:00:00. > :00:00.on this happy occasion at any rate at least in Perth and North
:00:00. > :00:10.Perthshire, happy birthday to the honourable gentleman of business
:00:11. > :00:16.yes, Valerie Vaz? Could the leader of the House give
:00:17. > :00:21.us the forthcoming business. Mr Speaker, Sir, the business for
:00:22. > :00:24.next week will be as follows, Monday 13th March, consideration of Lord's
:00:25. > :00:28.amenments to the European Union notification of withdrawal Bill.
:00:29. > :00:34.Followed by continuation of the budget debate. Tuesday 14th March,
:00:35. > :00:40.if necessary, consideration of Lord's amendments. Followed by
:00:41. > :00:45.concollusion of the budget debate. Wednesday, 15th March, if necessary,
:00:46. > :00:49.consideration of Lord's amendments, followed by consideration of Lord's
:00:50. > :00:53.amendments to the Health Service medical supplies costs bill,
:00:54. > :00:57.followed by remaining stages of the national citizens service Bill
:00:58. > :01:02.Lords. Followed by a motion relating to the appointment of lay members to
:01:03. > :01:09.the committee of stonards, followed by if necessary consideration of
:01:10. > :01:16.Lord's amendments. Thursday 16th March, statement on the publication
:01:17. > :01:18.of the tenth report of the public administration into Constitutional
:01:19. > :01:23.Affairs Committee entitled lessons still to be learnt from the Chilcot
:01:24. > :01:29.inquiry, followed by a statement on the publication of the sixth report
:01:30. > :01:34.of the Health Committee on suicide prevention, followed by a debate on
:01:35. > :01:38.a motion relating to energy prices. The Select Committee statements and
:01:39. > :01:42.the subject for debate were determined by the backbench business
:01:43. > :01:47.committee. Friday 17th March, the House will not be sitting. The
:01:48. > :01:52.provisional business for the week commencing 20th March will include
:01:53. > :01:56.Monday 20th MASH, second reading of the prisons and courts Bill. I
:01:57. > :02:01.should also like to inform the House that the business in Westminster
:02:02. > :02:06.Hall for the 20th and 23rd MASH will be as follows: Monday 20th March,
:02:07. > :02:13.debate on an e-petition relating to the cost of car insurance for young
:02:14. > :02:19.people. Thursday, 23rd March, debate on the first and second reports of
:02:20. > :02:23.the International Development Committee, entitled Syrian refugee
:02:24. > :02:28.crisis and DFID's programme in Nigeria. Finally, Mr Speaker, I
:02:29. > :02:32.should also like to inform the House that, because of diary commitments
:02:33. > :02:36.on the Monday, the Prime Minister expects to update the House on this
:02:37. > :02:42.week's European Council on Tuesday next week.
:02:43. > :02:46.THE SPEAKER: Valerie Vaz? Thank you Mr Speaker. Can I thank the leader
:02:47. > :02:50.of the House for the forthcoming business and add my congratulations
:02:51. > :02:54.to the honourable member for Perth and North Perthshire. Perhaps it's a
:02:55. > :03:00.case of him singing to us rather than us singing to him! Mr Speaker,
:03:01. > :03:13.are we any further on a date for the Queen's speech? I'm sure the person
:03:14. > :03:20.delivering it would like to know when it is. ...
:03:21. > :03:25.PROBLEM WITH SOUND. It was far better than all the
:03:26. > :03:29.suffragettes knowing the House's pipes and hidy holes. She has a lot
:03:30. > :03:38.in common with the member for Rhondda. So could I press the leader
:03:39. > :03:42.for a date for the debate on restoration and renewal? Members do
:03:43. > :03:48.need to know and to have their say. It may be henful at the time of the
:03:49. > :03:51.debate -- helpful at the time of the debate for display so the members
:03:52. > :03:55.could see what is at stake so they could have an informed debate rather
:03:56. > :04:00.than one based on just speculation. I know that a date has been
:04:01. > :04:05.mentioned, but maybe that was just a gentleman's agreement and ladies
:04:06. > :04:09.aren't allowed to know. I note the EU Bill will be coming back to the
:04:10. > :04:13.Commons on Monday and once this Bill goes through, it will truly be the
:04:14. > :04:20.end of the Thatcher legacy because the former Prime Minister signed up
:04:21. > :04:25.to in 1981 EU enlargement, accession with Greece 1983, declaration on
:04:26. > :04:30.more European integration, 1986 EU accession of Spain and Portugal,
:04:31. > :04:33.1987, single act to create the single internal market and she was
:04:34. > :04:38.able to say no, she could renegotiate the EU budget in 1984,
:04:39. > :04:45.say no to the 1985 Schengen agreement, say no to the 199 social
:04:46. > :04:48.charter, wrongly in my view. We have Margaret Thatcher, a Remainor and a
:04:49. > :04:59.Reformer, which you can't say the same for this Government. And to the
:05:00. > :05:05.budget, Mr Speaker, it's not so much spread sheet Phil, but ground hog
:05:06. > :05:09.day. He's chased back down his hole by the self-employed and the
:05:10. > :05:12.Brexiteer. So no mention of the most challenging events that will happen
:05:13. > :05:18.to this country in the next two years. He didn't use the word Brexit
:05:19. > :05:21.once, not verbally, nor was it in his speech, nor in the official
:05:22. > :05:25.report. What he did say, he said we'll not
:05:26. > :05:29.saddle our children with ever increasing debt. So could the leader
:05:30. > :05:34.of the House clarify if that means that tuition fees will be abolishd?
:05:35. > :05:42.He talks about Germany's productivity being better than ours.
:05:43. > :05:48.They've abolished their tuition fees. Give than the honourable
:05:49. > :05:51.member for Surrey said he regretted Building Schools for the Future,
:05:52. > :05:54.could the leader of the House make representations to the Chancellor
:05:55. > :06:00.that all the schools allocated funds under that scheme could be given
:06:01. > :06:02.them without having to make bids taking the money away from frontline
:06:03. > :06:17.services? Could the Leader of the House also
:06:18. > :06:22.confirm whether the money for PhDs and research is a grant or a loan?
:06:23. > :06:26.If you do not want to hear, you should just leave the chamber. You
:06:27. > :06:31.think it's rubbish, we don't think it's rubbish. Could I ask the Leader
:06:32. > :06:36.of the House if he was aware of these discussions around the
:06:37. > :06:42.gentleman's agreement in Surrey? Will he launch an enquiry or look at
:06:43. > :06:45.making a statement to the House? An MP was involved who has worked
:06:46. > :06:49.really hard behind the scenes and there is a reference to a member
:06:50. > :06:54.that we both know very well. Could we have a statement setting out
:06:55. > :06:58.exactly what is offered under this deal? Are the steps that you have
:06:59. > :07:03.deep breath and to increase council tax, then you have defined the union
:07:04. > :07:09.is echoed to the in his car, who pops in to number 11, and lo and
:07:10. > :07:14.behold, we have a deal. A gentleman 's agreement, not transparent, and
:07:15. > :07:23.just for Tory councils. The DN sure there is a breakdown of all
:07:24. > :07:27.arrangements that will come from every council, saving the Freedom of
:07:28. > :07:33.information request being necessary. That burden would now be shifted to
:07:34. > :07:36.local taxpayers. Oxford Street in my constituency does not have any
:07:37. > :07:46.taxpayers. This will have a direct effect on our taxpayers. The Prime
:07:47. > :07:50.Minister has made it very clear this Government is promoting selective
:07:51. > :07:53.schools. Can he confirm that in the White Paper, those children who
:07:54. > :07:58.cannot afford duty is that will enable them to get into selective
:07:59. > :08:02.schools will also be given some help? Schools are good because of
:08:03. > :08:06.the hard work of the peoples and the teachers. The Government cannot take
:08:07. > :08:10.credit for that. Mr Speaker, the Chancellor talked about the last
:08:11. > :08:17.Labour Government but we are thinking of the next Labour
:08:18. > :08:23.Government and it is the next Labour Government who will have the last
:08:24. > :08:28.laugh. Finally, Mr Speaker, it was a male dominated International Women's
:08:29. > :08:32.Day with the Chancellor. Maybe next year it wait the spreadsheet bill,
:08:33. > :08:37.but spreadsheet adjusting. I want to bring women back to the centre.
