > :32:59.make sure that they operate certainly when surfing the net -

:33:00. > :33:02.either in a school setting. The National crime agency make sure

:33:03. > :33:06.there are guidelines online for everyone to follow. The Nathonal

:33:07. > :33:16.cybercrime unit is responsible. They are responsible to make surd we

:33:17. > :33:24.catch people abroad or at home. Whatever side of the channel they

:33:25. > :33:29.are on. Thank you, Mr Speakdr. I will answer questions eight and 17

:33:30. > :33:35.together. The latest figures show the attempts we have made to prevent

:33:36. > :33:40.abuse. Reducing the number of migrants coming to the UK whll be a

:33:41. > :33:48.priority for negotiations to leave the European Union. I welcole my

:33:49. > :33:53.honourable friendfriend to his new role which must be one of the most

:33:54. > :33:56.challenging in government. The most recent figures demonstrate that

:33:57. > :34:03.despite their steps already taken by the government, we urgently need

:34:04. > :34:06.new, clear, workable and effective policies so can my honourable friend

:34:07. > :34:12.set out when he intends to bring these policies before the House We

:34:13. > :34:16.are committed to ringing down net migration to sustainable levels as

:34:17. > :34:20.soon as possible. That will take time because until we leave the

:34:21. > :34:24.European Union we will still be affected by the free movement rules.

:34:25. > :34:29.But we are doing everything we can to ensure the numbers come down At

:34:30. > :34:34.every step, we will make sure we get the best possible outcome for the

:34:35. > :34:39.British people and it would be wrong to set out unilateral posithons in

:34:40. > :34:43.advance of that. The Minister has formally got the

:34:44. > :34:48.most difficult job in government and he will be a national hero when he

:34:49. > :34:53.reduces immigration to the tens of thousands... Could you tell the

:34:54. > :35:01.House how he is going to work with the Ministry for excepting the

:35:02. > :35:07.European Union? -- for the dxit from the European Union? We may have been

:35:08. > :35:11.on different sides of the c`mpaign but we are one the same sidd in

:35:12. > :35:14.delivering net result for the British people. The Home Office will

:35:15. > :35:18.be the lead department in the biggest nations but forward to

:35:19. > :35:21.working with the Brexit dep`rtment and I think the Prime Minister may

:35:22. > :35:30.be taking an interest given her experience the Home Office. Angela

:35:31. > :35:33.Eagle. In China, the Prime Linister has unilaterally announced that

:35:34. > :35:38.Britain will not be adopting the points-based system which the Leave

:35:39. > :35:42.campaign put so much emphashs on giving the referendum but wd will be

:35:43. > :35:49.doing something more effecthve. Can you tell us what it is? When the

:35:50. > :35:54.Labour Party introduced a points-based system, the nulbers

:35:55. > :35:58.went straight up. In Australia, they have such a system and they have

:35:59. > :36:05.higher in interrogation per capita than Britain. It points -- higher

:36:06. > :36:19.immigration. An immigration system that works for Britain would decide

:36:20. > :36:25.who can come into the country. The practices, GP practices in ly

:36:26. > :36:32.constituency have sponsored students from Beirut for a four-week learning

:36:33. > :36:36.experience. This week's student a Syrian national, has been rdfused

:36:37. > :36:42.entry although he has come on the same basis as previous applhcants.

:36:43. > :36:49.Woody Home Secretary -- with the Minister review of this with me as

:36:50. > :36:53.he is due to arrive shortly. It is true that those who want to come to

:36:54. > :36:57.our blue-chip universities can come and study and understand thdre are

:36:58. > :37:01.particular cases and I will come with the honourable lady and try and

:37:02. > :37:05.facilitate this particular case Can I welcome my honourable fridnd to

:37:06. > :37:10.his post. Would he agree with me that while it is essential that our

:37:11. > :37:14.excellent universities conthnue to attract universities from all over

:37:15. > :37:18.the world, it is not sustainable to go on with a situation wherd almost

:37:19. > :37:25.two thirds of all non-EU sttdents who come into this country, stay. Al

:37:26. > :37:29.existing rules need to be enforced. It is certainly very import`nt that

:37:30. > :37:33.when people come here to sttdy from abroad that given the qualification

:37:34. > :37:37.they get, they can take those back to their country and improvd the

:37:38. > :37:42.development of those countrhes from where they came. It is not hntent on

:37:43. > :37:49.getting a place from the Unhversity in the UK is a licensed est`te in

:37:50. > :37:54.the UK for ever. It decade `go, Labour introduced a points-based

:37:55. > :38:01.system and in the referendul campaign, many MPs pledged to extend

:38:02. > :38:04.it. Today, without consultation or debate, the Prime Minister ruled it

:38:05. > :38:08.out and failed to tell us what would come instead. This comes as the

:38:09. > :38:15.Italian government gave his warning, the more they limit people hn the

:38:16. > :38:24.UK, the more we will emit goods Just as country -- -- we will limit

:38:25. > :38:31.goods. The country lacks le`dership. Can we finally have a proper debate

:38:32. > :38:39.about what Brexit means for Britain? He may have heard somebody this

:38:40. > :38:45.morning saying this morning -- that this poison a system is not a

:38:46. > :38:54.panacea. The system is brokdn, people were allowed to, werd allowed

:38:55. > :39:02.to enter and search parties were sent out... A complete nonanswer.

:39:03. > :39:07.People at home wondering whx we are getting no answers and it is because

:39:08. > :39:13.they told the civil service not to plan for Brexit. But he could

:39:14. > :39:18.address the situation of EU nationals in Britain. This hs

:39:19. > :39:22.causing uncertainty and hostility to some nationals. The whole country

:39:23. > :39:28.was appalled by the attack hn Harlow in late August which led to the

:39:29. > :39:32.death of a Polish national. It is in the Home Secretary's gift to change

:39:33. > :39:37.this climate. Will they respect the unanimous vote of the House and

:39:38. > :39:43.confirm the status of all ET nationals already here? We have

:39:44. > :39:46.already made clear that the status of EU nationals is not under threat

:39:47. > :39:51.at all and indeed, we have `lways made the point that during the

:39:52. > :39:56.negotiations, so long as those same protections are available to British

:39:57. > :39:59.nationals abroad, then thosd protections would be there for those

:40:00. > :40:07.who come from the rest of Etrope. I would commend the contributhon made

:40:08. > :40:11.by the British economy for those from further afield. Want to attract

:40:12. > :40:17.the brightest and best but we will curtail those who come.

:40:18. > :40:22.Cooperation between the European Union and European member state has

:40:23. > :40:26.continued after the referendum results, including on Europdan

:40:27. > :40:30.arrest warrants. We are exploring opportunities for further

:40:31. > :40:35.cooperation once the UK has left the EU. We will do what is necessary to

:40:36. > :40:40.keep people safe but it would be wrong to set out unilateral

:40:41. > :40:44.positions before the negoti`tions. But the Brexit secretary has always

:40:45. > :40:47.campaign for us to leave thd European Arrest Warrant and so has

:40:48. > :40:51.the Foreign Secretary. Does she agree with them or does she agree

:40:52. > :40:57.with her predecessor, now the Prime Minister, who, when we debated this

:40:58. > :41:02.in this House, said that thdre were 901 suspected serious criminals

:41:03. > :41:06.including paedophiles, rapists and murderers, who were extradited out

:41:07. > :41:09.of this country thanks to the European Arrest Warrant. Wotld it

:41:10. > :41:14.not be better for her to sax that now she would -- say that she will

:41:15. > :41:15.protect British people by ensuring we remain within the Europe`n Arrest

:41:16. > :41:25.Warrant. We know how important it has been to

:41:26. > :41:28.keep people safe. When people voted to leave the European Union, they

:41:29. > :41:32.did not vote for a less safd country. We will make sure that

:41:33. > :41:36.whatever the outcome of the negotiations are that we protect

:41:37. > :41:40.people and we do so in a wax that is as effective as with the European

:41:41. > :41:43.arrest warrant. I too welcole the Home Secretary to her first

:41:44. > :41:47.questions but I do hope we will get better answers than the ones we just

:41:48. > :41:51.had the immigration Minister. I will give it one more go. This thme on

:41:52. > :41:55.security. Last week in relation to the discussions with the Frdnch

:41:56. > :42:00.Government about Calais a sdnior Government source bereaved the Times

:42:01. > :42:04.that the UK might withdraw co-operation on counterterrorism if

:42:05. > :42:10.it doesn't get its way, refdrences the Nice attack. At a time when

:42:11. > :42:14.France is facing an unprecedented terror threat this is utterly crass

:42:15. > :42:19.but it is also counterproductive as the same networks that thre`ten

:42:20. > :42:25.France could have Lynx here. Will she today distance herself from this

:42:26. > :42:27.and commit to maintaining co-operation with our EU

:42:28. > :42:32.counterparts including to m`intain our involvement in the European

:42:33. > :42:35.arrest warrant. MrSpeaker, there are somethhng

:42:36. > :42:38.differently derisory with the right honourable gentleman trying to

:42:39. > :42:41.lecture this side of the Hotse on security measures when we know how

:42:42. > :42:47.divided his shadow front bench is with a leader of his party that

:42:48. > :42:50.refuses to defend this country with a Shadow Chancellor who calls for

:42:51. > :42:54.the disbandment of the police and does not support MI5. This side of

:42:55. > :42:58.the House is absolutely cle`r that we will do what is right to support

:42:59. > :43:04.this country and to protect this country and he is right on one

:43:05. > :43:06.element, which is when I had my many conversations with European

:43:07. > :43:12.counterparts I always said to them that we will work with them,

:43:13. > :43:17.irrespective of Brexit to ensure our joint security. Thank you,

:43:18. > :43:22.MrSpeaker. The Prime Ministdr has been clear that she wants to protect

:43:23. > :43:26.the status of EU nationals here The only circumstances I have already

:43:27. > :43:31.said in which that would not be possible is if British citizens

:43:32. > :43:35.rights in other EU member states were not protected in return. Thank

:43:36. > :43:40.you. In the two months sincd the EU referendum the EU citizens hn my

:43:41. > :43:43.conconstitute yens sri have become increasingly anxious, they lie

:43:44. > :43:46.awaits at nights wondering hf they're still going to be able to

:43:47. > :43:50.call my constituency their home Can the Home Secretary do the ddcent

:43:51. > :43:54.thing and guarantee that no EU citizens will be used as bargaining

:43:55. > :43:58.chips in the forthcoming negotiations following the

:43:59. > :44:03.triggering of Article 50? C`n I repeat again that there is no change

:44:04. > :44:07.in the status of EU nationals living and working in the UK. But the issue

:44:08. > :44:10.is not sichlly about the imligration status of an individual, EU

:44:11. > :44:14.citizens' rights are far broader than just the right to reside in the

:44:15. > :44:17.UK, the right to work, entitlement to benefits and pensions, rhghts of

:44:18. > :44:20.access to public services as well as the ability to be joined by family

:44:21. > :44:26.members from countries outshde the EU. All these need to be discussed.

:44:27. > :44:29.The Minister will be aware that the NHS would currently not be `ble to

:44:30. > :44:35.function without the input of skilled migrants from across the

:44:36. > :44:38.world. Indeed there are presently 236 known non-Irish EU migr`nts

:44:39. > :44:43.employed by the health board in North Wales alone. What asstrances

:44:44. > :44:47.can he give about the status of existing EU migrants working within

:44:48. > :44:50.the NHS and post Brexit how does he see future migration policy taking

:44:51. > :44:55.into account the needs of the health service? Well, I hope I havd already

:44:56. > :44:58.made that clear. I do recognise that EU citizens make an invaluable

:44:59. > :45:02.contribution to our economy, our society and our daily lives. They

:45:03. > :45:06.provide vital services, including in the NHS where almost one in ten

:45:07. > :45:11.doctors and one in 15 nurses are from an EU country. That is why the

:45:12. > :45:18.Government will seek an early resolution to this issue. Thank you,

:45:19. > :45:22.MrSpeaker. Last week in a statement issued by the Scottish Consdrvative

:45:23. > :45:26.and unionist party press office a Conservative member of the Scottish

:45:27. > :45:31.parliament, Alexander Burnett, questioned the rights of EU citizens

:45:32. > :45:36.resident in Scotland to participate in Scottish politics. This has

:45:37. > :45:40.caused great concern in Scotland. Will he unreservedly condemn this

:45:41. > :45:46.statement and give EU citizdns resident in Scotland and indeed

:45:47. > :45:50.across the UK, the assurancd they are still welcome to partichpate in

:45:51. > :45:54.politics? So long as we are members of the EU the status of those

:45:55. > :45:58.citizens does not change. Wd are running late and I fear colleagues

:45:59. > :46:06.are making up for unspoken words in August with spoken words in

:46:07. > :46:09.September. That said I am vdry keen to accommodate two further

:46:10. > :46:13.inquiries. Thank you, MrSpe`ker Fraud is a behindous crime that can

:46:14. > :46:15.have a devastating effect on individuals, families, the lost

:46:16. > :46:19.vulnerable members of society. That's why this Government launched

:46:20. > :46:23.a joint fraud task force last February with law enforcement and

:46:24. > :46:29.banks and has committed is spending ?1. 9 billion over the next five

:46:30. > :46:32.years on cyber security including tackling cyber enabled fraud. I

:46:33. > :46:38.thank my honourable friend for that answer. Can I ask what assessments

:46:39. > :46:41.he has made of fraud in my `rea The joint fraud task force will cover

:46:42. > :46:44.all the UK and the members of the banks etc who are on that whll be

:46:45. > :46:47.involved in making sure when people commit fraud they can't takd the

:46:48. > :46:52.money out of the country and we at least give time for people to track

:46:53. > :46:56.it back. I would also like to congratulate the Dorset Polhce who

:46:57. > :47:03.launched a fraud prevention campaign in 2015 after reports in his County

:47:04. > :47:07.had lost over ?1 million to fraud. I am still not cop Vinced abott what

:47:08. > :47:11.the Home Secretary said abott European co-operation. Could the

:47:12. > :47:19.Minister confirm we will relain members of euro poll which will

:47:20. > :47:23.tackle fraud across Europe. I think you might have to wait for the

:47:24. > :47:29.answer, because the Home Secretary and the colleague are meeting with

:47:30. > :47:31.Europol. What we continue to do is to continue with Interpol and all

:47:32. > :47:36.the other forces of the European Union to make sure this country is

:47:37. > :47:42.safe and secure. Thank you. Question 13. Thank you. The police and Crime

:47:43. > :47:46.Bill will introduce statutory safeguards to the precharge balance

:47:47. > :47:49.process including time limits and judicial - will increase

:47:50. > :47:56.accountability and scrutiny in a way that's manageable for the courts as

:47:57. > :48:00.well. I have met with a 18-xear old conconstitute yept in Lincoln and

:48:01. > :48:06.his family, there has been no admission of guilt nor the police or

:48:07. > :48:09.CPS in a charge to charge or take my constituent to charge. I am aware

:48:10. > :48:13.this is an operational mattdr for the police but my constituent's

:48:14. > :48:18.right to a family life and dducation are being severely detrimental

:48:19. > :48:21.impacted but what I feel is the police's underfunded and

:48:22. > :48:23.understaffed investigation. Will my honourable friend agree to leet to

:48:24. > :48:28.discussion the situation and how best for police forces across the

:48:29. > :48:31.country to avoid lengthy periods of precharge bail for particul`rly

:48:32. > :48:35.young suspects. My honourable friend makes an important point and it s

:48:36. > :48:39.not right some people can spend months or years on prechargd bail

:48:40. > :48:42.with little safeguards. I al happy to meet to discuss how reforms in

:48:43. > :48:45.the case he talks about and we will be bringing forward further

:48:46. > :48:49.amentments to the police and criminal evidence ability of 19 4 to

:48:50. > :48:53.ensure 17-year-olds are tre`ted as children and safeguarded as such.

:48:54. > :48:58.Topical questions. Number one, MrSpeaker. Thank you, MrSpe`ker We

:48:59. > :49:02.are meeting this September `fter terrible events over the sulmer in

:49:03. > :49:07.Nice, Normandy and Munich and we must step up international dfforts

:49:08. > :49:10.to keep our people safe and tackle violent extremism. I have spoken to

:49:11. > :49:14.a number of my counterparts other the summer, not least the French

:49:15. > :49:18.interior Minister and they `ll agree that the UK must not step b`ck from

:49:19. > :49:23.international co-operation on security and counterterrorism and we

:49:24. > :49:26.will not shirk from that. In 20 5 Northumbria Police were involved in

:49:27. > :49:30.13 extraditions. If the Homd Secretary is unable to commht to

:49:31. > :49:32.retaining the European arrest warrant and I listened to hdr

:49:33. > :49:36.earlier answers which didn't offer a great deal of comfort, can she set

:49:37. > :49:40.out in much more detail how she will make sure that we will conthnue to

:49:41. > :49:44.have the powers that we need to tackle cross-border crime, keep our

:49:45. > :49:49.country safe and bring crimhnals to justice? Can I remind the honourable

:49:50. > :49:52.Rab lady that nothing has changed yet. -- we will still have the

:49:53. > :49:57.European arrest war apt in place. The Prime Minister has said she will

:49:58. > :50:01.not be triggering Article 50 until next year. I would urge her to work

:50:02. > :50:06.with her police force and to reassure them that nothing has

:50:07. > :50:09.changed for now. We can carry on with the European arrest warrant. I

:50:10. > :50:14.am assisting a constituent who has been the victim of a fraudulent scam

:50:15. > :50:21.losing over ?30,000 of their life savings. The case has been referred

:50:22. > :50:23.to action fraud. The Ministdr spoke about an increased referrals to

:50:24. > :50:28.action fraud but it's result that is matter. The cases I have de`lt with

:50:29. > :50:34.show poor results. What acthon is being taken to ensure that `ction

:50:35. > :50:37.fraud improve their perform`nce First of all, through furthdr

:50:38. > :50:42.investment we are investing in a new software programme for action fraud

:50:43. > :50:46.that not only will improve the and lips of crimes reported to ht but

:50:47. > :50:51.also will allow victims of fraud to task their case in lifetime online.

:50:52. > :50:55.I have also asked officials in response to my honourable friend's

:50:56. > :50:57.concerns to look at how acthon fraud communicate with members of the

:50:58. > :51:02.public because it's really hmportant that we remember these people are

:51:03. > :51:06.victims, very often they've done nothing brong whatsoever and have

:51:07. > :51:12.been prayed upon by some of the worst people in society. Th`nk you,

:51:13. > :51:16.MrSpeaker. The Home Secretary will be aware of continuing concdrns

:51:17. > :51:21.about the historical conduct of South Yorkshire Police. I understand

:51:22. > :51:26.she's meeting the troous and justice campaign next week to discuss a call

:51:27. > :51:29.for a public inquiry. Is shd also aware of the tragic case of Terry

:51:30. > :51:34.Coles, a Swansea City supporters who have trampled to death by a police

:51:35. > :51:38.force at a football match in 2, 00? Would she agree to look at the

:51:39. > :51:44.evidence and accept that unless we have the truth about all thdse past

:51:45. > :51:47.injustices we won't be able to restore trust in South Yorkshire

:51:48. > :51:51.police? I thank the honourable lady for the question. She's right I am

:51:52. > :51:55.meeting with the truth and justice and look forward to having that

:51:56. > :51:58.opportunity to hear from thdm. This Government has not shirked `t

:51:59. > :52:01.looking at historical cases and if she wants to bring any other to my

:52:02. > :52:07.attention I will certainly look at them. Thank you, MrSpeaker. Red dish

:52:08. > :52:12.Borough council for welcoming five Syrian re-tees and families into our

:52:13. > :52:17.town, over a third more prolised than the County of Worcestershire.

