:00:00. > :00:00.chance to get to a good school, we have to make sure we change the
:00:00. > :00:00.terms of trade to make sure that they are turned into education
:00:07. > :00:13.opportunities. Business question, Mr Paul Flynn. Will the leader of the
:00:14. > :00:18.House gave us the business for next week? Leader of the House, Mr David
:00:19. > :00:23.Liddington. Mr Speaker, the bidders for next week, Monday the 12th of
:00:24. > :00:28.September, remaining stages of the Wales Bill. Tuesday the 13th,
:00:29. > :00:33.secondary reading of the Digital economy Bill. Wednesday the 14th,
:00:34. > :00:38.motions to approve statutory instruments relating to welfare
:00:39. > :00:43.reform in Northern Ireland and pensions. Followed by an opposition
:00:44. > :00:48.day, and on allotted half day, they will be a debate on NHS
:00:49. > :00:54.sustainability and transformation plans... On the 15th of September,
:00:55. > :01:00.debate and a motion related to domestic abuse victims in family law
:01:01. > :01:03.courts, followed by a debate on a motion related to quantitative
:01:04. > :01:08.easing. These are determined by the backbench business committee. On
:01:09. > :01:12.Friday the 16th, the House will not be sitting. On Monday the 10th of
:01:13. > :01:18.October, the provisional business will include the second reading of
:01:19. > :01:22.the neighbourhood planning Bill. I would also like to inform the House
:01:23. > :01:27.that the business in Westminster Hall for the 15th of September and
:01:28. > :01:32.the 13th of October will be as follows... The 15th of September, a
:01:33. > :01:39.debate on the sixth report from the Justice committee of session 2015-16
:01:40. > :01:44.on prison safety, that is determined by the liaison committee. And on the
:01:45. > :01:51.13th of October a general debate on Tobacco control, determined by the
:01:52. > :01:56.backbench business committee. Can I briefly at Mr Speaker, that I am
:01:57. > :02:02.sure members of all parties represented in this House will want
:02:03. > :02:07.to wish success to the team GB Paralympic athletes on the first day
:02:08. > :02:12.of competition today and personally as an MP that represents Stoke
:02:13. > :02:15.Mandeville, I think everybody in the United Kingdom can take some
:02:16. > :02:23.considerable pride in the fact that it was in this country that because
:02:24. > :02:27.of the drive of Ludwig Guttman, we saw the creation of a disability
:02:28. > :02:31.sport movement which has grown into the worldwide Paralympic movement,
:02:32. > :02:40.whose achievements we celebrate in the next two weeks. We thank the
:02:41. > :02:45.leader and we all are bass king in the reflected glory of the brilliant
:02:46. > :02:50.success of our Olympians and we acknowledge, as the leader has said,
:02:51. > :02:54.the pioneering work in this country in the whole introduction of the
:02:55. > :03:02.concept of the Paralympic games. We all wish the athletes well. There is
:03:03. > :03:06.one minor quibble we would have, it is an odd moment when we are
:03:07. > :03:14.celebrating the success of sport to diminish the role of the time
:03:15. > :03:18.available of the committee responsible for these affairs in
:03:19. > :03:23.this House, culture media and sport. It has been reduced today. We have
:03:24. > :03:29.gone on with this reluctantly but we see it as a temporary measure and we
:03:30. > :03:34.certainly do not think any of these areas are minor in any way. We look
:03:35. > :03:40.for the restoration of the full-time that was previously available to
:03:41. > :03:47.culture media and sport. Next Wednesday's Welsh debate will
:03:48. > :03:53.illustrate the degraded system that our democracy has and the way that
:03:54. > :04:01.it is heading into further distress. The Welsh Bill will not guarantee in
:04:02. > :04:05.anyway a compensatory increase in the number of members of the Welsh
:04:06. > :04:16.Assembly, although the work level has trouble. But in the future,
:04:17. > :04:21.Wales will lose 11 of the 40 MPs, will lose the four MPs of the MEPs
:04:22. > :04:27.that represent Wales, and we have got this turmoil in the democratic
:04:28. > :04:33.system when the disgrace of buying places in the House of Lords
:04:34. > :04:39.continues. Quite rightly, the press condemned the decisions taken by the
:04:40. > :04:43.previous prime minister in awarding places in the House of Lords, which
:04:44. > :04:50.is already bloated, which is already trying to cope with 300 extra
:04:51. > :04:56.members which they do not need, and to add to this in order to placate
:04:57. > :05:02.the interests of lobbyists, cronies and party donors. What we should be
:05:03. > :05:08.doing, instead of having a piecemeal reform of only one part of the
:05:09. > :05:12.defects in our democracy, and that is a reform which will please only
:05:13. > :05:20.one party and help only the Tory party, but will also disenfranchise
:05:21. > :05:26.2 million voters. Should we not be getting together and realising how
:05:27. > :05:29.far our democracy is degraded and how an all-party agreement on how we
:05:30. > :05:35.can come together with a reform which will be all embracing, which
:05:36. > :05:41.will look at all these abuses, in order to have a system that is fair,
:05:42. > :05:48.that is of good value for the electors, and one that can win back
:05:49. > :05:52.the respect that we have had internationally for the quality of
:05:53. > :05:59.our democracy? The decision to halt the contract on Hinkley point was a
:06:00. > :06:06.bold one hand a brave one. The position is not one in which there
:06:07. > :06:09.is a crisis of security. It is an out of date system which has been
:06:10. > :06:14.introduced, which has never worked anywhere in the world, because of
:06:15. > :06:19.the endless construction delays and the multi-billion cost overruns
:06:20. > :06:25.which have taken place in other countries, and we must also
:06:26. > :06:32.reconsider the atrocious deal struck which would mean that our
:06:33. > :06:36.electricity users would be saddled with the highest prices for
:06:37. > :06:42.electricity in the world for the next 35 years. Can he give us the
:06:43. > :06:48.debate, before any final decision is taken, on Hinkley, so we can
:06:49. > :06:52.consider all these aspects in this House before we blunder into what
:06:53. > :06:59.could be a gigantic financial and technological disaster of Hinkley?
