14/03/2017

:00:00. > :00:00.green energy to the construction. My noble friend makes a good point and

:00:00. > :00:00.through him, can I congratulate the business involved that as my

:00:07. > :00:11.honourable friend. With the government 's plans, to improve the

:00:12. > :00:13.energy infrastructure, what positive impact will that have. On small

:00:14. > :00:25.businesses when it comes to electricity cost. The primary effect

:00:26. > :00:32.will be to keep the it down for small businesses. There is an

:00:33. > :00:36.excellent company and a new car is a pride chain that have excellent

:00:37. > :00:39.vacancies that will be on offer in Mike seventh annual Pendle jobs

:00:40. > :00:46.that. What more can we do to support the nuclear supply chain. Mr Speaker

:00:47. > :00:51.one of the things we have done to support the supply chain is to have

:00:52. > :00:57.a continuing commitment and it will benefit his constituents and through

:00:58. > :01:03.a network of training colleges, we will make sure that we grow the

:01:04. > :01:06.nuclear skills. I found the minister was a touch complacent in his

:01:07. > :01:10.earlier answer on smart meters, given this is going to coursed the

:01:11. > :01:15.taxpayer 11 billion by the end of the Parliament, what is he going to

:01:16. > :01:22.do by the fact that it doesn't work when you try to switch supplier. It

:01:23. > :01:31.will save ?47 billion by the end of that decade. When will the business

:01:32. > :01:34.rate review commenced an report, in the light that sticking plasters

:01:35. > :01:41.last week do little for the small businesses in York. The review will

:01:42. > :01:47.report in due course and in the not too distant future. Thank you Mr

:01:48. > :01:50.Speaker, the Digital strategy is a key component in the government 's

:01:51. > :01:55.industrial strategy, can he do better than decent MS and tummy

:01:56. > :02:03.which countries have committed to working Great Grimsby as part of the

:02:04. > :02:06.skills partnership. It is about invitation to businesses to come

:02:07. > :02:13.forward and pose to the government what is required to grow the jobs

:02:14. > :02:27.and skills there. That is the aim of all skills. They have felled to

:02:28. > :02:29.declare much more complimentary today, tenants are protesting

:02:30. > :02:34.outside the office, how long will they keep failing to do their duty

:02:35. > :02:37.and not facing up to the situation? The honourable gentleman knows that

:02:38. > :02:41.the Commissioner for Public avoidance stated that the panel did

:02:42. > :02:44.consider that there were no conflicts of interest in this case

:02:45. > :02:51.that would preclude Mr Newby from doing his job. We must now remove

:02:52. > :02:57.on. Statements, the Prime Minister. CHEERING

:02:58. > :03:00.Thank you Mr Speaker had with permission I would like to make a

:03:01. > :03:04.statement on last weeks European Council. And the next steps in

:03:05. > :03:09.preparing to trigger Article 50, and beginning in the process of leaving

:03:10. > :03:12.the European Union. The summit began by re-electing Donald Tusk as

:03:13. > :03:15.president of the European Council, I welcomed this because we have a

:03:16. > :03:18.close working relationships with Donald Tusk and we recognise the

:03:19. > :03:23.strong contribution he has made in office. In the main business of the

:03:24. > :03:27.council we discuss the challenge of managing mass migration, the threats

:03:28. > :03:31.from organised crime and instability in the Western Balkans, and the

:03:32. > :03:34.measures needed to boost your's growth and competitiveness which

:03:35. > :03:40.will remain important for us as we build a new relationship between the

:03:41. > :03:43.EU and a self global Britain. In each case who are able to show once

:03:44. > :03:46.again how Britain will continue to play a leading role in Europe long

:03:47. > :03:51.after we have left the European Union. First on migration, I

:03:52. > :03:54.welcomed the progress and in permitting the action plan which we

:03:55. > :04:02.had agreed at the informal EU summit in Malta last week. This included

:04:03. > :04:06.Italy strengthening asylum processes and increasing returns and Greece

:04:07. > :04:11.implementing to work the EU - Turkey deal where the EU is providing

:04:12. > :04:16.additional staff to interview Afghan and Iraqi and Eritrea National is. I

:04:17. > :04:20.argued we must do more to dismantle the vile people smuggling rings who

:04:21. > :04:24.profit from the migrants mystery and who are subjecting many to

:04:25. > :04:29.imaginable abuses. With coordinated and committed action, we can make a

:04:30. > :04:33.difference. Indeed, just last month, in operation between our national

:04:34. > :04:36.crime agency and the Hellenic Coast Guard to the arrest of 19 members of

:04:37. > :04:43.organised immigration crime group in Greece. As I have argued before, we

:04:44. > :04:47.need a managed, controlled and truly global approach and that is exactly

:04:48. > :04:51.what this council agreed. We need to help ensure refugees claim asylum in

:04:52. > :04:53.the first safe country that they reach, and help those countries

:04:54. > :04:58.support the refugee so they don't have too make the Paris journey to

:04:59. > :05:02.Europe. And we need a better overall approach to managing economic

:05:03. > :05:07.migration, one which recognises that all countries have the right to

:05:08. > :05:15.control their borders. Mr Speaker, engaging our African partners in

:05:16. > :05:21.this global approach will be hosting in London in May. Turning to the

:05:22. > :05:25.deterrent in situation in the Western Balkans, I have made clear

:05:26. > :05:28.my concern the risks that this presents to the region and to the

:05:29. > :05:33.wider collective security. Organised criminals and terrorists are ready

:05:34. > :05:36.to exploit these vulnerabilities and we are seeing increasingly brazen

:05:37. > :05:41.interference by Russia and others. In light of the alleged Montenegro

:05:42. > :05:47.coup plot, I called on the council to do more on destabilising Russian

:05:48. > :05:51.disinformation campaigns and to raise the disability of the Western

:05:52. > :05:55.commitment to this region. The UK will lead the way. The Foreign

:05:56. > :05:59.Secretary will be visiting Russia in the coming weeks, where I expect him

:06:00. > :06:07.to set out the concerns about the reports of Russian interference in

:06:08. > :06:10.the affairs of Montenegro. We will provide strategic expertise to the

:06:11. > :06:14.EU institutions to counter disinformation campaigns in the

:06:15. > :06:19.region had we will host the 2018 Western Balkans summit, and in a run

:06:20. > :06:23.at two that summit, we will enhance the security cooperation for the

:06:24. > :06:28.West Balkans can partners, including on organised crime, anti-corruption

:06:29. > :06:33.and cyber security. More broadly I also reemphasised, the importance

:06:34. > :06:39.that the UK places on Nato. As the bedrock of our collective defence.

:06:40. > :06:42.And I urged other member states to start investing more in line of the

:06:43. > :06:46.Nato target so that every country plays its full part in sharing the

:06:47. > :06:50.burden. For it is only by investing properly in our defence that we can

:06:51. > :06:55.ensure that we are properly equipped to keep our people say. Turning to

:06:56. > :06:59.growth and competitiveness as I have said, I want us to build a new

:07:00. > :07:02.relationship with you that will give that accompanies the maximum freedom

:07:03. > :07:09.to trade with and operating the European market and allow European

:07:10. > :07:12.businesses to do the same here. So a successful and competitive European

:07:13. > :07:15.market in the future will remain in our national interest and that this

:07:16. > :07:24.council, I called for further steps to complete the single market and

:07:25. > :07:34.the digital single market. LAUGHTER I also... I also welcomed the

:07:35. > :07:38.completion of the free trade agreement between EU and Canada and

:07:39. > :07:48.I pressed for an agreement with Japan in the coming months. For

:07:49. > :07:54.these agreements, just wait for it, these agreements will lay the

:07:55. > :08:01.foundation for our continued trade relationships in this country as we

:08:02. > :08:05.leave the EU. CHEERING At the same time you'll also seed

:08:06. > :08:08.opportunities to forge new trade deals and reach out beyond the

:08:09. > :08:11.borders of Europe to build relationships with our friends any

:08:12. > :08:17.allies alike. This weekend we announced a two day conference with

:08:18. > :08:21.the largest ever trade delegation from Qatar, to build on the ?5

:08:22. > :08:26.billion of trade that we already do with Qatar every year. We will

:08:27. > :08:29.always strengthen the unique and proud global relationships that we

:08:30. > :08:32.forge with a diverse and vibrant alliance of the Commonwealth that we

:08:33. > :08:39.celebrated on Commonwealth date yesterday. Finally, last night the

:08:40. > :08:44.bill on Article 50 successfully completed its passage through both

:08:45. > :08:48.houses unchanged. It will now proceed to Royal assent in the

:08:49. > :08:52.coming days, so we remain on track with a timetable that I set out six

:08:53. > :08:56.months ago. And I will return to this house before the end of this

:08:57. > :09:00.month to notify and I have formally triggered Article 50 and begun the

:09:01. > :09:03.process through which the United Kingdom will leave the European

:09:04. > :09:07.Union. This will be a defining moment bra whole country as we begin

:09:08. > :09:12.to forge a new relationship with Europe and a new role for ourselves

:09:13. > :09:19.in the world. We will be a strong self-governing global Britain. With

:09:20. > :09:23.control once again over our borders and our laws. And we will use this

:09:24. > :09:27.moment of opportunity to build a stronger economy and a fairer

:09:28. > :09:31.society, so that we secure both the right deal for Britain abroad, and a

:09:32. > :09:39.better deal for ordinary working people at home. And Mr Speaker, the

:09:40. > :09:44.new relationship of the EU that we negotiate, will work for the whole

:09:45. > :09:56.of the United Kingdom. That is why we had been working closely with the

:09:57. > :10:00.devolved administrations, including, including the Scottish Government.

:10:01. > :10:05.Listening to their proposals and recognising the many areas of common

:10:06. > :10:10.ground that we have. Such as protecting workers' rights, and our

:10:11. > :10:12.security from crime and terrorism. So Mr Speaker, it is not a moment to

:10:13. > :10:21.play politics will create uncertainty. -- or create

:10:22. > :10:27.uncertainty. It is a moment to bring our country together. To honour the

:10:28. > :10:31.will of the British people, and to shape for them a brighter future and

:10:32. > :10:39.a better Britain and I commend this statement to the house. Jeremy

:10:40. > :10:42.Corbyn. Thank you Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the Prime

:10:43. > :10:48.Minister Francois is copy of the statement. The passing into law of

:10:49. > :10:53.the unification of withdrawal, marks an historic step. Later this month,

:10:54. > :10:57.the triggering of Article 50, a process that will shape this

:10:58. > :11:02.country's future. There is no doubt, that if the wrong decisions are made

:11:03. > :11:09.we will pay the price for decades to come. So now more than ever, Britain

:11:10. > :11:15.needs an inclusive government, that listens and acts accordingly.

:11:16. > :11:21.However, all of the signs are, that we have a complacent government,

:11:22. > :11:25.complacent with our economy, complacent with people's rights and

:11:26. > :11:29.complacent about the future of this country. I urged the Prime Minister

:11:30. > :11:35.to listen to the collective wisdom of this Parliament. And to give this

:11:36. > :11:37.house a full opportunity to scrutinise the Article 50 deal with

:11:38. > :11:48.a meaningful final vote. The people's representatives deserve

:11:49. > :11:53.better than take it or leave it and if we are to protect jobs and living

:11:54. > :11:57.standards, and if we are to protect the future prosperity of this

:11:58. > :12:05.country, the Government needs to secure tariff free access to the

:12:06. > :12:10.single European market. Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister has already made

:12:11. > :12:14.the threat to our negotiating partners to turn Britain into a

:12:15. > :12:20.deregulated tax haven. Is that what she means by global Britain? When

:12:21. > :12:28.the Foreign Secretary says no deal with the new would be perfectly OK,

:12:29. > :12:32.it simply isn't good enough. -- with the EU. Far from taking back

:12:33. > :12:38.control, leaving Britain to world Trade Organisation rules would mean

:12:39. > :12:43.losing control, jobs and losing out. So when the Prime Minister says a

:12:44. > :12:50.bad deal is better than no deal, let me be clear, no deal is a bad steel.

:12:51. > :12:53.Such a complacent strategy would punish business, hit jobs and

:12:54. > :13:01.devastate public services on which people rely. The Prime Minister says

:13:02. > :13:08.she is seeking to secure a future free trade deal with the EU after

:13:09. > :13:14.initial negotiations are completed. But if that is the strategy, it is

:13:15. > :13:19.essential that this government stops being complacent and focuses on

:13:20. > :13:23.securing a transitional agreement with the EU at the earliest

:13:24. > :13:27.opportunity. That would at least give the British people and

:13:28. > :13:32.businesses some short-term clarity in this period. The Prime Minister

:13:33. > :13:39.said she wanted to provide certainty on EU nationals are as soon as

:13:40. > :13:44.possible. So, then, why have they voted down every Labour attempt to

:13:45. > :13:51.bring certainty to EU nationals who make such a national of -- massive

:13:52. > :13:55.contribution to our society? These people are not bargaining chips.

:13:56. > :14:00.They are mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, valued members of our

:14:01. > :14:05.community. The Government could and should have acted months ago. I

:14:06. > :14:09.agree with the Prime Minister, now is not the time to create

:14:10. > :14:14.uncertainty or play politics. She should tell that to the EU migrants

:14:15. > :14:22.in Britain who have no idea what their future holds because of

:14:23. > :14:25.decisions made by her government. Refugees, is the Prime Minister

:14:26. > :14:31.saying that she is content for refugees to remain in camps in

:14:32. > :14:34.Libya? Is that a safe country? Or for Greece, Italy and Malta to

:14:35. > :14:40.shoulder the entire burden of refugees from North Africa and the

:14:41. > :14:43.Middle East. Whilst we welcome the conference she is proposing on

:14:44. > :14:50.Somalia, we need to know what support Britain is offering to all

:14:51. > :14:53.of those countries. Does the Prime Minister still believe we have a

:14:54. > :14:59.collective responsibility on the issue of refugees? The Prime

:15:00. > :15:04.Minister said that she argued about tackling vile smuggling rings and

:15:05. > :15:08.people being subjected to unimaginable abuse. Does she not

:15:09. > :15:12.agree that her argument would be so much stronger if her government had

:15:13. > :15:17.been prepared to accept some of the victims of that unimaginable abuse,

:15:18. > :15:23.for example the children who should have been accepted through the dubs

:15:24. > :15:26.amendment? Mr Speaker, as we move towards the triggering of Article

:15:27. > :15:32.50, there is much uncertainty about Britain's future. A responsible

:15:33. > :15:36.government would set a positive tone with our negotiating partners and

:15:37. > :15:42.would move to protect our economy, workers and citizens at the earliest

:15:43. > :15:46.opportunity. Instead, we have a reckless government playing fast and

:15:47. > :15:52.loose with the British economy. We will fight for jobs and the economy

:15:53. > :15:58.using every parliamentary mechanism available and the Government should

:15:59. > :16:04.welcome mat scrutiny. -- that scrutiny. The right honourable

:16:05. > :16:07.gentleman mentioned a range of issues. He spoke again about the

:16:08. > :16:12.issue of EU nationals. As I have said in this House and as has been

:16:13. > :16:16.said by others from this dispatch box, we do want to ensure that the

:16:17. > :16:22.issue of the staters of EU nationals living here in the UK is dealt with

:16:23. > :16:27.at an early stage in the negotiations. -- the status. But we

:16:28. > :16:31.also have a consideration for the UK nationals who are living in the

:16:32. > :16:34.European Union. He said that the EU Commission was living here are

:16:35. > :16:40.individuals who have contributed to our society. Indeed they are but so

:16:41. > :16:43.the UK nationals living in the member states of the European Union

:16:44. > :16:47.are also individuals who have contributed to their society and

:16:48. > :16:52.economy and I want to ensure that their status is also ensured and we

:16:53. > :16:57.hope and expect that this will be an issue we can address at an early

:16:58. > :17:01.stage. He talked about the need to come forward and be clear about the

:17:02. > :17:06.need for a transitional period. I refer him to the speech I gave in

:17:07. > :17:10.Lancaster house in January and to the White Paper that we published.

:17:11. > :17:14.The need for implementation periods, so we have a smooth and orderly

:17:15. > :17:19.process of Brexit, is indeed one of the objectives that was set out in

:17:20. > :17:22.that speech and in that document. He talked about refugees from North

:17:23. > :17:28.Africa and the Middle East. What we want to ensure is that people don't

:17:29. > :17:33.feel the need to make the often dangerous, life-threatening journey

:17:34. > :17:35.across the central Mediterranean. Many of these people, more than

:17:36. > :17:40.three quarters of the people who are doing this, are not refugees but

:17:41. > :17:42.economic migrants. We need to ensure we are providing facilities and

:17:43. > :17:47.working with countries within Africa, which the European Union is

:17:48. > :17:50.itself doing and other countries are doing, to ensure that the

:17:51. > :17:55.circumstances are such that people don't try to make a life-threatening

:17:56. > :17:58.journey. But we also need internationally to be able to bring

:17:59. > :18:01.a better distinction between refugees and economic migrants so

:18:02. > :18:06.that we can give better support to those who are refugees. He taught

:18:07. > :18:09.about the vile smuggling rings and appeared to suggest that the UK

:18:10. > :18:13.government was doing absolutely nothing to break the vile smuggling

:18:14. > :18:18.rings. In my statement, I quoted a very recent example of the work of

:18:19. > :18:20.the National Crime Agency, which I might say it is a Conservative

:18:21. > :18:25.government that set up the National Crime Agency, that set of the

:18:26. > :18:30.organised immigration crime task force and is dealing with these

:18:31. > :18:33.issues and while he talks about abuses and the movement of people

:18:34. > :18:38.and the trafficking of people, it is this government that brought in the

:18:39. > :18:41.Modern Slavery Bill act and I'm very proud that it is this government

:18:42. > :18:47.that did it. And finally, he referred to what global Britain

:18:48. > :18:49.needs. I'll tell him. It is about a strong, self-governing Britain, a

:18:50. > :18:53.Britain that is trading around the world with old friends and new

:18:54. > :19:01.allies alike but it is about a Britain that is proud to take its

:19:02. > :19:05.place on the world stage. Thank you, Mr Speaker. My I congratulate my

:19:06. > :19:11.right honourable friend not only on her statement just now and the way

:19:12. > :19:16.she dispatched the Leader of the Opposition but also on the passage

:19:17. > :19:21.of the EU withdrawal bill. Would she accept that now is the time for the

:19:22. > :19:29.United Kingdom to do all the things that she herself has recommended in

:19:30. > :19:33.her statement but, in addition to that, to take urgent legal advice in

:19:34. > :19:37.respect of the legal warnings given by Lord hope of Craighead to be sure

:19:38. > :19:44.that we don't have any unforeseen further attempts to undo the EU

:19:45. > :19:48.withdrawal bill in the courts? I can assure my honourable friend that as

:19:49. > :19:53.we move ahead with this, as we have at every stage, we have, of course,

:19:54. > :19:58.taken appropriately or advice but, as he will know, we do not discuss

:19:59. > :20:02.that on the floor of this House. Me I begin by thanking the Prime

:20:03. > :20:08.Minister for advance notice of her statement and agree with her how

:20:09. > :20:12.valuable it was in the large -- that the large part of the EU council was

:20:13. > :20:16.given to jobs, growth and competitiveness and that is really

:20:17. > :20:20.welcome to the whole of the UK, as across all of the 27 member states.

:20:21. > :20:24.The single European market really matters to all of us, given it is

:20:25. > :20:27.the largest single market in the world. The last time the prime

:20:28. > :20:32.minister came to the dispatch box from an EU council meeting, I asked

:20:33. > :20:35.what issues you raise a half of the Scottish government and its

:20:36. > :20:39.priorities and she couldn't give a single example then, so I'm going to

:20:40. > :20:43.try the same question again. Given that this was the last EU council

:20:44. > :20:48.since the invoking of Article 50, can she give a single example - just

:20:49. > :20:51.one, please - of a single issue that was raised on the half of the

:20:52. > :21:00.Scottish government or its priorities at this council meeting?

:21:01. > :21:06.Goodness, there is a lot of hubbub from the government benches on this.

:21:07. > :21:09.Perhaps they are also keen to hear from the Prime Minister, who didn't

:21:10. > :21:13.make a single mention during her statement of what she raised a half

:21:14. > :21:16.of the Scottish government. We will all wait with bated breath to hear

:21:17. > :21:21.the Prime Minister answer that question. While the Prime Minister

:21:22. > :21:25.was in Brussels, what discussions did she have about her Brexit

:21:26. > :21:31.timetable? Can she confirmed that the plan is to negotiate a deal and

:21:32. > :21:36.after that, there needs to be time. Time for ratification, time for

:21:37. > :21:38.agreement across the European Union and its institutions. Will she

:21:39. > :21:44.confirm from the dispatch box that that is indeed her plan? The Prime

:21:45. > :21:48.Minister has decided, for one reason or another - I can't imagine why -

:21:49. > :21:55.to delay the invoking of Article 50. Last July, we were told by the Prime

:21:56. > :22:00.Minister herself, and I'm sure she remembers saying these very words,

:22:01. > :22:06.that she would not trigger Article 50 until she had, and I quote, her

:22:07. > :22:11.own words, a UK wide approach. Now, she knows that she has no agreement

:22:12. > :22:15.with the devolved administration, despite months of compromised

:22:16. > :22:18.suggestions from the Scottish Government. So will the UK

:22:19. > :22:25.government, even at this very late stage, use the next days to secure a

:22:26. > :22:29.compromise, UK wide approach? Or does she still planned to plough on

:22:30. > :22:38.regardless, even though she knows what the consequences of that will

:22:39. > :22:41.mean? Thank you. He asks what issues that were of relevance of the

:22:42. > :22:47.Scottish Government and to Scottish people were raised that this

:22:48. > :22:50.European council. I can answer him - jobs, growth and competitiveness.

:22:51. > :22:54.Those issues that matter to the Scottish people but also matter to

:22:55. > :23:01.the people of the whole of the UK. He also talked about whether there

:23:02. > :23:05.was a discussion of the European council about the timetable for the

:23:06. > :23:10.discussions on the negotiations of Article 50. As I said very early on

:23:11. > :23:12.in my statement, in the main business of council, we discuss the

:23:13. > :23:17.challenge of managing mass migration, the threats from

:23:18. > :23:21.organised crime, and the measures needed to boost your's growth and

:23:22. > :23:25.competitiveness. This was a council which focused on those issues and I

:23:26. > :23:30.was presenting the case for the United Kingdom's concerns on those

:23:31. > :23:35.issues, including jobs, which is I've just said, matter to the people

:23:36. > :23:40.of Scotland. Who stalks -- he talks about a single market of the

:23:41. > :23:44.European Union. I would remind him and his colleagues once again that

:23:45. > :23:54.the most important single market for Scotland is the single market of the

:23:55. > :23:57.United Kingdom. Shouldn't friendly democracies with decent values rush

:23:58. > :24:02.to reassure British citizens that they can stay on the continent, and

:24:03. > :24:05.isn't it strongly in the economic interests of our partners to accept

:24:06. > :24:11.our generous offer of continuing with tariff free trade on the same

:24:12. > :24:17.basis as today? My right honourable friend makes an important point. I

:24:18. > :24:20.think the issues of EU nationals in the UK -- and UK nationals and the

:24:21. > :24:24.question of the trading relationship in the future is not a one-sided

:24:25. > :24:28.argument, it is actually about benefits for the EU as well and I

:24:29. > :24:32.very much think that is the case in relation to trade. This isn't about

:24:33. > :24:35.something that just works for the UK. I believe the right trading deal

:24:36. > :24:38.for the UK, the sort of free and open access my right honourable

:24:39. > :24:43.friend talks about, will be good for the rest of the EU as well. The

:24:44. > :24:49.Prime Minister has spoken many times about the importance of achieving a

:24:50. > :24:53.good deal from the negotiations that the country is about to embark on.

:24:54. > :24:57.Yet, in recent days, the Foreign Secretary has said that leaving with

:24:58. > :25:01.no deal would be perfectly OK, while the international trade secretary

:25:02. > :25:05.has said that not achieving a deal would be bad. Would the Prime

:25:06. > :25:09.Minister care to adjudicate and tell the House which of those ministers

:25:10. > :25:15.is speaking for the government? I can say to him, I am optimistic that

:25:16. > :25:22.we are going to get a good deal for the United Kingdom in trading with

:25:23. > :25:28.the European Union. No deal may be a bad deal for both the EU 27 and for

:25:29. > :25:35.the UK but it is very far from the worst deal for the UK if there was

:25:36. > :25:41.no route to a future free trading arrangement with the European Union.

:25:42. > :25:45.The deal is not in the gift either of her government, however hard they

:25:46. > :25:49.are trying to deliver it, or of this Parliament, but of the European

:25:50. > :25:56.Parliament and our partners, so no deal remains a real possibility. It

:25:57. > :26:00.seems that her government is now preparing for it. Will that

:26:01. > :26:04.preparation into the opportunity for individuals and businesses to be

:26:05. > :26:10.able to make their own dispositions in that possibility? First of all, I

:26:11. > :26:15.was clear in the Lancaster House speech that no deal was better than

:26:16. > :26:19.a bad deal. I'm optimistic that we will be able to negotiate a good

:26:20. > :26:23.deal. He is absolutely right, of course, there are other parties to

:26:24. > :26:26.this. It is not as what we say. There will be a negotiation about

:26:27. > :26:31.that trade arrangement and in coming to that trade arrangement and

:26:32. > :26:34.agreement, I can ensure him that I and others across the Parliament,

:26:35. > :26:39.the Secretary of State is exiting the EU, the Secretary of State the

:26:40. > :26:44.business, are talking to businesses across the UK to understand the

:26:45. > :26:47.issues that are most important of them. The Prime Minister has said

:26:48. > :26:51.again just now that no deal is better than a bad deal but what

:26:52. > :27:03.possible deal is worse than no deal and can she described it? I have to

:27:04. > :27:08.say to the honourable lady, we are about to enter into a negotiation

:27:09. > :27:13.with the remaining 27 members of the EU. As part of that, we will be

:27:14. > :27:17.negotiating a trade deal for our future relationship with the EU. I

:27:18. > :27:22.confidently expect that we will get a good deal and somebody says "You

:27:23. > :27:27.hope" from a secondary position. It is precisely because of the answer I

:27:28. > :27:31.gave to the Member for Wokingham. This is not about a one-sided

:27:32. > :27:34.negotiation, about what is going to sit the UK, it is about what is

:27:35. > :27:39.right for that relationship for the future of the UK with the EU and a

:27:40. > :27:45.good trade deal for the UK is a good trade deal for the EU.

