10/10/2016

:00:00. > :00:00.years provision and the workforce strategy will be published very

:00:00. > :00:00.shortly. I'm sorry to disappoint remaining colleagues but deland as

:00:00. > :00:13.usual has exceeded supply and we must now move on. Order. Urgent

:00:14. > :00:19.question, Mr David Burrows. Mr Speaker, my request to ask the

:00:20. > :00:26.Speaker a question about thd Calais jungle and its urgent demolhtion and

:00:27. > :00:30.the need to provide for those children in his best interests it is

:00:31. > :00:35.to be in the United Kingdom. Home Secretary Amber Rudd. Thank you Mr

:00:36. > :00:41.Speaker. Today I met with mx counterpart Bernard Cazeneuve and we

:00:42. > :00:43.agreed that we have a moral duty to safeguard the welfare of

:00:44. > :00:48.unaccompanied refugee children. We both take our humanitarian response

:00:49. > :00:52.billet is seriously. The UK Government has made clear its

:00:53. > :00:58.responsible TTIP resettle children and ensure they are brought here

:00:59. > :01:02.using the Dublin regulation. The primary responsibility for

:01:03. > :01:06.unaccompanied children in France lies with the French authorhties.

:01:07. > :01:08.The UK Government has no jurisdiction to operate on French

:01:09. > :01:14.territory and the UK can only contribute in ways agreed whth the

:01:15. > :01:18.French authorities and in compliance with French and EU law. The UK has

:01:19. > :01:22.made significant progress in speeding up the Dublin procdss.

:01:23. > :01:26.We've established a permanent official level contact group and we

:01:27. > :01:29.have sick on the UK experts to the French Government. Part of the role

:01:30. > :01:36.is to assist coordinating efforts on the ground to identify children

:01:37. > :01:39.Since the beginning of 2016, over 80 unaccompanied children have been

:01:40. > :01:43.accepted for transfer to thd UK from France under the Dublin regtlation,

:01:44. > :01:48.nearly all of whom have now arrived in the UK. Within these verx real

:01:49. > :01:52.constraints, we continue to work with the French Government `nd

:01:53. > :01:55.partner organisations to spded up the mechanisms to identify, assess

:01:56. > :02:01.and transfer unaccompanied refugee children to the UK, where this is in

:02:02. > :02:04.their best interests. While the decision on dismantling the Calais

:02:05. > :02:08.camp and the timing of this operation is a matter for the French

:02:09. > :02:13.Government, I have made crystal clear to the French Interior

:02:14. > :02:17.Ministry numerous occasions including at our meeting today that

:02:18. > :02:21.our priority must be to enstre the safety and security of children

:02:22. > :02:26.during any camp clearance. We have made good progress today but there

:02:27. > :02:29.is much more work to do. To this end I emphasise to Mr Bernard C`zeneuve

:02:30. > :02:34.that we should transfer has many miners as possible to the -, from

:02:35. > :02:37.the camp eligible under the Dublin regulation before clearance

:02:38. > :02:41.commences with the remainder coming over within the next few daxs of the

:02:42. > :02:46.operation. I also outline mx view is that those children eligibld under

:02:47. > :02:50.the dubs amendment to the immigration act 2016 must bd looked

:02:51. > :02:54.after in safe facilities whdre their best interests are public

:02:55. > :02:57.considered. The UK Government stands ready to help fund such fachlities

:02:58. > :03:03.and provide the resource into aid the decision-making. I made clear

:03:04. > :03:05.today in my meeting with Bernard Cazeneuve that we should

:03:06. > :03:11.particularly prioritise those under the age of 12 because they `re the

:03:12. > :03:13.most vulnerable. The UK rem`ins committed to upholding our

:03:14. > :03:20.humanitarian responsibilitids on protecting minors and those most

:03:21. > :03:23.honourable. Mr David Burrows. The question is, with the Calais jungle

:03:24. > :03:28.earmarked for demolition next week what is being done to provide safety

:03:29. > :03:38.and refuge for children to whom we have a legal and moral duty of care.

:03:39. > :03:47.The last report found 178 children eligible for sank three in the UK.

:03:48. > :03:52.We recognise the scale of the chalice but the energy is not shared

:03:53. > :04:00.by French authorities who do not provide interpreters and resources

:04:01. > :04:08.to enable the process in wedks and not months. She has confirmdd today

:04:09. > :04:14.as many as possible for demolition. Last week she said compassion does

:04:15. > :04:19.not stop at the border and today she said the first 100 child refugees

:04:20. > :04:22.are coming to the UK within weeks. And the Home Secretary provhde

:04:23. > :04:26.assurance today that all chhldren eligible to transfer for thd UK will

:04:27. > :04:29.be in a place of safety before the demolition starts? The French

:04:30. > :04:35.corporation centres are for children. Only 12 got on thd bus to

:04:36. > :04:40.the centres on Thursday and the next one is only tomorrow. But the French

:04:41. > :04:45.Red Cross has pledged to provide accommodation for all children

:04:46. > :04:53.awaiting the reunion with UK families in one place. Will the Home

:04:54. > :04:57.Secretary confirmed today and insure this happens before the demolition

:04:58. > :05:00.starts. Will the Government, with France, create a designated

:05:01. > :05:04.children's Centre sufficient for all children, whether it be dubs or

:05:05. > :05:10.Dublin with relocation clails rather than risk dispersal and

:05:11. > :05:14.exploitation? The report aptly named no place for children, which those

:05:15. > :05:22.who have visited the Calais jungle will testify to, highlighted a

:05:23. > :05:35.bureaucratic, that is the frustrating part, nightmare. Will

:05:36. > :05:40.the Government use funds, whatever way they are, for an appropriately

:05:41. > :05:44.mandated organisation with `uthority from France and the UK to identify

:05:45. > :05:50.all mine is eligible for tr`nsfer, at his assist in the progress of

:05:51. > :05:56.their case and family links through Dublin? And finally, does the Home

:05:57. > :05:59.Secretary acknowledged that until we have those answers, that pl`n for

:06:00. > :06:02.the safety of those on the rubble Calais children, the Prime

:06:03. > :06:09.Minister's words last week of standing up for the week will risk

:06:10. > :06:14.being just those, words. Th`nk you, Mr Speaker. I thank my honotrable

:06:15. > :06:19.friend for his question and for raising this matter, giving me the

:06:20. > :06:24.opportunity to set out what the Government is doing. I apprdciate

:06:25. > :06:29.particularly his comments about the urgency issue. I share his view on

:06:30. > :06:32.this matter being urgent, as I know everybody in this house does. Having

:06:33. > :06:36.been at a meeting today for nearly two hours with my French

:06:37. > :06:40.counterpart, he had eight or nine people with him and I did too. I

:06:41. > :06:43.think it's fair to say that the bureaucratic elements of thhs will

:06:44. > :06:49.now be dealt with with the sort of urgency that we want to see. In

:06:50. > :06:53.terms of access, to making sure that there is a children's centrd where

:06:54. > :06:57.the clearance is taking place, I certainly share his view th`t it is

:06:58. > :07:00.essential to make sure that those children are kept safe during any

:07:01. > :07:05.clearances and I have made that point to him, to the Ministdr. In

:07:06. > :07:08.terms of the children under the Dublin regulation, which is not all

:07:09. > :07:12.the children we want to takd by any means but it is part one of what we

:07:13. > :07:17.want to help with we have bden pressing for a list. I apprdciate

:07:18. > :07:22.that Citizens UK and other NGOs have a list. In order for the regulations

:07:23. > :07:25.the work they have to come through the host country. We now believe the

:07:26. > :07:29.French will give that to us this week and be in no doubt, we will

:07:30. > :07:33.move with all urgency a matter of days, week at the most to ddliver on

:07:34. > :07:42.that commitment when we get it. Diane Abbott. In January of this

:07:43. > :07:50.year, I visited the Calais jungle refugee camp. I would remind this

:07:51. > :07:56.house that words cannot convey the horror of the conditions thdre.

:07:57. > :08:03.People sleeping under canvas in subzero the Bridge is, the squalor,

:08:04. > :08:11.the violence, the threat of sexual assault. Nobody should be in those

:08:12. > :08:13.conditions longer than necessary and in particular children. Will the

:08:14. > :08:18.Home Secretary reassure the house that these children, who have come

:08:19. > :08:22.in the words of the dubs amdndment, either a legal right to comd to the

:08:23. > :08:26.UK or it would be in their best interests, those children whll not

:08:27. > :08:32.be scattered to all parts of France, these children will be in one place,

:08:33. > :08:36.in a designated children's Centre. I put it to the Home Secretarx that

:08:37. > :08:42.she has already revealed with her misconceived proposal to make

:08:43. > :08:46.companies keep lists of fordign workers that she is out of touch

:08:47. > :08:50.with this country's better instincts. On the question of these

:08:51. > :08:56.children in these desperate conditions, will she step up and do

:08:57. > :09:03.what people all over this country want us to do and fulfil our moral

:09:04. > :09:08.responsibilities, fewer words, more action.

:09:09. > :09:12.I can reassure the honourable lady that then the list I am intdrested

:09:13. > :09:15.in is the list I want from the French government that will enable

:09:16. > :09:20.us to get the children who belong here safely back to this cotntry. I

:09:21. > :09:25.am committed to ensuring thd safety of the children being put fhrst I

:09:26. > :09:32.share her views about the horror for the children who are living there.

:09:33. > :09:34.It is because we are so comlitted to protecting those children that we

:09:35. > :09:39.are making them a priority hn our arrangements with the French and

:09:40. > :09:43.in-kind assistance will which the French asked for ensuring their

:09:44. > :09:46.camps. The French are committed to making sure they do clear those

:09:47. > :09:52.camps. They have asked us for assistance. We will give thdm that

:09:53. > :09:58.assistance, in the form of taking the children who have the rhght to

:09:59. > :10:02.be here, as I set out to my honourable friend from Southgate,

:10:03. > :10:05.and also in terms of money, process and staff. There is no stond

:10:06. > :10:10.unturned for this government to assist the French in making sure we

:10:11. > :10:17.help those children come to this country where they should. H am

:10:18. > :10:23.delighted that the Home Secretary is taking this problem so seriously,

:10:24. > :10:29.and that she is working with her counterpart of making sure these

:10:30. > :10:34.children are safe and the problem of the Calais refugee camp is solved.

:10:35. > :10:39.However, I am worried about the criminal gangs operating in the area

:10:40. > :10:43.and exploiting vulnerable pdople. I understand last year that the UK and

:10:44. > :10:48.French authorities cooperatdd well. I think some 28 criminal gangs were

:10:49. > :10:53.disrupted. Could the Home Sdcretary tell us what success she and the

:10:54. > :11:03.French authorities have had this year in bringing those crimhnal

:11:04. > :11:06.actions to a stop? The right honourable lady draws attention to

:11:07. > :11:11.the villains of this whole camp which is the criminal gangs who prey

:11:12. > :11:15.on the most vulnerable. It hs their violent intentions towards the

:11:16. > :11:19.people in these camps that could be most damaging and disruptivd for

:11:20. > :11:24.everybody and not just the children, but the people in the camps. So I am

:11:25. > :11:29.in close conversations with our French counterparts to ensure we do

:11:30. > :11:35.what we can to disrupt any crime in order to have safe dismembering of

:11:36. > :11:39.the camps. I welcome the Hole Secretary's acceptance that there is

:11:40. > :11:44.a moral duty to help these children, but there is also a legal dtty,

:11:45. > :11:48.which exists not just because of the Dublin Convention but because of the

:11:49. > :11:52.amendment passed by this Hotse. It is clear that there is concdrn

:11:53. > :11:56.across this House about the current lack of transparency from the

:11:57. > :11:59.government in relation to these legal duties. Given the lack of

:12:00. > :12:02.meaningful action to date in bringing these unaccompanied minors

:12:03. > :12:08.to the UK, will the Home Secretary agree with me that it would be good

:12:09. > :12:12.for the government to commit to publishing a regular update on

:12:13. > :12:17.numbers and progress, and c`n she commit to publishing a fortnightly

:12:18. > :12:21.update? And she also tell us how many children in the UK is prepared

:12:22. > :12:25.to take in in the next week? We would like to hear numbers. We hear

:12:26. > :12:34.there are up to 400 unaccompanied children in the camp. Scotl`nd has

:12:35. > :12:40.already taken more than a proportionate share of refugees and

:12:41. > :12:46.we stand ready to take as m`ny as we can. But unfortunately, we have to

:12:47. > :12:48.wait for the UK Government to act. That is what this urgent qudstion

:12:49. > :12:54.from the honourable gentlem`n is about. I want to raise one final

:12:55. > :12:58.issue. I was at a camp in C`lais in Easter with some of my colldagues

:12:59. > :13:03.around me and members of thd Scottish Refugee Council. Wd heard

:13:04. > :13:06.that the last time part of the camp was demolished, it was demolished

:13:07. > :13:10.with no warning. So people can out of their tents in the middld of the

:13:11. > :13:15.night and had crushed what little belongings they have. We'll do Home

:13:16. > :13:19.Secretary speak to the French government to ensure this sort of

:13:20. > :13:26.inhumanity does not occur again not only to children, but to adtlts In

:13:27. > :13:34.terms of the numbers the honourable lady asked for as agreed in May we

:13:35. > :13:39.have taken over 50 and they are largely from Greece, becausd that

:13:40. > :13:45.was the area that was deemed to have the highest differential in terms of

:13:46. > :13:49.the children's vulnerabilitx compared to being taken in the UK.

:13:50. > :13:52.We are now focused on trying to get these children from the Cal`is

:13:53. > :13:57.camps. For the past three wdeks the French have been working with us to

:13:58. > :14:05.identify them. She asked for details in terms of numbers and plans for

:14:06. > :14:10.bringing children to the UK. I would say to her and the House, in all

:14:11. > :14:14.honesty, we have to be careful with how much information we share

:14:15. > :14:21.publicly about these numbers and plans, because it is not always in

:14:22. > :14:23.the best interests of the children for the criminal gangs who

:14:24. > :14:28.trafficked them to know the information about how many children

:14:29. > :14:34.are going to be taken. The honourable lady says, come on. She

:14:35. > :14:38.does a disservice to this government and the intentions we have on this

:14:39. > :14:42.side of the House to look after those children, simply to t`ke a

:14:43. > :14:46.high moral tone as if total disclosure would be the answer. She

:14:47. > :14:50.is wrong and I would ask thd right honourable lady to work with us on

:14:51. > :14:54.this. I am happy to be frank with her and talk to her about it, but in

:14:55. > :14:57.terms of public disclosure of this information, we do not think it is

:14:58. > :15:03.in the best interests of thd more vulnerable children. Why do genuine

:15:04. > :15:10.refugees need to come from France into the UK to be properly looked

:15:11. > :15:14.after? Why can't France process people's asylum applications? What

:15:15. > :15:18.is so terrible about refugeds living in France? Why do they have to come

:15:19. > :15:22.to the UK? Can the Home Secretary explain why these people ard so

:15:23. > :15:26.desperate to get out of a s`fe country in France into the tnited

:15:27. > :15:30.Kingdom? I suspect if we were trying to palm of our refugees on `nother

:15:31. > :15:36.EU country, the party opposhte would be apoplectic about it. I al always

:15:37. > :15:41.grateful for a question frol the honourable gentleman. On thhs

:15:42. > :15:45.matter, I would say we do h`ve a legal obligation under the Dublin

:15:46. > :15:48.arrangements, whereby children who have demonstrated that they have

:15:49. > :15:53.family here are entitled to come here. But that process goes through

:15:54. > :15:59.the host French government. So they have to apply for that right within

:16:00. > :16:03.France. In terms of any addhtional children we wish to take, that

:16:04. > :16:11.battle has been fought and we intend to act on it. I welcome the Home

:16:12. > :16:20.Secretary's commitment to hdlping children who are suffering hn Calais

:16:21. > :16:25.under the dubs amendment as well as the Calais agreement. But I must

:16:26. > :16:30.press her on the scale of the timetable. How many unaccompanied

:16:31. > :16:40.children does she think Britain will end up taking? Of all the Dtblin

:16:41. > :16:46.children she said would be here within the first few days of the

:16:47. > :16:49.camp closing, is that all of the 178 that citizens UK have identhfied as

:16:50. > :16:53.being eligible, or sit just those who have managed to wrestle their

:16:54. > :16:59.way through the French bure`ucracy so far? It is that bureaucr`tic

:17:00. > :17:07.system that is failing, and we cannot have them wait four weeks to

:17:08. > :17:09.filling forms and wait in qteues. I admire the right honourable lady and

:17:10. > :17:12.her tenacious in the sun highlighting of this issue. I am

:17:13. > :17:16.always pleased to speak to her about it on them because I share her views

:17:17. > :17:23.about how important this is. In terms of numbers and bureaucracy,

:17:24. > :17:26.part of the purpose of meethng today with Bernard Cazeneuve was to make

:17:27. > :17:30.that bridge much closer so that his officials and my officials can

:17:31. > :17:35.deliver with the urgency th`t she expects and that I hope to deliver

:17:36. > :17:39.on. We have asked the French government to confirm the ntmber

:17:40. > :17:42.that citizens UK are putting out. They say they will do that within

:17:43. > :17:49.the next few days and there will be no hesitation in acting on that as

:17:50. > :17:52.soon as possible. There can be no doubting the Home Secretary's

:17:53. > :17:57.compassion, nor her determination to do something about this problem of

:17:58. > :18:01.up to 400 children who have a right to come here. I congratulatd the

:18:02. > :18:05.government on doing more th`n they did last year. Nonetheless, this is

:18:06. > :18:10.a crisis. The camp will be cleared within days and it appears there has

:18:11. > :18:14.been a huge bureaucratic confusion in France. Documents have bden lost.

:18:15. > :18:18.Apparently there are only four officials in the camp. Surety is

:18:19. > :18:22.time the British set up a t`sk force to work with French officials to go

:18:23. > :18:27.to the camp, sort out these people and bring them back. I thank my

:18:28. > :18:33.honourable friend for his qtestion. We have noticed a significant uplift

:18:34. > :18:40.in the amount of effort, people time and commitment that thd French

:18:41. > :18:45.are willing to put in. Becatse they are moving closer to Kierey the

:18:46. > :18:48.camps, they are keen to work with us -- because they are moving closer to

:18:49. > :18:52.cheering the camps, they want to work with us and he should be in no

:18:53. > :18:58.doubt that we are working whth them to make sure we can do that with all

:18:59. > :19:03.speed. The Home Secretary hdrself has estimated at between 600 and 900

:19:04. > :19:10.unaccompanied children exist in the camp and if the UK were to take 300,

:19:11. > :19:13.that would be "A good result". Can I suggest that 4600 left alond and

:19:14. > :19:20.cold in Calais, that will not be a good result? -- for the 600 left

:19:21. > :19:25.alone. Given the children that have come so far, citizens UK's safe

:19:26. > :19:31.passage is the reason they have come. Was she now promised to ensure

:19:32. > :19:36.that she steps up the efforts and names a number today that is it

:19:37. > :19:40.credible and ambitious, givdn the changing circumstances, and she

:19:41. > :19:43.ensures that by bloody-minddd determination, compassion and

:19:44. > :19:47.urgency, this government acts in line with this country's values and

:19:48. > :19:52.gives those children sanctu`ry and refuge? I share the honourable

:19:53. > :19:56.gentleman's view about the values of this country and the need to look

:19:57. > :20:00.after those children. I heshtate to name a number, even though H am

:20:01. > :20:03.often pressed by different organisations and by our Frdnch

:20:04. > :20:09.counterparts, because I think the right way to do this is to hdentify

:20:10. > :20:12.the regulations under which we as a country have said the children

:20:13. > :20:20.should come. That is Dublin and Dubs. As for as Dublin is concerned,

:20:21. > :20:27.we are making fast progress. With Dubs, we hope to have children

:20:28. > :20:33.helped safely so that we can assist with the process. We are not at a

:20:34. > :20:42.final deal with the French hn order to process those children. H hope we

:20:43. > :20:47.will reach one in the next few days. I am so pleased to hear the Home

:20:48. > :20:51.Secretary 's bid today with this sense of urgency and to read the

:20:52. > :20:54.reports in the papers. It sounds like a positive meeting with her

:20:55. > :20:57.counterparts. There are two priorities I would like to puestion

:20:58. > :21:02.her on. The offer that is in place for the French Red Cross to provide

:21:03. > :21:06.a building to give processing space to these children, could I dncourage

:21:07. > :21:11.her to investigate that and see how swiftly it might be possibld

:21:12. > :21:15.question secondly, I understand that the French police are doing a census

:21:16. > :21:18.today about the numbers of children. Some of those will be fleeing from

:21:19. > :21:22.the authorities. I have seen the French police myself and thdy are

:21:23. > :21:28.not welcoming to children. When will she get that list and what will she

:21:29. > :21:33.do to find the children who are avoiding that process? In tdrms of

:21:34. > :21:37.the French Red Cross, I will investigate and come back to her. In

:21:38. > :21:41.terms of the sensors, her qtestion highlights the challenges that exist

:21:42. > :21:44.in a camp like this, where we need information and yet the people who

:21:45. > :21:49.seek to get the information are not often looked at as friends of those

:21:50. > :21:54.they want to help. We have been told they are doing this census `t the

:21:55. > :21:58.moment. We have people in the camp as well. We will do our best to make

:21:59. > :22:02.sure that that census is as complete as possible so that we can tse it as

:22:03. > :22:06.constructively as possible. The French have the same interests as us

:22:07. > :22:09.here, which is to make sure the children who are entitled to come to

:22:10. > :22:21.the UK are brought to the UK. Now that they are clearing the camps,

:22:22. > :22:23.that is their intention. I congratulate my honourable friend,

:22:24. > :22:26.the member for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, on her appointment

:22:27. > :22:31.as the Shadow Home Secretarx. We entered the House together `nd I am

:22:32. > :22:36.delighted that she has done so well. I am sure that Home Office puestions

:22:37. > :22:41.will be box office. Not quite Trump versus Clinton, but it will be

:22:42. > :22:46.pretty fiery. I welcome what the Home Secretary has announced today.

:22:47. > :22:49.She is right to make a start to get this matter resolved and I don't

:22:50. > :22:52.doubt her commitment to do so, but does she agree with me that the

:22:53. > :22:56.ultimate responsibility rests with the French? They have been warned

:22:57. > :23:03.for years about the deteriorating situation in Calais. Does she also

:23:04. > :23:07.agree that the way the EU c`n deal with this crisis is to procdss and

:23:08. > :23:12.register unaccompanied minors when they arrive in the EU in It`ly and

:23:13. > :23:17.Greece so that there is no pull factor to come to Calais and other

:23:18. > :23:21.EU countries can take their responsibilities as they should have

:23:22. > :23:28.done in the past? The right honourable gentleman is right. This

:23:29. > :23:32.is a French responsibility. These people are in France, which is one

:23:33. > :23:38.of the reasons why it is hard for us to always engage in a way that some

:23:39. > :23:45.would like us to do. All European countries are now becoming luch more

:23:46. > :23:50.aware of the need to have clearer assessment of who is coming in, and

:23:51. > :24:00.I think we will be moving to that throughout Europe, not just the EU.

:24:01. > :24:04.Past experience shows that dven if the present so-called Jungld is

:24:05. > :24:08.cleared, it will not be long before another one springs up unless we do

:24:09. > :24:11.something about tackling thd underlying causes as to why so many

:24:12. > :24:17.want to come into the united Kingdom. What is being done with the

:24:18. > :24:22.French authorities to tackld the underlying reasons why so m`ny are

:24:23. > :24:35.not satisfied with staying hn France?

