06/07/2017

:00:00. > :00:00.we ourselves hold as an opinion but what other people might think and

:00:00. > :00:00.we'll leave it there for now. We now come to business questions. Valerie

:00:00. > :00:18.vows. Could the Leader of the House please

:00:19. > :00:22.give us the forthcoming business? Thank you, Mr Speaker. The business

:00:23. > :00:30.for next week will be Monday 10th of July, second reading of the relief

:00:31. > :00:35.from non-domestic rate is built. 11 of July, consideration in committee

:00:36. > :00:41.and remaining stages of the organising bill following by the

:00:42. > :00:46.bill procedure. Wednesday 12 July, a general debate on the Grenfell Tower

:00:47. > :00:52.Fire enquiry and Thursday 13th July, general debate on the commemoration

:00:53. > :00:58.of Passchendaele. 14 July, the House will not be sitting. I would also

:00:59. > :01:02.like to inform the House that the business at Westminster Hall for the

:01:03. > :01:07.13th of July, will be Thursday 13th July, debate on the supply of homes

:01:08. > :01:11.and affordable homes to buy followed by a debate on the introduction of

:01:12. > :01:17.an opt out system for organ donation in England. Colleagues will want to

:01:18. > :01:23.be aware that the election of select committee chairs will take place on

:01:24. > :01:27.Wednesday 12 July from 10am until 4pm in committee room eight.

:01:28. > :01:32.Finally, Mr Speaker, I was delighted to hear of the hard work that both

:01:33. > :01:37.you and the lord Speaker have put in to ensure the parliament properly

:01:38. > :01:40.marks pride weekend. Among other activities, the rainbow coloured

:01:41. > :01:44.flag will be projected onto the Palace for the duration of the

:01:45. > :01:49.weekend and I am sure members from across the House in this, the most

:01:50. > :01:53.diverse parliament ever, will join me in sending our best wishes to all

:01:54. > :02:01.those celebrating this weekend and the rest of pride month. Thank you.

:02:02. > :02:04.Thank you, Mr Speaker and can I join the Leader of the House and her good

:02:05. > :02:10.wishes for everyone taking part in pride week and know that we are in

:02:11. > :02:19.the business of equality for everyone. Maybe you need to wear a

:02:20. > :02:25.rainbow tie next week. I probably want require any encouragement. Can

:02:26. > :02:29.I thank the Leader of the House but she made no mention of the specific

:02:30. > :02:33.debate I asked for last week on the judgments that were made in the High

:02:34. > :02:39.Court, particularly on the plan for clean air and the benefit caps. She

:02:40. > :02:44.also made no mention of any opposition dates. The last time we

:02:45. > :02:49.had an opposition date was in January. She also made no mention of

:02:50. > :02:56.when she is going to schedule the debate on the instruments on tuition

:02:57. > :03:00.fees regulations. It is important, Mr Speaker, particularly as the

:03:01. > :03:03.Institute for Fiscal Studies and the latest report said that students in

:03:04. > :03:10.England are going to graduate with an average debt of ?50,800 after

:03:11. > :03:16.interest rates are raised on student loans to 6.1% in September. Interest

:03:17. > :03:19.rates, they say, are very high compared with the current market

:03:20. > :03:24.rate. The report also goes on to state that with a higher debt,

:03:25. > :03:30.students from the purest 40% of families now accrue around 6500 in

:03:31. > :03:33.interest during the study. The first Secretary of State in a speech at

:03:34. > :03:38.earlier, said there was a national debate we need to have about

:03:39. > :03:43.university tuition fees. I do not know where he was from May until the

:03:44. > :03:47.8th of June but he is the got an answer, a minority Government. Could

:03:48. > :03:50.the Leader of the House please honour that parliamentary convention

:03:51. > :03:55.and let's debate that Dutch cherry instrument. It seems young people

:03:56. > :04:01.are being rejected by this minority Government. Can we also have a

:04:02. > :04:07.debate about women against eight pensions inequality. It is so far

:04:08. > :04:12.been signed by 124 honourable members from all parties. There was

:04:13. > :04:16.a debate in Westminster Hall yesterday, which was oversubscribed.

:04:17. > :04:21.Standing room only. Could the Leader of the House please find time to

:04:22. > :04:27.debate this injustice to 1950s women. Or are those 1950s women also

:04:28. > :04:32.rejected by the minority Government? So far the financial Hall is ?1.5

:04:33. > :04:37.billion for the deal, the National U-turn has left a 2 billion hole in

:04:38. > :04:42.public finances over the next five years. The concession last week in

:04:43. > :04:47.support of women in Northern Ireland quite rightly was made, but has not

:04:48. > :04:51.been costed. Many other Secretary of State had been acting for extra

:04:52. > :04:55.money, 1 billion for education, Secretary of State has also asked

:04:56. > :04:59.for money. The financial Hall is getting bigger. The Government

:05:00. > :05:02.announced in the Queen's speech that the world have refinanced bills over

:05:03. > :05:07.the course of this Parliament. Could she say when we will have the summer

:05:08. > :05:11.Finance bill, which I think has been suggested by the Treasury and picked

:05:12. > :05:17.up by the shadow Treasury team? Unless there is going to be no in

:05:18. > :05:21.Parliament, just an announcement in October in Manchester. Guess who

:05:22. > :05:25.said this, tell the others who have got their own opinion to shut up.

:05:26. > :05:28.There is a sense you have at the moment of everybody doing their own

:05:29. > :05:33.thing, nobody asserting what they want to do in the national interest.

:05:34. > :05:45.We cannot go on living from hand to mouth in this sort of shambolic way.

:05:46. > :05:52.Former Tory party chairman lord Patten. He said that, Mr Speaker,

:05:53. > :05:55.because of this... On the 3rd of July, in response to the honourable

:05:56. > :06:03.member's written question, the Government's manifesto had a free

:06:04. > :06:07.vote on the hunting bill. A U-turn. Free school meals, the Minister has

:06:08. > :06:11.responded this week. The Government has decided it is right to retain

:06:12. > :06:17.the existing universal infant free school meal provision. A U-turn.

:06:18. > :06:21.Grammar schools, the Secretary of State for Education confirmed any

:06:22. > :06:25.written to the honourable member there is no education bill in the

:06:26. > :06:29.Queen's speech and therefore, the ban on opening new grammar schools

:06:30. > :06:34.will remain in place. Another U-turn. The triple lock on pensions.

:06:35. > :06:38.The Government wanted to scrap the loch by 2020 because of their deal

:06:39. > :06:43.to stay in Parliament. Another U-turn. Winter fuel allowance. The

:06:44. > :06:48.Government's means testing has been dropped. Another U-turn. Everything

:06:49. > :06:54.in their manifesto, all dropped. No policy. What is left? Strong and

:06:55. > :06:59.stable. I think that is another U-turn. Mr Speaker, you will

:07:00. > :07:04.remember that the Prime Minister was billed as the second incarnation of

:07:05. > :07:09.another female Prime Minister, whose nickname for those of us who can

:07:10. > :07:17.remember was Jena. There is no alternative. We say, in Her

:07:18. > :07:21.Majesty's opposition, here we are, there is an alternative. -- nickname

:07:22. > :07:36.was Tina. Can I start by replying to the

:07:37. > :07:42.honourable lady on the subject of, as she puts it, U-turn is. Just

:07:43. > :07:45.explain to her that, as she knows, as all honourable members know, this

:07:46. > :07:51.result of the journal collection was not as we would have wished it. We

:07:52. > :07:56.do not have the majority we would have wished for. All members can

:07:57. > :08:00.satisfy themselves that therefore, the measures that are being brought

:08:01. > :08:06.forward by this Government are focused on those measures that we

:08:07. > :08:11.can all support. Making a success of leaving the European union, making

:08:12. > :08:16.sure that we can continue to trade and collaborate with our EU friends

:08:17. > :08:20.and partners. Secondly, strengthening the economy. New

:08:21. > :08:25.measures on being a world leader in autonomous vehicles, commercial

:08:26. > :08:29.space flights, industries of the future that will create the jobs of

:08:30. > :08:32.the future. Thirdly, improving our society. We went to see strength and

:08:33. > :08:37.support for the mental health problems in our society and measures

:08:38. > :08:41.to protect people from domestic violence. These are measures the

:08:42. > :08:47.whole house can get behind. More measures to strengthen the United