:08:38. > :08:41.Whether it was Blondie who said, you educate the mothers, you educate
:08:42. > :08:48.society, -- whether it was Mahatma Gandhi who said, and who can forget
:08:49. > :08:55.what Ginger Rogers did, everything that Fred Astaire did, but in heels
:08:56. > :09:00.and backwards. And the new hash tag, nevertheless, she persisted. That is
:09:01. > :09:03.what we all have to do to get equality. So, a belated happy
:09:04. > :09:09.International Women's Day to everyone. I am also advised that
:09:10. > :09:14.today is a significant birthday but the honourable member for Lewisham
:09:15. > :09:21.and Deptford who I am sure is converted -- celebrating somewhere
:09:22. > :09:28.and we congratulate her. Mr Speaker, can I first deal with the honourable
:09:29. > :09:32.lady's questions about two items of business. I can't yet give a date
:09:33. > :09:37.for the Queen's speech, as the House will know this does depend to some
:09:38. > :09:41.extent about the exchange of amendments between the two houses
:09:42. > :09:46.and we are not in a position to make an announcement yet. While I can't
:09:47. > :09:49.be specific about a debate on restoration and renewal, the
:09:50. > :09:53.Government's position remains that our intention is to hold this before
:09:54. > :09:58.Easter recess as I said in answer to the business question AB weeks ago.
:09:59. > :10:03.I actually disagree with the honourable lady that we should get
:10:04. > :10:10.rid of tuition fees. I don't think it is unreasonable to expect
:10:11. > :10:18.students in higher education to make a contribution when their income in
:10:19. > :10:23.later working lives reaches above a certain threshold towards the cost
:10:24. > :10:28.of that university education. I would have hoped that rather than
:10:29. > :10:33.revisiting that argument about tuition fees, that the honourable
:10:34. > :10:37.lady might have welcomed the Chancellor's announcement yesterday
:10:38. > :10:48.about the Government's drive to improve the opportunity provided by
:10:49. > :10:52.and the standards of technical education in this country. That it
:10:53. > :10:55.seems to me is key to giving the maximum possible chance in life to
:10:56. > :11:00.those children who are not going to be able to go to university or who
:11:01. > :11:06.may choose not to go to university. It is an absolutely essential part
:11:07. > :11:10.of tackling some of this country's long-term structural economic
:11:11. > :11:14.problems to do with the lack of competitiveness in a very fast
:11:15. > :11:20.changing international economy. I don't know how many times we are
:11:21. > :11:26.going to repeat from the dispatch box that there is no special
:11:27. > :11:29.sweetheart deal. I was frankly astonished, astonished that the
:11:30. > :11:34.honourable lady was claiming that there is something available to
:11:35. > :11:39.Conservative councils which is not available to Labour councils. I was
:11:40. > :11:42.sitting here yesterday when I heard the Prime Minister 's say in terms
:11:43. > :11:49.of the local authorities that were going to be first in the pilots for
:11:50. > :11:57.100% return of business rates in the 2017 to 2018 business year were
:11:58. > :12:00.Labour authorities. Those Labour authorities have welcomed that
:12:01. > :12:04.opportunity to be in the first set of pilots. What we are saying to
:12:05. > :12:08.Surrey and to every other council which is not included in that first
:12:09. > :12:15.round is that if they meet the criteria, they can apply for
:12:16. > :12:20.participation in the second round in 2019 to 2020. That has always been
:12:21. > :12:30.the position and remains the position. On grammar schools, the
:12:31. > :12:33.Government said in the Green paper that was published shortly before
:12:34. > :12:40.Christmas that we would be considering and consulting upon ways
:12:41. > :12:46.in which the admissions system to selective schools might be altered
:12:47. > :12:51.to try to give the maximum opportunity possible to children
:12:52. > :12:59.from poorer families and from families who did not have a history
:13:00. > :13:03.of sending people onto further and higher education. For them to have
:13:04. > :13:06.the chance of getting a place that they selective schools. The problem
:13:07. > :13:11.with the party opposite is that they are still stuck in the past as
:13:12. > :13:16.regards their views on education. It does seem extraordinary and an
:13:17. > :13:25.increasing anomaly at a time of great diversity in the provision of
:13:26. > :13:29.secondary schools of various types, specialist schools and the type the
:13:30. > :13:34.Prime Minister described yesterday, that there should be an arbitrary
:13:35. > :13:39.legal ban on the creation of new selective schools as part of that
:13:40. > :13:44.broader mix. That is the challenge that the Government is seeking to
:13:45. > :13:50.address. I am more than happy to join the honourable lady in
:13:51. > :13:56.welcoming International Women's Day in the way that she described and
:13:57. > :13:59.paying tribute to all of those in this country who have played a part
:14:00. > :14:05.in advancing opportunities for women. Women and men who supported
:14:06. > :14:11.them from all political traditions in this country and I think that we
:14:12. > :14:16.might pause also and reflect on the fact that for women in some
:14:17. > :14:21.countries around the world, to stand up publicly and press for the type
:14:22. > :14:28.of civil rights and opportunities that there are four women can put
:14:29. > :14:31.those women at great personal risk themselves and in celebrating what
:14:32. > :14:36.has been achieved here and in other countries, we should remember the
:14:37. > :14:40.real heroines are those who fight for equal rights in those countries
:14:41. > :14:51.where there is real danger. Hear hear. Last week I hosted a
:14:52. > :14:57.celebration of 20 years of Doctor soda's riot -- chiropractors. I
:14:58. > :15:04.understand that my right honourable friend hosted a chiropractors
:15:05. > :15:11.Private members Bill about 25 years ago, so could we have a debate on
:15:12. > :15:13.the use of chiropractors through the National Health Service as an
:15:14. > :15:18.alternative to giving people medicine? And whilst I am on my
:15:19. > :15:22.feet, may I also gently remind my right honourable friend at the House
:15:23. > :15:25.rose early again on Monday and we on the backbench business committee has
:15:26. > :15:31.a queue of debates that could fill these were slots where they made
:15:32. > :15:35.available by the Government. In response to the last point, I simply
:15:36. > :15:38.say that we do try to make sure that the backbench business committee has
:15:39. > :15:45.its oil allocation of slots available to it and it's not
:15:46. > :15:49.entirely in the gift of ministers as to how many ministers wish to
:15:50. > :15:53.participate in any particular debate or for how long they wish to speak.