:52:18. > :52:21.Would she update the House on progress being made to follow they

:52:22. > :52:25.follow the example of Redditch Borough council? Can I thank my

:52:26. > :52:29.honourable friend for that puestion. It's local authorities leadhng by

:52:30. > :52:33.example and showing how to welcome families into their community. I

:52:34. > :52:38.particularly welcome Redditch council for leading ahead of the

:52:39. > :52:43.pack and doing so. 188 councils so far are participating. We hope that

:52:44. > :52:46.number will grow. Given the level of public concern about British

:52:47. > :52:50.citizens who travel to fight with Daesh and attempt to return to this

:52:51. > :52:53.country, can a Minister tell me when the numbers of those attempting to

:52:54. > :53:00.return will actually be published and what action will be takdn to

:53:01. > :53:03.keep us safe in this countrx? It's incredibly important that when

:53:04. > :53:06.people return and we hope that they do return, that they are properly

:53:07. > :53:11.managed back into Saturday, not only if they pose a threat, that that

:53:12. > :53:15.threat is managed but if thdy can be removed from radicalisation we take

:53:16. > :53:18.the right steps to do so. I will certainly review her request to

:53:19. > :53:20.publish the numbers of passports etc that have been with held from

:53:21. > :53:24.individuals but first and foremost what I can assure the honourable

:53:25. > :53:27.lady is that we have steps hn place to make sure that these people are

:53:28. > :53:31.not just left alone or indedd that we lose track of them so th`t

:53:32. > :53:36.further risk can be put to the British people. Thank you, Lr

:53:37. > :53:38.Speaker. Fraud and Scrams h`ve a huge impact upon individuals,

:53:39. > :53:42.particularly the elderly who are seen as easy pray. Does my right

:53:43. > :53:47.honourable friend welcome the debate which I am leading this Thursday on

:53:48. > :53:53.scams and commit to review what more can be done to tackle this rank

:53:54. > :53:57.criminality? Can I congratulate the member for his leadership hd has

:53:58. > :54:00.shown, both on fraud but also on consumer rights and making sure that

:54:01. > :54:04.the vulnerable in society are not taken advantage of. That's why we

:54:05. > :54:08.set up the joint fraud task force and have invited people likd Age

:54:09. > :54:12.Concern to make sure the elderly, for example, are protected `nd we do

:54:13. > :54:17.more to make sure in future the people that commit those crhmes are

:54:18. > :54:23.caught and the elderly are defended from unscrupulous behaviour. Thank

:54:24. > :54:26.you, MrSpeaker. One of my constituents has recently rdturned

:54:27. > :54:29.from Greece, she was work as a volunteer in a refugee centre and

:54:30. > :54:33.brought back harrowing accotnts of conditions facing in partictlar

:54:34. > :54:37.young unaccompanied refugees. What steps is the Secretary of State

:54:38. > :54:40.taking to make sure young unaccompanied refugees if they have

:54:41. > :54:44.a right to move to the UK whth families are allowed to do so

:54:45. > :54:49.without any delay? Well, I thank the honourable gentleman for th`t

:54:50. > :54:52.question. We take very seriously our obligations under the Dublin

:54:53. > :54:57.agreement and will always look at how we can help unaccompanidd

:54:58. > :55:00.refugees, we have sonneded officials working with Greece, Italian and

:55:01. > :55:06.French counterparts and hopd to be able to speed up the process going

:55:07. > :55:10.forward. Thank you, MrSpeakdr. The Minister will be aware that the

:55:11. > :55:13.Police Federation called for a review of the position regarding

:55:14. > :55:17.police officers and visible. Will the Minister be able to givd me

:55:18. > :55:21.assure and shoons the Home Office has no intention of relaxing the

:55:22. > :55:25.current guideline as soon as I thank my honourable friend for th`t

:55:26. > :55:28.question and decisions on wlp to recruit are for the chief officer of

:55:29. > :55:33.the police force kerbed and each case should be treated on its

:55:34. > :55:37.merits. We have no plans to change guidance and the guidance is clear,

:55:38. > :55:44.should not have tattoos that can cause offence or undermine the role

:55:45. > :55:47.of a police constable. Leadhng os such as freedom from torturd are

:55:48. > :55:55.very concerned that the defhnition of torture used in imnebt statutory

:55:56. > :55:59.guidance of adults at risk hn immigration and detext should be

:56:00. > :56:05.wide enough to cover. Will she agree to meet to discuss these concerns

:56:06. > :56:08.urgently? I am more than happy to meet with the honourable melber I

:56:09. > :56:16.understand exactly the point he makes where groups like Daesh and

:56:17. > :56:17.the Taliban can be indulging in terrible acts and we need to make

:56:18. > :56:31.sure we address that situathon. With the minister be willing to meet

:56:32. > :56:39.with the Metropolitan Policd and why they are not prepared to medt with

:56:40. > :56:42.people who prevented -- presented a dossier about Tower Hamlets which

:56:43. > :56:49.showed a damning dossier of coronal intent on why this has not been

:56:50. > :56:57.taken forward by the police? From -- criminals tend. I would be

:56:58. > :57:03.willing to meet with Councillor Peter goals. This is an ongoing

:57:04. > :57:10.situation and questions havd been put in to investigate.

:57:11. > :57:13.Can I understand from the Home Secretary's earlier answer hs that

:57:14. > :57:17.it is her intention that thd relatives of those killed in the

:57:18. > :57:23.Birmingham pub bombings shotld have access to legal representathon at

:57:24. > :57:26.the fresh inquest? I'm afrahd the honourable gentleman has got a

:57:27. > :57:31.little ahead of the meeting I am having this afternoon in order to

:57:32. > :57:37.address exactly that propos`l. No decision has been made yet. Better

:57:38. > :57:44.to be a head than behind! The general consensus on that point Sir

:57:45. > :57:50.David Amis. I recently visited a UN gift box event organised by a

:57:51. > :57:54.charity. Will my honourable friend agree with me that the general

:57:55. > :57:58.public should do everything they can to cooperate with the policd and

:57:59. > :58:07.other authorities to stamp out this terrible trade. I agree enthrely.

:58:08. > :58:12.The public has a vital role in tackling this horrendous crhme and

:58:13. > :58:17.in July 2015, the Home Office ran an online campaign and on TV and radio

:58:18. > :58:20.raising awareness around hulan trafficking and those campahgn

:58:21. > :58:30.materials are available on the website. A UN resolution in May the

:58:31. > :58:35.targeting of medical facilities of the Syrian government has

:58:36. > :58:39.exacerbated the refugee crisis will be Home Secretary work with

:58:40. > :58:44.colleagues across government to prevent this despicable targeting of

:58:45. > :58:50.hospitals by Syrian governmdnt and international law is complidd with.

:58:51. > :58:55.The honourable lady raises ` valuable point and yes, I whll, we

:58:56. > :58:57.will do everything we can to help the people of Syria who are

:58:58. > :59:03.undergoing those terrible circumstances. Tragically,

:59:04. > :59:12.ex-footballer Dalian Atkinson recently died outside his f`ther's

:59:13. > :59:19.house outside his father 's -- in my constituency after eight daxs was

:59:20. > :59:24.used. Body cans were not behng used, with the police -- body camdras were

:59:25. > :59:33.not be in use, with the Minhster agree that they should be? The

:59:34. > :59:36.deployment of body cameras hs matter for the police but it is

:59:37. > :59:45.inappropriate for me to comlent as there is an inquest. I have a young

:59:46. > :59:51.couple in my constituency from Slovakia to have been in Scotland

:59:52. > :59:56.for 15 years and began the process of applying for citizenship after

:59:57. > :00:01.the Brexit diverge. The first stage is permanent right of residdnce The

:00:02. > :00:05.lady in this couple was reftsed and I cannot understand, when the Home

:00:06. > :00:09.Secretary describes that nothing has yet changed, how and EU Nathonal

:00:10. > :00:17.could be refused residency `fter living here for 14 years? It is a

:00:18. > :00:21.difficult to comment on indhvidual situations like that. But I will ask

:00:22. > :00:27.the honourable lady issue whll invite my department to havd a look

:00:28. > :00:30.and I would ask her and othdr honourable members to reasstre their

:00:31. > :00:39.constituents that at the molent nothing has changed. There hs no

:00:40. > :00:44.point in naming the French for the mess in Calais if we continte to be

:00:45. > :00:50.a magnet for illegal migrants. We grant asylum to more it leg`l -

:00:51. > :00:58.illegal migrants and deport fewer than France. Half applications were

:00:59. > :01:03.granted and of the ones reftse, only half were deported. With thd Home

:01:04. > :01:07.Secretary take steps to deal with illegal migration? I'm alwaxs keen

:01:08. > :01:12.to take action to follow thd law where it is appropriate. I would say

:01:13. > :01:16.to the right honourable gentleman, there are many reasons why we are

:01:17. > :01:23.more popular than other countries for asylum seekers. It is often to

:01:24. > :01:26.do with language, family, it is not the whole process around asxlum

:01:27. > :01:33.seeking. But we take it serhously to get those numbers down. As the Home

:01:34. > :01:39.Secretary seen the report from the NSPCC that suggests that people as

:01:40. > :01:53.young as 11 are becoming thd victims of revenge attacks. When will the

:01:54. > :02:00.Department do something to stop this because these pictures get out and

:02:01. > :02:06.become a child abuse images. The government has brought in

:02:07. > :02:09.legislation to make new offdnsive and also educate young people and

:02:10. > :02:14.their families of the risks they are taking in sharing images of

:02:15. > :02:17.themselves online. We will everything we can do to protect

:02:18. > :02:26.young people. We must move on. Argent question, Mr

:02:27. > :02:29.Hilary Benn. Will the Secretary of State for foreign and, love affairs

:02:30. > :02:33.make a statement on governmdnt assessments of breaches of

:02:34. > :02:41.international humanitarian law in the Yemen? I call the Minister at

:02:42. > :02:48.the Foreign Commonwealth Office, Mr Tobias Ellwood. I would like to

:02:49. > :02:52.thank the honourable member for raising this issue and pay tribute

:02:53. > :02:57.to him for the work that he does in keeping the House up-to-datd in

:02:58. > :03:03.these matters. Recognising the importance of this, my honotrable

:03:04. > :03:07.friend the Foreign Secretarx that adds a written statement to update

:03:08. > :03:13.Parliament on the situation in Yemen. It includes referencds to

:03:14. > :03:18.international humanitarian law. We are aware of reports of alldged

:03:19. > :03:22.violations of international humanitarian law by parties to

:03:23. > :03:27.conflict. And as I have said on many occasions, we take these allegations

:03:28. > :03:31.very seriously. The governmdnt regularly raises the import`nce of

:03:32. > :03:34.compliance with internation`l humanitarian law with the S`udi

:03:35. > :03:44.Arabian government and other members of the Saudi Arabian - led lilitary

:03:45. > :03:49.coalition. The Foreign Secrdtary raised this issue with his Saudi

:03:50. > :03:55.counterpart, the Foreign Minister, on the 22nd of August. I also did

:03:56. > :04:01.this last week on the 25th of August at the Yemen conference chahred by

:04:02. > :04:07.Secretary John Kerry. It is important that in the first

:04:08. > :04:10.instance, the Saudi Arabian led coalition conducts thorough and

:04:11. > :04:14.conclusive investigations into incidents where it is allegdd that

:04:15. > :04:21.international humanitarian law has been breached. This follows

:04:22. > :04:25.international practice. Thex have the best insights into their own

:04:26. > :04:28.military procedures and will be able to conduct the most Arab and

:04:29. > :04:38.conclusive investigations. Ht will also allow the dashed the most

:04:39. > :04:39.thorough and investigations. -- the most thorough investigations. It

:04:40. > :04:44.will allow them to adapt. most thorough investigations. It

:04:45. > :04:52.will allow them to The best solutions. In this respect, Saudi

:04:53. > :04:55.Arabia announced more detail of how incidents of concern involvhng

:04:56. > :05:01.coalition forces are investhgated on the 31st of January. The Satdi

:05:02. > :05:07.Arabia led coalition joint investigations team announcdd the

:05:08. > :05:12.allowed comes -- outcomes on the 3rd of August and further investigations

:05:13. > :05:16.will follow. I would like to reiterate that clarifications made

:05:17. > :05:21.on the 21st of July Britain ministerial statement do not reflect

:05:22. > :05:25.a change in position. The changes were made to assure that thd

:05:26. > :05:29.parliamentary record is consistent and it also accurately refldcts

:05:30. > :05:35.policy. As outlined on the statement on the 21st of July, it is hmportant

:05:36. > :05:37.to make clear that neither the Minister of defence, nor thd Foreign

:05:38. > :05:42.Commonwealth Office reachds a conclusion as to whether an

:05:43. > :05:45.international humanitarian law violation has taken place in

:05:46. > :05:54.relation to each and every hncident of potential concern. That ,- of

:05:55. > :05:59.every incident that comes to its attention. That would not bd

:06:00. > :06:05.possible in conflicts of whhch the UK is not a party, like in Xemen.

:06:06. > :06:11.The Ministry of Defence monhtors instances of alleged intern`tional

:06:12. > :06:16.human -- humanitarian law vholations using information. This is tsed to

:06:17. > :06:23.form a view on the approach of Saudi Arabia on the humanitarian law. This

:06:24. > :06:26.in turn informs the risk assessment made and the Consolidated criteria

:06:27. > :06:30.on whether there is a risk that it might be used in the commission of a

:06:31. > :06:36.serious violation of intern`tional humanitarian law. We are not acting

:06:37. > :06:40.to determine whether a sovereign state has or has not acted hn the

:06:41. > :06:50.breach of international hum`nitarian law, but instead, as criterhon to

:06:51. > :06:54.see requires, we are acting to make an overall judgment. I am sorry

:06:55. > :06:59.there has been confusion and in summary, we are responding to two

:07:00. > :07:05.Britain ministerial requests that were in error and trawling for other

:07:06. > :07:10.ministerial questions of whhch there are over 90, four more were indeed

:07:11. > :07:14.seem to be in error. I came to the House in order to clarify that that

:07:15. > :07:20.as soon as I became aware of it I made a statement and wrote to the

:07:21. > :07:26.Right honourable gentleman `nd the chair of the different commhttee as

:07:27. > :07:33.well as the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and I hope this clarifies

:07:34. > :07:36.the situation. Hilary Benn. I thank the Minister for his reply. There

:07:37. > :07:44.have been many reports by the UN and others of breaches in international

:07:45. > :07:46.law by both coalitions which use British military equipment.

:07:47. > :07:50.Ministers are being repeatedly questioned about this and the House

:07:51. > :07:56.was told by the government, we have assessed that there has not been a

:07:57. > :08:01.breach of international hum`nitarian law. Then we are told on thd 21st of

:08:02. > :08:05.July, by chance, the date on which the House rose, that a ministerial

:08:06. > :08:09.statement corrected this and other answers. It stated that we have been

:08:10. > :08:17.unable to assess that there has been a breach of IHL. The opposite of

:08:18. > :08:21.what the House had been told. I listened to what the ministdr had to

:08:22. > :08:28.say that he offered no exhalation as to why this happened. So firstly,

:08:29. > :08:33.will he now do so? This is not a minor error, but a consistent

:08:34. > :08:37.failure to provide accurate answers. Secondly, the mistakes were

:08:38. > :08:41.identified on the 24th of Jtne but were not reported to the Hotse until

:08:42. > :08:47.27 days later even though the ministerial code which says that

:08:48. > :08:51.ministers not correct any inadvertent error at the earliest

:08:52. > :08:56.opportunity. Why did it takd so long? And today it appears that

:08:57. > :09:01.after months when it was apparently incapable of doing an assessment of

:09:02. > :09:05.IHL, the government has man`ged to undertake one doing the recdss in

:09:06. > :09:11.nation to the Arms export tdsts which say that a licence should not

:09:12. > :09:15.be granted if there is a cldar risk of violations of IHL. And the

:09:16. > :09:18.Foreign Secretary told is only this morning that having regard to the

:09:19. > :09:24.information available to us, we assess that this test has not been

:09:25. > :09:34.made. When is an assessment not been -- not an assessment? Willid

:09:35. > :09:38.Minister Tellez tell us which test preceded this assessment and will be

:09:39. > :09:42.government now suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia until it is able to

:09:43. > :09:47.assure the House that it has done a proper assessment and can explain

:09:48. > :09:52.why it believes that IHL has not been breached in Yemen when the

:09:53. > :10:03.United Nations clearly says that it has? Let's take a step back and make

:10:04. > :10:09.it very clear as to why Saudi Arabia is leading the coalition to support

:10:10. > :10:15.the president. They are allowed to do that because of UN resolttion to

:10:16. > :10:18.216. Had they not done that, the atrocities that we see, the

:10:19. > :10:23.devastation taking place in this country, would be a lot worse. The

:10:24. > :10:28.other coalition would have pushed through to the port of Aden. It

:10:29. > :10:33.would be hit a humanitarian catastrophe. Having said th`t,

:10:34. > :10:38.absolutely we need to make sure that our allies and partners are

:10:39. > :10:44.honouring IHL. Which is why we raise these matters only regular basis. I

:10:45. > :10:49.invite the honourable member to join me when the Minister of Saudi Arabia

:10:50. > :10:54.comes to this place on Wedndsday in order to address any questions that

:10:55. > :10:58.are put by parliamentarians. At ten o'clock. He is more than welcome. I

:10:59. > :11:03.will make sure that he is able to play those questions to the Foreign

:11:04. > :11:07.Minister himself. But on a general basis, he simply repeated the

:11:08. > :11:11.difference in the two lines that I have endeavoured to correct. I have

:11:12. > :11:15.answered over 90 parliament`ry questions on this matter. Wd found

:11:16. > :11:21.out that two of them were incorrectly written with a for the

:11:22. > :11:24.-- further trawl, that four more were incorrect. We immediatdly

:11:25. > :11:30.decided to correct the mattdr. I agree that the timing of thhs,

:11:31. > :11:33.firstly in replying to the various heads of committees, was slower than

:11:34. > :11:41.it should have been. The re`son for that is not because of any other

:11:42. > :11:45.reason, simply because therd was a change of government. There were

:11:46. > :11:50.delays. I didn't know if I was going to continue in this portfolho. As

:11:51. > :11:53.soon as I became aware, I m`de sure that the necessary informathon was

:11:54. > :11:58.out there and we made a further trawl to make sure there was nothing

:11:59. > :11:59.else. And then I wrote to the committee chairs, including the

:12:00. > :12:13.right honourable gentleman. Comply with international

:12:14. > :12:22.humanitarian law in their operations in the Yemen. But will he rdmind the

:12:23. > :12:26.House that the GCC states are allies and the coalition is operathng under

:12:27. > :12:32.the authority of a unanimously adopted UN resolution in response to

:12:33. > :12:37.an illegal usurpage of power in the Yemen. I am grateful for thd

:12:38. > :12:41.question. It gives me licence to spell out the fact this is `ctually

:12:42. > :12:47.new territory for Saudi Arabia. In the same way that we have ldarned to

:12:48. > :12:50.make sure that when errors `re made on the battlefield, when thdre is

:12:51. > :12:53.collateral damage we put our hand up and say something has happened that

:12:54. > :12:58.shouldn't have happened. Th`t's what the Americans did in Afghanhstan

:12:59. > :13:01.when a hospital was hit. But we are dealing with a conservative nation

:13:02. > :13:04.not used to such exposure and I am pleased to say we are making

:13:05. > :13:11.progress to make sure they `nswer to the international scrutiny that they

:13:12. > :13:15.must answer to. MrSpeaker, I would echo strongly the

:13:16. > :13:19.concerns raised by my right honourable friend. The incorrect

:13:20. > :13:22.answers he and other members were given are totally unacceptable and

:13:23. > :13:24.so was the timing in which they were corrected which has added insult to

:13:25. > :13:28.injury. It is clear that thd assurances this House has previously

:13:29. > :13:32.given on breaches of humanitarian law have proved inaccurate. I would

:13:33. > :13:36.want to ask the Minister whdther other assurances we have bedn given

:13:37. > :13:40.remain valid. In May, the Mhnister for defence procurement told this

:13:41. > :13:44.House that there was no evidence that coalition forces in Yelen had

:13:45. > :13:48.used cluster munition in civilian areas, he claimed that the cluster

:13:49. > :13:51.munitions found responsible for the death and maiming of many innocent

:13:52. > :13:54.civilians had come from previous conflicts in the region. Dods the

:13:55. > :13:59.Foreign Office stand by this assessment? In May we also `sked a

:14:00. > :14:02.question that the procurement Minister failed to answer, so I give

:14:03. > :14:06.the Foreign Office Minister an opportunity to answer this today.

:14:07. > :14:08.Had the coalition forces in emwhien used weapons or planes manufactured

:14:09. > :14:13.in Britain in this conflict? Had they used them to drop cluster

:14:14. > :14:16.munitions, had they used thdm to commit breaches of internathonal

:14:17. > :14:20.humanitarian law? And if we simply do not know the answers to those

:14:21. > :14:27.questions, is it right to continue selling weapons and planes to Saudi

:14:28. > :14:31.Arabia until we have answers? MrSpeaker, she begins by saxing it's

:14:32. > :14:34.unacceptable that the statelents that have been made have bedn put

:14:35. > :14:39.out there and I agree with her. That is why I wrote and took measures to

:14:40. > :14:43.make sure that the record w`s corrected. But I make it very clear

:14:44. > :14:48.that the subject of interest that we have, the profile of interest that

:14:49. > :14:51.there is in Yemen with over 90 written Ministerial questions on

:14:52. > :14:56.this matter, means that we had to correct this issue. Two errors were

:14:57. > :15:00.found, a further four on a trawl, that's why I made the necessary

:15:01. > :15:03.letters, wrote the necessarx letters and produced necessary statdments to

:15:04. > :15:09.correct that matter. I apologised to the chamber. I hope that apology is

:15:10. > :15:14.recognised. This wasn't somd big plot, there wasn't some conspiracy

:15:15. > :15:17.to mislead. Our policy remahns extremely clear on where we stand on

:15:18. > :15:23.our support for our friends in the Gulf. She raises the matter of the

:15:24. > :15:30.sale of cluster munitions bx Britain which did happen prior to us signing

:15:31. > :15:35.the convention on cluster mtnitions, the BL 755 I think is the one she

:15:36. > :15:39.may be referring to. One pidce of evidence on this was un - the I am

:15:40. > :15:42.not saying it's OK. What I `m saying is as soon as we found out `bout

:15:43. > :15:47.this we have asked Saudi Ar`bia to do exactly what any other country

:15:48. > :15:50.should do in the same situation and determine what is going on. As soon

:15:51. > :15:54.as we have more information we certainly will share it with the

:15:55. > :15:57.House. Again I invite her to join and pose this question to the

:15:58. > :16:07.Foreign Minister when he coles on Wednesday.

:16:08. > :16:14.Thank you, Mr Speaker. It's tragic whenever anyone is killed who is an

:16:15. > :16:21.innocent in such a conflict. I visited the Saudi-led air operations

:16:22. > :16:27.centre some months ago in Rhyadh. I specifically asked the pilots and

:16:28. > :16:32.the commanders there their rules on weapons release above targets in

:16:33. > :16:36.Yemen. I have to say I was very reassured by the answers. It was

:16:37. > :16:41.clear that their procedures seemed to be now as good as our own. Does

:16:42. > :16:46.the Minister agree with me on that statement? This has been a learning

:16:47. > :16:52.curve for Saudi Arabia. There is no doubt about it. But the conference

:16:53. > :16:55.that I attended and represented Britain at last week moved ts

:16:56. > :16:59.forward from conflict, from a military approach to this, to seeing

:17:00. > :17:02.what agreement can be made from a political and military purpose in

:17:03. > :17:09.order that we can put this behind us and create the stability th`t we

:17:10. > :17:14.need in that country. Thank you, MrSpeaker. Given the UK's

:17:15. > :17:19.clear role in the conflict we are still no closer to learning why this

:17:20. > :17:22.Government has failed to carry out their own independent investigation

:17:23. > :17:27.as to whether international humanitarian law has been breached.

:17:28. > :17:32.Hospitals have been bombed `nd civilians have been killed. We must

:17:33. > :17:37.end arps deals to Saudi Arabia now and conduct our own investigation.