:24:36. > :24:44.That is what happened when the Sangat camp was cleared, it wasn't

:24:45. > :24:47.the final clearance at all, anyone was formed. I am in talks whth my

:24:48. > :24:56.French counterparts to ensure they can take action to prevent that from

:24:57. > :24:59.happening. With typical gendrosity, the British public want to do some

:25:00. > :25:02.pigs are held. Local authorhties want to do something to help. The

:25:03. > :25:11.Home Secretary has made it clear today that her personal comlitment

:25:12. > :25:17.is to do the right thing. What happens, then, if France, over the

:25:18. > :25:24.next few days, doesn't meet the commitments that she had bedn given,

:25:25. > :25:27.does she have a plan B? I thank the honourable gentleman for his

:25:28. > :25:30.question and I can reassure him that during my two-hour meeting with

:25:31. > :25:34.Bernard Cazeneuve, by the end of it we had arrived at a place where we

:25:35. > :25:38.do expect to reach an agreelent We haven't reached it yet but on the

:25:39. > :25:41.key subjects of how the UK can contribute to the clearing of the

:25:42. > :25:46.camp in a way that supports particular children, we havd arrived

:25:47. > :25:49.at a point where we think wd can reach an agreement. If you bear with

:25:50. > :25:55.me for a few more days, I'm confident that we will do. Thank

:25:56. > :26:01.you, Mr Speaker. I welcome the Home Secretary's remarks today and

:26:02. > :26:04.certainly the people of Salhsbury are committed to seeing this through

:26:05. > :26:08.and the right thing being done. But she agree that it is import`nt we

:26:09. > :26:11.anticipate the widest possible range of needs of this particular cohort

:26:12. > :26:21.particularly in terms of edtcation and medical services? My boxfriend

:26:22. > :26:24.is an slippy right. We talk about taking these children who absolutely

:26:25. > :26:27.have a legal right to be here and the fact that the communitids and

:26:28. > :26:31.populations that receive thdm want to help, but there is often a

:26:32. > :26:35.particular need in terms of what they've been through, health needs,

:26:36. > :26:38.and it's essential we have that support package put in placd, which

:26:39. > :26:42.is one of the reasons we want to make sure we have the opportunity to

:26:43. > :26:46.properly assess those children so that when they come to the TK that

:26:47. > :26:52.support package is well and truly in place. Thank you Mr Speaker. The

:26:53. > :26:59.Home Secretary will be award of the concern for numbers today in the

:27:00. > :27:06.house. The 387 children that we know the voluntary sector has iddntified

:27:07. > :27:19.four her department who are added -- eligible to come here. And the three

:27:20. > :27:22.times as much that this country is currently spending on buildhng a

:27:23. > :27:25.wall to block these children rather than trying to stop them behng

:27:26. > :27:30.trafficked. Given her welcole commitment get things moving, will

:27:31. > :27:32.she reversed that ratio and put the money into the administrators that

:27:33. > :27:39.is needed to get these paymdnts processed and that we can gdt these

:27:40. > :27:42.children out of that hellhole today? I understand the passion and the

:27:43. > :27:47.commitment, the genuine feeling that the honourable lady has abott this

:27:48. > :27:51.subject and I share it. I would say, though, it's not a question of

:27:52. > :27:55.financial commitment to papdrwork that has been slowing up, it is not,

:27:56. > :27:59.it is a question of making sure that the French engage with us on the

:28:00. > :28:06.subject so that we can actu`lly commit to getting the numbers that

:28:07. > :28:10.we want. For instance, as I mentioned earlier, in terms of the

:28:11. > :28:15.dubs agreement, the 200 Dublin we have already referred to, they have

:28:16. > :28:19.only begun to work with us on that in the past three weeks. Thdn our

:28:20. > :28:22.very focused on wanting us to take children from the camps bec`use they

:28:23. > :28:26.are now arriving at the point where they want to clear the camps. So I

:28:27. > :28:30.can confidently tell her thdre will be a market increase in being able

:28:31. > :28:34.to take those children over and process their claims, not bdcause of

:28:35. > :28:43.money but because of the political will. Mr Speaker, may I welcome the

:28:44. > :28:48.dismantling of the Calais jtngle, if this time it does happen. M`y I will

:28:49. > :28:51.so welcome the compassion shown by the Home Secretary for the plight of

:28:52. > :28:57.these children but would shd agree that in Kent on the front lhne we

:28:58. > :29:00.have about a quarter of the total unaccompanied asylum seekers each

:29:01. > :29:04.children in this country. Whll she act to make sure there is a fairer

:29:05. > :29:14.distribution and every nation does its bit to care for the children in

:29:15. > :29:19.this appalling situation? I thank my honourable friend for that puestion

:29:20. > :29:23.and he is right. I think we should all thank Kent for the enorlous

:29:24. > :29:27.amount of work they do to look after unaccompanied children. Thex deliver

:29:28. > :29:32.the highest responsibility `nd they do so with generosity and wd are all

:29:33. > :29:36.very grateful. In terms are participating and sharing around the

:29:37. > :29:40.children so that other counties and nations, as he puts it, can benefit

:29:41. > :29:43.from these children, we havd the national transfer scheme and we will

:29:44. > :29:45.be making sure that it is in place so that it can indeed spread the

:29:46. > :29:53.responsibility. Given the extreme vulnerability of

:29:54. > :29:56.unaccompanied children at C`lais, with the Secretary of State

:29:57. > :30:04.committed to ensuring that the Home Office is charged with indiscretion

:30:05. > :30:08.Imrul Kayes into the family links as required by the Red Cross? H would

:30:09. > :30:12.say to the honourable lady that there is legislation in place and I

:30:13. > :30:15.would be careful about waving legislation where there is `lready

:30:16. > :30:21.an obligation and that is the case with the Dublin agreements. In terms

:30:22. > :30:31.of dubs, there is in a way lore indiscretion because the evhdence is

:30:32. > :30:32.less tangible than family lhnks It has to be proven they are

:30:33. > :30:41.vulnerable. I think we can increase the number

:30:42. > :30:45.substantially so that we can do the right thing by these childrdn. Mr

:30:46. > :30:49.Speaker, in agreement with the Right Honourable member for Leicester

:30:50. > :30:53.East, I know that if this shtuation were going on in Dover, the UK

:30:54. > :30:56.authorities would promptly register any claims for asylum and dhrect

:30:57. > :31:00.those honourable children to the authorities of the countries where

:31:01. > :31:03.they have family ties. Sadlx, the French have not done that and they

:31:04. > :31:07.are not doing that, meaning that our legal powers and responsibld of

:31:08. > :31:12.these simply are not being dngaged. So what practical steps has my

:31:13. > :31:17.friend's counterparts guaranteed he will put in place to speed tp the

:31:18. > :31:20.process? That is the only mdans by which we in the UK are going to be

:31:21. > :31:25.able to speed up the response we can give. My honourable friend hs

:31:26. > :31:29.absolutely right, this is French legislation and French authority

:31:30. > :31:33.territory and we can only engage with them as they allow us to do so.

:31:34. > :31:38.But I can reassure him that given that they have decided now to clear

:31:39. > :31:41.these camps, they are appro`ching the offers of help we have lade with

:31:42. > :31:46.a lot more enthusiasm and cdrtainty of purpose so that we can ddliver on

:31:47. > :31:50.what we all want to do, which is looking after those children. I

:31:51. > :31:53.welcome what the Home Secretary has said today and rightly the focus is

:31:54. > :31:59.on the appalling situation hn Calais. Can she update the house on

:32:00. > :32:02.progress on the dubs amendmdnt for children not in Calais. She

:32:03. > :32:07.mentioned 50, that sounds lhke quite a low figure to me. Can she give us

:32:08. > :32:10.an update in terms of the work of her department and the rest of the

:32:11. > :32:14.Government who will also work with local Government across the country

:32:15. > :32:18.so that we can fulfil that gold of 3000 unaccompanied children coming

:32:19. > :32:22.here? I can tell the honour`ble gentleman that we have focused on

:32:23. > :32:25.Greece and Italy in terms of taking children according to the dtbs

:32:26. > :32:28.amendment, because that is where our information was that the chhldren

:32:29. > :32:33.were most vulnerable and it was about finding the most vulndrable

:32:34. > :32:37.children who could come to the UK, and a banner was always to lake sure

:32:38. > :32:41.that these were Syrian refugees who needed to be transferred to the UK.

:32:42. > :32:44.We had been focusing on France and Italy and we will continue to do so

:32:45. > :32:48.but for a while we will also make sure that we take children from the

:32:49. > :32:54.Calais jungle as well and that work is ongoing. I visited the C`lais

:32:55. > :32:59.jungle ten days ago and I wdlcome the commitment the Home Secretary

:33:00. > :33:04.has made that we will give safe passage to these vulnerable children

:33:05. > :33:06.because people are genuinelx frightened that it will be

:33:07. > :33:14.demolished with women and children still living in the camp.

:33:15. > :33:22.My honourable friend brings some disappointing news on that front. I

:33:23. > :33:26.can say that my experience working with my French opposite number and

:33:27. > :33:30.the officials he has is that they are just as committed as we are to

:33:31. > :33:35.trying to assist and their intervention and their aim hs going

:33:36. > :33:38.to be to dismantle this camp in the most humanitarian way possible. It's

:33:39. > :33:42.clearly going to be a challdnging event for them to do so, whhch is

:33:43. > :33:46.why we are offering financi`l support and security support in

:33:47. > :33:47.order to make sure that it hs done as effectively and gently as

:33:48. > :33:58.possible. Thank you Mr Speaker. I'm a bit

:33:59. > :34:08.concerned that we have heard initially there will be no stone

:34:09. > :34:17.unturned in this process. The stark reality has been that there are 400

:34:18. > :34:22.still there. The Government must commit to numbers and must confirm

:34:23. > :34:28.that they have the capability to bring in five times the numbers

:34:29. > :34:34.brought in in that period of time and prove they are working to

:34:35. > :34:36.identify these people. I can only reassure the honourable gentleman

:34:37. > :34:40.that the Government is doing that, we are working with the French and

:34:41. > :34:44.trying to identify the children who have a legal right to be here

:34:45. > :34:47.because of their family herd. There is no lack of enthusiasm from us

:34:48. > :34:51.trying to do that. There is no attempt to hide behind anything as

:34:52. > :34:55.he put it. We're committed to doing what is in the best interests of

:34:56. > :34:59.children and doing it with `ll speed and paste. We must be aware that

:35:00. > :35:03.there are people who wish these children evil and we must m`ke sure

:35:04. > :35:09.that we protect them from the people who want traffic them. What my

:35:10. > :35:14.constituents don't understand is that if charities and NGOs can

:35:15. > :35:18.identify 387 unaccompanied children as having a legal right to be in the

:35:19. > :35:24.United Kingdom, why can't the French authorities do that? Is it the

:35:25. > :35:29.understanding of the house that by the end of this week the Frdnch

:35:30. > :35:32.Government will have confirled to herd the definitive number `nd the

:35:33. > :35:38.individual names of those they believe are entitled to comd to this

:35:39. > :35:43.country? The answer to the first part of my honourable friend's

:35:44. > :35:46.question is that the childrdn are not actually confirmed as qtalifying

:35:47. > :35:50.under the Dublin agreement, unless it is actually dealt with bx the

:35:51. > :35:56.French Government. The charhties provide the numbers and the list is

:35:57. > :35:59.then provided to the French Government and then they have to

:36:00. > :36:02.confirm it to us. The French have confirmed they expect to do that

:36:03. > :36:06.within the next few days and as my honourable friend asked me darlier,

:36:07. > :36:09.they are also doing a census and we expect considerably more information

:36:10. > :36:14.to come from them which we can work with during the next few daxs.

:36:15. > :36:21.Alison McGovern. Thank you Lr Speaker and I pay tribute to the

:36:22. > :36:28.honourable gentleman for Enfield for raising this concern. Can I go back

:36:29. > :36:32.to the question about a task force? We seem to be arguing about

:36:33. > :36:35.bureaucracy in this house btt at the end of the day these are chhldren

:36:36. > :36:41.who need help. Can't we havd a British and French task force get

:36:42. > :36:47.into that camp and sort it out? The honourable lady should know, I would

:36:48. > :36:50.like to inform her, that we're doing some of that work already. Ly

:36:51. > :36:54.officials are over in Francd every other day for the past two or three

:36:55. > :36:58.weeks so that we can work together to make sure we deliver the outcomes

:36:59. > :37:03.we want. As we approach the final clearances which may be next week,

:37:04. > :37:07.it may be the week after th`t, the French haven't set a date on it in

:37:08. > :37:10.the next few weeks, we expect to be very much involved with working with

:37:11. > :37:16.them in the camps to make stre that we look after the most vulndrable.

:37:17. > :37:20.As I said earlier, we haven't arrived at a final agreement with

:37:21. > :37:24.the French, there are elements to be further discussed and agreed and we

:37:25. > :37:30.will arrive at one and I hope that that point she will be able to see

:37:31. > :37:35.us much closer to the interdsts of everybody there. I welcome the Home

:37:36. > :37:39.Secretary's statement and the sense of urgency she is bringing to this

:37:40. > :37:43.important issue. These are deeply traumatised children. Can she update

:37:44. > :37:46.the house not only on what lental health provision will be av`ilable

:37:47. > :37:48.for them when they come to this country but also what is behng done

:37:49. > :37:52.to identify families who have the special skills to identify `nd

:37:53. > :37:57.support those children coming here under the dubs amendment. Mx

:37:58. > :38:01.honourable friend raises a very important point. Once we have the

:38:02. > :38:06.children over here, how can we best look after those who have bden

:38:07. > :38:09.traumatised. We're working closely with local authorities to ensure

:38:10. > :38:14.that they can and we can assist them to provide the necessary support.

:38:15. > :38:19.Fiona McTaggart. Thank you, Mr Speaker. It's really good to hear

:38:20. > :38:23.the Home Secretary's decision to put her foot on the accelerator on this

:38:24. > :38:29.matter. But earlier this month there were newspaper reports suggdsting

:38:30. > :38:33.that the French had issued ` number of take charge under Dublin three

:38:34. > :38:37.requests about children in the camp that had been lost or not rdsponded

:38:38. > :38:42.to by UK authorities will stop can she assure the house that there are

:38:43. > :38:47.no take charge requests frol France which won't be acted on within the

:38:48. > :38:53.next week? I can assure the honourable lady that if we have all

:38:54. > :38:56.the information from the Frdnch which we expect to get during the

:38:57. > :39:02.next week or so before they actually clear the camps, we will move very

:39:03. > :39:07.quickly, within a few days, and remove those children where we can.

:39:08. > :39:09.There will be no hesitation. Part of the conversation I had with my

:39:10. > :39:14.French counterpart was about making sure that he and I, as the two

:39:15. > :39:18.ministers responsible on thhs, opposite numbers, have a direct line

:39:19. > :39:19.to ensure there is no bureatcracy that slows down any of the `ction

:39:20. > :39:28.that needs to be taken. Will she join me in thanking my

:39:29. > :39:33.constituents, Esther and Til O'Connor, who have visited the camps

:39:34. > :39:36.and done everything they can in a voluntary capacity to ease the

:39:37. > :39:39.situation, particularly for children? In relation to her

:39:40. > :39:43.discussions with her French counterpart, can she outlindd to the

:39:44. > :39:49.House if she had any discussions on the two K agreement and does she

:39:50. > :39:53.expect any changes to that? I joined the honourable gentleman in thanking

:39:54. > :39:59.his constituents, particularly Mr and Mrs O'Connor, who have been so

:40:00. > :40:08.helpful in supporting vulnerable people. It is well known th`t there

:40:09. > :40:11.is a certain discussion abott the agreement. I believe it serves us as

:40:12. > :40:20.well as it serves France, and I expect it to stay in place. I echo

:40:21. > :40:25.her concerns about children in the camps. Was she acknowledged that her

:40:26. > :40:30.government's approach is le`ding to a toxic two-tier system which is

:40:31. > :40:34.focused on distinguishing bdtween good refugees and bad econolic

:40:35. > :40:40.migrants, even if they are fleeing equally desperate situations? Can

:40:41. > :40:43.she confirm whether a migrant fleeing Afghanistan who then

:40:44. > :40:46.travelled to Turkey and is now trapped in Calais trying to meet a

:40:47. > :40:53.brother in the UK, is he a ligrant or refugee? I would respectfully say

:40:54. > :40:58.to the honourable lady that we have legislation in place. We have

:40:59. > :41:04.regulations that are there to help those we can help, and they are

:41:05. > :41:09.there to prevent people frol thinking they can come here when

:41:10. > :41:14.they can't. We must have cldar signs about who this country will

:41:15. > :41:17.willingly protect and look `fter, because we have strong Brithsh

:41:18. > :41:22.values, and those we can't. We shouldn't do ourselves damage or

:41:23. > :41:34.downgrade our values by sayhng we should do more. My constitudnts in

:41:35. > :41:38.Bristol have been in dismay this year at the glacial speed of

:41:39. > :41:41.transferring children with relatives in this country. What reasstrances

:41:42. > :41:46.can the Home Secretary give to my constituents that that speed will

:41:47. > :41:48.now be sped up sufficiently, and also deal with the medical needs

:41:49. > :41:56.which will inevitably have risen amongst those 1000 unaccomp`nied

:41:57. > :41:59.children in Calais? I would ask the honourable lady to reassure her

:42:00. > :42:04.constituents that during thd next ten days, we expect to see ` great

:42:05. > :42:09.number of the children who pualify under the Dublin agreement to come

:42:10. > :42:12.to the UK. Now the French h`ve made this decision, there is an

:42:13. > :42:16.accelerated cooperation going on between our countries and I hope she

:42:17. > :42:26.and her constituents will sde a difference over the next ten to 14

:42:27. > :42:30.days. The last time there w`s clearance in Calais, 129 chhldren

:42:31. > :42:37.went missing. This demolition is due to start again, perhaps in the next

:42:38. > :42:44.few days. She will understand the intense interest there is in this

:42:45. > :42:48.House and desire to know th`t there will be progress. Will she come back

:42:49. > :42:53.to the House, perhaps on Thtrsday or Monday, and tell us what is

:42:54. > :42:57.happening? She will not say how many children, but tell us as much as she

:42:58. > :43:03.can about what is happening, because the level of concern in this House

:43:04. > :43:07.is unprecedented on this issue. I agree that there is a high level of

:43:08. > :43:11.concern, and that is for good reason because we all want to make sure

:43:12. > :43:14.those children are looked after I can say that after careful

:43:15. > :43:19.conversations with my French counterparts, they have learned

:43:20. > :43:22.lessons from previous clear`nces. But there is a sensitive balancing

:43:23. > :43:26.act to try and get the right information to the children in the

:43:27. > :43:30.camp, while also making surd that their best interests are looked

:43:31. > :43:34.after. But they are sensitive to making sure those children `re

:43:35. > :43:41.looked after, and they are `lso led by the humanitarian need of looking

:43:42. > :43:44.after them. In the last hour, the media are reporting that thd Home

:43:45. > :43:51.Office have announced the Dtblin of asylum experts in France, working on

:43:52. > :43:57.the Calais cases, the doublhng from one to two officials. Does the Home

:43:58. > :44:00.Secretary think that is enotgh? The honourable lady has an advantage

:44:01. > :44:05.over me. I have not seen thhs particular announcement. It has been

:44:06. > :44:09.a pleasure to be here for the last hour and she has seen it before I

:44:10. > :44:15.have. I look forward to havhng a look at it and if she wants, I will

:44:16. > :44:19.write to her about it. Wouldn't it have been a good idea for the Home

:44:20. > :44:22.Secretary to have been making the announcement in the House, rather

:44:23. > :44:27.than the press office doing it from her department? We are talkhng about

:44:28. > :44:30.some of the most vulnerable children in the world, children who will have

:44:31. > :44:34.been traumatised in a way that no child should be traumatised,

:44:35. > :44:39.children who will have seen things that no child should have sden. Will

:44:40. > :44:42.she turn on its head the budget in her department so that instdad of

:44:43. > :44:46.spending money on a wall, she's spending money on making sure those

:44:47. > :44:51.children are protected so that their future is as bright as any others?

:44:52. > :44:54.I'm sure the honourable gentleman will have heard my comment, which is

:44:55. > :45:03.that this is not about the budget. It is about having the determination

:45:04. > :45:08.and focus to make sure we addressed taking those children out where they

:45:09. > :45:11.have a legal right to do so. I hope I have reassured him and thd rest of

:45:12. > :45:22.the House that we will do that as the French move towards thehr

:45:23. > :45:27.clearances. I recognise the efforts the Secretary of State has lade in

:45:28. > :45:30.dealing with this difficult issue, an issue which has captured the

:45:31. > :45:35.hearts of many across the UK. But does she not recognise that as long

:45:36. > :45:40.as the criminal gangs who bring these people to our shores `re free

:45:41. > :45:44.to operate, the problems will re-emerge tomorrow? Could she tell

:45:45. > :45:48.us what action she is taking to ensure that there are stiffdr prison

:45:49. > :45:52.sentences, seizing of assets, cooperation with other governments

:45:53. > :45:55.to cut down on the instant that the network these gangs have an stop the

:45:56. > :46:03.routes by which they bring people to the UK? The honourable gentleman is

:46:04. > :46:08.right, the people profiting from this are the criminal gangs, who

:46:09. > :46:12.deal in this terrible crime of trafficking children and people

:46:13. > :46:16.around. We are working internationally to ensure that we

:46:17. > :46:21.stop these gangs and make stre that where we can, we disrupt thdm so

:46:22. > :46:32.that they can stop this heinous crime. While the government was

:46:33. > :46:37.dallying about this, there `re hundreds of local authoritids around

:46:38. > :46:41.the country who are ready and willing to transport and accommodate

:46:42. > :46:44.these children. Could I ask her to work with hamster than Fulh`m

:46:45. > :46:49.Council, where it is a personal initiative of the leader and the

:46:50. > :46:56.noble lord Lord Dubs, a hamster resident, to do everything necessary

:46:57. > :47:00.to help the children in the Jungle -- a Hampstead resident? It is great

:47:01. > :47:12.that so many councils have stepped forward. I will urge my offhcials to

:47:13. > :47:18.work with them. The Home Secretary made a very welcome statement that

:47:19. > :47:23.the UK had a duty to protect and look after those children whth a

:47:24. > :47:27.legal right to be in the UK. She talked about having determination in

:47:28. > :47:30.delivering that. Was she matched those commitments with a colmitment

:47:31. > :47:35.to deploying the necessary resources to ensuring that the job is done

:47:36. > :47:39.properly and that no child, as a result of a failure on the part of

:47:40. > :47:47.the UK to do its job, goes lissing in that camp in Calais? The UK

:47:48. > :47:50.Government will not lack in resource commitment to remove the chhldren

:47:51. > :47:56.who are eligible to come here under the Dublin agreement or qualifying

:47:57. > :48:00.under Dubs. In terms of the children as they are cleared from thd camp, I

:48:01. > :48:03.would say that this camp is in France. We will do what we can and

:48:04. > :48:09.we will lean into the French. We have offered them assistancd with

:48:10. > :48:17.money and security. It is otr priority, and it is theirs, to make

:48:18. > :48:22.sure those children are protected. What recent discussions has the Home

:48:23. > :48:29.Secretary had with the French government on future steps to try to

:48:30. > :48:33.avoid another Calais camp ndxt year, acting as a magnet to the ddtriment

:48:34. > :48:40.of another generation of vulnerable children? That is a critical point.

:48:41. > :48:44.This camp will be chaired bx the French, but what will be done to

:48:45. > :48:48.make sure that another one doesn't come up, given that Sangattd, which

:48:49. > :48:52.was cleared in 2002, was me`nt to be the end and now we have this Jungle

:48:53. > :48:57.in Calais? They are taking ht seriously. They have plans to make

:48:58. > :49:00.sure another one does not come up. Forgive me for not disclosing what

:49:01. > :49:11.those plans are, but there hs careful consideration and I would be

:49:12. > :49:13.happy to speak to the honourable gentleman about it. Order.

:49:14. > :49:15.Statement, the Secretary of State for exiting the European Unhon.

:49:16. > :49:20.Secretary David Davis. I will now make a statement on the next steps

:49:21. > :49:23.on leaving the European Union. The mandate for Britain to leavd the

:49:24. > :49:30.European Union is clear, overwhelming and unarguable. As the

:49:31. > :49:35.Prime Minister has said mord than once, we will make a success of

:49:36. > :49:40.Brexit, and no one should sdek to find ways to thwart the will of the

:49:41. > :49:44.people expressed in the refdrendum on the 23rd of June. It is now

:49:45. > :49:49.incumbent on the government to deliver an exit in the most orderly

:49:50. > :49:52.way possible, delivering maximum certainty for businesses and

:49:53. > :49:56.workers. I want to update the House on how the government plans to

:49:57. > :50:00.reflect UK withdrawal from the European Union on the statute book

:50:01. > :50:04.whilst delivering that cert`inty and stability. We will start by bringing

:50:05. > :50:09.forward a great repeal bill that will mean the European commtnities

:50:10. > :50:15.act ceasing to apply on the day we leave the European Union. It was

:50:16. > :50:21.this act that put EU law above UK law, so it is right, given the clear

:50:22. > :50:26.instruction for exit given to us in the referendum, that we end the

:50:27. > :50:30.authority of European Union law We will return sovereignty to the

:50:31. > :50:33.institutions of the united Kingdom. That is what people voted for on

:50:34. > :50:39.June the 23rd, for Britain to take control of its own destiny `nd four

:50:40. > :50:44.decisions about money, borddrs and law to be taken in Britain. The

:50:45. > :50:47.referendum was backed 6-1 in this House and on all sides of the

:50:48. > :50:55.argument, we have a duty to respect and carry out the people's

:50:56. > :50:58.instruction. We will reject any attempt to undo the referendum

:50:59. > :51:03.result, any attempt to hold up the process unduly or any attempt to

:51:04. > :51:06.keep Britain in the EU by the back door by those who didn't like the

:51:07. > :51:13.answer they were given on Jtne the 23rd. We are consulting widdly with

:51:14. > :51:18.business and Parliament, and we want to take account of all views and

:51:19. > :51:21.opinions. The Prime Minister has been clear. We will not be giving a

:51:22. > :51:27.running commentary, because that is not the way to get the right deal

:51:28. > :51:32.for Britain. But we are comlitted to providing clarity where we can as

:51:33. > :51:38.part of this consultative approach. Naturally, I want this Housd to be

:51:39. > :51:42.engaged throughout, and we will observe the legal precedents that

:51:43. > :51:46.apply to any new treaty on ` new relationship with the Europdan

:51:47. > :51:56.Union. My whole approach is about empowering this place. The great

:51:57. > :52:02.repeal act will convert existing European Union law into domdstic law

:52:03. > :52:07.wherever practical. That will provide for a calm and orderly exit

:52:08. > :52:13.and give as much certainty to employers, investors, consulers and

:52:14. > :52:17.workers. UK employment law `lready goes further than European Tnion law

:52:18. > :52:23.in many areas, and this govdrnment will do nothing to undermind those

:52:24. > :52:31.rights in the workplace. I see we got no cheer for that from the

:52:32. > :52:36.Labour benches. There are over 0 years of European Union law in UK

:52:37. > :52:40.law to consider in all, and some of it will not work on exit. Wd must

:52:41. > :52:45.act to ensure there is no black hole in our statute book. Then it will be

:52:46. > :52:50.for this House to consider the changes to our domestic leghslation,

:52:51. > :52:55.to reflect the outcome of otr negotiation and our exit subject to

:52:56. > :52:57.international treaties with other countries and the EU on matters such

:52:58. > :53:03.as trade. The European commtnities act has meant that if there is a

:53:04. > :53:08.clash between an act of the UK Parliament and EU law, it is the

:53:09. > :53:11.European Union law that prevails. As a result, we have to abide by

:53:12. > :53:14.judgments delivered by the Duropean Court of Justice in their

:53:15. > :53:19.interpretation of European Tnion law. The great repeal bill will

:53:20. > :53:24.change that, with effect from the day we leave the European Union

:53:25. > :53:29.Legislation resulting from the UK's exit bust work for the whold of the

:53:30. > :53:33.United Kingdom. To that end, while no part of the UK can have ` veto

:53:34. > :53:37.over our exit, the government will consult with the devolved

:53:38. > :53:40.administrations. I have alrdady held initial conversations with the

:53:41. > :53:43.leaders of the devolved govdrnments about our plans, and I will make

:53:44. > :53:53.sure the devolved administr`tions have every opportunity to work with

:53:54. > :53:57.us. This bill is a separate issue to an article 50 is triggered. The

:53:58. > :54:02.great repeal bill is not wh`t will take is out of the EU, but what will

:54:03. > :54:07.ensure that the UK statute book is fit for purpose after we have left,

:54:08. > :54:11.and put the elected politichans in this country fully in control of

:54:12. > :54:16.determining laws that affect its people's lives, something that does

:54:17. > :54:20.not apply today. In order to leave the EU, we will follow the process

:54:21. > :54:24.set out in article 50 of thd European Union treaty. The Prime

:54:25. > :54:29.Minister will invoke articld 50 no later than the end of March next

:54:30. > :54:33.year. That gives us the space required to do the necessarx work to

:54:34. > :54:38.shape our negotiating stratdgy. The House will understand there is an

:54:39. > :54:48.extensive programme at work, which will take time.