:27:46. > :27:50.Can I welcome the Prime Minister 's announcement that the UK

:27:51. > :27:54.strengthening its contribution to cyber security at countering

:27:55. > :27:57.disinformation. Also the Foreign Secretary 's forthcoming visit to

:27:58. > :28:02.Russia. But with Russia spending every billion dollars on media

:28:03. > :28:08.outfits and patrol factories, is she satisfied that the EU's East Strat,

:28:09. > :28:13.organisation account is fake news and misinformation from the Kremlin

:28:14. > :28:17.is sufficiently resourced and what progress was made on setting up the

:28:18. > :28:20.further sectors to identify and counteract Russian propaganda that

:28:21. > :28:27.was mentioned in the pre-briefings to the council. My right honourable

:28:28. > :28:31.friend raises an important point, Naholo Schrotter jujitsu

:28:32. > :28:35.indications, this is an area where the UK does have particular

:28:36. > :28:38.expertise and experience. That is why we will be making that expertise

:28:39. > :28:43.available to the European Union in order to be able to enhance the work

:28:44. > :28:49.that they are doing to counter the disinformation campaigns. Can I tell

:28:50. > :28:52.the Prime Minister that it is not just in Scotland where there is a

:28:53. > :28:55.fear that the right wing of her party is dictating the terms of this

:28:56. > :29:02.debate and pushing us towards a Brexit deal that favours London and

:29:03. > :29:07.the South over the North. Can I ask her to did the no more, establish a

:29:08. > :29:12.Brexit committee of the regions and nations, to give places like greater

:29:13. > :29:20.Manchester equal and fair representation in this crucial

:29:21. > :29:24.debate. As I have said repeatedly in this house, this government is

:29:25. > :29:27.negotiating a deal, that we will be Wiggo shooting a deal that would be

:29:28. > :29:32.good for the whole of the United Kingdom. That is why we had been

:29:33. > :29:36.listing to businesses and others from across the whole of the United

:29:37. > :29:39.Kingdom, yes the devolved administration but also people from

:29:40. > :29:42.regions of England and businesses from across the whole of the United

:29:43. > :29:50.Kingdom to understand the interests and what we need to be taken into

:29:51. > :29:53.account. As my right honourable friend launches into the

:29:54. > :29:57.negotiations I wonder if she has had time to consider the excellent House

:29:58. > :30:02.of Lords report that says we have no legal negation to pay any money

:30:03. > :30:05.whatsoever to the European Union, and does she share my view, that

:30:06. > :30:12.this is an excellent basis for beginning the negotiations. I can

:30:13. > :30:17.assure my honourable friend that I have noted the House of Lords report

:30:18. > :30:20.on this particular matter, as he will know, when people voted on the

:30:21. > :30:25.23rd of June last year. I think they were very clear that they did not

:30:26. > :30:31.want to continue year after year to be paying huge sums of money to the

:30:32. > :30:35.European Union. Mr Speaker I thank the Prime Minister for advanced site

:30:36. > :30:40.of a statement. Given that she is interpreting the will of the people

:30:41. > :30:43.and not enacting it, history will declare, that last night she

:30:44. > :30:53.demonstrates contempt for this place, and for the British people.

:30:54. > :30:58.The Brexit deal, the Brexit deal, the Brexit deal is an unwritten,

:30:59. > :31:03.unknown deal. It is a deal that will be signed off by someone, the only

:31:04. > :31:07.question days, with be signed off by a handful of politicians or by the

:31:08. > :31:13.whole of the people? Does she agree with me it should be signed off by

:31:14. > :31:17.the whole of the people? Can I say to the right honourable gentleman

:31:18. > :31:20.that I think what he says. Comes a little strange from a party, seen

:31:21. > :31:23.tremendous there was a time where the Liberal Democrats were going out

:31:24. > :31:27.there telling everyone that they were going to have an in- out

:31:28. > :31:31.referendum on the European union, and now we have had it, and are not

:31:32. > :31:36.willing to accept the result that the British people gave them. That

:31:37. > :31:41.is why we are putting it into practice, we are delivering the will

:31:42. > :31:44.of the British people. My right honourable friend the Prime Minister

:31:45. > :31:50.has been very clear that the United Kingdom is leaving the European

:31:51. > :31:59.Union, we are not leaving Europe. A strong and prosperous European

:32:00. > :32:02.Union, can she agree with me, that a strong stable united United Kingdom

:32:03. > :32:05.is also in the interests of the European Union and that she will

:32:06. > :32:15.vigorously resist anyone who uses this moment to try and destroy our

:32:16. > :32:20.precious United Kingdom? I absolutely agree with my honourable

:32:21. > :32:28.friend, as he has said and I have said before, a strong remain

:32:29. > :32:31.European Union in 27 will be wanting to see the EU strong. We'll so what

:32:32. > :32:35.is he a strong United Kingdom playing its role as a global

:32:36. > :32:38.Britain. It is important that we keep the union of the United Kingdom

:32:39. > :32:44.together, there is much that binds us and I don't want to see anybody

:32:45. > :32:51.doing constitutional gameplaying with the future of the United

:32:52. > :32:56.Kingdom. Can I congratulate the Prime Minister on bringing the

:32:57. > :33:00.country together? And uniting Scotland behind the First Minister.

:33:01. > :33:03.She was asked, by my right honourable friend about what was

:33:04. > :33:09.said last year so let me cite the Tory Bible, the Daily Telegraph on

:33:10. > :33:13.the 15th of July. Theresa may has indicated that she will not trigger

:33:14. > :33:19.the formal process of leaving the EU until there is an agreed UK approach

:33:20. > :33:22.backed by Scotland. Was that misreporting by the Daily Telegraph,

:33:23. > :33:29.Miss Peake in by the Prime Minister or is she still working on it? As

:33:30. > :33:31.the right honourable gentleman knows full well, we have been in

:33:32. > :33:35.discussions with the Scottish Government and the other involved

:33:36. > :33:40.administrations recognising the issues they have raised. But it lies

:33:41. > :33:46.in the issues and concerns, but The Right Honourable gentleman, refers

:33:47. > :33:50.to the views of the Scottish people in relation to the announcement,

:33:51. > :33:54.either Scottish First Minister, I might remind him that the evidence

:33:55. > :34:01.in Scotland is that the George the Scottish people do not want a second

:34:02. > :34:06.independence referendum. Thank you Mr Speaker, can I commend my right

:34:07. > :34:10.honourable friend's very measured response to the provocation of the

:34:11. > :34:15.calling of another second independence referendum in Scotland.

:34:16. > :34:19.That she is not ruling out a referendum in the future, but now is

:34:20. > :34:25.not the right time. Can she also just point out, that the 2015

:34:26. > :34:28.Scotland act, reserves all of the single market issues to the United

:34:29. > :34:32.Kingdom government. These are not matters, these are matters that we

:34:33. > :34:37.should share with Scotland in the discussion, but they are matters

:34:38. > :34:40.reserved to the United Kingdom. As I have just said in response to The

:34:41. > :34:45.Right Honourable gentleman, the previous question, it is the case at

:34:46. > :34:48.the moment as I have said that the evidence is that the Scottish people

:34:49. > :34:54.do not want a second independence referendum. As we dish it issues in

:34:55. > :34:58.relation to access to the single market through the free trade deals

:34:59. > :35:02.that we will be live to in, we'll be taking into it at the interest of

:35:03. > :35:05.the whole of the United Kingdom and every part of the United Kingdom and

:35:06. > :35:12.ensuring that deal works for everybody across the United Kingdom

:35:13. > :35:16.including the people of Scotland. Following a successful conclusion to

:35:17. > :35:18.the Article 50 bill last night, there are some who in Northern

:35:19. > :35:25.Ireland will add to the uncertainty and division by calling for a poll,

:35:26. > :35:28.they have already traded enough uncertainty and division by

:35:29. > :35:31.collapsing the uncertainty, will she take this opportunity to tell people

:35:32. > :35:35.that there has never been more support for the union in Northern

:35:36. > :35:40.Ireland across all communities, and that in fact such a call, is outside

:35:41. > :35:43.of the terms of the Belfast agreement, the very point that Sinn

:35:44. > :35:49.Fein keep harping on about that they want in the meditation of the

:35:50. > :35:53.agreements. -- in the mentation. The Right Honourable gentleman is right,

:35:54. > :35:56.there are a set of circumstances which the Secretary of State for

:35:57. > :36:00.Northern Ireland has looked at this issue, and it is not right to have a

:36:01. > :36:04.order poll at this stage. What we should all be focusing on is

:36:05. > :36:07.bringing the parties together to ensure that we continue to see the

:36:08. > :36:11.devolved administration in Northern Ireland, working as it has done in

:36:12. > :36:13.the interest of people in Northern Ireland, we want to see that

:36:14. > :36:19.devolved administration being formed and that is what all of the party

:36:20. > :36:23.should be looking for at the moment. Mr Speaker isn't it clear from

:36:24. > :36:27.European negotiations, that a lot of the detail when to be finalised

:36:28. > :36:32.until the end of this process and therefore the timetable set out

:36:33. > :36:38.yesterday, by the First Minister, to have a premature second independence

:36:39. > :36:41.referendum is an excuse, not a reason, and shouldn't we indeed

:36:42. > :36:45.listen to the right honourable gentleman, the member for Gordon,

:36:46. > :36:52.when he referred to the last independence referendum as a once in

:36:53. > :36:56.a generation of opportunity. Well I am grateful to my right honourable

:36:57. > :36:59.friend, as he rightly points out, of course, we have a timetable for

:37:00. > :37:03.negotiation which is up to two years. It is possible that the

:37:04. > :37:07.details of that negotiation will not be finalised until close to the end

:37:08. > :37:12.of that period. And he is entirely right of course, those in Scotland

:37:13. > :37:14.to talk about having a second independence referendum should

:37:15. > :37:19.remember what the right honourable gentleman said, that it was a once

:37:20. > :37:22.in a generation vote that took place in September 2014, it seems a

:37:23. > :37:30.generation now is less than three-year 's. Mr Speaker the Prime

:37:31. > :37:36.Minister has said, that no deal is better than a bad deal. And whilst

:37:37. > :37:43.we all wish her well in getting the best possible deal, for the UK, will

:37:44. > :37:49.she now publish what the effects would be of crashing out of the

:37:50. > :37:54.European Union on WTO rule so that we can have a debate in the country

:37:55. > :38:01.about her assertion that no deal is better than a bad deal. I say to The

:38:02. > :38:04.Right Honourable Lady, I'm grateful for the comment that she has made

:38:05. > :38:07.about being in support of the government in looking ahead and

:38:08. > :38:10.trying to negotiate the best possible deal for the United

:38:11. > :38:17.Kingdom. That is precisely what we will be doing.

:38:18. > :38:23.I welcome the Prime Minister's positive approach to establishing a

:38:24. > :38:29.new cooperative relationship with Europe, and the sensible mess of

:38:30. > :38:36.planning contingency planning. Can the Prime Minister tell us how much

:38:37. > :38:41.that contingency planning will cost? It is important that contingency

:38:42. > :38:45.planning does take place. We have to look at the variety of scenarios and

:38:46. > :38:51.a lot of work is being done by the Department and will be done by other

:38:52. > :38:55.departments as well. I think what is important, is that we ensure that

:38:56. > :38:58.work is done properly. So that the governance has the best possible of

:38:59. > :39:04.the nation in which to negotiate our relationship for the future. After

:39:05. > :39:08.lecturing the other European leaders on how they should complete the

:39:09. > :39:10.single market, the sheer member that she had already thrown in the towel

:39:11. > :39:15.on Britain's membership of the single market, and would she admit

:39:16. > :39:19.what an error it was. For her to have given the Scottish First

:39:20. > :39:27.Minister exactly the excuse she was looking for, for their opportunistic

:39:28. > :39:30.second referendum? First of all their was no lecturing that took

:39:31. > :39:37.place, there was a view around the table, I encouraged that, and others

:39:38. > :39:41.contributed, that it is important that the European Union continues to

:39:42. > :39:46.complete the single market, but actually there is work yet to be

:39:47. > :39:49.done. That continues to work on trade agents that other parts of the

:39:50. > :39:53.country and the reason why I can ask them to do that is because it would

:39:54. > :39:57.be good for the United Kingdom in our future relationship with the

:39:58. > :40:01.European Union. So this is something that will be good for us. I have

:40:02. > :40:05.always been clear, I have always been clear that we will trigger

:40:06. > :40:12.Article 50 by the end of March and that is exactly what we will do.

:40:13. > :40:16.There has been much speculation about the divorce from the European

:40:17. > :40:20.Union has two how much money would be needed. I'm afraid I'm to

:40:21. > :40:28.disagree with multiple friend, from North East Somerset. Since we

:40:29. > :40:35.joined, the EC in 1973, we have paid in 108 ?84 billion -- 184 billion.

:40:36. > :40:41.That is the net contribution, the actual amount we have paid, after

:40:42. > :40:45.the money back. Well when you have a divorcee split it into, so that

:40:46. > :40:49.would be ?92 billion that should be paid back to us, did the Prime

:40:50. > :41:02.Minister have the chance to bring this up at the conference? LAUGHTER

:41:03. > :41:05.We want our money back. I'm tempted to say to my honourable friend nice

:41:06. > :41:11.try by date thing that was application for a job that the

:41:12. > :41:18.Treasury. -- but I don't think that was an application.

:41:19. > :41:26.The honourable gentleman seems to be able to contain his misery. Not

:41:27. > :41:35.everyone shares her it is as for the imminent application of the EU -

:41:36. > :41:38.Canada agreement, not least, because CETA's new court investors

:41:39. > :41:42.discipline, still causes problems. Does she regard R as a blueprint

:41:43. > :41:46.for the trade deals that the government thinks she could so

:41:47. > :41:56.easily agree. -- CETA as a blueprint. And how will she protect

:41:57. > :41:58.things if that is the case. There is no blueprint, I have said

:41:59. > :42:04.consistently of the last seven months or so that we are not looking

:42:05. > :42:08.to adopt a model for another countries relationships. We will

:42:09. > :42:17.have a deal that is right for the UK. Did my right on the friends

:42:18. > :42:18.detect any strong support at the EU Council for a separatist Scotland

:42:19. > :42:27.remaining in the EU. I can honestly say that I did not

:42:28. > :42:34.detect any such support in the European Council. Since the country

:42:35. > :42:40.is almost evenly divided about leaving the EU, how does the Prime

:42:41. > :42:50.Minister try and resolve this? I've never known this country so divided

:42:51. > :42:53.since Suez in 1956. Can I say to the honourable gentleman, this House

:42:54. > :42:58.chose to give a vote to the British people in the referendum on the 23rd

:42:59. > :43:03.of June. The people of the UK voted in that referendum and the majority

:43:04. > :43:07.voted for the UK to leave the EU. I actually think that when I talk to

:43:08. > :43:10.people who voted to leave and people who voted to remain, the

:43:11. > :43:13.overwhelming message is that they want the government now to get on

:43:14. > :43:20.with the job of delivering on that vote. My right honourable friend the

:43:21. > :43:26.Prime Minister has made it clear both from the dispatch box and the

:43:27. > :43:30.country that she wishes to prioritise the certainty of UK

:43:31. > :43:34.nationals living in the EU 27 and the EU nationals living here in the

:43:35. > :43:39.UK but I have it on good authority that the EU negotiators want to

:43:40. > :43:43.prioritise the so-called divorce settlement. Will she make it clear

:43:44. > :43:46.to the people to whom she is negotiating that we will not

:43:47. > :43:52.countenance British and EU citizens being used as bargaining chips in

:43:53. > :43:57.such a way? My honourable friend is right. What we want to do is ensure

:43:58. > :44:01.that we do see both EU citizens living here and UK citizens living

:44:02. > :44:07.in the EU reciprocally protected in terms of their future status and I

:44:08. > :44:10.want to see that as a discussion that will take place at an early

:44:11. > :44:14.stage in negotiations. I recognise the point that he has made about

:44:15. > :44:17.some of the things that have been said and I will simply say this to

:44:18. > :44:21.him, that in my conversations with other European leaders, I believe

:44:22. > :44:30.there is also an extent of goodwill there to deal with this issue at an

:44:31. > :44:34.early stage. The Prime Minister lectures nationalists on the

:44:35. > :44:38.importance of staying within unions, all the while she advocates leaving

:44:39. > :44:43.on. She lectures our European partners on the importance of the

:44:44. > :44:48.single market, all the while she is hell belt on our leaving it. Does

:44:49. > :44:52.she think that this incoherence in her position might be dealt with and

:44:53. > :44:59.she might make her own life easier if she thought again about staying

:45:00. > :45:03.in the single market? I've said this on a number of occasions in this

:45:04. > :45:08.House and I will repeat it here today - what we want to do is to

:45:09. > :45:11.negotiate the best possible trading arrangement. My right honourable

:45:12. > :45:16.friend the Member for Wokingham taught about fraction were -- tariff

:45:17. > :45:20.free, frictionless, seamless movement of goods and trade in

:45:21. > :45:25.services. It is wrong to think about the issue of in the single market as

:45:26. > :45:29.just a single binary issue - either you are in it or you have no access

:45:30. > :45:33.to its. What we want to do is ensure we have good access to the single

:45:34. > :45:37.market, the best possible trade deal, which allows that frictionless

:45:38. > :45:44.and, as far as possible, tariff free access. Could I particularly welcome

:45:45. > :45:47.my right honourable friend's comments on the Balkans, an area

:45:48. > :45:52.which has plunged Europe into horror several times over the last few

:45:53. > :45:56.centuries? Would she confirmed that it is Britain that has insisted that

:45:57. > :46:01.we keep the mission there going against the opposition of several of

:46:02. > :46:05.our European partners? Indeed, my right honourable friend is

:46:06. > :46:09.absolutely right. The UK has been playing a key role in relation to

:46:10. > :46:12.the Western Balkans. There was a very good discussion at the European

:46:13. > :46:18.Council, a very clear recognition around the table of the need for us

:46:19. > :46:21.to continue to be involved in the Western Balkans, and a number of

:46:22. > :46:25.steps that can be taken in future to ensure that we do stabilise this

:46:26. > :46:28.region, which is in the interests of not only the countries in the

:46:29. > :46:34.Western Balkans but the rest of us in Europe. In the spirit of this

:46:35. > :46:38.so-called UK wide approach to Brexit, can the Prime Minister

:46:39. > :46:42.confirmed to the House how much advance notice she intends to give

:46:43. > :46:46.to the first ministers of Wales, Scotland and the leadership in

:46:47. > :46:53.Northern Ireland of the date upon which she intends to invoke Article

:46:54. > :46:57.50? We will be invoking Article 50 by the end of March. There will be a

:46:58. > :47:01.number of processes that will take place in advance that invocation and

:47:02. > :47:05.I can assure, as I said to this House, I will come and notify this

:47:06. > :47:13.House when the decision is... When we have notified. At the European

:47:14. > :47:16.Council, did the Prime Minister have a chance to pick up two issues with

:47:17. > :47:21.the European commission and the Spanish government - one, their

:47:22. > :47:23.attitude to the border of Gibraltar, and their attitude to those

:47:24. > :47:27.separatists that claim that their countries could break away and

:47:28. > :47:29.rejoin the EU? I can assure that in the discussions I've had with the

:47:30. > :47:34.Spanish government on this matter, they are very concerned and they are

:47:35. > :47:37.very clear that it is not possible for a country to break away from a

:47:38. > :47:45.country that is a member of the European Union and to immediately

:47:46. > :47:48.rejoin that European Union. This is the Rosso doctrine, which has been

:47:49. > :47:52.reaffirmed by the European commission, so as far as Scotland is

:47:53. > :47:55.concerned, independence would not mean membership of the European

:47:56. > :47:59.Union, it would mean that Scotland would remain outside the European

:48:00. > :48:03.Union. I'm sure the Prime Minister would be pleased to know that there

:48:04. > :48:05.are millions of Labour supporters across the country who will be

:48:06. > :48:15.delighted and share the pleasure that she has at the legal decision

:48:16. > :48:20.taken through Parliament but did she have any chance in the council

:48:21. > :48:28.meetings to discuss informally with EU leaders the position of our EU

:48:29. > :48:31.citizens in... Our British citizens in other countries and are they

:48:32. > :48:36.sticking up for our citizens there the way we are sticking up for their

:48:37. > :48:40.citizens here? I've had a number of discussions with European leaders on

:48:41. > :48:43.this point and that is why I said earlier in response to another

:48:44. > :48:47.question from an honourable friend that I believe there is goodwill on

:48:48. > :48:52.both sides to deal with this issue and to recognise the needs of UK

:48:53. > :48:55.citizens living in other EU member states, as well as recognising the

:48:56. > :49:02.needs of EU citizens living here in the UK. I think there is goodwill

:49:03. > :49:05.there but it has been made clear in the past that no discussion on this

:49:06. > :49:11.and take place until the negotiations have formally been

:49:12. > :49:15.triggered. I welcome the Prime Minister's statement that politics

:49:16. > :49:26.is not a game but for those of us who have fought the SNP, to the SNP

:49:27. > :49:29.it is again. Yesterday's announcement by the first Minister

:49:30. > :49:32.is the just the first of many we are going to hear in the weeks and

:49:33. > :49:35.months to come. With the prime minister agree with me that it is

:49:36. > :49:39.imperative that her government and every member of this House who

:49:40. > :49:44.believes in Great Britain and Northern Ireland that we must

:49:45. > :49:54.reaffirm our own constituents outside of Scotland why the United

:49:55. > :49:59.Kingdom is important to all of us? I absolutely agree. It is important

:50:00. > :50:02.for us to continue to confirm and reaffirmed the importance of the

:50:03. > :50:06.United Kingdom. He says to reaffirm the importance of the United Kingdom

:50:07. > :50:11.for constituencies outside Scotland. I think, as I did when I was in

:50:12. > :50:14.Glasgow very recently, also we should reaffirm the importance of

:50:15. > :50:21.the United Kingdom to Scotland and to Scotland's economy. Thank you, Mr

:50:22. > :50:26.Speaker. I was glad to hear the prime minister say that she had been

:50:27. > :50:28.working closely with the devolved administrations. Glad but slightly

:50:29. > :50:34.puzzled because the joint ministerial committee on exiting the

:50:35. > :50:40.EU is less organised than a community council. Not my words but

:50:41. > :50:43.those of an actual participant, Mark Drakeford. How is she now ensuring

:50:44. > :50:51.that the system of devolved governments are effective in the

:50:52. > :50:55.Article 50 notification? The joint ministerial committee process has

:50:56. > :50:58.been operating now for some months at various levels. It has been

:50:59. > :51:02.bringing ministers together from the United Kingdom government, together

:51:03. > :51:04.with the three devolved administrations, as I say, at

:51:05. > :51:08.various levels, discussing the issues that have been raised on both

:51:09. > :51:13.sides, including looking at the paper that the Welsh Government

:51:14. > :51:21.provided on the particular concerns that Wales has and those are being

:51:22. > :51:24.taken into account. The premiere of Luxembourg believes, apparently,

:51:25. > :51:29.that we might yet be persuaded to stay. Are there others like him and

:51:30. > :51:32.if the emphatic proceedings yesterday as not disabused him, will

:51:33. > :51:41.she do so in the nicest possible way? I have to say that I think we

:51:42. > :51:48.can be reassured that the votes that took place in this House and in of

:51:49. > :51:50.Lords last night and the passing of the European Union withdrawal

:51:51. > :51:54.notification bill into Royal assent will give a very clear message to

:51:55. > :52:03.everybody in Europe that we mean business. The practice and

:52:04. > :52:08.experience in complex negotiations, for example that in Northern

:52:09. > :52:12.Ireland, is that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. Does the

:52:13. > :52:17.Prime Minister agree that that will be the case here and, if so, given

:52:18. > :52:23.that she said that no deal is preferable to a bad deal, what hope

:52:24. > :52:28.can British citizens living in EU countries or European Union citizens

:52:29. > :52:34.living in the UK believe that there is actually going to be any

:52:35. > :52:38.resolution of this uncertainty? The honourable gentleman quotes past

:52:39. > :52:42.experience as the model for what is going to happen in relation to our

:52:43. > :52:46.negotiations. I don't look at these matters in that way. When we invoke,

:52:47. > :52:51.we will start those negotiations. We've already been discussing with

:52:52. > :52:54.other EU leaders the importance of giving reassurance to UK citizens

:52:55. > :52:59.living in the 27 member states and EU citizens living here about their

:53:00. > :53:03.status and their future. As I said in answer to a number of questions,

:53:04. > :53:08.including to his honourable friend the member from Vauxhall, this is an

:53:09. > :53:12.issue on which I believe there is genuine goodwill on both sides and