:08:48. > :08:50.Kingdom, to prevent extremism and to protect us from terrorism. These are

:08:51. > :08:55.the sorts of measures that this Government will be bringing forward

:08:56. > :08:58.that I do urge all members to look at and take very seriously. This

:08:59. > :09:03.will represent real progress in this Government. Specifically on her

:09:04. > :09:07.points on some of the court judgments that are before us, those

:09:08. > :09:13.remain with judges and so, as she will know, we do not comment on

:09:14. > :09:18.judgments, as she would wish is to do. On opposition days and sitting

:09:19. > :09:23.Fridays, Private member Hills days and so on, those will be brought on

:09:24. > :09:27.in due course. They will be at least in line with the number of days

:09:28. > :09:31.provided in standing orders but there will be other days provided in

:09:32. > :09:37.addition to that through the usual channels. Then she talks about the

:09:38. > :09:42.debate on student fees. She points out the interest rates on student

:09:43. > :09:47.fees. I do need to set clear for the House that student debt is not like

:09:48. > :09:51.normal commercial loans. Student fees are made available to all

:09:52. > :09:56.students, regardless of their financial history. The repayable

:09:57. > :10:02.according to income, not according to the amount due. Of course, the

:10:03. > :10:08.off by the taxpayer after 30 years. They are not like normal commercial

:10:09. > :10:11.loans. The act more as a contribution, only a contribution

:10:12. > :10:18.because the taxpayer continues to pacing of the concerns, towards the

:10:19. > :10:22.cost of receiving a degree that means that individual will earn more

:10:23. > :10:27.during their career. Erin more than those taxpayers who do not have the

:10:28. > :10:35.benefit of a degree. It tends to be fair to the student and fear to the

:10:36. > :10:38.taxpayer. I want to point out our measures to improve apprenticeships,

:10:39. > :10:42.nearly 3 million in the last Parliament and a commitment to many

:10:43. > :10:44.more millions of apprenticeships in this Parliament offer real

:10:45. > :10:53.alternatives to young people who do not want a good university. Finally,

:10:54. > :10:58.the point made by the University -- the point made by the Prime

:10:59. > :11:06.Minister, that should be a good thing, celebrated by the whole

:11:07. > :11:10.house. Thank you. I am sure the Leader of the House will agree that

:11:11. > :11:13.the House would want an early debate on any Government programme where

:11:14. > :11:19.the costs are rising, where it is looking like it is not good money

:11:20. > :11:24.for a value for the taxpayer, where senior personnel are leaving, where

:11:25. > :11:28.procurement processes are down and where technology is being overtaken

:11:29. > :11:33.by other more moderate developments. Can we have an early debate on the

:11:34. > :11:41.phase one of the high-speed rail before we enter into the folly of

:11:42. > :11:46.entering into phase two. Can we see whether if it is going ahead, it

:11:47. > :11:49.could be used for another form of transport, perhaps for those

:11:50. > :11:54.autonomous vehicles on which the Leader of the House is so keen.

:11:55. > :12:00.Well, my right honourable friend and I have worked for a very long time

:12:01. > :12:07.on representing both constituencies of hours in every way we possibly

:12:08. > :12:14.can. My constituents are to Iraq have grave concerns about the impact

:12:15. > :12:19.as it passes through our constituencies. -- have grave

:12:20. > :12:24.concerns. I am sympathetic to her cause. She knows as well as I do,

:12:25. > :12:28.that is a commitment to the high-speed rail. These one has

:12:29. > :12:32.received a cent. We will continue to look at the construction phase and

:12:33. > :12:37.what more can be done to compensate our constituents. A lot of my

:12:38. > :12:43.constituents are very hacked off about the matter as well. I thank

:12:44. > :12:47.the House for what passes for business for next week. Can I join

:12:48. > :12:56.her in wishing well all of those participating in pride week. There

:12:57. > :12:59.are no this week. Anon next week probably no votes before we get into

:13:00. > :13:05.the summer recess. This is quickly becoming the zombie cop flicks

:13:06. > :13:11.Parliament -- Apocalypse Parliament where they look for brains only to

:13:12. > :13:15.seek the help all left the country, like everybody else. I wonder how

:13:16. > :13:24.long they will be able to pad out the business. The will of this house

:13:25. > :13:29.will have to be tested. We are all going to be deciding the chairs of

:13:30. > :13:32.the select committee. It is good to see the select committees up and

:13:33. > :13:35.running but what is happening with the standing committees of this

:13:36. > :13:40.house? They have already passed secondary bills and another one next

:13:41. > :13:45.week, they have to have a conversation and discussion about

:13:46. > :13:48.them because they are important than the passing of legislation. I have

:13:49. > :13:54.looked at the arithmetic and I have figured out they should be nine

:13:55. > :13:59.Conservative members, seven Labour members and to SNP members. The

:14:00. > :14:03.reader of the House can correct me if I have that wrong but when will

:14:04. > :14:07.we see in Motion coming to this house. When will be standing

:14:08. > :14:13.committees be up and running? Can I support the shadow Leader of the

:14:14. > :14:18.House on having a full debate on the 50s women issue. There are so many

:14:19. > :14:21.members of Parliament wanted to represent their view my constituents

:14:22. > :14:25.born in the 1950s. We have to have the debate here on the House and

:14:26. > :14:30.noticed there is a cooling in the mid and Conservative members of

:14:31. > :14:37.this. We saw that ?1 billion bill for the DP. Let's have a vote here.

:14:38. > :14:42.Lastly, it was one year ago before we had the Chilcott report. I

:14:43. > :14:45.remember we debated this for two days. Today, Sir John Chilcott said

:14:46. > :14:50.that Tony Blair was not straight with the nation. Is it now not time

:14:51. > :14:52.for a parliamentary committee to investigate this properly and take

:14:53. > :15:04.appropriate action against the Thank you, Mr Speaker. I encourage

:15:05. > :15:08.the honourable gentleman to consider, perhaps in Hansard, if he

:15:09. > :15:12.wasn't listening, the strong case and made for the measures this

:15:13. > :15:19.government will be taking to significantly take steps forward for

:15:20. > :15:23.our country to improve the situation for all of our residents across the

:15:24. > :15:29.UK. He says there have been no votes, and that is testament to the

:15:30. > :15:35.agreement across the House that's what we are doing is right. I

:15:36. > :15:38.encourage him and his honourable friends to continue to support the

:15:39. > :15:45.government efforts. His comments on standing committees are being looked

:15:46. > :15:49.at. They will be appointed in due course and those issues will be

:15:50. > :15:57.resolved. On the Waspi issue, we have had five debates on this, and

:15:58. > :16:02.as with all high-profile and very concerning issues, the government

:16:03. > :16:05.continues to look at these issues. But he will appreciate that

:16:06. > :16:09.unfortunately, we are still trying to deal with the problems in our

:16:10. > :16:19.economy left to us by the last Labour government. No, you might

:16:20. > :16:22.groan on the opposition benches, but the reality is that this government

:16:23. > :16:31.is still clearing up the mess from the last Labour government.

:16:32. > :16:34.Therefore, we have had to take tough decisions across those people coming

:16:35. > :16:38.up to retirement age as well as those of working age. His final

:16:39. > :16:43.point about the Chilcot Inquiry, that was a seven-year long inquiry.

:16:44. > :16:47.The government has looked at this in great length and it has been

:16:48. > :16:51.discussed. And the government continues to learn the lessons from

:16:52. > :16:54.the Chilcot Inquiry and will be committed to continuing to do so.

:16:55. > :16:59.But it doesn't have plans at the moment to reopen a further inquiry.