:07:00. > :07:06.Finally, could I ask the minister after his distinguished record as a
:07:07. > :07:13.minister on European affairs, why are we retreating from our noble
:07:14. > :07:18.role as providing the gold standards of human rights in the world and
:07:19. > :07:26.certainly throughout Europe by insisting on a minor matter of our
:07:27. > :07:29.own traditional practices and inviting other countries, the
:07:30. > :07:35.oppressive regimes to go back to the old traditions of abusing and their
:07:36. > :07:41.own nation state citizens and degrading the human rights there? If
:07:42. > :07:45.we are not the as the trailblazers, the gold standard, the others will
:07:46. > :07:50.slip backwards. Does he not feel it is a retrograde step and we should
:07:51. > :07:55.consider being hateful part of the court of human rights and all of the
:07:56. > :08:02.European tradition of human being -- European rights we have lived for
:08:03. > :08:14.many years. -- playing hateful part? -- playing a full role. The usual
:08:15. > :08:18.channels will review those depending upon experience with how it will
:08:19. > :08:24.work out in practice. The question he asked at the end about human
:08:25. > :08:28.rights, I have to say to him, there is absolutely no retreat on the part
:08:29. > :08:34.of the Government from the high human rights standards that we set
:08:35. > :08:39.for ourselves in this country, and which we follow through in promoting
:08:40. > :08:44.foreign policy objectives as well. But the human rights of the United
:08:45. > :08:51.Kingdom were well developed and had a fine reputation before the Human
:08:52. > :08:57.Rights Act of 1998 was enacted. There is a long-standing issue over
:08:58. > :09:00.the way in which a number of particular decisions about the
:09:01. > :09:10.application of Article eight of the Convention have applied, in certain
:09:11. > :09:15.extra in cases. We are looking at how -- in certain cases. The
:09:16. > :09:21.government is absolutely clear that we stand by the human rights
:09:22. > :09:27.embodied in the European convention, which after all was something that
:09:28. > :09:33.was very much the product of work by the United Kingdom, and by its
:09:34. > :09:38.politicians at the time. On Hinkley, as the Prime Minister has said, we
:09:39. > :09:45.do intend to make a decision very soon. I think the objective that we
:09:46. > :09:49.have always had in mind is the need in framing an energy strategy to
:09:50. > :09:56.deliver both on climate change objectives, and on making sure of
:09:57. > :09:58.security of energy supply at a reasonable cost to domestic
:09:59. > :10:08.consumers and British industries so that industry can be competitive in
:10:09. > :10:14.some quite fierce global markets. I suspect he and I on the House of
:10:15. > :10:19.Lords voted the same way when those things were debated in a previous
:10:20. > :10:23.parliament for the partially elected upper house. But in truth there was
:10:24. > :10:29.no consensus or anything approaching consensus in the House of Commons,
:10:30. > :10:34.within parties or across parties about how that issue should be
:10:35. > :10:39.addressed. I do not really think it is likely to be fruitful to try and
:10:40. > :10:46.pursue House of Lords reform as an early priority. I was sorry about
:10:47. > :10:53.the disparaging tone he adopted towards the Wales Bill, because
:10:54. > :10:57.after all, what's this government's record has been about is delivering
:10:58. > :11:00.increased devolution, which the Welsh Assembly and political parties
:11:01. > :11:09.in Wales for the most part have been saying that they wanted to see.
:11:10. > :11:22.I was not shocked, but I was disheartened by the critical remark
:11:23. > :11:25.he threw in about the approach of the parliamentary boundary
:11:26. > :11:31.commission and the framework within which they are operating. One of my
:11:32. > :11:36.treats since my appointment has been to get into the honourable
:11:37. > :11:46.gentleman's autobiography. And I found on pages 57 and 58 of his
:11:47. > :11:49.memoirs that he lauded the achievements of the chartists, and
:11:50. > :11:53.he spilled out that one of the key objectives was that we should have
:11:54. > :12:00.constituencies with the equal numbers of electors in each
:12:01. > :12:04.constituency, and now the framework under which the boundary commission
:12:05. > :12:07.is operating will deliver one of the chartered objectives which he so
:12:08. > :12:16.strongly supported. I would have thought he would be cheering us on
:12:17. > :12:23.and not criticising as. He will be aware that I PSA is out for
:12:24. > :12:29.consultation with quite remarkable changes that are being proposed.
:12:30. > :12:32.They are presenting themselves before various committees and will
:12:33. > :12:39.have two sessions before the admin committee. Would he agree to a
:12:40. > :12:44.debate in the House that might give IPSA the opportunity to get a better
:12:45. > :12:53.understanding of what it is like to be an MP and how they can insist
:12:54. > :13:01.rather than hinder? -- a cyst. It is important that they are statutorily
:13:02. > :13:05.independent, but he is right in saying that any decisions about the
:13:06. > :13:11.salaries, pensions and expenses of members of Parliament should be
:13:12. > :13:14.informed by a proper understanding of what the responsibilities of
:13:15. > :13:20.being a member involved, and about the multifarious different ways in
:13:21. > :13:24.which different members, because of the nature of their constituencies,
:13:25. > :13:30.go about doing the job. I would suggest on a debate that the proper
:13:31. > :13:36.course would be for the backbench business committee perhaps to
:13:37. > :13:45.consider this if there is a large number of members who feel a debate
:13:46. > :13:53.of that kind is needed. Can I join the housing wishing the very best of
:13:54. > :13:56.the Paralympic team, hopefully winning a whole clutch of medals for
:13:57. > :14:00.the country. Yesterday the Prime Minister announced there would be no
:14:01. > :14:04.running commentary on the Brexit negotiations and she refused to say
:14:05. > :14:11.whether she was in favour of being in a single market are not. To me,
:14:12. > :14:16.that sounded that this House will be simply expected to accept whatever
:14:17. > :14:20.this government can clock is when it comes to the Brexit deal, as soon as
:14:21. > :14:28.it gets into deciding what that will be. The leader of the houses
:14:29. > :14:34.parliament 's champion. -- concocted. Will he tell us today
:14:35. > :14:38.that this House will be kept bang up-to-date in every detail of these
:14:39. > :14:41.negotiations as it is the biggest single issue in public life today.
:14:42. > :14:47.We already know that the government have no intention of bringing the
:14:48. > :14:53.trigger for article 60 two this House -- article 50. To this House.