:53:13. > :53:18.that's why I want to see it as part of the early part of the

:53:19. > :53:22.negotiations. The prime minister has rightly talked about the need to

:53:23. > :53:25.reassure EU nationals in this country. Does she agree that the

:53:26. > :53:29.biggest reassurance we can give them is that their rights remain

:53:30. > :53:34.completely unaltered until this House chooses to change those

:53:35. > :53:40.rights? My honourable friend has made a very important point and, of

:53:41. > :53:43.course, until we exit the EU, we are still members of the EU but it is

:53:44. > :53:46.very clear that any changes that need to take place in terms of our

:53:47. > :53:53.immigration rules will have to come before this House. The Prime

:53:54. > :53:57.Minister has said several times today that she is in discussions

:53:58. > :54:01.with the Scottish government and has confirmed that she wants to trigger

:54:02. > :54:04.Article 50 by the end of the month so, by my calculations, that means

:54:05. > :54:08.she has less than two weeks to finish those discussions and to

:54:09. > :54:13.agree and announced the UK wide approach she promised in July last

:54:14. > :54:16.year. So when does she expect to finish discussions with the Scottish

:54:17. > :54:22.government and announce the outcome of those discussions, as she

:54:23. > :54:26.promised last year? When we trigger Article 50 and go into negotiations,

:54:27. > :54:30.as she knows, we will be negotiating as the UK government and we have

:54:31. > :54:33.been in the discussions with the Scottish government and other

:54:34. > :54:38.devolved up ministrations and the discussions continue but I have

:54:39. > :54:41.already set out the broad objectives of our negotiations, which does

:54:42. > :54:44.include the reference to the very sort of trade deal that she and her

:54:45. > :54:51.colleagues have said they want to see for the UK and Scotland. There

:54:52. > :54:54.was laughter from the benches opposite on my right honourable

:54:55. > :54:57.friend spoke of the single market and digital. Would should remind the

:54:58. > :55:01.House that we wish to continue to trade with that single market, that

:55:02. > :55:07.we inject 60 billion into that market and when it comes to digital,

:55:08. > :55:11.the investments of Snap, Facebook and Softbank, this country is a

:55:12. > :55:14.powerhouse in digital? He is absolutely right about the role this

:55:15. > :55:18.country plays in the market for digital services. It is important

:55:19. > :55:24.and is why we have seen our digital strategy being set out by my right

:55:25. > :55:28.honourable friend, the Culture Secretary. And it is important for

:55:29. > :55:31.us. He is absolutely right into the derision from the opposite benches

:55:32. > :55:35.at the suggestion that we should encourage a single market in digital

:55:36. > :55:42.services in the EE you, which we can then trade with and sell into... I'm

:55:43. > :55:46.afraid I was rather surprised at that reaction because it seems that

:55:47. > :55:52.the opposite benches don't want to see us developing that market in a

:55:53. > :55:58.way that is good for the UK. The Prime Minister said, and repeated a

:55:59. > :56:04.moment ago without a hint of irony or comedy, that she is encouraging

:56:05. > :56:07.the European Union to a single market in services because it is in

:56:08. > :56:11.our national interest it would she explain to the House and the country

:56:12. > :56:15.how it is not in our national interest to be a part of it? I know

:56:16. > :56:18.the honourable gentleman has said in the past that he has a different

:56:19. > :56:23.view about the result of the vote that took place and where we should

:56:24. > :56:26.be going as a government in relation to membership of the EU. I know he

:56:27. > :56:30.was asking about the single market and I've answered many questions

:56:31. > :56:34.about the single market and my response to him is the same as my

:56:35. > :56:38.response to my honourable friend, which is, of course it is important

:56:39. > :56:42.for us to encourage that a market that we are going to be working

:56:43. > :56:49.with, trading with, that we want to see the best possible access with

:56:50. > :56:52.and ability to operate within four hours services, that we make sure

:56:53. > :56:59.that is a free market that we are able to work with. Can I thank my

:57:00. > :57:05.right honourable friend for her statement. As we do not pay to sell

:57:06. > :57:10.our goods and services to any other country around the world, can my

:57:11. > :57:15.right honourable friend confirm that we will not accept any deal which

:57:16. > :57:16.requires us to pay the European Union for access to the single

:57:17. > :57:25.market? I say to my honourable friend that

:57:26. > :57:28.obviously, he may have been looking at the same report that he

:57:29. > :57:31.honourable friend the member for North East Somerset has been doing

:57:32. > :57:39.in relation to the sums of money but as I say, the vote that was taken on

:57:40. > :57:43.the 23rd of June last year was about many things, in terms of leading the

:57:44. > :57:46.European Union one of the things that we were clear about is that we

:57:47. > :57:52.were not going to every year continue to pay huge sums of money

:57:53. > :57:57.into the EU. Is it the Prime Minister 's intention that both the

:57:58. > :58:01.Common travel area and the Good Friday agreement would be

:58:02. > :58:08.specifically named as features in the framework for future

:58:09. > :58:12.relationships between the UK and the EU and she agree about the

:58:13. > :58:17.importance of having the terms specifically reflected in a new UK-

:58:18. > :58:21.EU treaty to make it clear that the Northern Ireland is part of the UK

:58:22. > :58:27.that could elect to rejoin the EU without the sets are Article 49

:58:28. > :58:32.negotiations and the doctrine would not be an impediment. We have been

:58:33. > :58:35.very clear about the important of maintaining the agreements that have

:58:36. > :58:40.been made in relation to Northern Ireland. That is an issue that is

:58:41. > :58:46.very clear to other European states, as well. On the Common travel area.

:58:47. > :58:50.It existed long before either before the Republic or the United Kingdom

:58:51. > :58:54.were part of the European Union and one of the objectives that I set out

:58:55. > :59:01.as we looks to negotiations, is that we will be looking to maintain that

:59:02. > :59:05.Common travel area. Following the last few months of debate, I am

:59:06. > :59:11.assured, that they are striving for a zero tariff trade deal as the

:59:12. > :59:17.enter formal the ghost stations. With my honourable friends, look at

:59:18. > :59:21.the impact, following the partial European Union on trade deals.

:59:22. > :59:25.Honourable friend raises an important point, all too often

:59:26. > :59:28.people look as if we are just the supplicant and anything that is

:59:29. > :59:32.decided is only going to have an impact on the United Kingdom. Of

:59:33. > :59:36.course the nature of the trade you will have an impact on companies

:59:37. > :59:40.within the remaining 27 member states as they want to trade with

:59:41. > :59:44.and operate in United Kingdom, that is why I am confident that when we

:59:45. > :59:51.come to negotiations people see the benefit to both sides about getting

:59:52. > :59:54.a deal that is a good trade deal. The Prime Minister has said that in

:59:55. > :59:58.the deal she wanted with the European Union, she wanted associate

:59:59. > :00:03.membership of the customs union, membership that does not as yet

:00:04. > :00:07.exist. On the sixth of debris, I asked the Prime Minister whether she

:00:08. > :00:11.had raised that with The European Council parts and she overlooked

:00:12. > :00:17.that. Can I ask again, as she raised the idea and what was the response

:00:18. > :00:21.or should we take it as meaning no deal. First of all, to the

:00:22. > :00:24.honourable lady, she's slightly misinterpreting the speech that I

:00:25. > :00:27.gave in Lancaster house where I set out there were certain elements of

:00:28. > :00:32.the customs union that we would not wish to be part of because those

:00:33. > :00:34.would prevent us from negotiating trade deals on our reign as the

:00:35. > :00:38.United Kingdom with other countries around the world and I said that the

:00:39. > :00:45.relationship that we wanted to have in terms of the customs union was to

:00:46. > :00:49.have a seamless and frictionless border as possible and indicated

:00:50. > :00:52.that might be something that might be called associate membership. We

:00:53. > :00:57.need to do that as part of the negotiations. Our relationships the

:00:58. > :01:00.customs union in the European Union will be part of the negotiations

:01:01. > :01:08.which will start when we trigger Article 50. I very much welcome the

:01:09. > :01:12.statement by the Prime Minister, paragraph nine of the conclusions on

:01:13. > :01:15.security refers to EU working together to fight terrorism. One of

:01:16. > :01:19.the biggest challenges facing Europe and the UK and the next five to ten

:01:20. > :01:24.years according to experts is returning terrorist fighters from

:01:25. > :01:29.Syria and Iraq as Daesh is defeated back to the host countries. Was this

:01:30. > :01:34.disgust at the European level and is there an agreed strategy across the

:01:35. > :01:35.country to deal with this. I will say this is not one of the issues

:01:36. > :01:39.that was discussed within the that was discussed within the

:01:40. > :01:42.business of The European Council which took place last week and

:01:43. > :01:46.however it is an issue that we have discussed, with other member states

:01:47. > :01:50.on a number of occasions in the past, and we are all very well

:01:51. > :01:57.appraised of the need to make sure that we do have identifying those

:01:58. > :02:01.who are returning and working in a way and dealing with those

:02:02. > :02:04.individuals returning in a way that is most appropriate and of course as

:02:05. > :02:12.far as the icy kingdom is concerned it will be looked at on a day to day

:02:13. > :02:17.basis. On single market membership, in the 2017 manifesto they made an

:02:18. > :02:22.unconditional commitment, to safeguard British interests in the

:02:23. > :02:26.single market. She castigates my honourable friends Horwill south and

:02:27. > :02:30.Pontypridd, for raising this issue but she herself said on the 26th of

:02:31. > :02:35.May last year to an audience of Goldman Sachs bankers in relation to

:02:36. > :02:42.single market membership, "Economic arguments are clear, I think part of

:02:43. > :02:47.being in the 500 trading block that is significant -- 500 million." So

:02:48. > :02:51.why is she waving the white flag and started these negotiations that even

:02:52. > :02:55.trying to keep us as a member of the single market with the reforms that

:02:56. > :02:59.she seeks, the other second-biggest economy in Europe, the fifth biggest

:03:00. > :03:04.military power in a while and she's waving the white flag. I'm doing

:03:05. > :03:10.nothing of the swords and the honourable gentleman, needs to

:03:11. > :03:15.recognise that there is a difference between access to the single market,

:03:16. > :03:18.protecting our ability to operate within the single market and

:03:19. > :03:22.membership of the single market. Membership of the single market

:03:23. > :03:26.means accepting free movement comic means accepting the jurisdiction of

:03:27. > :03:31.the European Court of Justice and it means effectively remaining a member

:03:32. > :03:38.of the opinion. We have voted to leave and that is what we be doing.

:03:39. > :03:41.My right honourable friend needs no lessons in her fry and read duty

:03:42. > :03:45.which is to the defence of this great realm, and I welcome the

:03:46. > :03:49.effort she has made in working together to counter the Russia

:03:50. > :03:54.threat which is growing sadly. Could she please talk about how this

:03:55. > :03:58.threat would affect the United Kingdom should parts of R.N. Great

:03:59. > :04:00.United Kingdom succeed to the European Union and what farmer

:04:01. > :04:05.abilities that were put to our defence. My honourable friend is

:04:06. > :04:09.right to say that we are looking very carefully at the impact that

:04:10. > :04:12.Russia and others can have a crush the European Union in their

:04:13. > :04:17.activities but it is also right I believe that we are stronger as a

:04:18. > :04:20.United Kingdom in our collective defence, and that for any part of

:04:21. > :04:26.the United Kingdom, every part of the nutty kingdom benefits from

:04:27. > :04:32.being part of the UK in terms of our collective defence in terms of

:04:33. > :04:36.security and crime and terrorism. The

:04:37. > :04:40.membership of the customs union gives us tariff free access to every

:04:41. > :04:44.single market in the world and through the customs union, all trade

:04:45. > :04:48.deal that any other leading economy outside of those institutions. Why

:04:49. > :04:51.is she therefore determined to put this outcome is it because she

:04:52. > :04:54.genuinely believes it is the right thing to do which she didn't a

:04:55. > :05:01.matter of months ago or is it because she's taken hostage by the

:05:02. > :05:06.right of her party. Another Conservative Prime Minister putting

:05:07. > :05:13.the Parthiv Patel interests -- the Parthiv Patel interests ahead of the

:05:14. > :05:17.interests of the country. On the 23rd of June 2016, the majority of

:05:18. > :05:22.the people in the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union.

:05:23. > :05:29.There are consequences of leaving the European Union. We want to

:05:30. > :05:34.negotiate, a comprehensive free-trade agreement which gives us

:05:35. > :05:41.the best possible access to the single market. The the honourable

:05:42. > :05:43.member shouts that we have the best possible mems should bother single

:05:44. > :05:51.market and we have that because we are member of the European Union,

:05:52. > :05:54.that involves. The question has been asked, the Prime Minister shouldn't

:05:55. > :06:01.have too fight to be heard, the right Honourable Lady must be heard.

:06:02. > :06:04.That involves accepting certain of the requirements from the European

:06:05. > :06:10.Union, requirements that people voted not to be part of when they

:06:11. > :06:13.voted on the 23rd of June. But this is why I have consistently said,

:06:14. > :06:17.members of this house must stop thinking that there is only an

:06:18. > :06:21.option in the single market terms, which is about membership or

:06:22. > :06:24.nothing. There isn't, there is an option which is about a con Brexit

:06:25. > :06:27.free-trade agreement that gives us the sort of access that we want to

:06:28. > :06:35.have -- comprehensive free-trade agreement. Can I commend the Prime

:06:36. > :06:40.Minister for the strongly the ship, Latvia is hosting the Nato supreme

:06:41. > :06:43.Allied Commander Europe meetings tomorrow, I represent a considerable

:06:44. > :06:49.Ukrainian community. In Huddersfield. It is clear there are

:06:50. > :06:52.real and present threats across from Russia, will the Prime Minister

:06:53. > :06:55.continued to put Nato at the forefront of tackling these worries

:06:56. > :07:01.and concerns from Russian aggression. I can absolutely assure

:07:02. > :07:05.my honourable friends that we will continue to put Nato at the

:07:06. > :07:09.forefront of that, and I'm pleased that UK is able to make a very

:07:10. > :07:16.specific contribution to Nato and its efforts in relation to the

:07:17. > :07:20.eastern border and we will soon be seeing UK troops going to Estonia

:07:21. > :07:31.for example as a very visible sign of the commitment. Fears over the

:07:32. > :07:36.consequences of Brexit have undoubtedly been exploited by Sinn

:07:37. > :07:39.Fein and the recent Northern Ireland election, Sinn Fein increased its

:07:40. > :07:43.first preference vote by somewhere in the region of 58,000 first

:07:44. > :07:48.preference votes. That means that Sinn Fein is just one seat behind

:07:49. > :07:54.the DUP in the new assembly as elected. I wonder and I'm sure that

:07:55. > :07:57.the country wonders, and particularly those in Northern

:07:58. > :08:01.Ireland, what steps the Prime Minister is going to take including

:08:02. > :08:04.visiting Northern Ireland, what additional steps is the Prime

:08:05. > :08:15.Minister going to take to turn back the tide of support for Sinn Fein.

:08:16. > :08:19.Obviously, the honourable lady is correct in what she sets out as the

:08:20. > :08:22.facts in relation to the voting matter place in the election. I

:08:23. > :08:26.think the focus that we must all have in the coming couple of weeks

:08:27. > :08:30.because there is limited time set aside in the legislation for doing

:08:31. > :08:34.this, is on bringing the parties together to form a devolved

:08:35. > :08:37.administration. I believe it is absolutely essential that we do

:08:38. > :08:41.everything that we can to ensure that a devolved administration is

:08:42. > :08:45.maintained in Northern Ireland. On the issue in relation to the impact

:08:46. > :08:48.of Brexit, we have been very clear about the relationship that we want

:08:49. > :08:51.to ensure in relation to the border with the Republic of Ireland and we

:08:52. > :08:55.continue to work with the Republic of Ireland and others on delivering

:08:56. > :09:00.on that. I think the focus of us all over the next couple of weeks as the

:09:01. > :09:06.bringing the parties together to see it but administration being formed

:09:07. > :09:09.in Northern Ireland. As Home Secretary and Prime Minister my rock

:09:10. > :09:18.honourable friend has paid particular attention to the scourge

:09:19. > :09:22.of modern slavery, can she confirmed that as she negotiates out of the

:09:23. > :09:25.European Union, she will prioritise a collaborative approach to continue

:09:26. > :09:28.to tackle this will trade and she would take the same approach when it

:09:29. > :09:34.comes to designing a scheme for seasonal workers who may still have

:09:35. > :09:37.to come to work in this country? It is certainly the case that we will

:09:38. > :09:41.continue to prioritise the work that we do in relation to modern slavery

:09:42. > :09:44.and to supporting the victims of this file trade but also breaking

:09:45. > :09:51.the criminals were making so much money out of this terrible trade and

:09:52. > :09:56.out of the damage, and abuse, that they bring to individuals. As he

:09:57. > :09:59.says, this is something that he has looked at particularly in areas of

:10:00. > :10:04.the agricultural sector in his own part of the country. As we do that

:10:05. > :10:13.we want to continue that cooperation on that matter. As we leave the

:10:14. > :10:16.European Union we will the continuing to cooperate on these

:10:17. > :10:19.issues. They are not just about them ship of the European Union but about

:10:20. > :10:25.whatever international organisations we are part of. The Prime Minister

:10:26. > :10:28.talks about listening to the Scottish Government, that is on the

:10:29. > :10:31.back of the people of Scotland voting overwhelmingly to remain

:10:32. > :10:42.within the European Union. It is little surprise given the tragedy of

:10:43. > :10:45.the UK Government, that the Scottish National party asked if romance of

:10:46. > :10:48.the Scottish referendum, will she attempt to put a veto on the

:10:49. > :10:54.democratic wishes of the Scottish people and the Scottish Parliament.

:10:55. > :10:59.There was a referendum in septum 2014 in which the people of Scotland

:11:00. > :11:03.decided to remain part of the United Kingdom. And his right honourable

:11:04. > :11:12.friend the member for Gordon at the time said it was a once in a

:11:13. > :11:16.generation vote. The honourable member for Murray quite rightly

:11:17. > :11:21.started his questions by emphasising the importance of jobs in the

:11:22. > :11:25.economy. In circumstances where Scottish trade with the UK's ?50

:11:26. > :11:29.billion and is four times less in the EU, is there, does the Prime

:11:30. > :11:34.Minister think there is a good economic case for Scotland to remain

:11:35. > :11:42.in the UK, and ensure that together we work for the besties in Europe?

:11:43. > :11:46.-- the best deal. My honourable friend is absolutely right, the

:11:47. > :11:51.figures are very clear, the single market that's most important to

:11:52. > :11:55.Scotland is the single market in the United Kingdom. The right Honourable

:11:56. > :11:59.member for Gordon shouts the word frictionless and borders from his

:12:00. > :12:02.sedentary position. Of course Scotland has a frictionless border

:12:03. > :12:10.with the rest of the United Kingdom and it is also the most important

:12:11. > :12:14.single market it is a member. Thank you Mr Speaker, in recent

:12:15. > :12:17.discussions it is clear there is no support in any of the parties

:12:18. > :12:27.represented in the German parliament for the UK to return Harry

:12:28. > :12:33.The Prime Minister has asserted her optimism but the she recognised that

:12:34. > :12:37.is the starting point we are at? The reality of the starting point is

:12:38. > :12:40.that we are going to be sitting down with the European commission,

:12:41. > :12:43.representatives of the European Council and the European Parliament

:12:44. > :12:47.to negotiate the relationship that is going to be right for the UK and

:12:48. > :12:51.the rest of the EU and the discussions I've had so far indicate

:12:52. > :12:54.that there is a recognition of the importance of making sure that that

:12:55. > :13:02.is a very good free trade agreement on both sides of the negotiation. I

:13:03. > :13:09.commend the Prime Minister for her statement. Would she agree with me

:13:10. > :13:12.that now is a very significant time when we can consider raising

:13:13. > :13:17.environmental and animal welfare standards as we leave the EU? For

:13:18. > :13:22.example, the export of live animals, which currently we cannot stop? The

:13:23. > :13:28.position we have taken is that at the point at which we leave the EU,

:13:29. > :13:32.the key will be brought into UK law, through the great repeal bill, so

:13:33. > :13:35.that at the point at which we believe everybody will know where

:13:36. > :13:38.they stand in relation to the various rules and regulations that

:13:39. > :13:43.we have abided by as members of the EU but thereafter, it will be open

:13:44. > :13:54.to this Parliament to determine what the standards are that rewrote Crier

:13:55. > :13:57.-- that we require. The prime minister will know that under the

:13:58. > :14:01.Dublin rules, Great Britain has returned more asylum seekers than we

:14:02. > :14:06.have received from other countries. What are her intentions post Brexit?

:14:07. > :14:12.Does she intend us to continue to participate in that? We will be

:14:13. > :14:15.looking at the relationship we will have with the EU on matters such as

:14:16. > :14:21.the asylum seekers issue. I have broadened the discussion on this

:14:22. > :14:25.issue. It is not just about the UK's relationship with the EU but how the

:14:26. > :14:29.whole international community deals with asylum seekers and economic

:14:30. > :14:33.migrants and I'm very clear that as an international community we should

:14:34. > :14:42.accept that people should claim asylum in the first safe country

:14:43. > :14:45.that they reach. Two Dorset members! Can I congratulate my right

:14:46. > :14:50.honourable friend for her clarity and her purpose and does she agree

:14:51. > :14:53.with me that there is no greater importance today as the United

:14:54. > :14:56.Kingdom to stand together, and for those calling for a second

:14:57. > :15:00.referendum, they are behaving totally irresponsibly and leading

:15:01. > :15:11.the people of Scotland potentially over a cliff like lemmings to

:15:12. > :15:16.economic ruin? He is right that as we start on the negotiations for the

:15:17. > :15:21.future relationship with the EU, I believe it is important for us to do

:15:22. > :15:24.that as a United Kingdom, to come together, recognising the interests

:15:25. > :15:33.of all parts of the UK and ensuring that we get absolutely the right

:15:34. > :15:36.deal for the whole of the UK. The European Council last week agreed to

:15:37. > :15:42.speed up proposals for European travel authorisation and sharing of

:15:43. > :15:46.information on travel. Given Brexit, are we planning to be in that system

:15:47. > :15:48.and, if not, what does it mean for these fees or access Europe for

:15:49. > :16:03.British citizens? -- these Negotiations are ongoing. Is a

:16:04. > :16:08.member of the EU, we had the ability not to be part of that arrangement

:16:09. > :16:12.but as we look forward to the arrangements post Brexit, one of the

:16:13. > :16:17.issues we will be discussing within the negotiations is how we exchange

:16:18. > :16:20.information in relation to Borders. The right honourable gentleman will

:16:21. > :16:23.know from his experience in his previous positions, it is not just a

:16:24. > :16:34.question of issues like that but access to things like you wrote DAX.

:16:35. > :16:39.The third of the Dorset trio this afternoon! Like my right honourable

:16:40. > :16:47.friend, I am a unionist to my fingertips. Could I invite my right

:16:48. > :16:52.honourable friend to discuss with her Cabinet colleagues that as we

:16:53. > :16:58.see a dwindling of EU financial contributions to capital programmes

:16:59. > :17:03.in this country, we explore very vigorously the opportunity to

:17:04. > :17:05.present all of our constituents where capital projects are

:17:06. > :17:10.undertaken in all parts of the kingdom that they are funded,

:17:11. > :17:15.supported and delivered by UK taxpayers from a UK Treasury? He

:17:16. > :17:19.raises an interesting point and obviously, as he is aware, the

:17:20. > :17:23.Treasury have been able to give, in relation to funds that are currently

:17:24. > :17:27.received from the EU, the Treasury have been able to give reassurances

:17:28. > :17:31.to people about those funds moving forward for the period while we are

:17:32. > :17:36.still members of the EU and, in some cases, thereafter as well. Leaving

:17:37. > :17:42.the EU does give us an opportunity to look at how support can best be

:17:43. > :17:51.provided, as my honourable friend says, by the United Kingdom

:17:52. > :17:56.government. In December last year, just 101 EU nurses came over to work

:17:57. > :18:00.in our NHS, a decrease of over 90% from the pre-referendum months. How

:18:01. > :18:05.does the Prime Minister intends to tackle this so that we don't have

:18:06. > :18:09.any more hospital wards like many in my constituency, which are

:18:10. > :18:12.dangerously understaffed? I recognise the contribution nurses

:18:13. > :18:17.from the EU have made to the NHS over the years and, of course, that

:18:18. > :18:22.is one group of EU citizens we will be thinking of when we start those

:18:23. > :18:25.negotiations in relation to the EU citizens that are living here and

:18:26. > :18:29.their rights but what the Government has also recognises that there are

:18:30. > :18:33.many people here in the UK who wish to train as nurses who have not been

:18:34. > :18:36.able to do previously because of the cap on the numbers and we have

:18:37. > :18:43.removed that cap and are enabling more to be able to do that. Nobody

:18:44. > :18:46.knows what the answer will be when the people of Scotland are asked a

:18:47. > :18:51.simple question, do they want to choose hard Brexit as part of the UK

:18:52. > :18:55.or do they want to seek full partnership with 27 sovereign states

:18:56. > :19:00.in the European Union? Will Prime Minister agree that that question

:19:01. > :19:04.should be asked at a time when whatever the Democratic answer from

:19:05. > :19:08.people is, it can be seen to be implemented and that means that

:19:09. > :19:12.question should be asked in the time frame indicated by Nicola Sturgeon

:19:13. > :19:16.yesterday? He will know because he has been present in this chamber on

:19:17. > :19:22.previous statements and debates I've made, I don't agree or accept the

:19:23. > :19:26.terminology he has used that what we are negotiating will be a hard

:19:27. > :19:30.Brexit from the EU. We will be negotiating a good trade deal which

:19:31. > :19:38.will be good for all parts of the EU, including the people of

:19:39. > :19:43.Scotland. In her desperation to do Ukip's bidding, the Prime Minister

:19:44. > :19:50.has determined that we will be leaving the single market as well as

:19:51. > :19:55.withdrawing from the European Union. Can she tell me whether there will

:19:56. > :20:01.be stand-alone legislation to repeal the European Economic Area act of

:20:02. > :20:09.1993, or does she intends to use the EEA as the basis for her

:20:10. > :20:13.transitional implementation period? Can I say to the honourable lady

:20:14. > :20:18.that I would have expected better of her than the sort of description

:20:19. > :20:21.that she has given and I will say simply this - what this government

:20:22. > :20:32.is doing is the bidding of the British people and the British

:20:33. > :20:37.people alone. Turkey is an exceptionally important partner in

:20:38. > :20:41.Europe's attempts to deal with mass migration. Turkey is also an

:20:42. > :20:46.exceptionally important partner in Nato. Given the events of the last

:20:47. > :20:50.week, did the European Council have any discussions on how we can ensure

:20:51. > :20:53.that democracy does not row back in Turkey but at the same time Turkey

:20:54. > :21:05.remains the important partner it has been so far? The council recognises

:21:06. > :21:08.the contribution made in the EE- Turkey deal made some time ago which

:21:09. > :21:12.has led to a significant reduction in the number of people moving from

:21:13. > :21:17.Turkey across the Aegean Sea into Greece. I'm very clear, as others

:21:18. > :21:20.have been, that we want to see Turkey maintaining its democratic

:21:21. > :21:27.institutions, rule of law and respecting international human

:21:28. > :21:31.rights. There has been a lot of emphasis on the trade deal but the

:21:32. > :21:36.divorce deal is very important, too, and at the heart of any divorce deal

:21:37. > :21:41.is a fair financial settlement. What will the prime minister do if there

:21:42. > :21:45.is no fair financial settlement at the end of the Article 50 period?