:17:00. > :17:04.Can we have a statement from the Secretary of State for the

:17:05. > :17:09.environment about dog thefts and dogfighting? There are far too many

:17:10. > :17:14.dog thefts in my part of the world and probably others, many of which

:17:15. > :17:21.are used as bait for dogfighting, which is disgusting. There appears

:17:22. > :17:25.to be not enough done about this by the law enforcement agencies and

:17:26. > :17:28.animal welfare agencies. Can we have a statement from the Secretary of

:17:29. > :17:35.State as to what he intends to do to clamp down on this disgusting

:17:36. > :17:39.practice? Right honourable friend raises an important point. There is

:17:40. > :17:44.no doubt that we are a nation of dog lovers. As Secretary of State for

:17:45. > :17:49.Defra, I did spend a lot of time trying to improve the rules on puppy

:17:50. > :17:52.licensing, to get backstreet breeders out of the way and improve

:17:53. > :17:59.the issues around animal welfare and training. But he raises an important

:18:00. > :18:05.point and I encourage him to get in touch with Defra again on what is an

:18:06. > :18:10.important matter for all of us. South Yorkshire has lost over 400

:18:11. > :18:13.police officers since 2010. Can I ask the Leader of the House if we

:18:14. > :18:21.could have a debate on what extra resources can be made available to

:18:22. > :18:25.make people in Barnsley safe? I would like to welcome the honourable

:18:26. > :18:29.lady to her place and wish her success in her new role in this

:18:30. > :18:35.House. She raises an important matter across the country, that of

:18:36. > :18:42.policing. She will know the government has protected police

:18:43. > :18:45.funding in real terms. I met my own police and crime commission only

:18:46. > :18:50.yesterday to talk about the difference in the way that policing

:18:51. > :18:55.is happening. She will be pleased to know that crime has fallen by a

:18:56. > :18:58.third since 2010, enabling police forces to put more into cyber crime

:18:59. > :19:08.and crime prevention and online crime. Nevertheless, the relevant

:19:09. > :19:11.minister will have heard her points. With my honourable friend find time

:19:12. > :19:17.for a debate on the criteria for awarding city status? In every

:19:18. > :19:23.respect, Southend-on-Sea, with its many qualities, should already be a

:19:24. > :19:30.city. I believe it is an oversight which attention could be drawn to in

:19:31. > :19:34.a general debate. My honourable friend is a huge supporter of his

:19:35. > :19:39.constituency in Southend. I am sure all members will have spent happy

:19:40. > :19:48.hours on the beaches there. Nevertheless, he will appreciate

:19:49. > :19:51.that city status is a rare privilege to be conferred by Her Majesty on

:19:52. > :19:59.advice from ministers and not something for this House. In the

:20:00. > :20:03.last Parliament, I rose to seek the support of the then Prime Minister

:20:04. > :20:07.for a constituent who has been missing in Spain since November

:20:08. > :20:13.2015, Lisa Brown. I now found myself having to rise again in relation to

:20:14. > :20:15.an additional constituent, Caroline Hope, who in travelling to Turkey on

:20:16. > :20:20.personal matters before returning home to Scotland has been diagnosed

:20:21. > :20:24.with cancer and sought emergency surgery and has now been infected

:20:25. > :20:29.with E. Coli and is now having to rely on the support of family and

:20:30. > :20:33.friends and strangers to raise over ?30,000 to bring Caroline home to

:20:34. > :20:40.Scotland to West Dunbartonshire. Could I impress upon the Leader of

:20:41. > :20:42.the House to seek from the Foreign Commonwealth Office and the Foreign

:20:43. > :20:48.Secretary a quick response to a letter I have sent to them this week

:20:49. > :20:51.in terms of both Caroline's situation and for further support in

:20:52. > :21:00.terms of Lisa being missing in Spain? I am obviously incredibly

:21:01. > :21:05.sympathetic. That sounds like a terrible situation. He will be aware

:21:06. > :21:12.that there are oral questions to the Foreign Office next week and he may

:21:13. > :21:17.wish to raise it then. My village is lucky in the sense that it had flood

:21:18. > :21:20.defences put in place before the Boxing Day flood. But the water

:21:21. > :21:26.still got within one inch of people's doorstep and my village

:21:27. > :21:29.nearby had similar problems. The devastation has been huge and there

:21:30. > :21:32.has been a rush to put bigger flood defences in column but could I have

:21:33. > :21:37.a statement from the relevant minister in relation to the flood

:21:38. > :21:39.strategy for Leeds and with specific mention unconcern of what modelling

:21:40. > :21:43.has been done to ensure that more water is not coming down to my

:21:44. > :21:51.villages, which already have flood defences in place, but came close to

:21:52. > :21:54.being breached. I had the great pleasure as Environment Secretary to

:21:55. > :21:58.go to Leeds last year to see the new proposed move weirs, which should

:21:59. > :22:06.make a big difference to the ability to prevent water becoming

:22:07. > :22:10.overwhelming. The Environment Agency is working with Leeds City Council

:22:11. > :22:13.and the local flood groups to understand the latest flood

:22:14. > :22:17.modelling results and identify the most appropriate options. But there

:22:18. > :22:22.is a lot of work including ?3 million of additional government

:22:23. > :22:27.funding to try and address the leads flood alleviation scheme. In west

:22:28. > :22:32.Yorkshire, our bluelight services and those who represents rank and

:22:33. > :22:37.file staff are clear that our emergency services are in crisis and

:22:38. > :22:42.staff are struggling. West Yorkshire has lost more than 1200 police

:22:43. > :22:46.officers since 2010 and 554 firefighters. It is no wonder my

:22:47. > :22:51.constituents feel less safe. Given that we haven't had an opposition

:22:52. > :22:55.day since January, will the Leader of the House allow government time

:22:56. > :23:02.for this important debate before the summer recess? I refer the

:23:03. > :23:08.honourable lady to what I said to her honourable friend. Crime is

:23:09. > :23:16.down. This government has protected police funding. She may wish to

:23:17. > :23:18.raise the specific issues from her constituency by applying for an

:23:19. > :23:24.adjournment debate or a Westminster Hall debate. At the weekend, I

:23:25. > :23:30.joined a group of volunteers from the heart of Hednesford group who

:23:31. > :23:33.were planting hay racks on the platforms of the nearby rail station

:23:34. > :23:38.to give passengers a colourful welcome to the town. Will my right

:23:39. > :23:41.honourable friend join me in congratulating and thanking this

:23:42. > :23:45.group of volunteers, but could we also have a debate in government

:23:46. > :23:52.time about the role of volunteers and community groups in their local

:23:53. > :23:58.communities? I am delighted to share in her congratulations to her

:23:59. > :24:01.volunteers. We all appreciate the amazing work done by volunteers,

:24:02. > :24:05.whether it is litter picking, planting flowers, supporting

:24:06. > :24:10.vulnerable people and so on. We have frequent debates in this place on

:24:11. > :24:15.the subject of volunteers. I encourage her to have a further want

:24:16. > :24:21.to show our appreciation. Would the Leader of the House arrange for a

:24:22. > :24:24.statement to clarify the position of who is responsible for dealing with

:24:25. > :24:29.the increasing problem of urban foxes? This is something I have had

:24:30. > :24:34.huge buzz of complaints about recently. It is an area where no one

:24:35. > :24:40.takes responsibility. I am not suggesting the setting up of a

:24:41. > :24:43.Vauxhall hunt! But I am looking to help those constituents who are

:24:44. > :24:51.finding their lives not just intolerable in their homes, but what

:24:52. > :25:01.can be done and who takes responsibility? The more time the

:25:02. > :25:06.honourable lady is in her constituency, the more terrified the

:25:07. > :25:10.foxes will be! I think they have a cheek, going to Vauxhall with the

:25:11. > :25:15.honourable lady's views of foxes! Very brave of them. There are

:25:16. > :25:18.obviously strict rules around dealing with wildlife in urban as

:25:19. > :25:22.well as rural areas and keeping the fox population down is an important

:25:23. > :25:27.issue. I suggest that she writes to the Secretary of State for Defra.

:25:28. > :25:30.Gosh, just as we are talking about foxes, who should come into the

:25:31. > :25:36.chamber but the Secretary of State for International Development! How

:25:37. > :25:40.very timely. Given the number of terrorist acts carried out in the UK

:25:41. > :25:46.by people who are prevented from going to the Middle East, may we

:25:47. > :25:52.have a statement from an appropriate government minister setting out the

:25:53. > :25:55.arguments for and against preventing would-be jihadists who are adults

:25:56. > :26:00.from travelling abroad and keeping them at home when we know that they

:26:01. > :26:12.cannot all be monitored at home around the clock? My honourable

:26:13. > :26:14.friend raises an important issue. Approximately 850 UK linked

:26:15. > :26:18.individuals of national security concern have travelled to engage

:26:19. > :26:23.with the Syrian conflict. We think about half have returned to the UK

:26:24. > :26:27.and over 15% have subsequently been killed in fighting in the region.