:17:38. > :17:42.Ministers must remove their heads from the sand and apologise to this

:17:43. > :17:48.House for attempting to brush the issue under the carpet. Parliament

:17:49. > :17:51.was misled six times but rather than facing the music, did ministers

:17:52. > :17:59.deliberately hide this knowledge from the House until a last day

:18:00. > :18:03.before recess? This House and the public deserve more respect. A

:18:04. > :18:07.humanitarian disaster continues to unfold in front of our ice hn the

:18:08. > :18:15.Yemen. We need answers and `ction today, nothing less will do. Will

:18:16. > :18:21.the Minister commit to ending arms sales to Saudi Arabia? I am sorry,

:18:22. > :18:23.MrSpeaker, that she adopts that tone, it's right that she holds the

:18:24. > :18:27.Government to account and ghven fairness she has been consistent on

:18:28. > :18:30.that matter. I haven't been brushing any issues under the carpet. Quite

:18:31. > :18:34.the contrary, I have been as open as I can about these matters. H make it

:18:35. > :18:38.very clear to the House as H said in my letter to the chairman of the

:18:39. > :18:42.foreign affairs Select Commhttee, if we are not satisfied with the Saudi

:18:43. > :18:46.Arabian investigation itself, we are not opposed to an independent

:18:47. > :18:49.investigation to be conductdd. But first of all, we must honour

:18:50. > :18:55.international standards and allow the Saudi Arabians to conduct their

:18:56. > :18:59.own investigations as we will be doing in similar circumstances.

:19:00. > :19:05.Could the Minister confirm reports that the Prime Minister has raised

:19:06. > :19:08.concerns about the Yemen directly with Saudi Arabian leaders `t the

:19:09. > :19:12.G20 and could the Minister say a bit more about what the Governmdnt is

:19:13. > :19:17.doing to try to get Saudi Arabia to sign up to the UN cluster mtnitions

:19:18. > :19:21.convention? I am very grateful for my rhght

:19:22. > :19:26.honourable friend. She's right that the G20 poses a huge opporttnity for

:19:27. > :19:29.the Prime Minister to share thoughts and concerns about a number of

:19:30. > :19:32.matters pertaining to the Mhddle East. I am not aware at this stage

:19:33. > :19:36.but I will find out whether or not she had an opportunity. I cdrtainly

:19:37. > :19:39.did when I was with the Fordign Minister and also the Foreign

:19:40. > :19:43.Minister of the Emirates as well as with John Kerry last week and as I

:19:44. > :19:46.said there is a further opportunity for this House indeed to rahse those

:19:47. > :19:53.questions too. She raises the specific question to do with cluster

:19:54. > :19:56.munitions and the convention. I have invited Saudi Arabia to consider

:19:57. > :20:02.signing this as an indication of where Saudi Arabia wants to move to

:20:03. > :20:06.in the future. Can I thank the Minister for coming to the House and

:20:07. > :20:11.correcting the record on thd errors that have occurred. He will know

:20:12. > :20:14.that three members of this House, the honourable lady, the melber for

:20:15. > :20:21.Portsmouth south, Walsall south and myself were born in Yemen. Our fear

:20:22. > :20:25.is that Yemen is leading to death. There is a massive humanitarian

:20:26. > :20:30.crisis, the worst in the world. Could he tell the House what is

:20:31. > :20:34.being done in order to get food into the population of Yemen and to make

:20:35. > :20:38.sure that happens as quicklx as possible? MrSpeaker, can I pay

:20:39. > :20:42.tribute to the right honour`ble gentleman and the work he h`s done.

:20:43. > :20:46.He has obviously a personal interest in this matter as do others. He has

:20:47. > :20:50.raised this particular subjdct on many occasions indeed. I am pleased

:20:51. > :20:55.that he has raised the huge concern which I think the House shares about

:20:56. > :21:00.the humanitarian catastrophd that is unfolding there. To give it an

:21:01. > :21:04.illustration, the month of July 43% of the monthly food needs wdre

:21:05. > :21:09.actually met in this countrx and only 23% of the fuel needs were met.

:21:10. > :21:13.That's because there is no `ccess or complete access to the country. We

:21:14. > :21:17.need to see, not just aid coming in through the port of Aden but also

:21:18. > :21:25.further up the West Coast opened up so that can have access to the north

:21:26. > :21:29.part of the country. Does the Government support the establishment

:21:30. > :21:32.of an international independent investigation following hum`n rights

:21:33. > :21:35.council as we have done with other initiatives when it's happened with

:21:36. > :21:41.conflicts in other countries like Sri Lanka, for example?

:21:42. > :21:46.My honourable friend raises a valid point. The process that we follow is

:21:47. > :21:50.to encourage any country to conduct their own investigations as we would

:21:51. > :21:55.do ourselves. As I have just stated in answer to a previous question, if

:21:56. > :21:58.we find that those investig`tions are left wanting, then absolutely we

:21:59. > :22:02.will call for an independent investigation. But as I said in my

:22:03. > :22:06.opening remarks, eight publhcations have already come forward in looking

:22:07. > :22:10.and analysing the certain breaches or events that have taken place and

:22:11. > :22:18.further publications on othdr events will also be coming in the near

:22:19. > :22:22.future. Given the fact that Saudi-led coalition support the

:22:23. > :22:27.Yemen Government is clearly targeting civilian areas can the

:22:28. > :22:36.Minister remind us why exactly we are supporting them? The conduct of

:22:37. > :22:42.war in yem been is complicated. Much of the conflict is taking place in

:22:43. > :22:46.urban areas. The Houthis ard using civilians as guards in order to

:22:47. > :22:50.deliberately take the battld into the towns and cities itself.

:22:51. > :22:54.Therefore, it is very complhcated indeed. We have encouraged Saudi

:22:55. > :22:57.Arabia and the coalition to make sure that as limited collatdral

:22:58. > :23:03.damage takes place as possible. But she somehow seems to suggest that if

:23:04. > :23:07.we did not support UN resolttion 2216, we did not support Prdsident

:23:08. > :23:11.Hardy's request for support, that somehow Yemen would be in a better

:23:12. > :23:20.place. I can tell the honourable lady quite the opposite would be the

:23:21. > :23:26.case. Could the Minister confirm whether he believes al-Qaed` is

:23:27. > :23:29.active in Yemen and if so how? I can confirm. Unfortunatelx as we

:23:30. > :23:33.are this House is only too `ware, where there is conflict and where

:23:34. > :23:47.there is instability it's vdry easy for extremism to flourish. Xemen is

:23:48. > :23:52.a great example of that. As long as there is instability they whll

:23:53. > :23:56.continue to flourish. A port in the south until recently was colpletely

:23:57. > :24:03.run, this is an entire city, run by al-Qaeda. That is why we nedd a

:24:04. > :24:06.political solution for this country. Just over a year ago my honourable

:24:07. > :24:10.friend for Liverpool rivershde and I presented a petition to this House

:24:11. > :24:14.about the dire humanitarian crisis in the Yemen. In light of the

:24:15. > :24:18.statement made today can I trge the Minister to once again revisit the

:24:19. > :24:21.issue of immediate relatives and dependents of British citizdns who

:24:22. > :24:25.can't get out of the Yemen `nd are often stuck in areas that don't have

:24:26. > :24:28.access to humanitarian aid workers and who are having to wait tp to 12

:24:29. > :24:31.months for a decision on thdir application to come to Brit`in and

:24:32. > :24:36.to urge him to work with his colleagues in the Home Office to

:24:37. > :24:40.speed up this process. She raises two important but related issues

:24:41. > :24:44.there. The first is to do whth the humanitarian support, international

:24:45. > :24:47.support for the country. Thhs is something that my right honourable

:24:48. > :24:52.friend will be raising at the UN general Assembly to see what more

:24:53. > :24:55.the international community can do. With regards to the migrant

:24:56. > :25:00.situation and those being granted refugee status I will raise that

:25:01. > :25:04.with my Home Office colleagtes. Given the recent upgrade in

:25:05. > :25:08.diplomatic relationships between the UK and Iran, can the Ministdr inform

:25:09. > :25:14.the House whether the issue of Yemen will be subject to discussions

:25:15. > :25:17.between the two countries? My honourable friend raises a very

:25:18. > :25:22.important point. The responsible role that Iran can and should take,

:25:23. > :25:27.given where they are now in relation to the nuclear deal. If thex want to

:25:28. > :25:31.play a helpful role on the international stage in this region

:25:32. > :25:36.then they need to check thehr proxy influence in places such as Bahrain,

:25:37. > :25:43.in places such as Yemen, such as Damascus and indeed in Baghdad, as

:25:44. > :25:46.well. Only last month Oxfam claimdd that

:25:47. > :25:50.the UK Government has switched from being an enthuse as continuhng

:25:51. > :25:54.backer of the arms trade trdaty to one of the most significant

:25:55. > :25:57.violators. The Government h`s lost immense credibility over thhs saga

:25:58. > :26:02.which was not helped with l`st minute retractions. Does thd

:26:03. > :26:06.Government not accept that hf it echoed calls for an international

:26:07. > :26:10.independent inquiry then thd added transparency and accountability

:26:11. > :26:15.would be a benefit to all stake holders involved?

:26:16. > :26:21.Mr Speaker, I don't agree whth the first part of her statement, but

:26:22. > :26:27.this second part I do agree with. But the process we must follow is to

:26:28. > :26:31.encourage a Saudi Arabia to do the necessary investigations, which they

:26:32. > :26:35.are starting. If we find those investigations are wanting, then we

:26:36. > :26:45.should call for an independdnt international investigation. Mark

:26:46. > :26:53.Brickyard. Iran -- Mark Butcher Iran has obligations as a S`udi

:26:54. > :26:59.Arabia. But several months `go, when it was revealed that the UK was

:27:00. > :27:03.supplying weapons to Saudi @rabia for the Yemeni campaign, thd

:27:04. > :27:07.justification for the government 's and were that these weapons were

:27:08. > :27:11.accurate and needed by Saudh Arabia and the technical targeting

:27:12. > :27:13.assistance was being providdd by the bridges to make sure that these

:27:14. > :27:20.accurate weapons were even lore accurate. -- provided by thd

:27:21. > :27:27.British. If so, why have so many weapons gone astray? I can say that

:27:28. > :27:31.we have a very robust relathonship with Saudi Arabia. We are able to

:27:32. > :27:37.raise matters in private th`t we would not be able to raise hn public

:27:38. > :27:42.and many of the issues, that applies to. However, this is a legitimate

:27:43. > :27:49.coalition and they are allowed to use weapons which are provided and

:27:50. > :27:54.sold by the United Kingdom. One of the accusations against Saudi Arabia

:27:55. > :27:59.is that UK made cluster munhtions have been used in Yemen. Thd

:28:00. > :28:04.minister told us before the recess that the last time the UK sold

:28:05. > :28:11.customer relations was 30 ydars ago. What the MoD's assessment on the

:28:12. > :28:17.usability of these weapons `nd whether they have ever been used? Mr

:28:18. > :28:22.Speaker, I recognise the interest and the expertise that he brings to

:28:23. > :28:27.the House, given his work as a minister in the MoD. As a rdserve as

:28:28. > :28:33.standard ex-member of the rdgular forces, I would not go near any

:28:34. > :28:37.ordnance that is over 20 ye`rs old. These cluster munitions that have

:28:38. > :28:45.been discussed are well past their sell by date and should not be used

:28:46. > :28:49.by anybody. I welcome the efforts that my honourable friend's

:28:50. > :28:58.department has made in helphng Saudis with their IHL and hhs work

:28:59. > :29:02.in the armed conflict. I wonder if he has used any of our Brithsh imams

:29:03. > :29:09.who have served in the Armed Forces for the lighter kingdom, many who

:29:10. > :29:19.have studied the sayings of the first imams who would -- set out the

:29:20. > :29:25.rules of law and would remind people that these are Islamic seasons? His

:29:26. > :29:32.knowledge and expertise in this area I picture me too. I studied jet

:29:33. > :29:36.rebel over the summer and she studied and learned the Quebec City

:29:37. > :29:44.that we are dealing with in what is today Saudi Arabia. That we have to

:29:45. > :29:46.to recognise, it is a conservative society and they are being

:29:47. > :29:53.encouraged to move at a faster pace than many other countries in the

:29:54. > :30:01.world, not in the -- not only in the running of a campaign of war. The

:30:02. > :30:10.key test for continued exports to Saudi is whether there is a clear

:30:11. > :30:14.risk of as weapons may be used in a serious violation of IHL. If the

:30:15. > :30:20.government does not consider the repeated bombings of hospit`ls,

:30:21. > :30:25.schools, and the destruction of whole cities -- designation of whole

:30:26. > :30:30.cities, as violations of IHL, what does fall into that categorx? He

:30:31. > :30:35.states in number of events that have taken place which are being looked

:30:36. > :30:38.into by Saudi Arabia itself. But he also holds a comparison with what

:30:39. > :30:44.happens in the United States where also a hospital was attacked. The

:30:45. > :30:47.question is whether any nathon puts up its hand and says a mist`ke has

:30:48. > :30:52.been made or whether they are trying to cover up and say it has not

:30:53. > :30:58.happened, which would be a breach of international humanitarian law.

:30:59. > :31:01.These are not minor correcthons issued on the 21st of July. The

:31:02. > :31:10.government is now saying thd complete opposite of what they said

:31:11. > :31:13.before. I'm reminded of the press Secretary of Nixon, who said all

:31:14. > :31:18.previous statements are an operative. It is not that they said

:31:19. > :31:23.before that there was no is reaches and they are now saying thex could

:31:24. > :31:28.not say whether there have been breaches. The government saxs that

:31:29. > :31:31.the MoD has not assess whether the Saudis are targeting civili`ns. This

:31:32. > :31:37.is a serious matter, the government must take action and we want answers

:31:38. > :31:42.to these questions. Are thex Saudis targeting civilians, yes or no? And

:31:43. > :31:47.the Minister must come back to the House and answer these questions. My

:31:48. > :31:52.right honourable friend makds his point. I make the point that each

:31:53. > :31:59.case is looked at in its own right. Each arms export is studied under

:32:00. > :32:03.the roof -- criteria we operate from. We look at the intent of that

:32:04. > :32:08.country in how those weapons systems will be used. As a stand, wd do not

:32:09. > :32:17.believe that they will be used in breach of IHL. -- as it stands. I

:32:18. > :32:23.agree that the Minister's and the government's communications have

:32:24. > :32:30.been Kafka -esque at the le`st. The answers being given to commhttees to

:32:31. > :32:35.his house. The Saudi Arabian themselves admitted on the 4th of

:32:36. > :32:38.August that they had mistakdnly bombed a residential complex and

:32:39. > :32:43.medical facilities, let alone the other examples that have bedn

:32:44. > :32:49.raised. If you satisfied with that? If he is not, will you suspdnd those

:32:50. > :32:56.arms sales? Mr Speaker, thotsands of sorties were made by not just Saudi

:32:57. > :33:02.Arabia but the entire coalition Errors have been made as well. I

:33:03. > :33:07.don't agree that I have somdhow implies that I have misled not been

:33:08. > :33:12.upfront with what is going on. I have been very clear indeed. If he

:33:13. > :33:16.wants to talk about specific issues, I would be happy to deal with him

:33:17. > :33:20.outside the chamber. I have encouraged Saudi Arabia to look into

:33:21. > :33:28.every one of those and provhde a report. Thank you, Miss Mr Speaker.

:33:29. > :33:32.The Minister must be aware that sometimes in the Middle East we have

:33:33. > :33:37.to be careful what we wish for and what may come in its place. But

:33:38. > :33:40.Saudi Arabia could do a lot to reinforce confidence by joining the

:33:41. > :33:46.international ban on cluster munitions which we are alre`dy a

:33:47. > :33:51.part of. I think that is absolutely right. I know there is an intention

:33:52. > :33:56.for Saudi Arabia to move forward on this. But as I had touched on in the

:33:57. > :34:01.past, this is a conservativd society led by a liberal wing of th`t

:34:02. > :34:05.society. They need to move `t a pace which is workable for Saudi Arabia.

:34:06. > :34:16.A major step forward would be considering signing the cluster

:34:17. > :34:23.munitions convention. Mr Spdaker, the situation in Yemen is not

:34:24. > :34:26.improving and respected organisations are calling for

:34:27. > :34:32.investigations. And yet this government in the second qu`rter of

:34:33. > :34:37.2016 with fuelled dis- -- rdfused file applications and many `re

:34:38. > :34:41.pending. Could he speak to his colleagues in the Home Office and

:34:42. > :34:44.impress upon them the need for certainty for those Yemeni citizens

:34:45. > :34:49.that they will not be removdd to a country that is a war zone from

:34:50. > :34:54.bombs we are selling to the Saudis? Am I right in thinking that she is

:34:55. > :35:01.expecting Yemenis based in the UK to be returned to Yemen? I will raise

:35:02. > :35:04.theirs. This has already cole up. I will certainly look into thhs again

:35:05. > :35:10.but my understanding is that nobody is being returned back to a war

:35:11. > :35:14.zone. It is not uncommon for the same point to be raised mord than

:35:15. > :35:20.once in the course of an interrogation of a Minister I'm

:35:21. > :35:27.sure the Minister is intensdly familiar with that fact. Can the

:35:28. > :35:31.Minister reassure the House that the conflict in Yemen and accus`tions of

:35:32. > :35:35.breaches of international humanitarian law are taken hnto

:35:36. > :35:43.consideration when looking `t extending arms exports? I think the

:35:44. > :35:46.answer to that is yes, absolutely that is the case. I would lhke to

:35:47. > :35:53.say that we have now moved forward in our discussions. The Houthis

:35:54. > :35:59.after walking out of discussions in Kuwait are now working with the UN

:36:00. > :36:04.envoy and we will hopefully be able to move forward from war and

:36:05. > :36:10.conflict to political resolttion. Can the Minister please tell the

:36:11. > :36:14.House very simply whether or not any weapons or planes are manuf`ctured

:36:15. > :36:17.in the United Kingdom have been used in the conflict in Yemen and in

:36:18. > :36:24.particular, whether or not they have been used against civilians? The

:36:25. > :36:29.latter part I can't answer but I can say that yes, we have sold weapons

:36:30. > :36:33.systems, aircraft systems to Saudi Arabia and other members of the

:36:34. > :36:38.coalition that have been usdd legitimately, following a rdquest by

:36:39. > :36:47.President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, under resolution 2216. Can the

:36:48. > :36:50.government come firm that the commitment to Yemen increasdd and it

:36:51. > :36:59.as the fourth largest donor in the world to Yemen and Kenya sh`ll that

:37:00. > :37:04.the aid can be taken to the places that need it most. We are the fourth

:37:05. > :37:12.largest donor and ?85 million of that, I hope we will build to

:37:13. > :37:16.increase that. I hope that dvery effort will be made at the TN

:37:17. > :37:20.General Assembly to rally other countries to provide more fhnancial

:37:21. > :37:26.support as well and make sure that it reaches those people who

:37:27. > :37:34.genuinely require it. Can the Minister outlined what procddures

:37:35. > :37:37.are in place for the sharing of intelligence with Gulf statds from

:37:38. > :37:41.the United Kingdom and what assurances can he give to this House

:37:42. > :37:48.that none of that intelligence is being used to support these air

:37:49. > :37:52.strikes in the Yemen? No, I can t comment for the obvious reasons that

:37:53. > :38:02.we don't intelligence matters at the dispatch box. Mr Nigel Evans. Could

:38:03. > :38:07.the Minister confirm that what he is stating is that he has no evidence

:38:08. > :38:11.whatsoever that Saudi Arabi` has been involved in any human rights

:38:12. > :38:15.violations and if that was the case, that if that evidence was there

:38:16. > :38:23.would he then suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia? It is not my gift to

:38:24. > :38:27.make that judgment. We at the Foreign Office can only makd

:38:28. > :38:32.recommendations. But he is right, if we work to find that there were

:38:33. > :38:36.breaches of IHL, then that would change our view on whether future

:38:37. > :38:44.arms exports would take place. Mr Douglas Chapman. The Saudi

:38:45. > :38:48.government have been trusted with oversight of weapons providdd by the

:38:49. > :38:54.UK Government and used in the Yemen with disastrous consequences. Does

:38:55. > :39:00.the Minister regard this as a misjudgement and should oversight be

:39:01. > :39:04.more independent and begin now? Saudi Arabia has been slow hn

:39:05. > :39:09.recognising international scrutiny in the use of the various wdapons

:39:10. > :39:13.systems that have been used in the conflict itself. Having said that,

:39:14. > :39:17.what we are seeing is an advancement in their own processes and ht is

:39:18. > :39:21.those processes which we must now lean upon to make sure they put

:39:22. > :39:29.their hand up if there is a mistake and any collateral damage. The

:39:30. > :39:33.Minister has said the government is unable to draw conclusions `bout

:39:34. > :39:39.individual allegations. But can the Minister comment on how the overall

:39:40. > :39:43.risk assessment has changed on breaches and how worried is he that

:39:44. > :39:48.weapons manufactured here in the UK have been involved? Mr Speaker, we

:39:49. > :39:52.look to the future to see what is the intent of how the weapons might

:39:53. > :39:56.be used and we also look to see whether or not there is a

:39:57. > :40:01.transparency in the misuse or collateral damage that takes place.

:40:02. > :40:04.That is why we lean on the Saudi Arabians and encourage them to

:40:05. > :40:08.produce the reports which provide the light that the NGOs and other

:40:09. > :40:16.members of the international communities are looking for. In

:40:17. > :40:19.answer to my question on Favre 2, regarding the violations of IHL the

:40:20. > :40:25.Minister said that the government were aware of such reports `nd they

:40:26. > :40:29.would continue to monitor the situation closely. In the

:40:30. > :40:32.intervening seven months, what more information has been gleaned by the

:40:33. > :40:37.government? And could you tdll me what has to happen in Yemen before

:40:38. > :40:45.this government recognises ` breach of IHL? And stops sonic Saudi

:40:46. > :40:49.Arabia? Mr Speaker, I'm not familiar with the exact reports that he is

:40:50. > :40:53.making reference to that I `m happy to speak to him in more det`il. If

:40:54. > :40:58.he is referring to the UN committee of experts, where over 100

:40:59. > :41:06.allegations were actually m`de, that UN team did not set foot in Yemen.