:54:49. > :54:59.The timing also allows... Donald Tusk said the timing had brought

:55:00. > :55:07.welcome certainty on the Brdxit talks. And we will come as Britain

:55:08. > :55:10.always should come about by our treaty obligations. Ensuring

:55:11. > :55:16.stability and certainty as Britain takes control in the day of exit and

:55:17. > :55:20.not before. People have askdd about our plans for exit. This is the

:55:21. > :55:24.first stage. To be prepared for an orderly exit, there is a nedd to

:55:25. > :55:28.move forward mastic legislation in parallel with our European

:55:29. > :55:33.negotiation so that we are ready for the day of our withdrawal, for the

:55:34. > :55:45.day when the process set out in Article 50 concludes. We intend to

:55:46. > :55:51.produce a repeal bill. Brithsh and once again make its own laws for its

:55:52. > :55:57.own people. Mr Speaker, its nations are outward looking and entdrprising

:55:58. > :56:01.and agile that will prosper in and age of globalisation. I belheve when

:56:02. > :56:05.we are once again in true control of our own affairs, we will be in an

:56:06. > :56:09.even better position to confront the challenges of the future. The

:56:10. > :56:13.Government will build a global Britain that will trade arotnd the

:56:14. > :56:25.world, build new alliances `nd deliver prosperity for its people.

:56:26. > :56:28.Thank you, Mr Speaker. I welcome the Secretary of State's statemdnt and

:56:29. > :56:34.thank him for advanced notice of it. The decision the Government takes on

:56:35. > :56:37.exiting the EU will define ts for a generation, so I look forward to

:56:38. > :56:41.seeing the secretary of state regulator at the dispatch box. But I

:56:42. > :56:47.have to say he's not making a very good start. His first statelent of

:56:48. > :56:52.the 5th of September was widely criticised for saying nothing. And

:56:53. > :56:55.this 1's not better. And I first read it, I actually thought it was

:56:56. > :57:04.the statement he had given last time. A bit of process, no

:57:05. > :57:09.substance, but I congratulate him on a bit of humour in the phrase, We

:57:10. > :57:15.are committed to providing clarity where we can". Mr Speaker, during

:57:16. > :57:19.the referendum campaign, much was made on the leave side about

:57:20. > :57:23.Parliamentary sovereignty. Hn his statement, the Secretary of State

:57:24. > :57:27.says, we will return soverehgnty to the institutions of this Unhted

:57:28. > :57:34.Kingdom. And yet it seems that the Government wants to draw up

:57:35. > :57:39.negotiating terms, negotiatd and reach a deal without any

:57:40. > :57:47.Parliamentary approval. That is not making Parliament sovereign. That is

:57:48. > :57:50.sidelining Parliament. And that is why Labour is calling for a vote on

:57:51. > :57:57.the basic terms proposed by the Government before article 50 is

:57:58. > :58:02.invoked. Some argue this is a device to frustrate the process. It is

:58:03. > :58:07.nothing of the sort. It is laking sure that we get the best possible

:58:08. > :58:11.deal for Britain, it is makhng sure that the Government actuallx has a

:58:12. > :58:17.plan, it is basic accountabhlity on some of the most important decisions

:58:18. > :58:21.of our lifetime. Let's remind ourselves, the Government h`d no

:58:22. > :58:26.plan for Brexit in its 2015 manifesto. In fact, they had a

:58:27. > :58:34.manifesto commitment to, "S`feguard British interests in the single

:58:35. > :58:39.market. Whitehall famously lade no plans for the leave vote. The Prime

:58:40. > :58:43.Minister did not explain how plans -- her plans for Brexit before

:58:44. > :58:47.assuming office. Now the Government plans to proceed to an exit deal

:58:48. > :58:53.without a vote in this housd. That is wholly unacceptable in any

:58:54. > :58:59.democracy. So I ask the Secretary of State, if there is to be no vote

:59:00. > :59:04.when the terms of negotiation were agreed, at what stage in thd process

:59:05. > :59:09.does he propose that the basic terms of the article 50 negotiations of

:59:10. > :59:15.which he has said nothing today should be devoted and voted for in

:59:16. > :59:21.this house? The Secretary of State makes much about the great repeal

:59:22. > :59:23.bill, so we're having a conversation now, a debate now about what happens

:59:24. > :59:26.at the very end of the procdss instead of a debate about what is

:59:27. > :59:31.happening at the beginning of the process. But that bill will not

:59:32. > :59:37.provide parliamentary scruthny of article 50 negotiating plans. It's

:59:38. > :59:40.about what happens after exht. And can he confirmed that the vote on

:59:41. > :59:49.the great repeal bill will be after and not before article 50 is invoked

:59:50. > :59:58.next March. We do expect thd results of the referendum. But neither those

:59:59. > :00:02.who voted to remain nor those who voted to leave gave the Govdrnment a

:00:03. > :00:11.mandate to take an axe to otr economy. Throughout the process the

:00:12. > :00:18.national interest must come first. Yet by flirting with hard Brexit,

:00:19. > :00:22.the Prime Minister puts at risk Britain's access to the single

:00:23. > :00:26.market rather than doing thd right thing for jobs and working people in

:00:27. > :00:30.this country. In fact I obsdrve the word single market do not appear in

:00:31. > :00:34.the statement at all today. So much for putting the national interest

:00:35. > :00:39.first. So we need clarity and we need answers. Can the Secretary of

:00:40. > :00:42.State assure the house todax that the Government will seek continued

:00:43. > :00:49.access to the single market on the best possible terms? And will he

:00:50. > :00:52.also has sure the house that his Government will end the divhsive and

:00:53. > :00:58.hostile tone of Brexit disctssions in recent weeks? This is a defining

:00:59. > :01:02.issue of this Parliament and quite probably for parliaments to come.

:01:03. > :01:05.The job of any responsible Parliament is now to bring the

:01:06. > :01:11.country together and not to drive them apart. I hope that is the

:01:12. > :01:14.approach he will take. Secrdtary of State. I will start by welcoming the

:01:15. > :01:22.honourable gentleman to the dispatch box. It's a pleasure to appdar

:01:23. > :01:27.opposite him. But I would start also by me reading to him a warnhng from

:01:28. > :01:31.his own Shadow Home Secretary, who said about his comments, "Wd have to

:01:32. > :01:37.be really careful that we are not keen to be not listening. There will

:01:38. > :01:41.be scrutiny but it is, I thhnk, not helpful to pretend we can avert the

:01:42. > :01:47.result. That's a summary from inside his own party, which doesn't really

:01:48. > :01:53.support where he's coming from. He's a lawyer by and career as wdll.

:01:54. > :01:59.Article 50 is a property of power. Prerogative power in the vidw of all

:02:00. > :02:03.of the lawyers we've spoken to, in the view of the Attorney General who

:02:04. > :02:10.will be presenting the case in court in the coming week, and it will be

:02:11. > :02:14.decided in court, which he ought to take seriously. As for his comments

:02:15. > :02:17.to date in terms of the Parliamentary accountabilitx, I have

:02:18. > :02:21.to say my department has bedn effectively in existence since the

:02:22. > :02:24.middle of the summer and in the two weeks Parliamentary session we've

:02:25. > :02:28.had since then, we've had two statements, a couple of deb`tes we

:02:29. > :02:32.have a debate on Wednesday, his own debate, we're announcing a very

:02:33. > :02:36.early piece of legislation `nd successful legislation to that bill

:02:37. > :02:39.will take place as well. Thdre will be a new committee set up to oversee

:02:40. > :02:47.the Parliament. Numerous debates over the next few years, and the end

:02:48. > :02:51.of the process we will follow each and every legal and Constitttional

:02:52. > :02:55.Convention and requirement `pplied to all European legislation and

:02:56. > :03:01.European treaties. So I cannot see how he thinks that that is hn some

:03:02. > :03:06.sense not accountable. But the Parliament then after that we'll be

:03:07. > :03:10.able to amend all European tnion law, which it was unable to do

:03:11. > :03:15.before, which frankly he ovdrlooks in his accountability. I'm `fraid

:03:16. > :03:19.the honourable gentleman re`lly has to understand the distinction

:03:20. > :03:21.between accountability, and I have a little bit of experience in holding

:03:22. > :03:25.governments to account, the difference between accountability

:03:26. > :03:31.and micromanagement, which hs what he's trying to do. We have `ctually

:03:32. > :03:36.made pretty plain our view on the negotiation. We've said verx clearly

:03:37. > :03:43.we want to control borders. Does he agree with that? He cannot `ll shake

:03:44. > :03:50.his head... He's absolutely stationary, no sign. We want the

:03:51. > :03:55.most open, barrier free accdss to the European market,. . The

:03:56. > :04:01.honourable ladies touting what about our economy, that is the answer We

:04:02. > :04:08.want the most open, barrier free access to the European markdt. We've

:04:09. > :04:11.heard lots and lots of very unhelpful, misleading comments

:04:12. > :04:15.frankly on hard Brexit and soft Brexit but what we want are the best

:04:16. > :04:29.possible access terms and that is it. Mr Iain Duncan Smith. M`y I

:04:30. > :04:34.congratulate my right honourable friend on his statement and may I

:04:35. > :04:37.urge him to resist the temptation of advice from a second-rate l`wyer who

:04:38. > :04:41.doesn't even understand the Parliamentary process?

:04:42. > :04:51.CHEERING Can I point out to him that if he is

:04:52. > :04:57.to advise his opposite numbdr, he might remind him that the appeal of

:04:58. > :05:01.the 72 European Communities Act will give many, many opportunitids to

:05:02. > :05:08.amend and debate every single aspect of the discussions around the in

:05:09. > :05:13.voting of article 50. And jtst in case he hadn't noticed, thex also

:05:14. > :05:17.have advice on opposition d`ys when they can debate absolutely `nything

:05:18. > :05:22.they choose, even the whole issue of the European Union. So may H urge

:05:23. > :05:25.him to get on with the procdss and don't listen to those who rdally

:05:26. > :05:33.want to bulk it down and never let it happen. With the mild exception

:05:34. > :05:37.of his rudeness about the honourable gentleman's legal qualifications, I

:05:38. > :05:42.agree with everything he sahd. The simple truth is that the attempt to

:05:43. > :05:51.block article 50 is an attelpt to block the will of the British

:05:52. > :06:01.people, full stop. There will be plenty of opportunity to act in the

:06:02. > :06:08.coming years. Can I also th`nk the Secretary of State for coming to

:06:09. > :06:10.update us today. Can I wish the Secretary of State for managing to

:06:11. > :06:13.get through this statement without getting in trouble with his boss,

:06:14. > :06:16.the priming is that, this thme, who seems to be aiming to do th`t

:06:17. > :06:23.without telling us anything. Mr Speaker, we may not be any lore

:06:24. > :06:30.clear on whether this is a soft rags it or I hard Brexit, but we know

:06:31. > :06:33.that it is a dog's Brexit. This Government's frankly irresponsible

:06:34. > :06:38.failure to provide any detahls on how their plans are going to have an

:06:39. > :06:41.impact beyond this place. The Institute in Scotland reckon that in

:06:42. > :06:50.Scotland alone, this could have an impact of between 30%... 30000 and

:06:51. > :06:54.80,000 jobs Jude to plans to take us out of the European Union. So will

:06:55. > :06:57.they tell us today, my first question, what plans does hd have do

:06:58. > :07:04.formally involve the devolvdd administrations? I notice hd talked

:07:05. > :07:08.about the involving the devolved administrations previously `nd now

:07:09. > :07:14.he talks about consulting whth them. I'm going to try and make it easy

:07:15. > :07:20.for the Secretary of State, he has had 89 days since he took that post,

:07:21. > :07:22.three months on Thursday. To stop him getting into any more trouble

:07:23. > :07:27.with the Prime Minister, I'l going to make the next question vdry, very

:07:28. > :07:31.simple. Does he agree with Page 72 of the Conservative Party m`nifesto

:07:32. > :07:38.in which -- on which he was elected, which said that it should bd yes to

:07:39. > :07:42.the single market? Mr Speakdr, I will make it easier. Is it his

:07:43. > :07:49.objective to keep the United Kingdom in the single market? Well, that was

:07:50. > :07:53.longer on length than it was on content.

:07:54. > :08:00.CHUCKLES Let me answer both of his points. He

:08:01. > :08:02.intimated that we were not going to involve the devolved

:08:03. > :08:10.administrations. That is not the case. She was called before we

:08:11. > :08:14.announce the great repeal act to make sure she was aware of ht and

:08:15. > :08:17.she said she thought it was, I can't remember the exact words, btt

:08:18. > :08:22.something like very straightforward, or common sense, or something of

:08:23. > :08:25.that nature. Now, in terms of the approach to negotiations, I'm not

:08:26. > :08:30.going to go into details but what I will say that it is very cldar, the

:08:31. > :08:33.objectives are simple. Meet the instruction for British people which

:08:34. > :08:39.means we gain control of our borders, regain control of our laws

:08:40. > :08:43.and at the same time, get the best possible access to the European

:08:44. > :08:49.market that we can negotiatd. End of story, it's very simple. John

:08:50. > :08:54.Redwood. Mr Speaker, by defhnition you can't negotiate by taking back

:08:55. > :08:59.control, you have to take b`ck control and that is what we voted

:09:00. > :09:03.for. I find the Secretary of State's view very clear and refreshhng. The

:09:04. > :09:07.way to deal with the trade hssue is to offer our partners that we carry

:09:08. > :09:11.on trading tariff free on the same basis as at present and challenge

:09:12. > :09:18.them to say how they want to wreck it? He's right that we want to

:09:19. > :09:22.operate tariff free, but I would say it isn't simply tariff barrhers We

:09:23. > :09:27.also have to negotiate nont`riff barriers. But central to thd argued

:09:28. > :09:31.he makes is this, it is in both Europe's interest and our interest

:09:32. > :09:33.to have tariff free and nontariff barrier -based trade. That hs where

:09:34. > :09:47.the jobs are. It is jobs in the whole of the UK

:09:48. > :09:54.that we have to maintain and expand, and that is what we will do. Mr Ed

:09:55. > :09:57.Miliband. Mr Speaker, there is clearly a mandate from Brexht from

:09:58. > :10:03.this referendum, but there hs no mandate for the particular form of

:10:04. > :10:07.Brexit. Three days before hd was appointed, the Secretary of State

:10:08. > :10:11.published an article saying it was important to publish a

:10:12. > :10:17.pre-negotiation White Paper. Can he tell us, when is he going to publish

:10:18. > :10:21.that White Paper? As someond who for many years railed about the

:10:22. > :10:26.importance of the powers of backbenchers and Parliament against

:10:27. > :10:30.the executive, can he give ts now, with a straight face, an answer to

:10:31. > :10:33.the question - where is the government's mandate for its

:10:34. > :10:39.negotiations, either from this House or the country? Let's deal with the

:10:40. > :10:45.last point first. I cannot believe my ears. Here we have the l`rgest

:10:46. > :10:53.mandate to this country has ever given to a government on anx subject

:10:54. > :10:56.in our history. It is very plain. Frankly, I will not take lectures

:10:57. > :11:01.from him on accountability. We have two things to balance here. One is

:11:02. > :11:06.the national interest in terms of getting the right negotiation. I

:11:07. > :11:09.know of no negotiation in hhstory, either in commerce or in politics or

:11:10. > :11:14.in international affairs, where telling everybody what you `re going

:11:15. > :11:20.to do in detail before you do so leads to a successful outcole. So

:11:21. > :11:25.what I have said the two select committees of this House and the

:11:26. > :11:30.other House already is that we will be as open as we can. There will be

:11:31. > :11:36.plenty of debates on this m`tter. But we will not lay out a ddtailed

:11:37. > :11:47.strategy before we engage whth our opposite numbers in the negotiation.

:11:48. > :11:50.Can we make it clear that lhke everybody on these benches, I was

:11:51. > :11:57.elected on a clear manifesto promise to respect and honour the rdferendum

:11:58. > :12:02.result, so we know that we will leave the European Union. Btt the

:12:03. > :12:08.comments of the director-general of the CBI should cause us all much

:12:09. > :12:14.concern. She has confirmed the fears of many on these benches th`t there

:12:15. > :12:21.is a danger that this government is appearing to be turning its back on

:12:22. > :12:27.the single market and not v`luing the real benefit of migrant workers.

:12:28. > :12:31.Can my right honourable fridnd now give those assurances to Brhtish

:12:32. > :12:34.business that we haven't turned our back on the single market and we

:12:35. > :12:42.welcome migrant workers to this country? If I remember corrdctly,

:12:43. > :12:45.the honourable lady was at the Conservative Party conference and

:12:46. > :12:50.she may have heard what I s`id there. There were two things which

:12:51. > :12:53.relate to this. One is that the single market is one description of

:12:54. > :12:57.the way the European Union operates, but there are plenty of people who

:12:58. > :13:01.have access to the single m`rket, some of them tariff free, who make a

:13:02. > :13:09.great success of that access. It is the success we are aiming for. The

:13:10. > :13:17.other point I made was that the global competition for talent is

:13:18. > :13:25.something we must engage in it were to win the global competition in

:13:26. > :13:31.economic terms. But that is not the same as having no control of

:13:32. > :13:34.immigration. So we will be going for global talent and we will bd going

:13:35. > :13:42.for the best market access we can obtain. Mr Nick Clegg. I have always

:13:43. > :13:44.admired the Secretary of St`te for his staunch defence of civil

:13:45. > :13:49.liberties and the prerogatives of this House. I was an admirer when he

:13:50. > :13:53.tabled the bill on Parliamentary control of the executive in 199 and

:13:54. > :13:56.he's directly told us that dxecutive decisions by the government should

:13:57. > :14:01.be subject to the scrutiny `nd improvement -- approval of

:14:02. > :14:04.parliament. So on the basis of what constitutional principle dods he

:14:05. > :14:08.believe that the Prime Minister can now arrogate to herself the

:14:09. > :14:13.exclusive right to determind what Brexit means, impose it upon the

:14:14. > :14:18.country rather than protect the rightful role of scrutiny and

:14:19. > :14:22.approval of this House? Herd we go again. We cannot tell the dhfference

:14:23. > :14:31.between accountability and micromanagement. It is as shmple as

:14:32. > :14:35.that. There will be debates galore in this House, starting on Wednesday

:14:36. > :14:38.and thereafter, about what the government strategy will be and we

:14:39. > :14:43.will tell them as much as wd can, but not enough to compromisd the

:14:44. > :14:51.negotiation. And at every ttrn, we will obey the conventions and laws

:14:52. > :14:57.that apply to the creation, the removal and reform of every treaty.

:14:58. > :15:08.This is a government that bdlieves in the rule of law, and that is how

:15:09. > :15:12.we will behave. Has my right honourable friend observed that some

:15:13. > :15:18.seem to have forgotten that the referendum act gave the right to

:15:19. > :15:23.this Parliament to make the decision in the referendum act 2015 that

:15:24. > :15:27.furthermore, the sovereigntx was given to the people to make that

:15:28. > :15:31.decision on the occasion of the referendum itself and furthdrmore,

:15:32. > :15:36.that as regards the question of the repeal bill, the sovereigntx of

:15:37. > :15:39.Parliament will be maintaindd because it will be decided hn this

:15:40. > :15:44.house and all the procedures relating to Article 50 our

:15:45. > :15:49.government prerogative and not subject to the decision of

:15:50. > :15:55.Parliament itself at this stage My honourable friend is right. He will

:15:56. > :16:01.remember that that referendtm bill was carried in his house by 6-1

:16:02. > :16:05.including the majority of the people on the other side of the ch`mber.

:16:06. > :16:09.Because he is a constitutional lawyer, he will also understand

:16:10. > :16:18.better than anybody else th`t Crown prerogative rests on the will of the

:16:19. > :16:21.people there is no exercise of Crown prerogative in history which is

:16:22. > :16:29.better underpinned by the whll of the people than this exercise. It is

:16:30. > :16:37.the first time I have heard parliamentary sovereignty rdferred

:16:38. > :16:44.to as micromanagement. In the past few weeks, we have seen hundreds of

:16:45. > :16:49.thousands of foreign nation`ls working here questioning thd welcome

:16:50. > :16:54.they receive in this countrx and the future in this country. We know that

:16:55. > :17:03.many UK citizens living and working abroad in Europe are going through a

:17:04. > :17:08.similar turmoil. We have he`rd that the Foreign Office has told the LSE

:17:09. > :17:13.that it cannot involve forehgn nationals in the work of Brdxit as

:17:14. > :17:21.part of a contract. Will he condemned that, and will he now

:17:22. > :17:24.reassure those UK citizens living abroad and EU citizens living here

:17:25. > :17:30.that they are welcome in thhs country, and reassure this

:17:31. > :17:40.Parliament that however the Brexit negotiations go, the current

:17:41. > :17:43.arrangements will be maintahned I am sure the honourable lady would

:17:44. > :17:48.not willingly give the Housd information that is not right, so I

:17:49. > :17:54.would like to say that the supposed comment from the Foreign Office is

:17:55. > :18:06.not true. I'm assured of th`t by the Foreign Secretary sitting ndxt to

:18:07. > :18:10.me, and the LSE have also s`id so. I say this because the other point she

:18:11. > :18:19.had to make was a serious one, and it was one I also raised last week.

:18:20. > :18:23.I have to say two things to know. Firstly about the attitude of some

:18:24. > :18:27.people post the referendum hn terms of the encouragement of hatred and

:18:28. > :18:31.so on, I condemn that unresdrvedly and I think everybody in thhs House

:18:32. > :18:38.would condemn the whipping tp of hatred unreservedly. In terls of the

:18:39. > :18:46.European migrants here and British citizens abroad, my intention and

:18:47. > :18:50.intention of the government is to do everything possible to underwrite

:18:51. > :18:54.their position, to guaranted their position, at the same time `s we

:18:55. > :19:07.underwrite the similar position of British migrants abroad. It will be

:19:08. > :19:13.as soon as I can get that negotiation concluded with the

:19:14. > :19:21.European Union. I don't think people should worry unnecessarily. Five out

:19:22. > :19:25.of six migrants here alreadx either have or will have indefinitd leave

:19:26. > :19:30.to remain by the time we depart the European Union. I take the puestion

:19:31. > :19:37.seriously, and I am determined to get an outcome that is succdssful

:19:38. > :19:40.for everybody. Could my right honourable friend note the comments

:19:41. > :19:45.of President Hollande that the UK should be made to pay a price for

:19:46. > :19:51.leaving the UK, presumably by having tariffs imposed on our tradd with

:19:52. > :19:53.them? And did he respond to the president that clearly, the

:19:54. > :19:59.president feels that in the absence of such punishment, leaving the EU

:20:00. > :20:04.would leave the UK manifestly better off and that such punishment would

:20:05. > :20:12.fall primarily on French exporters, since they export far more to us,

:20:13. > :20:16.whereas are exporters are bdnefiting from a 14% improvement in their

:20:17. > :20:24.competitiveness, three times the likely tariffs that will be imposed

:20:25. > :20:31.on them? My right honourabld friend and erstwhile trade secretary if I

:20:32. > :20:38.remember correctly is right. The damage done by a supposed ptnishment

:20:39. > :20:41.strategy would be primarily to the industries and farmers on the

:20:42. > :20:49.continent, who export to thhs country. I'm afraid that Mr Hollande

:20:50. > :20:53.and Madame Merkel and others will find that they have pressurd back

:20:54. > :20:59.from their own constituents that says this is not a good str`tegy to

:21:00. > :21:05.pursue. In this country, we believe in free trade. Why? Because it is

:21:06. > :21:09.beneficial to both sides. I do not see how there is a logic in

:21:10. > :21:18.exercising a punishment str`tegy against one of your strongest and

:21:19. > :21:22.most loyal allies. Gisela Stuart. EU citizens living here and Brhtish

:21:23. > :21:26.citizens living in the EU ddserve to hear as soon as possible from the

:21:27. > :21:30.government that their rights will continue to be protected. Whthin

:21:31. > :21:33.that process, will he also talked to his colleague the Home Secrdtary and

:21:34. > :21:39.recognise that the current system of registration certificates,

:21:40. > :21:43.indefinite leave, requirements for health insurance, the whole package

:21:44. > :21:47.is currently pretty incoherdnt and inconsistent, and unless he gets

:21:48. > :21:53.some consistency into that, establishing those rights whll be

:21:54. > :21:57.very difficult. She had an opportunity half an hour to make

:21:58. > :22:03.that point directly to the Home Secretary, but I will draw ht to her

:22:04. > :22:06.attention. I am very concerned that people should fear for their

:22:07. > :22:15.position in this country, and we will put that right as soon as we

:22:16. > :22:20.can. My right honourable frhend will appreciate the irony that the more

:22:21. > :22:25.successful he is in deliverhng a negotiation that meets the lutual

:22:26. > :22:30.interests of ourselves and the 7, the greater the political challenge

:22:31. > :22:34.to the 27, as it will be sedn as rewarding in the United Kingdom for

:22:35. > :22:39.Brexit. This opens the obvious possibility that at the end of these

:22:40. > :22:49.negotiations, they may be blocked if you buy a minority on the council or

:22:50. > :22:52.by the European Parliament. Welcoming his undertaking to deliver

:22:53. > :22:57.clarity where he can, what plans does he have to publicly entmerates

:22:58. > :22:59.the implications of there bding no deal at the end of two years of

:23:00. > :23:13.negotiations? the European Union adheres to a

:23:14. > :23:18.punishment plan and it fails, as I believe it would, then that is an

:23:19. > :23:25.even bigger incentive to cotntries that want to leave than no

:23:26. > :23:33.punishment plan at all. The other thing I would say is that the

:23:34. > :23:36.approach that is being talkdd about puts at risk the stability of the

:23:37. > :23:40.European Union. It has financial instability of its own to ddal with,

:23:41. > :23:46.and it should be taking that seriously. I gently implore the

:23:47. > :23:52.Secretary of State to face the House so that we can all benefit from his

:23:53. > :23:58.mellifluous tones. As someone has ungraciously said, or otherwise You

:23:59. > :23:59.pays your money and takes your choice, but the right honourable

:24:00. > :24:12.gentleman must be heard. Thank you very much Mr Speaker. Last

:24:13. > :24:17.week the Government was forced to defend its reasons for using the

:24:18. > :24:24.Royal prerogative. This is what it said. The relief sought to give

:24:25. > :24:27.effect to the outcome of thd referendum is constitutionally

:24:28. > :24:30.impermissible. The court wotld be trespassing on proceedings hn

:24:31. > :24:37.Parliament. It's obviously nonsensical to say it is trdspassing

:24:38. > :24:41.on Parliament to involve Parliament! Did the Secretary of State really

:24:42. > :24:52.give the instructions to thd lawyers for this submission? I'm gohng to be

:24:53. > :24:58.very careful talking about the court case because one has to be hn these

:24:59. > :25:05.things. But the main guidance I gave to the Attorney General was this. A

:25:06. > :25:09.would-be vote on article 50 in this house has two outcomes. It lets it

:25:10. > :25:15.through or it stops it. If ht stops it, what's the outcome of that? That

:25:16. > :25:19.is a refusal to implement the decision of the British people and

:25:20. > :25:24.as a result it creates a constitutional problem, to say the

:25:25. > :25:36.least. That was then interpreted by the lawyers. Can I congratulate the

:25:37. > :25:45.Secretary of State? On the steady and careful progress he is laking.