:26:28. > :26:31.Our priority is of course to dissuade people from travelling to

:26:32. > :26:35.areas of conflict and our Prevent strategy includes a lot of work to

:26:36. > :26:38.support individuals at risk of radicalisation. This is clearly

:26:39. > :26:44.something for the commission of countering extremism which is being

:26:45. > :26:51.set up. And I am sure the foreign affairs select committee will also

:26:52. > :26:53.be interested. The Leader of the House mentioned in her opening

:26:54. > :26:59.remarks extremism. Will the Leader of the House make time available for

:27:00. > :27:05.us to have a debate on the report into extremism and the funding of

:27:06. > :27:11.extreme activity in the UK which has not yet been published by the

:27:12. > :27:15.government? Members are entitled to know, for instance, whether it is

:27:16. > :27:19.because there are many references to the activities of the Saudis in this

:27:20. > :27:26.report. Can we have time for such a debate? The honourable gentleman

:27:27. > :27:30.will appreciate that this is clearly something for the commission for

:27:31. > :27:34.countering extremism. It will be looking at reports of what has gone

:27:35. > :27:43.on already and they will be keen to take up. ChildLine, which is now

:27:44. > :27:47.part of the NSPCC, was founded 30 years ago and over that time has

:27:48. > :27:51.helped more than 4 million children. Can we have a debate about how the

:27:52. > :27:55.government could work more closely with ChildLine and the NSPCC,

:27:56. > :28:02.particularly in areas such as online abuse and children's mental health?

:28:03. > :28:07.My honourable friend has been a huge advocate of the work that ChildLine

:28:08. > :28:11.do and everybody across the House would want to congratulate them on

:28:12. > :28:16.show appreciation for the excellent work they do. He will be aware that

:28:17. > :28:20.teachers and school staff across the country have started training to be

:28:21. > :28:23.able to identify and respond to early signs of mental health

:28:24. > :28:27.problems among pupils, which is a very good thing. He may want to

:28:28. > :28:32.expand on that discussion in applying for a debate. I would

:28:33. > :28:38.encourage him to look at the early years infant mental health, which is

:28:39. > :28:46.so important is that young people up with lifelong emotional well-being.

:28:47. > :28:49.The M56 is the printable economic artery not just for West Cheshire,

:28:50. > :28:53.but large parts of north Wales and continues to jam up regularly, at

:28:54. > :28:58.which point all the roads around it jam up as well. Can we have a debate

:28:59. > :29:05.on why the Reg Treasury has failed to find any investment for the M56

:29:06. > :29:09.in the last 20 years -- the road strategy has failed to find

:29:10. > :29:13.investment. This government has significantly invested in roads and

:29:14. > :29:18.continues to do so. If he has specific issue about the M56, I

:29:19. > :29:21.encourage you to apply for an adjournment debate, but this

:29:22. > :29:24.government is committed to improving on our infrastructure to get the

:29:25. > :29:32.economy going and boost even more jobs for people in this country.

:29:33. > :29:42.We share a strong interest in giving babies the best start in life. I am

:29:43. > :29:48.greatly encouraged by the government 's's commitment to a mental health

:29:49. > :29:52.Bill in the green's speech and particularly for the amendments to

:29:53. > :29:58.an equalities Bill to reduce any discrimination against people with

:29:59. > :30:04.mental ill-health. Can she give us a timeline for that legislation and

:30:05. > :30:06.what it may cover, to promote perinatal mental health in giving

:30:07. > :30:13.our children the very best start in mental health in their lives? I am

:30:14. > :30:19.very grateful to him for raising that issue, very dear to his heart

:30:20. > :30:23.and mind, giving babies the best start in life through secure early

:30:24. > :30:28.bonding is absolutely vital, and I'm sure it will be part of our new

:30:29. > :30:32.Mental Health Act that was mentioned in the Queen's speech, and that

:30:33. > :30:37.there will be members right across the house keen to put forward their

:30:38. > :30:43.views. That's timing will be decided in due course. After Home Office

:30:44. > :30:47.questions on Monday, when the Home Secretary claimed police funding had

:30:48. > :30:52.been protected, although it has not been on Merseyside, there was yet

:30:53. > :30:56.another firearms discharge in my constituency. That makes over 100

:30:57. > :31:01.shootings across Merseyside in the last 18 months, involving five

:31:02. > :31:05.murders. Can we have a debate about the increasing gun crime happening

:31:06. > :31:09.across Merseyside, and what the government will do better to equip

:31:10. > :31:16.our police to deal proactively with the serious threat to public safety

:31:17. > :31:22.that it represents? She is exactly right to raise this issue, in her

:31:23. > :31:28.constituency, it's very serious. She will be pleased to know that since

:31:29. > :31:33.2010, there have been over 370,000 fewer violent crimes a year, but

:31:34. > :31:37.that doesn't help at all, when in her constituency, there have been

:31:38. > :31:44.many of them, and I do suggest she takes that up via a Westminster

:31:45. > :31:50.adjournment debate. Could we have a debate on the accountability of

:31:51. > :31:55.local councils? Taunton Deane council have given permission for

:31:56. > :31:58.17,000 houses. One company alone has built up a multi-million pound land

:31:59. > :32:02.bank on the assumption that the council will be giving them

:32:03. > :32:07.permission. Could we please have the tightening of rules on that before

:32:08. > :32:10.that is a serious situation, where councils are accused of all sorts of

:32:11. > :32:16.things that I suspect they don't want to be. He raises an important

:32:17. > :32:21.point, which is that housing needs to be sited in an appropriate place

:32:22. > :32:24.and there needs to be clear and transparent rules around planning.

:32:25. > :32:31.But there is a balance, because we desperately need to be building more

:32:32. > :32:35.houses. We have a great record of building over 800,000 new homes

:32:36. > :32:40.since 2010 in this country, which is a very good contribution. More needs

:32:41. > :32:45.to be done. He may want to raise his specific point at the questions that

:32:46. > :32:52.will happen before the end of this summer session. Further to the point

:32:53. > :32:56.made just a moment ago, and in light of the recent terrorist attacks in

:32:57. > :33:01.London and Manchester, and yesterday's report by the Henry

:33:02. > :33:06.Jackson Society on foreign funding of extremism in the UK, can I ask

:33:07. > :33:10.when the Prime Minister will either publish the report into the foreign

:33:11. > :33:14.funding of terrorism that was commissioned when she was Home

:33:15. > :33:21.Secretary, or make a statement to this house on foreign funding to

:33:22. > :33:27.extremist groups in the UK? In answer, he will know that this is an

:33:28. > :33:30.enormously important issue for the Prime Minister personally, and that

:33:31. > :33:37.she has committed to doing everything possible to keep our

:33:38. > :33:40.people safe. She is setting up the commission for countering extremism

:33:41. > :33:44.and she is fully occupied in resolving this issue, so I'm sure he

:33:45. > :33:48.can rely on the fact that she will be doing everything possible to

:33:49. > :33:54.stamp out extremism in all its forms. One of the regular issues to

:33:55. > :34:00.land in my inbox is litter and fly-tipping, and I'm sure it lands

:34:01. > :34:08.in many other members' inboxes as well. Fly-tipping alone costs local

:34:09. > :34:11.authorities in England ?49.8 million in 2015/2016, that's on top of the

:34:12. > :34:16.cost of litter clean-ups. Family have a debate on more can be done,

:34:17. > :34:21.how effective the enforcement of fly-tipping and Leicester is, and

:34:22. > :34:29.how we can encourage members of the public to dispose of the litter and

:34:30. > :34:32.waste properly? I'm very happy to encourage everybody to take their

:34:33. > :34:38.litter home with them, but she is right, this cost of street cleaning

:34:39. > :34:44.costs local government nearly ?800 million in 2015/ 2016. There's a

:34:45. > :34:49.huge amount of money that could be better used to doing other things. I

:34:50. > :34:55.was very pleased to launch our national litter strategy for

:34:56. > :34:58.England, looking at the areas, enforcement, infrastructure for bins

:34:59. > :35:02.and also education. That consultation has finished and there

:35:03. > :35:11.will be further announcements coming forward very soon. Today is a sad

:35:12. > :35:17.day for Glasgow politics, as this morning is the funeral of Councillor

:35:18. > :35:20.Alistair Watson, whose life was celebrated in an early motion, a

:35:21. > :35:25.gentleman to give 22 years of service to the communities of

:35:26. > :35:29.Donald. I would like to send my condolences to his family and the

:35:30. > :35:42.members of the Glasgow Labour family. I would like to share with

:35:43. > :35:45.him in offering condolences to the family of the council that he