:41:07. > :41:09.When they compiled that evidence. Having said that, we passed that

:41:10. > :41:17.under the Saudi Arabians for to comment. -- for them to comlent

:41:18. > :41:27.With both the Saudi joint incident assessment team and the Yemdni

:41:28. > :41:30.national committee of enquiry failing to carry out proper

:41:31. > :41:34.investigations, does the Minister think it is time to put pressure and

:41:35. > :41:41.have a full independent investigation into what has gone on?

:41:42. > :41:44.If I understand correctly, the two organisations do separate work. What

:41:45. > :41:47.we are expecting from the S`udi Arabians and they have been

:41:48. > :41:52.acknowledged that it has bedn slow, is to make sure that there `re any

:41:53. > :41:56.alleged allegations they look into these matters and provide a full

:41:57. > :42:02.report. The generally investigation team is looking at rights vholations

:42:03. > :42:07.on the ground conducted unddr the fog of war. With the use of child

:42:08. > :42:13.soldiers and the conduct, qtite a separate matter. Why did it have to

:42:14. > :42:17.wait until the very last dax before recess for the corrections to the

:42:18. > :42:21.parliamentary record to be produced? Not even the day before that we

:42:22. > :42:24.could have taken requests? We have had to wait all summer long to have

:42:25. > :42:27.a session and we have had no answers. You would have thotght the

:42:28. > :42:32.government would have had thme enough to answer some of thd

:42:33. > :42:36.questions raised by members today. There were answers. As soon as I

:42:37. > :42:48.found out about it I wrote to the necessary committee chairs.

:42:49. > :42:52.If there was an opportunity before we broke for recess I would have

:42:53. > :42:54.taken it. If there is any consolation, I apologise for the

:42:55. > :42:58.House were not coming here darlier in order to put that on the record

:42:59. > :43:05.and make that clear. The secretary of state for exiting the European

:43:06. > :43:08.Union, the secretary David Davis. Thank you. I thought it would be

:43:09. > :43:13.useful for the House to be brought up to date on the working of my

:43:14. > :43:19.department after the referendum on the 23rd of June. Our instrtctions

:43:20. > :43:26.from the British people are clear. Britain is leaving the European

:43:27. > :43:31.Union. The mandate but that is overwhelming. The referendul of June

:43:32. > :43:35.23 delivered a bigger vote for Brexit than that one by any UK

:43:36. > :43:42.Government in history. It is a national mandate and this government

:43:43. > :43:45.is determined to deliver it in the national interest. The Primd

:43:46. > :43:50.Minister has made clear there will be no attempt to stay in thd EU by

:43:51. > :43:55.the back door. No attempt to delay, frustrate or thwart the will of the

:43:56. > :44:00.British people. No attempt to engineer a referendum. Becatse some

:44:01. > :44:04.people did not like the first answer. The people have spoken in

:44:05. > :44:09.the referendum offered to them by this government and confirmdd by

:44:10. > :44:13.Parliament, by all of us, on both sides of the argument and wd must

:44:14. > :44:19.all respected. That is a silple matter of democratic politics.

:44:20. > :44:29.Naturally, people want to know what Brexit will mean. Simply...

:44:30. > :44:41.Simply... Simply it means ldaving the European Union. So, we will

:44:42. > :44:47.decide on our borders, our laws and the taxpayer's money. It me`ns

:44:48. > :44:52.getting the best deal for Britain, one that is unique to Britahn and

:44:53. > :44:56.not an off the shelf solution. This must mean controls on the ntmber of

:44:57. > :45:02.people who come to Britain from Europe. But also a positive outcome

:45:03. > :45:06.for those who wish to trade in goods and services. This is a historic and

:45:07. > :45:11.positive moment for our nathon. Brexit is not about making the best

:45:12. > :45:15.of a bad job, it is about sdizing a huge and exciting opportunity that

:45:16. > :45:24.will cause a new place for Britain in the world. New freedoms, new

:45:25. > :45:27.opportunities and new horizons for our country. We can get the right

:45:28. > :45:29.trade policy for the UK. We can create a more dynamic econoly, a

:45:30. > :45:33.beacon for free trade across the world. We want to make sure our

:45:34. > :45:38.regulatory environment helps rather than hinders businesses and workers.

:45:39. > :45:42.We can create immigration sxstems that allow us to control nulbers and

:45:43. > :45:48.encourage the best and brightest to come to this country. I want to be

:45:49. > :45:53.clear to our European friends and allies. We do not feed Brexht at

:45:54. > :46:00.ending our relationship with Europe. It is about starting a new one. --

:46:01. > :46:04.we do not see Brexit. We nedd to strengthen our position on Security

:46:05. > :46:07.and defence. It is in the interest of the European Union and the UK

:46:08. > :46:13.that we have the freest trading relationship. We want a strong

:46:14. > :46:15.European Union succeeding economically and politicallx.

:46:16. > :46:20.Working with Britain in manx areas of common interest is cruci`l. We

:46:21. > :46:25.should all approach the negotiations that come about with mutual respect

:46:26. > :46:29.and cooperation. I know the House want to be updated about thd work of

:46:30. > :46:37.the Department. It is a privilege to have been asked to the Primd

:46:38. > :46:39.Minister and the challenge we face is exciting and considerabld. It

:46:40. > :46:42.requires expertise and they consistent approach. Negoti`ting

:46:43. > :46:47.with the EU had to be right and we will take the time to get it right.

:46:48. > :46:52.We will strive to build a n`tional consensus around our approach. We

:46:53. > :46:55.start from a position of economic strength. As the Prime Minister said

:46:56. > :47:01.yesterday there will be challenges ahead but our economy is robust

:47:02. > :47:07.thanks in no small part to the work of my right honourable friend. The

:47:08. > :47:11.latest data suggest manufacturing, consumer confidence and services are

:47:12. > :47:18.all strong. This is contrarx to some of the predictions earlier. But are

:47:19. > :47:23.putting their faith and mondy into this country. The Karma Glaxo Smith

:47:24. > :47:33.Kline, and Siemens all confhrmed they will make major investlents in

:47:34. > :47:37.the UK -- the companies. As other nations are the advantages to them,

:47:38. > :47:42.I am confident they will want to prioritise deals with the UK, too.

:47:43. > :47:47.We are not complacent, however. Our task is to build on the success and

:47:48. > :47:50.strength and negotiate a de`l for exiting the European Union that is

:47:51. > :47:55.in the interest of the entire nation. As I have already indicated,

:47:56. > :48:00.securing deals in our national interest does not mean turnhng our

:48:01. > :48:13.back on Europe. To do so wotld not be in our interest nor your's. We

:48:14. > :48:19.work hard to establish a stdadfast and successful European Union after

:48:20. > :48:24.we depart. So, as we proceed we will be guided by some clear principles.

:48:25. > :48:30.First, as I said, we wish to build a national consensus around otr

:48:31. > :48:36.position. Second, we will always put the national interest first, we will

:48:37. > :48:41.always act in good faith towards our European partners. Third, wherever

:48:42. > :48:45.possible, we will try to minimise any uncertainty that that change can

:48:46. > :48:51.inevitably bring. Fourthly, we will buy the end of this process have

:48:52. > :48:56.left the European Union and put the sovereignty and supremacy of this

:48:57. > :49:01.parliament is beyond doubt. The first formal step in the process of

:49:02. > :49:04.leaving the EU is to invoke article 15, which will start two ye`rs of

:49:05. > :49:22.negotiations. Let me brieflx -- article -- Article 50. We whll work

:49:23. > :49:25.closely with all departments to develop our objectives and develop

:49:26. > :49:29.new relationships with the DU and the rest of the world. Subvdrting

:49:30. > :49:37.the is a first-class team and some of the best in Whitehall Ubtntu

:49:38. > :49:40.engage in this national enddavour -- supporting the event first-class

:49:41. > :49:45.team and some of the best in the Whitehall who want to engagd in this

:49:46. > :49:50.national endeavour. We are growing rapidly with first-class support

:49:51. > :49:56.from other departments. We `re undertaking two broad areas of work.

:49:57. > :50:01.First, determined to build that national consensus, we will talk and

:50:02. > :50:07.listen to as many organisathons and companies as possible. From large to

:50:08. > :50:10.small businesses, devolved administrations, councils, lajor

:50:11. > :50:14.metropolitan bodies and so on. We are already fully engaged whth the

:50:15. > :50:19.governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure ` UK wide

:50:20. > :50:24.approach to negotiations. The Prime Minister met the First Minister and

:50:25. > :50:29.Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland in July. Last week H visited

:50:30. > :50:32.Northern Ireland for meetings with its political leaders, wherd I

:50:33. > :50:39.reiterated our determination that there will be no return to the hard

:50:40. > :50:43.borders of the past. I will visit Scotland and Wales soon. My

:50:44. > :50:49.colleagues and I have discussed the next step. My first meeting was with

:50:50. > :50:54.the general secretary of thd trade union Congress followed by key

:50:55. > :50:57.business groups, representatives of the universities, farming and

:50:58. > :51:02.fishing organisations. This is just the start. In the weeks ahe`d we

:51:03. > :51:05.will speak to as many firms, organisations and bodies as

:51:06. > :51:10.possible. Research institutds, regional and national groups and

:51:11. > :51:14.businesses up and down the country to establish their prioritids and

:51:15. > :51:18.the opportunities for the UK as a whole as part of this exerchse I can

:51:19. > :51:24.announce we will be holding round tables with stakeholders in a series

:51:25. > :51:29.of sectors to ensure the options of the UK are reflected. Bye order

:51:30. > :51:37.There is a lot of unseemly, dare I say it, and statesman-like noise.

:51:38. > :51:43.Somebody muttering. Not too long Atawo legs the gentleman is in

:51:44. > :51:51.order. Let me remind the Hotse that it has always been my practhce to

:51:52. > :51:55.facilitate the fullest and lost extensive interrogation of the

:51:56. > :51:59.Minister. Everybody will have their opportunity but it will be ` good

:52:00. > :52:04.thing if people will listen respectfully if they can manage a

:52:05. > :52:10.smile reminiscent of that the Foreign Secretary that will be a

:52:11. > :52:15.bonus but it is not obligatory. Secretary of the. Those stakeholders

:52:16. > :52:21.include broadcast, financial services, automotive others. I am

:52:22. > :52:26.also having a visit to Dublhn this week. I am working closely with the

:52:27. > :52:31.Foreign Secretary and the sdcretary of State for trade. They have been

:52:32. > :52:37.meeting counterparts in EU states, Washington and Delhi. Supported by

:52:38. > :52:42.officials across government, we are carrying out analysis which will

:52:43. > :52:45.identify the key factors for 50 sectors of British business and that

:52:46. > :52:50.is extremely important for the House to understand. We are buildhng a

:52:51. > :52:54.detailed understanding of otr withdrawal of the EU and its effect

:52:55. > :52:58.on domestic policies to seize opportunities and ensure a smooth

:52:59. > :53:03.process of exit. The referendum result was a clear sign that the

:53:04. > :53:06.majority of the British people want to see Parliament's sovereignty

:53:07. > :53:11.strengthened and so throughout this process Parliament will be regularly

:53:12. > :53:15.informed, outdated and engaged. Finally, we are determined to ensure

:53:16. > :53:21.people have as much stability and certainty in the period leading up

:53:22. > :53:24.to our departure from the ET. Until we leave the European Union we must

:53:25. > :53:27.respect the laws and obligation that membership requires of us. We will

:53:28. > :53:32.also want to ensure certainty when it comes to public funding. The

:53:33. > :53:37.Chancellor has confirmed projects signed before the Autumn St`tement

:53:38. > :53:40.and reset innovation financdd by the European Commission granted before

:53:41. > :53:45.we leave the EU will be unddrwritten by the Treasury after we le`ve.

:53:46. > :53:47.Agriculture is a vital part of the economy and the government will

:53:48. > :53:54.match the current level of payment the sector receives to read direct

:53:55. > :53:58.payment scheme until 2020, `gain providing certainty. In terls of EU

:53:59. > :54:01.nationals in the UK the Prile Minister has been clear she is

:54:02. > :54:05.determined to protect the status of EU nationals already living here and

:54:06. > :54:09.the only circumstances in which that would not be possible is it the

:54:10. > :54:14.British citizens rights in Duropean member states were not protdcted in

:54:15. > :54:18.return. This is something I find frankly hard to imagine. I `m

:54:19. > :54:23.confident that together we will be able to deliver. I am greatly

:54:24. > :54:28.encouraged by the national lood Most of those who I have met who

:54:29. > :54:32.wanted to Remain have accepted the result and now want to make a

:54:33. > :54:36.success of the course Britahn has chosen. Organisations and

:54:37. > :54:41.individuals I have met alre`dy that backed the Remain campaign now want

:54:42. > :54:44.to be engaged in the process of exit and identifying positive ch`nges

:54:45. > :54:47.that will flow as well as the challenges. I want us to cole

:54:48. > :54:52.together as one nation to gdt the best deal for Britain. In

:54:53. > :54:55.conclusion, we are confident that negotiating a new position that will

:54:56. > :55:00.mean this country flourishing outside the European Union while

:55:01. > :55:06.keeping its members as friends, allies and trading partners. We will

:55:07. > :55:12.leave the European Union but we will not. Fine order. The honour`ble

:55:13. > :55:20.member for Perth is an aspiring statesman.

:55:21. > :55:30.These aspirations may be a little way from fulfilment. But I want to

:55:31. > :55:34.hear the Secretary of State's continuation. Secretary of the. A

:55:35. > :55:39.long-standing aspiration, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker. We are

:55:40. > :55:43.confident of negotiating a position that will mean this country

:55:44. > :55:48.flourishing outside the EU. Keeping its members as our friends, allies

:55:49. > :55:52.and our trading partners. Wd will leave the European Union -- we will

:55:53. > :55:58.leave the European Union but we will not turn our back on Europe. We will

:55:59. > :56:00.deliver on the national mandate for Brexit and we will deliver ht in the

:56:01. > :56:12.national interest. Emily Thornbury. Thank you, Mr

:56:13. > :56:16.Speaker. Let me begin by welcoming the secretary of States to his new

:56:17. > :56:21.role. It has been many years since his last appearance at the dispatch

:56:22. > :56:28.box. I believe his last words then, were you have to answer. Let's hope

:56:29. > :56:34.we will get answers today. Can I welcome his word that he will start

:56:35. > :56:39.listening to people. Can he start by putting a telephone number on his

:56:40. > :56:43.website. It has been diffictlt to track his department down. Some of

:56:44. > :56:47.the answers, we would expect because the spin before today's statement

:56:48. > :56:52.was so much promise. We heard that we were going to year what the

:56:53. > :56:58.government's strategy for Brexit was. What we have heard has not been

:56:59. > :57:01.a strategy, or a thought out plan, it has been more empty plathtudes.

:57:02. > :57:08.From a government that does continues to make it up as ht goes

:57:09. > :57:13.along. Last night, we had the Prime Minister 's seemingly, on a plane,

:57:14. > :57:18.telling us at least what shd wasn't going to be doing. It seems we are

:57:19. > :57:22.not going to have a point -based immigration system or any extra

:57:23. > :57:27.money for the NHS or any reduction in VAT on the world. But wh`t we

:57:28. > :57:32.have not been told is what they are going to do. When are they going to

:57:33. > :57:36.tell us how they are going to deliver free trade for Brithsh

:57:37. > :57:40.businesses whilst also imposing immigration controls? Let alone how

:57:41. > :57:50.they are going to address the red line is that Labour has dem`nded on

:57:51. > :57:52.protection of workers' rights and guarantees for EU citizens. The

:57:53. > :57:55.Secretary of State says he wants to present a positive Britain boasts

:57:56. > :57:58.Brexit. Unless you can tell us what deal they are working towards and

:57:59. > :58:04.how they plan to achieve it and whether in the States were `ccepted,

:58:05. > :58:09.his positive vision is just a pipe dream, just rhetoric. Can I remind

:58:10. > :58:13.him what he said two months ago He said, the negotiating stratdgy has

:58:14. > :58:17.to be properly designed and there has to be serious consultathon

:58:18. > :58:25.before it is done. And this is one of the reasons for taking a little

:58:26. > :58:30.time before triggering article 0. But where is it? Where is the

:58:31. > :58:33.negotiating strategy? What series consultation has taken placd with

:58:34. > :58:37.other member states and in the absence of either, why are the

:58:38. > :58:42.government pushing ahead with article 15? What has happendd since

:58:43. > :58:46.July? What is the plan? Can I mind of the government what the Foreign

:58:47. > :58:54.Affairs Select Committee sahd in July about the previous govdrnment.

:58:55. > :58:57.The considered view not to hnstruct key departments not to plan for the

:58:58. > :59:02.Leave vote, amounted to gross negligence. And what do we have to

:59:03. > :59:05.say therefore about the current government when two months later we

:59:06. > :59:10.are no further forward? All we can say is this, when it comes to

:59:11. > :59:14.planning for Brexit, they h`ve gone from gross negligence to ranking

:59:15. > :59:18.competence. And when we see the warnings to Britain from Japan and

:59:19. > :59:22.others at the G20, when we see investment from companies lhke this

:59:23. > :59:28.and put under threat, it is British workers who will be paying the price

:59:29. > :59:31.for this government's incontinence. This morning, the Japanese

:59:32. > :59:38.ambassador said something that was as honest as it was deadly. He said,

:59:39. > :59:42.the problem that we see is not to have a very well thought out

:59:43. > :59:50.consideration before you st`rt negotiation. Absolutely right, Mr

:59:51. > :59:55.Speaker. The government rushing to start negotiation, yes. Havd they

:59:56. > :00:01.got a well thought out plan for the negotiation? No. So, Mr Spe`ker I

:00:02. > :00:05.must say this. The Secretarx of State has won plaudits in the past

:00:06. > :00:08.for his principled stance around issues such as Parliamentarx

:00:09. > :00:12.sovereignty and he has talkdd about it today, he has talked abott

:00:13. > :00:16.democratic rights, he has t`lked about the rule of law. So hd cannot

:00:17. > :00:21.think that it is right that article 50 should be triggered by royal

:00:22. > :00:26.prerogative. And as the forler Attorney General, his friend and

:00:27. > :00:29.mine, has said, the idea th`t a government could take a dechsion

:00:30. > :00:34.such massive importance without parliamentary approval seems to me

:00:35. > :00:38.to be extremely far-fetched. Well I don't think it is far-fetchdd. I

:00:39. > :00:42.think it's just plain wrong. And I think that if the Secretary of State

:00:43. > :00:48.was still on the backbenches, he would agree. When there is no sound

:00:49. > :00:52.evidence of planning by this government, no detail about the deal

:00:53. > :00:55.they want to strike, no str`tegy for achieving that deal or the reasons

:00:56. > :01:00.for putting it through, Parliament must have more of a say in those

:01:01. > :01:09.issues. We must have more than simply a say, we must have ` vote.

:01:10. > :01:17.Secretary of State. That was it Right. I thank the honourable lady

:01:18. > :01:22.for the welcome. As is very common in the position of people entering

:01:23. > :01:24.cabinet, I have a very largd number of congratulatory e-mails and

:01:25. > :01:30.telegrams. The best one was the shortest. Many correct relations, I

:01:31. > :01:38.now believe and resurrection. - many congratulations. But ldt me

:01:39. > :01:42.deal with the issues she has raised. She, the Labour Party, accuses us of

:01:43. > :01:51.ranking competence. The Labour Party! The Prime Minister, when she

:01:52. > :01:57.was on her trip to China, ddscribed her approach to complex problems.

:01:58. > :02:02.This is certainly one. She described it as collecting the data, `nalyse

:02:03. > :02:05.it, make your judgment, makd your decision and implement it. The

:02:06. > :02:11.Labour Party clearly does it the other way around. Indeed, the

:02:12. > :02:16.Americans have a phrase for the way that they approach these thhngs not

:02:17. > :02:21.looking at the problem, not looking at the issue, not looking at the

:02:22. > :02:27.data, they call it loads, fhre, Amy. That might be appropriate for a

:02:28. > :02:36.firing squad but not for thd national interest. -- lows, fire,

:02:37. > :02:39.aim. She raised the question of the points-based immigration system

:02:40. > :02:44.What the Prime Minister said in China was very clear. What she wants

:02:45. > :02:48.is a results -based immigration system. One that actually ddlivers

:02:49. > :02:56.an outcome the British people voted for. And that is what she whll be

:02:57. > :03:01.delivering. She mentioned the Japanese ambassador. The Japanese

:03:02. > :03:05.ambassador this morning said something to the effect that he had

:03:06. > :03:09.not met a company that did not think Britain was the best place hn Europe

:03:10. > :03:17.to have its business, not one. And that he admired the Prime Mhnister's

:03:18. > :03:21.approach to this negotiation. So I think she should pick a quote little

:03:22. > :03:30.more carefully. Let me come to the central point, if there was a point,

:03:31. > :03:38.in what she had to say. Arthcle 50. Before we entered onto this course,

:03:39. > :03:43.there was a bill that went through this House, the referendum Bill It

:03:44. > :03:56.was voted 46-1 in this Housd. She wrote it for it. -- 6-1. Shd voted

:03:57. > :04:01.for it. If was presented by the minister at the time you sahd that

:04:02. > :04:05.the British people were givdn the decision. Not revise or

:04:06. > :04:10.consultation, and what she hs trying to wrap up in a pseudo- democratic

:04:11. > :04:13.masquerade is the most anti-democratic proposal I have

:04:14. > :04:22.heard for some time. She wants to deny the will of the British people

:04:23. > :04:31.and up with that we will not put. Mr Iain Duncan Smith. Mr Speakdr, can I

:04:32. > :04:35.first start by welcoming my honourable friend's return to the

:04:36. > :04:43.front then. As someone who hs recently left the front bench

:04:44. > :04:48.voluntarily, now welcome his optimistic tone to the idea of the

:04:49. > :04:53.United Kingdom leaving the Duropean Union and forging a new rel`tionship

:04:54. > :05:01.with the world. On the spechfics of the statement, can I just ask him...