:25:46. > :25:50.At the head of a brand-new department after only being in the

:25:51. > :25:56.job for 12 weeks? And I think that he is now dealing with a totally

:25:57. > :26:01.unprecedented constitutional issue and he should take it slowlx and

:26:02. > :26:07.carefully. The public adminhstration and constitutional Select Committee

:26:08. > :26:12.have the cabinet set up for it on the 14th of September. He told us

:26:13. > :26:17.that there was no shortage of very talented and highly qualifidd civil

:26:18. > :26:21.servants queueing up to join his department and the other new

:26:22. > :26:28.Department of State. However, he told us that it was only fully

:26:29. > :26:35.staffed to the level of 80%. Could the Secretary of State tell us if he

:26:36. > :26:39.is now fully staffed up to 000% I thank my right and rubble friend for

:26:40. > :26:44.her compliments but the two things I would say to her. One is th`t we

:26:45. > :26:50.need to make expeditions progress. That is one of the requiremdnts that

:26:51. > :26:59.the referendum lays upon us. In terms of is it 100%? No, it isn t.

:27:00. > :27:02.The reason is this, that we have to acquire a set of very specific

:27:03. > :27:07.skills. There have been argtments in the papers recently about everything

:27:08. > :27:10.from passport thing at customs to adjusting time systems and so on and

:27:11. > :27:15.we have to be able to deal with that and it is not normally skills that

:27:16. > :27:23.are widely available in work time, so it will take a little tile to get

:27:24. > :27:27.from 80% to 100%. Mr Hilary Benn. Does the Secretary of State

:27:28. > :27:30.understand that the conflicting signals emanating from the

:27:31. > :27:35.Government about the typo Brexit it wishes to pursue is creating a great

:27:36. > :27:38.deal of uncertainty amongst businesses and the people who rely

:27:39. > :27:42.on those businesses for thehr living, one aspect of which is the

:27:43. > :27:45.fear that we might leave thd European Union without an agreement

:27:46. > :27:52.on trade, which would leave them to cope on WTO terms. Can the Secretary

:27:53. > :27:56.of State tell the house whether it is his policy, in those

:27:57. > :28:00.circumstances, to seek a transitional agreement to cover the

:28:01. > :28:05.period until such time as a final status agreement on trade and market

:28:06. > :28:12.access is agreed with the other 27 member states? I'm inclined to say

:28:13. > :28:16.that his father would be smhling down on both of us. But I think the

:28:17. > :28:21.right honourable gentleman lakes a good point in terms of the dffect of

:28:22. > :28:26.uncertainty. That's partly ` problem of the preparation process, there is

:28:27. > :28:30.less out there. What I have said to every single interest group I've

:28:31. > :28:35.spoken to including the CGI despite the comments this morning, the

:28:36. > :28:38.British Chambers of commercd, the engineering employers Feder`tion and

:28:39. > :28:44.others like that as well as the TUC and the other side, I've sahd to all

:28:45. > :28:48.of them, "Look, we need to have a hard data about the nature of the

:28:49. > :28:51.problem, because say passport thing for example, there are about nine

:28:52. > :28:55.different sorts of passports and we have to be more specific th`n that.

:28:56. > :29:01.The size of the problem in both money and jobs, the actions you can

:29:02. > :29:06.take yourself to deal with them and in doing so, that is why we need the

:29:07. > :29:12.time until maybe March, in doing so we will try to Willow down the size

:29:13. > :29:21.of the negotiation that needs to be done. And then make it fastdr than

:29:22. > :29:25.it could be. We start with `n advantage, which, being who he is,

:29:26. > :29:28.he will probably have spottdd, which is that we have exactly the same

:29:29. > :29:31.regulatory basis of the day we leave as the rest of the European Union,

:29:32. > :29:34.and that is normally the biggest thing that gets in the way of major

:29:35. > :29:40.trade negotiations, the biggest thing. I do not expect the

:29:41. > :29:45.circumstance he is describing. I'm not going to offer a view btt I will

:29:46. > :29:48.simply say this, we're going to do everything possible to protdct,

:29:49. > :29:51.enhance and maximise the opportunities for British btsiness,

:29:52. > :29:57.and heating draw his conclusion from there. Michael Gove.

:29:58. > :30:11.Michael Gove. Mr Speaker, mx right honourable friend will be aware that

:30:12. > :30:17.it is sometimes necessary to refer to the liberal elite. When ` British

:30:18. > :30:22.people have spoken, you do what they command. Either you believe in

:30:23. > :30:27.democracy or you do not. Those were the words of Lord Ashdown in the

:30:28. > :30:32.district of Yeovil in the county of Somerset. He is the most elhtist

:30:33. > :30:37.liberal I know, and that is saying something! Can I therefore trge my

:30:38. > :30:42.right honourable friend to be true to the views of Lord Ashdown and the

:30:43. > :30:48.principles of liberalism and the traditions of this house and give

:30:49. > :30:52.effect to the British peopld's vote. 17 million votes were cast on June

:30:53. > :30:58.the 23rd for Britain to leave the European Union, and attempts by

:30:59. > :31:03.anti-democratic and a liber`l voices on the opposition benches to thwart

:31:04. > :31:08.the British people's will whll rightly be treated with disdain The

:31:09. > :31:14.liberal he mentions is the lentor of my favourite liberal! I havd to tell

:31:15. > :31:22.my honourable friend, my wrhtable friend, I consider myself a liberal

:31:23. > :31:25.conservative, so I'm not entirely sure I accent his characterhsation

:31:26. > :31:29.of liberal elite, but I will take his point here. This was thd biggest

:31:30. > :31:32.mandate given to a British Government ever and it is otr job to

:31:33. > :31:36.carry it out and we will not allow it to be thwarted.

:31:37. > :31:47.Mr Christopher Leslie. Speaker, this summer's new five pounder is 15

:31:48. > :31:52.smaller than the old one. -, ?5 note. Since the referendum, we have

:31:53. > :31:58.seen the value of the pound in your pocket shrink by even more than

:31:59. > :32:03.that, because of this Government's actions. Our constituents dhd not

:32:04. > :32:09.vote to be poorer, shouldn't the Secretary of State at least offer an

:32:10. > :32:17.apology? Nonsense! That is `n extraordinary assertion. Evdn..

:32:18. > :32:27.Even... Even... Even if it parodies Harold Wilson, one of his previous

:32:28. > :32:30.heroes, I think... Mr Owen Paterson. Thank you Mr Speaker. With the

:32:31. > :32:33.Secretary of State please clarify for the benefit of the opposition

:32:34. > :32:37.front bench and incredibly simple point that independent countries can

:32:38. > :32:43.trade most successfully with the single market without being a member

:32:44. > :32:51.of the single market? Well, he's right, there are something like more

:32:52. > :32:58.than 20 countries that have had more success than we have in the single

:32:59. > :33:06.market in recent years. It hs not necessarily a --... The press

:33:07. > :33:09.reported over the weekend that hate crime was up following the Brexit

:33:10. > :33:16.vote. In particular homophobic attacks were up 147%. Given it was

:33:17. > :33:19.members of his Government and party who fostered an atmosphere of

:33:20. > :33:23.division and intolerance, what will he and his Government do during the

:33:24. > :33:29.negotiations to ensure the human rights of everyone in our society

:33:30. > :33:32.are protected? I'll be blunt. I m not going to take lectures on

:33:33. > :33:39.fostering division from the Scottish National Party! Bernard Jenkins

:33:40. > :33:49.Thank you Mr Speaker. Can I just point out that as a director of vote

:33:50. > :33:52.leave, it was made clear in our campaign that leaving the ET meant

:33:53. > :33:55.leaving the single market and in particular my right honourable

:33:56. > :34:00.friend. The leave made that very clear in an interview with @ndrew

:34:01. > :34:06.Marr. But isn't it ironic that the Remain campaign spent a lot of time

:34:07. > :34:09.telling us, if you leave thd EU you will have to leave the EU internal

:34:10. > :34:15.market and now they're all saying there must be some way of ldaving

:34:16. > :34:20.the EU and staying within the internal market, even though all the

:34:21. > :34:24.EU leaders are saying that hs not possible. I don't stated thd say

:34:25. > :34:29.anything instantly now but hs there in fact every advantage to be taken

:34:30. > :34:35.in moving towards a relationship based on mutual recognition rather

:34:36. > :34:40.than compulsory harmonisation? It was my honourable friend who got me

:34:41. > :34:45.into trouble last time in a statement but I won't offer him a

:34:46. > :34:49.detailed answer but I will say this. All forms of free trade are

:34:50. > :34:57.beneficial. All forms of frde trade are beneficial, whether it's based

:34:58. > :35:01.on mutual recognition, single legal areas or any other mechanisl of free

:35:02. > :35:08.trade. We will be seeking to get the best mechanism of free tradd that we

:35:09. > :35:13.can. Pat McFadden. Could I take the Secretary of State act to the

:35:14. > :35:19.article referred to by the lember for Don Carson North. In it he

:35:20. > :35:26.mentioned, and I quote, the pre new go she Asian White Paper. Hd also

:35:27. > :35:30.said that he would expect the new Prime Minister on November the th

:35:31. > :35:35.two trigger a new round of trade deals with all global trading

:35:36. > :35:40.partners. Could he update us and tell us, is the Government still

:35:41. > :35:44.committed to the White Paper he promised? And with which cotntries

:35:45. > :35:49.have we triggered trade deals since September nine? If I may sax so

:35:50. > :35:53.it's a slight collapse of what I actually said in that article, which

:35:54. > :35:57.I remember very well. The shmple truth is that we will, on the day we

:35:58. > :36:03.leave the European Union, bd looking to set up a whole series of very

:36:04. > :36:11.beneficial trade deals. That is an enormous benefit we will have from

:36:12. > :36:15.being outside the union. Th`nk you Mr Speaker. Can I welcome mx

:36:16. > :36:22.honourable friend's statement and what the Prime Minister said last

:36:23. > :36:26.week about triggering article 5 because I take that as a matter of

:36:27. > :36:30.process on which I accept a mandate from the British people on 23rd

:36:31. > :36:34.June. But in terms of the ddtail of the negotiation, that is rather

:36:35. > :36:37.different. Can I press my rhght honourable friend on what hd meant

:36:38. > :36:42.by engagement with parliament and whether that is the same as

:36:43. > :36:46.influence? It's one thing to come to Parliament and tell the Govdrnment

:36:47. > :36:48.what it's doing but it's another to be engaged and influenced bx

:36:49. > :36:56.Parliament in terms of the things that we still need to clarify. My

:36:57. > :36:59.right honourable friend, I won't hold the allegation against him ..

:37:00. > :37:04.My right honourable friend lakes a very good point. I will point to my

:37:05. > :37:09.own history. For a consider`ble period of time, five years H think,

:37:10. > :37:14.I was actually negotiating `nother trade deal with the European Union

:37:15. > :37:19.and approach was worried silple -- was very simple. We did not disclose

:37:20. > :37:24.the upcoming negotiation but we did talk about what was under w`y and

:37:25. > :37:28.what the priorities were. That's how I expect this to pan out in the

:37:29. > :37:34.future. There will be large numbers of debates in this house, the first

:37:35. > :37:39.one on Wednesday. Even if wd didn't want to do it, the opposition would

:37:40. > :37:44.have as many debates as thex like on this subject. I do not see the

:37:45. > :37:48.argument that we're simply not going to talk about this secondly, we will

:37:49. > :37:58.have a Select Committee whose sole job is going to be scrutinising the

:37:59. > :38:02.department. And I will be open with them but I will not give aw`y things

:38:03. > :38:09.that would be Dalits aureus to the national interest. It is an

:38:10. > :38:14.important aspect here, whether you want to talk about the outcome

:38:15. > :38:18.already want to get the outcome Will the Secretary of State take

:38:19. > :38:27.steps to ensure an early UK withdrawal from the Common fisheries

:38:28. > :38:33.policy with the re-establishment of Britain's fishing docks? Thd

:38:34. > :38:38.honourable gentleman raises a very important benefit of the le`ding of

:38:39. > :38:41.-- leaving of the European Tnion. But what I cannot promise is an

:38:42. > :38:48.early departure on that isste alone. We will obey EU law until the last

:38:49. > :38:55.day and all the policies th`t go with it. Thereafter, we will get the

:38:56. > :38:59.benefits he talked about and they will be many. Sir Nicholas Soames.

:39:00. > :39:04.Mr Speaker, would my right honourable friend accept from me

:39:05. > :39:08.that it is clear without anx doubt what the country voted for `nd that

:39:09. > :39:11.he is quite right when he s`ys our countrymen will look to see our

:39:12. > :39:15.country as outward looking, enterprising, agile and one that

:39:16. > :39:19.will prosper in a very diffhcult and fraught period in our lives estimate

:39:20. > :39:25.but what will matter is that our fellow citizens can have absolute

:39:26. > :39:30.confidence in this process, in this perilous process and that P`rliament

:39:31. > :39:33.now should play its historic and important role, something to which

:39:34. > :39:45.he and I have always attachdd the most profound importance.

:39:46. > :40:01.I know my honourable friend was a fierce Remainer and fought the cause

:40:02. > :40:08.hard, but he has taken on board that it is now our duty to make the will

:40:09. > :40:14.of the British people come hnto being in the best possible way. He

:40:15. > :40:18.knows my history. I will trdat Parliament with respect, but I will

:40:19. > :40:24.not give up the national interest in negotiating terms to that end. I

:40:25. > :40:27.will carry out that balancing act to the best of my ability and H will

:40:28. > :40:32.leave the judgment of whethdr I am good enough with him. Can hd explain

:40:33. > :40:34.how a margin of 4% in a refdrendum in which Brexiteers themselves

:40:35. > :40:37.confess that they voted to leave for a variety of reasons becomes what he

:40:38. > :40:40.has just described is an overwhelming mandate for wh`t the

:40:41. > :40:45.government is currently doing in terms of a hard Brexit. With all the

:40:46. > :40:50.damage that will entail to our economy and prosperity? Firstly the

:40:51. > :40:57.majority was over a million. It was the largest vote gained by `ny

:40:58. > :41:01.government ever. I assume hd voted Remain. It is rather rich for

:41:02. > :41:05.someone like him, who voted the other way, to try to be the arbiter

:41:06. > :41:10.and interpreter of those who voted to leave. First off, we havd to obey

:41:11. > :41:13.the Democratic instruction we were given. Secondly, I challengd the

:41:14. > :41:17.idea that this is somehow going to cause an economic downturn. It will

:41:18. > :41:27.not, it will create economic opportunities on a major sc`le. That

:41:28. > :41:32.is what we look forward to. Our government's negotiating position

:41:33. > :41:34.will leak as soon as other lember states are told about it. Does the

:41:35. > :41:37.Secretary of State not accept that it would be unacceptable for the

:41:38. > :41:41.British public to find out what the UK position on those negoti`tions is

:41:42. > :41:46.from our counterparts in thd negotiations? Well, had the chairman

:41:47. > :41:51.of the Treasury Select Commhttee read my evidence to the Lords select

:41:52. > :41:56.committee, he would have sedn that I gave an undertaking that thhs House

:41:57. > :42:01.and the other House will be at least as well informed as the democratic

:42:02. > :42:04.institutions on the continent, including the European Parlhament.

:42:05. > :42:12.That has never been done before but it will be done now. I welcome the

:42:13. > :42:16.minister's assurance that hd will consult with the leaders of devolved

:42:17. > :42:19.assurances and I can assure him that the leader of our party will work

:42:20. > :42:24.with him to ensure successftl negotiations for our exit from the

:42:25. > :42:28.European Union. However, will be recognised that the rhetoric we have

:42:29. > :42:31.heard today about parliamentary scrutiny is designed to do one of

:42:32. > :42:37.two things, either overturn the referendum result or undermhne the

:42:38. > :42:42.negotiating position that this government would have continually

:42:43. > :42:47.squabbling on the floor of this House? And would he agree that the

:42:48. > :42:54.majority of people in the UK wish the government now to go and ensure

:42:55. > :42:58.we have control over our borders, with the ability to spend otr own

:42:59. > :43:07.money and that we have the `bility to make our own laws? The honourable

:43:08. > :43:11.gentleman is right, and the words he used were the vast majority. Not

:43:12. > :43:15.52%, the vast majority of the country want us to get on whth this

:43:16. > :43:21.and want us to make a success of it. That is what we will do. Whhle I am

:43:22. > :43:25.on my feet answering him, I will say that one of the areas getting the

:43:26. > :43:30.most attention at the moment is Northern Ireland, because wd do have

:43:31. > :43:37.issues to resolve on the border We will resolve them. We will not

:43:38. > :43:41.return to the old border stxle. We will maintain the Common tr`vel area

:43:42. > :43:44.. We will maintain all of the benefits we had in Northern Ireland

:43:45. > :43:55.before we entered the Europdan Union.

:43:56. > :44:00.German industrialists have `sserted that Britain will not have `ccess to

:44:01. > :44:04.Continental markets unless we are prepared to accept free movdment of

:44:05. > :44:09.labour. Could my right honotrable friend tell Mrs Merkel that securing

:44:10. > :44:14.our borders was a non-negothable instruction from the British people?

:44:15. > :44:20.Secondary, can he give her some advice that if she will not make

:44:21. > :44:25.access to their markets avahlable to us, then the industrialists

:44:26. > :44:30.responsible, companies like BMW with their headquarters in the UK,

:44:31. > :44:38.will not be cheering her if tariffs are imposed on German car ilports

:44:39. > :44:41.into the UK. Firstly, I think Mrs Merkel will have read the speech of

:44:42. > :44:44.the Prime Minister last week and we'll know entirely where wd put our

:44:45. > :44:51.priorities in terms of control of borders. I will not get into

:44:52. > :44:57.tit-for-tat rudeness with otr European opposite numbers, because I

:44:58. > :45:05.don't think that is successful. But I will say that these are the first

:45:06. > :45:08.days of a two and a half ye`r negotiation. The first days of such

:45:09. > :45:17.negotiations are always tougher than the endgame. I speak as somdbody who

:45:18. > :45:22.has done one or two of them, unlike many chuntering on the opposite

:45:23. > :45:30.benches. So you can take it as read that what they say today, they will

:45:31. > :45:35.not necessarily say tomorrow. I cannot think of a single trdaty in

:45:36. > :45:39.history, a major tricky that this country has signed, where the

:45:40. > :45:43.government hasn't come to P`rliament to get a mandate for its negotiating

:45:44. > :45:49.position. It has done that dvery time for the last 400 years. I would

:45:50. > :45:54.simply say to him, if he wants to make success out of what we are

:45:55. > :45:58.going to go through, he needs to gather as much support as hd can

:45:59. > :46:03.across the whole of the country including the 48%, and that means at

:46:04. > :46:11.least a white paper and preferably a draft repeal Bill before thd final

:46:12. > :46:17.repeal Bill. I will say to ly critics. Firstly, the Referdndum

:46:18. > :46:24.Bill was passed by a majority of six to one. If that wasn't a mandate, I

:46:25. > :46:29.don't know what was. Secondly, the mandate we have is 17.4 million

:46:30. > :46:36.people, a bigger mandate th`n any government in history has h`d. The

:46:37. > :46:43.Secretary of State is right to be seeking success. The question is,

:46:44. > :46:47.what does success look like? What will happen when Britain le`ves the

:46:48. > :46:52.European Union? Does he havd any tests that he is thinking of a

:46:53. > :46:55.longer journey of negotiation which he thinks we might need to leet

:46:56. > :47:03.tests in particular about the state of our economy? Along the track of

:47:04. > :47:12.the negotiations, it is hard to have tests, because this is the outcome

:47:13. > :47:16.that matters. But what I sahd to my opposite number was to highlight the

:47:17. > :47:20.three out of form Grmay namds we are after. One is to get control of our

:47:21. > :47:24.borders back, one is to get control of our laws back. The one I didn't

:47:25. > :47:30.list was to maintain the Justice and security arrangements that we

:47:31. > :47:35.currently have. And finally and most importantly in this context is the

:47:36. > :47:39.question of maintaining the best possible open access to European

:47:40. > :47:44.markets and vice versa. If we achieve all of that, there will be

:47:45. > :47:55.no downside to Brexit and considerable upside.

:47:56. > :48:02.There seems to be a little forgetfulness by the ministdr. The

:48:03. > :48:10.Chancellor has forecast fin`ncial bumps on the road. If, as others

:48:11. > :48:13.fear, they will not be Brexht bumps, there will be a vast sinkhole that

:48:14. > :48:18.will appear on the road into which the British economy will fall into a

:48:19. > :48:25.tailspin. If that Brexit sltmp occurs, how can he deny the public a

:48:26. > :48:30.second vote on this? Second thoughts are always better than first

:48:31. > :48:34.thoughts, especially as the referendum was taken on the basis of

:48:35. > :48:38.untruths by both parties? Is he going to honour the pledge to give

:48:39. > :48:44.350 million extra to the National Health Service? I'm afraid the

:48:45. > :48:50.honourable gentleman let thd cat out of the bag. He wants to havd a

:48:51. > :48:55.second referendum. There will be no second referendum or revers`l. We

:48:56. > :49:02.will continue this. I congr`tulate my right honourable friend on his

:49:03. > :49:05.statement today. He wants to give as much certainty as possible to

:49:06. > :49:12.investors, consumers, emploxers and workers. Many St Albans reshdents

:49:13. > :49:16.work in the knowledge-based economy. Can I ask my right honourable

:49:17. > :49:19.friend, what conduit can thdy have to input into the process wd are now

:49:20. > :49:22.going through and what assurances can the minister give me th`t London

:49:23. > :49:30.and the UK will maximise frde trade with Europe whilst tapping hnto the

:49:31. > :49:34.growth markets around the world Given who is sitting next to me I

:49:35. > :49:38.am bound to say that London is a massive global city and an

:49:39. > :49:43.extraordinarily successful one. We will do everything necessarx to

:49:44. > :49:49.protect, defend and enhance that success in the market. Sheesh speaks

:49:50. > :49:53.about financial, intellectu`l and digital markets. We are looking at

:49:54. > :49:57.all of them. And to her constituents who want to make input, thex should

:49:58. > :50:02.go to the trade organisations or come directly to the departlent to

:50:03. > :50:08.tell us whether concerns ard and what the opportunities are `nd we

:50:09. > :50:12.will take them on board. Will the Secretary of State confirmed that

:50:13. > :50:15.the Great Repeal Bill will hnclude incorporating all the existhng

:50:16. > :50:24.rights currently guaranteed by EU law to EU citizens? Well, mx job in

:50:25. > :50:33.the first instance is to brhng that decision back to this House. Because

:50:34. > :50:40.people have been concerned `bout this, we have said that we will not

:50:41. > :50:44.be removing employment rights or employment law from British citizens

:50:45. > :50:58.as a result of bringing that process back. Mr Jacob Rees Mogg. I hope you

:50:59. > :51:02.will forgive me for giving the ladybird guide to the consthtution,

:51:03. > :51:05.but her Majesty's government is behaving completely correctly. It is

:51:06. > :51:09.for the government to deterline treaties, it is for Parliamdnt to

:51:10. > :51:12.decide whether or not to brhng them into legislation, and if Parliament

:51:13. > :51:16.doesn't like the government of the day, it can always hold a vote of

:51:17. > :51:20.confidence in that government to change the negotiating stance. It

:51:21. > :51:23.seems to me that the opposition may not want that because they have a

:51:24. > :51:36.record of losing elections `t the moment. Yes, my only response to my

:51:37. > :51:39.honourable friend is, make ly day. Days after the Tory party

:51:40. > :51:46.conference, why has the pound dropped to a 30 year low? I

:51:47. > :51:52.recommend that she reads a book called Flash boys, because ` major

:51:53. > :51:58.part of that fall was the flash crash. Otherwise, there are lots of

:51:59. > :52:02.speculative comments that whll drive the pound down and up and down and

:52:03. > :52:10.up in the next two and a half years, and there is little we can do about

:52:11. > :52:13.that. Can I ask my right honourable friend to ignore those people on

:52:14. > :52:18.both sides of the House who can t bring themselves to come to terms

:52:19. > :52:21.with the referendum result? Would he confirm that there is no such thing

:52:22. > :52:26.as hard Brexit and soft Brexit, there is either Brexit or no Brexit.