:35:46. > :35:50.mentions. And there are, right across the country, people who

:35:51. > :35:54.written many, many years of public service, trying to improve their own

:35:55. > :35:58.local community or indeed, the country that they live in, and

:35:59. > :36:03.that's absolutely vital to of us. I think he makes a very good points,

:36:04. > :36:07.that we should have a debate to try and encourage more people to get

:36:08. > :36:10.involved, but also to celebrate those who have, and I do encourage

:36:11. > :36:21.him to apply for a debate on that subject. As Daesh have failed to do

:36:22. > :36:25.love the caliphate, they grow more desperate. Maybe have an early

:36:26. > :36:29.debate on the application of international law to bring

:36:30. > :36:34.prosecution against Daesh fighters, those who choose to partner with

:36:35. > :36:38.them and even marry them, to make sure that every terrorist is held

:36:39. > :36:46.accountable for their barbaric crimes. We are very concerned about

:36:47. > :36:52.the appalling crimes committed by Daesh against Christians and other

:36:53. > :36:58.minorities, as well as against the majority Muslim population in Iraq

:36:59. > :37:04.and Syria. Ultimately, the only way to stop the abuse is to defeat Daesh

:37:05. > :37:08.and establish a long-term political settlement in Iraq and Syria. So we

:37:09. > :37:12.continue to work closely with the government of Iraq and the United

:37:13. > :37:16.Nations to do just that, but she should be reassured that any Daesh

:37:17. > :37:23.supporters returning to the UK will face the whole force of the law.

:37:24. > :37:27.Developers in London routinely use a variety of methods to aggressively

:37:28. > :37:32.drive down levels of affordable housing. The recent Battersea Power

:37:33. > :37:35.Station development being the most recent and high profile example. Can

:37:36. > :37:40.we have a debate about what more needs to be done to make sure that

:37:41. > :37:46.private development includes sufficient public gain an adequate

:37:47. > :37:49.levels of affordable housing? We all share the desire to see more

:37:50. > :37:54.affordable housing. There's a big commitment on the part of this

:37:55. > :37:59.government. More than 300,000 new affordable homes have been built

:38:00. > :38:02.since 2010. Of course, it is a matter for local planning

:38:03. > :38:10.authorities to make sure that the right proportions are built in new

:38:11. > :38:14.development. I heard what the Leader of the House said earlier about

:38:15. > :38:18.student loans. While the original policy introduced by the Coalition

:38:19. > :38:21.Government was widely supported and remains progressive, things have

:38:22. > :38:26.changed slightly, because the level of interest at which both living

:38:27. > :38:30.costs and studies will be repaid, rises to 6.1% this September, and

:38:31. > :38:37.that, allied with compound interest over a 30 year period, is what gave

:38:38. > :38:42.the IDF S in their reports yesterday the calculation of total debt being

:38:43. > :38:46.?55,000. A number of us are very concerned about this. Could I urge

:38:47. > :38:51.you to find government time for that debate, which the first Secretary of

:38:52. > :38:58.State intimated he would like to see as well? Of all people, I think my

:38:59. > :39:06.honourable friend would recognise that student finance is not like a

:39:07. > :39:09.normal commercial loan. The taxpayer contributes significantly still to

:39:10. > :39:14.the cost of higher education for university students, and it's right

:39:15. > :39:17.that those who will benefit from the higher earnings attractive

:39:18. > :39:22.undergraduate rules should contribute to that cost. However, I

:39:23. > :39:27.think the mood of many colleagues has been heard, and I'm quite sure

:39:28. > :39:35.at the Department for Education are considering this. Gun and knife

:39:36. > :39:41.crime is up across London, and this month marks the two-year anniversary

:39:42. > :39:46.of the high-profile trial by mistaken identity shooting in Wood

:39:47. > :39:50.Green. And despite a number of representations, this homicide

:39:51. > :39:54.remains unsolved. Could we have a debate in government time around

:39:55. > :39:59.resources, particularly for London boroughs, where there is this

:40:00. > :40:03.increase in gun and knife crime, and in the light of Grenfell Tower,

:40:04. > :40:08.where 200 officers have now been moved over to the important work,

:40:09. > :40:11.that we can still rely on the fact that there will be enough detectives

:40:12. > :40:18.working to solve what is now a two-year-old crime? I do think it's

:40:19. > :40:21.very important to be clear that there are of course pockets, and

:40:22. > :40:27.there are terrible incidents that take place, and this sounds like a

:40:28. > :40:31.really awful experience in her constituency. But nevertheless,

:40:32. > :40:36.there are 370,000 fewer violent crimes since 2010, I do think it's

:40:37. > :40:40.important we speak in measured terms, because it's very easy to

:40:41. > :40:43.scare people into thinking things are getting worse when they are

:40:44. > :40:47.getting better. It has been made very clear that police funding has

:40:48. > :40:52.been protected, but the police themselves are changing the way they

:40:53. > :40:58.manage things operationally to put more money into cyber policing and

:40:59. > :41:01.dealing with online crime and into counterintelligence and so on.

:41:02. > :41:05.Nevertheless, she may wish to raise the specific issues in her

:41:06. > :41:12.constituency through an adjournment debate. She may be aware of the

:41:13. > :41:18.problems which writing schools up and down the country are having with

:41:19. > :41:21.the valuation office agency and their valuations ascribed to their

:41:22. > :41:26.premises. Some are now closing because of this, and this will

:41:27. > :41:31.undoubtedly have an effect on writing for the disabled. Could we

:41:32. > :41:38.have a debate on the subject, and perhaps she could raise it with her

:41:39. > :41:44.colleague in the cabinets? I'm very much aware of the issue for riding

:41:45. > :41:48.schools and other large premises in rural areas with rates. He may know

:41:49. > :41:55.that as part of the package of support lunched at the budget, the

:41:56. > :41:59.Chancellor announced a ?300 million discretionary relief funds to 2018

:42:00. > :42:04.so that local authorities could provide additional support to local

:42:05. > :42:07.businesses. I encourage him to suggest his constituents that they

:42:08. > :42:15.apply to the local council to see whether they are eligible for this

:42:16. > :42:22.discretionary relief. Following the revelation contained in the

:42:23. > :42:26.independent audit on loans to state owned companies in Mozambique, those

:42:27. > :42:33.loans are now falling on the shoulder of any man, woman and child

:42:34. > :42:37.in the country. What measures are the UK Government considering to

:42:38. > :42:43.make sure that loans given to governments are transparent? The

:42:44. > :42:48.issue of transparency in government loans and indeed in overseas aid, is

:42:49. > :42:51.very important to the government. There are Foreign Office questions

:42:52. > :42:58.next week, I believe, and he will wish to raise that they are, I'm

:42:59. > :43:03.sure. There is some concern about broadcast media's coverage of the

:43:04. > :43:07.Brexit negotiations. You may have to watch Newsnight from last night to

:43:08. > :43:11.see why. One of my constituents has e-mailed me to say, I need to know

:43:12. > :43:15.whether I made the right decision, but the mainstream media just do not

:43:16. > :43:20.cover EU developments. Good the minister come to the dispatch box

:43:21. > :43:26.and justified that the BBC is continuing to comply with its Royal

:43:27. > :43:33.Charter? I think what we all want to see is balance in reporting. And

:43:34. > :43:37.giving as much time to the opportunities of leaving the EU as

:43:38. > :43:43.is given to the other side of the argument. I think a number of people

:43:44. > :43:47.expressed concerns that the balance isn't there. All of us across this

:43:48. > :43:54.house would wish to see that very closely. Will the Leader of the

:43:55. > :43:58.House provide temporary debate on local government funding. Kirklees

:43:59. > :44:03.Council, which covers my constituency, is losing ?1 million a

:44:04. > :44:07.week. Services are close to breaking point, with vulnerable people

:44:08. > :44:12.suffering the most. As the Cabinet now seem to be conducting a debate

:44:13. > :44:17.on a story ditty in the tabloid front pages, could we also have one

:44:18. > :44:22.in this house? I would remind her that it is this government that is

:44:23. > :44:28.sorting out our public finances. It is under this government that we

:44:29. > :44:37.have seen employment up by 2.9 million people. Over 800,000 fewer

:44:38. > :44:42.workless households. A pay rise by 30 million people through income tax

:44:43. > :44:45.cuts. Basic rate tax payers are ?1000 a year better off under this

:44:46. > :44:51.government, so to suggest everything is falling apart is simply not true.