:21:46. > :21:51.What will happen men to the divorce bill and our exit from the EU? Why

:21:52. > :21:55.walk she will be aware that as we exit the EU, there are a number of

:21:56. > :22:00.issues we will be looking at and discussing with the EU. But I didn't

:22:01. > :22:04.raise this or respond to this point earlier but a number of people have

:22:05. > :22:08.used this term of divorce. I prefer not to use the term of divorce from

:22:09. > :22:11.the European Union because very often when people get divorced, they

:22:12. > :22:15.don't have a very good relationship afterwards and this is about...

:22:16. > :22:22.Honourable members need to stop looking at this as simply coming out

:22:23. > :22:25.of the European Union and see the opportunity for building a new

:22:26. > :22:34.relationship with the European Union, and that is what we will be

:22:35. > :22:45.doing. Thank you, Mr Speaker. In the jumble of words that forms the Prime

:22:46. > :22:49.Minister's statement, she missed two keywords, hypocrisy and irony

:22:50. > :22:53.regarding her actions today. But the real question I want to ask is,

:22:54. > :23:00.post-Brexit, what is the Prime Minister's plans with regards to the

:23:01. > :23:06.London fisheries convention? The London fisheries convention is one

:23:07. > :23:10.of the issues that the government is looking up currently and will be

:23:11. > :23:13.looking at in relation to the future relationship as we come out of the

:23:14. > :23:22.European Union and their four out of the common fisheries policy. A very

:23:23. > :23:25.important matter and I believe we are going to learn more about it.

:23:26. > :23:30.The honourable gentleman obviously knows all about it. When the first

:23:31. > :23:34.minister announced her drive for a second device of Scottish

:23:35. > :23:37.independence referendum yesterday, one of her manufactured grievances

:23:38. > :23:40.was the fact that Brexit gives the UK government an opportunity to

:23:41. > :23:43.muscle in on the powers of the Scottish Parliament. Would the Prime

:23:44. > :23:47.Minister agree with me that the fundamental overriding principle of

:23:48. > :23:51.any EU repatriate powers should be that they are transferred to the

:23:52. > :23:56.defaulter demonstrations? I've been very clear with all the defaulter

:23:57. > :24:00.ministrations that Brexit will not involve any powers that have

:24:01. > :24:03.currently been devolved to those of ministrations being returned to the

:24:04. > :24:06.UK government and indeed, as we look of the transfer of powers that are

:24:07. > :24:09.currently in Brussels back to the UK, they may very well see more

:24:10. > :24:18.powers being devolved to the administrations. Thank you, Mr

:24:19. > :24:23.Speaker. 43% of publications from the UK's 47 biggest universities

:24:24. > :24:29.come from collaboration with at least one EU firm, even higher in

:24:30. > :24:32.London institutions. So did the discussion is the prime minister

:24:33. > :24:35.engaged in with their European counterparts touch on any kind of

:24:36. > :24:40.safeguards for our university sector, given this level of

:24:41. > :24:45.dependency on European industry? And also, how is her manifesto

:24:46. > :24:52.commitment, page 75, to not only remain in the single market but to

:24:53. > :24:54.expand it... How is that one going? She might have noticed we also

:24:55. > :24:58.promised the British people a referendum and a vote on whether to

:24:59. > :25:03.stay in the EU, we gave them that vote, they decided, we are now

:25:04. > :25:05.acting on the results of that vote. Although the vast majority of

:25:06. > :25:09.questions this afternoon have been about the issue of Brexit, the issue

:25:10. > :25:13.of Brexit was not an issue that was discussed formally in the EU

:25:14. > :25:18.council, as I indicated earlier. But in response of the issue and

:25:19. > :25:21.universities, we have given some comfort to universities in relation

:25:22. > :25:25.to research funding equivalent that they enter into before we leave the

:25:26. > :25:30.EU but if she looks at the Lancaster house speech that I gave in the

:25:31. > :25:33.White Paper, she will see science and innovation is one of the issues

:25:34. > :25:40.we have put as one of the areas which will be a negotiating object

:25:41. > :25:44.of. Many thanks, Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister has welcomed the

:25:45. > :25:48.completion of the free trade agreements between the EU and Canada

:25:49. > :25:52.and the pending free trade agreement between the EU and Japan. Isn't it

:25:53. > :25:56.the case that when it comes to benefits of the single market and

:25:57. > :26:00.free trade, the EU will be getting the full jammy doughnut, whilst the

:26:01. > :26:06.UK will be left behind with nothing but an empty hole?

:26:07. > :26:12.No, we will be negotiating free trade agreements, not just with the

:26:13. > :26:16.EU but with other countries around the world. And, crucially, other

:26:17. > :26:20.countries around the world are eager to work with us to negotiate

:26:21. > :26:25.free-trade agreements. Discussions with countries like America,

:26:26. > :26:28.Australia, Mexico, India, we are already looking at agreements we can

:26:29. > :26:35.have as a United Kingdom outside the European Union. Does the Prime

:26:36. > :26:39.Minister accept that her intransigence over amendments to the

:26:40. > :26:44.EU withdrawal bill, her pandering to the Brexit fanatics on her

:26:45. > :26:48.backbenchers, have diminished the role and sovereignty of this

:26:49. > :26:50.Parliament over the Brexit process, and has opened up the door and

:26:51. > :26:57.threatened the future integrity of the UK? Amendments were put before

:26:58. > :27:02.this house, this house voted and took a decision. I find the sort of

:27:03. > :27:05.description that the honourable gentleman has given, if he is saying

:27:06. > :27:09.every time this house takes a decision he does not agree with,

:27:10. > :27:14.somehow it is disrespectful parliament, I have to tell him that

:27:15. > :27:20.is not how this place works. We put our arguments, we vote on them, one

:27:21. > :27:23.side wins and the other losers. Does the Prime Minister accept if we

:27:24. > :27:27.crash out of the European Union with a bad deal or no deal at all, that

:27:28. > :27:30.would entirely beady failing and responsibility of our chief

:27:31. > :27:35.negotiator and her team, namely the Prime Minister and her ministers? I

:27:36. > :27:44.have already said I am optimistic we will be able to negotiate a good

:27:45. > :27:48.deal for the United Kingdom. Well, I agree with the Prime Minister on one

:27:49. > :27:53.thing, Mr Speaker, that politics is not a game. Which is why I will not

:27:54. > :27:59.sit back and just hope for the best from her Government as she seems to

:28:00. > :28:03.wish me to do. Given the way she has handled the compromise is put

:28:04. > :28:07.forward from the Scottish Government, and the situation she

:28:08. > :28:11.now finds herself in, can I offer her a moment of reflection? Is there

:28:12. > :28:15.anything she regrets in the way that she has responded to those

:28:16. > :28:22.compromises, or does dogma still raining Downing Street? We have had

:28:23. > :28:24.extensive discussions with the Scottish Government and the other

:28:25. > :28:29.devolved administrations on the issues that they have raised with

:28:30. > :28:34.the United Kingdom government, and issues that they wish us to take

:28:35. > :28:37.into concern. As I said earlier, and I said yesterday, there are many

:28:38. > :28:40.areas of common ground between us and the Scottish Government. We both

:28:41. > :28:43.agree on the protection of workers' rights, once we have left the

:28:44. > :28:49.European Union. We have been looking at those areas of common ground. We

:28:50. > :28:52.have also been looking, as we will do in negotiations, at ensuring we

:28:53. > :28:55.get a deal, an arrangement, a relationship for the future that is

:28:56. > :29:01.good for the whole of the United Kingdom, including Scotland. First

:29:02. > :29:08.of all, Prime Minister, can I thank you for your statement and refer you

:29:09. > :29:13.to the Somalian conference new referred to. At the meeting of the

:29:14. > :29:18.IPG for Nigeria, a Nigerian MP was a guest speaker. He informed us that

:29:19. > :29:21.Nigeria have become a centre for illegal arms smuggling for the whole

:29:22. > :29:24.of Africa, the biggest that there was. Can I seek an assurance from

:29:25. > :29:29.the Prime Minister that she will raise this issue at the conference

:29:30. > :29:35.for all of Africa, because it is very important, when it is hosted in

:29:36. > :29:37.the UK in May 2017? I can assure the honourable gentleman that the issues

:29:38. > :29:43.he has raised is one that we will look at very seriously as a

:29:44. > :29:46.government. There are a number of concerns in respect of what he has

:29:47. > :29:50.said. I will certainly look at that issue very carefully. I am extremely

:29:51. > :29:56.grateful to the Prime Minister and to all 66 backbench members,

:29:57. > :30:01.following the Leader of the Opposition, who questioned her.

:30:02. > :30:04.Point of order, Maria Miller? The European Court of Justice has

:30:05. > :30:08.announced today any employer can ban religious symbols at work, including

:30:09. > :30:13.the wearing of headscarves. This overturns important existing case

:30:14. > :30:18.law from the European Court of Human Rights. Mr Speaker, what mechanisms

:30:19. > :30:22.are open to this house to obtain a swift clarification of what this

:30:23. > :30:28.means here in the UK, particularly so soon after the Prime Minister 's

:30:29. > :30:35.statement in this house that what a woman wears is her choice, and

:30:36. > :30:39.nobody else's? I am grateful to the honourable lady for the point of

:30:40. > :30:41.order, raised not only in her capacity, doubtless, as a

:30:42. > :30:51.constituency member of Parliament, but on the strength of her interest

:30:52. > :30:54.in the equalities committee. I have not been aware of that development

:30:55. > :30:58.until the right honourable lady notified me, not least because I had

:30:59. > :31:02.been in the chair, tending to my duties. I can imagine the issue will

:31:03. > :31:08.be of considerable interest and concern to a great many people, with

:31:09. > :31:11.a variety of different views, in all parts of the country. The short

:31:12. > :31:15.answer to the right honourable lady is that it is open to her to table a

:31:16. > :31:21.question on the matter. I have received no occasion of an intention

:31:22. > :31:24.by a government minister to come to the house and make an oral

:31:25. > :31:28.statement, but she has the recourse of a question. If, as seems

:31:29. > :31:32.possible, she judges the matter to be urgent, she knows the mechanism

:31:33. > :31:36.that is available to her. To bring the matter of the attention of the

:31:37. > :31:42.house, to secure a ministerial response, sooner, rather than later.

:31:43. > :31:46.If there are no further points of order, we come now to the ten minute

:31:47. > :31:55.rule motion. Mr Speaker, I beg to move that leave

:31:56. > :32:01.be given to bring in a bill to require our overseas embassies and

:32:02. > :32:05.consulates to serve wines and sparkling wines produced in the

:32:06. > :32:10.United Kingdom at official functions. Article 50 is on its way

:32:11. > :32:16.and this could be seen as the first post Brexit bill. As we leave the

:32:17. > :32:19.EU, we must grasp every opportunity to find new markets for products

:32:20. > :32:25.around the world and to be imaginative in supporting and

:32:26. > :32:30.promoting them. British culture is an industry that has a golden future

:32:31. > :32:33.ahead of it, much like the colour of its best-known sparkling vintages.

:32:34. > :32:40.It will play an increasing important role in rural economic powerhouse.

:32:41. > :32:42.For those that think our weather cannot support wines to compete with

:32:43. > :32:48.France, Italy and Spain, think again. Chalky soil, with south

:32:49. > :32:52.facing slopes and warmer temperatures provide ideal

:32:53. > :33:01.conditions for producing wine and sparkling wine. Last year, with just

:33:02. > :33:05.5 million bottles of English wine. Even Scotland, Wales and Northern

:33:06. > :33:09.Ireland produces wine to be bottled to everybody's taste and budget.

:33:10. > :33:14.Admittedly, it is a fraction of the global total, but that means we have

:33:15. > :33:19.a market share in our sights. In fact, speaking of France, we have

:33:20. > :33:23.been beating them at their own game. Last year, a tasting was held in

:33:24. > :33:26.Paris and English wine was not only mistaken for champagne, but it beat

:33:27. > :33:33.respected champagne houses all around. This wasn't just a one-off.

:33:34. > :33:40.English wine won more than 175 UK and international awards in 2016

:33:41. > :33:44.alone. One of the great characteristics of modern Britain is

:33:45. > :33:49.that someone who was not exactly brought up with a champagne flute in

:33:50. > :34:01.their hand, unlike several honourable members I could

:34:02. > :34:03.mention... Don't look at me! Has the opportunity to represent and promote

:34:04. > :34:10.such a fantastic, blossoming, British industry. My constituency of

:34:11. > :34:13.Wilden, East Sussex, has not one or two vineyards, but well over a

:34:14. > :34:17.dozen. Several of them boast international awards. Madam Deputy

:34:18. > :34:22.Speaker, I have to report that my husband is doing his single-handed

:34:23. > :34:27.best to support this local industry, judging by the contents of our

:34:28. > :34:30.fridge. It is a hugely exciting time to be part of the English wine

:34:31. > :34:38.industry. There are now 133 wineries and over 500 vineyards dotted across

:34:39. > :34:43.our beautiful English countryside. 150 of these are open to the public,

:34:44. > :34:47.including one of our own local vineyards, which is set in an area

:34:48. > :34:53.of outstanding beauty and with far reaching views to the South Downs in

:34:54. > :35:00.the distance. Sussex Fox And Fox Vineyards, sit either side of the

:35:01. > :35:06.hilltop village of Mayfield. Among rolling hills and woodlands, you

:35:07. > :35:13.would be forgiven for seeing a photo of harvest time and thinking it was

:35:14. > :35:17.taken in champagne. Set amid bluebell woods at the edge of

:35:18. > :35:22.Ashdown forest are Bluebell Vineyard Estates. Like many vineyards, it

:35:23. > :35:25.specialises in producing award-winning, estate grown, English

:35:26. > :35:32.sparkling wines, using traditional methods. The same method used to

:35:33. > :35:37.create champagne. Last year, it picked up an impressive haul of 16

:35:38. > :35:42.medals at International wine competitions. Similarly, Davenport,

:35:43. > :35:45.which has vines in my constituency, has won a whopping 35 awards since

:35:46. > :35:51.its establishment. Most impressively, both winemakers

:35:52. > :35:54.received silver medals at the prestigious International Wine And

:35:55. > :35:59.Spirit Competition last year, something which would have been

:36:00. > :36:01.unheard of last year. Last month, I celebrated the English wine

:36:02. > :36:07.industry's success in Parliament, with top wine critic Matthew Gilks,

:36:08. > :36:10.hosting a tasting and taking opportunity to boast about the

:36:11. > :36:14.stunning quality. It is no wonder that for the first time last year it

:36:15. > :36:20.is wineries became official suppliers to Number 10. Chapeltown

:36:21. > :36:23.and Ridgeview are now official suppliers for Downing Street

:36:24. > :36:27.receptions and I believe Her Majesty the Queen serves English sparkling

:36:28. > :36:32.wine at State banquets, showing commitment and confidence in the

:36:33. > :36:37.wine industry. UK produced wine currently accounts for around 1% of

:36:38. > :36:41.the wine purchased in the UK. But it has high aspirations and great

:36:42. > :36:45.potential. It is no longer just a few people growing vines in their

:36:46. > :36:52.back garden. Bluebell vineyard has more than doubled in size since

:36:53. > :36:55.opening in 2005, and now has 70 acres and 100,000 vines. On my

:36:56. > :37:00.doorstep, my honourable friend for Lewis has an estate established in

:37:01. > :37:08.2010, and it has the potential to produce over 1 million bottles of

:37:09. > :37:10.Sussex sparkling wine annually within eight decade. It could

:37:11. > :37:14.develop into one of the largest single vineyards in England and even

:37:15. > :37:19.the largest in Europe. Back home, there is a real appetite to invest

:37:20. > :37:25.in British soil and the industry has seen significant overseas investment

:37:26. > :37:28.in recent years. Champagne houses have already invested into growing

:37:29. > :37:33.English grapes and this type of venture shows no sign of stopping.

:37:34. > :37:40.In 2015, sales of English sparkling hit ?100 million. Overseas markets

:37:41. > :37:44.grew by one third. There is a huge appetite from the industry to

:37:45. > :37:48.continue this trend. Indeed, winemakers have pledged to produce

:37:49. > :37:55.10 million bottles by 2020, with 25% of those for export. That is why, in

:37:56. > :37:59.a post-Brexit world, we must do all we can to get behind industries that

:38:00. > :38:04.show the sort of potential of our wine industry. What better way to do

:38:05. > :38:10.that then to give the world a taste by serving UK produced wine and

:38:11. > :38:14.sparkling wine in our 268 embassies, high commissions and consulates

:38:15. > :38:20.around the world? What could be more appropriate as a setting to promote

:38:21. > :38:23.English wine than the famed Ambassador's reception? However, the

:38:24. > :38:26.lack of consistency in embassy policies for hosting and saving

:38:27. > :38:30.British products means that we are missing opportunities to show it off

:38:31. > :38:35.in new markets that should be fertile territory for exports such

:38:36. > :38:37.as China, Japan, Singapore and even India, where wine consumption

:38:38. > :38:45.amongst the professional classes is growing exponentially. Last week, I

:38:46. > :38:49.was told that our Rome embassy asked the UK wine industry to sponsor a

:38:50. > :38:55.wine tasting for Tuscan wines. This just isn't good enough. I doubt

:38:56. > :39:02.Italy's outposts in London said anything other than Italian wine.

:39:03. > :39:05.This bill will enable a consistent, top-down policy from the Foreign

:39:06. > :39:08.Commonwealth Office to require embassies, where possible, to serve

:39:09. > :39:13.British wines and thus promote British exports. Our embassies, high

:39:14. > :39:18.commissions and UK missions abroad are an extension and projection of

:39:19. > :39:22.our country's brand, showing support for a high quality and high

:39:23. > :39:26.indigenous product, such as our award-winning British wines, which

:39:27. > :39:30.will demonstrate a confident in our country and a belief in the

:39:31. > :39:37.opportunities ahead of us. -- a confidence. Madam Deputy Speaker,

:39:38. > :39:40.Chapeltown in Kent has just signed a deal, a distribution deal, in

:39:41. > :39:45.France, of all places. I look forward to the very best of our wine

:39:46. > :39:49.is creating a splash in Paris, and Berlin, and Madrid, and room for

:39:50. > :39:54.that matter and, perhaps, perhaps helping to oil the wheels of the

:39:55. > :40:01.Brexit negotiations to come. Madam Deputy Speaker, I commend this build

:40:02. > :40:05.the house. -- this Bill to the house. The question is that the

:40:06. > :40:10.Honourable Member have leave to bring in the Bill. The question is

:40:11. > :40:19.that the Honourable Member have leave to bring in the bill. As many

:40:20. > :40:25.of that opinion, say aye. I think the ayes have it. Who will bring in

:40:26. > :40:32.the Bill? Said Peter Bottomley, Nigel Evans, James Duddridge, Andrew

:40:33. > :40:33.Trevelyan, Julian Brazier, Chris Bryant, James Heappey, James

:40:34. > :41:15.Cartlidge and myself. Thank you very much. The United

:41:16. > :41:26.Kingdom Wines And Sparkling Wines Bill. Second reading, what day?

:41:27. > :41:27.Friday, the 24th of March. The Klerk will now proceed to read the orders

:41:28. > :41:42.of the day. The question is as on the order

:41:43. > :41:46.paper. Thank you. This government is about delivering opportunity. The

:41:47. > :41:50.opportunities that matter to ordinary working people up and down

:41:51. > :41:54.this country, the opportunity to work in a skilled, well paying

:41:55. > :42:04.career. The opportunity to send your children to a good school. The

:42:05. > :42:08.opportunity to contribute to a fair, better society where everyone can do

:42:09. > :42:12.their best for their community. These ambitions are not too much for

:42:13. > :42:17.us to ask. They are not unreasonable. But the truth is far

:42:18. > :42:22.too long too many people in our country have felt cut off from

:42:23. > :42:37.opportunity. They see doors open for others but staying closed for them.

:42:38. > :42:46.We will work with the grain of human nature to spread opportunities to

:42:47. > :42:55.every town, city and region in our country, to give everyone the chance

:42:56. > :43:02.to contribute. A strong economy is a vital part of this mission. It

:43:03. > :43:08.provides the careers and the jobs which equip people and fill them

:43:09. > :43:17.with a sense of self-worth. The knowledge that we all have a role in

:43:18. > :43:22.the society, and a strong economy is at the heart of how people could

:43:23. > :43:30.contribute to our country as a whole. This government is in the

:43:31. > :43:34.business of building careers and jobs. Over 2 million jobs since

:43:35. > :43:42.2010. There are more people working than ever before. The employment

:43:43. > :43:50.rate for women is at the highest level since records began with 70%

:43:51. > :43:58.of 60-64 -year-olds -- 16-64 -year-olds now in work. Does she

:43:59. > :44:03.agree with me that one of the most important things the government can

:44:04. > :44:15.do is support women returning to work? Absolutely right. She will

:44:16. > :44:24.hopefully welcome the element of the project that invested in

:44:25. > :44:37.internships. I will come onto that later in my speech. Take it from me,

:44:38. > :44:41.I believe wealth creation is so important to give us the resources

:44:42. > :44:49.for wealth creation. So many people have cut back. We are the 64th worst

:44:50. > :44:55.hit out of 650. We don't feel the affluence she talks about. We have

:44:56. > :45:02.record investment coming into our schools and if I can continue, to

:45:03. > :45:08.secure and build a strong economy we do need sustained investment in the

:45:09. > :45:12.human capital. The skills, the knowledge and the technical

:45:13. > :45:17.excellence that drives productivity and growth, it is people that will

:45:18. > :45:22.lift our country and we are investing in people. We need to do

:45:23. > :45:26.this now more than ever because we know there is a productivity gap

:45:27. > :45:34.between the UK and other advanced economies and we know that part of

:45:35. > :45:49.this is caused by skills shortages. I am grateful for giving way. Is it

:45:50. > :45:58.a mistake to cut this? It will affect them and deny the

:45:59. > :46:15.opportunities. As I already said, the strong economy that has helped

:46:16. > :46:19.to be created I was talking about how that is important. We know that

:46:20. > :46:24.top employers and businesses are telling us the skills they need in

:46:25. > :46:31.science, technology, engineering and maths are in two short supply. As my

:46:32. > :46:37.right honourable friend says, is she aware that 5% of women returning to

:46:38. > :46:46.work would generate an extra ?750 million? Absolutely, and that is why

:46:47. > :46:49.it is one of the most powerful leaders we have two helped Drive

:46:50. > :46:54.growth in the economy and more broadly around the world over the

:46:55. > :46:59.coming years ahead. When we look at how we are going to plug the skills

:47:00. > :47:06.gap, only 10% of adults in our country for the technical

:47:07. > :47:10.qualification. Germany currently produces twice as many science

:47:11. > :47:22.engineering and technology technicians and we know this. We

:47:23. > :47:26.cannot afford to wait. Other economies have been ahead of us and

:47:27. > :47:34.this government is clear that we will not fall further behind. We

:47:35. > :47:43.should recognise globalisation and automation are changing workplace.