:15:54. > :15:56.Sometimes colleagues on all sides of the House may speak for far longer
:15:57. > :16:04.than their whips may wish them to do. At other times, the debate does
:16:05. > :16:09.finish early. That's not entirely of the Government's gift. His point
:16:10. > :16:13.about chiropractors was well made and I believe I look back on the
:16:14. > :16:21.growth of the chiropractic profession over the last 25 years
:16:22. > :16:25.and there has been a huge benefit to patients in all parts of this
:16:26. > :16:28.country from the growing availability of chiropractic
:16:29. > :16:33.treatment as a complement to traditional medicine. I hope my
:16:34. > :16:35.honourable friend might be lucky in perhaps securing an adjournment
:16:36. > :16:44.debate to celebrate that achievement further. Can I thank you for the
:16:45. > :16:49.birthday wishes and I will always be a year older than you, sir, so as
:16:50. > :16:55.well as being my birthday it is also budget Boxing Day. If anything,
:16:56. > :16:59.budget Boxing Day is actually more interesting and more revealing than
:17:00. > :17:03.budget day itself, because budget Boxing Day is when we get all these
:17:04. > :17:08.useful clarifications at the start of all the climb-down downs and
:17:09. > :17:10.justifications for the broken manifesto promises. It usually
:17:11. > :17:14.involves the Chancellor big step is carrying around all the broadcasters
:17:15. > :17:20.trying to do all the things at once, so can I suggest we resolve this by
:17:21. > :17:24.having a statement on budget Boxing Day with the Chancellor giving all
:17:25. > :17:30.the useful clarifications, starting the climb downs and justifying the
:17:31. > :17:34.broken promises? We are grateful in Scotland for the ?350 million
:17:35. > :17:40.secured as a result of the budget, but we do note that this is exactly
:17:41. > :17:44.the same amount of money that Scotland will get in a year that the
:17:45. > :17:51.NHS is supposed to get in one week after we leave the EU. Yet it is
:17:52. > :17:59.going to face ?3 billion worth of cuts in the next few years. I know
:18:00. > :18:04.there are three days set aside for Lord's amendments if necessary as
:18:05. > :18:09.the Government tries to ping the pole that is coming from there he
:18:10. > :18:14.rose in ermine. What happens if we still have the paddles out on
:18:15. > :18:17.Wednesday? Will the Government enforce the Parliament act? How will
:18:18. > :18:22.this affect the article 50 process and will he clarify today what is
:18:23. > :18:28.going on today? Can we encourage the people's aristocrats to carry on
:18:29. > :18:32.with this great cause? Does anyone in the House have any explanation
:18:33. > :18:35.for the behaviour of the Prime Minister yesterday? It looks like
:18:36. > :18:40.she was swallowing a face when she sat on the front bench? It was like
:18:41. > :18:44.my gear with doing an impersonation of Ted Heath. Can we go back to how
:18:45. > :18:54.and tell her there was no place for behaviour like that? -- can we go
:18:55. > :18:56.back to her. Mr Speaker, can I verse double wholeheartedly wish the
:18:57. > :19:03.honourable gentleman many happy returns of the day and it was
:19:04. > :19:07.obviously -- it was obvious theme him bad that the first thing he did
:19:08. > :19:11.this morning was to unwrap his birthday socks and tie and I am sure
:19:12. > :19:24.they were just what he has always wanted. He asked me about the
:19:25. > :19:27.article 50 Bill. It is perfectly routine for the Government to
:19:28. > :19:32.announce provisional business in case there is a need to debate Lords
:19:33. > :19:40.amendments. The House of Lords has a perfectly proper role as a revising
:19:41. > :19:45.chamber but it also knows that it is an unelected house and I hope that
:19:46. > :19:51.the House of Lords will want to give very careful consideration to
:19:52. > :19:55.whatever views this House takes on its amendments next week and to
:19:56. > :20:02.accept that ultimately the view, not just of the elected house, but of
:20:03. > :20:07.the British people expressed in a referendum should prevail. He also
:20:08. > :20:11.asked me about the impact of yesterday's budget statement on
:20:12. > :20:17.Scotland. I would have thought particularly on his birthday he
:20:18. > :20:22.might have had a cheery word for the fact that because of my right
:20:23. > :20:30.honourable friend's the Chancellor's statement that the Scottish budget
:20:31. > :20:36.would increase by ?260 million by 2020 and its capital budget by
:20:37. > :20:41.almost ?90 million by 2021 and that this builds on the 800 million
:20:42. > :20:45.pounds increase to the Scottish capital budget delivered via the
:20:46. > :20:48.Autumn Statement last year. Scotland, like all parts of the
:20:49. > :20:53.United Kingdom, is benefiting because of the action that the
:20:54. > :20:55.United Kingdom Government is taking to ensure a stable economy, economic
:20:56. > :21:03.growth and sustainable public finances. I would very gently point
:21:04. > :21:08.out that so far we have got through the three front benches and only one
:21:09. > :21:12.backbencher so progress is a little slow. If we could try to speed up a
:21:13. > :21:19.little bit, that would be very much appreciated. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
:21:20. > :21:22.As was third, yesterday was International Women's Day and yet my
:21:23. > :21:28.constituents were shocked to learn by the NSPCC this week that no fewer
:21:29. > :21:32.than 55 cases of female genital mutilation took place in Peter
:21:33. > :21:37.Barraclough in the final three months of 2016. May we have a debate
:21:38. > :21:42.on prosecutions of the perpetrators of this evil trade so that we can
:21:43. > :21:46.protect our young girls and women? It is not culturally acceptable and
:21:47. > :21:47.it is time we tackled this and drove this abominable practice from our
:21:48. > :21:57.country for ever. It's a crime and it's child abuse as
:21:58. > :22:02.well. There have been a number of changes to law including the serious
:22:03. > :22:07.crime act 2015 that have extended both powers and penalties to deal
:22:08. > :22:12.with FGM. As my right honourable friend knows, the majority of cases
:22:13. > :22:15.recorded by the NHS are crimes committed overseas or non-UK
:22:16. > :22:24.citizens where probably the right thing is to give help and support to
:22:25. > :22:32.those women who've been abused. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can we have a
:22:33. > :22:38.debate on the Government's plans, especially in the light of Brexit to
:22:39. > :22:43.include plans for the rail freight sector, plans for ordering new
:22:44. > :22:49.rolling stock, but also crucially, plans for refurbishing rolling stock
:22:50. > :22:53.which is crucial to companies like WABtec in my constituency who
:22:54. > :22:59.specialise in refurbishment of rolling stock? The Right Honourable
:23:00. > :23:04.lady makes a good point and I think it's very important that not just in
:23:05. > :23:07.the context of Brexit but in terms of getting the right mix of
:23:08. > :23:14.transport services in this country that we look to continue to
:23:15. > :23:17.modernise our rail system and the Autumn Statement's focus upon
:23:18. > :23:20.additional infrastructure spending will indeed deliver rail
:23:21. > :23:26.improvements in all parts of the country. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can
:23:27. > :23:29.we have an urgent debate on the conduct of Violia, an organisation
:23:30. > :23:36.full of sharp suits and sharp practices? This company is promoting
:23:37. > :23:40.an incinerator in my constituency on land that just 18 months ago, a
:23:41. > :23:44.flood plain that just 18 months ago, it was arguing in front of the
:23:45. > :23:49.planning inspector was unsuitable for such a site. This is disgraceful
:23:50. > :23:55.and dare I say, dishonest behaviour on behalf of this company.
:23:56. > :23:58.My right honourable friend makes his point powerfully and I'm sure on
:23:59. > :24:03.behalf of his constituents, obviously this is a matter for the
:24:04. > :24:06.local planning authorities and for the Environment Agency as the
:24:07. > :24:11.custodian of environmental regulations. He may wish to seek an
:24:12. > :24:15.adjourned de-- an urgent debate on this. Thinking about Monday's
:24:16. > :24:18.business, two weeks ago, at business questions, the leader of the House
:24:19. > :24:22.broke with his established procedure of a lifetime in politics by giving
:24:23. > :24:26.me what he described as a straight answer when I asked if it was
:24:27. > :24:31.possible roughly speaking to say what the process of negotiation with
:24:32. > :24:36.Europe would yield. Amazingly enough, it turns out I was actually
:24:37. > :24:40.quoting the leader of the Leave campaign Dominic Cummings when he
:24:41. > :24:45.said last year, no-one in their right mind would begin a legally
:24:46. > :24:48.defined two-year maximum period to conduct negotiations before they
:24:49. > :24:59.actually knew, roughly speaking, what the process was going to yield.
:25:00. > :25:03.Is the Prime Minister of sound mind? My right honourable friend said that
:25:04. > :25:08.from a sedentary position. I don't recall the Prime Minister leading
:25:09. > :25:14.the Leave campaign for being responsible for their positions. The
:25:15. > :25:17.view was spelled out in the white paper where we described our
:25:18. > :25:20.objectives to secure the best possible access to and freedom to
:25:21. > :25:24.cooperate within the single market for British business, a fair deal
:25:25. > :25:30.for our citizens in Europe and European citizens here and so on.
:25:31. > :25:34.But this is a negotiation that will involve 27 other countries as well.