:44:52. > :44:54.Opposition members need to stop scaremongering. And I do urge her to

:44:55. > :45:07.look at the facts. Hamble lane, Eastleigh town centre

:45:08. > :45:11.and Berkeley sent to leave consistent queues and jams on the

:45:12. > :45:15.resultant air pollution which remains a key concern for my

:45:16. > :45:21.constituents, particularly parents of children with asthma. Will the

:45:22. > :45:24.Leader of the House can define time for a debate on air pollution so

:45:25. > :45:33.that we can tackle and really talk about this growing public health

:45:34. > :45:36.concern? Air quality is a serious public health issue, as she is right

:45:37. > :45:43.to point out that one of the major links is to asthma and that is a

:45:44. > :45:46.serious condition in itself. The honourable lady will have many

:45:47. > :45:53.opportunities to raise this in the future, when we have the judgment

:45:54. > :46:01.from the High Court and when our proposals from our consultation are

:46:02. > :46:04.published later in the summer. 200 staff were let go on Sunday. There

:46:05. > :46:08.were supposed to be working at a Green Day concert which was

:46:09. > :46:14.cancelled at short notice by the promoters. And they were only

:46:15. > :46:19.offered their bus fare by their employer. Can we have a debate on

:46:20. > :46:23.contracts and workers' rights, and does she agree in this case that

:46:24. > :46:29.clearly, these workers have been exploited and that is unacceptable?

:46:30. > :46:37.I certainly agree that that does not sound acceptable if it is the case.

:46:38. > :46:41.On the wider point about zero hours contracts, there has been a lot of

:46:42. > :46:46.discussion in this House about the measures this government has taken

:46:47. > :46:53.to stamp out abuse of those contracts. It is the fact that for

:46:54. > :46:57.many people, they are content with their zero hours contracts and it

:46:58. > :47:01.works for them. So the honourable lady raises an important specific

:47:02. > :47:11.point, but the broader point has been well debated across this

:47:12. > :47:14.chamber. Some travel camps in Dudley have left behind them criminal

:47:15. > :47:18.damage and large clean-up bills for council tax payers. Could we have a

:47:19. > :47:26.debate on the use of police powers to remove illegal camps and also on

:47:27. > :47:31.proposals to allow combined authorities to pull provision for

:47:32. > :47:37.authorised travellers' sites, rather than insisting that each local

:47:38. > :47:41.authority has their own provision? My honourable friend raises a

:47:42. > :47:45.subject that has already been raised that every business questions so

:47:46. > :47:51.far, which highlights what an important issue this is for every

:47:52. > :47:57.member of Parliament. Local authorities and the police have a

:47:58. > :48:00.wide range of powers to help them take action, including being able to

:48:01. > :48:04.direct trespassers to leave the land, removing any vehicles and

:48:05. > :48:09.property from the land when there is a suitable pitch elsewhere in that

:48:10. > :48:12.authority area. I hear his point about pooling local authority

:48:13. > :48:16.resources. That is not something that is currently able to be done,

:48:17. > :48:23.but it is something he may wish to raise directly with ministers. Could

:48:24. > :48:30.I also raise with the Leader of the House the question of the need for a

:48:31. > :48:33.debate on illegal encampment is? In South Birmingham, the past few

:48:34. > :48:35.months have seen an unprecedented rise in the number of those

:48:36. > :48:40.encampments in their scale and frequency, often with public concern

:48:41. > :48:43.made worse by the anti-social behaviour associated with them and

:48:44. > :48:51.the level of mess that is left behind. Often, they will leave one

:48:52. > :48:57.place and be evicted, only to reappear down the road. So we need

:48:58. > :49:04.an early debate. We should review the status of the existing powers,

:49:05. > :49:08.review where best practice can be applied and if the powers that are

:49:09. > :49:12.available need further review, to set the ball rolling. Could we have

:49:13. > :49:15.short questions in order to get everybody in? I do not want to miss

:49:16. > :49:23.anyone out. Everybody has been standing. I say to the honourable

:49:24. > :49:29.gentleman again, there are already strong police powers. There are

:49:30. > :49:32.occasionally issues with enforcement, but where travellers

:49:33. > :49:36.fail to comply with a police direction, it is a criminal offence

:49:37. > :49:40.which is punishable by up to six months imprisonment. So is re-entry

:49:41. > :49:45.onto land by a person that is subject to that direction within

:49:46. > :49:50.three months afterwards. He should be aware that 84% of traveller

:49:51. > :49:55.caravans are now on authorised land compared to 77% in 2007. The

:49:56. > :49:58.government is committed to reducing the number of unauthorised sites by

:49:59. > :50:04.making sure there is reasonable provision for travellers that takes

:50:05. > :50:12.account of their cultural requirements to enable them to avoid

:50:13. > :50:19.being on unauthorised sites. The rugby club in Brecon and Radnorshire

:50:20. > :50:22.recently completed a sponsored bike ride in Wales, raising ?45,000

:50:23. > :50:25.towards the cost of purchasing their rugby pitches from the local

:50:26. > :50:31.authority. Would my right honourable friend join me in congratulating all

:50:32. > :50:35.of the town on this outstanding achievement and also allow a debate

:50:36. > :50:41.on what more could be done to transfer assets to local community

:50:42. > :50:46.groups without exceptionally high costs to those groups? I certainly

:50:47. > :50:51.congratulate all of those involved. That is an impressive sum for a

:50:52. > :50:55.sponsored bike ride. If he was involved, I commend him for that. As

:50:56. > :50:59.he will know, responsibility for grass-roots sport is devolved in

:51:00. > :51:04.Wales. Sport Wales are the organisation with responsibility for

:51:05. > :51:07.investing in and supporting grassroots sport. Sport England this

:51:08. > :51:11.year have launched a community asset fund worth up to ?15 million. He

:51:12. > :51:18.might want to talk to sport Wales about whether they have any similar

:51:19. > :51:23.schemes. I know the Leader of the House likes to be patriotic, like

:51:24. > :51:27.many of us, and used our national carrier airline, British Airways.

:51:28. > :51:32.But can we have a debate about the shameful way they are treating their

:51:33. > :51:36.cabin crew and the fact that the government has given permission to

:51:37. > :51:40.British Airways to do a wet lease, ie the planes on the stuff of cat

:51:41. > :51:44.are Airways, in order to keep flights going during the current

:51:45. > :51:47.industrial dispute, despite the terrible record that airline has

:51:48. > :51:52.with its female worker -- Qatar Airways? The honourable gentleman

:51:53. > :51:58.raises an important point about workers' rights. He will know that a

:51:59. > :52:01.good opportunity to raise that would be through applying for a debate in

:52:02. > :52:07.Westminster Hall or for an adjournment debate. However, it is

:52:08. > :52:09.important in all industrial disputes that the considerations for

:52:10. > :52:13.passengers are also taking into account. I am sure he would agree

:52:14. > :52:22.that that would be the right balance in all disputes. I welcome the

:52:23. > :52:28.government's commitment to expanding investment in our road networks such

:52:29. > :52:34.as the A303 in my constituency. I wonder if we could find time for a

:52:35. > :52:40.debate on how we can capitalise on that investment to deliver jobs,

:52:41. > :52:47.housing and skills development in association with that? My honourable

:52:48. > :52:52.friend is a great champion for his constituency and having spent many

:52:53. > :52:58.hours queueing patiently on the A303, I can understand his desire to

:52:59. > :53:01.see it upgraded. And also for the jobs and growth that new

:53:02. > :53:06.infrastructure brings in every constituency. It is something this

:53:07. > :53:09.government is committed to, with new investment in capital infrastructure

:53:10. > :53:16.spending. He may well wish to raise that through the usual channels to

:53:17. > :53:18.give all colleagues the opportunity to talk about the work this

:53:19. > :53:25.government is doing to build the economy. The Leader of the House

:53:26. > :53:29.will have heard, I hope, my question to the Prime Minister yesterday

:53:30. > :53:38.about my constituent and her daughter who is under threat of FGM.