:14:54. > :15:06.We also know there will be no Australian points based, instead
:15:07. > :15:13.we're going to have a wall constructed at Calais. No more
:15:14. > :15:17.keeping this House and the public in the dark about what this government
:15:18. > :15:21.proposes when it comes to wrecks it. This morning it was announced that
:15:22. > :15:24.billions of pounds will be spent on refurbishing this House. I am sure
:15:25. > :15:29.the Leader of the House meant to announce that we will have a full
:15:30. > :15:31.statement on this and a proper debate in government time about
:15:32. > :15:39.these proposals, particularly when we learn that this could cost up to
:15:40. > :15:44.?4.3 billion of public money, and I am sure all the constituents would
:15:45. > :15:54.want to know exactly. Lastly it goes back to the constituency issue in
:15:55. > :15:57.the House of Lords that was raised. We're going to have this
:15:58. > :16:12.announcement on the government's latest plans to gerrymander
:16:13. > :16:15.boundaries. When we have that conversation, can it be all of
:16:16. > :16:22.Parliament because we have to take into account what is going on in
:16:23. > :16:24.that absurd House down the corridor. It cannot possibly be right that we
:16:25. > :16:27.increasing the number of unelected Lords while at the same time
:16:28. > :16:40.decreasing the number of elected members. Mr Speaker, first of all I
:16:41. > :16:47.can say to the honourable gentleman that yes, Parliament will be kept
:16:48. > :16:53.fully informed at the appropriate times about the progress of the
:16:54. > :16:56.negotiations, though I think that the honourable gentleman will
:16:57. > :17:02.understand that if there is an ongoing negotiation, it would be
:17:03. > :17:07.foolish of any government of any political party to go into minute
:17:08. > :17:18.detail about how those negotiations were progressing because that would
:17:19. > :17:20.disadvantage this country in the progress of those negotiations. But
:17:21. > :17:25.the government will indeed report back at regular intervals and of
:17:26. > :17:30.course ministers will additionally be available to answer oral and
:17:31. > :17:36.written questions, and it is open to members to make application to Mr
:17:37. > :17:41.Speaker for urgent questions and debates if they feel the case is
:17:42. > :17:44.strong. I would say to the honourable gentleman, if you looks
:17:45. > :17:48.at the track record this week, on the first day back we had my right
:17:49. > :17:55.honourable friend the Secretary of State for exiting the European Union
:17:56. > :17:58.and questions about this matter for about two hours. Yesterday my right
:17:59. > :18:04.honourable friend the Prime Minister, in giving a statement
:18:05. > :18:07.about the G20 summit, in practice spends a lot of time responding to
:18:08. > :18:16.questions about the impact on the United Kingdom's International
:18:17. > :18:21.status in leaving the European Union, so I do not think he can
:18:22. > :18:27.claim to be short-changed this week. He referred to the report which is
:18:28. > :18:32.to be published at midday today by the joint committee of the Lords and
:18:33. > :18:38.Commons on the restoration and renewal project. That is a report
:18:39. > :18:46.which, like any select committee report, has been developed by the
:18:47. > :18:55.members concerned. The government has not had any input into that or
:18:56. > :19:02.any prior copies of the report sent to us so we could suddenly make
:19:03. > :19:11.comments before the announcement made today. Parliament will indeed
:19:12. > :19:14.have an opportunity to debate this before any decisions are taken.
:19:15. > :19:21.Decisions will be a matter for the House and the House of Lords about
:19:22. > :19:30.the future of the Palace. On the boundary changes, I say to him, the
:19:31. > :19:37.principle involved here is a quality of waiter votes. It really would be
:19:38. > :19:45.an affront to democracy if we went into an election in 2020 on the
:19:46. > :19:52.basis of electoral roll is based on a census to decades-old by that
:19:53. > :19:54.point, and we're some members were representing 100,000 electors and
:19:55. > :20:04.others representing significantly fewer than half that total. Thank
:20:05. > :20:06.you. I note that the Leader of the House has announced the second
:20:07. > :20:09.reading of the neighbourhood planning Bill, and I wonder whether
:20:10. > :20:11.he would comment on whether there would be enough time on matter
:20:12. > :20:16.whether he recommends a second debate on the local plan expert
:20:17. > :20:19.group which has come up with substantial and innovative
:20:20. > :20:26.recommendations to simplify the whole process, including
:20:27. > :20:28.neighbourhood planning. I think that there will be opportunity in the
:20:29. > :20:33.course of proceedings on the bill to have the kind of debate which he
:20:34. > :20:39.wants to see, but should he be dissatisfied there are opportunities
:20:40. > :20:44.available. Under half of the backbench business committee, can I
:20:45. > :20:49.say we welcome the opening of positive dialogue with the Leader of
:20:50. > :20:53.the House about the allocation of parliamentary business for backbench
:20:54. > :20:57.debates, and we welcome time sensitive subject applications. We
:20:58. > :21:01.had such an application at the committee on Tuesday, which is for
:21:02. > :21:13.during the week beginning the 10th of October. And that is an
:21:14. > :21:19.application from the member from Colchester, and I would support this
:21:20. > :21:24.because that week is baby loss week, and this debate is about baby loss,
:21:25. > :21:29.stillbirth and infant mortality in the first week of life. If he could
:21:30. > :21:35.find a slot during that week, we would be very appreciative. Indeed,
:21:36. > :21:41.he makes a powerful and persuasive point. I cannot make a promise
:21:42. > :21:46.today, but I will do my best to accommodate what he wants. Well and
:21:47. > :21:51.prison is a reserve prison and is not operating at the moment, and it
:21:52. > :21:56.is at the end of a large residential area. -- Wellingborough prison.
:21:57. > :22:00.Three days ago ten traveller families dumped themselves on the
:22:01. > :22:06.prison car park. The Ministry of Justice have tried their best to
:22:07. > :22:11.move them. It has become unacceptable to my constituents,
:22:12. > :22:14.particularly the ones living nearby. Could we have a statement next week
:22:15. > :22:22.on how the government deals with travellers who are on Crown
:22:23. > :22:25.property? There are number of us on all sides of the House where we have
:22:26. > :22:32.had this problem of unauthorised encampment upon privately owned or
:22:33. > :22:37.publicly owned land and local residents have become very
:22:38. > :22:42.distressed about that. I am sure the appropriate Minister will want to
:22:43. > :22:48.talk to my honourable friend about this particular case, but he might
:22:49. > :22:55.want to consider applying for an adjournment debate so he can discuss
:22:56. > :23:02.his views more fully and secure a detailed response from the Minister.