:47:44. > :47:52.35% of our jobs are at risk of being replaced, not through competition

:47:53. > :47:56.but by technology. She mentions Germany's lead in training in

:47:57. > :48:01.technical positions. Does she link that with the fact that Germany

:48:02. > :48:08.consistently has a much higher level of corporation tax in order to fund

:48:09. > :48:14.that? I think Germany has its own approach in relation to corporation

:48:15. > :48:18.tax. Ours has been to dramatically reduce it to make sure companies can

:48:19. > :48:28.retain the profits to reinvest in growing their companies. I think

:48:29. > :48:35.there is a substantial job creation in comparison to so many other

:48:36. > :48:42.countries. It is why we have the ability to put it into our public

:48:43. > :48:52.services. As we prepare to leave the European Union we will need to be

:48:53. > :48:55.more self-sufficient in our workforces to set ourselves up for

:48:56. > :49:04.success. We will need new ideas and new jobs and meet every challenge. A

:49:05. > :49:11.global Britain is what we want, strong at home and strong abroad. It

:49:12. > :49:18.is time for Britain to step up a gear. To begin the shift up to the

:49:19. > :49:27.high skill, high productivity economy. This government is ready to

:49:28. > :49:34.act. Is it not a fact that under this government we've fallen two

:49:35. > :49:55.places in the research and development league tables. The

:49:56. > :50:00.Autumn Statement provides further statements, but what I am talking

:50:01. > :50:04.about is not just physical infrastructure, it is how the

:50:05. > :50:09.country will be successful, investing in our people and human

:50:10. > :50:16.capital. That is what we will be doing through this budget. Investing

:50:17. > :50:21.in skills, education and training. Creating a strong economy that works

:50:22. > :50:26.for everyone. This government is rightly focused on apprenticeships

:50:27. > :50:33.because of the huge difference they can make to individuals. They will

:50:34. > :50:39.boost lifetime earnings by 11% on average. If you 3% of apprentices

:50:40. > :50:42.tell us they believe it is improving their prospects and this is already

:50:43. > :50:47.making a big difference to individuals. Last year, 900,000

:50:48. > :50:52.people were enrolled in an apprenticeship and that means more

:50:53. > :51:01.than 3 million people have started an apprenticeship since 2010.

:51:02. > :51:07.Apprentices like Adam Sharp, who moved 150 miles to take up a

:51:08. > :51:19.mechanic apprenticeship. He dreams of being that nuclear power plant's

:51:20. > :51:21.chief engineer. Becky King moved to develop her passion for science.

:51:22. > :51:27.Last week I kicked off National apprenticeships week in the city and

:51:28. > :51:31.I met young people who were inspiring because they were finding

:51:32. > :51:37.out just how well they could do. Apprenticeships are bringing out the

:51:38. > :51:42.underlying talent of our young people and it's cathartic for them

:51:43. > :51:55.to be able to discover their potential. Earlier I met with

:51:56. > :51:59.nationwide representatives from my area keen to get more skills to lead

:52:00. > :52:09.businesses and apprentices from Lloyds last week. One area where we

:52:10. > :52:15.really need to keep the momentum is with the maths skills to make sure

:52:16. > :52:27.women can lead companies as well. The basic skills. Can I just say we

:52:28. > :52:31.need to impose a time limit of eight minutes right from the beginning. It

:52:32. > :52:36.is very heavily subscribed. If people are going to intervene they

:52:37. > :52:39.must keep it very brief. I pay tribute to the work that her local

:52:40. > :52:43.colleges doing and she's absolutely right if we are going to see a

:52:44. > :52:50.change in the workplace we have to start early. We need to build that

:52:51. > :52:52.pipeline to make sure there are girls and women going into those

:52:53. > :53:02.careers that are traditionally male dominated. It's not just about

:53:03. > :53:05.making a difference to the people doing apprenticeships.

:53:06. > :53:12.Apprenticeships are also making a difference to our country. When we

:53:13. > :53:15.talk to employers they tell us this increases quality and productivity

:53:16. > :53:20.so for them investing in an apprenticeship pays out for them and

:53:21. > :53:26.their business and it is paying out for the wider economy. This is only

:53:27. > :53:31.the beginning of our apprenticeship reform. Next month we are

:53:32. > :53:36.introducing a levy which will ensure that there will be over ?2.5 billion

:53:37. > :53:43.available to support apprenticeships and contributing to the levy will

:53:44. > :53:52.mean that employers are truly invested. It keeps us on track to

:53:53. > :54:00.meet our manifesto commitment. They will play a key role in delivering

:54:01. > :54:05.the key skills our economy needs to level up but we need to do more to

:54:06. > :54:12.meet the challenges our economy faces and the most successful

:54:13. > :54:17.countries don't just rely on these. There are work -based routes to get

:54:18. > :54:25.skilled professionals. They also depend on college -based routes,

:54:26. > :54:31.technical courses. We will up our game, looking at reforming the

:54:32. > :54:38.system to make it a central plank of how we sustain a growing economy.

:54:39. > :54:41.For decades our country has neglected technical education

:54:42. > :54:50.despite the fact a substantial proportion of our young people take

:54:51. > :54:54.this path. We've never achieved a sustainable strategy and that's

:54:55. > :55:02.because it's never been truly led by employers. We need a strategy that

:55:03. > :55:06.asks businesses what this curriculum should look like, investing in the

:55:07. > :55:11.tools and the teaching and the skills and expertise that helps

:55:12. > :55:17.young people navigate a complex web of choices and careers, to find the

:55:18. > :55:22.skills and careers that are right for them. We've allowed them to

:55:23. > :55:28.emphasise quantity rather than quality. There are 13,000 separate

:55:29. > :55:35.technical qualifications and to take one example, in plumbing a young

:55:36. > :55:41.person has a choice of 33 different courses. How do they know which is

:55:42. > :55:45.the highest quality and which is valued by businesses and the right

:55:46. > :55:58.fit for them? In recent years we have tightened

:55:59. > :56:02.the requirements for school and college tables, but we need to go

:56:03. > :56:07.much further to ensure that technical education is high-quality

:56:08. > :56:11.and meets needs. In place of complexity, this Government is

:56:12. > :56:16.following the advice of Lord Sainsbury and replacing the current

:56:17. > :56:23.system with a streamlined set of just 15 technical skills routes.

:56:24. > :56:25.Each route will be a path to skilled employment, from construction to

:56:26. > :56:30.digital, whether it is bricks and mortar or lines of code, and our

:56:31. > :56:34.standards for each route will be designed and agreed by our best

:56:35. > :56:40.businesses, to make sure that there is a direct flow through to the

:56:41. > :56:45.skills that our economy needs. We know that we need investment as well

:56:46. > :56:48.as reform. At the moment, a young person working towards a technical

:56:49. > :56:55.qualification receives a programme of around 600 hours a year. In the

:56:56. > :56:58.countries with the very best technical education, like Germany,

:56:59. > :57:04.Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway, students will train far more hours

:57:05. > :57:08.per year. If we really are serious about becoming world-class on

:57:09. > :57:13.skills, we need to rival the commitment and investment of the

:57:14. > :57:14.world's leading countries. That is why last Wednesday my right

:57:15. > :57:22.honourable friend the Chancellor announced over half ?1 billion a

:57:23. > :57:25.year of new funding for technical education. This will be used to

:57:26. > :57:29.increase the number of teaching hours for students, as the Sainsbury

:57:30. > :57:33.panel recommended it will also fund institutions to organise a

:57:34. > :57:38.substantial, high quality workplace for every technical education

:57:39. > :57:42.student, helping them apply skills in the workplace and prepare for a

:57:43. > :57:45.successful move into employment. In total, this will mean that a

:57:46. > :57:52.student's programme hours will increase by more than 50% from 600

:57:53. > :57:56.hours per year to more than 900. It is no surprise, Madame Deputy

:57:57. > :58:02.Speaker, that the CBI called this budget a breakthrough budget for

:58:03. > :58:04.skills. The funding for extra hours will roll out alongside the

:58:05. > :58:09.technical routes, beginning with the first programmes in autumn, 2019.

:58:10. > :58:17.Each of these routes will lead to a new certificate, the T-Level, which

:58:18. > :58:20.will be a gold standard for technical and professional

:58:21. > :58:24.excellence. The name will remind members of another prominent

:58:25. > :58:27.qualification, and that is very deliberate. I want there to be no

:58:28. > :58:35.ambiguity whatsoever that this is the most ambitious reform of post-16

:58:36. > :58:40.education since the introduction of A-levels 70 years ago. The

:58:41. > :58:43.investment announced by my right honourable friend the Chancellor

:58:44. > :58:47.shows that the Government is committed to making it a success,

:58:48. > :58:52.building a world-class technical education system will not only

:58:53. > :58:57.generate a skills and productivity... I will give way. I

:58:58. > :59:08.am very privileged to have my constituency based on area that is

:59:09. > :59:11.all about innovation and skills. Will the T-Level be significantly

:59:12. > :59:15.stronger than existing technical qualifications? Will become on a

:59:16. > :59:18.number of different fronts. Firstly, it will have commitment and design

:59:19. > :59:23.led by employers. Secondly it will have more hours, so the student is

:59:24. > :59:27.having a more comprehensive programme of education to reach the

:59:28. > :59:32.T-Level. Thirdly, the quality will be much, much higher. More time

:59:33. > :59:36.spent in the classroom but, critically, more time spent on a

:59:37. > :59:40.quality work placement with an employer, so once that person

:59:41. > :59:45.finishes their T-Level, there will come out of it ready to work and

:59:46. > :59:49.ready to begin their career, with a high-quality qualification that

:59:50. > :59:53.employers truly value. That is why we feel this is such a significant

:59:54. > :59:55.step forward. Building this world-class technical education

:59:56. > :00:00.system is not just going to generate the skills and productivity that are

:00:01. > :00:05.the foundations of a strong economy. It will also spread opportunity and

:00:06. > :00:09.increase social mobility, helping to break the link between a person's

:00:10. > :00:15.background and where they get to in life. Madam Deputy Speaker, it may

:00:16. > :00:20.be no surprise to the house that most young people from... Many young

:00:21. > :00:24.people from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to be on

:00:25. > :00:29.technical courses than their peers. And yet it has not been at the level

:00:30. > :00:35.that they deserve or our economy deserves either. A report by the

:00:36. > :00:38.Boston consulting group and the Sutton trust suggests greater social

:00:39. > :00:45.mobility could boost the economy by a staggering ?140 billion every

:00:46. > :00:49.year. Different young people have different talents. If we can

:00:50. > :00:53.successfully put technical education on a par with academic roots, it is

:00:54. > :01:06.not just good for these young people, it is exactly what the

:01:07. > :01:10.economy needs to. This is not about designing a second chance system for

:01:11. > :01:15.the disadvantaged. I do not want technical education to be seen as a

:01:16. > :01:18.back-up to the academic path. I want parity of esteem. I want to

:01:19. > :01:23.technical education to take its rightful place alongside the

:01:24. > :01:34.academic track, as they totally credible path to a professional

:01:35. > :01:48.career. We're not there yet and... Did you call me Lucy Adams? I am

:01:49. > :01:52.very much a Powell. We on the side of the house welcome any attempt to

:01:53. > :01:57.raise the esteem and status of technical and vocational education,

:01:58. > :02:00.something we began in our time in government. Does she agree with me

:02:01. > :02:06.that in the global world of the future it is often the mix of

:02:07. > :02:09.technical and academic, whether you look at engineering, the digital

:02:10. > :02:13.opportunities, creative industries or even health care and social care,

:02:14. > :02:16.it is the blend. Can she get the house some assurances that people

:02:17. > :02:23.will not be separated at the age of 16? I think the key to success is

:02:24. > :02:26.strengthening the technical education routes, as I have talked

:02:27. > :02:29.about. I think having some longevity to the strategy. The word Lord

:02:30. > :02:34.Sainsbury did was absolutely critical in giving us an

:02:35. > :02:41.architecture to build a strategy around. As we have seen in the past,

:02:42. > :02:46.and around us now. As she says, it's important to make sure that the

:02:47. > :02:49.whole system which together. That is why it is important as we create

:02:50. > :02:52.more of the Institute of technology that we also talk with further

:02:53. > :02:57.education colleges that will be at the centre of all of this. Of

:02:58. > :03:02.course, also universities, who already do degrees in relation to

:03:03. > :03:07.areas like engineering. But clearly they have a real offer that they can

:03:08. > :03:12.make in supporting a more applied learning route and a more technical

:03:13. > :03:17.education route for many young people. We have to make sure, as she

:03:18. > :03:24.says, that this does fit together. Indeed, we want to raise the quality

:03:25. > :03:27.and availability of higher-level technical education so that

:03:28. > :03:30.technically gifted students can continue those studies beyond the

:03:31. > :03:37.age of 19. One of the challenges we have had is not only the lower rungs

:03:38. > :03:41.of the educational ladder not being as high quality as the academic

:03:42. > :03:44.route, but the higher rungs not being there for people to be able to

:03:45. > :03:51.climb up and aim for successfully. The new national colleges and the

:03:52. > :03:55.Institutes Of Technology will make sure there are world-class

:03:56. > :03:59.institutions for studying higher quality technical qualifications.

:04:00. > :04:03.From September 2019, we will introduce its maintenance loans so

:04:04. > :04:13.that study level 4 higher-level qualifications, so that those who

:04:14. > :04:17.study levels at these suggestions, these are right for them. It means,

:04:18. > :04:21.just like university students, the best technical minds will not be

:04:22. > :04:25.limited by financial circumstances or place. It is not just about

:04:26. > :04:30.parity between places, it is also about parity between people. Nearly

:04:31. > :04:35.three quarters of young people in Barnsley follow a tactical path. In

:04:36. > :04:41.Kensington and Chelsea, it is less than one quarter. -- technical path.

:04:42. > :04:45.By levelling up technical education, putting it on a par with academic

:04:46. > :04:49.routes, with reform, investment and focus, we can steadily raise the

:04:50. > :05:01.regional inequalities and make sure that young people -- a -- erase the

:05:02. > :05:05.inequalities and make sure young people have the door of opportunity

:05:06. > :05:08.firmly left open for them. Building an opportunity is also about good

:05:09. > :05:11.school places as well as skills. Good schools are the foundation of

:05:12. > :05:15.economic success and social mobility. This Government is

:05:16. > :05:19.resolute in its pursuit of more good school places in every single part

:05:20. > :05:22.of the country, especially where they are most needed, to be able to

:05:23. > :05:30.power higher educational attainment. That is why there are almost 1.8

:05:31. > :05:35.million more children in good or outstanding schools and there were

:05:36. > :05:40.in 2010. That is 1.8 million young people getting a better start, a

:05:41. > :05:43.crucially better start, to be able to reach their potential. But there

:05:44. > :05:48.are still 1 million pupils in schools judged by Ofsted to be

:05:49. > :05:52.inadequate or schools that require improvement. So there is more work

:05:53. > :05:58.to do. Alongside half a billion a year in investment in skills, this

:05:59. > :06:04.delivers ?23 billion of investment to fund over 70,000 places and up to

:06:05. > :06:10.110 new free school is on top of the 500 free schools we have committed

:06:11. > :06:12.to deliver by 2020. This includes funding for specialist maths

:06:13. > :06:17.schools, which build on the successes of the outstanding Exeter

:06:18. > :06:20.mathematics schools, which I had the privilege to be able to visit

:06:21. > :06:25.recently, and the King's College London maths schools which the Prime

:06:26. > :06:29.Minister visited. If every child in every part of the country needs

:06:30. > :06:34.access to a fantastic school place, we have got to plan ahead and leave

:06:35. > :06:39.no stone unturned in pursuit of those places. I will give way. My

:06:40. > :06:42.right honourable friend is making a powerful case for the importance of

:06:43. > :06:45.education. Does she not share my concern about the current funding

:06:46. > :06:49.system we have in this country, which is more based on a postcode

:06:50. > :06:54.lottery than the needs of those schools in those particular

:06:55. > :07:00.locations? Absolutely. The current approach that we have is not just

:07:01. > :07:03.outdated, it is also coming places, extremely unfair. And yet we want

:07:04. > :07:07.our schools to be able to achieve the same outcomes, while funding

:07:08. > :07:14.them fundamentally different places. Not for any reason other than often

:07:15. > :07:20.wear that child is growing up. That is something that no one who wants

:07:21. > :07:23.to see social mobility get better should accept. We have to move to a

:07:24. > :07:28.more equitable approach on funding. That is what we are consulting on

:07:29. > :07:32.right now. We have to make sure that the school places are there for

:07:33. > :07:38.those children as they move through the system. Madame Deputy Speaker,

:07:39. > :07:41.it is not just about extra school places and the new schools we need,

:07:42. > :07:47.it is also about investing in schools and school places that we

:07:48. > :07:51.already have. My right honourable friend the Chancellor has also put

:07:52. > :07:55.forward an additional ?216 million to help refurbish existing schools

:07:56. > :08:04.and make them fit for the 21st century. This is on top of the

:08:05. > :08:11.existing plans to invest over ?10 billion in improving the addition of

:08:12. > :08:14.the school estate. Does she accept academic A-levels are one way in

:08:15. > :08:17.which young people can ensure they get a good start in life and perhaps

:08:18. > :08:22.go on to great success through our university system? What will her

:08:23. > :08:28.proposals that she is outlining deal for young people in Halewood, who

:08:29. > :08:34.have no option of doing academic A-levels in the entire borough, and

:08:35. > :08:39.must leave in order to study? I think she raises an incredibly

:08:40. > :08:47.profound and important point. Parts of our country were far too long

:08:48. > :08:51.educational attainment for young people growing up has simply not

:08:52. > :08:58.been good enough. The situation she highlights as part of a much broader

:08:59. > :09:02.challenge, I know, in seeking to steadily raise educational

:09:03. > :09:06.attainment. It is important that, alongside the investment we have set

:09:07. > :09:10.out for technical education in this budget, that we really do make sure,

:09:11. > :09:13.through the sort of approaches like opportunity areas, that we zone in

:09:14. > :09:18.on those areas that most need additional support, to make sure

:09:19. > :09:22.that we can shift those outcomes. This government's focus on

:09:23. > :09:30.opportunity does not end when someone leaves full-time education.

:09:31. > :09:36.In a dynamic, modern economy, we need to foster a culture of lifelong

:09:37. > :09:38.learning, a culture where all of us, from all walks of life, are

:09:39. > :09:45.passionate about continuing to upscale themselves. I thank you for

:09:46. > :09:50.giving way. The Foreign Secretary moves of the issue of school fabric.

:09:51. > :09:56.The money for school repairs is welcome, but there is a ?6.7 billion

:09:57. > :09:58.backlog of repairs to bring them up to satisfactory condition. What does

:09:59. > :10:04.she think the backlog will be by the end of the parliament? Well, the

:10:05. > :10:07.investment that we have brought forward as part of the budget will

:10:08. > :10:13.enable us to go further and faster on that backlog that he has pointed

:10:14. > :10:18.to. It is also important, as I said earlier, that we plan ahead. We need

:10:19. > :10:24.to make sure that this demographic bulge of young people who have been

:10:25. > :10:27.in primary and steadily moving through two secondary schools have

:10:28. > :10:30.school places and classrooms to be able to go through when they need

:10:31. > :10:34.them. That is why there is a balanced investment that we saw in

:10:35. > :10:37.the budget, not just in terms of refurbishing existing schools and

:10:38. > :10:41.existing school places, particularly focused on the ones that are needed

:10:42. > :10:44.most, but also looking ahead to make sure that we have the extra good

:10:45. > :10:50.school places that our country will need. Madame Deputy Speaker, I was

:10:51. > :10:54.briefly touching upon why lifelong learning and the investment to the

:10:55. > :10:58.budget into lifelong learning is so important, because it needs to very

:10:59. > :11:02.much become the norm in our country. I want to make sure that people have

:11:03. > :11:07.the tools and is to be able to do it. The reality is, Madame Deputy

:11:08. > :11:14.Speaker, is that many of us will never study again once we have left

:11:15. > :11:18.school. And yet we know, in the economy of the future, re-adapting

:11:19. > :11:24.skills, continuing to learn, is going to be absolutely vital. That

:11:25. > :11:28.is why we are making available of ?240 million over the next two years

:11:29. > :11:32.to fund trials into lifetime learning, to help us make sure that

:11:33. > :11:37.we know what works, where it is needed and how we can change our

:11:38. > :11:44.country to have a culture where more adults are seizing opportunities to

:11:45. > :11:47.upscale and taking control of their lives. Madame Deputy Speaker we have

:11:48. > :11:53.the highest level, as I said earlier in this debate, of female

:11:54. > :11:59.employment. It is a fantastic record to have achieved. The gender pay gap

:12:00. > :12:04.is at a record low of 18.1%. But there is still a gap. This

:12:05. > :12:09.government is implacable in our commitment to close this gap to zero

:12:10. > :12:13.within a generation. We know that some women find it hard to return to

:12:14. > :12:19.work after taking time out to care for young children. Many feel that

:12:20. > :12:25.they come back to work at a lower level or they have to expect less

:12:26. > :12:31.progression in work and pay and this is not good enough.

:12:32. > :12:39.Record only cannot afford to miss out on this talent. Some are running

:12:40. > :12:44.schemes to help women return to work. We want to work with them to

:12:45. > :12:51.help them return to work. We want to apply these lessons. When you take

:12:52. > :12:55.these together with improving the ability of people to do lifelong

:12:56. > :13:00.learning I want to see people coming back to work who are better skilled

:13:01. > :13:10.than when they left to take a career break. Not struggling to get their

:13:11. > :13:15.careers back on track. That's why I announced that we will work with

:13:16. > :13:22.business groups... The red book shows in terms of Labour market

:13:23. > :13:26.participation funding for returning is ?5 million as opposed to ?65

:13:27. > :13:35.million for extending the free schools plan. Does she think that is

:13:36. > :13:44.appropriate? Return ships are not used widely, by a few companies, but

:13:45. > :13:58.for those who have invested in them we are at the beginning. We get a

:13:59. > :14:02.clearer sense of what the broader strategy we should have for the

:14:03. > :14:05.long-term is but also critically how we can make sure as we develop those

:14:06. > :14:14.policies and those ideas that they are reformed through evidence. That

:14:15. > :14:17.was the investment we announced. I will be brief. One of the areas I

:14:18. > :14:25.wonder if the Secretary of State could also look at is about people

:14:26. > :14:28.who step out of the workplace for caring responsibilities, not

:14:29. > :14:40.necessarily youngsters but people who have given up the career for a

:14:41. > :14:43.shorter time. I think she raises a very important point. We need to

:14:44. > :14:53.understand flexible working means people adapting. Not just today, it

:14:54. > :14:58.needs to be able to adapt to changing lives as that happens for

:14:59. > :15:08.all of us in our working lives and careers. Last week was International

:15:09. > :15:12.Women's Day and I thought it was a sign of how important this day has

:15:13. > :15:20.become that the Chancellor marked by making it budget Day! It is

:15:21. > :15:32.symbolic, Madam Deputy Speaker, and I'm extremely, we have our second

:15:33. > :15:36.female Prime Minister and I'm proud that both of them have been

:15:37. > :15:43.conservative Prime Minister is. There's a long way to go but we

:15:44. > :15:52.should celebrate progress the cause it has been important and so nearly

:15:53. > :15:57.100 years after women were given the vote, the Chancellor has set aside

:15:58. > :16:03.?5 million to celebrate that historic event. I will finish by

:16:04. > :16:08.saying this budget will continue the government's mission to spread

:16:09. > :16:14.opportunity to every part of the country, and it rests on a strong,

:16:15. > :16:17.stable economy are avoiding the careers and jobs which lead to

:16:18. > :16:23.financial independence and success for a new generation and a sense of

:16:24. > :16:27.meaning in people's lives. We cannot be complacent. There will be more

:16:28. > :16:34.challenges to come but by investing in a world-class system alongside

:16:35. > :16:40.schools and lifelong learning and returned ships, this government has

:16:41. > :16:44.taken a crucial step in underwriting the flow of skills that our country

:16:45. > :16:53.needs. We will level up opportunity. We will lift our country by lifting

:16:54. > :16:57.up young people, and this breakthrough budget merits the

:16:58. > :17:07.support of this house. The question is as on the order paper. It is a

:17:08. > :17:16.pleasure to respond to the Secretary of State and quite right that we

:17:17. > :17:20.have a date at this dedication to skills. This comes when Britain has

:17:21. > :17:30.a social mobility problem getting worse, not better, as a result of an

:17:31. > :17:33.unfair education system, a two tier Labour market, imbalanced economy

:17:34. > :17:44.and an unaffordable housing market. Not my accusation but the conclusion

:17:45. > :17:52.of the social mobility commission. Most of these recommendations have

:17:53. > :18:00.been ignored. It made a recommendation against the policy.

:18:01. > :18:09.Sadly, that has also been ignored. Instead, the Chancellor used the

:18:10. > :18:14.budget to announce plans to spend another ?320 million on the next

:18:15. > :18:24.tranche of free schools which the Prime Minister wrote would provide

:18:25. > :18:31.70,000 new places. This would be the equivalent of ?4571 per pupil. But

:18:32. > :18:39.the Secretary of State will know that her own department's recent

:18:40. > :18:44.figures will show that the cash price was ?21,000 per place. The

:18:45. > :18:52.cash cost of a secondary free school place was ?24,000. This is coupled

:18:53. > :19:03.with a slightly curious detail hidden in the back of the red book

:19:04. > :19:07.with further 715,000 pounds for free schools in the next Parliament.