:53:39. > :53:40.Unfortunately, the Prime Minister's reply was almost as bad as the

:53:41. > :53:44.letters I have had from the Home Office. Can we have a debate on the

:53:45. > :53:48.processes of the Home Office and the measures that are in place to

:53:49. > :53:56.protect women suffering from domestic violence on women and girls

:53:57. > :54:00.under the threat of FGM? There is nobody in this House would for a

:54:01. > :54:05.moment condone or have anything other than disgust and abhorrence at

:54:06. > :54:13.the whole subject of FGM. It is an appalling abuse of young girls and

:54:14. > :54:17.women and nobody would condone it. This government has made a huge

:54:18. > :54:24.effort to try and stamp out FGM. It is extraordinarily difficult, but we

:54:25. > :54:27.are getting breakthroughs. At least through her question today, we can

:54:28. > :54:32.highlight again the plight of those suffering this appalling abuse. The

:54:33. > :54:36.honourable lady raises a constituency point and I urge her to

:54:37. > :54:41.raise that in Home Office questions or to continue to raise it in PMQs.

:54:42. > :54:48.She has the support of the whole House in seeing this stamped out.

:54:49. > :54:52.Colin Smith received contaminated blood in 1983 when he was just eight

:54:53. > :54:58.months old. That blood turned out to be from Arkansas prison and he died

:54:59. > :55:02.aged just seven, his whole life spent fighting illness. So for

:55:03. > :55:06.Colin's family and all those affected, can we have an opportunity

:55:07. > :55:12.before recess to debate the new reports that suggest that risks of

:55:13. > :55:22.contaminated blood were known from 1980? Those affected need a public

:55:23. > :55:25.inquiry to get to the truth. I agree that the contaminated blood

:55:26. > :55:32.situation over several decades, affecting people in so many ways,

:55:33. > :55:38.was a terrible thing to happen. She will appreciate that successive

:55:39. > :55:40.governments over decades have reviewed the situation and made

:55:41. > :55:47.compensation available to the victims. I am aware that the last

:55:48. > :55:51.review in 2015 has made further recommendations and that there are

:55:52. > :55:55.concerns about the possibility that there was some cover-up. I encourage

:55:56. > :56:03.the honourable lady to seek an opportunity for a debate to try and

:56:04. > :56:07.air that issue further. As we have already heard, the broken business

:56:08. > :56:11.rate system is so judgmental to business and is frankly a shambles.

:56:12. > :56:15.In fact, this is echoed in businesses across Europe including

:56:16. > :56:24.those trading in the shambles Luke Shambles. Can we have the

:56:25. > :56:28.consultation brought to this house? We were promised this in February

:56:29. > :56:34.and has not seen the light of day, so I would like to know why not. The

:56:35. > :56:40.honourable lady will know that rateable values are set

:56:41. > :56:45.independently by the VOA and reflect open market rental value. The

:56:46. > :56:47.government doesn't intervene in the independent exercise, but I

:56:48. > :56:51.understand that if the market rent for the area has changed, then

:56:52. > :56:55.rateable values change with them. She will be aware that the

:56:56. > :57:01.Chancellor announced a ?300 million discretionary fund over four years

:57:02. > :57:07.from 2017-18 to deal with issues of rates changing for particular

:57:08. > :57:11.businesses. That has been made available to local authorities so

:57:12. > :57:19.that at their discretion, they can support individual businesses with

:57:20. > :57:24.their issues. The companies and markets page of the Financial Times

:57:25. > :57:27.had an article this Monday talking about how investment in the car

:57:28. > :57:32.industry has slumped amidst Brexit concerns. This was raised with me

:57:33. > :57:37.numerous times during the election, as I have a large Ford plant in my

:57:38. > :57:41.constituency. What is clear from the article and the experience of Ford

:57:42. > :57:47.workers is that new investment is not coming into the plant. It has

:57:48. > :57:51.slumped by 30% across the UK. The Association of automotive traders

:57:52. > :57:59.and manufacturers have said that it would be a devastating impact and

:58:00. > :58:03.permanent damage to the UK car industry if, when the UK leads the

:58:04. > :58:08.customs union and the single market, this is not addressed. Can we have

:58:09. > :58:13.an impact on the impact of Brexit on the automotive industry? The

:58:14. > :58:20.honourable lady raises an important issue for her constituency. The UK

:58:21. > :58:24.has a thriving automotive industry and I am sure she will be delighted

:58:25. > :58:28.that we are bringing forward measures to support electric

:58:29. > :58:34.vehicles and be a world leader in that area. She may also be pleased

:58:35. > :58:38.to know that the department for industry and trade figures released

:58:39. > :58:43.today show a record-breaking number of foreign direct investment

:58:44. > :58:49.projects coming into the UK, up 2% on 2015-16. So the direction is in

:58:50. > :58:53.the right place. But she may wish to raise specific issues for Ford in

:58:54. > :59:02.her constituency through a Westminster Hall debate. Before 2015

:59:03. > :59:10.general election, Chancellor Osborne made a commitment with the residents

:59:11. > :59:13.of Warrington that the Runcorn Bridge would be toll-free. Earlier

:59:14. > :59:18.this year, the junior transport minister broke that promise. Can I

:59:19. > :59:21.request that the Leader of the House arrange for the Secretary of State

:59:22. > :59:24.for Transport to come here and make a statement and inform when the

:59:25. > :59:30.government will announce that they will keep the promise, or arrange a

:59:31. > :59:39.debate? This issue is affecting the whole region. The honourable

:59:40. > :59:42.gentleman raises an important point for his constituency. He will be

:59:43. > :59:46.pleased to know that transport questions are on Thursday the 13th

:59:47. > :59:47.of July and I am sure he will be able to raise that with ministers

:59:48. > :59:57.then. Can be heavy debate on Home Office

:59:58. > :00:02.intransigence? Ten Minister come to the size and explain why, despite

:00:03. > :00:05.following Home Office advice in submitting his application for leave

:00:06. > :00:09.to remain, my constituents and his wife have been stripped of their

:00:10. > :00:13.status, forced to quit their jobs and let their children, British

:00:14. > :00:18.citizens, destitute. Can we have an urgent debate on review of Home

:00:19. > :00:22.Office procedures that leaves many vulnerable and in desperate

:00:23. > :00:25.situations? He raises a very concerning case in his own

:00:26. > :00:28.constituency and I'm sure he will want to raise that Adalat oral

:00:29. > :00:36.questions to the Home Office or through writing to ministers, but as

:00:37. > :00:42.we all know, there is an MPs hotline and they do deal with as matter of

:00:43. > :00:48.priority with MPs' cases, so he might want to take that up with

:00:49. > :00:52.them. In 2015, the government promised not to sell HMS Ocean and

:00:53. > :00:56.not to close a barracks in Plymouth. The helicopter carrier and both

:00:57. > :01:02.pieces are no Brasil. Local region agreed to debate on base closures

:01:03. > :01:10.and how we maintain helicopter capability at Devonport? I welcome

:01:11. > :01:15.him and wish him success. He is using something dear to all our

:01:16. > :01:20.hearts, which is the fortunes of our military, whether Royal Navy, royal

:01:21. > :01:25.air force or the Army. Sadly, I feel his views are not shared by many on

:01:26. > :01:30.his side of the house, who argue against protecting our citizens, but

:01:31. > :01:33.nevertheless, his point has been heard and I am sure he will be

:01:34. > :01:44.raising it with ministers whenever he can. It has been common practice

:01:45. > :01:48.in the NHS for employees to be required to repay redundancy

:01:49. > :01:52.payments if they secure another job in the health service within a

:01:53. > :01:55.certain period of time, so given the fact that several members who lost

:01:56. > :01:59.their seats at the last election have now taken up page rules as

:02:00. > :02:05.government advisers, will use set aside time for a debate on whether

:02:06. > :02:14.it's appropriate for members to receive redundancy payments and then

:02:15. > :02:21.take up a page role as an adviser? Sheep shouts from a sedentary

:02:22. > :02:24.position, named names! My concern has been that members who lost their

:02:25. > :02:33.seats, particularly this time around, have actually struggled in

:02:34. > :02:38.some cases, genuinely struggled. With an ability to feed into the

:02:39. > :02:42.policies for members' pay and expenses, he raises an important

:02:43. > :02:45.point, but I think he will find that members across the house are

:02:46. > :02:53.concerned that members who loses seats are not being fairly treated,

:02:54. > :03:00.quite the opposite to that point. I'm remember a sample size of the

:03:01. > :03:04.house will want to wish a happy 69th birthday to the NHS, which clocked

:03:05. > :03:12.up the milestone yesterday. But local provision seems to be less

:03:13. > :03:19.healthy. We have lost to A and if this continues, there will be hardly