:23:03. > :23:06.The campaign for Better Transport has this week set out its concerns
:23:07. > :23:11.that the government's bus services Bill will have a huge impact on
:23:12. > :23:16.rural bus services. I regularly get complaints from constituents about
:23:17. > :23:19.the deterioration of their services, particularly in country areas,
:23:20. > :23:23.around Silloth and the Solway plain. Will he ensure that when the bill
:23:24. > :23:30.comes for debate in this House, there is proper time to discuss the
:23:31. > :23:34.impact on rural bus services? I'm sure there will be ample time to
:23:35. > :23:40.ensure we have those discussions which will be relevant to members
:23:41. > :23:45.across the House with rural constituencies. There are some real
:23:46. > :23:57.challenges in that many rural bus services to provide a vital lifeline
:23:58. > :24:00.which is quite a minority of people because the customer base shrinks
:24:01. > :24:03.but the services are also still important. I would hope that the
:24:04. > :24:09.debate encompasses things like the use of new technology to help
:24:10. > :24:15.provide community transport services which, in my constituency and
:24:16. > :24:22.others, are providing a very useful additional form of support to people
:24:23. > :24:28.living in villages. Could we have a debate on paediatric training in the
:24:29. > :24:30.NHS in England because in my constituency the children's
:24:31. > :24:35.emergency centre that County Hospital has been temporarily closed
:24:36. > :24:37.due to lack of sufficient trained staff, and I understand that I am
:24:38. > :24:45.not the only member of Parliament who has this problem in the
:24:46. > :24:49.constituency. I can understand, particularly given the history of
:24:50. > :24:53.hospital services in Staffordshire, via my honourable friend is so
:24:54. > :24:59.concerned, and he has been a very strong champion of patients in his
:25:00. > :25:03.constituency. I was sorry to hear what had happened. Obviously the
:25:04. > :25:06.local health authorities have taken the decision on grounds of patient
:25:07. > :25:15.safety, which clearly has to come first. I hope those local problems
:25:16. > :25:18.can be resolved as rapidly as possible and the government is
:25:19. > :25:22.certainly determined to continue to ensure that paediatric training
:25:23. > :25:28.standards are of the highest level possible. Can I take the opportunity
:25:29. > :25:30.to congratulate him on his appointment. In January the
:25:31. > :25:37.government announced welcome proposals for a partnership between
:25:38. > :25:41.the DFT and TEFL to specify franchises in London when an divine
:25:42. > :25:46.-- individual franchises lapse. How does the government take this
:25:47. > :25:52.forward in the months ahead? Thank you to the honourable gentleman for
:25:53. > :25:59.his welcome to me. I would draw his remarks to the attention of both the
:26:00. > :26:01.Minister for London and the appropriate Minister in the
:26:02. > :26:07.Department for Transport and ask one of them to make contact with him.
:26:08. > :26:13.I'm delighted at the importance of industrial strategy, now formally
:26:14. > :26:18.recognised, not least by being included in the title of a
:26:19. > :26:24.government department. Can we have a debate on its terms of reference,
:26:25. > :26:28.its aims and objectives? It sounds to me like this would be an
:26:29. > :26:33.excellent idea for my honourable friend to put forward to the
:26:34. > :26:37.gentleman opposite as the chairman of the backbench business committee.
:26:38. > :26:43.I'm sure my ministerial colleagues would welcome it, if such a debate
:26:44. > :26:47.was secured. The industrial strategy is going to be important for future
:26:48. > :26:54.prosperity in this country. It is important we have a strategy that
:26:55. > :26:56.works for all sectors of industry, particularly the new industry which
:26:57. > :27:00.will provide the growth and opportunity for the country in the
:27:01. > :27:06.future and that it is a strategy that works for all parts of the
:27:07. > :27:09.United Kingdom. Every single day in my constituency of Dundee I have low
:27:10. > :27:15.income workers getting in touch after the tax credit support, Rob
:27:16. > :27:22.Lee and without warning is stopped and HMRC payment by results model,
:27:23. > :27:28.in short, commission. It causes immense stress and hardship for
:27:29. > :27:32.households. 12% of all enquiries are about this very issue in my office.
:27:33. > :27:36.Will the House commit to an urgent debate on this matter before more
:27:37. > :27:45.people experience this harsh and brutal situation? Decisions about
:27:46. > :27:49.tax credits are not always what applicants want. It is very
:27:50. > :27:54.important. Every constituency MP would agree with the honourable
:27:55. > :27:57.gentleman, decisions are taken as promptly as possible and that they
:27:58. > :28:03.are accurate. He is right in saying people on low incomes are completely
:28:04. > :28:07.thrown if an application that is justified is suddenly either
:28:08. > :28:15.rejected, or there is an unjustifiable attempt to claw back
:28:16. > :28:19.money after the event. I will let the relevant Treasury Minister know
:28:20. > :28:26.about this particular point. It may be something he would like to seek a
:28:27. > :28:34.debate upon but I hope very much that the problems he has described
:28:35. > :28:36.will be resolved by HMRC and the contractor as rapidly as possible
:28:37. > :28:43.because constituents deserve a better service than that. To assist
:28:44. > :28:47.my honourable friend the leader of the House in the consideration of
:28:48. > :28:52.the Brexit process, I have an idea. I wonder if he could enlighten us as
:28:53. > :28:56.to the state of the discussions on the scrutiny by the select
:28:57. > :28:59.committees in the Brexit process? My perception is that it is clear that
:29:00. > :29:03.each department should have a select committee. We have two new
:29:04. > :29:08.departments and we should have two new select committees. Considering