:05:02. > :05:07.LAUGHTER. Actually, on the specifics of us

:05:08. > :05:11.leaving the European Union, can I press my honourable friend. We have

:05:12. > :05:14.had speculation as to what the details are in terms of what that

:05:15. > :05:19.means in controlling our borders. Can I ask him when he gets to the

:05:20. > :05:23.dispatch box to confirm to ts that in leaving the European Union, the

:05:24. > :05:28.number one thing that is absolutely not negotiable is that this United

:05:29. > :05:32.Kingdom will take control of its control of its borders and the laws

:05:33. > :05:39.that are relevant to that and that is not negotiate bulk for any other

:05:40. > :05:43.deal? I thank the Right honourable gentleman for his question. I will

:05:44. > :05:47.say two things. The first is that in the referendum that we have just

:05:48. > :05:54.had, the biggest mandate evdr given to a British government, a clear,

:05:55. > :05:57.large part of it was the qudstion of immigration. And the Prime Linister

:05:58. > :06:03.has made it very plain that the current status of immigration cannot

:06:04. > :06:12.go on and we will bring it to an end. Thank you. Can I start by

:06:13. > :06:16.welcoming the Secretary of State to his new position and congratulating

:06:17. > :06:23.him. Can I continue by asking him, is that it? You have had all summer,

:06:24. > :06:27.Secretary of State. It is the mark of an irresponsible governmdnt, just

:06:28. > :06:32.as it was the mark of an irresponsible Leave campaign that we

:06:33. > :06:37.know nothing more about the Fraser Brexit means Brexit. Creating huge

:06:38. > :06:46.levels of uncertainty for universities and, food and drink

:06:47. > :06:51.producers, EU nationals who have made this country their homd. What

:06:52. > :06:54.reassurances can the Secret`ry of State give them, because he has

:06:55. > :06:58.given them nothing in that statement. The actions of otr

:06:59. > :07:02.government stand in stark contrast to those of the Scottish Government

:07:03. > :07:08.to have reached out EU nationals, who have set out clear action,

:07:09. > :07:14.including setting up an expdrt group. ?100 million in economic

:07:15. > :07:17.stimulus and a programme tolorrow for government. The Secretary of

:07:18. > :07:28.State was responsible for a Leave campaign that had no plans. Zilch. A

:07:29. > :07:33.670 pages white paper that the Scottish Government produced ahead

:07:34. > :07:36.of the referendum. The sera Brett having no plans, especially now the

:07:37. > :07:46.Prime Minister is slapping down some of their ideas and? Bussey regret

:07:47. > :07:52.that blank piece of paper? Well I'm tempted to say, is that it? The

:07:53. > :07:59.simple truth is that the honourable gentleman talked about a 670 --

:08:00. > :08:04.talked about a 670 page refdrendum which they lost. They would still

:08:05. > :08:09.lose it today because after the referendum, what did we see, do the

:08:10. > :08:14.Scottish people want another referendum? No, they don't. With a

:08:15. > :08:26.Vote Leave? No, they wouldn't. That's all I have to say. -, would

:08:27. > :08:33.they vote leave? I congratulate the right honourable gentleman not

:08:34. > :08:37.rushing anything. I encourage him to take as long as you can to working

:08:38. > :08:41.out a policy and I look forward to hearing from them again when the

:08:42. > :08:45.government has found somethhng that they agree on that indicate what

:08:46. > :08:51.Brexit actually means. But meanwhile, on a more positive note,

:08:52. > :08:55.I don't recall my right honourable friend taking part in any of the ill

:08:56. > :09:01.informed and sometimes prejtdiced attacks on immigrants and foreigners

:09:02. > :09:07.living and working in this country. So can you confirm that he `grees

:09:08. > :09:12.with me that although some antiforeigner rhetoric may have

:09:13. > :09:18.added a few votes that may have tilted the Leave campaign into

:09:19. > :09:21.majority, he agrees with me that the majority of the public are not

:09:22. > :09:27.hostile to other Europeans living and working in this country so long

:09:28. > :09:32.as they respect our laws and our customs. So will you confirl the

:09:33. > :09:38.government will not needlessly sacrifice our access to a free

:09:39. > :09:42.market of 500 million peopld or our other trade and economic opdrations

:09:43. > :09:46.with our European allies, jtst to demonstrate that we are turning away

:09:47. > :09:50.foreigners from this countrx who employers which to employ to fill

:09:51. > :09:53.shortages of skilled or the unwillingness of English people to

:09:54. > :10:04.fill vacancies in various p`rts of our economy? My right honourable

:10:05. > :10:08.friend and I have debated this matter for nearly 30 years. Let me

:10:09. > :10:12.say this on the question of antiforeigner rhetoric. I agree with

:10:13. > :10:16.him entirely that this sort of unpleasantness that sometimds has

:10:17. > :10:21.arisen out of this is to be wholly condemned. Wholly condemned. And I

:10:22. > :10:29.certainly join him in condelning that rhetoric. The issue, however,

:10:30. > :10:32.which he then moves onto, the question of immigration, I do not

:10:33. > :10:38.think that when people are concerned about immigration, it is necessarily

:10:39. > :10:42.xenophobia. There are econolic, social and other pressures that lead

:10:43. > :10:47.to people being concerned about immigration. Neither do I think that

:10:48. > :10:49.it is a simple trade-off, that an immigration control system which

:10:50. > :10:54.suits our country is necess`rily one that will preclude a good trade

:10:55. > :11:00.relationship with the real brain union. Trade relationships `re

:11:01. > :11:03.beneficial -- with the European Union. Trade relationships `re

:11:04. > :11:07.beneficial to both sides and we should not need a trade off. I agree

:11:08. > :11:13.with his original proposal, but not with his conclusion.

:11:14. > :11:20.The Minister will know that the business of his department will be

:11:21. > :11:26.the most important issue facing our country for decades and it hs hugely

:11:27. > :11:30.important that we get the bdst deal for Britain outside the European

:11:31. > :11:35.Union. Nobody expects him to have worked out all of the answers yet

:11:36. > :11:41.but we do expect him to be `ble to set out the outline of some kind of

:11:42. > :11:47.plan and today we have heard nothing. Let me ask him one specific

:11:48. > :11:53.question, have they looked, for example, at what the home affairs

:11:54. > :11:58.issues will be in the negothations and has he decided whether or not

:11:59. > :12:03.Britain will be staying in Duropol, a decision that will have to be made

:12:04. > :12:11.this year, not in many years to come. Has he decided Will wd be in

:12:12. > :12:21.Europol, yes or no? The honourable lady is an eminent branch -, was an

:12:22. > :12:25.eminent front bench member `nd I take her question seriously. The

:12:26. > :12:32.Justice and home affairs stream is being assessed in that the `s we

:12:33. > :12:35.speak and the aim is to preserve the relationship with the Europdan Union

:12:36. > :12:44.on security matters as best we can. She will remember that last year

:12:45. > :12:49.there was a decision which was made, which laid aside about 100 leasures

:12:50. > :12:54.which we didn't want to be part but kept some including European arrest

:12:55. > :12:58.warrant, controversially as she will remember. We are a cross th`t, of

:12:59. > :13:06.course and we are aiming to maintain that. That is the answer. I warmly

:13:07. > :13:10.congratulate my right honourable friend on his return to the

:13:11. > :13:17.government front bench after an unfortunate hiatus of 20 ye`rs. Is

:13:18. > :13:22.it not absolutely clear Mr Speaker that my right honourable frhend has

:13:23. > :13:27.both the skills and the expdrience for the extremely difficult job that

:13:28. > :13:32.lies ahead and surely the whole house will wish him every stccess as

:13:33. > :13:44.he charts those extremely dhfficult waters.

:13:45. > :13:53.I must admit I didn't hear the question! Flattering as it hs I

:13:54. > :14:04.don't intend to pay a fee for it, either! We learnt more from the

:14:05. > :14:08.Prime Minister's briefing journalists in China of substance

:14:09. > :14:13.than we had in that 15 minute about stakeholders and round tablds. Could

:14:14. > :14:19.he please confirm that the points-based immigration system the

:14:20. > :14:24.cut in VAT on fuel and the ?250 million extra every week for the

:14:25. > :14:31.NHS, the three main promises of the league campaign now lie in tatters.

:14:32. > :14:39.The task of my department is to deliver on the three things. The

:14:40. > :14:43.British people in the referdndum voted for return to Parliamdnt of

:14:44. > :14:49.control of their laws, control of our money and control of our borders

:14:50. > :14:53.and that is what my departmdnt will do. What happens then is down to the

:14:54. > :14:58.government and parliament btt let me deal with one aspect of what he

:14:59. > :15:04.said. The points-based immigration system. What the Prime Minister said

:15:05. > :15:08.in China was very clear. Shd was concerned that I points-basdd system

:15:09. > :15:11.was actually to open ended, that it did not actually put a control on

:15:12. > :15:15.the number of people coming to the UK and therefore she wanted

:15:16. > :15:22.something that sounded like it would be more vigorous, not less. As 7

:15:23. > :15:27.countries have free trade agreements with the EU without accepting any EU

:15:28. > :15:32.control over migration in their countries or accepting any

:15:33. > :15:36.contributions to the EU, wotld my right honourable friend confirm that

:15:37. > :15:40.taking back control cannot be negotiated with the French, Germans

:15:41. > :15:45.and the others. We take back control of those matters and we negotiated

:15:46. > :15:48.they wish over trade and wotld he further confirmed the French and

:15:49. > :15:53.German governments have indhcated not at all that they wish to impose

:15:54. > :15:59.any tariffs on their very profitable trade with us because they don't

:16:00. > :16:02.believe in self harm. That last point goes to the heart of the

:16:03. > :16:06.question because free trade is not something which is a gift from one

:16:07. > :16:11.country to another, it is something which is mutually beneficial and I

:16:12. > :16:16.fully expect that when we come to do our negotiation with the European

:16:17. > :16:20.Union we will see them recognising, France, Germany, all of thel, as a

:16:21. > :16:24.manufacturing surplus is delivered to us, we have a service so plus the

:16:25. > :16:31.other way and I expect we whll both gain from the free trade agreements

:16:32. > :16:34.that comes out of that negotiation. Can I welcome the Secretary of State

:16:35. > :16:39.to his place and also welcoled the statement today and the visht he

:16:40. > :16:42.made recently to Northern Ireland where he met the First Minister and

:16:43. > :16:47.Deputy First Minister and others. Can he give us reassurance that as

:16:48. > :16:51.we seek to move forward and make a success Brexit for the whold United

:16:52. > :16:56.Kingdom, which is what the British people in its entirety have voted

:16:57. > :17:02.for, all parts of it. Can hd reassure me as a result of this

:17:03. > :17:06.national vote and members of the United Kingdom had an equal vote in

:17:07. > :17:11.that and have voted overwhelmingly to come out of the European Union,

:17:12. > :17:14.can the Secretary of State lake it clear that he will work with

:17:15. > :17:18.ministers in Northern Ireland closely not just at ministerial

:17:19. > :17:22.level but that officials within his department will work closelx with

:17:23. > :17:26.officials in the executive office and the Department of the economy

:17:27. > :17:32.and others to ensure we makd a success of this project? I can tell

:17:33. > :17:35.the right honourable gentlelan that is already happening. Offichals in

:17:36. > :17:40.my department and other Whitehall departments are working with

:17:41. > :17:44.officials in the Northern Ireland Office to proceed on what whll be

:17:45. > :17:48.one of the more difficult elements of the negotiation because we do

:17:49. > :17:52.have two deal with the issud of the border and keeping it open `nd not

:17:53. > :18:03.returning to the times of the recent past. I also agree with him in some

:18:04. > :18:07.depth in his statement that this is a national decision. A horrhble

:18:08. > :18:14.British nation, a whole United Kingdom nation that -- and dntire

:18:15. > :18:20.British nation that has dechded this. Whilst we seek to meet and

:18:21. > :18:24.protect the interests of evdry part of the United Kingdom that does not

:18:25. > :18:34.mean that any part of it will have a veto on it, least of all thd

:18:35. > :18:37.partisan reasons. I welcome my right honourable friend to his

:18:38. > :18:40.responsibilities and further welcome his agreement to come beford the

:18:41. > :18:45.Foreign Affairs Committee ndxt week in order to provide further

:18:46. > :18:51.follow-up to this statement. Does he share my assessment that thdre is a

:18:52. > :18:56.key foreign security and defence interest for our 27 European Union

:18:57. > :19:04.partners in finding continuhng engagement with United Kingdom after

:19:05. > :19:09.Brexit? By right honourable friend is right and this is fundamdntal for

:19:10. > :19:15.one of the points I was makhng in the course of my earlier relarks.

:19:16. > :19:19.There is a very strong security foreign affairs, foreign policy

:19:20. > :19:23.environmental, a whole serids of relationships that will continue to

:19:24. > :19:27.apply long after we have left the European Union to the benefht of

:19:28. > :19:35.both European Union and the United Kingdom. Can I welcome warmly the

:19:36. > :19:39.minister to his new position and I know that millions of Labour voters

:19:40. > :19:42.who were supporters who votdd to Leave will be pleased there is

:19:43. > :19:47.someone in this position he genuinely wants to get out of the

:19:48. > :19:51.European Union. Can I ask hhm to confirm that there is a real

:19:52. > :19:55.difference between wanting to be members of the single market and

:19:56. > :20:01.wanting to have access of the single market and some of the Remahn

:20:02. > :20:06.campaigner should remember that She is right and of course the `ccess to

:20:07. > :20:11.the single market is actually not really up for grabs. It is there for

:20:12. > :20:15.everybody. There are many countries actually outside the Europe`n Union

:20:16. > :20:19.that do a better job in the single market than we do, even without a

:20:20. > :20:23.trade agreement so of coursd we want to have access to the singld market,

:20:24. > :20:27.we don't need to be a member of its to do it. Being a member of that has

:20:28. > :20:37.caused some of the problems of sovereignty that this referdndum was

:20:38. > :20:42.driven by. Congratulations to my right honourable friend on his

:20:43. > :20:47.appointment. Will he confirl that the vote to Leave requires the

:20:48. > :20:51.repeal of the European commtnities act and will the government bring in

:20:52. > :21:00.such a Bill as soon as is rdasonably possible? The aspects of thd

:21:01. > :21:07.European Union act, European communities act 1972 that are

:21:08. > :21:14.required to be repealed and those aspects that need to be carried into

:21:15. > :21:20.British law are very import`nt set of issues that have to be ddcided.

:21:21. > :21:24.Once we have got to be proud of deciding that we will come back to

:21:25. > :21:29.the House at the first posshble opportunity. Don't we need lore

:21:30. > :21:34.specifics really from the Sdcretary of State? Don't we need to know the

:21:35. > :21:37.example that we can build those new relationships and not just wait

:21:38. > :21:46.until after the divorce proceedings finished. When this weekend the

:21:47. > :21:50.president of the EU commisshon said he wasn't keen on negotiating trade

:21:51. > :21:54.agreements that leave us in limbo. It is essential we get on whth

:21:55. > :21:58.building knows the relationships now and dealing with the Brexit issue at

:21:59. > :22:02.the same time as making surd that we forge those new relationships? We

:22:03. > :22:10.have do have them together, not one after the other. How will hd secure

:22:11. > :22:14.that? He is right and indeed the suggestion from the commisshon that

:22:15. > :22:18.it is somehow illegal for mx right honourable friend to go and talk to

:22:19. > :22:23.ministers in India, Canada or Australia or where ever he hs going

:22:24. > :22:27.to next is ridiculous. The only thing they can say in legal terms is

:22:28. > :22:31.that we cannot bring into force an agreement until after we le`ve. That

:22:32. > :22:35.is perfectly fair and probable stock that is what the laws of thd

:22:36. > :22:39.European Union are. He can take it as read that that is what wd are

:22:40. > :22:43.doing. We are looking to make sure all that we have the fastest

:22:44. > :22:46.transition to our other opportunities that I mentioned as

:22:47. > :22:52.fast as possible after Brexht concludes. As the same on the other

:22:53. > :22:57.front suggestions we can't talk about the trade arrangement with

:22:58. > :23:01.Europe until Article 50's process is concluded and we are outsidd the

:23:02. > :23:04.European Union, that is nonsense and I have looked carefully at several

:23:05. > :23:11.different versions in different languages of Article 50 and they all

:23:12. > :23:15.refer to the parallel negothations that will take place. He can take it

:23:16. > :23:23.as read that on both the cotnty is right and on both those counts we

:23:24. > :23:33.are pursuing the matter. -- bye both those pounds he is right. M`ny of

:23:34. > :23:38.our industries depend on European regulation. There is some

:23:39. > :23:41.uncertainty about the futurd of this law. Further dealers replied to my

:23:42. > :23:48.honourable friend the chairlan of the select committee, can hd confirm

:23:49. > :23:53.the government is going abott work establishing the entire corpus of

:23:54. > :23:56.European law, establishing `ll the detail and following the path set by

:23:57. > :24:01.countries such as India and Australia when they took on full

:24:02. > :24:06.independence, converted the whole of British law into their national law

:24:07. > :24:12.and in subsequent years went through it, repealed, or improved upon it.

:24:13. > :24:16.Yes, my right honourable frhend makes a good point. It is one of the

:24:17. > :24:25.reasons this process is takhng some time. The legal interactions of the

:24:26. > :24:29.elements of British law and European law are not straightforward. My

:24:30. > :24:32.initial starting position w`s we put them all into law and take ht from

:24:33. > :24:37.there. It doesn't quite work like that. That is why it is takhng a

:24:38. > :24:44.little while but he can be sure that my legal section and my lawxers up

:24:45. > :24:47.on that issue as we speak and will come up with conclusions as quickly

:24:48. > :24:56.as they can and when they do I will tell the House what their conclusion

:24:57. > :25:04.is. Scotland's fishing commtnities were due to receive over 100 million

:25:05. > :25:08.euros between now and 2020 from the EU. The Secretary of State today has

:25:09. > :25:11.committed to support our agricultural committees by

:25:12. > :25:16.guaranteeing that funding whll be matched. Will he make a simhlar

:25:17. > :25:22.commitment to fishing communities to honour funding in the current

:25:23. > :25:29.funding round? Sadly I didn't make the commitment, the Chancellor made

:25:30. > :25:33.the commitment and, well, whth great respect, it isn't up to me to make

:25:34. > :25:36.commitments on behalf of thd Treasury but what I will sax to her

:25:37. > :25:43.is this. He made the commitlent if she reads and we will put a copy of

:25:44. > :25:48.the letter in the library, which he laid out the underpinning of the

:25:49. > :25:53.common agricultural policy `nd structural funds and sciencd fund

:25:54. > :25:56.that he make the point clearly that this was effectively his decision

:25:57. > :26:01.until the Autumn Statement. What I would say to her and I will reflect

:26:02. > :26:04.it to him myself is what shd has said so that before the Auttmn

:26:05. > :26:10.Statement he is aware of her concerns.

:26:11. > :26:20.One of the legitimate concerns of many Remain voters was a fe`r that

:26:21. > :26:24.an unduly long period of uncertainty one negotiations were going on would

:26:25. > :26:29.be damaging for the British economy. Could my honourable friend then

:26:30. > :26:37.confirmed that it would be his piety to complete this process as soon as

:26:38. > :26:41.the, that the -- his priority. That the two years to complete this is an

:26:42. > :26:50.arbitrary maximum and that countries which have left a political union,

:26:51. > :26:58.like Canada, Australia or India have done so in far less than two years.

:26:59. > :27:02.I defer to his knowledge of history on the other countries. What I will

:27:03. > :27:06.say to him is this. The Prile Minister has said that we whll not

:27:07. > :27:12.trigger article 50 until thd New Year. The reason for that is not

:27:13. > :27:17.unnecessary delay or wasting time. It is to make sure we get all the

:27:18. > :27:22.decisions absolutely right. He has heard in the last few minutds about

:27:23. > :27:26.some of the complexity involved in the Acquis Communautaire alone. So

:27:27. > :27:30.what we will do is we will trigger article 50 as soon as is re`sonably

:27:31. > :27:35.possible. I would rather be a month late and get it right than be a

:27:36. > :27:39.month early and get it wrong. We will do so as expeditiously as

:27:40. > :27:44.possible. The Prime Minister has said in clear terms that shd thinks

:27:45. > :27:51.the British people expect us to get on with this. Angela Eagle.

:27:52. > :28:00.Unravelling 40 years of close corporation within the European

:28:01. > :28:05.Union with 27 nation states is, as the right gent is learning, is very

:28:06. > :28:13.complex issue. -- the right honourable gentleman, and as he he

:28:14. > :28:21.give us a view of how that hs going and Kenny givers a few on workers

:28:22. > :28:26.prove rights, equal pay for equal value, weedy keeping that, with the

:28:27. > :28:30.EU laws guaranteeing pension payments if they are deferrdd wages

:28:31. > :28:35.still be recognised by this House? He talks about the sovereignty of

:28:36. > :28:41.Parliament. Will he give thhs Parliament much more of a s`y on the

:28:42. > :28:45.deal that is done? And is hhs government intending to givd the

:28:46. > :28:50.British people a say on the deal when it is done? I will start by

:28:51. > :28:55.saying that we got our instructions from the British people to do this

:28:56. > :29:01.in the first place. But she raises some serious issues. Yes, of course,

:29:02. > :29:06.my views on the importance of Parliamentary accountabilitx have

:29:07. > :29:09.not changed because I have loved four benches forward. I still

:29:10. > :29:14.believe that we should be as open with Parliament as it is possible to

:29:15. > :29:20.be in a negotiation. I am appearing before the Foreign Affairs Select

:29:21. > :29:25.Committee soon and undertakhng - and undertaking I made some time

:29:26. > :29:30.ago. I am doing the same with the House of Lords committee. On the

:29:31. > :29:34.question of employment rights, I would say that a very large

:29:35. > :29:39.component of the people who voted to leave the European Union cotld be

:29:40. > :29:44.characterised as the British industrial working class. And it is

:29:45. > :29:55.no part of my brief to undermine their rights. For a start. Nicky

:29:56. > :29:59.Morgan. Thank you, Mr Speakdr. I welcome the Secretary of St`te to

:30:00. > :30:03.his new role. I think he is right that we need to respect the result

:30:04. > :30:07.of the 23rd of June and he hs also right that people wanted further

:30:08. > :30:15.controls on immigration. Thdy don't feel confident in the immigration

:30:16. > :30:20.Wallasey is that we have had. I don't know -- policies that we have

:30:21. > :30:26.had. But the missing words `re single market. We will be arguing

:30:27. > :30:30.between access to the singld market and the freedom of people to come to

:30:31. > :30:34.this country. Whether the government set out its views on the fundamental

:30:35. > :30:41.point. I start from a disagreement with the honourable lady. The simple

:30:42. > :30:45.truth is, as I said earlier, that the negotiation over free trade with

:30:46. > :30:53.the European Union is something that will be to the benefit of both

:30:54. > :30:56.sides. Beneficial for us and the European countries themselvds. The

:30:57. > :31:00.question of immigration and control of immigration is a very high

:31:01. > :31:06.priority for this government as the Prime Minister has made plahn. So I

:31:07. > :31:10.am afraid that I don't agred with the fundamental tenet of thd

:31:11. > :31:14.question. I don't think that is a natural trade-off. The negotiation

:31:15. > :31:23.has got to be very much on what is in the mutual benefit of thhs

:31:24. > :31:31.country and the European Unhon. 45 Japanese companies operate hn Wales

:31:32. > :31:35.supporting some 6000 jobs m`inly in tech and manufacturing.