:19:08. > :19:18.Perhaps the Minister can answer this question later, if Philip gives just

:19:19. > :19:23.been ?320 million for new free places and each school plays costs

:19:24. > :19:32.?21,000, how many school places will to -- the Prime Minister end up

:19:33. > :19:36.with? I look forward to marking the homework later. Will she join me and

:19:37. > :19:42.local parents in Swindon on congratulating the government with

:19:43. > :19:54.the funding fire-2-mac free schools to help tackle the lack of places

:19:55. > :20:06.provided? I will come to these points. Either the Prime Minister

:20:07. > :20:11.has made an announcement without the Chancellor or they have disguised

:20:12. > :20:19.the overspend on the staggeringly -- inefficient school programme. That

:20:20. > :20:24.would not be a surprise. The National Audit Office has helpfully

:20:25. > :20:32.reminded the Chancellor and the Secretary of State, in 2010, the

:20:33. > :20:42.estimated it would cost ?900 million to open 315 schools. By March 2015

:20:43. > :20:49.the department had spent double the official budget and not manage to

:20:50. > :20:56.hit their target. They found they had already spent ?3.4 billion on

:20:57. > :21:00.the land alone. The Department is now on course to be the largest land

:21:01. > :21:09.purchase, even before the budget sank more money on. They also showed

:21:10. > :21:12.that new places were far more expensive than conventional schools

:21:13. > :21:17.had been. Will the Minister tell this house and the British people

:21:18. > :21:23.how much money her department will spend to deliver these new free

:21:24. > :21:29.schools? Will she guarantee that they will open in places where there

:21:30. > :21:39.is a clear need for places? The Chancellor pledged money for every

:21:40. > :21:44.school over a three-year period. The Secretary of State made reference to

:21:45. > :21:49.it. As the member for Southport stated, the National Audit Office

:21:50. > :21:56.has found that ?6.7 billion is necessary to return all existing

:21:57. > :22:06.schools to a satisfactory condition. The 85% of schools who apply were

:22:07. > :22:12.rejected and this investment was cheaper than the free schools

:22:13. > :22:16.programme. We know why the Chancellor focused on free schools.

:22:17. > :22:22.It will enable the creation of selective free schools. It was the

:22:23. > :22:27.former Education Secretary who said he'd had enough of experts but not

:22:28. > :22:32.even he tried to bring back grammar schools let alone pretend it was a

:22:33. > :22:43.policy of social mobility. I'm not giving way. We now that only one in

:22:44. > :22:48.25 pupils at grammar schools is eligible for free school meals while

:22:49. > :22:55.one in every eight previously attended an independent school. Even

:22:56. > :22:59.among the highest achieving 20% of pupils from the most affluent

:23:00. > :23:04.backgrounds, we are more likely to get into a grammar school than those

:23:05. > :23:10.from the most disadvantaged. Of course, the government have

:23:11. > :23:17.suggested that they intend to take action to change this. It has not

:23:18. > :23:24.gone down well on the back benches opposite. Given they've been happy

:23:25. > :23:27.to jump the gun on the rest of their consultation perhaps the Minister

:23:28. > :23:35.could be forthcoming to the house about those plans, as she was to the

:23:36. > :23:41.press. The Chancellor, the Secretary of State has spent a huge amount of

:23:42. > :23:50.time speaking and I want to carry on. The Chancellor announced the

:23:51. > :23:53.measure to address this. They are bussing children into grammar

:23:54. > :24:00.schools. They forgot to mention they've only just cut ?6 million out

:24:01. > :24:07.of the budget for every other child. That left them with no statutory

:24:08. > :24:16.provision for disabled people. Others were forced to change school.

:24:17. > :24:24.They are paying a tax so a handful can be ferried at the cost of

:24:25. > :24:34.thousands of pounds each. Apparently the comprehensive school buses are

:24:35. > :24:39.out and the grammar school is in. To give them a figleaf of social

:24:40. > :24:42.mobility. The Chancellor said they commit because they understand

:24:43. > :24:45.choice is the key to excellence in education. I would remind the

:24:46. > :24:50.government that good teaching, school leadership, the right

:24:51. > :24:54.curriculum and many of the other things are also key to that. But

:24:55. > :25:00.it's also a rather obvious point that the system they are proposing

:25:01. > :25:08.is not one in which parents or pupils choose the school. They are

:25:09. > :25:16.proposing that schools choose the pupils and parents are unlikely to

:25:17. > :25:22.have a choice on childcare reader. The Chancellor said they will get

:25:23. > :25:25.the entitlement doubled but the Secretary of State has already

:25:26. > :25:32.admitted in written answers that only a small minority of those

:25:33. > :25:37.parents currently receiving 15 hours will be eligible for the 30 hours.

:25:38. > :25:41.Under 400,000 families will qualify despite the promise that over

:25:42. > :25:51.600,000 would benefit. The Chancellor's plans for adult

:25:52. > :25:55.education are no closer to reality. He announced 40 million to trial new

:25:56. > :26:00.ways of delivering adult education and lifelong learning, yet his own

:26:01. > :26:07.Government has, since 2010, cut the adult skills budget by 32%, with

:26:08. > :26:10.over ?1 billion taken out since 2010. Now, I know the Chancellor's

:26:11. > :26:14.aides have referred to their neighbours in Number 10 as being

:26:15. > :26:22.economically illiterate, but surely even they can realise the absurdity

:26:23. > :26:33.of trying to reverse damage caused by ?1 billion of cuts with ?40

:26:34. > :26:38.million in trials. The new investment would be welcome, after

:26:39. > :26:44.all, further education budgets were cut by 7% in the last Parliament,

:26:45. > :26:49.and the Institute for Fiscal Studies found between 2010 and 2020, funding

:26:50. > :26:59.per pupil in further education would be cut by 13%. Would my friend give

:27:00. > :27:05.way? Debriefing lines do not quite match the budget lines. The red book

:27:06. > :27:11.shows that in 2019, the new funding will only be ?6 million. Even by

:27:12. > :27:24.2021, the new funding will not have risen to the promised half a billion

:27:25. > :27:26.a year. Is she aware that a consequence of this is that the

:27:27. > :27:33.productivity gap between this country and the rest of the world

:27:34. > :27:39.has worsened every single year since the Tories came in, and even under

:27:40. > :27:48.the coalition, and is now the worst since 1991. Absolutely, I thank my

:27:49. > :27:52.honourable friend for his intervention. I make that 1-1 from

:27:53. > :27:56.both sides of the house, I am going to be moving on. That brings us back

:27:57. > :28:01.to the context of the other announcements, which is the funding

:28:02. > :28:04.crisis facing our schools. We learn from today's Times that they are now

:28:05. > :28:09.in retreat over the new funding formula. Perhaps the sexual state

:28:10. > :28:17.will use this to clarify his position to the house? They might

:28:18. > :28:20.say they are still consulting and they may not have seen the results,

:28:21. > :28:26.yet we still haven't seen the results of the School That Work For

:28:27. > :28:29.Everyone Consultation. That did not stop Prime Minister using the budget

:28:30. > :28:34.to announce most of the forthcoming school bill to the press. It was

:28:35. > :28:39.same with the initial plans of the new grammar schools, the new School

:28:40. > :28:44.improvement funding, and every other education announcement made in last

:28:45. > :28:48.week's budget. Announcements made behind closed doors are the pay wall

:28:49. > :28:54.of the Prime Minister's favoured newspapers, rather than within this

:28:55. > :28:59.house. No wonder they would rather avoid our scrutiny, because there

:29:00. > :29:03.was one thing the budget fails to mention. That is the pledge that the

:29:04. > :29:08.party opposite made in their manifesto. Under a future

:29:09. > :29:13.Conservative Government, the amount of money following your child into

:29:14. > :29:16.schools will be protected. There will be a real terms increase in the

:29:17. > :29:20.schools budget in the next Parliament. The last Prime Minister

:29:21. > :29:27.made clear what he meant. The amount of money following your child into

:29:28. > :29:34.schools will not be cut. In Treasury speak, flat cash per pupil. So, they

:29:35. > :29:38.were clear, Mr Deputy Speaker, not a single pupil in the country would

:29:39. > :29:42.see their funding cut by a single penny. That was their promise. Yet

:29:43. > :29:48.the National Audit Office has found that there will be an 8% drop in

:29:49. > :29:55.per-pupil funding this Parliament, leaving schools forced to make cuts

:29:56. > :29:57.worth ?3 billion. Up and down the country we hear schools that are

:29:58. > :30:05.seeing less money in their budgets and forced to cut hours or subjects,

:30:06. > :30:09.or asking parents to chip in. Yesterday, on the European issue,

:30:10. > :30:13.the government was clear that their justification was a mandate of the

:30:14. > :30:18.British people. Yet they too had a mandate when it came to funding our

:30:19. > :30:21.schools. I know that they would like to airbrush the last Prime Minister

:30:22. > :30:30.from history, but they tell us today, will they tell us today, that

:30:31. > :30:37.the pledge still stands? When does the Treasury intend to meet it? The

:30:38. > :30:41.Prime Minister have a lot to say about education, but when it came to

:30:42. > :30:43.meeting their own promises they were selective with their facts and

:30:44. > :30:51.copper offensive in their failure. They must do better.

:30:52. > :30:58.-- comprehensive in their failure. It gives me some pleasure to follow

:30:59. > :31:02.the shadow Secretary of State for education. Let me start by

:31:03. > :31:07.congratulating the Secretary of State on his speech. I am delighted

:31:08. > :31:11.she managed to secure protection for the schools budget, which will

:31:12. > :31:15.continue to grow in real terms. I congratulate the Chief Secretary,

:31:16. > :31:18.who I see is in his place, for facilitating that. I would also like

:31:19. > :31:23.to welcome the national funding formula which the Secretary of State

:31:24. > :31:30.has been working on with a forensic attention to detail. It will ensure

:31:31. > :31:34.that funding follows need, rather than an historic accident of

:31:35. > :31:39.postcode, and in Croydon, the borough I represent, which has been

:31:40. > :31:41.historically underfunded, we will see the historic injustice

:31:42. > :31:45.corrected. I would like to congratulate the Secretary of State

:31:46. > :31:51.for her work and welcome the national funding formula. The Shadow

:31:52. > :31:57.Secretary of State for Education, in her speech she read out a few

:31:58. > :32:05.minutes ago, gave us some statistics. The most important

:32:06. > :32:10.statistic we have when it comes to this country in education, is that

:32:11. > :32:15.1.8 million more children are being educated in good or outstanding

:32:16. > :32:18.schools compared to 2010. The honourable lady opposite can quote

:32:19. > :32:26.all of the sums that she likes, but the fact remains that this

:32:27. > :32:29.government is delivering, delivering a better education for more children

:32:30. > :32:36.than ever before and members on this side of the house are proud that our

:32:37. > :32:39.government are doing that. 1.8 million more children in good and

:32:40. > :32:46.outstanding schools. That is the result of the free school and

:32:47. > :32:52.Academy programme and I am delighted that this Government is continuing

:32:53. > :32:58.and expanding the programme. In that vein, I am also pleased that the

:32:59. > :33:02.chief secretary, the Chancellor and the Education Secretary have found,

:33:03. > :33:10.over the next five years, up until 2021-22, and additional ?1 billion

:33:11. > :33:15.to fund further new schools. New schools give choice to parents. As

:33:16. > :33:19.this statistics I have quoted show, they encourage higher standards.

:33:20. > :33:22.Some of the schools may well be new grammar schools, which the

:33:23. > :33:26.honourable lady opposite criticised. I should declare to the house that I

:33:27. > :33:29.am a grammar school boy. I went to a grammar school in south London. I

:33:30. > :33:35.know from my own experience that grammar schools help children from

:33:36. > :33:40.ordinary backgrounds fulfil their potential. All of the studies show

:33:41. > :33:43.that children... Children from ordinary backgrounds that go to

:33:44. > :33:48.grammar schools do a great deal better than those who go to other

:33:49. > :33:51.schools. I am sorry the honourable lady opposite to not give way, she

:33:52. > :33:58.did give way to the honourable gentleman for Bassetlaw, many of his

:33:59. > :34:02.constituents attended grammar school in my constituency. The question she

:34:03. > :34:08.failed to answer is wide as the abolition of grammar schools has

:34:09. > :34:19.that been a catastrophic fall in mobility in socially deprived areas?

:34:20. > :34:21.They can and should be for social mobility. But they include new

:34:22. > :34:25.measures to make sure grammar schools take on board a higher

:34:26. > :34:34.proportion of pupils on free school meals. There is a very successful

:34:35. > :34:37.case study for this. A number of steps, which include outreach for

:34:38. > :34:41.local primary schools in deprived areas, free tuition for the tests

:34:42. > :34:44.and bursaries to fund things like school uniform and travel, which

:34:45. > :34:51.have, together, increased the grammar schools free school meals

:34:52. > :34:58.intake from 3%, up to 22%, which shows the measures the Education

:34:59. > :35:03.Secretary is proposing works in practice and I strongly welcome

:35:04. > :35:07.them. In the interests of joined up thinking, what proportion of

:35:08. > :35:14.qualifications will the new grammar schools give over to T-Levels? I

:35:15. > :35:20.think it is up to individual schools to set their own individual

:35:21. > :35:24.curricula, and also for the parents, children and pupils' choices. That

:35:25. > :35:29.is what local is a means. Grammar schools, by their nature, tend to be

:35:30. > :35:32.more academic and flavour. Well, that is what a grammar school is. It

:35:33. > :35:36.should hardly be a surprise to members opposite. There are other

:35:37. > :35:42.kinds of school which have a more technical specialisation. Diversity

:35:43. > :35:50.of provision, choice for parents and variety in our system are signs of

:35:51. > :35:57.success. Members on this side of the house celebrate that. I would like

:35:58. > :36:03.to turn to some other measures in the Budget, starting with business

:36:04. > :36:07.rates. I know a number of members were concerned, including me, about

:36:08. > :36:13.the effect of the business rates revaluation on smaller businesses,

:36:14. > :36:16.and a town in my constituency was particularly affected by some quite

:36:17. > :36:22.significant upward revaluation is. In that context, I think it is very

:36:23. > :36:27.welcome that the Budget announced ?435 million of discretionary relief

:36:28. > :36:39.to help small businesses in towns like Pearly. But it might be worth

:36:40. > :36:47.adjusting that over time. The lion's share comes in the first two years,

:36:48. > :36:51.180 million in 2017-18. It is very welcome, but the transitional

:36:52. > :36:58.reliefs, the put caps on small business rate increases, in 17-18,

:36:59. > :37:01.they are 5%, and 7.5% in 18-19, meaning most small businesses will

:37:02. > :37:08.not feel too much of an effect in the next two years. It is really

:37:09. > :37:12.three, four and five-year's time when it will be most powerfully

:37:13. > :37:16.felt. I wonder if the Home Secretary might consider changing the profile

:37:17. > :37:20.of that money, so rather than frontloading it, it might be back

:37:21. > :37:24.loaded into year three and four of the period, when the effects of the

:37:25. > :37:29.business rate increases will be most heavily felt. The total amount of

:37:30. > :37:32.money will remain the same, 435 million, but the profile overtime

:37:33. > :37:35.will be shifted to better match the effects of the business rate

:37:36. > :37:42.increases. A second thought which I would offer for the future on

:37:43. > :37:46.transitional relief relates to the upward and downward caps. For the

:37:47. > :37:50.next financial year, 17-18, bills have been sent out and there is an

:37:51. > :37:57.upward cap of 5% for small businesses, so no small business get

:37:58. > :38:02.an increase of more than 5%, there is a downward cap of 4.1%, so no

:38:03. > :38:08.large business gets a downward decrease of less than 4.1. Lucky to

:38:09. > :38:14.the future, I wonder if in the Autumn Statement we might consider

:38:15. > :38:19.fine tuning the upward and downward caps so that the largest businesses,

:38:20. > :38:23.such as the big four supermarkets, have a lower or even zero further

:38:24. > :38:25.downward cap, they don't get any further decreases beyond the

:38:26. > :38:30.decrease next year, and that would fund a more generous upward cap for

:38:31. > :38:37.the smallest businesses. Rather than getting an upward cap of 10-15% in

:38:38. > :38:41.2019-21, the money saved might be used to lower the cap. It would be

:38:42. > :38:45.fiscally neutral, it would not affect the coming financial year,

:38:46. > :38:48.which is fully set in stone already, but it would help some of those

:38:49. > :38:54.small businesses in three or four years' time, including businesses in

:38:55. > :38:58.my constituency. I have noticed the cumulative upward cap for these

:38:59. > :39:02.small businesses over the five-year period accumulates to 64.2%, quite a

:39:03. > :39:08.high upward cap. If we could find a way of softening the blow, I think

:39:09. > :39:11.it would be very welcome indeed. Another area which the Chancellor

:39:12. > :39:16.touched on in the budget statement related to pollution. He indicated

:39:17. > :39:21.that, particularly from diesel cars, and as a London MP this affects my

:39:22. > :39:23.constituency and all London constituencies particularly

:39:24. > :39:26.profoundly, the Chancellor mentioned there would be a plan delivered over

:39:27. > :39:29.the summer, responding to the European Union court case, and that

:39:30. > :39:34.fiscal measures would be introduced in the autumn budget. I must say, I

:39:35. > :39:40.have very significant reservations about Sidiq Khan's diesel scrappage

:39:41. > :39:44.scheme, which would cost in London ?515 million over two years. We want

:39:45. > :39:49.to do that nationally, the cost would be ?3.5 billion per year over

:39:50. > :39:52.two years, which I think is an affordable and will just cause one

:39:53. > :39:56.set of diesel cars to be replaced by another. I don't support the diesel

:39:57. > :40:02.scrappage scheme proposed by the Mayor of London. One fiscal measure

:40:03. > :40:06.the Government might consider, given that diesel cars burned 10 million

:40:07. > :40:12.tonnes of fuel every year, a three times increase over the last ten

:40:13. > :40:14.years, the Government might consider introducing a significantly

:40:15. > :40:23.increased registration tax for new diesel cars. I say cars, not vans or

:40:24. > :40:26.lorries, in order to deter people from buying new diesel cars, which

:40:27. > :40:29.make up half of the purchases in the country. It would have no effect

:40:30. > :40:32.retrospectively on people that bought a diesel car already, but it

:40:33. > :40:38.would encourage people to switch away from diesel cars in future. I

:40:39. > :40:42.think it would greatly help ease pollution problems in cities like

:40:43. > :40:47.London in the months and years ahead. I can see the time limit is

:40:48. > :40:55.rapidly approaching. Let me conclude. I'm glad to something

:40:56. > :40:58.popular on the benches opposite. Let me conclude by welcoming this

:40:59. > :41:02.Budget, continuing the Government's record of job creation and growth,

:41:03. > :41:05.and let me congratulate the Education Secretary and chief

:41:06. > :41:09.secretary for protecting and growing education funding and committing to

:41:10. > :41:17.fund more excellent schools in our country.

:41:18. > :41:25.It was a dull budget. I don't say that as a criticism because it was

:41:26. > :41:28.meant to be dull. The Chancellor did most of his heavy lifting in the

:41:29. > :41:39.Autumn Statement when he amassed the war chest by borrowing ?120 billion.

:41:40. > :41:45.The criticism is rather than use that to raise productivity, improve

:41:46. > :41:48.productivity, he's put it aside because he doesn't know what will

:41:49. > :41:56.happen after the Brexit deal is done. The education minister made a

:41:57. > :42:02.reasonable fist of trying to explain the new levels but after half an

:42:03. > :42:06.hour I began to think she was arguing a little bit too hard as if

:42:07. > :42:12.she did not really believe it herself. I think one of the more

:42:13. > :42:21.innovative parts of the budget was this. If you want a technical

:42:22. > :42:24.education of the standard of Germany or the Netherlands you have to have

:42:25. > :42:30.the schools, the workshops, the machinery in the schools to do the

:42:31. > :42:36.teaching. The equivalent must be better than what you will get when

:42:37. > :42:41.you get to the factory at you've graduated. That is how you raise

:42:42. > :42:51.productivity, training at the highest level. If the budget had put

:42:52. > :42:59.the money into schools, technical skills, and a level that you see in

:43:00. > :43:06.Germany and the Netherlands, I might have believed the government.

:43:07. > :43:14.Actually they are another addition to the fact that this government

:43:15. > :43:19.wants to pursue selective education, for a narrow stream of people. You

:43:20. > :43:30.will not solve the problem of productivity. The one thing that we

:43:31. > :43:31.did get in the government was a rise in national insurance for the

:43:32. > :43:47.self-employed. There is a building company and an

:43:48. > :43:54.investment company. Does anybody know who these companies are? They

:43:55. > :44:01.are both owned by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. In 2010 he put them

:44:02. > :44:07.into a blind trust. He's a very honourable man so there is no

:44:08. > :44:13.question of him influencing. Unlike certain presidents of the United

:44:14. > :44:20.States. But it is interesting to see what these companies are thinking

:44:21. > :44:27.about. The accounts say the building industry is suffering from supply

:44:28. > :44:35.bottlenecks of skilled trades people driving up costs. What does the

:44:36. > :44:37.building company say? The scarcity of good quality subcontractors is

:44:38. > :44:46.still an issue and they are considering going back. This skills

:44:47. > :44:55.and supply bottleneck is largely among the self-employed. To sum up,

:44:56. > :45:00.the Federation of Master builders says 60% of construction firms are

:45:01. > :45:06.struggling to hire bricklayers and carpenters. They claim the increase

:45:07. > :45:14.will help supply some of this much-needed skill that is being

:45:15. > :45:19.demanded. At the same time, this Chancellor is removing the incentive

:45:20. > :45:24.to work and take your training because he's raising taxes on the

:45:25. > :45:29.very workers his companies say they need. This Chancellor is so

:45:30. > :45:31.short-sighted he is not only hurting his own business, sadly and

:45:32. > :45:39.unfortunately he is hurting everybody else's. This is not just a

:45:40. > :45:46.dull budget. At the heart there is a ticking time bomb. The forecast is

:45:47. > :45:50.quite interesting about what happens next. It relates to whether the

:45:51. > :45:54.money will be there to provide the training the Minister has been

:45:55. > :46:00.talking about. The Chancellor was very concerned to tell us that

:46:01. > :46:04.growth has been very strong in the last 12 months. Growth in this

:46:05. > :46:14.country has been powered by consumer borrowing. The OBR says in 2016 the

:46:15. > :46:35.ratio in the UK get a historical low.

:46:36. > :46:43.But the OBR does not think that there is a potential for consumer

:46:44. > :46:50.borrowing to continue to carry the economy. They are predicting there

:46:51. > :47:00.will be a downturn in availability of consumer funds. This cannot

:47:01. > :47:02.continue. Why? Most of the boost to consumer spending in the last year

:47:03. > :47:16.is a hangover from 2015 people felt they were

:47:17. > :47:23.better off and that is why they've been spending money in the last

:47:24. > :47:27.year. With inflation now rising, because the pound has tanked, we can

:47:28. > :47:35.expect that to disappear. So how will they reach the growth targets?

:47:36. > :47:44.The OBR says it will be replaced by a rise in business investment. When

:47:45. > :47:50.I asked, where was the evidence, they had a really wonderful answer.

:47:51. > :47:57.It took my breath away. Business investment has been so low for so

:47:58. > :48:02.long it is bound to go up sometime. That is what they said. Things can

:48:03. > :48:13.only get better as my colleague says. I will believe that when I see

:48:14. > :48:19.that. Just to amplify the point he's making, when you look at the book,

:48:20. > :48:27.investment intentions have been put on hold. And yet when you turn the

:48:28. > :48:35.page you find business investment goes between... It quite simply does

:48:36. > :48:40.not add up, does it? Not only does it not add up it means we will have

:48:41. > :48:48.the sharing which will raise productivity. We will miss the

:48:49. > :48:51.target yet again. I say, since the Chancellor has amassed this war

:48:52. > :48:56.chest he should be using it now, to wait and see what happens is not

:48:57. > :49:03.something that anybody does, you need to invest now. So let's invest

:49:04. > :49:10.in the schools. I think that would be good, but that is not what the

:49:11. > :49:15.budget says. As I understand the government has invested and the

:49:16. > :49:16.front bench can Mehdi confirmed, ?300 million that colleges can apply

:49:17. > :49:38.for a technical status. Having spent 25 years of my life

:49:39. > :49:53.teaching in further education, this is a tiny amount when you drill down

:49:54. > :49:57.through the institutions. Can the government not... You're talking

:49:58. > :50:02.about ?30 billion. If you don't want to spend it then fine. Don't pretend

:50:03. > :50:13.these small amounts of money somehow solve the problem. The truth is...

:50:14. > :50:23.I'm very grateful. The honourable member was my economic lecturer 30

:50:24. > :50:30.years ago. We have delegated responsibility. It is the lack of

:50:31. > :50:35.balance that has quite simply not work. We've not seen enough fiscal

:50:36. > :50:40.responsibility from this government to create the circumstances that

:50:41. > :50:45.will deliver sustainable growth. I thank my honourable friend and he is

:50:46. > :50:50.right but I think it is important to pin the blame where it is deserved.

:50:51. > :50:54.I think perhaps the Chancellor gets too much of the blame. The blame

:50:55. > :51:01.lies in Downing Street, with the Prime Minister. Let me quote to you

:51:02. > :51:11.from the Prime Minister's speech when she launched her leadership

:51:12. > :51:17.bid. She said if there is a choice between further spending cuts, and

:51:18. > :51:23.tax rises, the priority must be to avoid tax increases since they will

:51:24. > :51:30.disrupt investment. Now we have a budget which is going to raise taxes

:51:31. > :51:34.of the self-employed, the entrepreneurs, the people who

:51:35. > :51:38.require the motivation to grow the economy and raise productivity. It

:51:39. > :51:44.is the Prime Minister who has reneged on that leadership promise.

:51:45. > :51:53.The Chancellor is already doing her bidding. This budget claims to

:51:54. > :52:05.address the productivity question but is actually about selectivity.