:29:09. > :29:11.the complexity of the issue and the need for communities to be involved,
:29:12. > :29:16.it would help if we got going on the select committee as soon as possible
:29:17. > :29:20.and I wonder if he could help as I am sure the House would like to see
:29:21. > :29:25.this kind of scrutiny. I will do my best to help. These matters are
:29:26. > :29:30.subject to continued discussion between the usual channels. I think
:29:31. > :29:35.on anything related to the establishment of select committees,
:29:36. > :29:39.if it is humanly possible to have a cross-party agreement it is better
:29:40. > :29:46.we should achieve that. Thank you, Mr Speaker. There is a new and
:29:47. > :29:50.innovative charity established in my constituency to offer opportunities
:29:51. > :29:57.to people to get out and about in the outdoors in the Trossachs. Can
:29:58. > :30:03.we have a debate to explore how we can promote such excellent
:30:04. > :30:07.initiatives across the country? I think that is an excellent subject
:30:08. > :30:15.for the honourable gentleman to draw to the attention of DWP menaces at
:30:16. > :30:21.the next question Time will stop or for him to seek and add -- DWP at
:30:22. > :30:25.the next question Time. It seems to me the word should be spread and
:30:26. > :30:32.this could be an example in which we could copy. The next time we have a
:30:33. > :30:35.meaningful time to have debates will be in October. The government has
:30:36. > :30:41.given a lot of money to flood defences in the United Kingdom,
:30:42. > :30:44.another 12.5 million in Dover North. Can we have a statement from the
:30:45. > :30:49.Government about the future of flooding and flood defences. It
:30:50. > :30:53.affects the whole nation, not only see flooding, but internal flash
:30:54. > :31:00.flooding, and this has to have a continued debate in this chamber. My
:31:01. > :31:04.honourable friend raises an important point and of course I will
:31:05. > :31:09.recall his constituency was very badly affected by floods a couple of
:31:10. > :31:17.years ago. And he was the most fearless and outspoken champion of
:31:18. > :31:22.his constituents at that time. Coincidentally there has been a
:31:23. > :31:30.report published earlier today by Deborah on flooding and the future
:31:31. > :31:33.25 year plan for flood resilience. -- by the Department. I urge all
:31:34. > :31:39.members of the House to take an interest in this matter to study the
:31:40. > :31:41.report. It has a number of important conclusions and also proposals on
:31:42. > :31:46.how the Government will take things forward into the future. I notice
:31:47. > :31:49.request for a debate. Clearly I cannot promise that at the moment
:31:50. > :31:55.but I understand the subject's importance. On the 19th of August a
:31:56. > :32:01.faulty tumble dryer caused a major fire in Shepherd scored, and damaged
:32:02. > :32:05.a major block of flats. 26 families had to move out and it was a miracle
:32:06. > :32:09.there were no deaths, or serious injury. There are 1 million for the
:32:10. > :32:14.products not being recalled by the manufacturer. Can we have eight
:32:15. > :32:18.government statement on how many factors can be made to recall and
:32:19. > :32:26.replace faulty white goods as demanded by the London Fire Brigade
:32:27. > :32:31.total recall campaign? I think if there is a question in my mind about
:32:32. > :32:36.the legal position, if goods have indeed been sold that are
:32:37. > :32:42.demonstrably a threat to the safety of those customers, I would hope
:32:43. > :32:47.that if a situation like the one he described, the manufacturer should
:32:48. > :32:55.take note of his remarks and act accordingly. I shall ask the
:32:56. > :32:58.relevant Minister to have a look at the particular case. If you would
:32:59. > :33:02.like to write to me with the details I will happily passed those onto the
:33:03. > :33:09.relevant department and let's see if we can get appropriate action. I
:33:10. > :33:13.have a familiar question for my honourable friend as one of the
:33:14. > :33:17.longest serving Europe ministers. Can we have a statement after the
:33:18. > :33:23.new minister's visit to Cyprus, which coincides with three meetings
:33:24. > :33:26.taking place this week between the city and leaders and the president
:33:27. > :33:33.saying the end of the road has been reached and it is time to reunite
:33:34. > :33:40.Cyprus? I know that my right honourable friend, the member for
:33:41. > :33:44.Rutland and Melton would be delighted to talk to the member for
:33:45. > :33:50.Southgate about his recent visit to the island full stop I am sure all
:33:51. > :33:56.of us across the Florida house --. I am sure everyone in the House would
:33:57. > :33:59.like to see the country reunited and the Turkish and Cypriot communities
:34:00. > :34:04.brought together again. That would be a good day for the United
:34:05. > :34:07.Kingdom. I think there will be an opportunity to raise this at the
:34:08. > :34:11.next foreign office questions. I think a conversation between my
:34:12. > :34:17.honourable friend and the Minister is probably the best way forward.
:34:18. > :34:21.Yesterday, the BBC reported that Katrina Percy, the former Chief
:34:22. > :34:28.Executive of the sudden health trust, which has been investigated
:34:29. > :34:34.because of a lack of investigation into unexplained death at the trust
:34:35. > :34:39.had resigned from a post but was then shunted into a ?240,000 per
:34:40. > :34:46.year job created just for her with no other candidates. -- Sutton
:34:47. > :34:53.health trust. Can we have a debate about this very worrying decision?
:34:54. > :34:57.My understanding is that this was an appointment which was wholly within
:34:58. > :35:04.the jurisdiction of the local board of the relevant NHS trust and it is
:35:05. > :35:10.a decision which that board therefore needs to explain and for
:35:11. > :35:16.which they are accountable. Health provision is very important to all
:35:17. > :35:21.constituencies. With an ageing population and acute health needs.