:52:27. > :52:29.It is like being pregnant, xou are either pregnant or you're not, and

:52:30. > :52:35.you're either in the Europe`n Union or you are out of it. Being in the

:52:36. > :52:39.single market would mean kedping EU laws, the European Court of Justice

:52:40. > :52:41.making decisions and it would probably mean free movement of

:52:42. > :52:45.people and paying into the DU budget. Does my right red agreed

:52:46. > :52:51.with me that there would be a betrayal of what the British people

:52:52. > :52:58.voted for in the referendum? Yes, he is right. That is precisely what is

:52:59. > :53:03.driving our negotiating str`tegy. The words hard Brexit and soft

:53:04. > :53:08.Brexit are designed to recehve. They are not meaningful. We are talking

:53:09. > :53:13.about the best possible trade access. The Labour Party dods not

:53:14. > :53:17.understand the economics of that. This party does. We are going to get

:53:18. > :53:23.the best outcome for this country, and that will be open trade. Chuka

:53:24. > :53:28.Umunna. Does the Secretary of State recognise that whilst 52% of people

:53:29. > :53:32.voted for us to leave, of course with the consequence that wd would

:53:33. > :53:36.be exiting the European Union, the suggestion that the over 16 million

:53:37. > :53:41.people who voted to remain `re some kind of liberal elite is utterly

:53:42. > :53:46.false and divisive? A majorhty of young voters voted to remain. A

:53:47. > :53:48.majority of ethnic minority voters voted to remain, a majority of

:53:49. > :53:52.people in three of the constituent parts of our country voted to

:53:53. > :53:55.remain. The job of the government is to find a deal that serves the

:53:56. > :54:00.interests of everybody, both those who voted to remain and to leave,

:54:01. > :54:08.not to try and so further sdeds of division in our country.

:54:09. > :54:15.I agree with almost everythhng. I consider myself a Liberal, `s I said

:54:16. > :54:18.earlier. The aim of the Govdrnment is to find an outcome which meets

:54:19. > :54:24.the needs of all of the United Kingdom. Again, it's invidious to

:54:25. > :54:28.talk about one's own speechds but that's what I said last week. We

:54:29. > :54:32.need to engage the interests of all citizens of the country, whhchever

:54:33. > :54:47.way they voted, in order to get the best outcome for the countrx.

:54:48. > :54:54.Surely great nations like France and Germany act in their own interest?

:54:55. > :54:59.What has not been mentioned is that thousands of passports are hs set to

:55:00. > :55:03.trade is to come in the Citx of London and thousands go in the

:55:04. > :55:06.opposite direction. Let's h`ve no more talk about Armageddon for the

:55:07. > :55:13.City of London. There is a deal that can be made and will be madd. My

:55:14. > :55:18.honourable friend is correct and I will say this to him more gdnerally,

:55:19. > :55:23.one of the common not surprhses but things I've discovered in the last

:55:24. > :55:28.few months is that in many `reas, not just in the City or in cars in

:55:29. > :55:32.many areas the balance of negotiating advantage is incredibly

:55:33. > :55:41.heavily stacked our way. Mr Owen Smith. Mr Speaker, I've been at a

:55:42. > :55:47.loose end in the last few wdeks but I put my time to good use and I ve

:55:48. > :55:51.read the back catalogue of the Right Honourable Secretary of State. And

:55:52. > :55:55.one of the speeches I found that I can quote because it is invhdious

:55:56. > :56:00.for him to quote himself, it's one in which he recommended just years

:56:01. > :56:04.ago that we should have to referendums on Brexit. The second

:56:05. > :56:10.only to be held when the terms of the negotiation will fully formed.

:56:11. > :56:17.So can I ask, did he only changes mind when he saw the result of the

:56:18. > :56:23.referendum? The honourable gentleman might have had some time to spare

:56:24. > :56:25.but has not used it very well! Indeed, I think...

:56:26. > :56:30.LAUGHTER Indeed, I think he needs re`ding

:56:31. > :56:35.lessons. Or maybe reading glasses. Because the truth is that when I

:56:36. > :56:39.talked about it, and this w`s ten years ago, he should get estates

:56:40. > :56:44.right! Ten years ago when I talked about the possibility of a double

:56:45. > :56:48.referendum, this was in its early days, I said we should set tp a

:56:49. > :56:52.mandate referendum so you l`y out exactly what your claims should be

:56:53. > :56:57.and then present that, and hf you win that, then use that as ` lever

:56:58. > :57:02.to get good terms thereafter and then make a decision thereafter

:57:03. > :57:06.That is not what the governlent did. The government put it to a straight

:57:07. > :57:12.question. If you went out on the streets of London now and s`id what

:57:13. > :57:21.do you think you voted for, for a mandate or to leave? The answer is

:57:22. > :57:26.they voted to leave. Mr John Badran. I urge my honourable friend to

:57:27. > :57:30.ignore the calls from those opposite for a sort of running commentary on

:57:31. > :57:35.our detailed negotiating position because as everyone knows it makes

:57:36. > :57:39.for poor outcomes and might account for why Labour got rolled over by

:57:40. > :57:45.the EU on some many occasions including when it came to the

:57:46. > :57:48.sacrifice of our EU rebate. Can I ask him to say something about

:57:49. > :57:53.something that hasn't been covered yet on the question is, that is the

:57:54. > :57:58.growing divide between the DU's position when it comes to Brexit

:57:59. > :58:03.between the ideologists in the commission and the elected

:58:04. > :58:07.politicians who recognise that actually, if they play hardball and

:58:08. > :58:15.resort and fall back on tarhffs it will cost them much more th`n it

:58:16. > :58:20.will cost us? I need no urghng to ignore the party that did after all

:58:21. > :58:25.give us the Lisbon Treaty btt he is right, with respect to the viewpoint

:58:26. > :58:30.of the nation states. It will take time to play out. Some of the nation

:58:31. > :58:32.states including Germany ard at the moment committed to making

:58:33. > :58:37.punishment arguments but I think that will change. But other nation

:58:38. > :58:40.states are already making the counter arguments and we will see

:58:41. > :58:49.that group grow and grow as the next two and a half years go by. Rachel

:58:50. > :58:52.Reeves. Thank you, Mr Speakdr. Today at airports holiday-makers `re being

:58:53. > :58:58.offered less than 1 euro to the pound. My honourable friend's

:58:59. > :59:02.members for Nottingham North East have asked about the 15% decline in

:59:03. > :59:08.the value of sterling since the referendum but the secretarx of

:59:09. > :59:12.state has failed to answer. We've seen huge and certain seasons our

:59:13. > :59:15.decision to leave the EU and I'd like to know what efforts the

:59:16. > :59:20.government will make to provide greater clarity and enjoyed a more

:59:21. > :59:23.careful with their words whhch would help with the volatility and the

:59:24. > :59:27.sharp declines we've seen in Stirling in recent weeks.

:59:28. > :59:33.I want to take any lectures about being careful with words from that

:59:34. > :59:39.lot, they are the people who have talked the pound down time `nd

:59:40. > :59:47.again. Mr David not all. Th`nk you, Mr Speaker. Can my right honourable

:59:48. > :59:53.friend confirmed that if thd bill to repeal the European communities act

:59:54. > :59:57.1972 is blocked in the Other Place, the government will not heshtate to

:59:58. > :00:02.use the provisions of the P`rliament act to ensure that it reachds the

:00:03. > :00:07.statute book. There is an adage in politics about not answering

:00:08. > :00:12.hypothetical questions and that is one. I don't expect the House of

:00:13. > :00:21.Lords to literally overturn the decision of the British people. Mr

:00:22. > :00:26.Stephen Kinnock. The Secret`ry of State will know that the process of

:00:27. > :00:29.exiting the EU will be two steps, first of all the article 15

:00:30. > :00:33.negotiations which is by qu`lified majority voting and then thd

:00:34. > :00:37.negotiation of the new tradd deal which will require unanimitx and

:00:38. > :00:41.ratification across all the parliaments of the EU. The secretary

:00:42. > :00:44.of state guarantee that in that transitional period businesses will

:00:45. > :00:47.have the reassurance they so desperately need of a guaranteed

:00:48. > :00:51.transition period rather th`n falling off the edge of the cliff

:00:52. > :00:57.immediately after the concltsion of Article 50? A good point but I am

:00:58. > :01:02.not sure that's exactly right about the mechanism for the final

:01:03. > :01:06.decision. He talks about wh`t is effectively the next procedtre, what

:01:07. > :01:10.happened to the Canadian trdaty We have not yet engaged in the

:01:11. > :01:16.negotiating process, or we don't know exactly how it will work, will

:01:17. > :01:24.it be sequential or parallel, how it will work in terms of encouragement

:01:25. > :01:28.in the components. Thank yot, Mr Speaker. Will my right honotrable

:01:29. > :01:32.friend take this opportunitx to reassure business leaders including

:01:33. > :01:35.those around the world that, contrary to some cometary, his

:01:36. > :01:41.government and our government will seize the opportunity of Brdxit to

:01:42. > :01:46.create a low tax, lightly rdgulated urban economy ready to seizd growing

:01:47. > :01:52.global economies around the world and create prosperity for otr

:01:53. > :01:56.nation? He is right and indded the Prime Minister already has said that

:01:57. > :02:01.we will become leaders in the world for free trade. That is the best

:02:02. > :02:10.signal we could give that wd are creating an opportunistic society

:02:11. > :02:13.for business. I've been contacted by a constituent who is a lecttrer at

:02:14. > :02:18.the University of Glasgow. Not only does she have serious concerns about

:02:19. > :02:22.the loss of EU funding for colleges, she also has a partner who hs a

:02:23. > :02:26.French national and is not sure about where his future will live

:02:27. > :02:30.post-Brexit. Why can the Secretary of State not understand that his

:02:31. > :02:34.governments reluctance to ottline future plans is having a re`lly

:02:35. > :02:41.negative impact on many across the UK? Firstly, the Treasury h`s made

:02:42. > :02:45.some underpinning promises `lready in the course of the summer with

:02:46. > :02:51.respect to research funding. And that applies to Scotland as well. So

:02:52. > :02:54.I would suggest that they go back and look carefully about. As for the

:02:55. > :03:01.concerns of the French partner, I have already said, we are doing this

:03:02. > :03:04.as fast as we can, to be consistent with our responsibility is not just

:03:05. > :03:13.to them but to British citizens abroad. Sir, I was just wondering if

:03:14. > :03:17.my right honourable friend shared my interest and gratitude for the fact

:03:18. > :03:22.that the party opposite of speaking the language of markets, currencies,

:03:23. > :03:27.the Footsie, they are showing great interest in that. Speaking of

:03:28. > :03:33.markets I want to assure Hotse and my constituents that if we were to

:03:34. > :03:41.leave the single market, we would be an open, welcoming, friendlx,

:03:42. > :03:49.dynamic free-trade area. Thd point I have said time and time agahn is

:03:50. > :03:53.that what we are seeking is the most open, most barrier free trade in

:03:54. > :03:59.both goods and services that we can possibly achieve. It is good to give

:04:00. > :04:08.the words from across the floor even if they are not well understood

:04:09. > :04:11.Julie Elliott. Mr Speaker, when will the Secretary of State reissue

:04:12. > :04:16.businesses based in the UK, especially those based in mx city of

:04:17. > :04:21.Sunderland, a plant of Niss`n, about the potential of tariffs behng

:04:22. > :04:25.enforced on every car they sell to mainland Europe, 80%, while

:04:26. > :04:28.investment has been halted `t a plant, under contract already

:04:29. > :04:32.awarded has been put in abexance while they wait for reassur`nces

:04:33. > :04:37.from the government. When whll the government act on real people's jobs

:04:38. > :04:41.to reassure companies? This is what is at stake with this, it is not

:04:42. > :04:49.chatter, it is real peoples jobs. When will the government act? We

:04:50. > :04:53.have said in terms after thd Japanese letter that we are

:04:54. > :04:57.determined to make sure that we guarantee or acquire the access for

:04:58. > :05:04.all the countries in the UK to the maximum possible markets. That is

:05:05. > :05:07.what we are doing. Mr Henry Smith. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I urge

:05:08. > :05:13.welcomed the statement from my right honourable friend. -- are vdry much

:05:14. > :05:19.welcome it. Can he say that as part of the negotiation process he will

:05:20. > :05:23.look to review the UK's involvement in the European Single Skies

:05:24. > :05:29.initiative as well? The Dep`rtment for Transport on that issue even as

:05:30. > :05:35.we speak. They were the people I was thinking of when I said that there

:05:36. > :05:41.were many areas where we have strands because of our position

:05:42. > :05:47.Britain is the strongest target for flight arrivals in the European

:05:48. > :05:52.Union. Maria Eagle. Mr Speaker, there are hundreds of peopld in my

:05:53. > :05:55.constituency working in the automotive and the pharmacettical

:05:56. > :05:59.industries who are very worried about the transitional phasd between

:06:00. > :06:04.now and when we leave the ET. Because decisions are being made by

:06:05. > :06:09.their employers, now about investments, and the worry hs that

:06:10. > :06:14.those decisions will take investment away from South Liverpool and put it

:06:15. > :06:18.somewhere else in Europe. What can the Minister do, what can the

:06:19. > :06:22.Secretary of State do to give reassurance to my constituents and

:06:23. > :06:27.reassure those automotive and pharmaceutical businesses that they

:06:28. > :06:31.should continue to invest hdre? I would say, if I remember correctly,

:06:32. > :06:40.after the referendum decision, but so SmithKline confirmed -- Glaxo

:06:41. > :06:43.Smith Kline confirmed hundrdds of millions in investment in this

:06:44. > :06:48.country so I don't think thd pharmaceutical industry is fleeing

:06:49. > :06:52.Britain, the reverse. It is predominately in the UK and it is

:06:53. > :06:57.there for reasons that related to intellectual property, among others.

:06:58. > :07:01.Secondly, this. We are constlting widely and one thing we are doing is

:07:02. > :07:04.establishing whether fears `nd concerns are so we can deal with

:07:05. > :07:09.them and we are doing that accurately and carefully in the way

:07:10. > :07:13.that she would do. I know for the way that she would address ht, we

:07:14. > :07:15.are addressing it that way `nd that is what in the long run will

:07:16. > :07:27.guarantee the jobs of her constituents. Mr Ben Howlett. May I

:07:28. > :07:31.say from one Remain to thosd on the opposite benches, scupper or delay

:07:32. > :07:34.triggering Article 50 to a panel, workers and businesses will not

:07:35. > :07:39.respect you for it and we mtst respect the will of the British

:07:40. > :07:42.people. I do appreciate the pragmatism of the decision not to

:07:43. > :07:46.involve parliament on every detail. Will he agree that Parliament must

:07:47. > :07:49.be involved in setting out the principles of negotiation, that is

:07:50. > :07:53.single market membership and free movement rules to ensure th`t when

:07:54. > :08:00.things like the great repeal bill are placed before this Housd it will

:08:01. > :08:04.receive full support. I alw`ys pay attention to people who votdd Remain

:08:05. > :08:09.and take seriously the responsibility we have to m`king

:08:10. > :08:16.this work. He laid down a couple of criteria which are very tight in one

:08:17. > :08:20.sense. I am saying it in terms we want the best outcome, which is open

:08:21. > :08:27.market access. That is the point. How you do it, it may come down to

:08:28. > :08:32.the negotiations, I can't go into detail. What I will say is this The

:08:33. > :08:42.process from now until roughly two and a half years, two and a half

:08:43. > :08:45.years' time, will be full of parliamentary event. Unless the

:08:46. > :08:50.opposition and the select committee are not doing their job, thdy will,

:08:51. > :08:55.unless we somehow try to block things that we will not try to

:08:56. > :08:59.block, we take parliamentarx accountability very seriously and

:09:00. > :09:05.that is what we will do, we will keep Parliament as well informed as

:09:06. > :09:10.we can. I beg his pardon. Stephen Timms. Mr Speaker I agree whth the

:09:11. > :09:13.Secretary of State that we need free access to the single market, but we

:09:14. > :09:19.know there is tension betwedn delivering that and restricting free

:09:20. > :09:23.movement. On an all-party vhsit last month the German employers

:09:24. > :09:26.organisation said it might be possible to square the circle by

:09:27. > :09:30.agreeing a new definition of free movement so it only applied to

:09:31. > :09:32.people with a firm job offer in the UK. Is that a possibility that

:09:33. > :09:43.ministers will pursue? I thank the honourable gentleman for

:09:44. > :09:45.the question, as always, he puts the serious questions. I thank the

:09:46. > :09:49.honourable gentleman. My job though is to bring back control of these

:09:50. > :09:53.issues to the United Kingdol and then for the United Kingdom to

:09:54. > :09:57.exercise that control in thd way that Parliament and Governmdnt sees

:09:58. > :10:02.fit. What they negotiate thdreafter is not a matter for me to speculate

:10:03. > :10:05.on and I certainly wouldn't offer up, well that's a good negotiating

:10:06. > :10:11.hand or that is not a good negotiating hand at that tile. But I

:10:12. > :10:16.hear what he says. Sir Desmond Swayne. I satisfied my

:10:17. > :10:20.appetite to vote on this qudstion on 23rd June. But like my right

:10:21. > :10:25.honourable friend, the membdr for Bedfordshire, I want some influence

:10:26. > :10:31.over the process. But if influence has to be measured by holding a

:10:32. > :10:37.division, a vote as appears to be believed by the members on still,

:10:38. > :10:44.they might be reminded they get a supply day every week -- opposite,

:10:45. > :10:50.they might be reminded they get a supply day every week.

:10:51. > :10:55.Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Secretary of State's said he'll provide some

:10:56. > :11:00.certainty and clarity. Can H tell the Secretary of State, I h`d an

:11:01. > :11:04.e-mail from a GP in my constituency saying a lady who's lived there for

:11:05. > :11:09.over 40 years is having mental health problems as she's concerned

:11:10. > :11:14.about being deported. I've got parents who've contact med saying

:11:15. > :11:19.their children are awake at night worried they are about to lose their

:11:20. > :11:25.mother or father who is an DU citizen. It's absolutely imperative

:11:26. > :11:28.we have some clarity here. @s for the glib individual over thdre who

:11:29. > :11:31.claims I should reassure thdm, I have done that, but they nedd from

:11:32. > :11:36.it the Government because I don t have that power. Can we havd at

:11:37. > :11:40.least a clarity that those who've lived in this country for over five

:11:41. > :11:45.years will have an automatic right to remain? They need it, it is only

:11:46. > :11:51.right that citizens have th`t clarity.

:11:52. > :11:54.I can give absolute clarity, that's the law. Being in Britain over five

:11:55. > :11:59.years means you have indefinite leave to remain. Being many Britain

:12:00. > :12:06.over six years you have right to citizenship. It's perfectly natural

:12:07. > :12:10.for us to want as much detahl as we possibly can, but it's more

:12:11. > :12:13.important these outcomes have success that we need. Does ly right

:12:14. > :12:18.honourable friend agree with me that we shouldn't be tempting hil to give

:12:19. > :12:23.details now, we should be kdeping as much secret as we can when our

:12:24. > :12:26.opponents are talking about tariffs and punishments and, is it not the

:12:27. > :12:30.case that he must do everything he can to play his cards as close to

:12:31. > :12:37.his chest as possible? He's right and I'll do my best to resist

:12:38. > :12:39.temptation. Should we commend the Secretary of

:12:40. > :12:44.State for At least once agahn presenting us with a full r`nge of

:12:45. > :12:50.cosmetics without a single licrobean of substance. Does he realise that

:12:51. > :12:54.his assurances about consultation with the joint First Ministdrs in

:12:55. > :12:59.Stormont and his indications as to his hopes for the profile of the

:13:00. > :13:02.border do not actually meastre up to answering the profound implhcations

:13:03. > :13:07.that the Colt course he is now piloting has for the Good Friday

:13:08. > :13:12.Agreement with its delicate layers of understanding constitutional

:13:13. > :13:17.foundations and key politic`l premises? Sorry, but the honourable

:13:18. > :13:21.gentleman's just wrong. We have invested a lot of resource `lready

:13:22. > :13:26.in this issue and indeed thd front-page of the Guardian this

:13:27. > :13:32.morning was, the bits in quotes from the Northern Ireland secret`ry I

:13:33. > :13:37.think are accurate and we are talking to the Irish Governlent to

:13:38. > :13:40.determine, as well as we can, a mechanism, technical mechanhsm to

:13:41. > :13:46.ensure we maintain an open border and that we underpin the agreement.

:13:47. > :13:55.Thank you, Mr Speaker. I'm disappointed that so many mdmbers of

:13:56. > :13:58.this House, and I might polhtely call them the unreconcilablds, seem

:13:59. > :14:02.intent to use every ploy of Parliamentary procedure to tndermine

:14:03. > :14:05.the will of the British people, claiming it's the democratic right

:14:06. > :14:08.of this House. Does my right honourable frhend

:14:09. > :14:13.agree with me that one of the most important principles of democracy is

:14:14. > :14:17.that everyone's vote counts the same and, on the 23rd June, everxone in

:14:18. > :14:20.the country, including membdrs of this House, had a vote and the

:14:21. > :14:26.result was clear? He's right. We have a mandate and we

:14:27. > :14:29.should remember everybody. H have heard some, not today, to bd honest,

:14:30. > :14:34.but I have heard some sneerhng comments from people who sedm to

:14:35. > :14:42.think that 17.5 million people don't have a right to have an opinion

:14:43. > :14:45.After a referendum and thred days before his appointment, he wrote in

:14:46. > :14:50.an article that there should be publish add White Paper outlining

:14:51. > :14:54.the negotiating terms of Brdxit Could he please explain to the

:14:55. > :15:06.House, at the time of writing that article, what was his thinkhng? The

:15:07. > :15:12.simple answer is this. I was trying to think. Throughout the entire

:15:13. > :15:18.election campaign, I was trxing to think through how we best ddvelop,

:15:19. > :15:21.not so much the retention of the European market, but how we best

:15:22. > :15:26.develop the international m`rkets and that was my thoughts at that

:15:27. > :15:33.time. As a backbencher, I'm entirely entitled to have those thoughts

:15:34. > :15:37.Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can H welcome the Secretary of State's st`tement

:15:38. > :15:40.today. Airbus is a wonderful example of European cooperation. Thd

:15:41. > :15:45.fuselages are built in France and Germany, the wings in this country.

:15:46. > :15:50.Would he agree with me that any politician or bureaucrat who tried

:15:51. > :15:53.to punish such a project as that that created so much wealth,

:15:54. > :16:02.prosperity in jobs, is eithdr mad, bad or totally out of touch with the

:16:03. > :16:07.people they profess to reprdsent? I would simply add one other word not

:16:08. > :16:12.mad or bad but simply unwisd. Thank you, Mr Speaker.

:16:13. > :16:17.Both the tone and content of the Home Secretary's speech to Tory

:16:18. > :16:20.Party Conference was profoundly hostile to the recruitment of

:16:21. > :16:26.international students. Absolutely... These are esthmated to

:16:27. > :16:32.be worth ?40 billion to the economy and is a valuable growth market Can

:16:33. > :16:38.the minister explain whether he backs the Home Secretary or can he

:16:39. > :16:44.give assurances that in the Brexit negotiation on EU students, he will

:16:45. > :16:47.not do anything to damage their access and our world class higher

:16:48. > :16:53.education system and the wider economy?

:16:54. > :16:57.The honourable gentleman's lissed the point. We have already

:16:58. > :17:03.instructed the student loan company to underpin loans from forehgn

:17:04. > :17:09.students to sixteen and sevdn teen, an action designed to help students

:17:10. > :17:14.get in, not the opposite. Isn't it the truth that the

:17:15. > :17:18.depreciation of sterling since June 23rd has provided a massive boost to

:17:19. > :17:23.Britain's international competitiveness and has been great

:17:24. > :17:26.news for British exporters? Has he been encouraged or discouraged by

:17:27. > :17:30.the number of countries knocking on our door willing to do Free Trade

:17:31. > :17:36.Agreements once we leave thd European Union? One of the

:17:37. > :17:40.interesting things that comds from the other side of the House today

:17:41. > :17:44.has been their willingness to carp on the down side of every shngle

:17:45. > :17:48.aspect of Brexit. The simpld truth is that those talking about the

:17:49. > :17:52.competitiveness of their own industries are not paying attention

:17:53. > :17:58.to the level of the pound so why has some down sides, it certainly has a

:17:59. > :18:04.very large number of up sidds too. Thank you, Mr Speaker. As chair of

:18:05. > :18:07.the APPG on medical research, I m extremely concerned about the impact

:18:08. > :18:11.of brebs it on scientific and medical research in this cotntry.

:18:12. > :18:14.Scientists have worked collaboratively across borddrs, now

:18:15. > :18:19.researchers are worried abott funding and the job insecurhty and

:18:20. > :18:22.uncertainty which is affecthng their EU national colleagues. What

:18:23. > :18:25.reassurance can the Secretary of State give to scientists in this

:18:26. > :18:30.country that their research will continue to be funded and that their

:18:31. > :18:37.EU national colleagues will continue to be welcomed to work here? Well,

:18:38. > :18:40.the first thing I would say is the Treasury already gave underwriting

:18:41. > :18:47.guarantees as they were for the current round of applications, so

:18:48. > :18:53.that's not to be worried about. Thereafter, frankly, this country is

:18:54. > :18:57.a science super power. The hdea that our departure from the European

:18:58. > :19:01.Union means funding would dry up is for the birds. I've had this

:19:02. > :19:06.conversation with some world academies and we'll continud those

:19:07. > :19:10.discussions with the aim of ensuring they feel that they're not `t risk.

:19:11. > :19:15.The other thing I would say is this, that some of the comments wd have

:19:16. > :19:19.got back indicate that the Duropean Union rules on issues like clinical

:19:20. > :19:23.research have not exactly bden helpful to British science `nd that

:19:24. > :19:28.will be an improvement, not just an underwriting guarantee.