:25:35. > :25:36.They're clear that it's only when Article 50 is triggered that that
:25:37. > :25:46.process of negotiation can start. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Staffordshire
:25:47. > :25:51.Fire and Rescue have been involved in two high profile waste sites
:25:52. > :25:55.including an illegal one, this has been... Rennes dues for locals and
:25:56. > :25:58.the Fire Service have faced significant costs managing it over
:25:59. > :26:01.the last six months. Dumping of illegal waste is not just a problem
:26:02. > :26:07.in Staffordshire, so can we have a debate in Government time about this
:26:08. > :26:11.increasing national issue? My right honourable friend raises a
:26:12. > :26:16.very important point on behalf of her constituents. While I can't
:26:17. > :26:19.offer an immediate debate in Government time, this is something
:26:20. > :26:21.she might have an opportunity through the backbench business
:26:22. > :26:25.process or through an adjournment debate.
:26:26. > :26:29.When can we debate the call made in the Daily Mirror yesterday by the
:26:30. > :26:34.honourable member for Barnsley Central that we should learn the
:26:35. > :26:40.lessons of the Afghan war to avoid repeating them in future. In 2006,
:26:41. > :26:47.after only six of our soldiers had died in Afghanistan, a decision was
:26:48. > :26:54.taken to go into Helmand Province on the basis that not a shot would be
:26:55. > :27:00.fired. The result of that was that... You know that's not true...
:27:01. > :27:06.450 more soldiers lost their lives. We cannot turn lives into the truth
:27:07. > :27:10.by carving them war memorials or by putting them in the mouths of
:27:11. > :27:15.dignitaries. When can we face up to the truth on the Helmand disaster by
:27:16. > :27:24.having an inquiry? Well, I think it's right, Botha we
:27:25. > :27:27.have a public memorial to those military and civilian who that
:27:28. > :27:34.served so valiantly and that we learn the lessons of both conflicts.
:27:35. > :27:39.And while the forthcoming debate on the Select Committee report into the
:27:40. > :27:44.Chilcot inquiry is clearly related privately to Iraq, I would have
:27:45. > :27:48.thought that some of the lessons that might possibly be learnt from
:27:49. > :27:52.Botha conflict and from the Afghanistan conflict could be
:27:53. > :27:57.debated during that time. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Could we have
:27:58. > :28:00.a debate on the efficiency with which we prosecute white-collar
:28:01. > :28:03.crime? We are very good at chasing benefits cheats, rightly so, but I
:28:04. > :28:07.don't believe that we are doing enough to investigate what my right
:28:08. > :28:11.honourable friend called sharp suited Spivs who get away with
:28:12. > :28:15.misappropriating is sometimes millions of pounds of public money.
:28:16. > :28:19.I can assure my right honourable friend that HMRC which is
:28:20. > :28:25.independent prosecuting authority, does take this very seriously and
:28:26. > :28:29.has secured a very big increase in the amount of money recovered for
:28:30. > :28:33.the Treasury through compliance activities. But I'm sure there is
:28:34. > :28:39.always more to be done. Can we have a debate on helping
:28:40. > :28:49.people into work? Blaenau Gwent still has state your name bornly
:28:50. > :28:54.high unemployment. Yet the DWP wants to shut the Tradegeur Jobcentre.
:28:55. > :28:58.This puts a burden on jobseekers to pay for expensive public transport
:28:59. > :29:02.or walk for miles over the mountain whatever the mountain. That must be
:29:03. > :29:07.taken on board. The situation we are in is that
:29:08. > :29:13.after 20 years, the contract that covers many DWP offices is nearing
:29:14. > :29:18.an end and it expires on 31st March 2018, and so the DWP's redesigning
:29:19. > :29:21.its estate so it delivers better value for taxpayers but also
:29:22. > :29:25.delivering support to people. I'd say to the honourable gentleman it's
:29:26. > :29:28.not about reducing services, but it's trying to stop spending
:29:29. > :29:33.taxpayers' money on renting empty space so we can give more through
:29:34. > :29:38.counselling and support to those who need help and support to get them
:29:39. > :29:43.back into employment. Mr Speaker, in his statement, the leader of the
:29:44. > :29:49.House said there would be a debate on DFID's programme in Nigeria.
:29:50. > :29:54.He'll know there is an impending famine in Nigeria and I wondered
:29:55. > :29:59.whether we could have a wider debate on famines in Yemen, Somalia and the
:30:00. > :30:03.World Food Programme's announced a famine in south Sudan and how DFID's
:30:04. > :30:06.programme can do more to prevent confliblingt, not just resolve it,
:30:07. > :30:12.conflict being a driver of the famines, of course -- conflict.
:30:13. > :30:14.Sounds like an ideal subject for one of the longest debates in
:30:15. > :30:19.Westminster Hall. I'm sure my right honourable friend will be the first
:30:20. > :30:22.to agree that DFID is devoting a lot of resource to helping bring relief
:30:23. > :30:26.to south Sudan. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Yesterday,
:30:27. > :30:30.the Foreign Office updated its current form of travel advice for
:30:31. > :30:36.Israel with the following information, the Israeli Parliament
:30:37. > :30:40.passed a law on the 6th March 2017 which gives authority to deny entry
:30:41. > :30:44.to foreign nationals who're publicly called for a boycott of Israel and
:30:45. > :30:49.and or settlements or who belong to an organisation which is called for
:30:50. > :30:53.a boycott. Given the impact this new law will have on British passport
:30:54. > :30:57.holders, including members of both Houses and given that no other
:30:58. > :31:00.guidance or information has been issued by our Government beyond
:31:01. > :31:05.this, maybe have a statement from the Foreign Office on how the
:31:06. > :31:08.application of this law will affect UK passport holders and how it will
:31:09. > :31:14.impact UK foreign policy? Hear, hear...
:31:15. > :31:17.I mean, at the risk of stating the obvious, clearly Israel like every
:31:18. > :31:24.other country is ultimately responsible for determining its own
:31:25. > :31:29.rules on immigration and visits. But we are seeking urgent clarification
:31:30. > :31:35.from the Israeli authorities as to what the application of this new
:31:36. > :31:39.policy might be. In the meantime, we have updated travel advice in order
:31:40. > :31:45.to give people as much information as we have at present. If there's
:31:46. > :31:49.any British citizen who feels uncertain about a possible visit to
:31:50. > :31:57.Israel, we suggest that they contact the embassy. Clear advice as soon as
:31:58. > :32:00.we have that. Thank you Mr Speaker. The community hospital in my
:32:01. > :32:04.constituency has been closed since last summer despite the fact the
:32:05. > :32:08.Royal coverage Hospital's been on black alert more often than not
:32:09. > :32:13.during that time -- Royal Cornwall Hospital. Yesterday I received a
:32:14. > :32:16.letter from the consultant who said it's inexplicable and unjustifiable
:32:17. > :32:21.that we continue to have closed community hospital beds while
:32:22. > :32:26.patients queue in corridors and ED. Could a statement from the Health
:32:27. > :32:28.Secretary be made on the important role community hospitals play,
:32:29. > :32:31.particularly in rural communities like Cornwall?
:32:32. > :32:36.I think my right honourable friend is right to stress the importance of
:32:37. > :32:43.community hospitals, particularly as a step when people no longer need
:32:44. > :32:47.intensive care in an acute facility. But the exact configuration of local
:32:48. > :32:53.Health Services in Cornwall or anywhere else I think is a decision
:32:54. > :32:57.that needs to be taken by the local health bosses there and not imposed
:32:58. > :33:02.centrally from London. Mr Speaker, yesterday, I had the
:33:03. > :33:05.privilege of meeting the school Council of Ings Primary in my
:33:06. > :33:13.constituency and young Charlie White, ten years of age, raised the
:33:14. > :33:16.issue of WASPI women, he seen them protesting and asked why the
:33:17. > :33:21.Chancellor had completely ignored them in his budget. He asked me to
:33:22. > :33:26.raise it at the soonest opportunity, so on behalf of Charlie White, can
:33:27. > :33:35.we please have a debate in Government time on WASPI women?