:31:36. > :31:39.Manufacturing itself is worth ? billion to the Welsh economx. What

:31:40. > :31:45.assurances can the government give to those companies and the workers

:31:46. > :31:52.that the Welsh economy will not be harmed by Brexit? It is the same

:31:53. > :32:00.assurance that I give to all my factory operations in the UK. The

:32:01. > :32:03.aim of this because the Asi`n - to all manufacturing operations. The

:32:04. > :32:09.aim of this negotiation is to get the best deal that we can. Getting

:32:10. > :32:13.access to the European markdts and also exploiting the best

:32:14. > :32:18.arrangements with the non-Etropean markets. On a manufacturing alone,

:32:19. > :32:26.the quantity of exports that we make to the European Union is exceeded by

:32:27. > :32:30.the exports we make to thosd countries with whom we have no free

:32:31. > :32:34.trade agreement at all. So once we get a free trade agreement, or many

:32:35. > :32:44.of them, as my right honour`ble friend will do, we won't sed

:32:45. > :32:52.downside, we will see opportunities. Oh, yes, a most exotic delicacy in

:32:53. > :32:56.the House, Mr Michael Gove. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I congratulate

:32:57. > :33:00.my friend on his long overdte return to ministerial office. In the seven

:33:01. > :33:08.short weeks since he has bedn in office alongside our new Foreign

:33:09. > :33:10.Secretary and our new Secretary of State for International trade, we

:33:11. > :33:17.have seen a record increase in service industries' growth, in

:33:18. > :33:24.manufacturing industry grows, a 3.3% increase in motor car sales, and

:33:25. > :33:28.also the Speaker of the US Congress, the promise of Australia and the

:33:29. > :33:32.Prime Minister of New Zealand pressing for free trade agrdements

:33:33. > :33:35.with this country while the deputy Chancellor of Germany has

:33:36. > :33:40.acknowledged that the EU- US trade deal is dead in the water. Does that

:33:41. > :33:44.not confirm that the 17 million people who voted to leave the

:33:45. > :33:48.European Union in this country know a darn sight more about economics

:33:49. > :34:02.and the members of the IMF, the OECD, the IFS and all these other

:34:03. > :34:09.experts who have egg on thehr face? My right honourable friend hs not

:34:10. > :34:13.known for understating his case But I would point out that it w`s 1 .5

:34:14. > :34:18.million people that made th`t judgment. And he is right. Luch of

:34:19. > :34:21.the doom and gloom, the fear mongering that went on before the

:34:22. > :34:33.referendum, has been proven wrong. That being said, I would not be

:34:34. > :34:37.quite so unalloyed optimisthc as he is because we are in a world in

:34:38. > :34:42.which there are a lot of economic pressures going on. That is why the

:34:43. > :34:47.meetings in China are going on now. So I think that he makes a point

:34:48. > :34:51.brilliantly, as always. And I agree with the main thrust of it but let's

:34:52. > :34:59.not get too optimistic before we close the deal. The Secretary of

:35:00. > :35:06.State said he wants to have the supremacy of this Parliament. If we

:35:07. > :35:12.are a sovereign, supreme Parliament, why is this Parliament not going to

:35:13. > :35:21.have a decision as to when we trigger article 50? We did, it was

:35:22. > :35:29.called a referendum act and it was passed by 6-1 in this Parli`ment. Mr

:35:30. > :35:34.Dominic Grieve. Thank you. Lay I congratulate my right honourable

:35:35. > :35:38.friend in his abysmal failure to avoid high office over ten xears. It

:35:39. > :35:44.is a great pleasure to see him in his place. May I also reasstre him

:35:45. > :35:50.that as someone who supportdd his Remain campaign, that I see it is my

:35:51. > :35:54.absolute duty to support thd government in giving effect to the

:35:55. > :35:59.public desire to leave the Duropean Union including supporting the

:36:00. > :36:06.limitation of article 50. Mx right honourable friend pointed ott that

:36:07. > :36:10.the matter is legally compldx. It also concerns the Acquis

:36:11. > :36:14.Communautaire, the conferring of private legal rights on indhviduals

:36:15. > :36:19.in this country which have the force of statute. And I have to s`y to my

:36:20. > :36:25.right honourable friend that the idea that those should simply be

:36:26. > :36:32.revoked by our exit, without parliamentary approval, trotbles me

:36:33. > :36:36.very much. And it appears to me to be an abdication of the

:36:37. > :36:43.responsibility of this Housd. I accept that in many cases, they have

:36:44. > :36:47.been created by Henry VIII's bills, the unsatisfactory nature of the EU.

:36:48. > :36:54.But if we cannot scrutinise them before Article 50 is invoked, we

:36:55. > :36:57.will -- we will be allowing the government to dispose of prhvate

:36:58. > :37:02.property rights, including intellectual property, by ddcree.

:37:03. > :37:07.And that troubles me very mtch. I would ask into uses ingenuity to

:37:08. > :37:11.find ways of resolving this dilemma. It's a pleasure to hear frol my

:37:12. > :37:18.right honourable friend long-time friend. But he is over interpreting

:37:19. > :37:25.what I have said. Article 50 is the beginning of this process, ht is not

:37:26. > :37:30.the end. There will be many opportunities for this Housd to

:37:31. > :37:35.scrutinise what we are about to do after article 50 takes Placd. But it

:37:36. > :37:38.is somewhat futile before wd actually start the negotiathons

:37:39. > :37:42.because some of those negothations have a direct impact on the right he

:37:43. > :37:47.is talking about. He can take it from me, I didn't spend all those

:37:48. > :37:53.years on the backbenches defending there is right, to give thel up now.

:37:54. > :37:59.Hilary Benn. Does the Secretary of State agree that it would bd a good

:38:00. > :38:03.idea to find some way of mahntaining a form of cooperation on foreign

:38:04. > :38:07.policy after we leave the Etropean Union because even after exht, we

:38:08. > :38:10.will still be very much part of Europe and there are a great number

:38:11. > :38:16.of challenges around the world on which we will have to continue to

:38:17. > :38:18.work with our European neighbours? The right honourable gentlelan is

:38:19. > :38:25.absolutely right. And the tradition in this country in maintainhng

:38:26. > :38:29.strong effective alliances, generally for good in the world at

:38:30. > :38:36.large is one that I fully expect to continue. Indeed, one aspect of the

:38:37. > :38:40.picture that of the -- of the picture of the future that H see is

:38:41. > :38:46.that Britain will continue to be a good global citizen as it always has

:38:47. > :38:54.been and cooperation on fordign policy is part of that. Cheryl

:38:55. > :38:58.Gillan. May I add my congratulations to my right honourable friend. It is

:38:59. > :39:04.good to see him in his natural habitat at the dispatch box.

:39:05. > :39:06.Businesses in the UK are not just concerned about access to the single

:39:07. > :39:15.market. They are concerned `bout other matters and a unitary patient

:39:16. > :39:22.and the proposed new unitarx patient caught, unified patient caught, has

:39:23. > :39:28.been eagerly anticipated. You currently have two files separate

:39:29. > :39:34.patience in separate countrhes. The UK -- you currently are reqtired to

:39:35. > :39:40.file a separate page ands in separate countries. The UK was due

:39:41. > :39:45.to ratify this agreement. Whll he confirm that the UK will ratify this

:39:46. > :39:48.agreement and we will continue to pay a full part in a British

:39:49. > :39:56.businesses benefit from being able to be part of a unified pathent

:39:57. > :40:00.authority. I will say this to my right honourable friend. For as long

:40:01. > :40:05.as we are a member of the Etropean Union, which will be at least two

:40:06. > :40:07.micro years, we will meet all our obligations and we will takd our

:40:08. > :40:15.responsibilities extremely seriously. Can I ask the Secretary

:40:16. > :40:18.of State to face the House. Sometimes his answers are not fully

:40:19. > :40:28.heard. They are hard by the person he is looking at. All I can do is

:40:29. > :40:38.plead inexperience, Mr Speaker. If not use! Yes! -- if not years. Now

:40:39. > :40:45.congratulate the Secretary of State on his return to the front bench and

:40:46. > :40:50.thank you for his answer to all those Labour constituencies who

:40:51. > :40:55.voted to leave and in making control of our borders the cornerstone of

:40:56. > :41:00.negotiations. Can I take hil back to the question that the member for

:41:01. > :41:04.Woking asks. Given the huge trade surplus Europe has with us, how does

:41:05. > :41:07.he think that power position will play out when we are talking about

:41:08. > :41:12.membership of or access to the single market?

:41:13. > :41:19.Well, it is early days to forecast negotiations but he is right there

:41:20. > :41:24.is a large trade surplus. One that was cited over and over agahn during

:41:25. > :41:30.the cause of the referendum campaign that was the Serb lost in c`rs from

:41:31. > :41:33.Germany alone for example. With the European Union facing econolic

:41:34. > :41:37.difficulties I don't think they will want to create problems for

:41:38. > :41:41.themselves in creating bilateral arrangements that hurt themselves.

:41:42. > :41:49.So, the way I think it will play out is over the course of the pdriod

:41:50. > :41:54.concerned people will start to focus on what their own national hnterest

:41:55. > :41:57.is. My experience of the European Union is that the commission makes a

:41:58. > :42:01.great deal of public statemdnts that at the end of the day it is the

:42:02. > :42:07.national interest of the individual countries that actually dechde the

:42:08. > :42:12.outcome. Can he confirm that since the UK will want to be able to

:42:13. > :42:16.negotiate new trade deals whth the rest of the world and has created a

:42:17. > :42:21.Department for that very purpose that it won't be able to relain a

:42:22. > :42:25.member of the customs union? I'm pleased to be asked a questhon by my

:42:26. > :42:30.right honourable friend. I spent the weekend reading his draft for open

:42:31. > :42:33.Europe, was it? I didn't agree with everything in it but as alw`ys with

:42:34. > :42:41.him what he had to say was insightful and wise. I recolmend

:42:42. > :42:48.people read pages ten, 11 and 1 . To come to put on the customs tnion.

:42:49. > :42:50.The membership of the custols union puts restrictions on varying

:42:51. > :43:01.possible degrees on what yot can do outside. So, we have to look at it

:43:02. > :43:05.carefully. There are a rangd of different types of customs tnion but

:43:06. > :43:14.that is exactly the sort of decision that we will resolve before we

:43:15. > :43:17.trigger Article 50. Last wedk the secretary of the visited Northern

:43:18. > :43:20.Ireland where he met political and business leaders and this wdek he

:43:21. > :43:25.will visit Dublin and in vidw of that, while it is true that the

:43:26. > :43:30.desire for a continued open border in Ireland is shared by manx, does

:43:31. > :43:34.the Secretary of State recognise that maintaining an open border in

:43:35. > :43:40.Ireland will require agreemdnt between Dublin, London, Belfast and

:43:41. > :43:45.Brussels and what steps has he taken to ensure that such an agredment

:43:46. > :43:53.will be possible? Well, it will primarily require a agreement

:43:54. > :43:59.between London, Belfast and Dublin. Brussels will have a say but in some

:44:00. > :44:03.respects, it is down to us, though. All I can say is that when H was in

:44:04. > :44:07.Northern Ireland last week dveryone was absolutely clear, all shdes no

:44:08. > :44:12.political divide or division of any sort on the need for an open border

:44:13. > :44:17.and to avoid a return to thd days of the hard border. There are other

:44:18. > :44:22.open borders that we will bd studying. One of them is Norway -

:44:23. > :44:26.Sweden. It is not identical. There was an open border before wd were

:44:27. > :44:29.members of the European Union. We also have the Common travel area

:44:30. > :44:32.before we were members of the European Union. There are w`ys to

:44:33. > :44:37.deal with this. Some may be technological, some may be political

:44:38. > :44:40.but we can and I think the Hrish government and all the political

:44:41. > :44:47.parties in Belfast are commhtted to making sure it happens. Can I

:44:48. > :44:52.welcome my right honourable friend to his place on the front bdnch and

:44:53. > :44:57.also say that I, too, accept the verdict of the British people, some

:44:58. > :45:01.52% who voted for us to leave the European Union. Yesterday, the

:45:02. > :45:05.Japanese government produce a 1 page document, very unusual, being

:45:06. > :45:11.very bold about their assessment of the grave dangers as they sde it of

:45:12. > :45:16.Brexit. There are many who would argue that if we retain our

:45:17. > :45:20.membership of the single market we can allay their fears, especially in

:45:21. > :45:25.relation to the financial sdrvices sector and the automotive sdctor.

:45:26. > :45:30.With great respect, I think we need some clarity now about wherd we see

:45:31. > :45:34.our membership of the singld market. Is he saying that this government is

:45:35. > :45:39.prepared to abandon that melbership of the single market? What H am

:45:40. > :45:48.saying is this government is looking at every option. The simple truth

:45:49. > :45:52.is, if a requirement of the membership is giving up control of

:45:53. > :45:56.our borders I think that makes it very improbable. What I will also

:45:57. > :46:00.say is this. What we are looking for in the words of the Prime Mhnister

:46:01. > :46:04.is a unique solution. One which matches the fact that we ard one of

:46:05. > :46:11.the largest trading countrids in the world. As a result, also we are a

:46:12. > :46:14.large market for large parts of very important industries in the European

:46:15. > :46:17.Union. I find it difficult to believe that over the coursd of the

:46:18. > :46:22.next two years or so we will not be able to find an outcome that

:46:23. > :46:32.satisfies not only our industries but those industry sponsored by

:46:33. > :46:36.Japan. It was a significant reason why my constituency voted to leave,

:46:37. > :46:40.because of free movement of labour and immigration. Can I ask him

:46:41. > :46:43.whether at the end of this process under no circumstances will free

:46:44. > :46:48.movement of labour be allowdd and he also said in his statement that they

:46:49. > :46:56.will bring the current rate of immigration to an end. What does

:46:57. > :47:01.that mean? I was frankly virtually verbatim quoting the Prime Linister,

:47:02. > :47:10.who said in terms that free movement as it is now cannot go on. Lr

:47:11. > :47:14.Speaker, thank you. My constituency voted more decisively than the

:47:15. > :47:18.country for Brexit and so mx constituents will welcome the Prime

:47:19. > :47:24.Minister and the secretary of the's clear view that we are going to

:47:25. > :47:28.Leave and do it decisively. Businesses in my constituency will

:47:29. > :47:32.also be wanting to get the right result for their exports so I think

:47:33. > :47:36.they will welcome the thoughtful and careful approach set up by the

:47:37. > :47:41.secretary of the and I urge him to continue that careful appro`ch to

:47:42. > :47:44.make sure we get this right, not rush to make decisions as the front

:47:45. > :47:47.bench opposite want us to when we are in danger of not getting the

:47:48. > :47:55.right deal for my constituents and for the country as a whole. I thank

:47:56. > :48:04.him for his question. I prolise I will take no lessons from the Labour

:48:05. > :48:09.Party in terms of organisathon! Can I press the secretary of st`te on

:48:10. > :48:15.the issue raised by the Right Honourable member for Brock stove.

:48:16. > :48:19.Japanese companies employing 14 ,000 people in the UK and the Japanese

:48:20. > :48:25.government said these companies need to maintain tariff free trade,

:48:26. > :48:30.consistency of regulation bdtween the UK and EU, passport rights for

:48:31. > :48:35.my natural services and continued access to EU workers. -- for

:48:36. > :48:39.financial services. To minilise uncertainty for these companies and

:48:40. > :48:43.their point to Leave employdes can he say whether he is going to

:48:44. > :48:54.prioritise those criteria and if not, which will he pursue? ,- to

:48:55. > :48:59.these vital employees I think we have made it clear. Those are

:49:00. > :49:05.issues, passports, access to markets, she names it. They are all

:49:06. > :49:09.issues that are being looked at and evaluated in terms of where the

:49:10. > :49:17.risks are. Take, for exampld, passport ring. I have consulted with

:49:18. > :49:21.the number of people in the city about passports. It is not really a

:49:22. > :49:26.single business and you get different views from each one. Some

:49:27. > :49:30.have different solutions. Wd have two assess all of that before we

:49:31. > :49:40.decide exactly how we organhse the strategy. It is straightforward but

:49:41. > :49:50.it is complex to calculate `nd complex to work out and we will do

:49:51. > :49:54.that. Can I congratulate my right honourable friend on securing his

:49:55. > :49:58.position. I also appreciate what he had to say about taking timd to get

:49:59. > :50:01.this right and building a n`tional consensus, because it is right

:50:02. > :50:05.regardless of how we voted on this we must make a success of this. Can

:50:06. > :50:09.I ask him whether he is confident now that there is cleared

:50:10. > :50:12.alleviation between the intdrests of his department, the Foreign and

:50:13. > :50:15.Commonwealth Office and international trade to make sure

:50:16. > :50:27.there is no conflict of intdrest between them so that you crddit

:50:28. > :50:30.can be given to the success of negotiations as they go on. In terms

:50:31. > :50:33.of parliamentary scrutiny, does he envisaged himself coming before a

:50:34. > :50:36.select committee based on hhs own department or some other

:50:37. > :50:41.arrangement? On that last point I would come it would be dangdrous for

:50:42. > :50:44.any secretary of state whild I was still on the backbenches to try and

:50:45. > :50:47.tell them how to organise their select committees. I would not have

:50:48. > :50:54.accepted it then and I won't do it now. In terms of relationshhps with

:50:55. > :50:59.the Foreign Office and the Department for International trade,

:51:00. > :51:03.we have very clear purposes. Very clear purposes. Mine is support for

:51:04. > :51:08.the Prime Minister, who is the leader of this exercise. Thd

:51:09. > :51:14.Department for International trade has the task of exploiting the

:51:15. > :51:20.enormous opportunity that this actually creates and the Foreign

:51:21. > :51:25.Office as he will know from his own experience has plenty on its plate,

:51:26. > :51:30.too, but will also be sympathetic and supportive in establishhng the

:51:31. > :51:33.relationships and building the alliances that will deliver a

:51:34. > :51:42.positive outcome at the end of these two years. Can I congratulate the

:51:43. > :51:46.Secretary of State on his appointment. In March the Sdcretary

:51:47. > :51:50.of State for Scotland stated our access to the single market of 00

:51:51. > :51:56.million people reduces costs for Scottish businesses by removing

:51:57. > :52:02.barriers to the export markdt. Can I ask him what evaluation that he has

:52:03. > :52:08.made on the impact of exiting the EU to the Scottish economy? It is a

:52:09. > :52:13.pleasure to hear the Honour`ble Lady and my old ally on the subjdct. We

:52:14. > :52:19.haven't yet done our calcul`tion but we will. The simple truth is, she

:52:20. > :52:33.crystallises it well. The sort of task we had to do. That is... The

:52:34. > :52:41.honourable lady is trying to give advice, I suggest she focusds on her

:52:42. > :52:48.own party. That is the sort of thing we have two assess and we whll do

:52:49. > :52:53.carefully. I intend to deliver on our undertaking that we will make

:52:54. > :52:59.sure that this outcome servds all parts of the United Kingdom. I was

:53:00. > :53:03.very grateful that he appeared to accept the principle that when we

:53:04. > :53:08.repeal the European communities act we should try and put EU law into UK

:53:09. > :53:13.law. Given that EU law currdntly applied in the UK does he accept any

:53:14. > :53:17.complexity apparent today would fly whether or not we repeal th`t

:53:18. > :53:22.European communities act since that body applied and will he be careful

:53:23. > :53:31.that paid advisers are not bringing forward complexity in order to

:53:32. > :53:34.extend their fees? I know there has been a revolution in employlent law

:53:35. > :53:43.but I don't think any of my civil servants are paid by the dax. I take

:53:44. > :53:50.his point. We will make surd that we consult widely on that. We will not

:53:51. > :53:54.rely on a single source. Thhs is part of the issue. So many of the

:53:55. > :53:57.legal and technical issues we deal with, we get different sets of

:53:58. > :54:01.advice from different components of the same industry. The same is true

:54:02. > :54:12.here and that is what we ard going to do. We will resolve it properly.

:54:13. > :54:16.I campaigned to Remain but H accept the outcome of the referendtm and I

:54:17. > :54:22.accept the views of the majority of my constituents. He has alw`ys

:54:23. > :54:25.defended from the backbenchds and the front bench parliamentary

:54:26. > :54:30.sovereignty. That is why I `m struggling to understand whx he is

:54:31. > :54:36.seeking to deny members of this house is an opportunity to feed in

:54:37. > :54:39.the views of their constitudnts on the government's negotiating

:54:40. > :54:43.strategy prior to triggering Article 50. This would not be to stop the

:54:44. > :54:48.triggering of Article 50, which I will vote for people, but it will be

:54:49. > :54:52.to shake the negotiating strategy. She is misinterpreting what has been

:54:53. > :54:56.set. We are saying is there is no point in having a vote in the House

:54:57. > :55:01.on Article 50 because all it can do is stop the instruction the British

:55:02. > :55:07.people have already given. That is not to say we are not going to have

:55:08. > :55:11.debates or select committees. That we're not going to have and indeed I

:55:12. > :55:17.am accessible to everybody hn this house from all sides. I do not see

:55:18. > :55:20.that as being a barrier to her bringing forward concerned that her

:55:21. > :55:28.constituents. I encourage hdr to do so as soon as possible. Can I join

:55:29. > :55:30.the chorus welcoming him to his post and welcomed the statement by the

:55:31. > :55:34.Prime Minister about Britain becoming a global leader whdn it

:55:35. > :55:40.comes to free trade. Can I heard him to follow the example of Japan and

:55:41. > :55:44.every other non-European melber of the G20 in engaging in free trade

:55:45. > :55:51.deals and negotiations, which is never to give up national control

:55:52. > :56:00.over immigration or pay a fde. My old friend is exactly right.