:52:06. > :52:08.What the budget has not done. The millennial generation is earning

:52:09. > :52:13.less than its appearance. The budget does not do that because the

:52:14. > :52:16.Chancellor set his war chest. Home ownership is falling among middle

:52:17. > :52:22.earners for the first time in 50 years. Mrs Thatcher would be turning

:52:23. > :52:25.in her grave if she heard that from a Conservative government. Average

:52:26. > :52:29.incomes by 2021 will be a fifth less than it would have been if growth

:52:30. > :52:34.had been continued at precrisis levels. ?5,000 less for every

:52:35. > :52:40.household. You have not delivered a return to incomes and wealth for the

:52:41. > :52:47.ordinary person. The Chancellor's fees on universal credits is one

:52:48. > :52:50.person will have a lower real income in five years. The government has

:52:51. > :52:56.not delivered for the ordinary person. This is a budget which does

:52:57. > :52:59.not address the real issues of inequality in this country. It is a

:53:00. > :53:10.budget for inertia and complacency and I will be voting against it. It

:53:11. > :53:13.is a pleasure to follow the honourable gentleman and he had a

:53:14. > :53:21.lot to say about education in England. Perhaps we would have liked

:53:22. > :53:27.to hear more about it in Scotland. I've hardly started. I'd like to

:53:28. > :53:32.tell you the outcomes in Scottish education of people going into work

:53:33. > :53:39.are significantly higher than in this part of the UK. I'm very

:53:40. > :53:42.grateful to be informed and before the honourable gentleman stood up I

:53:43. > :53:45.did want to say to him at his colleague that the events of the

:53:46. > :53:50.last 24 hours have convinced me more than ever before but I was right at

:53:51. > :53:55.the beginning of this Parliament to move an amendment to give full

:53:56. > :53:58.fiscal autonomy to Scotland with a modern equalisation formula which

:53:59. > :54:01.will ensure prosperity across the nations of the United Kingdom and

:54:02. > :54:06.replace the outdated Barnett formula so perhaps the SNP should not

:54:07. > :54:12.intervene too often because basically I am on their side. I just

:54:13. > :54:17.wanted to say a few words in defence of the government. I know this is

:54:18. > :54:30.sometimes an unpopular thing to do but I do feel that the Chancellor

:54:31. > :54:44.was courageous. I think it was the right thing to do. A storm has risen

:54:45. > :54:56.above our heads. It is the right thing to do because it is about

:54:57. > :55:02.honesty in politics. Too often we have had little giveaways and we

:55:03. > :55:12.realise successive chancellors have taken back from is what they've

:55:13. > :55:17.given to us. In plugging the gap, the Chancellor was trying to say

:55:18. > :55:22.we've got to have a mature and grown-up debate in this country

:55:23. > :55:29.about how we meet this funding gap. This debate will now run and run,

:55:30. > :55:36.we've got a few months to think about it and come up with a

:55:37. > :55:38.solution. When it is said there is a manifesto commitment, sometimes

:55:39. > :55:45.circumstances change and you've got to do what is right for the country.

:55:46. > :55:58.Manifesto commitments are not written in stone. If we have to

:55:59. > :56:09.spend our money on social care, it is there. We know what will happen

:56:10. > :56:13.with those words written in stone we have to have a mature debate about

:56:14. > :56:18.how we paid for the National Health Service.

:56:19. > :56:24.Why do I say this? I'm going to be completely honest about it. A lot

:56:25. > :56:30.more needs to be done for our NHS. I rely, as do my family, entirely on

:56:31. > :56:34.the NHS, we have no other providers, people of my age are deeply worried

:56:35. > :56:38.about this funding crisis. We have seen what has happened to the mist

:56:39. > :56:43.A targets, we have seen the report that puts the United Kingdom just

:56:44. > :56:51.ahead of Slovenia. We, as a country, should be doing better than that. We

:56:52. > :56:54.see worse, England was ranked 30th for accessibility because of the

:56:55. > :56:58.exceptionally long waiting times for treatment. Figures from the OECD

:56:59. > :57:06.show the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and France top, while the UK

:57:07. > :57:10.stands at just 8.5% of GDP. I think we need to have a mature debate

:57:11. > :57:16.about how we are going to meet this funding gap people. The Kings fund

:57:17. > :57:25.estimates if we wanted to close the gap solely by increasing NHS from

:57:26. > :57:31.central government by 2021, we would need to increase by 30%, a whopping

:57:32. > :57:37.?43 billion in real terms. It would push NHS spending to ?135 billion

:57:38. > :57:42.overall. Are there any alternatives to these scenarios? I pose this

:57:43. > :57:46.question, I know it is unpopular and people do not necessarily want to

:57:47. > :57:49.debate it, we cannot raise this money from general taxation. There

:57:50. > :57:56.is not the political will. We can't afford to do it. Not if we want to

:57:57. > :57:59.maintain the NHS as a universal, noncontributory, entirely free at

:58:00. > :58:05.the point of use system. Something has to give. The health consumer

:58:06. > :58:11.interest points out a contrast between the two styles of health

:58:12. > :58:16.care. One system is based on citizens taking out insurance

:58:17. > :58:23.available from a range of providers, the systems like ours have one body

:58:24. > :58:27.that provides all care. The largest countries like that, the UK, Spain

:58:28. > :58:32.and Italy, keep clinging together in the middle of the index. The Health

:58:33. > :58:35.Consumer Index rated the Dutch system is the best performing in

:58:36. > :58:41.Europe. The Netherlands happens to have a Bismarck style system. I

:58:42. > :58:44.believe, I know it is controversial, I know colleagues do not necessarily

:58:45. > :58:47.want to debate it because politically it is very sensitive,

:58:48. > :58:53.but I do think that without appointing a Royal commission,

:58:54. > :58:56.wasting years, that ministers and the opposition really happy to have

:58:57. > :59:03.an open mind about how we are going to raise more money for people, not

:59:04. > :59:08.from general taxation, but actually moving, gradually, for parts of our

:59:09. > :59:14.health care, to an insurance -based system, a socially insurance -based

:59:15. > :59:20.system. We have to have the courage to think radically about following

:59:21. > :59:23.the German and French example, and indeed the Australian example. If

:59:24. > :59:28.you go to see a GP in Australia, you have to pay some money, if you don't

:59:29. > :59:34.turn up, you lose the money. In France, if you see a doctor, if you

:59:35. > :59:38.go to A, you have to pay, and if you can't afford to pay, it will be

:59:39. > :59:42.returned to you, if you can, you have to make a contribution. I know

:59:43. > :59:48.these are radical ideas. But if people are going to dismiss these

:59:49. > :59:51.ideas, dismissed the need for an open debate about how we are going

:59:52. > :59:55.to fund the health care system, they themselves have to explain to us how

:59:56. > :00:03.they are going to raise money from general taxation. There is no points

:00:04. > :00:04.of the attacking the Government for increasing national insurance

:00:05. > :00:08.contributions, without themselves proposing how they are going to tax

:00:09. > :00:12.a world beating health care system which is in all our interests. I

:00:13. > :00:17.think we want an open debate on that. I will return to education for

:00:18. > :00:21.a moment. I think we need to have a realistic debate about this as well.

:00:22. > :00:24.On both sides of the chamber, I think the way to approach the debate

:00:25. > :00:28.is to say I believe in grammar schools or, on all accounts, I

:00:29. > :00:32.oppose selective education in any shape or form. I think the

:00:33. > :00:37.opposition has to ask themselves, it is a serious question, why social

:00:38. > :00:41.mobility has declined so catastrophically in our most

:00:42. > :00:45.deprived areas. The solution may not be to have grammar schools in our

:00:46. > :00:50.deprived areas. It may be to have more academic streams in conference

:00:51. > :00:55.of schools. It may be that if you set out some selective schools, you

:00:56. > :00:58.only do so in deprived areas. The solution may be that you only

:00:59. > :01:04.provide places for academically gifted children who come from

:01:05. > :01:06.deprived backgrounds. If Ideologically you say we are not

:01:07. > :01:13.going to go down that route at all, we believe in neighbourhood

:01:14. > :01:17.comprehensives in deprived areas, you have to ask yourselves while

:01:18. > :01:23.social mobility is declining, has declined and will go on declining. I

:01:24. > :01:29.think the Prime Minister is trying to open up a serious and interesting

:01:30. > :01:33.debate. I think the Health Secretary is starting to open up a serious and

:01:34. > :01:37.interesting debate about how we are going to fund the NHS. I think the

:01:38. > :01:41.Chancellor of the Exchequer is opening up a serious and interesting

:01:42. > :01:45.debate about how we are going to find the money to meet all of our

:01:46. > :01:52.needs in the future. In those terms, on that basis, I welcome the Budget

:01:53. > :01:55.speech. It is a pleasure to follow the Right Honourable Gentleman for

:01:56. > :02:00.Gainsborough. I think he made a thoughtful and forward-looking

:02:01. > :02:06.speech. I have to say, on the matter of insurance -based payments to fund

:02:07. > :02:09.the NHS, in regards to his points on selective education, I could not

:02:10. > :02:13.disagree with him more. I think it is the wrong approach for this

:02:14. > :02:16.country should take. I want to mention three key points in my

:02:17. > :02:22.contribution. The first is the position of the national debt. This

:02:23. > :02:26.year's economic and fiscal outlook document states, and I quote, the

:02:27. > :02:30.fiscal mandate has targeted different measures of the deficit at

:02:31. > :02:34.different horizons, which I think is a beautifully diplomatic way of

:02:35. > :02:39.saying that the Government keeps moving the goalposts and still fails

:02:40. > :02:42.to score the goal. The OBR goes on to state that the Government does

:02:43. > :02:45.not appear to be on track to meet its stated fiscal objective to

:02:46. > :02:49.return public finances to balance at the earliest possible date in the

:02:50. > :02:54.next Parliament. They have failed on the deficit, but they are failing

:02:55. > :02:57.catastrophically on the debt. In 2010, the Government expected public

:02:58. > :03:06.sector net debt to be falling as a share of GDP, having forecast to

:03:07. > :03:11.reach a high of 70.3% in 2013-14, falling to 67.4% by 2015-16.

:03:12. > :03:18.However, in every single year that the Tories have been in number 11,

:03:19. > :03:23.net debt has rose in actual and relative terms. It reached 87.3% of

:03:24. > :03:29.GDP last year. It is going to rise to this Parliament. The red book

:03:30. > :03:35.forecasts that it is to reach 88.9% this year. When the coalition took

:03:36. > :03:40.office, public sector net debt was ?771 billion. This year, it reached

:03:41. > :03:44.?1.6 trillion. The Redbook forecast it is going to rise again throughout

:03:45. > :03:50.this Parliament, to ?1.9 trillion. This is my first key point. In

:03:51. > :03:55.little over a decade, the Tories will have increased the public

:03:56. > :04:02.sector debt by 146%, by over ?1 trillion. In his statement, the

:04:03. > :04:07.Chancellor said we will not saddle our children with ever increasing

:04:08. > :04:11.debts. However, when Tory councillors have increased the

:04:12. > :04:15.public debt by almost 150% in a decade, saddling children with ever

:04:16. > :04:21.debt seems to be precisely what this government is doing. With the

:04:22. > :04:26.honourable gentleman join me in welcoming the fact that the deficit

:04:27. > :04:31.has gone down from 11% of GDP when Labour left office, down to 3% of

:04:32. > :04:37.GDP today? But the public sector debt is almost touching ?2 trillion!

:04:38. > :04:41.The honourable gentleman cannot be satisfied with that situation when

:04:42. > :04:45.the whole nature of Tory government since 2010 has been not only to

:04:46. > :04:50.reduce the deficit, but also to get the debt and a manageable

:04:51. > :04:54.conditions. On that point, having debt on a low and falling proportion

:04:55. > :04:57.of GDP provides some scope to absorb the impact of any future economic

:04:58. > :05:02.shock. That was the case with the Labour Government in the run-up to

:05:03. > :05:16.2008. In many respects, it was the runner-up in respect to the Thatcher

:05:17. > :05:19.government in 1988-1989. We will hit any economic turbulence or downturn

:05:20. > :05:26.with public sector debt being about 85% of GDP. That is not giving us

:05:27. > :05:29.the flexibility to respond and help firms and families in a robust and

:05:30. > :05:34.strong way. The second point I want to make is the nature of the

:05:35. > :05:38.economic recovery. Seven years ago, Tory Chancellor's first budget for

:05:39. > :05:44.13 years, it stated the British economy had become unbalanced, too

:05:45. > :05:47.reliant on growth, driven by the accumulation of unsustainable levels

:05:48. > :05:50.of private-sector debt and rising public sector debt. Growth was

:05:51. > :05:55.confined to a limited number of sectors and regions. I have

:05:56. > :05:59.mentioned above public sector debt. It is true to say that the British

:06:00. > :06:03.economy has performed well. The UK was the fastest-growing economy in

:06:04. > :06:06.the G7 last year. However, scratch below the surface and it is

:06:07. > :06:10.questionable precisely who is benefiting from that growth and what

:06:11. > :06:15.sort of growth we are having. Of course, growth is growth. That has

:06:16. > :06:19.got to be welcomed. But the British economy seems to be reverting to

:06:20. > :06:23.type, which could, in turn, leave us vulnerable to long-term challenges

:06:24. > :06:26.and could fail for us to take advantage of great opportunities. In

:06:27. > :06:30.terms of who is benefiting from the growth, the UK has been the only big

:06:31. > :06:34.advanced economy in which wages have contracted while the economy has

:06:35. > :06:39.expanded. Households are facing a period of 15 years in which average

:06:40. > :06:43.real wage growth did not happen. Average earnings, in real terms, are

:06:44. > :06:49.expected to be the same in 20-22 as they were in 2007. This period, the

:06:50. > :06:54.length period of stagnant wages, is unprecedented in the UK since before

:06:55. > :06:58.the Industrial Revolution. And yet, despite the lack of wage growth,

:06:59. > :07:04.household consumption is powering the economy. I think in a powerful

:07:05. > :07:08.contribution from the honourable gentleman for East Lothian, he

:07:09. > :07:10.mentioned this. It led to an expansion in the dominant services

:07:11. > :07:16.sector. If consumption growth is running faster than wage growth, it

:07:17. > :07:19.means people are reducing their savings or reducing borrowings. As

:07:20. > :07:23.the governor of the Bank of England said in January, UK expansion is

:07:24. > :07:27.increasingly consumption led. Evidence across a range of countries

:07:28. > :07:33.suggests episodes of consumption led growth tends to be both slower and

:07:34. > :07:39.less durable. And household debt to income ratio has increased this year

:07:40. > :07:45.alone from 140.8%, to 143.9%. These are worrying trends. We are not

:07:46. > :07:50.seeing an increase in investment and we are not seeing an export led

:07:51. > :07:54.recovery. Business investment has constantly undershot expectations.

:07:55. > :07:59.There has actually been a fall, year-on-year, in business investment

:08:00. > :08:03.last year of 1.5%. Despite the drop in Stirling's value against the

:08:04. > :08:08.dollar by a fifth by June 23, we have not seen a booming exports, as

:08:09. > :08:15.might be expected. In fact, the trade deficit widened to ?13.6

:08:16. > :08:18.billion in quarter three of 2016. It was due predominantly to a trading

:08:19. > :08:23.goods deficit getting larger by ?8.5 billion. My third point is that we

:08:24. > :08:27.need a new model of the economy. To be fair to the Prime Minister, when

:08:28. > :08:32.she came into Number 10, she said she wants to see an economy that

:08:33. > :08:36.works for everyone. She said she wanted to see public sector reform

:08:37. > :08:40.to ensure growth is re-balanced and reaches all parts of the UK. That is

:08:41. > :08:44.not what we saw in last week's budget. The government back row has

:08:45. > :08:46.referred to an industrial strategy as the path to which such growth

:08:47. > :08:51.could be achieved. The Chancellor failed to mention the term

:08:52. > :08:54.industrial strategy once in his financial statement, which I think

:08:55. > :08:59.demonstrates the extent of the buy in from the Treasury on the concept.

:09:00. > :09:04.We talk about rebalancing the regions, but as a north-eastern MP,

:09:05. > :09:07.I could not find any reference to the north in this whatsoever, let

:09:08. > :09:10.alone in terms of making sure we have an economy that works for

:09:11. > :09:15.everyone. As we on the select committee said in the recent

:09:16. > :09:20.publication into our inquiry into industrial strategy, Government

:09:21. > :09:24.tends to operate in silos. This sadly shows business as usual, more

:09:25. > :09:28.of the same. The government back intervenes in the economy every day,

:09:29. > :09:32.from taxes to regulation, as the red book shows. It can do that in an ad

:09:33. > :09:37.hoc and piecemeal way, or as part of a coordinated, strategic purpose.

:09:38. > :09:41.The Budget sadly seemed to stress the former. It is true that the

:09:42. > :09:45.Budget talks about skills as being essential. The Chancellor's

:09:46. > :09:51.announcement of technical education is welcome, but we don't see any

:09:52. > :09:53.fruits of that until 2020-21. The industrial strategy also talks about

:09:54. > :09:57.ensuring we are one of the most competitive places in the world to

:09:58. > :10:03.start and grow business. Yet the national insurance contributions

:10:04. > :10:07.debacle, attacks on enterprise, ambition and the personal risk taken

:10:08. > :10:12.by entrepreneurs. The committee would have liked to have seen a more

:10:13. > :10:16.ambitious approach, where Government, working with business,

:10:17. > :10:19.set a long-term direction for the economy in the pursuit of tackling

:10:20. > :10:23.global and national challenges. Where in the budget was the vision

:10:24. > :10:28.on decarbonisation? Where on the budget was the ambition to be the

:10:29. > :10:31.leading economy to exploit the fourth Industrial Revolution? Sadly,

:10:32. > :10:34.we got the same short-term tinkering, which will not address

:10:35. > :10:39.many of the issues such as low productivity, skills deficiencies

:10:40. > :10:41.and massive regional imbalances. If the Prime Minister is serious about

:10:42. > :10:51.an economy that works for everyone we need a step change in the way the

:10:52. > :10:53.economy works. An industrial strategy could be the means by which

:10:54. > :10:58.we achieve that. Sadly, with this Budget, we saw business as usual.

:10:59. > :11:01.Thank you for calling me to speak in this important debate. It is a

:11:02. > :11:04.pleasure to follow the Honourable Member for Hartlepool and the

:11:05. > :11:08.considered speech he has just made. I would like to congratulate the

:11:09. > :11:11.Secretary of State for her passion and commitment to social mobility.

:11:12. > :11:16.We have seen this today and we have seen it in the Budget. I am so

:11:17. > :11:18.pleased she is doing everything possible to ensure that my

:11:19. > :11:26.constituents have the opportunity to realise their potential.

:11:27. > :11:32.I particularly welcome the commitment to technological

:11:33. > :11:40.education. This is truly a budget for skills and the reason I care so

:11:41. > :11:46.much about that is this is a vitally important investment for the future

:11:47. > :11:54.of my constituency. Telford has a proud past as the birthplace of the

:11:55. > :12:00.Industrial Revolution. I will continue to say that it is the

:12:01. > :12:08.birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. We have the invention of

:12:09. > :12:14.the inclined plane, the Ironbridge, I could go on but I am here to talk

:12:15. > :12:20.about skills. Over the years, we've been able to overcome obstacles and

:12:21. > :12:28.find solutions to many problems. As a result of that, it has become a

:12:29. > :12:38.dynamic, vibrant centre of the modern Industrial Revolution. With

:12:39. > :12:43.high skilled, high-paid jobs on offer to the young people of

:12:44. > :12:51.Telford. I was addressing a sixth form some years ago which is in my

:12:52. > :12:57.constituency, and I said in the course of that discussion that

:12:58. > :13:01.university is not for everyone. Many graduates feel ill-equipped for the

:13:02. > :13:07.world of work on graduating and some of them feel in a state of high debt

:13:08. > :13:15.and low-paid jobs. There was shovelling and silence, then it

:13:16. > :13:20.became clear that almost all of the students were being encouraged to go

:13:21. > :13:24.on to university and that is what they were planning to do. At that

:13:25. > :13:31.stage they didn't have the choice that is now being offered to them.

:13:32. > :13:37.We now have a clear-cut quality alternative so that students can

:13:38. > :13:44.spend those 16 years preparing for the world of work, and that must be

:13:45. > :13:48.a good thing because Intel first we need to make sure that our young

:13:49. > :13:53.people have the right skills and the work readiness and abilities to take

:13:54. > :13:57.full advantage of the opportunities of these high skilled, high-tech

:13:58. > :14:02.jobs coming to Telford. When I meet employers they tell me about the

:14:03. > :14:09.skills gap and they see that as being a major challenge. The budget

:14:10. > :14:14.measures will address this. We already have some fantastic

:14:15. > :14:23.organisation is working hard to upscale our young people and I want

:14:24. > :14:31.to take the opportunity to mention training and colleges but do

:14:32. > :14:38.fantastic work. But also, and equally important, the skills

:14:39. > :14:42.training offered by our primary schools in Telford. I think we're

:14:43. > :14:46.doing something unique. I want to tell the house about this because I

:14:47. > :14:52.believe this is a model other primary schools should seek to

:14:53. > :14:57.follow. At the primary school which I visited quite recently every

:14:58. > :15:03.single child uses technology in the classroom in an amazing advanced

:15:04. > :15:21.way. They are getting skills which will equip them for the tasks of the

:15:22. > :15:32.future. They were making flowerpots for outdoor areas. Even today I had

:15:33. > :15:37.a school from Telford visiting me and one of the young boys told me

:15:38. > :15:40.about how they are learning to code in primary school. Many still do

:15:41. > :15:48.this. We need to build on these technical skills young people learn

:15:49. > :15:53.at this very young age. I think it is fantastic that we can build on

:15:54. > :15:59.that so that we can create a workforce for tomorrow for jobs that

:16:00. > :16:08.have not even yet been created. This is vital for us to be global and

:16:09. > :16:12.competitive. So I say well done to Richard Smith and all the companies

:16:13. > :16:20.that go round the primary schools helping them from the youngest age

:16:21. > :16:27.you can imagine. You're giving them the skills they need to thrive.

:16:28. > :16:35.Particular well done to the Secretary of State for introducing

:16:36. > :16:40.this transformative approach. In the same way we are helping those

:16:41. > :16:43.children do what they wish to do and we are boosting UK productivity and

:16:44. > :16:49.competitiveness in a post-Brexit world. I welcome the budget and many

:16:50. > :16:55.other measures in their budget and I want to mention the measures in

:16:56. > :17:02.their four women. The 5 million for the centenary of the votes for women

:17:03. > :17:06.in 1918. That's incredibly important that we mark that incredible

:17:07. > :17:23.milestone. The 5 million for returners. Those are important

:17:24. > :17:29.measures. Does she share the dismay that when her government talks about

:17:30. > :17:36.giving support to domestic violence victims it refuses to get rid of the

:17:37. > :17:40.repugnant sexual assault clause? I am glad she welcomes that money and

:17:41. > :17:44.think it is extremely important as government goes on recognising these

:17:45. > :17:50.victims and I believe our Prime Minister is 100% behind that. In

:17:51. > :18:00.conclusion, Madam Deputy Speaker, I welcome the budget and specifically

:18:01. > :18:07.are Secretary of State, and I know that it will benefit from the

:18:08. > :18:11.measures she has set out. I've heard a few budgets, the first was Sir

:18:12. > :18:26.Geoffrey Howe, a thoroughly decent man. I remember his budget and I

:18:27. > :18:32.thought the budget that we just had was deeply disappointing. In the

:18:33. > :18:38.context of the miserable votes last night where this government is

:18:39. > :18:52.heading into hard Brexit, I expected an imaginative budget. What Harold

:18:53. > :18:59.Macmillan said was events, events. There will be many more. This

:19:00. > :19:05.country will be rocked by events and this was not a budget that helps

:19:06. > :19:12.anybody. This is the average town in Britain. I have to say that the

:19:13. > :19:18.dreadful state, closing accident and emergency services, closing the

:19:19. > :19:23.hospital, this chaos up-and-downer country. Two thirds of the health

:19:24. > :19:32.services in our country are in dreadful trouble. Most of the local

:19:33. > :19:41.authorities I know, the real parts of Britain, not the leafy suburbs

:19:42. > :19:47.but those real parts in deep trouble, unable to bear the cost of

:19:48. > :19:52.care. I was expecting something imaginative from this budget and we

:19:53. > :20:01.didn't get it. In terms of education, we got very little. Where

:20:02. > :20:09.could we get alternative funding? We were on the liaison committee. I

:20:10. > :20:13.used to call them part of the barmy Army but he did think a lot. He's

:20:14. > :20:26.always been quite provocative and has something to say but we do need

:20:27. > :20:34.imagination and passion. I heard little fashion. Every child in this

:20:35. > :20:39.country has potential and if we cannot create a system that

:20:40. > :20:47.liberates that we are not doing our job. The disaster of our education

:20:48. > :20:53.system is good primary schools with bright little kids and then we lose

:20:54. > :20:59.them after the age of 11. What sort of country is that? What sort of

:21:00. > :21:07.school system is it? We've seen some real change and there are signs of

:21:08. > :21:14.improvement. And I want to give very briefly the test that most teachers

:21:15. > :21:25.give, the two stars on the wish list. I want to say, I'm going to

:21:26. > :21:29.give a start to the fact that there is a good, fundamental policy

:21:30. > :21:36.approach to skills in this budget. But we've been languishing in skills

:21:37. > :21:44.for so long, who would have thought, John Prescott, this crazy man of the

:21:45. > :21:50.left who wanted to have a levy, this left-wing horror. Well, we've got an

:21:51. > :21:57.apprenticeship levy. We should have that. We will hopefully see it

:21:58. > :22:05.succeeding. We will also have, because the government has done it,

:22:06. > :22:08.gone about policy-making in a sensible way. They took evidence and

:22:09. > :22:17.they consulted, they put Lord Sainsbury in charge, they had a

:22:18. > :22:22.former minister, he got to know something about skills and training.