:33:36. > :33:39.Genuinely, can I say, I'm delighted that in the honourable gentleman's
:33:40. > :33:44.constituents, as amongst mine, there are school council members taking an
:33:45. > :33:47.active interest in politics. Whatever view we hold, that's
:33:48. > :33:51.something we should very much welcome. To answer to Charlie
:33:52. > :33:55.through the hog would be that the Government has put in place
:33:56. > :34:00.transitional arrangements costing ?1 billion to taxpayers to cushion the
:34:01. > :34:07.impact of the change in the state pension age for women and that to
:34:08. > :34:14.reverse the pensions Act 2011 would cost more than ?30 billion. That is
:34:15. > :34:21.not something that can be justified. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker,
:34:22. > :34:25.pupils in my constituency, including Winsford Community High School, who
:34:26. > :34:30.are visiting this place today are deeply concerned about the impending
:34:31. > :34:34.cuts in school funding. I wonder whether we can timetable in
:34:35. > :34:39.Government time a debate that will deal with changes to the formula
:34:40. > :34:44.after the consultation's closed on 22nd March.
:34:45. > :34:50.What I would stress to my right honourable friend is that we have a
:34:51. > :34:55.consultation on the proposed new funding formula that has not yet
:34:56. > :34:58.closed. Clearly, when the results of that consultation are in, my right
:34:59. > :35:04.honourable friend, the Secretary of State, will want to consider that
:35:05. > :35:08.before deciding on the way forward. Mr Speaker, last week there was
:35:09. > :35:12.speculation about your showering habits. Today, I would like to query
:35:13. > :35:15.your shopping habits. Now, I don't know whether Mr Speaker, you have
:35:16. > :35:19.been to the supermarket recently, but if you have, you will have
:35:20. > :35:23.noticed that prices of food are rising sharply. You will have
:35:24. > :35:27.noticed that buy one get one free and own brand products are
:35:28. > :35:34.disappearing from the shelves, so I wonder whether the leader of the
:35:35. > :35:38.House would make time available for a debate on the price rises. Many
:35:39. > :35:42.people have been hard pit by the Government dumping their pledge not
:35:43. > :35:48.to increase national insurance -- hard hit.
:35:49. > :35:54.First of all, in response to his last point, he needs to look at what
:35:55. > :35:59.the Chancellor actually announced and he will see that the people who
:36:00. > :36:05.are on low incomes are not going to be affected at all. 60% of people
:36:06. > :36:12.who are self-employed are going to be better off when you take account
:36:13. > :36:20.of the abolition of class to as well as the changes to class or announced
:36:21. > :36:23.yesterday. The prices in supermarkets clearly are going to
:36:24. > :36:28.vary depending on market prices and that depends in part on things like
:36:29. > :36:34.currency movements. With certain vegetables, it's depended on the
:36:35. > :36:37.weather this winter. From the Government's point of view, the most
:36:38. > :36:42.important thing is that we maintain an economy with low inflation, high
:36:43. > :36:45.employment and vigorous economic growth. That's the best way of
:36:46. > :36:53.ensuring the good living standards to the gentleman's constituents. At
:36:54. > :36:58.present, I'm doing what I can to help constituents obtain a
:36:59. > :37:02.life-saving drug for their young son. Members across the House will
:37:03. > :37:08.have had similar cases over the years. These are very difficult
:37:09. > :37:13.decisions for health trusts and nice but it would be helpful to have a
:37:14. > :37:18.debate about how they deal with these issues. Could we find
:37:19. > :37:22.Government time for such a debate? I can't promise Government time. But
:37:23. > :37:27.there may be other opportunities. These are always very difficult
:37:28. > :37:35.decisions indeed. I think the right principle had to be that access to a
:37:36. > :37:40.drug is determined by clinical effectiveness which must be measured
:37:41. > :37:44.by doctors, not politicians. It's quite clear that self-employed
:37:45. > :37:48.people were given a false promise at the last election. It said no less
:37:49. > :37:52.than four times in the Conservative manifesto that they would not
:37:53. > :37:54.increase national insurance, they can we have it statement from the
:37:55. > :37:58.Government to go through line by line the pledges they made in that
:37:59. > :38:01.manifesto so we have a fighting chance of knowing what we are
:38:02. > :38:07.holding the Government to account for? Mr Speaker, when the national
:38:08. > :38:16.insurance contributions rate feelings Bill was debated in
:38:17. > :38:19.November 2015, it was said then, this bill enacts the Conservative's
:38:20. > :38:25.manifesto pledge not to increase national insurance charges in this
:38:26. > :38:32.Parliament. It is part of their wider pledged to cap tax, and
:38:33. > :38:37.national insurance contributions. That bill delivered. Those were not
:38:38. > :38:46.my words. They were the words of the honourable lady for yourself, the
:38:47. > :39:03.Shadow Chancellor at the time. Last month, the Court of Appeal ruled in
:39:04. > :39:07.favour that the Government's... Has he had any indication from the
:39:08. > :39:09.Secretary of State for equality about an impending announcement and
:39:10. > :39:14.if not can we have a debate about equality in double partnerships in
:39:15. > :39:17.Government time? My honourable friend has championed this
:39:18. > :39:23.particular cause very persistently for a period of time. I am not aware
:39:24. > :39:25.of an imminent announcement but I shall remind the Secretary of State
:39:26. > :39:35.of my honourable friend's persistence on the subject. Given
:39:36. > :39:39.the timely reminder of the plight of the cities on the BBC News on
:39:40. > :39:46.Tuesday passed when Amal Clooney's speech at UN headquarters reminded
:39:47. > :39:53.us that 1200 women and girls are held hostage by Mosul -- by IS in
:39:54. > :39:59.Mosul, would be Leader of the House agreed to a debate to expand the
:40:00. > :40:08.Syrian honourable persons scheme, meaning the most vulnerable people
:40:09. > :40:14.who have been unable to -- who have been able to flee but unable to
:40:15. > :40:18.return home are protected? He is right to champion this appalling
:40:19. > :40:26.abuses of human rights that are taking place in Iraq and in Syria.
:40:27. > :40:32.The people who have been the victims of abuse and people from religious
:40:33. > :40:38.minorities are amongst those categories that we have identified
:40:39. > :40:44.as the highest priorities for those to come to the United Kingdom under
:40:45. > :40:48.the scheme to admit 20,000 that the previous Prime Minister and
:40:49. > :40:51.announced and that will apply to the 3000 children that we are taking in
:40:52. > :40:58.from the region in addition to that 20,000. Following on from the point
:40:59. > :41:03.raised by my honourable friend from Cannock, fly-tipping has seen a huge
:41:04. > :41:11.increase in North Warwickshire in recent months and a recent episode
:41:12. > :41:16.saw an entire road blocks and the cost from just one council is
:41:17. > :41:20.estimated at ?650,000, so can we have a debate on this issue and see
:41:21. > :41:23.what more can be done to protect the countryside from this terrible
:41:24. > :41:30.scourge which seems to be on an increase across the country as a
:41:31. > :41:33.whole? I think many of us will have experience of what he rightly turned
:41:34. > :41:36.out they scourge in our own constituencies and he is right to
:41:37. > :41:42.speak out today. What I can say to him is that where like tipping
:41:43. > :41:45.involves hazardous wastes or organised crime, the Environment
:41:46. > :41:50.Agency has a role to play and he might want to make representation to
:41:51. > :41:55.them. In terms of small fly-tipping, the Government gave councils the
:41:56. > :41:59.right to issue fixed penalty notices for small scale fly-tipping and his
:42:00. > :42:03.local council might want to investigate that. In yesterday's
:42:04. > :42:11.budget, the Chancellor made a welcome move in pledging to collect
:42:12. > :42:19.VAT on telecoms abroad. Given that is going to bring extra money into
:42:20. > :42:22.the Exchequer, is it now time to clear up another VAT anomaly,
:42:23. > :42:29.without being applied to Scottish Fire and rescue? Could he make a
:42:30. > :42:34.statement to agree to make amendments to the Finance Bill? I
:42:35. > :42:36.can't make the commitment the honourable gentleman wants me to do
:42:37. > :42:44.but I will make sure the Chancellor is aware of the point he just made.