:56:01. > :56:05.The most successful countrids in the world in establishing free-trade

:56:06. > :56:09.deals might surprise members of this House, places like Chile or South

:56:10. > :56:13.Korea. And they never, ever give up anything other than the accdss to

:56:14. > :56:25.their own market in exchangd for freed trade deals. They don't give

:56:26. > :56:28.up the money. Can I agree whth the right honourable gentleman, that the

:56:29. > :56:32.British people made a decishon which is one we must respect and H'm

:56:33. > :56:35.certainly not arguing for another referendum. We need to make the best

:56:36. > :56:38.of those negotiations, but xou will no doubt know that there is

:56:39. > :56:43.uncertainty, certainly in the north-east of England about the

:56:44. > :56:47.future of EU structural funds. Can he guarantee me today that those

:56:48. > :56:52.funds once we've come out of the EU will be replaced by the Govdrnment?

:56:53. > :56:57.The first thing is I can't speak for a future Government, that would be

:56:58. > :57:02.beyond the next election. Btt I promised another member on that side

:57:03. > :57:08.of the House that will put hn the library from the Chancellor

:57:09. > :57:12.underwriting many of the structural funds, research grants and the

:57:13. > :57:15.Common agricultural policy funding that is already in place. And if he

:57:16. > :57:30.looks at that carefully, is that he does that than rely on my r`ther

:57:31. > :57:33.inaccurate estimates. Thank you Mr Speaker, I welcome at my right

:57:34. > :57:37.honourable friend to his post. Though the title was never the stuff

:57:38. > :57:42.of my dreams. Nevertheless, it is a new dawn and a new day and we have a

:57:43. > :57:46.job to do. I'd like to asked you, what has he done so far abott the

:57:47. > :57:49.university sector which is struggling with research and

:57:50. > :57:52.development issues and conshdering the free movement of people issues

:57:53. > :58:02.and thinking also buy the shngle market? Firstly, the Chancellor made

:58:03. > :58:06.some arrangements which helped in the current circumstances. The

:58:07. > :58:11.student loan companies made arrangements and I saw univdrsities

:58:12. > :58:16.myself the other day to find out at the concerns they have. I think --

:58:17. > :58:19.Ido Vimy can be accused of not paying proper attention to that

:58:20. > :58:23.sector, we are very candidatures -- conjures it is sensitive in these

:58:24. > :58:26.terms. As for the title my department, I don't know if he was

:58:27. > :58:36.the Wyke that ended up callhng the Department ex, but thank yot very

:58:37. > :58:39.much. 15% of academics are currently EU citizens. We want more. What is

:58:40. > :58:51.being done to give longer-tdrm security? The movement of academics,

:58:52. > :58:54.researchers in particular, hn and out of British universities, and

:58:55. > :59:00.today's entry to the Europe`n Union by a very long margin. Brit`in is a

:59:01. > :59:03.science superpower. We are ` science superpower standing on our own to

:59:04. > :59:12.feet and I will continue after we leave the EU as well as now.

:59:13. > :59:17.Congratulations to my right honourable friend on his

:59:18. > :59:20.appointment. Can I remind hhm that the Remain campaign was

:59:21. > :59:23.characterised by a campaign to spread fear and uncertainty about

:59:24. > :59:29.the future of this country `nd they are still at it!, yes, they still at

:59:30. > :59:32.it. And they're trying to m`ke this process is complicated and

:59:33. > :59:38.protracted as possible to try and frustrate it. Can warn him, that in

:59:39. > :59:41.fact it would be a mistake to try and agree everything about our new

:59:42. > :59:46.relationship with the Europdan Union by the time we leave, because

:59:47. > :59:48.leaving it is but a first step toward establishing a new

:59:49. > :59:51.relationship with our Europdan partners and towards our

:59:52. > :59:54.establishments with a new relationship with the rest of the

:59:55. > :59:58.world. And what the business community and the rest of the

:59:59. > :00:03.country want and the Europe`n Union as well, is speed and certahnty as

:00:04. > :00:09.quickly as possible. I hope he wasn't accusing me of being a member

:00:10. > :00:13.of the Remain group. But ovdr the summer as I was poring over the vast

:00:14. > :00:19.tomes that come with this job, was the tendency to blame everything on

:00:20. > :00:25.Brexit. Everything ranging from bank lay-offs which were nothing to do

:00:26. > :00:28.with it, through to the state of the Italian bond markets. So he's quite

:00:29. > :00:34.right in there. The truth is, we have to get this right. We will do

:00:35. > :00:38.it as expeditiously as posshble We will not delay a single day more

:00:39. > :00:44.than necessary to do the job we have too. But it is a complicated and

:00:45. > :00:52.extensive relationship which we have two untangle and we will do so and

:00:53. > :00:56.in good time. The two months ago I asked the Home Office minister for

:00:57. > :01:00.urgent clarification on the EU nationals of residence in Britain

:01:01. > :01:04.including the 36,000 of thel in Westminster. They are peopld going

:01:05. > :01:06.about their jobs and setting up businesses and they need

:01:07. > :01:10.confirmation of their status. I was told that this was going to be a

:01:11. > :01:13.priority. What did they need confirmation of their status. I was

:01:14. > :01:16.told that this was going to be a priority. What did he mean by that?

:01:17. > :01:20.I will answer that question, but first, let me say that one of my

:01:21. > :01:24.concerns about that argument was that quite a lot of European Union

:01:25. > :01:27.citizens who are in Britain were being unnecessarily frightened.

:01:28. > :01:31.They're in mind that the le`ve to remain is pretty much autom`tic if

:01:32. > :01:36.you got a clean criminal record after five years. And citizdnship

:01:37. > :01:40.after six years. And this process is not going to happen for two years,

:01:41. > :01:45.so if you've been here for free you're in a pretty safe place.

:01:46. > :01:52.However, the Prime Minister and I have both said we want is to provide

:01:53. > :01:55.a generous guarantee to European Union citizens in this country who

:01:56. > :02:00.are already here and I am confident that can be delivered so long as we

:02:01. > :02:09.get proper, civilised treatlent for British citizens abroad who are

:02:10. > :02:11.after all, our responsibility, too. Can I congratulate my right

:02:12. > :02:17.honourable friend on his appointment. There could be nobody

:02:18. > :02:20.better for the job. In order to help the benches opposite who ard badly

:02:21. > :02:25.out of touch with working class voters they once claimed to

:02:26. > :02:28.represent, would he agree that people voted in the referendum to

:02:29. > :02:33.Leap because they wanted to control immigration, they wanted to stop

:02:34. > :02:38.handing over more than ?10 billion a year to the European Union `nd they

:02:39. > :02:41.want the laws to be decided for this country in this House and not

:02:42. > :02:47.Brussels? And will he therefore make a commitment that in his

:02:48. > :02:51.negotiation, the red line is for him will be full control over

:02:52. > :02:56.immigration, no contribution to the EU Budget and that all laws will be

:02:57. > :03:03.decided in this House and non-in the European Union? Somebody on the

:03:04. > :03:14.front bench mutter that you should be all right with that. I shall not

:03:15. > :03:21.say who. I'd emerged from sdcond guessing our negotiating position

:03:22. > :03:29.for the Labour Party and I will dimmer in this case. I will say

:03:30. > :03:33.this, the decision of the British people, I think, was first `nd

:03:34. > :03:36.foremost about control of otr own destiny. Over and above everything

:03:37. > :03:49.else, and that is what we are seeking to return. The Secrdtary of

:03:50. > :03:57.State is immensely... And does not need to imitate a turnstile. Can

:03:58. > :04:03.also welcome the secretary of States to his police and said to hhm that

:04:04. > :04:08.many of us this afternoon w`nt a rather more detail than a fdw

:04:09. > :04:11.reheated sound bites. We know the old slogans about Brexit me`ns

:04:12. > :04:17.Brexit and what we got this afternoon was an essay that waffle

:04:18. > :04:19.means a waffle. Can I commenced in the approach of the Japanesd

:04:20. > :04:25.Government, which is to spend the last few weeks and not just setting

:04:26. > :04:29.up a commission, but as reported its results. I hope that diligence and

:04:30. > :04:35.speed will inspire his work in his department in the months to come. I

:04:36. > :04:42.want to press him on his answer to my right honourable friend. He made

:04:43. > :04:48.a big noise about is our mission to restore Parliamentary. Will he give

:04:49. > :04:55.House a vote on the final p`ckage for Brexit whenever and howdver it

:04:56. > :05:00.is finally negotiated? Firstly, let me say on this issue of det`il, he

:05:01. > :05:04.should know well that is wh`t we are doing is not simply looking at the

:05:05. > :05:09.interest of a limited number of companies and banks, which hs

:05:10. > :05:13.obviously the issue for the Japanese Government, we are looking `t the

:05:14. > :05:18.interests of the whole economy. So we will take just a touch longer and

:05:19. > :05:24.given his prior experience, he should know that and know it well.

:05:25. > :05:29.Now, in terms of the position with respect to Parliamentary, I suspect

:05:30. > :05:33.a great deal of things will be brought before the House during the

:05:34. > :05:36.course of the negotiation and not just at the end and there whll be

:05:37. > :05:46.plenty of opportunity to both speak and vote on it. They are very

:05:47. > :05:52.welcome of appointment of mx right honourable friend and indeed of the

:05:53. > :05:57.Foreign Secretary and international trade Secretary certainly shows the

:05:58. > :06:01.Prime Minister mean is what she says and that Brexit will really happen.

:06:02. > :06:06.But some people on the losing side hope to sabotage the result of the

:06:07. > :06:12.referendum by delaying the process indefinitely. So is my right

:06:13. > :06:18.honourable friend absolutelx confident that come what max, the UK

:06:19. > :06:26.will be outside the European Union well before the date of the next

:06:27. > :06:33.general election? I've said plainly, this will be... We won't trhgger

:06:34. > :06:38.Article 50 before the end of this year, but we will trigger it as

:06:39. > :06:44.expeditiously as possible. The process takes two years. Extending

:06:45. > :06:48.it takes unanimity amongst dvery other member of the European Union.

:06:49. > :06:59.He can make his own judgment on both the probability of that and the

:07:00. > :07:01.arithmetic that delivers. The people of Stoke on Trent voted

:07:02. > :07:07.overwhelmingly to leave the European Union. I will therefore work

:07:08. > :07:13.tirelessly and do everything I can to make sure we give the best

:07:14. > :07:16.efforts and get the best de`l out of that exits. But to help me `nd other

:07:17. > :07:22.members on both sides of thhs House to do that, can we please h`ve

:07:23. > :07:25.firstly in the House of Comlons library, details of what is going

:07:26. > :07:33.on, what is being looked at, timetables, rather than a vdry

:07:34. > :07:36.generalised explanation tod`y? And secondly, can I put an earlx bid in

:07:37. > :07:42.that he metered members of Parliament across the House in North

:07:43. > :07:49.Staffordshire to hear first,hand the issues of great concern to those who

:07:50. > :07:52.voted for exit as well as others in our city and just outside? Two

:07:53. > :08:02.things I would like to say to the honourable gentleman. I takd very

:08:03. > :08:05.seriously... When I told by the British industrial working class

:08:06. > :08:10.voting for Brexit, it was hhs seat I had in mind and I take that very

:08:11. > :08:15.seriously. I take those votds, those people and their lives are very

:08:16. > :08:20.seriously indeed, so I will see his group with the specific aim of

:08:21. > :08:25.identifying their concerns, worries, futures, prospects and opportunities

:08:26. > :08:31.that go with it. To that end, I will also do what I can to make this

:08:32. > :08:36.process as open as possible. It is in negotiation. You don't always

:08:37. > :08:40.play cards with everything turned up, he will understand that.

:08:41. > :08:46.Nevertheless, I will do what I can to make it as open as possible. He

:08:47. > :08:51.said what I said was general, but I've been talking about the process.

:08:52. > :08:54.The department is 180 peopld and has quadrupled since August. Thhs is a

:08:55. > :08:58.fast developing process and I mean it to be open, that's why I've asked

:08:59. > :09:02.for this statement on the fhrst day back so the process can be open for

:09:03. > :09:13.everybody in the House and that is what I will do. Perhaps we could

:09:14. > :09:18.start with him. Chi welcome the Secretary of State to his position,

:09:19. > :09:22.not least because he headed up. . One of the drawbacks of him being

:09:23. > :09:29.made Secretary of State, he can no longer whether green cardig`n. Could

:09:30. > :09:32.he say, he's been as clear `s he can, and this is one of his great

:09:33. > :09:40.advantages, he is straight talking, but cute -- could he give hhs best

:09:41. > :09:44.exhibit -- estimate now of the date he thinks we will leave? We will not

:09:45. > :09:54.hold him to it, but please give us a date. A very good try. I'm sure that

:09:55. > :10:03.in his youth, my honourable friend was a great seducer, but I will not

:10:04. > :10:10.be seduced. I don't think wd want too much information on that front.

:10:11. > :10:15.The right honourable gentlelan has all been great if end and throughout

:10:16. > :10:20.this afternoon, he has emph`sised that it is complex and that

:10:21. > :10:24.trade-offs remain. That's why so incomprehensible to many of us that

:10:25. > :10:29.he does not want the House to have a vote before the path is chosen for

:10:30. > :10:34.how to trigger Article 50. @nd I wonder if he is aware of thd

:10:35. > :10:40.statement made by the former Foreign Secretary that it would be sensible

:10:41. > :10:46.to endorse the start of the negotiations, a defeat for terms of

:10:47. > :10:53.exit after lengthy negotiathons could leave the UK in limbo? I

:10:54. > :10:58.always listen carefully to ly fellow Yorkshireman, but let me sax this to

:10:59. > :11:02.the honourable lady. The re`son for the question of Article 50 not been

:11:03. > :11:06.put to a vote in the Commons is this, I am a great supporter

:11:07. > :11:08.Parliamentary democracy bec`use it's our manifestation of democr`cy under

:11:09. > :11:19.those circumstances. We have 17.5 million direct votes

:11:20. > :11:24.that tells us what to do and I cannot imagine what would h`ppen to

:11:25. > :11:28.this house in the event it overturned 17.5 million. I want this

:11:29. > :11:31.house to make decisions that are effective and bike into the process

:11:32. > :11:44.and that is what will happen. May I stress to him the importance

:11:45. > :11:49.of achieving fairness when ht comes to our immigration policy. Does he

:11:50. > :11:53.agree that whatever criteri` guides the policy, we must have an

:11:54. > :11:56.immigration policy that no longer discriminates against the rdst of

:11:57. > :12:02.the world outside the EU as the present policy dials. I think my

:12:03. > :12:08.honourable friend makes a good point, and he has campaigned on this

:12:09. > :12:13.for a long time. All I can say, bear in mind I am not Home Secretary my

:12:14. > :12:18.job is to bring the power b`ck so that the Home Secretary can exercise

:12:19. > :12:25.it. I am sure she will listdn to what he said and pay attenthon to

:12:26. > :12:29.it. Today the Japanese government provided the British people with

:12:30. > :12:36.detail on what Brexit means. I think most hoped we would hear more this

:12:37. > :12:41.afternoon but what we have heard has been sadly lacking and can be best

:12:42. > :12:46.described as the ladybird gtides to exiting the European Union. Like

:12:47. > :12:51.many honourable members I h`ve spoken with major employers in my

:12:52. > :12:55.constituency, particularly the financial sector in Edinburgh and

:12:56. > :13:01.the universities which are huge employers. They are keen to see a

:13:02. > :13:05.detailed explanation of what Brexit will mean for them, their

:13:06. > :13:09.institutions and their employees. When is the minister going to give

:13:10. > :13:16.this house that sort of a ddtailed explanation? The first point to make

:13:17. > :13:23.is we have been in the EU over 0 years and the links are complicated.

:13:24. > :13:27.The effects on society are complex and some quite expensive to

:13:28. > :13:34.replicate. She will get the information she is asking for but as

:13:35. > :13:38.it comes out, as we generatd it and it will be accurate and useful. A

:13:39. > :13:46.few months will not be a problem for her constituents. May I also join in

:13:47. > :13:50.welcoming the three secretaries of state to the front bench, lhke

:13:51. > :14:01.magnificent dreadnoughts at anchor we wait for them to set sail in

:14:02. > :14:03.forcing the Pax Britannica. Can I bring attention to creative

:14:04. > :14:09.industries that grow three times faster than the economy as ` whole

:14:10. > :14:13.and rely to an extent on EU regulations like the poetic`lly

:14:14. > :14:18.named audiovisual media services director. Can I nudge their

:14:19. > :14:24.interests near to the front of the queue as the Secretary of State

:14:25. > :14:30.takes is out of the EU? I h`ve said that he almost does not need to

:14:31. > :14:35.nudge. I am conscious of thd issues, particularly for the film industry,

:14:36. > :14:39.a mobile industry in capital and personnel terms and bomb we are

:14:40. > :14:45.looking at very soon. It is one of the round tables I spoke about. The

:14:46. > :14:53.Secretary of State is well-placed to address problems faced with EU

:14:54. > :14:58.rules. It sounds from his answers as though he thinks it is posshble that

:14:59. > :15:04.at the end of the negotiation Britain will continue to be a member

:15:05. > :15:07.of the single market. Can hd confirm he thinks that's possible and in

:15:08. > :15:15.what circumstances that would be the outcome? What I said and I `pologise

:15:16. > :15:20.if I misled him, is that I `m seeking to get the best possible

:15:21. > :15:26.access which does not necessarily mean being a member of the single

:15:27. > :15:29.market. There are plenty of countries who have access whthout

:15:30. > :15:38.making concessions we have had two as a member of the EU. It is good to

:15:39. > :15:43.see the three Brexit Cabinet ministers sitting together, working

:15:44. > :15:48.for one nation with one refdrendum and one clear decision, despite the

:15:49. > :15:52.fact that some people including Tony Blair, who offered a referendum and

:15:53. > :15:57.took it away, has said therd is a chance we might still be melbers of

:15:58. > :16:02.the EU. Can he make clear wd are going to be leaving the EU hn its

:16:03. > :16:08.entirety, and when does he dnvisage us getting our hands on the Brexit

:16:09. > :16:15.dividend? The membership money, so we can spend it on our priorities?

:16:16. > :16:26.The answer is yes and at sole point, once we have left. May I welcome the

:16:27. > :16:30.Secretary of State to his position and thank him for one of his early

:16:31. > :16:33.visits to Northern Ireland, but will he ensure he always talks to the

:16:34. > :16:39.official opposition and when listening to them, what I h`ve

:16:40. > :16:44.picked up from businesses is uncertainty that we have talked

:16:45. > :16:48.about, but it is key, particularly for Northern Ireland, we do not slip

:16:49. > :16:53.into recession because we are always on the edge of it. Will he keep that

:16:54. > :17:00.for most tears mind? Very mtch so. One group I met in Northern Ireland

:17:01. > :17:06.was the business advisory group who talked about that. We were there

:17:07. > :17:17.sadly on the day of the Catdrpillar announcement. We will have that

:17:18. > :17:25.clearly front and centre. C`n I congratulate him on his restrrection

:17:26. > :17:29.and he spoke about the valud of free trade with the European Union when

:17:30. > :17:35.we leave, that trade consists of trading goods and services `nd

:17:36. > :17:39.barriers to the trade are t`riff barriers, which have been dhscussed,

:17:40. > :17:45.and nontariff barriers that have received less attention. Wh`t

:17:46. > :17:49.reassurance can he give to businesses in the services sector,

:17:50. > :17:53.which is important and growhng, the trade with the EU which is

:17:54. > :18:04.important, that their interdsts in continuing to have nontariff

:18:05. > :18:09.barriers removed will continue? I thank him for that question, he is

:18:10. > :18:17.the author of the resurrecthon line I cited. I am tempted to usd the

:18:18. > :18:21.comment about Western civilhsation, we are talking about the single

:18:22. > :18:28.market and services, it would be a good idea. It is patchy. Ond of the

:18:29. > :18:31.major parts of this exercisd is to establish what the nontariff

:18:32. > :18:37.barriers are and when they can be resolved, so I take his point on

:18:38. > :18:45.board. It is an area where we have a surplus with Europe and we want to

:18:46. > :18:49.keep that surplus. The industrial working class of Western Barton show

:18:50. > :18:55.voted overwhelmingly to rem`in in the EU. And it voted to become a

:18:56. > :19:00.part of a sovereign independent Scotland. With that I would welcome

:19:01. > :19:08.the Secretary of State to the position. One member posed `n

:19:09. > :19:12.interesting question that rdquires further investigation, in

:19:13. > :19:18.relationship to our relationship with Ireland. It is not just

:19:19. > :19:27.economic, but a social and familial relationship shared across this

:19:28. > :19:32.chamber and is reciprocal. When the Secretary of State meets possibly

:19:33. > :19:35.the Foreign Minister Islands in Dublin and the Taoiseach hilself

:19:36. > :19:39.possibly will he return to the house and make a statement on discussions

:19:40. > :19:45.had in relation not only to the Common travel area, but to be

:19:46. > :19:54.Ireland Act of 1949 so that those relationships can be continted when

:19:55. > :19:59.this part of the UK leads the EU? What I would say is this. When the

:20:00. > :20:06.United Kingdom leaves the Etropean Union, the Common travel arda will

:20:07. > :20:13.continue. Can I welcome my right honourable friend to his post? The

:20:14. > :20:18.fishing industry was once the proud and large industry and envidd around

:20:19. > :20:22.the world, not least in Scotland. Many of my constituents who are

:20:23. > :20:28.fishermen see leaving the ET as an opportunity. Can I ask him to

:20:29. > :20:32.reassure them and other fishermen that this will be high on hhs list

:20:33. > :20:40.of priorities, including potentially taking the 200 mile limit b`ck? One

:20:41. > :20:51.of the groups I have met is the fishermen. The answer to thd

:20:52. > :20:55.question about priorities is yes. What form it takes will depdnd on

:20:56. > :21:00.the interest of our fishermdn because they have interests in other

:21:01. > :21:08.waters. I will not say yes to his second suggestion, but in tdrms of

:21:09. > :21:13.priority, absolutely. Whethdr we were on the side of remain or leave,

:21:14. > :21:18.I think we should now be on the side of doing things in the interests of

:21:19. > :21:21.the British public and in that context the Secretary of St`te

:21:22. > :21:27.mentioned the rights of EU citizens and that he inferred we could arrive

:21:28. > :21:31.at a general settlement. People worry about the future, whatever the

:21:32. > :21:37.legal framework. That these negotiations with member st`tes and

:21:38. > :21:42.the rights of UK citizens there and here is top priority becausd these

:21:43. > :21:47.deserve to be settled as soon as possible. I agree it is a hhgh

:21:48. > :21:55.priority. If I can accelerate it, I will. I welcome my right honourable

:21:56. > :22:01.friend to his post, he is the right man to do this important work. You

:22:02. > :22:05.will appreciate economic illiteracy of the EU, writing very big checks

:22:06. > :22:09.to middle income and developing countries to bail out their flailing

:22:10. > :22:19.economies, on the one hand, and on the other, giving unequal access to

:22:20. > :22:22.European Union markets. That is clearly hampering their ability to

:22:23. > :22:32.be equal partners rather th`n supplicants. How can Britain do

:22:33. > :22:38.better? I take my right honourable friend's point very well. I am

:22:39. > :22:42.loathe to offer free advice to people who are negotiating partners

:22:43. > :22:49.when it is a central part of their own policy to put right. Dods the

:22:50. > :22:54.Secretary of State accept wd will never attain the goal of behng a

:22:55. > :22:58.beacon of free trade unless the British financial services hndustry

:22:59. > :23:06.retains full access to the single market? That is one element of free

:23:07. > :23:09.trade. Of course we want to maintain as much access as is possible and

:23:10. > :23:17.that is what negotiations whll aim at. I welcome him to his pl`ce on

:23:18. > :23:20.the front bench and his Secretary of State colleagues either sidd. We

:23:21. > :23:25.have faith in what they will deliver. Would he agree that not

:23:26. > :23:30.liking the outcome of a democratic vote is no justification to seek to

:23:31. > :23:37.overturn the outcome of a ddmocratic vote, however much sympathy we have

:23:38. > :23:41.for honourable members opposite for their forthcoming democratic vote?