:22:23. > :22:27.He's gone now but some of us will miss him. He did listen. He

:22:28. > :22:35.introduced Lord Sainsbury to the skills commission which I share and

:22:36. > :22:39.I give evidence about what I wanted to see as a skills policy and some

:22:40. > :22:44.of that is in the policy which came through in the budget. I welcome

:22:45. > :22:53.that. The select committee, when I cheered it, we used to applaud

:22:54. > :23:03.evidence -based policies. There is something here in terms of what

:23:04. > :23:08.Alison Ruoff admitted to the committee, talking to employers,

:23:09. > :23:19.businesses, on a cross-party basis. That's the way to make policy. The

:23:20. > :23:23.honourable gentleman is speaking with great passion. Can I give him

:23:24. > :23:28.another solution? Perhaps end the fiction that national insurance

:23:29. > :23:31.contributions can pay for all social care, merge it with taxation,

:23:32. > :23:42.simplify and try to make more money that way? He is to be complimented

:23:43. > :23:48.on being a good out-of-the-box thinker. On productivity, it is

:23:49. > :23:57.really only a half star because we cannot really check this additional

:23:58. > :24:03.investment. There is a world-class infrastructure investment. Most of

:24:04. > :24:09.that I like even though I am one of these people who cannot believe HS2,

:24:10. > :24:15.all that national treasure that is being put into a motorway that will

:24:16. > :24:20.be out of date by the time it is built. But I know that I am in a

:24:21. > :24:29.minority on that. 300 million for the development of future research

:24:30. > :24:37.talent in the UK. I like all that but it is good stuff. All that stuff

:24:38. > :24:44.is about disruptive technology. Artificial intelligence. That is

:24:45. > :24:49.good stuff but, mad gets the speaker -- Madam Deputy Speaker, I know that

:24:50. > :24:53.research has not been high enough and the cooperation between business

:24:54. > :24:58.and universities has not been good enough, and I know that productivity

:24:59. > :25:07.will never get the levels we want until we have that kind of

:25:08. > :25:11.relationship. Lastly, the wish I have, where is the evidence that

:25:12. > :25:19.grammar schools and free schools do anything about finding that spark in

:25:20. > :25:28.children? No research, no evidence, not one reputable search believes

:25:29. > :25:37.selective education helped anybody. It is the reverse. All the research,

:25:38. > :25:41.experience, just look at Kent. For God's sake. It is the most selective

:25:42. > :25:46.in the country and the worst performance across all schools in

:25:47. > :25:49.the country. That is selective education. Selective education has

:25:50. > :25:55.no research base, no experience base, no global comparison where we

:25:56. > :25:58.can say, isn't it wonderful? They don't have it in Denmark, they don't

:25:59. > :26:06.have it in Sweden, they don't have it in Finland, I doubt they have it

:26:07. > :26:12.in Shanghai. I like policy based on good research, good evaluation and,

:26:13. > :26:16.yes, sometimes across the party divide. That's the way to make

:26:17. > :26:21.policy. This budget hasn't delivered it and if we want that spark to be

:26:22. > :26:25.found and promoted, and for a country to be rich and successful,

:26:26. > :26:32.in a challenging disaster, it is not this budget.

:26:33. > :26:39.Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am delighted to follow the

:26:40. > :26:45.Honourable Member for Huddersfield. We co-chair the All-party Group On

:26:46. > :26:52.Manufacturing together and we are involved in many other things. He

:26:53. > :26:57.displayed his typical fashion... His typical fashion? Is typical passion

:26:58. > :27:03.in his speech this afternoon. At a time when we must be forward-looking

:27:04. > :27:07.in our approach, in our increasingly dynamic economy, tying in with the

:27:08. > :27:13.industrial strategy, there is, I believe, much to the optimistic

:27:14. > :27:18.about. I would like to start by acknowledging the positive news in

:27:19. > :27:24.terms of employment. A record high in terms of 31.8 million people in

:27:25. > :27:32.work, also reflected locally in figures in my constituency, a 74%

:27:33. > :27:38.fall in unemployment since 2010. Businesses can be particularly proud

:27:39. > :27:41.of this achievement. As the unemployment figure falls, it

:27:42. > :27:46.becomes increasingly difficult to reduce that figure further. For this

:27:47. > :27:55.reason, we must think differently about developing the skills base,

:27:56. > :27:59.not least in terms of investment in are and deep, and industry 4.0. A

:28:00. > :28:08.prime example of an idea we must implement into our policy, spanning

:28:09. > :28:11.a range of departments. I also welcome the introduction of

:28:12. > :28:15.T-Levels. Technical education has the potential to boost productivity.

:28:16. > :28:20.The new system being introduced in 2019 increases the number of hours

:28:21. > :28:25.on such courses and includes good, strong work placements. I spoke

:28:26. > :28:29.recently on a debate on the productivity plan. If we are to

:28:30. > :28:36.improve productivity in the UK, we must first improve our skills in our

:28:37. > :28:40.domestic base. He investment in technical education is a boost,

:28:41. > :28:44.rising to over 500 million per year. Our own Warwickshire College, in my

:28:45. > :28:50.constituency, is an example of what we can achieve. Given parity to

:28:51. > :28:57.respect, too technical education, is, in relation to A-levels,

:28:58. > :29:00.something I have long believed in. I am pleased to see the Government

:29:01. > :29:05.raise the significance of this standard. More generally,

:29:06. > :29:09.strengthening ties between our education system and business should

:29:10. > :29:11.be a priority. Particularly as the demands on business will continue to

:29:12. > :29:19.shift with the changing landscapes of the economy. On productivity and

:29:20. > :29:22.building on the announcement of the National productivity investment

:29:23. > :29:26.fund, during the Autumn Statement, I welcome the funding in the spring

:29:27. > :29:31.budget to upgrade transport infrastructure, not least in the

:29:32. > :29:37.Midlands this will see 23 million directed towards improving the

:29:38. > :29:41.transport network. Wider spending on infrastructure, with a focus on

:29:42. > :29:47.providing the very best framework for business to operate within is

:29:48. > :29:52.vital. The launch of the industrial strategy fund is also very welcome,

:29:53. > :29:57.particularly with focus on investing in innovation. It is absolutely

:29:58. > :30:02.right, and I hope it can be built on as the strategy develops. During the

:30:03. > :30:06.Queen 's speech debate last year, I spoke of the importance of shaping

:30:07. > :30:11.and industrial strategy to give certainty and confidence to British

:30:12. > :30:18.business. Despite being a little alone with that opinion on this side

:30:19. > :30:25.of the house, I welcome the Green paper and the development of the

:30:26. > :30:29.department. With this new funding, projects such as Federer the

:30:30. > :30:33.capabilities of the automotive sector, increasing the longevity of

:30:34. > :30:39.batteries in electric vehicles can go a long way in sustaining a

:30:40. > :30:42.prosperous future. Investment in infrastructure and are and Dee is

:30:43. > :30:53.vital if potential is to be realised. -- R I welcome the

:30:54. > :30:58.launch of the Midlands Engine Strategy, which is specifically

:30:59. > :31:04.mentions the automotive industry. The fact that 39% of the UK

:31:05. > :31:07.employment in the UK is in our region. Providing additional support

:31:08. > :31:12.to the Midlands is the most effective weight of enabling the UK

:31:13. > :31:16.to take a greater share of the international market. Regional

:31:17. > :31:21.empowerment should be a key consideration in government policy,

:31:22. > :31:28.and sustained support for the Midlands Engine is vital. A final

:31:29. > :31:31.point I would like to raise is that concern of a number of businesses in

:31:32. > :31:35.my constituency regarding business rates. In recent weeks, I have

:31:36. > :31:41.canvassed opinion locally on the upcoming changes to rateable values.

:31:42. > :31:47.By way of example, a pub in my constituency is seeing a rise from

:31:48. > :31:53.18,000, 260 8000. Another is seeing an from 33,000, 294,000. Elsewhere,

:31:54. > :32:06.a business is seeing the rateable value rise to

:32:07. > :32:12.?12,500. Even for successful enterprises, the significant hikes

:32:13. > :32:18.in business rates risked job losses and closures of businesses

:32:19. > :32:22.altogether. The ?1000 business rate discount, for one year, for pubs

:32:23. > :32:30.with a rateable value up to ?100,000 is put into context with the rises I

:32:31. > :32:33.have just mentioned. Allocating 400 35mm pounds towards supporting those

:32:34. > :32:37.that will be particularly impacted is welcome, but I urge the

:32:38. > :32:49.Chancellor to review this issue urgently. Maiden speech, Gareth

:32:50. > :32:54.Snell. Thank you very much for the opportunity to make this, my maiden

:32:55. > :32:58.speech, during an important debate on education and skills. Both are

:32:59. > :33:03.vital to the future success of my constituency, albeit a greater

:33:04. > :33:08.challenge follows sustained underfunding of Stoke schools. It is

:33:09. > :33:11.a pleasure to have been elected as the member of Parliament for

:33:12. > :33:15.Stoke-on-Trent Central. In an election that was not planned, and

:33:16. > :33:20.from a campaign which come all too often, did not do justice to the

:33:21. > :33:24.wonderful city that I now represent. Many colleagues on these benches

:33:25. > :33:28.and, I would wager, on the benches opposite, who came to Stoke-on-Trent

:33:29. > :33:31.during the by-election would struggle to reconcile the vibrant,

:33:32. > :33:38.welcoming and proud city they visited with the portrait painted by

:33:39. > :33:42.national media. All too often, cameras lingered over this used to

:33:43. > :33:46.bottle kilns, while our resurgence in high-tech ceramic went

:33:47. > :33:49.unmentioned. Journalists posed by abandoning shop fronts, just yards

:33:50. > :33:57.away from the thriving cultural Quarter and Ryrie did -- are rarely

:33:58. > :34:00.did the world-class university feature in reports. They talked down

:34:01. > :34:03.the city to play up their own narrative. They dismissed the

:34:04. > :34:06.capital of culture as little more than the capital of Brexit. They

:34:07. > :34:13.pigeonholed my constituents into a box that does not reflect their true

:34:14. > :34:18.character. While that narrative suited those seeking to win the

:34:19. > :34:21.election on a platform of hatred, division and nationalism dressed up

:34:22. > :34:30.as patriotism, it did a grave disservice to my city, whose motto

:34:31. > :34:33.is United, Stronger In Strength. My city demonstrated that nationalism

:34:34. > :34:41.of any sort has no place in our politics. My challenge, for however

:34:42. > :34:47.long I am blessed to represent Stoke-on-Trent in this place, is to

:34:48. > :34:51.champion everything great and good about our city. To recognise our

:34:52. > :34:55.problems, but also recognise our many achievements. To shout loud and

:34:56. > :34:57.shout often about why the potteries, above all else, is the best place in

:34:58. > :35:13.the UK, if not the world. In the Potteries, we are innovators

:35:14. > :35:19.and educators, artists and entrepreneurs. We pioneered the

:35:20. > :35:26.first industrial revolution, something that has been discussed

:35:27. > :35:30.quite a lot this afternoon. We also have the potential to lead the next.

:35:31. > :35:36.We are the home of Reginald Mitchell, Josiah Wedgwood, of

:35:37. > :35:44.Clarence Cliff and, more recently, Robbie Williams. But, most

:35:45. > :35:54.importantly, we are home to the Staffordshire oatcake, a delicacy

:35:55. > :35:58.seldom found outside of the ST postcode, but, once savoured, is

:35:59. > :36:02.never forgotten. I would like to try it. We were the beating heart of a

:36:03. > :36:08.ceramic empire that stretched to the four corners of the world, and now

:36:09. > :36:14.proud members of the Turnover Club can be inspecting tableware for the

:36:15. > :36:17.important backstab, hoping to find the five greatest words in the

:36:18. > :36:23.English language, made in Stoke-on-Trent. It is a ceremony

:36:24. > :36:31.that my own daughter has taken up with vigour. So enthusiastically

:36:32. > :36:35.does she want to discover the origin of her dinner plate that she has

:36:36. > :36:38.sometimes forgotten to finish its contents before training is over and

:36:39. > :36:43.depositing the contents in her lap. It was with utter joy that when I

:36:44. > :36:54.arrived in this place, the first cup of tea I had was in a cup produced

:36:55. > :36:56.in my city. Technically it is in Stoke-on-Trent North, but I am sure

:36:57. > :37:03.my honourable friend will not mind sharing for the purposes of this

:37:04. > :37:07.speech. But ceramics is not just our history and heritage, it is our

:37:08. > :37:12.present. With the write-up from this Government, can be our future. --

:37:13. > :37:16.the right help from this Government. In the middle of my constituency, on

:37:17. > :37:21.an otherwise unassuming window in the city centre, you will see a

:37:22. > :37:26.life-sized picture of TV's Eric Knowles, best known as the ceramic

:37:27. > :37:30.expert on the antiques Road show. He proudly proclaims that the potteries

:37:31. > :37:44.Museum and Art Gallery boasts a greater collection of ceramics than

:37:45. > :37:51.even the fee and -- V A discussion which I will no doubt

:37:52. > :37:56.have with the V's new director. Which, Mr Speaker, allows me to

:37:57. > :38:00.segue neatly into paying tribute to my predecessor, Tristram Hunt.

:38:01. > :38:04.Although like me not a native son of Stoke-on-Trent, anyone who met him

:38:05. > :38:09.knew that the potteries had found his way into his heart. A fervent

:38:10. > :38:14.champion of Stoke-on-Trent, never was an opportunity missed to extol

:38:15. > :38:17.the virtues of our ?6. His ability to bring people together and ignite

:38:18. > :38:22.them with a passion for The Potteries will be sorely missed. It

:38:23. > :38:26.was the city's children that most preoccupied his efforts. He knew the

:38:27. > :38:30.best hope for the continuing resurgence of the city was to ensure

:38:31. > :38:35.that every young person had a good education and the best possible

:38:36. > :38:40.start in life. He was a champion of sure start, one of Labour's greatest

:38:41. > :38:45.achievements. For the doubters opposite, something we will rescue

:38:46. > :38:49.in the next Labour government. He was a frequent visitor to the many

:38:50. > :38:53.wonderful schools across the constituency. He delivered the Maths

:38:54. > :39:00.Excellence Partnership to improve standards in local schools and give

:39:01. > :39:04.young people the skills they need to prosper. He knew the value of

:39:05. > :39:08.inspiring children to read and foster a love of books. His enduring

:39:09. > :39:13.legacy in Stoke-on-Trent Central will be a generation of children

:39:14. > :39:16.who, through his work on the literary festival, have been able to

:39:17. > :39:19.expand their reading, take a creative writing and explore a world

:39:20. > :39:24.of literature which otherwise would have passed them by. As we speak of

:39:25. > :39:29.the importance of education and training for post-Brexit Britain,

:39:30. > :39:34.these achievements and the ongoing challenges are as important as ever.

:39:35. > :39:39.He was a thoughtful and forceful voice in this house and beyond, and

:39:40. > :39:43.I know his contributions will be missed. But he is one of a longline

:39:44. > :39:48.of distinguished parliamentarians to have Stoke-on-Trent Central. Whether

:39:49. > :39:50.it be Mark Fisher, in his campaign for local health services and to

:39:51. > :40:01.ensure the sovereignty of Parliament, or Bob Cant, my

:40:02. > :40:04.constituency has been saved by dedicated public servants and I will

:40:05. > :40:08.do my utmost to continuing that tradition. My predecessor was a man

:40:09. > :40:13.who loved our movement's history, but I am a man who lived it. Going

:40:14. > :40:16.from my grandfather, a union replicon I was taught from a young

:40:17. > :40:24.age that a greater strength working people have is our solidarity. It

:40:25. > :40:28.was a lesson that embodied his own life, representing his colleagues at

:40:29. > :40:31.the chicken factory where he worked and representing his friends and

:40:32. > :40:35.neighbours as a Labour counsellor. My childhood taught me to always

:40:36. > :40:42.stand up for what I believe, and to always speak my mind. The latter, Mr

:40:43. > :40:52.Speaker, it has to be said, has sometimes brought mixed results. 140

:40:53. > :40:55.characters coming up later. Nevertheless, it was that advice

:40:56. > :40:59.that has served me well and which my wife, Sophia, and I would be proud

:41:00. > :41:04.to pass on to my daughter, Hannah. I would also like to put on record my

:41:05. > :41:08.thanks to the Labour movement, friends in the Labour Party, the

:41:09. > :41:13.co-operative party and the trade unions for their assistance in my

:41:14. > :41:16.collection. Particular thanks to my honourable friend, the member for

:41:17. > :41:20.Birmingham, and my new neighbours in Stoke-on-Trent North and South. Ours

:41:21. > :41:23.is a politics based on comradeship, in which the strength of our common

:41:24. > :41:29.endeavour means that we really do achieve more together than we

:41:30. > :41:32.achieve alone. Those same values of fairness, cooperation and social

:41:33. > :41:38.justice run through the history of Stoke-on-Trent and its people. They

:41:39. > :41:42.were on display in 1942, when the North Staffordshire mining community

:41:43. > :41:46.help to rebuild the village in the Czech Republic after it was raised

:41:47. > :41:52.by the Nazis. The driving force behind that was another of my

:41:53. > :41:56.predecessors, and at the time he said the lamp dispels the shadows on

:41:57. > :42:01.the coal face. It can also send a ray of light across the sea to those

:42:02. > :42:03.that struggle in darkness. At its best, that is what the Labour

:42:04. > :42:14.movement has always been, a ray It is my immense privilege to be

:42:15. > :42:19.part of that movement in Parliament and teacher tried in my own small

:42:20. > :42:22.way to help all that lamp aloft. It is a responsibility I will do my

:42:23. > :42:26.best to meet as I strive to give a voice to those people I represent

:42:27. > :42:36.and showcase all that is great about Stoke-on-Trent. Thank you Mr

:42:37. > :42:40.Speaker. Can I say, it's a great pleasure to follow the honourable

:42:41. > :42:45.member for Stoke-on-Trent Central, giving his maiden speech. We all

:42:46. > :42:52.remember our maiden speeches and I personally thought it was an

:42:53. > :42:55.excellent speech full of passion, conviction, and maybe a shiver came

:42:56. > :42:58.through these benches that we have a man of conviction, which is what

:42:59. > :43:05.this post needs in my very humble opinion. From Staffordshire oatcakes

:43:06. > :43:10.to the surrounding empire, we heard it all. You represent an honourable

:43:11. > :43:17.seat and I'm sure you will do an honourable job and it is a delight

:43:18. > :43:21.to follow your maiden speech. Mr Speaker, in my short eight minutes I

:43:22. > :43:27.would like to congratulate the government on an excellent job so

:43:28. > :43:33.far bearing in mind the appalling inheritance that we had in 2010,

:43:34. > :43:38.along with the banking crisis and many other factors, that led to the

:43:39. > :43:44.massive cash crisis we face. The UK economy is forecast to grow by 2%,

:43:45. > :43:51.real wages to rise every year, deficit due to fall and the

:43:52. > :43:57.proportion due to fall. All this is to be most welcomed and I

:43:58. > :44:05.congratulate the government of which I am proud to be a member. I'm glad

:44:06. > :44:08.the government is not ashamed to mention the dire financial

:44:09. > :44:14.circumstances are country faces. Wherever I go, and I'm sure most

:44:15. > :44:19.members are the same, we cannot wash over the fact that we are still on a

:44:20. > :44:27.knife edge. We are told that the figures are still there, that the

:44:28. > :44:34.debt, private debt, which is not often mentioned is a similar figure,

:44:35. > :44:37.?50 billion a year of debt interest, more than we spend on defence and

:44:38. > :44:43.policing together. These are horrifying figures and ones that the

:44:44. > :44:53.government and front bench are trying desperately to deal with. I

:44:54. > :44:56.would not be doing my duty if I did not raise some concerns about the

:44:57. > :45:08.budget although overall I support it. Can I pick up on the word

:45:09. > :45:12.fairness because it is used a lot by the Chancellor. I'm not sure that

:45:13. > :45:21.resounds with those who will be affected by one or two tax rises. I

:45:22. > :45:25.long, as I am a Conservative, to hear from a Conservative Chancellor

:45:26. > :45:29.attacks vision from this country, a massive reform for the tax system,

:45:30. > :45:36.one of the most complicated in the world. Why can't we have a tax rate

:45:37. > :45:43.that is flat of 30%, keep it simple, stupid. That is what we were told. I

:45:44. > :45:53.think there's a lot of room for that in the tax system in this country.

:45:54. > :45:58.The reason we cannot have a straight tax is the top 2% pay a quarter of

:45:59. > :46:08.all income tax and it would be impossible to move to a true flat

:46:09. > :46:12.tax. You could simplify and have two rates, merge capital taxes into

:46:13. > :46:18.income taxes and then you would start to get rid of the poverty and

:46:19. > :46:24.unemployment trap. I entirely concur with my honourable friend. His

:46:25. > :46:31.intervention is spot on. The other point that I've noticed, everything

:46:32. > :46:40.is ring fenced. Every department is ring fenced. We hear them say there

:46:41. > :46:44.is a little room for manoeuvre. Can I suggest we take it away and think

:46:45. > :46:50.radically over areas like the national health service and look at

:46:51. > :47:00.things in the round for the future of our country? I would like to have

:47:01. > :47:03.heard a lot more about the future of Brexit and a vision from the

:47:04. > :47:09.Chancellor which I don't believe I did. Good to touch on some issues,

:47:10. > :47:15.the first is the national insurance hike which I am concerned about

:47:16. > :47:28.because many of them work in my constituency. The money raised will

:47:29. > :47:34.be pitiful. We've heard about a manifesto pledge being broken and I

:47:35. > :47:47.believe it has been. I'm not saying they cannot be broken but if we are

:47:48. > :47:50.getting to look for more money the overseas budget is the area we

:47:51. > :47:55.should look at. Many in my constituency believe we should help

:47:56. > :48:07.the less well off but to set an arbitrary figure of 0.7% GDP I think

:48:08. > :48:12.is too far and one that the country cannot afford because so many areas

:48:13. > :48:20.in national life are calling for more money. These self applied

:48:21. > :48:25.people take risks that the employed do not. We know that. They risk

:48:26. > :48:32.their homes, their livelihoods and their families. That is why they had

:48:33. > :48:38.the tax advantage. There has been a as far as pensions are concerned but

:48:39. > :48:44.I believe the risk takers, the people we need to create the wealth

:48:45. > :48:54.and prosperity, especially as we move to leave the EU, should not be

:48:55. > :49:01.penalised. The self-employed will be required to fill four income tax

:49:02. > :49:06.forms a year instead of one. It needs to be done digitally. Speak to

:49:07. > :49:17.farmers about applying for grants digitally it is not always easy. You

:49:18. > :49:21.require an accountant, an extra cost, and income tax paid a quarter

:49:22. > :49:26.rather than one or two instalments. This will affect the cash flow and

:49:27. > :49:37.in good times or bad times it is important to have the annual look

:49:38. > :49:39.rather than the effective look. Probate fees is not there but I am

:49:40. > :49:54.concerned about that. At the moment the cost accounts to ?215. It is

:49:55. > :50:00.worth noting it could range from ?300 - ?20,000. The press have

:50:01. > :50:07.dubbed this the death tax. I think that's a fair comment and I would

:50:08. > :50:14.like to touch on inheritance tax. I declare an interest. I personally

:50:15. > :50:25.think it is completely immoral. We pay taxes all our life, a lot of

:50:26. > :50:30.tax. When we die, 40% is charged to the States. This is completely

:50:31. > :50:36.immoral. Let me called David Cameron, he said this, and I quote,

:50:37. > :50:43.we will take the family out of inheritance tax. That home that you

:50:44. > :50:49.worked for belongs to you and your family. You should be able to pass

:50:50. > :50:57.it on to your children. I concur. What I would like to see is the

:50:58. > :51:15.following. Abolish inheritance tax. Simplify the tax system. Invest much

:51:16. > :51:21.more in technology colleges. Money should be targeted rather than any

:51:22. > :51:30.other ring fenced area. Business rates concern me and Tim Martin of

:51:31. > :51:35.Wetherspoon is says supermarkets will get away with it and his pubs

:51:36. > :51:45.will get hammered. Lastly, can we stop using tax avoidance and evasion

:51:46. > :52:01.in the same sentence? Tax evasion is a legal, tax avoidance, we all do it

:52:02. > :52:05.for our family's sake. Thank you. Can I start by congratulating the

:52:06. > :52:09.new member for Stoke-on-Trent, I thought it was a very interesting

:52:10. > :52:18.speech, are very hopeful speech given the economic situation. I'm

:52:19. > :52:29.sure that the new member will do his constituency proud. Having said

:52:30. > :52:41.that, if we look at the budget and put it in the context of the

:52:42. > :52:47.austerity measures, these austerity measures will be far longer, and

:52:48. > :52:53.people wonder why people like Donald Trump get elected, because of

:52:54. > :52:58.austerity, and because it has gone on far too long and I would expect

:52:59. > :53:04.the budget to offer at least some hope to the British people but all

:53:05. > :53:12.we've had is that those of further austerity. If we look at our

:53:13. > :53:18.situation, we were told the deficit would be eliminated by the end of

:53:19. > :53:30.the last Parliament. In actual fact the Chancellor is extending it. We

:53:31. > :53:38.found that the UK Lancs 103 of 112 countries. 6 million people left

:53:39. > :53:48.than the living wage and 4 million people in poverty. When we left

:53:49. > :53:58.office we retained a triple-A rating. We had 30,000 more doctors.

:53:59. > :54:07.This government is living off the benefits of that. Another broken

:54:08. > :54:15.promise of this government has been touched on and I won't elaborate but

:54:16. > :54:20.the manifesto promise was broken in relation to manifesto contributions.

:54:21. > :54:24.This was a Tory manifesto pledge which will affect self-employed

:54:25. > :54:35.people, especially those in the lower paid bracket. For example, you