:42:45. > :42:53.In August 20 300,000 households in Lancashire were affected by the loss
:42:54. > :42:56.of drinking water and 18 months on, the drinking water Inspectorate
:42:57. > :43:03.still refuse to publish a report, still refused to say when the report
:43:04. > :43:10.will be published. Can the Leader of the House set some time aside for
:43:11. > :43:16.debating the responsibility of organisations such as that for the
:43:17. > :43:21.constituents I represent? I have to say I am surprised that report has
:43:22. > :43:24.not yet been published and I will draw these comments to the attention
:43:25. > :43:30.of the Secretary of State environment. Yesterday's national
:43:31. > :43:35.insurance rise was not just a breach of the Conservative Party manifesto,
:43:36. > :43:38.it was an attack on small business people, entrepreneurs and taxi
:43:39. > :43:42.drivers who take risks to start a business and go alone. Can I ask the
:43:43. > :43:49.Leader of the House, given his answer to my honourable friend from
:43:50. > :43:54.Eltham, by which Parliamentary means will this be enacted? Legislation
:43:55. > :44:02.will be brought forward at the appropriate time later this year. I
:44:03. > :44:06.would simply say to the honourable gentleman that he and others right
:44:07. > :44:11.across the House have been calling for more money to be spent on the
:44:12. > :44:15.National Health Service, more money to be spent on social care, rightly
:44:16. > :44:23.so. That money has to be raised in revenue. And what we have seen is
:44:24. > :44:30.that the interjection of the second state pension, of the new state
:44:31. > :44:33.pension system, has removed the greater part of the disadvantage
:44:34. > :44:38.that previously applied to people who were self-employed rather than
:44:39. > :44:43.employed and which had justified the very significant difference between
:44:44. > :44:50.the national insurance contributions paid by self-employed people as
:44:51. > :44:56.against employees. The narrowing, the very important narrowing of that
:44:57. > :44:59.difference in terms of pension and other benefits, coupled with the
:45:00. > :45:01.Government's further pledged to look at parental benefits I think
:45:02. > :45:08.justifies the measure announced yesterday. Nice sentencing
:45:09. > :45:12.statistics have been published today, revealing that 300 repeat
:45:13. > :45:16.offenders have been let off prison in the last three months despite
:45:17. > :45:20.Parliament introducing mandatory sentencing following a campaign
:45:21. > :45:24.which became known as Enfield's law. Can we have a statement to reaffirm
:45:25. > :45:28.that it was Parliament's clear wheel and it still is that persistent
:45:29. > :45:33.knife offenders should and have to be locked up because they cause
:45:34. > :45:38.carnage on our streets? I'm sure we would want to see people convicted
:45:39. > :45:46.of knife crime is sentenced severely. Because they do not just
:45:47. > :45:50.cause actual harm to fellow citizens, but they breed a culture
:45:51. > :45:55.of fear that poisons whole neighbourhoods. But ultimately, it
:45:56. > :46:00.has to be for the judge in an individual case hearing all the
:46:01. > :46:06.evidence to decide what sentence is appropriate. The northern powerhouse
:46:07. > :46:09.is a cornerstone supposedly of the Government's policy but it wasn't
:46:10. > :46:12.mentioned yesterday. When will they facilitate a debate on the northern
:46:13. > :46:17.powerhouse and then we can talk about the most significant project
:46:18. > :46:23.that needs to be completed, the M 65 Northwest extension? I'm glad that
:46:24. > :46:25.the honourable gentleman has raised the subject of the northern
:46:26. > :46:29.powerhouse because the Government set out a northern powerhouse
:46:30. > :46:37.strategy to boost productivity throughout the North of England. The
:46:38. > :46:40.next steps include moves on the northern powerhouse schools
:46:41. > :46:44.strategy, with over half ?1 billion of local growth fund allocation,
:46:45. > :46:47.upgrading transport infrastructure and further science and innovation
:46:48. > :46:53.audits. I would have thought the gentleman would have welcomed those
:46:54. > :46:56.steps? Yesterday was International Women's Day. One of the great
:46:57. > :47:01.disappointment on both sides of the houses the fact we have never had a
:47:02. > :47:05.woman lead the Labour Party, but the Shadow Leader of the House made a
:47:06. > :47:10.clear bid for today. And I will do anything I can to help her in that
:47:11. > :47:17.regard. But could she please resist, sir, from fake news. The suggestion
:47:18. > :47:20.that Mrs Thatcher would have been a remainder is absolutely outrageous.
:47:21. > :47:26.They could we have a debate next week on fake news? Points of order
:47:27. > :47:34.come later. The honourable gentleman can ventilate his points -- thought
:47:35. > :47:36.that that time. My honourable friend was uncharacteristically slightly
:47:37. > :47:42.unfair because I think we want to pay tribute to what both the right
:47:43. > :47:47.honourable lady for Derby South did and what the Right Honourable Lady,
:47:48. > :47:53.the Member for Peckham did as acting leaders of the Labour Party. I think
:47:54. > :47:57.those of us on this site might hope that one day the Labour Party could
:47:58. > :48:05.summon up the courage to allow a woman to take over full time. I've
:48:06. > :48:06.been contacted by a number of distressed and vulnerable
:48:07. > :48:17.constituents in recent weeks have been turned down for E as a, with
:48:18. > :48:20.some of these cases even by Tory standards stomach churning. This is
:48:21. > :48:26.an issue raised frequently in this House but the increase is absolutely
:48:27. > :48:31.alarming. With the leader allowed debating Government time to revisit
:48:32. > :48:36.this issue? -- would the leader? Where there are particular cases, I
:48:37. > :48:41.am sure she would take that up with DWP ministers. But I believe the
:48:42. > :48:46.principle has to be right, that if somebody has a condition which means
:48:47. > :48:49.that they are able to work, as so many disabled people and people
:48:50. > :48:54.living with long-term medical conditions wish to do and are able
:48:55. > :48:58.to do, 3.5 million today, a record number, then they should be given
:48:59. > :49:08.help and support to do so and not written off and consigned to a
:49:09. > :49:12.lifetime benefits. I welcome this Government's positive move to ban
:49:13. > :49:16.the use of plastic micro beads in cosmetics and care products by
:49:17. > :49:19.October. This will make a real difference to cleaning up our marine
:49:20. > :49:23.environment but there is still so much more to do on plastic
:49:24. > :49:27.pollution. Would my right honourable friend find the time for a debate on
:49:28. > :49:32.this, because if we are to lead the environment in a better state than
:49:33. > :49:39.we find it, this is critical. My honourable friend is indefatigable
:49:40. > :49:44.in raising this subject. I can't promise an immediate Government
:49:45. > :49:47.debate but she will know that the Prime Minister and the entire
:49:48. > :49:53.Government are committed to come -- to delivering on our promise. In a
:49:54. > :49:57.written ministerial statement, the Government announced that they are
:49:58. > :50:02.scaling back the financial support that they had put forward for people
:50:03. > :50:09.he had received contaminated blood products. On the same day, the chief
:50:10. > :50:13.Executive of the administration, administrative trust that
:50:14. > :50:18.administers the current financial money that goes to these people
:50:19. > :50:22.refused to meet the APPG to discuss what was happening. I'm sure the
:50:23. > :50:25.leader agrees with me that this group of people feel that
:50:26. > :50:29.transparency and openness is very much the best policy, so can we
:50:30. > :50:34.please have a statement from a minister about what the Government's
:50:35. > :50:35.intentions are so that MPs can raise their constituents concerns over
:50:36. > :50:43.what the Government is doing? Mr Speaker, it's a perfectly serious
:50:44. > :50:52.point, I will ask relevant health minister to write to her. Exercise
:50:53. > :50:57.can be a lonely pursuits can we have the debate on the value of running
:50:58. > :51:00.clubs such as those in my constituency which provide a fun
:51:01. > :51:07.environment for this healthy activity? I am delighted to be able
:51:08. > :51:12.to pay tribute to my honourable friend's local running club, and I
:51:13. > :51:18.don't know whether he is a participant as well as being a fan.