:23:42. > :23:44.This is an opportunity, is ht time to put the arguments of the

:23:45. > :23:48.referendum behind us and back Britain's government in getting a

:23:49. > :23:53.good deal? We are changing the direction of our country, this is

:23:54. > :23:59.Britain's negotiation and this house should unite behind them. As always,

:24:00. > :24:08.my honourable friend speaks for England. Greater Lincolnshire and

:24:09. > :24:14.Peterborough FSB briefed th`t confidence of their members is at a

:24:15. > :24:18.four-year low and they want to make Brexit work and are keen to work

:24:19. > :24:23.with government to bring it about and are keen to retain access to the

:24:24. > :24:31.single market and to retain ease of access to European labour. Lost

:24:32. > :24:37.they want certainty. What road map to certainty can he give thdse

:24:38. > :24:46.members? Let me deal with the issue of the immediate uncertaintx a loss

:24:47. > :24:48.of confidence. There was a downward dipping confidence after Brdxit

:24:49. > :24:55.partly because of the terrible things that were said to happen but

:24:56. > :24:59.they have not happened. In terms of access to markets, I am on their

:25:00. > :25:06.side. That is what we will seek to do, but we have to take on board

:25:07. > :25:11.that the level of immigration into the UK from the EU has causdd social

:25:12. > :25:15.issues, maybe economic issuds for low-paid workers, and we have to

:25:16. > :25:22.balance that against corpor`te interest and that is what wd will

:25:23. > :25:31.try to do. As someone who h`s supported Brexit, can I congratulate

:25:32. > :25:35.and offer success to the crdation of the Department the Secretarx of

:25:36. > :25:39.State heads. Can I ask him when he hopes to close down the Dep`rtment

:25:40. > :25:48.and returned the function of the Minister for Europe to the Foreign

:25:49. > :25:49.Office? My desire to return to the backbenches is overwhelming and so

:25:50. > :26:03.it will be as soon as I can. The Secretary of State will be well

:26:04. > :26:07.aware of the tampon tax which makes the subject of the EU oblig`tions

:26:08. > :26:11.and not just hours of EU melbership. Can you sell the House whether any

:26:12. > :26:15.exit agreement with the EU could include requirements on the UK to

:26:16. > :26:19.set a minimum rates of VAT dven after our membership ends and in

:26:20. > :26:22.that scenario, can he give ts an absolute guarantee that we will be

:26:23. > :26:29.allowed to zero rate women's sanitary products? What she just

:26:30. > :26:33.described was one of the many reasons for wanting to leavd the

:26:34. > :26:37.European Union. Being able to set your own tax rate is eight

:26:38. > :26:47.fundamental of an independent country and that's what we want to

:26:48. > :26:52.be once more. I warmly welcome my right honourable friend and the

:26:53. > :26:56.front bench team making a stccess Brexit. Can the Secretary of State

:26:57. > :27:00.said our discussions he's h`d the EU trade commissioner who has taken a

:27:01. > :27:04.much tougher line on Articld 50 We all agree it is in everyone's

:27:05. > :27:07.interest to get a negotiations before we exit, but in a recent

:27:08. > :27:19.interview, she did indicate that isn't the case. -- or did not

:27:20. > :27:24.indicate. European law in this case means not putting a free-tr`de

:27:25. > :27:30.agreement into effect until we leave. In terms of other discussions

:27:31. > :27:35.and negotiations, commissioners have tried to say we can't speak to other

:27:36. > :27:40.members of the European Union, which is sort of silly. We are an ongoing

:27:41. > :27:42.member of the European Union, take our responsibilities seriously and

:27:43. > :27:48.is implausible that in our conversations with them we will not

:27:49. > :27:54.talk about what is coming ndxt. I am surprised by the right honotrable

:27:55. > :27:58.gentleman's assertion about the mandate for Brexit is overwhelming.

:27:59. > :28:01.Can I remind him that 16 and 17-year-olds whose future as

:28:02. > :28:08.European citizens will be most affected by this decision wdre

:28:09. > :28:12.denied a vote and to as, whhle he is speaking with stakeholders, what

:28:13. > :28:21.steps will it take to ensurd these young people are now given ` voice

:28:22. > :28:29.and a say in their future? One of the aspects of democracy is that one

:28:30. > :28:35.side wins and one side does not win. And there was a sort of punt from

:28:36. > :28:40.the Labour front bench, the young people, that is certainly not true.

:28:41. > :28:42.What we'll see in the futurd is a bigger, great and more glorhous

:28:43. > :28:45.country than we have alreadx answered because he doesn't

:28:46. > :28:51.understand that, does not mdan they lost. To come back to her point of

:28:52. > :28:57.course, they may feel at thhs point that their views did not win the

:28:58. > :29:00.day. That is part of the outcome of a democracy and it is our job to

:29:01. > :29:10.make sure they gain from thd outcome of that decision. Thank you, Mr

:29:11. > :29:12.Speaker. In warmly welcoming my right honourable friend to his very

:29:13. > :29:20.well deserved position, can I implore him to have early

:29:21. > :29:23.discussions with our Home Sdcretary and the Secretary of State for

:29:24. > :29:28.Transport and others to enstre that the words European Union ard removed

:29:29. > :29:34.at the earliest possible molent from UK passports and driving licences? I

:29:35. > :29:43.will draw his comments to their attention. I have to say th`t that

:29:44. > :29:49.statement was 15 minutes of meaningless waffle from cludless

:29:50. > :29:54.Tory Government to have absolutely no plan for this accidental Brexit.

:29:55. > :29:59.There's nobody just dictating to the people of Scotland when it comes to

:30:00. > :30:07.Brexit. 62% of the Scottish people voted to Remain and every shngle one

:30:08. > :30:16.of the authorities. How shotld their views now be progressed? And a

:30:17. > :30:21.million Scots voted to Leavd and nobody, despite the partisan use of

:30:22. > :30:29.this argument by the Scottish Nationalists party for their own

:30:30. > :30:32.interests, despite that, thd simple truth is that the Scottish view on

:30:33. > :30:38.whether they should have independence or not has not changed

:30:39. > :30:49.by one jot. And that is I think an answer to the honourable gentleman's

:30:50. > :30:56.waffle. Congratulations on the resurrection after 18 years. It

:30:57. > :30:58.gives the rest of us hope. Ht was on blatant lie linkage that

:30:59. > :31:03.deliberately Leave result, ht will be Labour heartlands in the north

:31:04. > :31:06.and the Midlands. And my right honourable friend nose at those

:31:07. > :31:09.heartlands well. Does he thhnk it would have been helpful if the

:31:10. > :31:13.official Labour Party spokesman if there is such a thing, had lade

:31:14. > :31:17.absolutely clear that the pdople have spoken and this House, all

:31:18. > :31:23.members of the Conservative Party and the Labour Party are gohng to

:31:24. > :31:28.deliver this Democrat result? Sadly, I'm not holding my breath for that

:31:29. > :31:31.outcome. But I will say this party, the Conservatives are the only party

:31:32. > :31:40.willing to deliver on the pdople's decision. The Secretary of State's

:31:41. > :31:43.right honourable friend, thd Foreign Secretary, said Jonah referdndum

:31:44. > :31:47.campaign that those in the big fields should tend to the sheep and

:31:48. > :31:51.those with the hill farms should do the butterflies. It would m`ke much

:31:52. > :31:55.more sense, but it's only possible if we leave the EU. What

:31:56. > :32:00.reassurances can he give to the farming communities of Wales that

:32:01. > :32:03.subsidies will continue to be given to the farming areas so are not

:32:04. > :32:17.turned into simply a big butterfly park? The first thing that happened

:32:18. > :32:21.was that the Chancellor unddrwrote the CAP, which was good for those

:32:22. > :32:26.people, and in those discussions with respect to both the departure

:32:27. > :32:29.from the European Union, thd subsequent agricultural polhcy and

:32:30. > :32:32.indeed subsequent trade polhcy, we are having discussions about exactly

:32:33. > :32:41.those things and have very luch in mind what she said. Speaker, I

:32:42. > :32:45.totally support the Governmdnt are not rushing to triggering Article 50

:32:46. > :32:48.and welcome the comments by the Secretary of State that he knows how

:32:49. > :32:53.important are the single market is, but for our own businesses `nd for

:32:54. > :32:57.inward investors from growth markets like Asia. Does my right honourable

:32:58. > :33:02.friend green just as cruellx in the European Union but have varhous opt

:33:03. > :33:06.outs, so in due course we should be out but have the ability to continue

:33:07. > :33:12.arrangements that work well for all sides? For example, the European

:33:13. > :33:19.health insurance, which silly British families benefit from. The

:33:20. > :33:23.first premise of this is returning power to the control of this

:33:24. > :33:26.Government and this Parliamdnt. How they deploy that power is entirely

:33:27. > :33:31.up to them and I would think any sensible Government would bd

:33:32. > :33:38.involved in mutually beneficial activity. After all, Israel and

:33:39. > :33:43.subscribes to some of the Etropean research operations, and it's

:33:44. > :33:52.nowhere near a member of thd European Union. So I think that in

:33:53. > :33:55.those terms, his point is wdll made. Would the Secretary of Statd repeat

:33:56. > :34:01.for the House they guaranted he gave in Northern Ireland last wedk that

:34:02. > :34:05.his Government will not seek to impose a hard border that would

:34:06. > :34:08.restrict the free movement of people and labour between Northern Ireland

:34:09. > :34:25.and the Irish Republic? And will the extent such a guarantee to Travolta

:34:26. > :34:29.and Spain in that situation? I repeat the statement I made in

:34:30. > :34:36.Northern Ireland last week. The soft border all the open border dxisted

:34:37. > :34:40.before either as were members of the European union with different VAT

:34:41. > :34:44.rate income tax. It seems to me given modern technology we can do

:34:45. > :34:49.the same and design an immigration system which copes with it. I can

:34:50. > :34:56.certainly reiterate what I said to Northern Ireland last week hn front

:34:57. > :34:59.of the House. I warmly welcome at my right honourable friend to his new

:35:00. > :35:05.post and for his statement, the first of what will no doubt be many

:35:06. > :35:13.to this House. On the 22nd of June, the day before the referendtm, the

:35:14. > :35:19.FTSE 100 closed at 6002 and in today it is over 6800 up. Does my right

:35:20. > :35:25.honourable friend agree that this tells us all we need to know about

:35:26. > :35:30.investor confidence in our future, that will we be better off ,- that

:35:31. > :35:34.we will be better off outside the European Union? What it certainly

:35:35. > :35:39.tells us is that the business community is not as afraid of this

:35:40. > :35:44.great new opportunity we face as was claimed before the referendtm. I

:35:45. > :35:52.don't want to disappear into rerunning arguments of the league

:35:53. > :35:58.campaign though. Market movdments in stock markets are volatile `nd

:35:59. > :36:03.small. Often, they reversed themselves. What doesn't reverse is

:36:04. > :36:07.large inward investments and in the year in which our party comlitted to

:36:08. > :36:15.a referendum, we have the l`rgest inward investment in our history. --

:36:16. > :36:18.had the largest. Khai has the Secretary of State that is clearly

:36:19. > :36:23.referencing the Leave camping, because his statement was 14 minutes

:36:24. > :36:30.of waffling and sound bites. For national consensus, that is

:36:31. > :36:35.completely at odds with a f`ct that 62% of the electorate in Scotland

:36:36. > :36:38.voted to Remain. This does not bode well -- well for meaningful input

:36:39. > :36:44.from the Scottish Government. Kenny also confirm the claim made during

:36:45. > :36:46.the campaign by his honourable member for North Somerset that

:36:47. > :36:51.Scotland was suddenly have control of a whole new raft of powers

:36:52. > :36:58.including immigration, or w`s that just PC nonsense? I don't think my

:36:59. > :37:02.right honourable friend was referring to immigration, btt rather

:37:03. > :37:10.to fishing, I suspect and what will certainly be the case is we will be

:37:11. > :37:12.taking back control of UK fhshing. Can I also congratulate my right

:37:13. > :37:19.honourable friend and Parli`mentary neighbour on his appointment, an

:37:20. > :37:25.inspired choice. While he h`s been in the role these few weeks, has he

:37:26. > :37:27.had an opportunity or seen `ny evidence of contingency planning

:37:28. > :37:35.across any department in Whhtehall prior to the referendum that the

:37:36. > :37:38.British public may potentially have voted to leave the European Union?

:37:39. > :37:44.It strikes me that in a two horse race, it might have been and idea to

:37:45. > :37:49.look at this possibility. Furthermore, given that will have to

:37:50. > :37:52.look at the different laws `nd 12,000 plus EU regulations that will

:37:53. > :37:57.affect our lives -- that affect our lives, what progress are thdy making

:37:58. > :38:04.in ensuring we recruit the brightest minds to do this properly? Says my

:38:05. > :38:06.department didn't exist before I arrived, it's really rather harder

:38:07. > :38:11.to find documents that relate anything beforehand. There were

:38:12. > :38:15.certainly planning done on the financial side to deal with any

:38:16. > :38:19.financial turnarounds, becatse the bank and the Treasury undertook

:38:20. > :38:26.certain measures. With respdct to the Department itself, I brtshed

:38:27. > :38:31.across it, but it says something that the Department quadrupled in

:38:32. > :38:36.size in August and he may rdmember what Whitehall is like in Atgust. We

:38:37. > :38:40.are not short of applicants and we do have the brightest and bdst to

:38:41. > :38:44.help us and us not just my department, but also in nathonal

:38:45. > :38:53.trade as well, so I'm confident about that. In his statement, the

:38:54. > :38:56.Secretary of State who are welcome to his post welcomed -- reaffirmed

:38:57. > :39:00.the promise of the Chancellor that all structural and investment

:39:01. > :39:03.projects signed before the @utumn Statement will be underwritten by

:39:04. > :39:08.the Treasury as we leave. Btt we've a quandary of the people of greater

:39:09. > :39:12.Manchester, because we've bden allocated until 2020, 300 ?22

:39:13. > :39:20.million in European structural investment funds, but ?159 lillion

:39:21. > :39:23.of those have not yet been contracted. They're currently held

:39:24. > :39:28.up in Whitehall departments, predominantly in the Departlent for

:39:29. > :39:34.Work and Pensions. Can he ensure that the people of greater

:39:35. > :39:38.Manchester get all ?322 million that's been allocated to it by the

:39:39. > :39:43.European Union and not the lesser amount that's already been `pproved

:39:44. > :39:48.by Government? What I will do is draw the request to the attdntion of

:39:49. > :39:50.the Chancellor. I congratul`te my right honourable friend is

:39:51. > :39:53.well-deserved appointment. 61% of the people of Kettering votdd to

:39:54. > :39:58.Leave and they want to make sure he's the tools to finish thd job and

:39:59. > :40:01.following a question from otr right honourable friend about staff

:40:02. > :40:06.members come he says he's 180 of them at the moment, how manx does he

:40:07. > :40:11.need and given that his dep`rtment no longer exist in two years, what

:40:12. > :40:15.incentive is there for the brightest best civil servants who havd

:40:16. > :40:21.long-term civil service carders in mind to join his department? And

:40:22. > :40:22.what incentives are there to attract people into his department from the

:40:23. > :40:32.private sector? We barely need an incentive, they

:40:33. > :40:36.want to be at the centre of the most important, historic change hn what

:40:37. > :40:41.is happening in the last decade or two or three. I don't think that is

:40:42. > :40:47.a problem. Arrangements are being made precisely because we dhsappear

:40:48. > :40:52.when the processes over to dnsure continuity and to ensure go

:40:53. > :40:55.seamlessly back into the Whhtehall system, although I suspect `t the

:40:56. > :41:02.end there will be more bids for them than that. Membership of thd EU

:41:03. > :41:05.allows young people in Scotland freedom to live, learn and work in

:41:06. > :41:13.Europe and they voted overwhelmingly to remain. What assurances can he

:41:14. > :41:19.give to young people that these benefits and freedoms will be

:41:20. > :41:25.retained after Brexit? It is a good question and I think I would expect

:41:26. > :41:31.us to ensure that we get at least as least as good as those therd now.

:41:32. > :41:36.One thing that is important in the European Union and in Britahn in

:41:37. > :41:39.particular is we are a science superpower and have a fabulous

:41:40. > :41:42.education system with some of the best universities in the world. We

:41:43. > :41:51.have some of the best students in the world and we will reflect that

:41:52. > :41:55.the outcome. I would like to congratulate my friend on hhs

:41:56. > :41:59.position. Speaking as a parliamentarian who has not seen my

:42:00. > :42:05.honourable friend in action it is an absolute pleasure to watch. I would

:42:06. > :42:11.like my honourable friend to look into VAT. It was purchased tax

:42:12. > :42:19.before 1973. Has fluctuated over the years. There are small businesses

:42:20. > :42:26.that need a taper relief for VAT because when they hit the threshold

:42:27. > :42:29.it can kill them off. I know, I was a small businessmen, I succdeded

:42:30. > :42:35.through it but it was a problem Will he look into this for small

:42:36. > :42:39.people of the UK. I will brhng the attention of the Treasury to it and

:42:40. > :42:44.ensure we will think about ht through this process. Can I

:42:45. > :42:49.congratulate my Parliamentary neighbour on his appointment. The

:42:50. > :42:53.Humber S3 is fast becoming the energy estuary with Siemens

:42:54. > :42:57.investing in Hull with the potential to export to the single market and

:42:58. > :43:03.so trade deals with Australha will not cut it in Hull. I wondered if he

:43:04. > :43:08.would agree to meet with a delegation from the Humber to ensure

:43:09. > :43:11.the green energy industry bdnefits from the huge and exciting

:43:12. > :43:20.opportunities the minister has talked about. How could I s`y no to

:43:21. > :43:24.meet a delegation from the Humber. What I will say is Siemens was a

:43:25. > :43:28.company that said they would continue investment in the TK,

:43:29. > :43:34.something of a change from before the referendum. Yes, of course. I

:43:35. > :43:40.was delighted to hear him s`y he had begun the huge task of going sector

:43:41. > :43:45.by sector to assess challenges many parts of the British economx will

:43:46. > :43:50.face. Can I ask him to add ` second column to the spreadsheet for

:43:51. > :43:55.opportunities in those sectors may have and may arrive from Brdxit We

:43:56. > :43:58.know from every industry and business we have worked in there

:43:59. > :44:03.will be areas of promise from leaving particularly in terls of

:44:04. > :44:11.getting away from onerous Etropean regulations that hold back British

:44:12. > :44:14.economic sectors. Will he create a parallel process of assessing

:44:15. > :44:21.regulations so that we can be in a good position when we leave? It is a

:44:22. > :44:24.good point and we are on it already. The opportunity side of the

:44:25. > :44:31.spreadsheet is integral to the process and some have reported back.

:44:32. > :44:36.We are challenging something is coming back because you get a degree

:44:37. > :44:43.of special pleading and so ht takes a little longer than just asking the

:44:44. > :44:48.question but we are doing it. In June, vote to leave issued ` letter

:44:49. > :44:51.co-signed by the Foreign Secretary and it was unequivocal that levels

:44:52. > :44:57.of funding in constituencies like mine, that currently receivd would

:44:58. > :45:00.continue post-Brexit. Will the Secretary of State repeat that

:45:01. > :45:07.guaranteed today all was thd letter worthless? I said I am putthng in