:19:29. > :19:32.Thank you, Mr Speaker. Many City of London institutions rely on the

:19:33. > :19:36.financial services Passport to Do business across Europe. Somd say as

:19:37. > :19:40.many as 20% of their jobs ddpend on that access. The problem is, some

:19:41. > :19:43.will take a year or two to relocate staff and the danger is somd may

:19:44. > :19:47.take action before the end of the two years. What assurance c`n the

:19:48. > :19:52.Secretary of State give to those people that either financial service

:19:53. > :19:55.passporting or some equivaldnt mutual recognition is his priority

:19:56. > :20:00.in order to encourage those people to keep those jobs here in London?

:20:01. > :20:05.He makes a good point. Therd may be something like an 18-month lag on

:20:06. > :20:11.those decisions. As a result, he's right, some people might trx and

:20:12. > :20:16.pre-empt the decision rashlx, early. The Treasury's already had ` round

:20:17. > :20:20.table on specifically this hssue and looked very clearly at mutu`l

:20:21. > :20:24.recognition and various mechanisms of mutual recognition as a fallback

:20:25. > :20:29.on passporting. Somebody else made the point that we issue mord

:20:30. > :20:34.passports than we seek. As ` result, our negotiating in this are` is at

:20:35. > :20:38.least reasonable. Thank you, Mr Speaker. This is the

:20:39. > :20:43.Secretary of State's second statement on this issue and quite

:20:44. > :20:47.frankly he'd have said more had he said nothing at all. Can we conclude

:20:48. > :20:50.from his statement today th`t his definition of taking back control is

:20:51. > :20:54.that the sovereign parent whll get no binding say on the negothating

:20:55. > :21:00.stance, Article 50 or even the final deal, because what he said today is,

:21:01. > :21:02.of the 28 current members of the European Union, 27 sovereign Members

:21:03. > :21:07.of Parliament will get a sax, but not this one? Well, he clearly

:21:08. > :21:13.hasn't been paying attention. The words I used were "we will obey all

:21:14. > :21:17.the conventions and laws th`t apply to the signing, reform or rdmoval of

:21:18. > :21:24.European treaties". I suggest he goes and looks it up.

:21:25. > :21:31.Thank you, Mr Speaker. What steps is my right honourable friend friend

:21:32. > :21:34.taking to ensure that the voices of agriculture, business gener`lly are

:21:35. > :21:38.heard more clearly as a restlt of our Brexit negotiations and to make

:21:39. > :21:43.sure that things are fully understood? Firstly, there have been

:21:44. > :21:48.a number of consultations and discussions with them. This whole

:21:49. > :21:51.exercise is an all-Government operation, meaning the individual

:21:52. > :21:56.departments will be dealing directly with them. Secondly ex-the Treasury

:21:57. > :22:02.moved, unusually quickly I should say, to ensure that they kndw their

:22:03. > :22:06.current round of funding was underpinned. The Government is

:22:07. > :22:09.taking this extraordinarily seriously and they have no reason to

:22:10. > :22:14.worry. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Firstly I

:22:15. > :22:22.would like to thank minister Walker for calling to my constituency last

:22:23. > :22:28.week to meet businesses there. On the border, I appreciate thd issue

:22:29. > :22:34.about the Republic of Ireland on the border and I have envisaged that

:22:35. > :22:41.we'd stop the struggling gohng on that may take place after the

:22:42. > :22:45.Brexit. Very good and difficult question.

:22:46. > :22:51.The simple truth is, we havd to make a judgment. We have to make a

:22:52. > :22:55.judgment, all borders of th`t nature Norway, Sweden is another good

:22:56. > :22:59.example of an open border, Canada America, another good example. You

:23:00. > :23:02.get small scale movements. But big scale movements can be found and

:23:03. > :23:07.dealt with. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Writhng in

:23:08. > :23:09.The Telegraph following the referendum, the Foreign Secretary

:23:10. > :23:13.claimed he'd still have accdss to the single market and that the

:23:14. > :23:17.rights of EU citizens living in the UK and those of UK citizens living

:23:18. > :23:21.abroad would be respected. Hf that's no longer the case and the Foreign

:23:22. > :23:26.Secretary's confused, could the Secretary of State clear up some of

:23:27. > :23:34.these issues in the pre-negotiation white paper he promised, tell us

:23:35. > :23:39.when it will be published and if, as the member suggests, can he tell us

:23:40. > :23:45.when we'll get ?350 million a week for the NHS? The simple answer on

:23:46. > :23:48.the market is, we will seek to get the most open, barrier free market

:23:49. > :23:54.we can, full stop. That will be as good as a single market.

:23:55. > :24:05.Jonathan Edwards. Mr Speaker, as the Secretary of State knows, swathes of

:24:06. > :24:10.EU law are intertwined with legislation in Wales, Scotl`nd and

:24:11. > :24:14.Northern Ireland. Will he confirm that the proposed repeal Bill will

:24:15. > :24:19.not interfere with Welsh legislation without a formal consent of the

:24:20. > :24:23.National Assembly, and I emphasise formal? I cannot see at intdrfering

:24:24. > :24:31.with Welsh legislation but one thing we are doing is, we will talk at

:24:32. > :24:33.length to each of the devolved administrations on issues that

:24:34. > :24:37.affect them as part of the great repeal Bill and we will do that

:24:38. > :24:45.before we draft it, let alone before we publish it. Mum in its open

:24:46. > :24:49.letter to the government thd business leaders said at thd weekend

:24:50. > :24:54.that it would be extremely tnlikely that the complexity negotiations for

:24:55. > :24:59.Brexit would be completed whthin the two years to belated in Arthcle 50.

:25:00. > :25:05.If that is the case what happens then? With the best will in the

:25:06. > :25:14.world, the CBI are hypotheshsing. The simple truth is that we have an

:25:15. > :25:19.unusual negotiation because the standards that supply insidd the

:25:20. > :25:27.union will apply to us on the day we depart. That is one reason why this

:25:28. > :25:32.bill will go straight into British law. It makes some of the transition

:25:33. > :25:43.issues quicker to deal with, I will deal with it if it arises, `t the

:25:44. > :25:48.moment I can't see it arising. Does he not feel that people will see the

:25:49. > :25:52.irony that they will be enshrining the hated European regulations that

:25:53. > :25:56.they have campaigned against the many years? Does it not accdpt that

:25:57. > :26:00.sovereignty in Scotland lies with the people and not in parli`ment so

:26:01. > :26:05.ultimately it is the people of Scotland to decide if they remain in

:26:06. > :26:09.the United Kingdom or in thd European Union? Two points. Number

:26:10. > :26:16.one, unlike prior to the passage of the great repeal, we will bd able to

:26:17. > :26:25.change those laws which we cannot do now. We're not able to do at now.

:26:26. > :26:35.With respect to, I've forgotten what is the proposal was now... Oh yes,

:26:36. > :26:42.for Scotland to decide. I apologise. I shouldn't have forgotten that The

:26:43. > :26:45.simple truth is, this was a UK wide decision and had it gone thd other

:26:46. > :26:57.way he would not have been `rguing out. Melanie Onn. Thank you, Mr

:26:58. > :27:04.Speaker. Some legislation goes further than ours but not all. Some

:27:05. > :27:07.have been more worker friendly lands Tribunal 's and certainly more so

:27:08. > :27:11.than this government. If thhs government intends to protect rights

:27:12. > :27:16.of workers and should adopt my bill which seeks to maintain standards

:27:17. > :27:19.around workers and employment rights especially those within secondary

:27:20. > :27:25.legislation. Failing to do thus leaves the door wide open for future

:27:26. > :27:29.governments to statutory instruments with hard-won rights. He clhngs to

:27:30. > :27:34.be a champion for workers, will he look at stand-alone legislation at

:27:35. > :27:40.the earliest opportunity to continue to protect Britain's workers -- he

:27:41. > :27:43.claims to be a champion. I hear what the honourable lady says, I have

:27:44. > :27:46.given an indication that thdre will be no reversal and the Primd

:27:47. > :27:52.Minister has gone beyond th`t and says there will be expansion

:27:53. > :27:59.protection. Mr Speaker, the steel and ceramic industries are covered

:28:00. > :28:03.by 52 separate trade defencd laws, under these the glaciations, the

:28:04. > :28:10.government wishes to support Chinese market economy status. Which of the

:28:11. > :28:12.52 trade defence mechanisms does the Secretary of State wished to

:28:13. > :28:23.maintain the British Steel hndustry as it stands? That is a serhous

:28:24. > :28:27.question, I will write to hhm. Mr Speaker, on Saturday I met `

:28:28. > :28:32.constituent who is a member of academic staff at the University of

:28:33. > :28:36.Nottingham, one of many EU citizens working in the city and helping its

:28:37. > :28:40.future economic success. He says he wants an outcome to negotiations

:28:41. > :28:45.that benefits the interests of all UK citizens and I agree, dods he

:28:46. > :28:50.agree with me that giving otr universities and their EU staff the

:28:51. > :28:55.assurances that they are sedking is in our best interests, yes No, and

:28:56. > :29:00.if yes, when will he give those assurances? We have duties `nd

:29:01. > :29:05.responsibilities to the British citizens abroad as well as DU

:29:06. > :29:10.citizens here. We seek to ghve them the best guarantees we can `s soon

:29:11. > :29:19.as we can, the exact answer is not solely in my hands. Peter Grant Mr

:29:20. > :29:23.Speaker, I hope the whole House will accept the sincerity of the

:29:24. > :29:28.Secretary of State when he speaks about not fostering hostility. In

:29:29. > :29:34.that contest is it appropri`te for government ministers to refdr to EU

:29:35. > :29:42.citizens living in the UK in terms such as "Bargaining counters close

:29:43. > :29:47.Mac and close bargaining cotnters and cheap foreign Labour. I don t

:29:48. > :29:50.think I have never said that because they are not bargaining counters.

:29:51. > :29:55.One problem that arises when you divide the categories of EU citizens

:29:56. > :29:59.and British citizens abroad is that you turn one of them into a

:30:00. > :30:04.bargaining counter, that is what we are avoiding. Weeks ago the

:30:05. > :30:08.honourable gentleman was a champion of the backbench. Today he says

:30:09. > :30:12.there is no role for backbenchers on a triggering Article 50 all the

:30:13. > :30:16.terms of that. He says that he respects the role of Parlialent To

:30:17. > :30:21.show that he has not gone over completely to the dark side can he

:30:22. > :30:25.confirmed that there are no plans in his great repeal Bill to get short

:30:26. > :30:31.cuts to repealing any protections which currently exist in EU law but

:30:32. > :30:38.a change in that law would require the full parliamentary procdss.

:30:39. > :30:43.Certainly any further changds will require parliamentary process. To

:30:44. > :30:48.come back to the Article 50 issue, she is right. I fought hard for the

:30:49. > :30:52.rights of Parliament with rdspect to Brexit but I would never put

:30:53. > :30:56.parliament in a position whdre it was in a clash with the British

:30:57. > :31:05.people and that is what an @rticle 50 vote would do. Joanna Chdrry

:31:06. > :31:12.Thank you, Mr Speaker. Yestdrday, on the Andrew Marr show the right

:31:13. > :31:16.honourable member who is not in his place today says the reason the

:31:17. > :31:19.pound keeps zooming south is that no one has the faintest idea what we

:31:20. > :31:24.will put in place in the single market. I had the impression from

:31:25. > :31:30.the Minister that he did not agree with that statement earlier. If he

:31:31. > :31:34.doesn't agree with it, to what does he attributed the repeated

:31:35. > :31:39.plummeting of the pound since June 24, and does he agree with the

:31:40. > :31:44.honourable member for Kettering no longer in this place, that ht is a

:31:45. > :31:49.good thing that the pound kdeps plummeting? Firstly it is an unwise

:31:50. > :31:53.minister who passes comments on what the right value of the pound is

:31:54. > :31:58.There are benefits and disadvantages in movements in either direction. To

:31:59. > :32:02.look at another country, whhch is safer for me, the euro is whdely

:32:03. > :32:07.viewed as being undervalued the German economy and overvaludd for

:32:08. > :32:10.the group one. Decide for yourself which you prefer, the Greek economy

:32:11. > :32:16.is in a worse state than thd German one. I don't agree with my right

:32:17. > :32:19.honourable friend the Member for Rushworth, there will definhtely be

:32:20. > :32:30.large markets were British hndustry after we exit the European Tnion.

:32:31. > :32:34.What she saw on the currencx markets was in response to an article about

:32:35. > :32:38.Francois Hollande's comments, massively exacerbated by programme

:32:39. > :32:46.trading which is then corrected later on. Thank you, Mr Spe`ker

:32:47. > :32:55.Today the British Retail Consortium says that we could see pricd rises

:32:56. > :33:02.of 27% inmate, 16% in clothhng and footwear, and for Chilean whne, 14%,

:33:03. > :33:06.if we depend on WTO rules. These are not just some theoretical action,

:33:07. > :33:14.these are real price rises hn the real world. Will he accept the

:33:15. > :33:19.reality that the damage will be done if we saw price rises and c`n he say

:33:20. > :33:27.what he will do to make surd that these predictions today did not

:33:28. > :33:31.become reality? He points ott exactly why we are seeking the best

:33:32. > :33:39.possible access that we can obtain, full stop. The Secretary max be

:33:40. > :33:45.interested to know that tod`y Glasgow City Council announced a far

:33:46. > :33:54.more comprehensive report than we received today from the Secretary of

:33:55. > :33:57.State, looking for clarity `round autumn funding beyond 2020 `nd

:33:58. > :34:01.higher education and in infrastructure funding and `lso

:34:02. > :34:08.calling for acceleration of the capital within the city deal in

:34:09. > :34:12.Glasgow. Could he confirmed his intention to go beyond just

:34:13. > :34:17.consulting local government on the impact of Brexit, will he engage and

:34:18. > :34:25.respond to the concerns of local government,? We will be eng`ging

:34:26. > :34:31.with it, including on that report, I would imagine. I will say this,

:34:32. > :34:35.however, beyond 2020, there will be a new EU budget round, and `s it

:34:36. > :34:38.stands it is not at all cle`r that it will be as generous as the

:34:39. > :34:46.current one so I don't think you should extrapolate on today's

:34:47. > :34:50.numbers. Thank you, Mr Speaker, the Secretary of State will be `ware of

:34:51. > :34:56.the importance of the pharm`ceutical industry to our economy. And also of

:34:57. > :34:59.the comets made by the chief executive of AstraZeneca who wants

:35:00. > :35:05.that we are not part of the common approval process, so the cost of

:35:06. > :35:10.drugs will rise. Is he right and with less money for the NHS, how

:35:11. > :35:14.much will it cost? I'm not hn a position to do those sums btt I will

:35:15. > :35:19.say this. That's one of the things we'll seek to get standardised.

:35:20. > :35:24.There will be a number of areas like life sciences where we have a big

:35:25. > :35:27.interest, and we are after `ll the largest life science Centre in

:35:28. > :35:36.Europe so that will be front and centre of the negotiations. When the

:35:37. > :35:41.CBI says that businesses will fear the worst in the event of not

:35:42. > :35:43.knowing a sense of direction from government the Secretary of State

:35:44. > :35:47.should take that seriously. She s spent the last hour and 35 linutes

:35:48. > :35:51.listening to his statement `nd she will still be none the wiser about

:35:52. > :35:56.what the government are tryhng to achieve with these negotiathons The

:35:57. > :35:59.White Paper that the Secret`ry of State suggested he would brhng

:36:00. > :36:03.forward would be a good way of providing consultancy. He's dodged

:36:04. > :36:06.the question four times, will he now confirmed that it is either still

:36:07. > :36:12.his intention to bring up a white paper or if not, to say why not

:36:13. > :36:18.Firstly I spent time talking to Ms Fairburn few weeks ago. She knows

:36:19. > :36:26.what the objectives are. Thd same as that given here. Which is that we

:36:27. > :36:33.get the best possible access. The other thing she will say if you ask

:36:34. > :36:36.her, as is backed, it is, gdtting the right outcome is more ilportant

:36:37. > :36:45.than talking about the right outcome -- I suspect. That is what we intend

:36:46. > :36:49.to do. Mr Alan Brown. Feketd, Mr Speaker, as last man standing what

:36:50. > :36:54.chance do I have of getting anything out of the secretary? Not mtch! Nine

:36:55. > :37:00.he's spent his life planning for his day in the sun and his like a rabbit

:37:01. > :37:04.in the headlights. Full of bungled buzzwords, sovereignty, control the

:37:05. > :37:08.right to forbidden, mandate. We ve heard it all before, it adds nothing

:37:09. > :37:12.to the argument. One edition was outward looking which is ironic when

:37:13. > :37:19.it's a week after the Tory conference! Last week we got a

:37:20. > :37:22.running commentary on how foreigners will be treated in the future and

:37:23. > :37:27.then he stands here and talks about divisive rationalism. So whdn will

:37:28. > :37:32.he develop a coherent plan `nd advise this House on what is going

:37:33. > :37:38.to happen and how the administrations will be involved and

:37:39. > :37:41.how the rights of EU Nation`l 's will be protected here? I

:37:42. > :37:44.congratulate the right honotrable gentleman on being last man

:37:45. > :37:50.standing. In response to th`t rant, I will say it is particularly ironic

:37:51. > :37:58.that the SNP to say mandate and control that matter! -- for the SNP

:37:59. > :38:03.to say that mandate and controlled and not matter. Order. In a moment I

:38:04. > :38:08.shall call Mr Stephen Phillhps to make an application for leave to

:38:09. > :38:14.propose a debate on a specific, important matter that should have

:38:15. > :38:20.urgent consideration under the terms of standing order number 24, the

:38:21. > :38:24.honourable and learn and honourable gentleman has up to three mhnutes in

:38:25. > :38:29.which to make such an application. Mr Stephen Phillips. Thank xou, Mr

:38:30. > :38:34.Speaker. I seek to propose that the House should debate a specific,

:38:35. > :38:38.important matter that should receive urgent consideration, namelx, the

:38:39. > :38:41.terms upon which the governlent proposes to conduct negotiations

:38:42. > :38:45.with the European Commission of the exit of the UK from the European

:38:46. > :38:49.Union. Let me be crystal cldar what this proposed debate is not about.

:38:50. > :38:53.It is not about reversing the referendum result. Not about

:38:54. > :38:58.subverting the will of the lajority of those who voted, as I did, to

:38:59. > :39:02.leave the EU, and it's not `bout trying to secure a second

:39:03. > :39:04.referendum. We had a vote, the country voted as it did and that

:39:05. > :39:15.result must be respected. Th Personally I had nothing do with

:39:16. > :39:18.the Leave campaign, a disgr`ceful sea of falsehood spin and

:39:19. > :39:23.propaganda. Like many, however, given that fundamental reform of the

:39:24. > :39:26.EU appeared impossible, I exercised my own vote on the sure and simple

:39:27. > :39:30.basis that the people of thhs country should be able to throw out

:39:31. > :39:33.of office those who make thd rules that govern their lives. In other

:39:34. > :39:36.words, I voted on the basis of sovereignty.

:39:37. > :39:40.The Government has a mandatd, as a result of referendum, to take the UK

:39:41. > :39:44.out of the European Union. But what it doesn't have is a mandatd as to

:39:45. > :39:49.the terms on why should be done Nearly half of those who voted

:39:50. > :39:52.wanted no substantive changd at all in tell relationship between this

:39:53. > :39:58.country and the European Unhon. Their voices, although they didn't

:39:59. > :40:03.chime with my own, appear to have been forgotten in the Brexit which

:40:04. > :40:05.has somehow been perceived `s half wisdom on the part of the

:40:06. > :40:08.Government. You cannot extr`polate from the result of the referendum

:40:09. > :40:12.the specific terms upon which the majority of those in this country

:40:13. > :40:15.wish their relations with the European Union now to be governed.

:40:16. > :40:19.That can only be done by sedking a mandate from this House to which of

:40:20. > :40:22.the citizens of this countrx return honourable and Right Honour`ble

:40:23. > :40:25.members to express their vidw. The suggestion that the Governmdnt will

:40:26. > :40:30.not consult this House and listen to the voices of those who represent

:40:31. > :40:34.the voters of this country, is fundamentally undemocratic. It's

:40:35. > :40:37.enimnickth Mickible to the traditions which underpin otr

:40:38. > :40:47.constitution and, in my view, it's wrong. It runs contrary to how I and

:40:48. > :40:50.others voted. I didn't vote Leave to see one European Commission replaced

:40:51. > :40:53.by another in the form of a Government that fails to listen to

:40:54. > :40:58.what this House thinks about its negotiating position.

:40:59. > :41:01.Fundamentally, this House should, in my judgment, consulted by the

:41:02. > :41:06.Government through debate and the views of members heard before a

:41:07. > :41:10.decision is made as to the broad negotiating position to be `dopted

:41:11. > :41:14.in the European Union. It's for that reason that this debate is both

:41:15. > :41:20.important and urgent. I'm grateful to you for having permitted this

:41:21. > :41:24.application to be made and this House is in no doubt that it should

:41:25. > :41:29.be considered by honourable and Right Honourable members at the

:41:30. > :41:34.earliest possible opportunity. THE SPEAKER: The honourable and

:41:35. > :41:37.learned member asks leave to vote on a specific, important matter, which

:41:38. > :41:42.should have urgent consider`tion, namely the terms upon which the

:41:43. > :41:45.Government is proposing to conduct negotiations with the Europdan

:41:46. > :41:50.Commission for the exit of the United Kingdom from the European

:41:51. > :41:54.Union. I have listened carefully to the application from the honourable

:41:55. > :42:00.and learn Ed member. I'm not persuaded that this matter hs proper

:42:01. > :42:07.to be discussed, understandhng order number 24. In determining whether a

:42:08. > :42:15.matter is urgent, I am directed by standing order number 24 sub section

:42:16. > :42:21.5.2 and I quote "have regard to the probability of the matter bding

:42:22. > :42:30.brought before the House in time by other means. " Unquote. As of now, I

:42:31. > :42:35.have reason to expect, and H believe that the honourable and learned

:42:36. > :42:42.gentleman himself might well now be aware also that there is a strong

:42:43. > :42:47.prospect of a debate on this matter as early as this Wednesday. Needless

:42:48. > :42:52.to say, I say to the honour`ble and learn Ed member, and for thd benefit

:42:53. > :42:56.of the House, that there'll doubtless be many other

:42:57. > :43:00.opportunities to debate these matters through various vehhcles in

:43:01. > :43:04.the house and it's perfectlx right and proper that those variots

:43:05. > :43:10.vehicles should be used as appropriate. Benefit of the House,

:43:11. > :43:12.that there'll doubtless be lany other opportunities to debate these

:43:13. > :43:14.matters through various vehhcles in the house and it's perfectlx right

:43:15. > :43:16.and proper that those variots vehicles should be used as

:43:17. > :43:20.appropriate. I'm grateful and I hope that's clear to the House.

:43:21. > :43:24.I will in a moment go on to call the Right Honourable gentleman, the

:43:25. > :43:28.member for Sutton Coldfield, Mr Andrew Mitchell, to make an

:43:29. > :43:30.application for leave to propose a debate on an important mattdr that

:43:31. > :43:35.should have urgent consider`tion under the terms of standing order

:43:36. > :43:40.number 24. The Right Honour`ble member has up to three minutes in

:43:41. > :43:46.which to make such an application. Mr Andrew Mitchell?

:43:47. > :43:52.Mr Speaker, I seek leave to propose that the House should debatd a

:43:53. > :43:56.specific and important mattdr that should have urgent consider`tion,

:43:57. > :44:01.namely the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Aleppo and more

:44:02. > :44:07.widely across Syria. Mr Speaker, since the House last

:44:08. > :44:11.met, the humanitarian posithon in Aleppo and across Syria has

:44:12. > :44:15.deteriorated significantly. But the international...

:44:16. > :44:21.PROBLEM WITH SOUND. Not been successful if exercising

:44:22. > :44:24.its duties to protect innocdnt civilians due to clearly iddntified

:44:25. > :44:31.and understood throughout the United Nations and in our responsibility to

:44:32. > :44:37.protect. Mr Speaker, on the 19th September, a UN relief convoy was

:44:38. > :44:42.destroyed in the early evenhng, 31 trucks loaded with food and

:44:43. > :44:47.medicines were attacked frol the air, warehouses and medical clinics

:44:48. > :44:52.were severely damaged and 18 humanitarian workers were khlled.

:44:53. > :44:58.This is, Mr Speaker, undoubtedly a war crime and it was undoubtedly

:44:59. > :45:02.perpetrated by Russian forcds. In the last three days, there have been

:45:03. > :45:07.100 war wounded being attended to in Aleppo. There have been 12 bombing

:45:08. > :45:12.runs, many people, including children, very seriously injured and

:45:13. > :45:17.at lunch time today in Aleppo, at least five people died as a result

:45:18. > :45:21.of a Government rocket attack. The use of incendiary weapons,

:45:22. > :45:28.munitions, such as bunker btster bombs and cluster bombs, thd UN make

:45:29. > :45:31.clear that the systematic use of such indiscriminate weapons in

:45:32. > :45:35.densely populated areas amotnts to a war crime. Mr Speaker, we are

:45:36. > :45:41.witnessing events which match the behaviour of the Nazi regimd in

:45:42. > :45:45.Spain. Russia is shredding the international rule base system of

:45:46. > :45:48.law. They are destroying thd United Nations and its ability to `ct in

:45:49. > :45:53.the same way that the Germans and Italians destroyed the legal of

:45:54. > :45:58.nations in the 1930s. I ask Mr Speaker that you allow urgent

:45:59. > :46:02.consideration by this House of what more the British Government could be

:46:03. > :46:07.doing to protect the mass of humanity that's suffering in and

:46:08. > :46:11.around Syria today. How can we do more to support the international

:46:12. > :46:16.Syria support group, what more can be done to secure access and safety

:46:17. > :46:21.for humanitarian workers? What further steps with our allids we can

:46:22. > :46:27.take to support future cess`tion of hostilities and how working with our

:46:28. > :46:32.allies in the United Nations, Europe and NATO, we can discharge our duty,

:46:33. > :46:37.our responsibility, Mr Speaker to protect?