:35:22. > :35:26.Given that, can we have a debate in government time about the NHS in the
:35:27. > :35:32.West Midlands and in particular mergers of CCG and NHS trusts
:35:33. > :35:36.serving my constituency? My honourable friend raises an
:35:37. > :35:39.important point. He is already in his first year in this House
:35:40. > :35:44.building up a reputation as somebody who really does stand up for good
:35:45. > :35:49.health services and the interest of patients in the West Midlands. He
:35:50. > :35:53.will have an opportunity on Tuesday the 11th of October when we have
:35:54. > :36:00.health questions to make some of these points to the ministerial
:36:01. > :36:05.team. The communities act application by new Council to
:36:06. > :36:08.control fixed odds betting terminals alongside 92 other councils which
:36:09. > :36:15.represent 42% of the population in England and were expired on the 14th
:36:16. > :36:17.of July. That act says the Government has to compromise with
:36:18. > :36:23.the negotiations and no debate has taken place. When will we get a
:36:24. > :36:29.statement on this important issue for a huge proportion of the
:36:30. > :36:34.country? I will ask the responsible minister to write to the honourable
:36:35. > :36:37.gentleman about that point. Can my right honourable friend arrange for
:36:38. > :36:43.the attorney general to make a statement about appealing against an
:36:44. > :36:50.Julie lenient sentences? A number of people in my constituents felt the
:36:51. > :36:55.sentence given to Anjem Choudary was derisory given the serious level of
:36:56. > :36:59.the offences he had committed. We found out today in the newspapers
:37:00. > :37:03.that the attorney general is not able to appeal against a lenient
:37:04. > :37:07.sentence for that particular crime. We promised in the manifesto to
:37:08. > :37:13.extend the number of crimes that could be appealed for being lenient
:37:14. > :37:19.in sentencing. When are we going to crack on with it? As he pointed out,
:37:20. > :37:26.big and was elected on a manifesto which pledged us to extend the list
:37:27. > :37:30.of crimes that were covered by the right of the attorney general to
:37:31. > :37:39.refer excessively lenient sentences to the Court of appeal. -- the
:37:40. > :37:41.Government was elected. Either the attorney or relevant justice
:37:42. > :37:51.minister will come forward with a statement to the House will stop the
:37:52. > :37:55.petitions --. The committee has agreed on a Parliamentary debate on
:37:56. > :37:59.grouse shooting after the session and there is a debate about the
:38:00. > :38:03.badger culling and I am sure we will reach the 100,000 required. When we
:38:04. > :38:07.had a debate on Westminster Hall this week, more than 40 MPs attended
:38:08. > :38:11.and a lotta people wanted to watch the debate but could not fit into
:38:12. > :38:15.the public gallery. Can we make sure that both of these debates are in
:38:16. > :38:23.the main chamber so people can come and watch and there is time for MPs
:38:24. > :38:30.to take part? There is always a pressure which government must
:38:31. > :38:33.wrestle with and there is also, the backbench business committee must
:38:34. > :38:36.wrestle with which matters are debated in Westminster Hall and
:38:37. > :38:44.which matters are debated in the chamber. She will have an additional
:38:45. > :38:46.opportunity on Thursday the 13th of October, when ministers from
:38:47. > :38:52.environment, food and rural affairs will be answering questions here. I
:38:53. > :38:55.know the leader of the House is very aware of the anxiety caused in Corby
:38:56. > :39:00.aroused the discussions ongoing about the future of the steel
:39:01. > :39:02.industry. Can we have a statement next week from ministers updating us
:39:03. > :39:08.on where we are with these discussions with the industry, the
:39:09. > :39:13.department and unions, so my constituents can be updated as to
:39:14. > :39:18.exactly where we are? I will make sure that the business secretary and
:39:19. > :39:24.the international trade secretary are aware of my friend's concerns. I
:39:25. > :39:31.understand the importance of the steel issue is for his constituents
:39:32. > :39:40.in Corby. The Prime Minister said in her statement on the G20 yesterday
:39:41. > :39:43.that she had raised the question of overproduction on global markets in
:39:44. > :39:50.the plenary session of the G20 leaders when she had been in China.
:39:51. > :40:00.And she hoped that would lead to the international powers considering a
:40:01. > :40:06.way forward to manage this. The leader of the House is very popular
:40:07. > :40:11.in my constituency. And I have been asked to ask this question, whether
:40:12. > :40:16.they voted for Brexit or to Remain, if this is a sovereign Parliament,
:40:17. > :40:19.why did they concede the deal and why has a sovereign Parliament can
:40:20. > :40:22.we not have a vote? Because they love him so much they would like a
:40:23. > :40:27.debate on the closure of accident and emergency in Huddersfield and
:40:28. > :40:34.with the landfill tax going up to ?85 across West Yorkshire, we are
:40:35. > :40:39.getting fires and unscrupulous waste contractors are setting fire to
:40:40. > :40:45.waste in order to save money, can we have debates on all of those
:40:46. > :40:53.subjects? I think all the waste management question he will have the
:40:54. > :40:57.opportunity at questions on the 13th of October. On the local health
:40:58. > :40:59.issue there are questions on Tuesday the 11th of October to the health
:41:00. > :41:10.ministers. As someone who the House knows was
:41:11. > :41:13.on the Remain side of the campaign, if we are Democrats, however
:41:14. > :41:18.reluctantly, to accept the result. If the result had been the other way
:41:19. > :41:22.round, I would have been the first to say to my colleagues supporting
:41:23. > :41:25.the leave campaign that it was time to fold up their tent. We have to
:41:26. > :41:35.respect the view that the electors have taken. As I am sure the whole
:41:36. > :41:42.House will be aware, the world black pudding throwing Championships are
:41:43. > :41:47.taking place in Ramsbottom in my constituency this weekend. It dates
:41:48. > :41:51.back to the War of the Roses. Can we please have a statement on what the
:41:52. > :41:58.government will be doing to promote this prestigious and historic event
:41:59. > :42:02.in the future? For a moment I thought he was going to propose this
:42:03. > :42:11.as an experimental support for the Tokyo Olympics and for -- in four
:42:12. > :42:17.years. I think he has made his point very forcefully, as usual today. I
:42:18. > :42:25.hope he gets the chance to sample the black puddings before they are
:42:26. > :42:39.thrown, rather than afterwords. Does giving evidence, -- when giving
:42:40. > :42:48.evidence, the predecessor offered to come to my constituency to discuss
:42:49. > :42:51.English votes for English laws, much to the disappointment of my
:42:52. > :42:55.constituents. Will the new Leader of the House visit my constituency to
:42:56. > :43:05.discuss this with my constituents in his place? Just say yes!
:43:06. > :43:13.LAUGHTER It is a delight to have such a tempting offer.