:51:19. > :51:22.He knows so I think that is an even better sign. Perhaps in another year
:51:23. > :51:28.he could join our honourable friends the members for Weaver Vale and
:51:29. > :51:32.Crewe and Nantwich will be taking part in the London Marathon this
:51:33. > :51:39.year and we wish them well. Can then lead tell us about the role and
:51:40. > :51:46.locus of his office in the preparation and passage of the great
:51:47. > :51:48.repeal Bill and given the bad office steered English votes for English
:51:49. > :51:53.law is what assurance can he give is that the bill will not be the bill
:51:54. > :52:01.for English votes over devolved competencies? My office will be
:52:02. > :52:04.involved and I will be involved in the Cabinet committee reviewing that
:52:05. > :52:09.legislation for introduction the way we review all legislation. I can
:52:10. > :52:16.assure the honourable gentleman that the impact of the whole Brexit
:52:17. > :52:22.process on devolved competencies is one of the key issues we are
:52:23. > :52:30.considering. Many EU level competencies do cut across matters
:52:31. > :52:36.that are devolved, the fishery is one such example that is still
:52:37. > :52:41.reserved. That is why we willing continue to engage closely with the
:52:42. > :52:44.devolved administration is to make sure we get the right outcome and
:52:45. > :52:47.there is no question at any stage of taking away powers that have been
:52:48. > :52:59.devolved under the three devolution acts. In February, 2014, 14 order
:53:00. > :53:07.was brutally murdered by Amanda Guilmette via an online gaming
:53:08. > :53:14.Klavan. That act by a man he met. Can we have a debate on how
:53:15. > :53:21.stakeholders particularly internet companies deal with online grooming
:53:22. > :53:26.and abuse to avoid tragic cases like this. I think the whole house will
:53:27. > :53:34.have been shocked by this account and will want to express condolences
:53:35. > :53:43.to his late constituents families. There are laws in place to enable us
:53:44. > :53:49.to take action against online grooming as against other types of
:53:50. > :53:53.grooming and abuse. Sometimes the difficulty is in assembling
:53:54. > :53:57.sufficient evidence and I'm sure the police and the prosecuting
:53:58. > :54:01.authorities are constantly reviewing the adequacy of current arrangements
:54:02. > :54:11.and practices but I will certainly draw on this particular concern to
:54:12. > :54:18.the attention of the Home Secretary. Mr Speaker, today is world kidney
:54:19. > :54:21.Day. Can I ask the Leader of the House today two things. Want to join
:54:22. > :54:25.me in commending all of those kidneys for groups like the one in
:54:26. > :54:31.Porthcawl who raise funds for research and last week gave ?2000,
:54:32. > :54:36.over ?2000, for psychological support to children with kidney
:54:37. > :54:43.failure. But also can we remember that three people die every day
:54:44. > :54:47.because of the lack of availability of transport, transplants. Can we
:54:48. > :54:51.have a debate on the need to increase the availability of
:54:52. > :54:59.transplants for people who otherwise would die. I cannot further debate
:55:00. > :55:06.in government time at least in the short term. There may be other
:55:07. > :55:13.opportunities, but I am happy to endorse and tribute -- that tribute
:55:14. > :55:15.she pays to the Porthcawl group and other kidney support groups
:55:16. > :55:20.throughout this country and emphasised as she did the importance
:55:21. > :55:23.of ensuring that more transplants are available to people and that
:55:24. > :55:29.donors are available to help people in need. Last week as chair of the
:55:30. > :55:34.all-party group on Tanzania together with my honourable friend from
:55:35. > :55:39.Ribble Valley, in Dar es Salaam we met Tanzania and business leaders.
:55:40. > :55:44.One of the issues they raise was the length of time it takes them to get
:55:45. > :55:47.a Visa to come on business trips to the United Kingdom. By contrast it
:55:48. > :55:52.takes us two or three days to get a Visa from the Tanzania High
:55:53. > :55:55.Commission in London. Can we have a debate on ensuring that this process
:55:56. > :55:58.is speeded up for all those countries with which we are going to
:55:59. > :56:06.do increasing business over the coming years as we come out of the
:56:07. > :56:13.EU. It is important that when we are looking at these are policy we get
:56:14. > :56:17.the balance right between getting -- visa policy, between giving
:56:18. > :56:25.potential visitors the kind of Swift 's service my honourable friend Ward
:56:26. > :56:28.said the same time as insurer would have an effective border control and
:56:29. > :56:32.including that we have run the necessary background checks to guard
:56:33. > :56:38.against the risk of terrorism and other organised crime. I will draw
:56:39. > :56:46.his concerns to the attention of the Immigration Minister. On the
:56:47. > :56:50.connected matter in preparation for fair trade fortnight I have had to
:56:51. > :56:52.make representations to the Home Office to overturn arbitral
:56:53. > :57:01.decisions refusing visas to Palestinians wishing to visit fair
:57:02. > :57:06.trade organisations in my country. Organisations such as visa at the
:57:07. > :57:09.Scottish fair trade for have all invited Palestinians to the UK for
:57:10. > :57:13.fair trade fortnight. Unfortunately some of them have had visas refused
:57:14. > :57:21.including representatives of Canon fair trade which I visited on the
:57:22. > :57:23.West Bank pasture. Given that the government are eager to improve
:57:24. > :57:29.British and Palestinian trade links can we have a debate how the Home
:57:30. > :57:34.Office intransigence in dealing with visas is hampering fair trade with
:57:35. > :57:44.Palestine. Bowen, Mr Speaker, want to see genuine business visitors
:57:45. > :57:46.delayed or even having visa applications refused but as I said
:57:47. > :57:52.in answer to my honourable friend there are checks that we expect the
:57:53. > :57:59.immigration service to carry out to make sure that our immigration laws
:58:00. > :58:04.are being properly observed and that we are protected against the real
:58:05. > :58:09.risk of terrorism and potential visitors from an area where
:58:10. > :58:11.terrorism is life by going to be subject to those checks. I do not
:58:12. > :58:25.know what happened in those individual cases the honourable lady
:58:26. > :58:29.describes. The political composition of my counsellors: 24%, 15 Labour,
:58:30. > :58:33.nine Lib Dems and one BNP, the last BNP councillor in the country. That
:58:34. > :58:39.means the coalition that run the council currently have to rely on
:58:40. > :58:42.the support of that counsellor. Yesterday the local paper reported
:58:43. > :58:47.on the shabby deal done between the local Lib Dems and Labour parties
:58:48. > :58:51.and the BNP for securing support for their budget. Before coming have a
:58:52. > :58:54.debate on racism and how the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats are
:58:55. > :59:02.happy to turn a blind eye to it in order to cling onto their positions
:59:03. > :59:05.and expenses? Mr Speaker, the one crumb of good news in what my
:59:06. > :59:13.honourable friend said is there is now only one solitary BNP councillor
:59:14. > :59:20.left in England. I would hope that all democratic political parties in
:59:21. > :59:23.Pendle and all democratic political parties and national level would
:59:24. > :59:28.unite to say that doing deals with the British National Party is
:59:29. > :59:36.utterly repugnant and unacceptable, weather and local council level or
:59:37. > :59:41.our else. A recent study by Time to change found almost a third of men
:59:42. > :59:46.said they would feel embarrassed to seek help for mental health issue.