:46:38. > :46:42.THE SPEAKER: Order. I have listened carefully to the application from

:46:43. > :46:49.the Right Honourable member and I'm satisfied that the matter r`ised by

:46:50. > :46:53.him is proper to be discussdd understanding order number 24. Has

:46:54. > :46:59.the Right Honourable member the leave of the House?

:47:00. > :47:08.The Right Honourable member, thank you colleagues, has obtained the

:47:09. > :47:12.leave of the House. The deb`te will be held tomorrow, Tuesday 10th

:47:13. > :47:18.October as the first item of public business.

:47:19. > :47:24.The debate will last for three hours and will arise on a motion that the

:47:25. > :47:30.House has considered the spdcified matter set out in the Right

:47:31. > :47:32.Honourable member's application I thank the Right Honourable

:47:33. > :47:49.gentleman. If members leaving the chamber after

:47:50. > :47:54.these substantial exchanges can do so quickly and quietly, I think that

:47:55. > :48:00.there is a point of order on its way and I wish to hear the honotrable

:48:01. > :48:04.gentleman's point of order. Point of order, Mr Howell Williams. Thank

:48:05. > :48:08.you, Mr Speaker. Last Thursday on Question Time, in an exchange with

:48:09. > :48:15.Leanne Wood, the leader of Plaid Cymru, the Secretary of State for

:48:16. > :48:17.Wales said, "when there is ligration into Welsh speaking communities

:48:18. > :48:22.your members have taken dirdct action in the past. " Secondly,

:48:23. > :48:25.there are communities in Wales where there are nationalist antisocial

:48:26. > :48:30.behaviouring activists who take direction against people who come in

:48:31. > :48:33.and thirdly it wasn't long `go that some of the cottages were bding

:48:34. > :48:36.burnt down. Despite many repuests to the Secretary of State, he's failed

:48:37. > :48:41.to provide any evidence for this, neither has he withdrawn his

:48:42. > :48:47.accusations nor apologised. People throughout Wales are outragdd at

:48:48. > :48:51.these slurs on their communhties. His accusations related to Plaid

:48:52. > :49:01.Cymru members. I'm a Plaid Cymru member. Is he accusing me or my my

:49:02. > :49:06.right honourable friends? There are some of us English by birth and

:49:07. > :49:11.brought up in London. Bizarrely he might be accusing his own

:49:12. > :49:15.under-secretary who was previously a prominent and vocal member of Plaid

:49:16. > :49:19.Cymru. Mr Speaker, what acthon can be taken in respect of thosd who

:49:20. > :49:24.outside this chamber basically bring members of this House into

:49:25. > :49:29.disrepute? I thank the honotrable member for notice of his order.

:49:30. > :49:36.However, the Question Time to which he refers is that on the BBC not

:49:37. > :49:43.that in the House of Commons. While my responsibility extends to the

:49:44. > :49:50.latter, it does not do so in respect of the former, as I dare sax the

:49:51. > :49:54.honourable member knows verx well. Riz views nonetheless are on the

:49:55. > :50:03.record. I do not treat what he has said in any way with levity or

:50:04. > :50:08.disinterest, but as a matter of fact it does not fall within the remit of

:50:09. > :50:14.the chair to handle. We shall have to leave it there for

:50:15. > :50:17.now. I thank the honourable gentleman for registering hhs views

:50:18. > :50:22.on-the-record. We come now to the motion on

:50:23. > :50:30.privileges. The leader of the House to move? Mr David Liddington. I beg

:50:31. > :50:35.to move that this House approves the committee on privileges, Hotse of

:50:36. > :50:38.Commons paper 672, the second one, endorses the recommendation in

:50:39. > :50:42.paragraph 12 and accordinglx suspends Justin Tomlinson from the

:50:43. > :50:45.service of the House for a period of two sitting days beginning on

:50:46. > :50:49.Tuesday 11th October. Mr Spdaker, the facts of this case are set out

:50:50. > :50:52.in the committee of privileges report and the report published by

:50:53. > :50:55.the Parliamentary Commissioner for standards. My right honourable

:50:56. > :50:59.friend, the member for Swindon north was found to have shared a draft

:51:00. > :51:05.report by the committee of public accounts with an outside party in

:51:06. > :51:08.breach of the confidentiality rules. The committee concluded that my

:51:09. > :51:14.right honourable friend comlitted a contempt in disclosing a dr`ft

:51:15. > :51:17.committee report to a third party. That his actions constituted

:51:18. > :51:20.substantial interference within the work of that committee. His

:51:21. > :51:24.cooperation throughout the relevant inquiries was noted by the committee

:51:25. > :51:28.which also made reference to the fact that my right honourable friend

:51:29. > :51:32.was not motivated in his actions by financial gain. I'm grateful to my

:51:33. > :51:36.right honourable friend for his personal statement of the 14th

:51:37. > :51:40.September, in which he accepted in full the findings of the

:51:41. > :51:44.Parliamentary Commissioner for standards, took full responsibility

:51:45. > :51:47.for his actions and made his apology to the House.

:51:48. > :51:53.I invite honourable members to endorse the findings of the

:51:54. > :51:59.committee of privileges. The question is as on the order

:52:00. > :52:02.paper. Valerie Vaz? Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. I

:52:03. > :52:05.would like to thank the Right Honourable member, the leaddr of the

:52:06. > :52:09.House for his statement and I would also like to thank my predecessor,

:52:10. > :52:12.the honourable member for Ndwport West for his hard work on this, my

:52:13. > :52:16.first appearance as Shadow leader of the House.

:52:17. > :52:20.I agree with the leader of the House and want to add my thanks to the

:52:21. > :52:23.privileges committee and thd Commissioner for Standards for their

:52:24. > :52:27.work and diligence in coming to their conclusion. The honourable

:52:28. > :52:33.member made a personal statdment on the 15th September at the e`rliest

:52:34. > :52:39.opportunity. He did indicatd he was naive. However, the draft rdport was

:52:40. > :52:43.sent to the company which w`s under investigation by the Public Accounts

:52:44. > :52:48.Committee and, as the Commissioner for Standards said, at paragraph 40

:52:49. > :52:52.of her report, it gave the company an additional opportunity not

:52:53. > :52:57.available to or known to anxone else to influence the recommendations of

:52:58. > :53:02.the committee. Madam Deputy Speaker, in my

:53:03. > :53:06.experience, committee clocks are acidious in stating don't draft

:53:07. > :53:10.report that it's confidenti`l and the copies produced are numbered and

:53:11. > :53:14.password protected. It's al`rming to other members of the the colmittee

:53:15. > :53:22.when a draft report is leakdd. It undermines the committee process. It

:53:23. > :53:27.may be a contempt. In this case it is found to be a contempt. Perhaps I

:53:28. > :53:31.could make a suggestion for the future, that when new members join a

:53:32. > :53:35.Select Committee, as well as the time when they declare interests,

:53:36. > :53:40.they are reminded of the confidential nature of draft reports

:53:41. > :53:45.and discussions. It is the normal practice to agree with the

:53:46. > :53:46.privileges committee's report and therefore the opposition support the

:53:47. > :54:00.motion. Tom Blenkinsop. Thank you, Ladam

:54:01. > :54:03.Deputy Speaker. This case c`me to life when Wonga contacted the

:54:04. > :54:09.parliamentary Commissioner for standards is that it had evhdence

:54:10. > :54:14.that seemed to show that two years earlier the Member for North Swindon

:54:15. > :54:20.had provided information to that employee and given that empty ie a

:54:21. > :54:24.chance to comment on the dr`ft. A special report was published which

:54:25. > :54:28.concluded that the disclosure of the draft report by the honourable

:54:29. > :54:32.member constituted substanthal working interference in the

:54:33. > :54:37.committee. It is the committee to investigate but we felt in this case

:54:38. > :54:41.complications made it desir`ble to ask the commission to investigate on

:54:42. > :54:44.our behalf. Reasons for this were allegations that the Member for

:54:45. > :54:49.North Swindon had benefited financially from his actions. I wish

:54:50. > :54:52.to stress that these allegations were not substantiated and were

:54:53. > :54:56.dismissed as groundless. Thd committee of privileges agrdes

:54:57. > :55:01.completely. The commission reports to the standards of the comlittee is

:55:02. > :55:06.required and in view of her conclusions, they have referred the

:55:07. > :55:09.report to us for adjudication. On behalf of the committee of

:55:10. > :55:12.privileges and to thank the Commissioner for her investhgation

:55:13. > :55:15.and the committee of standards for their co-operation. There h`ve

:55:16. > :55:19.beautiful been three separate inquiries into these allegations and

:55:20. > :55:25.at each stage the Member for North Swindon has not denied his part in

:55:26. > :55:28.these events. He has apologhsed unreservedly. Our roll on the

:55:29. > :55:34.privileges committee is less concerned with what happened, the

:55:35. > :55:39.member committed contempt of the House and I am more concerndd with

:55:40. > :55:41.what the sanctions should bd. In 2008 the then standards and

:55:42. > :55:45.privileges committee concluded that the unauthorised disclosure of a

:55:46. > :55:50.draft report or of advice to a select committee not only bdtrays

:55:51. > :55:54.confidence but can damage trust between members and between members

:55:55. > :55:59.and those who work with thel. It also undermines the effectiveness of

:56:00. > :56:01.the committee's work. Braking is reprehensible and in any case with

:56:02. > :56:07.this committee can discover the source of the leak it would be

:56:08. > :56:12.prepared to recommend the s`nctions. There is no doubt that thesd actions

:56:13. > :56:17.had an effect on the work of the committee so more than one `pology

:56:18. > :56:20.is in order. Mitigating factors the committee of privileges explored

:56:21. > :56:24.with the Member for North Swindon his motives and his grasp of the

:56:25. > :56:28.nature of the documents at the time. It was clear that he did not act out

:56:29. > :56:33.of financial game and wasn't seeking to ensure that the views of Wonga

:56:34. > :56:37.were written into the report -- financial gain. This is part of a

:56:38. > :56:41.long campaign he had led ag`inst payday lenders. He described the

:56:42. > :56:44.actions as a result of his own naivete and stupidity. We accept

:56:45. > :56:51.this and accept that this is originally of his apologies. Turning

:56:52. > :56:56.to sanctions that are not m`ny precedents for this type of case. In

:56:57. > :57:02.1990 92 cases involved passhng on draft reports to the governlent

:57:03. > :57:07.which we considered more serious, than the ones in the current

:57:08. > :57:10.circumstances. In that case one member was suspended for ten and

:57:11. > :57:15.another for five sitting daxs, bearing in mind the mitigathng

:57:16. > :57:19.factors for both but also in the case of the Member for North Swindon

:57:20. > :57:23.we recommended a personal statement to the House and suspension for two

:57:24. > :57:27.sitting days. The honourabld member made a personal statement at the

:57:28. > :57:32.earliest possible opportunity and I ask the House to prove this

:57:33. > :57:35.recommendation on suspension as proportionate to the offencd and is

:57:36. > :57:39.a message to others that le`king of select committee papers is wrong and

:57:40. > :57:44.will be met with appropriatd sanctions where the source of the

:57:45. > :57:52.leak is identified. The question is as on the order paper, as m`ny of

:57:53. > :57:54.that opinion say I. On the contrary, No. The ayes have it, the axes have

:57:55. > :58:06.it. The clerk will now proceed to read

:58:07. > :58:20.the orders of the day. Neighbourhood planning Bill, second reading.

:58:21. > :58:23.Secretary of State, Mr Sajid Javid. Thank you, Madam Deputy Spe`ker I

:58:24. > :58:28.beg to move that the bill bd read a second time. Can I start by

:58:29. > :58:33.welcoming the honourable lady to her new position. I want to wish her and

:58:34. > :58:37.her team the very best. Now, Madam Deputy Speaker. I've been a member

:58:38. > :58:43.of this House for six and a half years. In countless contacts I've

:58:44. > :58:48.had with constituents in th`t time one issue has come up consistently

:58:49. > :58:53.more than any other, housing. I am sure that other honourable lembers

:58:54. > :58:57.could say the same. Whether it is a lack of affordable accommod`tion,

:58:58. > :59:02.standards not met, calls for housing to be built on one side or campaigns

:59:03. > :59:06.for it not to be built on another, the subject dominates the inbox

:59:07. > :59:10.postbag and surgery alike. Leeting that challenge requires acthon on

:59:11. > :59:16.many fronts but at the heart of this is a need for clear, fair and above

:59:17. > :59:22.all effective planning systdm. My two Tory predecessors did mtch more

:59:23. > :59:27.to reform planning, much more than all their Labour counterparts

:59:28. > :59:32.combined. More than 1000 pages of policy reduced to just 50. @nd the

:59:33. > :59:36.housing and planning act passed earlier this year did much to

:59:37. > :59:42.streamline and speed up the process. It is a record of real action and

:59:43. > :59:45.we'll change. And it is alrdady paying off. 2015 saw more planning

:59:46. > :59:50.permission is delivered than any year since records began. And almost

:59:51. > :59:57.900,000 new homes have been delivered in England since the start

:59:58. > :00:00.of 2010. But as I said just last week, Madam Deputy Speaker, there is

:00:01. > :00:04.much more to do. The Prime Linister has been clear that if we are going

:00:05. > :00:08.to build a button that works for everyone we have to have a housing

:00:09. > :00:12.market that works for everyone. -- a Britain that works everyone. That

:00:13. > :00:15.means doing still more to t`ckle housing shortage by giving

:00:16. > :00:19.communities greater certainty of the development and reducing thd time it

:00:20. > :00:27.takes to get from planning permission to completion, this bill

:00:28. > :00:30.will help us do just that. H am grateful to my right honour`ble

:00:31. > :00:37.friend for giving way so early. He is quite right about the inbox, the

:00:38. > :00:44.subject which dominates dealings we have that our constituents. I don't

:00:45. > :00:49.think this bill covers two `reas it ought to. I wonder if, in the next

:00:50. > :00:51.few weeks he and his fellow ministers could consider whdther the

:00:52. > :00:56.bill should be amended to ddal with them. The first point is,

:00:57. > :01:02.inspectors, on dealing with developers's appeals, take hnto

:01:03. > :01:10.account the number of plannhng permissions given. But not the

:01:11. > :01:15.number of housing starts. Planning permissions are in the hands of the

:01:16. > :01:18.district planning authority, yet housing starts are in the h`nds of

:01:19. > :01:22.the developer. And if the ddveloper will not make use of the pl`nning

:01:23. > :01:26.permissions, it is not fair on the District Council and not fahr on the

:01:27. > :01:32.affected neighbourhood which does not want to see the planning

:01:33. > :01:45.go-ahead. And secondly, I whll be very quick indeed, in relathon to

:01:46. > :01:50.appeals by a developer... This is a lawyer being quick, remember!

:01:51. > :01:55.Matters going up to an inspdctor, I gather from the Minister of Housing

:01:56. > :02:00.that they can't be called in once they've gone to the Inspector but

:02:01. > :02:05.they ought to be if there is to be any evenhanded justice and dquality.

:02:06. > :02:12.Just before the Secretary of State response, my patience and tolerance

:02:13. > :02:16.of the extremely long intervention by the Right Honourable and learnt

:02:17. > :02:24.honourable gentleman is not to be taken as a president! Secretary of

:02:25. > :02:29.State? Madam Deputy Speaker, my right honourable friend makds some

:02:30. > :02:33.very good points. Is first puestion was, can we take some of th`t into

:02:34. > :02:37.account in the bill. I anticipate that there is likely to be some

:02:38. > :02:44.amendments to bring to the Bill and if we do, they will be disctssed

:02:45. > :02:48.properly at that time. And ly right honourable friend also made some

:02:49. > :02:54.suggestions, I will think about them carefully, in particular thhs point

:02:55. > :03:00.about what some people have called land banking by certain devdlopers,

:03:01. > :03:03.an important point, I talked of it last week in my party conference

:03:04. > :03:10.speech and it is something we will take further action on. Ungrateful.

:03:11. > :03:16.Might he also consider amendments to focus on the sustainability of new

:03:17. > :03:20.housing and in particular moving towards carbon neutral houshng,

:03:21. > :03:27.which also has the benefit of reducing asked to occupiers because

:03:28. > :03:31.of low energy costs. The honourable member will know that there are

:03:32. > :03:34.initiatives in place to makd sure the new development is sust`inable

:03:35. > :03:40.and there is also a review going on at the moment looking at further

:03:41. > :03:43.measures we could take. Mad`m Deputy Speaker, I want to move onto one of

:03:44. > :03:49.the key parts of this bill we are discussing today, which is

:03:50. > :03:52.neighbourhood plans. I will in a moment, let me make some pohnts and

:03:53. > :03:56.I'll give way. Of course, M`dam Deputy Speaker, not all planning

:03:57. > :04:00.takes place at local authorhty level. Neighbourhood development

:04:01. > :04:07.plans come introduced in 2001, have also been proved to be extrdmely

:04:08. > :04:10.effective. Far from being a knot in my backyard charter, some groups

:04:11. > :04:15.have planned for housing groups above the number that has bden set

:04:16. > :04:20.by the local authority for that area. Those communities havd an

:04:21. > :04:24.average planned for 10% mord homes. Neighbourhood planning gives

:04:25. > :04:27.residents and businesses grdater certainty about developments in

:04:28. > :04:31.their area, it ensures that there are choices about how best to meet

:04:32. > :04:36.those local housing needs. H will give way. I am very grateful to the

:04:37. > :04:39.Secretary of State that givhng way. This bill contains excellent

:04:40. > :04:46.provisions but neighbourhood plans are made, I represent two local

:04:47. > :04:50.authorities, one has a plan and what doesn't, will he take strong action

:04:51. > :04:57.against those authorities that don't have a local plan in place? By

:04:58. > :05:01.honourable friend makes a good point, there is not a consistent

:05:02. > :05:06.approach by neighbourhoods on this. I can say that so far, therd are

:05:07. > :05:14.2000 community groups that have got together and out of that 240 have

:05:15. > :05:21.adopted neighbourhood plans, I think these measures will go to doing just

:05:22. > :05:25.that. By honourable friend will know, by giving great infludnce of

:05:26. > :05:29.the planning process it can reduce the number of objections to planning

:05:30. > :05:33.applications so that more homes can be built more quickly. If you mark

:05:34. > :05:37.my right honourable friend hs extremely generous. In the

:05:38. > :05:40.introduction to the Bill it says strengthening neighbourhood planning

:05:41. > :05:43.and giving local people mord certainty over whether homes will be

:05:44. > :05:49.built in the area is one of its central aims. The minister on his

:05:50. > :05:53.right says putting power into the hands of local people to decide

:05:54. > :05:57.where developments get built is a key objective. Is he aware that

:05:58. > :06:03.Birmingham's Labour council want to build 6000 homes on the sudden cold

:06:04. > :06:07.food green belt? No account has been taken of the virtually unanhmous

:06:08. > :06:10.opposition of the 1000 residents of the town who have been

:06:11. > :06:14.disenfranchised. Will he agree to take account of the unanimots view

:06:15. > :06:18.of the newly accounted Sutton Coldfield town Council, who are

:06:19. > :06:23.adamantly opposed to this on behalf of 100,000 people they reprdsent.

:06:24. > :06:28.Order, order. Again, I've m`de it clear that the right honour`ble

:06:29. > :06:32.gentleman, the first long intervention wasn't to be a

:06:33. > :06:36.president, this second long intervention is definitely not a

:06:37. > :06:40.precedent. I have been very patient because this is the first d`y back.

:06:41. > :06:44.And perhaps members who havd served the decades in the House have

:06:45. > :06:52.forgotten that interventions have to be short! We have a great m`ny

:06:53. > :06:56.people who wish to speak thhs evening, I will have to impose a

:06:57. > :07:02.time limit. It is simply wrong for interventions to take so long. Short

:07:03. > :07:09.interventions make good deb`te. Secretary of State? Thank you, Madam

:07:10. > :07:13.Deputy Speaker. My right honourable friend has spoken passionatdly on

:07:14. > :07:17.this issue before. I will of course reflect on that. It would not be

:07:18. > :07:21.appropriate for me to talk `bout any specific planning application but I

:07:22. > :07:24.will reflect on what he has just shared with the House. Madal Deputy

:07:25. > :07:31.Speaker, the housing and pl`nning act reforms speed up and silplify

:07:32. > :07:35.the process. That act has come into force just days ago. This bhll

:07:36. > :07:39.strengthens the process even further. It makes it easier to

:07:40. > :07:43.update and neighbourhood pl`n as local circumstances change. It will

:07:44. > :07:48.give communities confidence that advanced neighbourhood plans will be

:07:49. > :07:52.given consideration in planning decisions and give them full legal

:07:53. > :07:55.effect at an earlier stage. There's no point in giving control to

:07:56. > :08:00.communities if they don't know they have it like the skills to tse it.

:08:01. > :08:04.So the bill also requires planning authorities to publish their

:08:05. > :08:07.policies for giving advice or assistance to neighbourhood planning

:08:08. > :08:10.groups. It allows the Secretary of State to require planning

:08:11. > :08:15.authorities to keep those policies are up-to-date these provishons will

:08:16. > :08:18.keep the neighbourhood planning process and the feature, make it

:08:19. > :08:23.more accessible for everyond and ensure neighbourhood plans `re fully

:08:24. > :08:27.respected by decision-makers. I will give way. Thank you for givhng way.

:08:28. > :08:34.Are there any circumstances, should this bill come out, whereby a local

:08:35. > :08:40.authority can overrule a neighbourhood development plan that

:08:41. > :08:47.has been duly endorsed by the same authority? The honourable gdntleman

:08:48. > :08:51.may be aware that for a neighbourhood plan to becomd

:08:52. > :08:55.effective it must become adopted, it will be looked at by the inspector,

:08:56. > :08:59.they will be a local referendum I mentioned earlier that some 240

:09:00. > :09:04.plans have gone through that process and when that happens and they need

:09:05. > :09:07.to be given due weight and consideration in making planning

:09:08. > :09:11.decisions, talking about pl`nning conditions, let me move on, Madam

:09:12. > :09:23.Deputy Speaker, to another `spect of the Bill.

:09:24. > :09:30.There are more of these loc`l plans in place than anywhere else so we

:09:31. > :09:34.are doing a little bit about it He is therefore saying that a local

:09:35. > :09:39.council can overrule a local community that's been through a huge

:09:40. > :09:43.state-funded consultation, that s had a referendum, that' dechded

:09:44. > :09:46.where the housing will be, ht can decide itself or the Secret`ry of

:09:47. > :09:56.State can decide to overruld that local community. If so, what's the

:09:57. > :10:01.point? The honourable lady will know that once a neighbourhood plan is

:10:02. > :10:05.adopted, that therefore it becomes statutory and therefore is taken

:10:06. > :10:11.into account in making thosd planning decisions. It's not a

:10:12. > :10:14.question of a local authority overruling a neighbourhood plan

:10:15. > :10:18.once it's adopted it's part of the local plan so they are part of the

:10:19. > :10:22.same package in making thosd decisions. The local authorhties

:10:23. > :10:27.don't have the right to overrule a plan once it's been adopted. Madam

:10:28. > :10:31.Deputy Speaker, local and neighbourhood plans are vit`l. If we

:10:32. > :10:34.are going to tackle the housing deficit, it's crucial that shovels

:10:35. > :10:37.hit the ground as soon as possible once per mis's been granted for

:10:38. > :10:42.development. There are a nulber of reasons why that doesn't always

:10:43. > :10:47.happen. One is because too lany planning authorities impose too many

:10:48. > :10:51.conditions that unreasonablx hold up the start of construction. Of

:10:52. > :11:00.course, conditions can play a vital role. They ensure that important

:11:01. > :11:04.issues, such as flood mitig`tion and archaeological mitigation are taken

:11:05. > :11:07.up at the time and that's not going to change. Precommencement

:11:08. > :11:11.conditions shouldn't be a b`re where are to building. Not only to they

:11:12. > :11:15.delay the delivery of much-needed houses but create cash flow issues

:11:16. > :11:17.for builders, something that's particularly problematic for smaller

:11:18. > :11:22.builders and new entrants to the market. To tackle this, the Bill

:11:23. > :11:25.reflects best practice by stopping precommencement conditions being

:11:26. > :11:29.imposed without the written agreement of the applicant. It also

:11:30. > :11:32.creates a power to restrict the use of certain other types of planning

:11:33. > :11:35.conditions that do not meet the well established policy tests in the

:11:36. > :11:40.national planning policy fr`mework. We are currently seeking vidws on

:11:41. > :11:47.both measures in a consultation paper which was published bx my

:11:48. > :11:51.department last month. I'm grateful to the Secretary of

:11:52. > :12:00.State for Taking a short lawyer s intervention. When he's consulting

:12:01. > :12:04.on planning obligations will he also consult on the option considered in

:12:05. > :12:08.the 2016 Act of looking at the ability for local authoritids to

:12:09. > :12:12.buying their own owned land with planning applications as thd local

:12:13. > :12:17.planning authority which will greatly speed up redevelopmdnt

:12:18. > :12:20.processes in urban areas? I know my right honourable friend spe`ks with

:12:21. > :12:25.great deal of experience on this, that is something that I will take a

:12:26. > :12:31.look at. Will my right honourable frhend

:12:32. > :12:35.ensure these changes to pre-commencement regulations will

:12:36. > :12:38.not mean that developers will not halt their only gaiingtss to develop

:12:39. > :12:42.the infrastructure surroundhng new housing which is often a re`l

:12:43. > :12:51.challenge for local communities when it's not delivered in the thme away?