:43:14. > :43:16.Her constituency like many others in Scotland contains vibrant
:43:17. > :43:24.communities and absolutely wonderful landscapes. But while I would hope
:43:25. > :43:28.to be able to visit North Ayrshire at some stage in the future, I
:43:29. > :43:34.cannot give a firm diary commitment at the moment. I welcome the
:43:35. > :43:38.statement that there will be a debate on the government's Tobacco
:43:39. > :43:44.control programme. The issue at hand is that the control programme that
:43:45. > :43:50.was running for five years has expired, and we were promised a
:43:51. > :43:54.replacement in the summer of 2016. I realise the summer stretches into
:43:55. > :43:59.the autumn, but we still do not have the new programme published. The
:44:00. > :44:03.government has met the targets it set itself under the five-year
:44:04. > :44:08.programme, but during that debate can my right honourable friend make
:44:09. > :44:13.sure that the Minister announces the date for publication and that it is
:44:14. > :44:16.announced in this place? I will make sure the Minister knows, my
:44:17. > :44:20.honourable friend will have an opportunity not just to take part in
:44:21. > :44:25.the back bends business debate -- backbench business debate, but in
:44:26. > :44:30.the debate on the 11th of October. When will members of the House now
:44:31. > :44:37.when they can elect the chairs of the select committees? I hope as
:44:38. > :44:40.soon as possible. Obviously after this week we have to provide for an
:44:41. > :44:53.additional select committee But I hope this is not delayed
:44:54. > :44:58.indefinitely. Will the Leader of the House look again at the time
:44:59. > :45:01.allocated for the development of international trade. I do not think
:45:02. > :45:04.the leader was in his place this morning when we had half an hour for
:45:05. > :45:09.questions to the culture department then half an hour regarding the
:45:10. > :45:14.international trade Department. There are almost 50 questions listed
:45:15. > :45:19.on the order paper for a one-hour period, whereas a normal one-hour
:45:20. > :45:22.slot would only have about 35. Despite his huge experience, the
:45:23. > :45:28.Speaker had to make heroic efforts to try to squeeze everyone in, and
:45:29. > :45:34.even then it overran by ten minutes. Surely we can do better than this,
:45:35. > :45:41.given the importance of international trade post Brexit? I
:45:42. > :45:47.will look at what experience tells us of the new roster for oral
:45:48. > :45:52.questions and if the House needs to be asked to review this again then
:45:53. > :45:57.we will do that. I think that will be very welcome in the House. The
:45:58. > :46:03.danger otherwise is that there is a recipe for disappointment. There is
:46:04. > :46:07.always unsatisfied demand, but it was very, very striking this
:46:08. > :46:17.morning. Huge numbers and a lot were disappointed. I have also been
:46:18. > :46:20.contacted by hundreds of single women over the summer who have been
:46:21. > :46:27.affected by the behaviour of concentric. I received a written
:46:28. > :46:31.parliamentary answer yesterday to see the contractor had breached its
:46:32. > :46:35.performance standards on 120 occasions over the last 11 months.
:46:36. > :46:40.Can we have an urgent debate about the behaviour and performance of
:46:41. > :46:50.this contract so it cannot punish individuals and particularly single
:46:51. > :46:52.women for another day? Clearly the number of contract breaches she has
:46:53. > :47:00.described is completely unacceptable. I think that she might
:47:01. > :47:05.want to write to the financial Secretary is probably the right
:47:06. > :47:09.minister at the Secretary to make sure the concerns are being directed
:47:10. > :47:13.correctly to the ministers dealing with HMRC, but it seems to me that
:47:14. > :47:20.it is the responsibility of the HMRC senior management to manage their
:47:21. > :47:23.contract effectively and for the contractor to deliver rant delivered
:47:24. > :47:40.a decent service to her constituents and everyone else's. -- to deliver a
:47:41. > :47:44.decent service. The decision by southern health was greeted with a
:47:45. > :47:53.fit of apoplexy in my constituency, but can we have a debate on the
:47:54. > :47:56.scandalous and enduring and read duopoly of the wholesale newspaper
:47:57. > :48:06.distribution market and the disastrous consequences this has for
:48:07. > :48:13.independent retailers? My honourable friend is obviously returning with
:48:14. > :48:16.relish and energy to his new role as a backbench champion, particularly
:48:17. > :48:24.for small retailers in his constituency. I am sure he knows the
:48:25. > :48:28.ropes well enough to know that an adjournment debates might well be
:48:29. > :48:37.the opportunity to discuss these concerns further. I was recently
:48:38. > :48:42.contacted by a constituent when she discovered her energy account had a
:48:43. > :48:45.standing charge of 14p per day higher than other constituents. Aeon
:48:46. > :48:51.tell me that they are entitled to charge a higher rate for those who
:48:52. > :49:04.do not pay their accounts by direct debit, but this
:49:05. > :49:09.amounts to... -- E.on. The way forward would be for the honourable
:49:10. > :49:18.gentleman to see if he could catch the eye of the Speaker for business
:49:19. > :49:22.energy questions and he could put those points to the ministers. Mayor
:49:23. > :49:27.also strongly endorse what was said by the honourable member for Heywood
:49:28. > :49:32.and Middleton, and my right honourable friend for New Forest
:49:33. > :49:36.West about the extraordinary decision of the southern health
:49:37. > :49:39.trust to create a host with a salary greater than that of the Prime
:49:40. > :49:45.Minister to accommodate someone whose position as Chief Executive
:49:46. > :49:50.had become untenable, but may I ask for a ministerial statement on the
:49:51. > :49:54.plight of Afghan and other former interpreters for British Armed
:49:55. > :50:01.Forces in hostile environments who have applied for but not yet been
:50:02. > :50:04.given asylum in this country? This is not only a debt of honour but
:50:05. > :50:09.something that is necessary for the future functioning of British troops
:50:10. > :50:16.in hostile environments when we are greatly dependent upon indigenous
:50:17. > :50:22.interpreters. He raises an important point. Clearly it is a very
:50:23. > :50:27.important principle that asylum decisions are all taken on the
:50:28. > :50:34.merits of each particular case, and that is true of applications of
:50:35. > :50:39.former interpreters as well as everyone else. But the Ministry of
:50:40. > :50:45.Defence and the Home Office continue to review the overall situation in
:50:46. > :50:54.order to ensure that we are providing protection to people who
:50:55. > :50:58.have helped to protect us, -- to protect us. My right honourable
:50:59. > :51:01.friend will be pleased to know that on Monday the 12th of September,
:51:02. > :51:06.next week, we have defence questions, which may be something he
:51:07. > :51:12.wishes to raise with defence ministers Ben. May we have a
:51:13. > :51:18.statement on reports that emerged over the summer that the government
:51:19. > :51:35.equalities office has awarded G4S the contract to deliver the helpline
:51:36. > :51:39.. The matter is urgent, I understand the contract is due to take effect
:51:40. > :51:42.from the 1st of October, so could the leader make a statement on the
:51:43. > :51:49.subject next week, as people have expressed concern at G4S providing
:51:50. > :51:52.public services? I will draw the concern to the attention of the
:51:53. > :51:59.relevant Minister dealing with the government office for the qualities.