:59:47. > :59:51.Last year they launched a campaign. Will the Leader of the House join me
:59:52. > :59:54.in welcoming this campaign and can have a statement of debate about how
:59:55. > :00:00.we can best improve men's attitude to mental health issues? I strongly
:00:01. > :00:07.associate myself with what the honourable gentleman has said and he
:00:08. > :00:09.is right to highlight the fact that men sometimes find it much more
:00:10. > :00:16.difficult to be open about mental health problems than do women. I am
:00:17. > :00:19.generalising but I think that generalisation is true and I'm
:00:20. > :00:24.delighted with the work going on in his constituency to try and change
:00:25. > :00:30.this. The Chancellor's announcement of ?100 million for new NHS triage
:00:31. > :00:36.project is welcome. In north Northamptonshire there is a new
:00:37. > :00:40.desire to see a new urgent care have opened fits perfectly with this
:00:41. > :00:42.agenda and the Corby urgent care and is a beacon of best practice. Can we
:00:43. > :00:50.have a state ministry, this announcement? -- statement next
:00:51. > :00:54.week. I think my honourable friend had the opportunity to raise this as
:00:55. > :00:58.this was a budget announcement. But we are looking at providing an
:00:59. > :01:08.additional ?100 million to the NHS in 2017-18 for capital investment in
:01:09. > :01:10.A departments to help manage pressure on A services and those
:01:11. > :01:16.localities that are achieving some of the best results in terms of A
:01:17. > :01:23.care are often those who manage to get GPs and minor injuries units
:01:24. > :01:26.operating alongside A So I wish his health authorities in
:01:27. > :01:34.Northamptonshire where they are trying to get access to this new
:01:35. > :01:45.fund. This week the Brexit select committee unanimously suggested that
:01:46. > :01:49.the Home Office rights to EU nationals who have established a
:01:50. > :01:53.right to stay, and threatened to deport them. Can we have an urgent
:01:54. > :01:59.statement from the Home Secretary saying she will act immediately to
:02:00. > :02:05.when this odious treatment. The law is quite clear on this matter. We
:02:06. > :02:10.are still a full member of the European Union. That means that all
:02:11. > :02:15.rights deriving from the free movement directive still apply in
:02:16. > :02:22.this country and will do so up until the date of exit. It is also
:02:23. > :02:28.government's oft repeated objective to ensure that the earliest possible
:02:29. > :02:33.stage of negotiations we have a reciprocal agreement that guarantees
:02:34. > :02:38.the rights of EU citizens in this country and British citizens in the
:02:39. > :02:42.other member states. Caen can we have a debate in government time
:02:43. > :02:47.about the prospects of the 4.6 million people who are now
:02:48. > :02:51.self-employed and also those working in the gig economy. We know they
:02:52. > :02:56.have poor access to benefits and also they bounce along on very low
:02:57. > :02:58.income is. Can we have an urgent winner in government time on this
:02:59. > :03:11.matter. All self-employed people who are
:03:12. > :03:16.earning less than ?16,250 will still see a cut in their total National
:03:17. > :03:21.Insurance contributions. After the announcements that were made by the
:03:22. > :03:26.Chancellor yesterday. I would have thought the honourable lady would
:03:27. > :03:29.also have welcomed the fact that the new state pension will for the first
:03:30. > :03:34.time give self-employed people the right to recruit state pension
:03:35. > :03:43.rights that were denied to them previously. On every 16 my notes to
:03:44. > :03:49.the Secretary of State for Defence information to ammunition
:03:50. > :03:57.technicians serving in Northern Ireland assisting the PS and I with
:03:58. > :04:02.bomb scares for example. The army wanted to award these trips GSMs in
:04:03. > :04:09.recognition of their work. Can we have a statement from the government
:04:10. > :04:15.on whether Armed Forces personnel will receive GSMs in relation to
:04:16. > :04:18.assisting civil authorities in Northern Ireland. I'm sure the
:04:19. > :04:26.honourable gentleman will note there are long-standing rules in place
:04:27. > :04:30.that govern the award of medals. But I will ask the Secretary of State to
:04:31. > :04:38.attend to his question at the earliest possible opportunity.
:04:39. > :04:40.Patricia Gibson... JEERING AND BOOING
:04:41. > :04:47.CHEERING Thank you, Mr Speaker. Workers at
:04:48. > :04:50.the nuclear decommissioning industry faced a real threat to their
:04:51. > :04:53.pensions despite cast-iron guarantees provided by Mrs Thatcher
:04:54. > :04:57.following the privatisation of the nuclear state. This is of great
:04:58. > :05:02.concern to work in my constituency. Can we have a debate to fully
:05:03. > :05:06.discuss these concerns and the broken promises which have caused so
:05:07. > :05:12.much distress and alarm to these workers across United Kingdom? What
:05:13. > :05:17.I would suggest of the honourable lady is that this is something on
:05:18. > :05:21.which you might wish to question the Secretary of State for business and
:05:22. > :05:29.energy in the oral questions session next week. Caen following the
:05:30. > :05:35.unfortunate comments made by the Chief Executive of the Scottish
:05:36. > :05:40.events campus in which he appeared to defended ticket touts and said it
:05:41. > :05:43.was just a bit of bad press. Can we have a debate on the secondary
:05:44. > :05:48.ticket market was your constituents do not continue to be ripped off?
:05:49. > :06:02.I think we are all well aware of how genuine fans of sport and music feel
:06:03. > :06:07.when they are denied the rights of tickets to chosen events because of
:06:08. > :06:11.the activities of touts. This is not something where passing a new act of
:06:12. > :06:15.Parliament is necessarily going to reveal an answer of the type he
:06:16. > :06:22.wants but it is something that the Minister for sport continues to keep
:06:23. > :06:27.under review. Mr Speaker, how best can I advise colleagues to sop with
:06:28. > :06:31.a long spoon when dealing with a company called the earlier? Perhaps
:06:32. > :06:36.I could write to all colleagues setting out the earlier modus
:06:37. > :06:47.operandi or, Mr Speaker, do you have an even better suggestion than that?
:06:48. > :06:51.I think they don't and has found his own method, by raising a bogus point
:06:52. > :06:57.of order and about the quest -- the company in question, about which I
:06:58. > :07:05.must say I know nothing and I simply note on Python that the gentleman is
:07:06. > :07:10.indefatigable and remorseless in pursuit of his chosen campaigns and
:07:11. > :07:17.objectives. I am not sure there is but we will indulge the right
:07:18. > :07:20.honourable gentleman. He can't be allowed to leave it like that having
:07:21. > :07:26.whet our appetite. We need to know what his complaint is! We are going
:07:27. > :07:33.to have the resumed budget debate in a moment. May very gently suggest,
:07:34. > :07:37.in the hope that such a practice has not been altogether discontinued in
:07:38. > :07:40.modern politics, that to honourable member, especially when one
:07:41. > :07:44.honourable member and the other right honourable member are members
:07:45. > :07:49.of the same party and Hugh are honestly joined by an insatiable
:07:50. > :07:54.interest in this area, might partake of a cup of tea in the tea room with
:07:55. > :08:00.each other in order courteously and doubtless burly to discuss this
:08:01. > :08:05.important matter? Mr Speaker, things have -- times have changed if more
:08:06. > :08:09.than one person is speaking to themselves, it is a conspiracy. Why
:08:10. > :08:17.didn't I appreciate that. I should have done and I now do so. I will
:08:18. > :08:21.leave it there for now. I am glad that colleagues are in such a good
:08:22. > :08:40.mood. Or at least they are at 11:47am. The question is as on the
:08:41. > :08:45.order paper. Mr John McDonnell. I do hope the good humour continues, but
:08:46. > :08:49.we will see. I admire the honourable member bore his creativity at all
:08:50. > :08:55.matters -- all times on raising matters. Mr Speaker, you and I have
:08:56. > :09:00.been in the chamber for over 20 years, watching budget debates, and
:09:01. > :09:06.as you most probably know, have referred in the past to the iron law
:09:07. > :09:09.of budgets. It's this. That the louder the cheers for the Chancellor
:09:10. > :09:12.on the budget day, the greater the disappointment three days later at
:09:13. > :09:13.the weekend.