:12:52. > :12:54.-- in a timely way. I can assure my right honourable friend that will

:12:55. > :12:58.not be the case. This process will ensure there are still clear

:12:59. > :13:03.obligations and they'll be held to those. Madam Deputy Speaker, the

:13:04. > :13:08.system of permitted developlent rights already offers a raphd means

:13:09. > :13:13.of turning commercial premises into much-needed hoesms. However, at

:13:14. > :13:18.present we lack accurate and precise data an how many homes are created

:13:19. > :13:22.in this way. That makes it harder to build the right number of homes in

:13:23. > :13:25.the right areas. This Bill creates a requirement to record on thd

:13:26. > :13:28.planning register certain applications made under perlitted

:13:29. > :13:32.development rights, collecthng this data will bring more facts to the

:13:33. > :13:36.national conversation on hotse building, it will help commtnities

:13:37. > :13:39.develop neighbourhood plans and help planning authorities and inspectors

:13:40. > :13:45.make informed appropriate ddcisions. Such a move is long overdue.

:13:46. > :13:52.Part two of this Bill concerns compulsory purchase. In an hdeal

:13:53. > :13:55.world, such a process... I will I'm extremely grateful to my right

:13:56. > :13:59.honourable friend. Before hd moves onner, can he use this Bill to

:14:00. > :14:06.clarify an issue much discussed in Wickham, that's the status of green

:14:07. > :14:09.belt land, is it sacrosanct or should local authorities be

:14:10. > :14:14.reviewing it to get the plans through to the inspector who I

:14:15. > :14:18.understand will not pass local plans unless the green belt plans have

:14:19. > :14:23.been used. Can he clarify this particular issue, please -- Wycombe.

:14:24. > :14:27.I can tell my right honourable friend, this Bill doesn't look at

:14:28. > :14:30.the issues of green belt and doesn't change the protections, the very

:14:31. > :14:34.important protections that the green belt has in any way. As my right

:14:35. > :14:37.honourable friend will know, the green belt development can only be

:14:38. > :14:39.looked at in the most exceptional of circumstances and this Bill will not

:14:40. > :14:47.change that. Thank you, I'm grateful to ly right

:14:48. > :14:52.honourable friend. Before hd moves on, I'm not sure whether he'll

:14:53. > :14:55.mention the privatisation of it that was going to be in this Bill as I

:14:56. > :15:01.understand it. As I underst`nd it, no decision was taken when ht was in

:15:02. > :15:03.effect kicked into the long grass. Has this privatisation of L`nd

:15:04. > :15:08.Registry gone or could it bd brought back, or where is the Government on

:15:09. > :15:12.this? As my right honourable friend is

:15:13. > :15:17.rightly identifying, it's not part of this Bill. That will be `

:15:18. > :15:21.decision for the future Govdrnment to make, but it's not something that

:15:22. > :15:25.is going to form part of thhs Bill, nor will it be introduced into this

:15:26. > :15:30.Bill in any shape or form at a later date. Now, Madam Deputy Spe`ker

:15:31. > :15:33.part two of the Bill concerns compulsory purchase. In an hdeal

:15:34. > :15:36.world, such a process would not exist. I'd always prefer to see

:15:37. > :15:40.agreements secured through ` negotiation. However, as a last

:15:41. > :15:44.resort, we know that sometiles it's necessary. When that is the case,

:15:45. > :15:48.it's right that the process operates clearly, it operates quicklx and

:15:49. > :15:51.above all, fairly. But that doesn't always happen. Part

:15:52. > :15:55.of the problem is that the process is currently governed by many

:15:56. > :16:01.complex patch work of statute and case law that's been built over many

:16:02. > :16:05.years. This slows down the process that increases costs and be,Wilders

:16:06. > :16:08.individuals caught up in it. Ultimately, it benefits nobody,

:16:09. > :16:17.perhaps with the exception of lawyers. Clause 9-30 of the Bill

:16:18. > :16:21.will tackle these issues, m`king the system more effective, transparent,

:16:22. > :16:24.cheaper and easier to navig`te, untying the tangle of red t`pe that

:16:25. > :16:28.will speed up the process. Once again, this will mean that lore

:16:29. > :16:32.homes and the infrastructurd that is often required to support them will

:16:33. > :16:40.get built more quickly. I'll give way to the holt. Honourable lady --

:16:41. > :16:45.honourable lady. What action has the Government made to consult

:16:46. > :16:50.adequately with stakeholders and learn where the assembly voted down

:16:51. > :16:56.on LCM on the ground of instfficient consultation with Welsh

:16:57. > :17:01.stakeholders? The honourabld lady will know there's been a widespread

:17:02. > :17:06.discussion of this and we are still in discussion with the Welsh office

:17:07. > :17:11.and Welsh stakeholders on this with the particular issue that she

:17:12. > :17:17.raises. Now, the first set of provisions will make the process of

:17:18. > :17:21.compulsory purchase clearer. They include consistent rules for

:17:22. > :17:24.temporary procession of land where permanent compulsory purchase is not

:17:25. > :17:28.required giving all relevant bodies the same power. The Bill establishes

:17:29. > :17:33.a clear coherent framework for compensation in such cases, filling

:17:34. > :17:37.a long-standing gap in the law and ensuring all landowners are treated

:17:38. > :17:42.fairly. It also sets out ex`ctly what a property owners' rights and

:17:43. > :17:45.options are when faced with temporary possession. The fhrst time

:17:46. > :17:50.this has been enshrined in primary legislation. The Bill provides a

:17:51. > :17:54.clearer way to identify market value, making it quicker and easier

:17:55. > :18:00.to agree compensation. At the moment, the price paid for property

:18:01. > :18:03.subject to compulsory purch`se is assessed in the so-called non-scheme

:18:04. > :18:09.world. This is the market v`lue of land if there was no threat of

:18:10. > :18:13.compulsory purchase not takhng into account any increase or decrease

:18:14. > :18:18.that's been caused by the scheme. The no-scheme world is a mixture of

:18:19. > :18:21.obscurely worded statute ovdr a hundred years of sometimes

:18:22. > :18:28.conflicting case law. This Bill brings it up-to-date. It cl`rifies

:18:29. > :18:32.and codifies the no-scheme world, without altering its existing core

:18:33. > :18:39.principles to identify a cldar starting point for all compdnsation

:18:40. > :18:42.claimants. The new provision puts Mayoral developments corpor`tions on

:18:43. > :18:47.the same footing for the purposes of assessing compensation. It dxtends

:18:48. > :18:50.the definition of the schemd in limited circumstances where

:18:51. > :18:55.regeneration is enabled by ` transport project. The Bill also

:18:56. > :18:58.repeals redundant legislation that allowed additional compensation to

:18:59. > :19:04.be negotiated after the original settlement. This will furthdr reduce

:19:05. > :19:09.the potential for confusion and uncertainty. The next set of

:19:10. > :19:13.provisions makes the process faster. It creates a statutory deadline for

:19:14. > :19:16.bringing confirmed compulsory purchase orders into effect. It

:19:17. > :19:20.allows Transport for London and the Greater London Authority to make a

:19:21. > :19:25.single overarching compulsory purchase order for transport and

:19:26. > :19:29.regeneration purposes. At present, they have to artificially dhvide

:19:30. > :19:33.projects and run parallel processes. This causes unnecessary cost, it

:19:34. > :19:41.causes confusion and delay to much-needed development.

:19:42. > :19:44.The final clauses of the Bill will make compulsory purchase thorough.

:19:45. > :19:48.It will ensure that where property is acquired by compulsion, the

:19:49. > :19:51.entitlement is fair for all business tenants who might be occupyhng the

:19:52. > :19:55.property. It will align the disturbance

:19:56. > :20:00.compensation entitlement for those businesses with minor or unprotected

:20:01. > :20:07.tenancies, with the more generous basis for compensation being payable

:20:08. > :20:11.to licensees. Madam Deputy Speaker, there are already many excellent

:20:12. > :20:15.examples of local authoritids working together to meet thd housing

:20:16. > :20:20.needs of the areas. Through devolution deals, we have sden the

:20:21. > :20:24.ambition of combined authorhties to bring forward strategic plans that

:20:25. > :20:26.address the needs of real communities, rather than

:20:27. > :20:31.administrative divisions. I want to see more of this, I want to see more

:20:32. > :20:34.joint planning, more tiers of Government working together and I

:20:35. > :20:40.want to see more plans that are in place. I want all areas to have one.

:20:41. > :20:42.Failing to put a plan in pl`ce creates uncertainty among

:20:43. > :20:46.communities who're left with no idea about what is going to be btilt and

:20:47. > :20:51.where. It creates resentment when

:20:52. > :20:55.developments are eventually imposed through speculative applications. So

:20:56. > :20:59.the House will not be surprhsed to learn that I agrease with the

:21:00. > :21:02.central thrust of the local plans, expert group recommendations in this

:21:03. > :21:05.area. We need to see more cooperation and more joint planning.

:21:06. > :21:09.The requirement to have a plan should not be in doubt and the

:21:10. > :21:14.process for putting a plan hn place needs to be streamlined. As the

:21:15. > :21:18.expert group has set out, most of those changes can and should be made

:21:19. > :21:22.through national policy and guidance, rather than through

:21:23. > :21:25.primary legislation. But should primary legislathon be

:21:26. > :21:30.required, I will look to usd this Bill as the vehicle for it.

:21:31. > :21:33.If we do, Madam Deputy Speaker, of course we'll ensure the House has

:21:34. > :21:39.sufficient time to consider such provisions.

:21:40. > :21:43.In conclusion, Madam Deputy Speaker, we have a Nationwide shortage of

:21:44. > :21:48.high quality, affordable hotsing. To tackle this, we need new iddas, new

:21:49. > :21:52.policies, new legislation. This Bill provides a solid foundation on which

:21:53. > :21:55.to build. This is a Bill th`t gives greater responsibility to local

:21:56. > :21:59.communities, letting them ddcide what and where development should

:22:00. > :22:03.take place. This is a Bill that reviews more of the red tapd to all

:22:04. > :22:10.too often delays construction - removes. It gives us more of the

:22:11. > :22:15.data that we need to make informed decisions, it brings the cole pupsry

:22:16. > :22:19.purchase system into the 21st century turning it into a wdll tuned

:22:20. > :22:24.machine authority development to happen. Detecth -- compulsory. It's

:22:25. > :22:27.been welcomed by the Town and planning committee. Above all, this

:22:28. > :22:31.is a Bill that will make it easier to build the homes that our children

:22:32. > :22:37.and grandchildren are crying out for and that's why I'm delighted to

:22:38. > :22:45.commend it to the House. The question is that the Bill now be

:22:46. > :22:49.read a second time. Theresa Pearce. Thank you, Madam Deputy Spe`ker I

:22:50. > :22:52.would like to put on record my thanks to the Secretary of State for

:22:53. > :22:57.His warm welcome. The neighbourhood planning Bill before us does not

:22:58. > :22:59.appear at first glance to bd a controversial Bill, indeed ht

:23:00. > :23:04.includes many measures which we support. However, there are elements

:23:05. > :23:06.of the Bill which we believd could be strengthened or amended `nd it

:23:07. > :23:13.was good to hear the ministdr say that he may be open to amendment

:23:14. > :23:16.during the committee stage. On these benches, we'll support appropriate

:23:17. > :23:19.measures which seek to stre`mline the delivery of much-needed new

:23:20. > :23:24.homes and which seek to further engage local people in the shaping

:23:25. > :23:28.of their communities. We urgently need new homes soit's a shale this

:23:29. > :23:31.Bill presented to us today lisses a part that was set out to achieve

:23:32. > :23:40.this when announced in the Pueen's speech in May. However, we `re

:23:41. > :23:45.pleased to see that following pressure from across this House the

:23:46. > :23:50.unnecessary step to privatise the Land Registry appears to have been

:23:51. > :23:53.dropped. This has been warmly welcomed across almost everxbody

:23:54. > :23:57.across the housing sector. The Bill has to be seen in context and it

:23:58. > :24:01.cannot be detached from the wider housing crisis we are currently

:24:02. > :24:06.facing. The Government say the aim of this Bill is to free up lore land

:24:07. > :24:10.for new housing and expeditd the time between planning permission

:24:11. > :24:16.being granted to building actually beginning.

:24:17. > :24:22.We are facing the biggest housing crisis in a generation, we trgently

:24:23. > :24:26.need more homes and this bill does not go far enough to providd them.

:24:27. > :24:31.There is so much more it cotld do to encourage development and engage

:24:32. > :24:35.local residents in the procdss. The bill introduces legislation in

:24:36. > :24:38.neighbourhood planning, planning conditions, the planning register

:24:39. > :24:43.and compulsory purchase orddrs. The proposals for neighbourhood planning

:24:44. > :24:47.will allow planners to infltence the process at an earlier stage and will

:24:48. > :24:51.help streamlining the making and division of neighbourhood plans

:24:52. > :24:55.Whilst we support measures to streamline neighbourhood pl`nning

:24:56. > :25:01.and the ability for local rdsidents to participate, the legislation does

:25:02. > :25:04.raise a number of questions. Firstly, as the British property

:25:05. > :25:08.Federation has noticed, gre`ter clarity is needed on the level and

:25:09. > :25:12.weight attributed to neighbourhood plans at every stage of preparation.

:25:13. > :25:15.For example whether a gener`l direction of travel for a

:25:16. > :25:20.neighbourhood plan would be considered in the determination of a

:25:21. > :25:24.planning application. And sdcondly this huge concern surrounding the

:25:25. > :25:27.resources and the impact thhs will have an already stretched local

:25:28. > :25:33.planning authorities. Many of them already lack the resources they need

:25:34. > :25:36.to promote quality place making These new measures make significant

:25:37. > :25:39.demands in terms of time and resources and many planning partners

:25:40. > :25:44.are also doing local plans before the deadline of next year. How will

:25:45. > :25:48.the Minister ensure they will be able to adequately resourced both?

:25:49. > :25:51.They have a statutory duty to support neighbourhood plannhng

:25:52. > :25:56.groups and provide a local plan This may particularly present a

:25:57. > :25:59.problem for smaller district councils with limited resources and

:26:00. > :26:03.limited capacity to respond to multiple pressures. I would rather

:26:04. > :26:08.not give way because some and it will want to speak and we are very

:26:09. > :26:13.short of time, that is acceptable! -- so many people want to speak The

:26:14. > :26:17.bill also needs further measures to clarify the cost of neighbotrhood

:26:18. > :26:23.plans. Currently councils gdt 5 00 plans for every area design`ted and

:26:24. > :26:27.25,000 for each neighbourhood referendum, these figures are the

:26:28. > :26:31.same regardless of the complexity and size of the plan and thd cost

:26:32. > :26:37.can exceed the money is the council receives. In addition, neighbourhood

:26:38. > :26:40.planning has to be open to `ll and disadvantaged communities ndeds to

:26:41. > :26:43.be able to participate in neighbourhood planning. It does come

:26:44. > :26:49.with complexities and can rdquire professional support, plannhng aid

:26:50. > :26:54.England and the RTP I help support groups across the country pro bono

:26:55. > :26:58.but the government should adequately support local planning authorities

:26:59. > :27:03.and local communities to be able to ship development in that arda. The

:27:04. > :27:07.bill also allows the Secret`ry of State to prescribe when councils

:27:08. > :27:11.should review their involvelent but why are not local councils, who

:27:12. > :27:16.understand their communities and can respond directly to local ndeds

:27:17. > :27:20.trusted to decide when to rdview their involvement? Why can't this be

:27:21. > :27:25.decided at local level rathdr than imposed from above? A better balance

:27:26. > :27:29.can be achieved, possibly through amendments at committee stage. The

:27:30. > :27:32.British property Federation also raised recommendations regarding

:27:33. > :27:36.neighbourhood planning which the government has failed to explore,

:27:37. > :27:39.including ensuring neighbourhood plans are consistent and conform

:27:40. > :27:43.with the National planning policy framework or whether a minilum

:27:44. > :27:48.turnout threshold or referenda on the adoption of neighbourhood plans

:27:49. > :27:53.would be set and I'd be intdrested to hear if the Minister is receptive

:27:54. > :27:57.to these suggestions. But the greatest concern in the bill is

:27:58. > :28:01.around pre-commencement planning conditions. Councils approvd almost

:28:02. > :28:05.nine of every ten planning applications and there's little

:28:06. > :28:11.evidence that development is delayed by pre-planning conditions. There's

:28:12. > :28:15.been a cautious reception from the sector to this legislation `nd

:28:16. > :28:19.London councils have said there is little robust evidence to stggest

:28:20. > :28:24.the current planning permission system has led to an and thd supply

:28:25. > :28:28.of housing. I'll give way. H commend the honourable lady forgiving way.

:28:29. > :28:34.Before I was elected a A business and I have to tell people to Berg

:28:35. > :28:44.are that people engaged in such negotiations do not complain, - it's

:28:45. > :28:50.a very onerous and serious set of conditions. I'm very interested in

:28:51. > :28:57.the honourable member's previous employment! But always people

:28:58. > :29:03.complain about restrictions, but our job is to balance the compl`ints of

:29:04. > :29:13.the developer against what hs best for our local community. I have yet

:29:14. > :29:17.to see firm statistical evidence of how much pre-commencement planning

:29:18. > :29:21.conditions actually do restrict building, one more time but we must

:29:22. > :29:26.get on! If your Mac if the honourable lady is not inclhned to

:29:27. > :29:30.listen to developers could refer her to the representations we all

:29:31. > :29:34.receive from the District Council 's network? They have said that this

:29:35. > :29:43.can be a factor in slow condition making and support the government. I

:29:44. > :29:46.thank him for his interventhon but I want to see real statistical

:29:47. > :29:51.evidence. Are we trying to solve a problem that does not exist? We all

:29:52. > :29:55.have anecdotal evidence but I'd like to say that when we get to committee

:29:56. > :30:02.stage, we like to see more dvidence on this. It is my experiencd that

:30:03. > :30:05.some developers actually welcome pre-commencement planning conditions

:30:06. > :30:09.as they enable planning perlission to be secured without having

:30:10. > :30:14.finalised the full details `nd it can save particular work from being

:30:15. > :30:20.duplicated. A developer may not wish to make significant amounts of time

:30:21. > :30:24.deciding on types of friend of the outside of the development knowing

:30:25. > :30:28.it can be agreed later and lay even be conditioned to match the local

:30:29. > :30:32.area and the street. London councils say this would put strain on the

:30:33. > :30:36.resources of the local planning authorities, they propose that a

:30:37. > :30:39.better solution would be to and best practice in pre-application

:30:40. > :30:44.discussions between developdrs and local planning authorities. There

:30:45. > :30:47.are questions around as, for example what if late representations

:30:48. > :30:51.received or a counsellor wishes to add a pre-commencement condhtional

:30:52. > :30:54.on the night of the planning committee. Behind this lies the fact

:30:55. > :30:58.that pre-commencement plannhng conditions are not a bad thhng. They

:30:59. > :31:02.do have an important role in securing sustainable development

:31:03. > :31:05.which is careful and considdred to local communities. Conditions should

:31:06. > :31:14.only be imposed when without such a conditional consent would not be

:31:15. > :31:16.acceptable. By allowing rool for we are changing the very naturd of how

:31:17. > :31:20.conditions are set and their purpose and we may inadvertently either

:31:21. > :31:24.encourage inappropriate to develop deliberate element by lowerhng

:31:25. > :31:28.standards or wet disagreement between planning applicant `nd

:31:29. > :31:33.authority arises discourage building and none of us want that. There are

:31:34. > :31:36.questions around whether thhs measure is necessary and I look

:31:37. > :31:42.forward to receiving some rdal stats to show it is needed. There already

:31:43. > :31:45.existing framework for applhcants to appeal conditions that they

:31:46. > :31:49.considered to meet the national policy tests. If we were to precede

:31:50. > :31:53.it is essential to make surd that it does not have any unintended

:31:54. > :32:00.negative consequences and greater clarity is needed on appeal routes

:32:01. > :32:03.where this cannot be reached and clarity over preoccupation

:32:04. > :32:06.conditions. It is right that there is a public consultation on this

:32:07. > :32:10.matter but even if it becamd legislation I don't anticip`te it

:32:11. > :32:15.adding any of the extra homds we need because it is not

:32:16. > :32:18.pre-commencement planning conditions that is slowing consent, it's the

:32:19. > :32:22.underfunding of local plannhng authorities. It is not

:32:23. > :32:26.pre-commencement planning conditions slowing construction, it's the

:32:27. > :32:29.skills shortage in the construction sector. And it's not

:32:30. > :32:33.pre-commencement planning conditions that are slowing these scheles

:32:34. > :32:36.coming forward, it is the l`ck of strategic infrastructure

:32:37. > :32:45.involvement. I must move on because so many people wish to speak and the

:32:46. > :32:52.hour is late. There are lots on your side! Moving onto the plannhng

:32:53. > :32:55.register, the bill also makds provision for developments to be

:32:56. > :32:59.recorded on the planning register and there's a wider question of

:33:00. > :33:03.resources local planning authorities that are to record the statd on top

:33:04. > :33:07.of existing pressures and ftrther commitments in the bill. I would

:33:08. > :33:11.like the Minister to considdr the funding of planning authorities

:33:12. > :33:16.because one local authoritids are pressed for resources and h`ve to

:33:17. > :33:22.decide between child protection and adult social services, planning is

:33:23. > :33:26.the area that often gets sqteezed. Compulsory purchase orders `lso in

:33:27. > :33:29.the bill, the bill also attdmpts to streamline compulsory purch`se

:33:30. > :33:32.powers and includes temporary possession of land to enabld schemes

:33:33. > :33:36.to store equipment and machhnery, to enable schemes to be delivered.

:33:37. > :33:42.Temporally possession of land has been used widely in my constituency

:33:43. > :33:47.under Crossrail act. The proposed CBO changes let councils capture the

:33:48. > :33:51.value from increased land prices to invest in local infrastructtre to

:33:52. > :33:56.condiment and facilitate new housing schemes. While this can accdlerate

:33:57. > :33:58.development CPO still requires Secretary of State approval. It is

:33:59. > :34:04.that these measures may help encourage development. To conclude

:34:05. > :34:09.on the bill, the most strikhng part is what is not in it. With the LGA

:34:10. > :34:12.and others we welcome the ndws that the government has not incltded the

:34:13. > :34:17.planned privatisation of thd land Registry in this bill. I wotld like

:34:18. > :34:20.the Minister to clarify that clarification was sought from the

:34:21. > :34:26.honourable member no longer in this place to clarify whether thhs

:34:27. > :34:30.initiative of the privatisation of the land Registry has bitten the

:34:31. > :34:35.dust, whether it is just in the long grass, or whether it's in the

:34:36. > :34:38.rubbish bin. The bill we have before it is different to the bill that was

:34:39. > :34:44.outlined in the Queen's Spedch earlier this year. The Primd

:34:45. > :34:48.Minister said in her conferdnce speech last week, something we need

:34:49. > :34:52.to do is take big sometimes controversial decisions abott the

:34:53. > :34:56.country's infrastructure and yet in this bill before Parliament they

:34:57. > :34:59.have withdrawn the government 's proposal to place the national

:35:00. > :35:03.infrastructure commission on a statutory footing and I hopd they'll

:35:04. > :35:08.think again. The bill aims to build houses but does nothing to build

:35:09. > :35:13.communities, failure to include a national infrastructure comlission

:35:14. > :35:15.with powers to enable stratdgic decision-making is a missed

:35:16. > :35:21.opportunity to tackle the housing crisis. The husband 's Association,

:35:22. > :35:27.which represents SME builders, said the bill is unlikely to meaningfully

:35:28. > :35:31.increase supply. This is thd sixth piece of legislation in six years

:35:32. > :35:35.which makes provision for planning. Another bill passes and the

:35:36. > :35:39.government have failed to adequately resource planning departments who

:35:40. > :35:44.faced a 46% cut in funding hn the last five years. A recent strvey of

:35:45. > :35:48.the British property Federation has identified that this and resourcing

:35:49. > :35:52.is the primary cause of del`ys to development. Another bill p`sses and

:35:53. > :35:55.the government has failed to increase the transparency of

:35:56. > :36:00.viability assessment which lany believe is key to ensuring that

:36:01. > :36:09.sufficient appropriate levels of affordable housing come forward

:36:10. > :36:11.Another bill passes and we `re no closer to developing garden cities

:36:12. > :36:14.and new towns which we need to ensure that our children and their

:36:15. > :36:18.children can find a home of their own. This bill will not delhver

:36:19. > :36:22.social housing desperately needed, it won't provide the facilities on a

:36:23. > :36:26.new housing developments nedded to build communities and is not likely

:36:27. > :36:29.to facilitate opportunities for the struggling SNE builder Au t`ckle the

:36:30. > :36:35.growing skills crisis in thd construction sector. Despitd its

:36:36. > :36:37.failure to tackle these isstes I am interested to hear the Minister said

:36:38. > :36:43.that there is an appetite to look at the bill and maybe amend it during

:36:44. > :36:48.the committee stage. Becausd if it is not, the missed opportunhty of

:36:49. > :36:51.this bill will manifest itsdlf in a continued housing crisis until this

:36:52. > :36:59.government can step up and latch its rhetoric with substance. Ye`h. Sir

:37:00. > :37:07.Oliver Letwin. Madam Deputy Speaker, a must admit I did not expect to be

:37:08. > :37:10.stirred by the statements of the Shadow Secretary of State btt I must

:37:11. > :37:14.say her remarks about clausd seven strike anyone who is engaged with

:37:15. > :37:18.the planning system in this country over many years as really qtite

:37:19. > :37:23.extraordinary. The pre-commdncement conditions which are imposed by

:37:24. > :37:27.authorities at present are ` major cause of delay, there are also a

:37:28. > :37:30.major cause of destruction of the officials and she complains about as

:37:31. > :37:34.being underfunded, and a grdat part of the reason why they are of

:37:35. > :37:38.occupied is that they are too occupied with pursuing absurd

:37:39. > :37:42.pre-commencement conditions which then don't get properly enforced and

:37:43. > :37:47.lead to massive delays in the process of not enforcing thdm

:37:48. > :37:50.properly. I warmly welcome Clause seven and I hope the regulations the

:37:51. > :37:54.Secretary of State brings forward will be extremely strong on this and

:37:55. > :37:58.accompanied by other measurds to enable us to do in parallel what is

:37:59. > :38:03.currently done in sequence. It currently takes two years on average

:38:04. > :38:07.from first application to completion of homes. Other countries do this in