:52:00. > :52:03.Parliamentary scrutiny of Sports Direct has helped employees get a
:52:04. > :52:10.better deal from a rogue employer. May we have a debate on a good
:52:11. > :52:14.increase in the minimum wage leading some employers to cut back terms and
:52:15. > :52:22.conditions further staff, leading to a net reduction in pay? That cannot
:52:23. > :52:25.be right. Badge for your staff. It is not right, but I would have hoped
:52:26. > :52:28.that the honourable gentleman would have acknowledged that by setting
:52:29. > :52:33.the first-ever national living wage it is this government that has
:52:34. > :52:37.lifted considerably the minimum levels of pay that the low paid
:52:38. > :52:45.employers can no expect around the country. -- can now expect. The
:52:46. > :52:51.honourable member for North the Beds asked what progress has been made
:52:52. > :52:54.for setting up select committees to scrutinise the new departments of
:52:55. > :52:56.exiting the European Union and the new Department of International
:52:57. > :53:00.trade, and he said discussions are ongoing. When we get back on the
:53:01. > :53:04.10th of October, it will be more than 3.5 months since the
:53:05. > :53:07.referendum. We have had very little detail this week of what is actually
:53:08. > :53:12.proposed by the government. I am sure that lots of other honourable
:53:13. > :53:17.members are inundated with requests about what the government are going
:53:18. > :53:21.to do in light of the vote. Can he guarantee that when we return here
:53:22. > :53:25.on the 10th of October, the select committees will be a position to get
:53:26. > :53:30.up and running and scrutinise these departments to try to get the
:53:31. > :53:33.answers we have not had this week? I very much want that to be the
:53:34. > :53:35.position, I hope the ongoing discussions through the usual
:53:36. > :53:44.channels have a successful outcome soon. Can we have a debate on the
:53:45. > :53:47.performance of South-eastern Trains. The government has put ?20 million
:53:48. > :53:51.into trying to sort out the mess of suburban trains. But my constituents
:53:52. > :53:55.are suffering equally because of the poor performance of this company
:53:56. > :53:57.behaving like they have one foot out of the door because they can see the
:53:58. > :54:15.prospect of TEFL taking over the franchise. -- TfL. He will have the
:54:16. > :54:23.opportunity to raise this with Transport Minister is next week. One
:54:24. > :54:33.of my constituents is waiting for a decision from the DW P regarding his
:54:34. > :54:36.condition. On the 12th of January I was advised a decision whether or
:54:37. > :54:39.not to add this to the list of prescribed diseases will be made
:54:40. > :54:44.early this year. As we are still waiting, can we have a ministerial
:54:45. > :54:52.statement to explain this delay and bring these deliberations to a
:54:53. > :54:57.conclusion? I will draw that matter to the attention of DWP ministers
:54:58. > :55:05.because whatever the decision is to be, the sooner that people know the
:55:06. > :55:08.outcome, the better. The Leader of the House and I have something in
:55:09. > :55:14.common, in that we were both 1's contestants on University challenge.
:55:15. > :55:19.If we were able to have a debate on enhancing democracy, how would he
:55:20. > :55:24.answer this starter for ten, under what school for logic do you enhance
:55:25. > :55:29.democracy by cutting the number of elected politicians and increasing
:55:30. > :55:37.the number of unelected peers? I said to him earlier, I wish I had
:55:38. > :55:44.been the consensus that was absent about the House of Lords, but we are
:55:45. > :55:47.where we are on that, and I doubt the opinion of the House of Commons
:55:48. > :55:52.has changed all that much since we have been -- had to be aborted
:55:53. > :55:59.attempt at reform. I think the answer to him as that he really
:56:00. > :56:07.cannot evade the central point, that we are now operating on electoral
:56:08. > :56:10.registers based on a census taken in 2001. It is now very out of date,
:56:11. > :56:17.given population changes that have taken place, and it is also just
:56:18. > :56:24.plainly wrong to continue with a situation in which constituency
:56:25. > :56:28.electorates are of such disparate sizes which means there is gross
:56:29. > :56:33.inequality between the weight of votes of individual electors.
:56:34. > :56:45.In June of this year, one of my constituents was killed because of a
:56:46. > :56:51.gas blow out at a minus. In August, a contract worker was electrocuted
:56:52. > :56:54.doing service work at the same mind. Back in April, 11 miners escaped
:56:55. > :57:01.with their lives after oxygen ran out. The mining has been
:57:02. > :57:07.investigated over the past 12 months. Those 11 miners, some of
:57:08. > :57:10.which have had to return to work with post-traumatic stress disorder,
:57:11. > :57:15.due to the fact the sick pay is not enough to cover the costs of feeding
:57:16. > :57:19.a wife and children... Can we have a debate in relation to health and
:57:20. > :57:23.safety work and locations of workers having to return to work because
:57:24. > :57:28.sick pay is not adequate enough, when companies have accepted
:57:29. > :57:33.liability? I am grateful to the honourable gentleman to -- for
:57:34. > :57:37.bringing a serious matter to my attention. I want to express my
:57:38. > :57:39.sympathy with those of his constituents who have gone through
:57:40. > :57:49.this horrific experience and also their families. What he raises
:57:50. > :57:57.crosses the border between the Department of business and energy
:57:58. > :58:02.and the DWP in respect of benefits. What I will do is I will draw this
:58:03. > :58:05.question to the attention of ministers in both departments. He
:58:06. > :58:09.might also like to raise this ad business and energy questions when
:58:10. > :58:12.it comes macro up. Or seek an adjournment debate so there can be a
:58:13. > :58:22.consolidated ministerial response across government addressing these
:58:23. > :58:29.concerns. Three people a day die due to a shortage of transplantable
:58:30. > :58:33.organs. Earlier this week a quadruple amputee poses -- pose nude
:58:34. > :58:45.with her body displaying transplantable organs.
:58:46. > :58:50.The honourable gentleman has used today's opportunity well to
:58:51. > :59:00.highlight his support for organ donation. I know constituents who
:59:01. > :59:08.have been given not only a longer life, but a life of unexpectedly
:59:09. > :59:13.improved quality because of a successful organ transplant. I am
:59:14. > :59:19.sure that he can find many ways in which to highlight this matter
:59:20. > :59:29.during Parliamentary proceedings. Order. We will come to the
:59:30. > :59:35.honourable gentleman in due course. Point of order. Can you advise me
:59:36. > :59:39.how best I can bring my concerns to the attentions of the House in
:59:40. > :59:42.relation to the boundary review and House of Lords reform? It seems
:59:43. > :59:46.perverse to reduce the number of elected representatives in this
:59:47. > :59:53.place, while the Lords continues to gorge itself on new arrivals. Mr
:59:54. > :59:54.Speaker, I believe in an appointed other House but not at