:03:20. > :03:28.any beds left. Can we have a debate on this cherished Labour created

:03:29. > :03:32.institution? She will know that this government is totally committed to

:03:33. > :03:37.the NHS and is funding it to a far greater extent than the Labour

:03:38. > :03:45.Party's on manifesto would have pledged. Under this government, we

:03:46. > :03:52.have seen millions more operations, A visits, we have seen enormous

:03:53. > :03:56.strides forward in medical science, in technology, that enables people

:03:57. > :03:59.to have far better treatments. The Commonwealth fund says the NHS is

:04:00. > :04:07.one of the best health services in the world. We are absolutely

:04:08. > :04:12.committed to the success of the NHS on this side of the house and I

:04:13. > :04:16.think all members should really do more to support the excellent work

:04:17. > :04:24.of our NHS staff, who do so much to support all of us. The shadow Leader

:04:25. > :04:29.of the House and other honourable members have raised very important

:04:30. > :04:35.question is, why has there not been an opposition day since the 25th of

:04:36. > :04:39.January? Given the scarcity of substantive government business,

:04:40. > :04:43.given the huge red issues raised on these benches, why is the leader of

:04:44. > :04:53.the highest refusing to schedule one for the summer recess? Why does she

:04:54. > :04:56.want to commit to one now? I can say that there are standing orders

:04:57. > :05:02.around opposition day, sitting Fridays and back bench business

:05:03. > :05:06.days. The government, through the usual channels, is working on

:05:07. > :05:07.setting out those days and the house will be informed as soon as

:05:08. > :05:22.possible. Last week, I mentioned just a few of

:05:23. > :05:26.the failings in the Scottish Secretary of State and I challenged

:05:27. > :05:29.the Leader of the House to list some of his achievements. She said that

:05:30. > :05:36.he has spoken up for energy in Scotland and he's been an enormous

:05:37. > :05:44.advocate for Scottish agriculture. When the government pulled the plug

:05:45. > :05:48.on carbon capture storage and renewables, and the government has

:05:49. > :05:54.withheld nearly ?2 million of EU funding meant for Scottish farmers,

:05:55. > :05:57.given that is his achievements, is there any other outstanding

:05:58. > :06:05.achievements she colours that makes my point for me that he is not

:06:06. > :06:11.standing up for Scotland? That is at nonsense and not worthy of the

:06:12. > :06:14.honourable gentleman. Would you like to mention the Secretary of State

:06:15. > :06:19.for Scotland's support for the oil and gas sector in Scotland, where he

:06:20. > :06:23.gave hours and hours of permitted time to discuss a package of fiscal

:06:24. > :06:29.relief to support the oil and gas sector in Scotland? The hours he

:06:30. > :06:34.spent working with me as an energy Minster, so I know very well what he

:06:35. > :06:38.did, working on a supply chain to give Scottish fabrication yards the

:06:39. > :06:43.chance to the parts of the wind sector, which this government has

:06:44. > :06:49.supported. We have half of the world's offshore wind turbines. He

:06:50. > :06:53.not mentioning any of the Roses. This is their petty and spiteful act

:06:54. > :06:56.of an opposition should be ashamed of itself. The Secretary of State

:06:57. > :07:05.has spoken up at every opportunity for the people of Scotland. In the

:07:06. > :07:08.last Parliament, the Public Accounts Committee and a number of

:07:09. > :07:14.constituency members of all parliaments raised concerns about

:07:15. > :07:17.the HMR see State reorganisation. It appears major contracts were signed

:07:18. > :07:21.while this House was dissolved in that appears to fly in the face of

:07:22. > :07:25.official guidance to the civil servants about not making big

:07:26. > :07:33.decisions about commercial contracts during that time. Would you look

:07:34. > :07:38.into this and make sure that a minister reports back, and given

:07:39. > :07:42.that the HMR see is not led by a minister, would she also grabbed a

:07:43. > :07:51.debate so that we can raise our concerns very directly? If she would

:07:52. > :07:54.like to raise specific issues about process for each MRC, I will

:07:55. > :07:59.certainly take them forward for her, but I would like to use this

:08:00. > :08:06.opportunity to point out that since 2010, each MRC has secured ?150

:08:07. > :08:13.billion for this country in additional compliance revenues, as a

:08:14. > :08:21.result of their work to tackle tax avoidance. In 2016 alone, HMRC

:08:22. > :08:25.collected record revenues of ?26.5 billion for compliance activities.

:08:26. > :08:30.We've secured nearly 3 billion from offshore tax evaders. And in total,

:08:31. > :08:35.an additional 2.5 billion from the very wealthiest since 2010. So if

:08:36. > :08:39.she or anyone else in the chamber would like to praise HMRC for their

:08:40. > :08:42.contribution to sorting out our economy and getting it back to

:08:43. > :08:54.living within our means, then I'd be delighted to hear it. Earlier, the

:08:55. > :09:00.honourable member for Ealing Central and actor described the NHS as the

:09:01. > :09:03.Leeper institution. It is not a political institution, it does not

:09:04. > :09:08.belong to any party. There are members on all sides of this house

:09:09. > :09:13.who have served the NHS as we have the armed forces and other public

:09:14. > :09:18.services. If she was still in this place I would ask her to withdraw

:09:19. > :09:24.it. And therefore be in order to ask you that could be withdrawn? Your

:09:25. > :09:30.view is on the record and it is a point of order for the chair. We now

:09:31. > :09:37.come to the general debate relating to exiting the European Union and

:09:38. > :09:44.global trade. Secretary of State to move, Liam Fox. Thank you. This is

:09:45. > :09:48.an important debate, not only because it is our first full debate

:09:49. > :09:53.on global Britain, but because this debate was originally timetabled for

:09:54. > :09:57.the day on which the tragic terrorist attack on Westminster

:09:58. > :10:02.Bridge took place, and for all of us in this House, our thoughts are as

:10:03. > :10:07.ever with the families of those who were killed and injured, and none of

:10:08. > :10:13.us will ever forget the outstanding bravery of the emergency services

:10:14. > :10:18.and all those who restored order and worked tirelessly to keep us safe at

:10:19. > :10:23.all times. We stand at the vital juncture for this country, ready to

:10:24. > :10:26.write a new chapter in his today. As we begin the process of withdrawing

:10:27. > :10:31.from the EU, the government has promised we will hold a series of

:10:32. > :10:36.debates to allow this House to have a say on the future of the UK. I

:10:37. > :10:39.welcome that commitment and look forward to members from both sides

:10:40. > :10:45.of the House to engage with our proposals. The Department for

:10:46. > :10:48.International Trade was created as a result of the change of government

:10:49. > :10:53.that followed this country's votes to leave the EU in June last year.

:10:54. > :10:57.It has enabled us to take a fresh look at our national approach to

:10:58. > :11:01.trade and investment. Trade is vitally important to the economic

:11:02. > :11:06.well-being of our country, and as we leave the EU, we'll be able to sheep

:11:07. > :11:11.trade policy according to our own national interests. I believe that

:11:12. > :11:17.leaving the EU represents an unprecedented opportunity for the

:11:18. > :11:21.UK. The EU Commission was Mac own website on trade states that 90% of

:11:22. > :11:25.global growth in the next 20 years will come from outside Europe. As

:11:26. > :11:30.one of the world's largest economies, we have the chance to

:11:31. > :11:32.work with old and new partners to build a truly global Britain at the

:11:33. > :11:39.heart of international trade. We will support the conclusion of all

:11:40. > :11:43.that ongoing freedom trade negotiations while we are still

:11:44. > :11:47.members and seek to transition may adopt all those existing third-party

:11:48. > :11:51.agreements before we leave. As the Prime Minister has said, we want a

:11:52. > :11:56.deep and special partnership with the EU as we negotiate our own exit.

:11:57. > :12:01.The Department for International Trade will be making sure that the

:12:02. > :12:05.promotion of British goods and services abroad is promoted, while

:12:06. > :12:12.continuing to keep the UK as a top destination for UK investment --

:12:13. > :12:16.internal investment. As I indicated to the house earlier this day,

:12:17. > :12:23.figures published this morning should record foreign direct

:12:24. > :12:31.investment into the UK in 2016/2017, proving beyond doubt that Britain

:12:32. > :12:38.has the necessary economic essentials to attract investment.

:12:39. > :12:42.Free trade increases consumer choice, raises standard of living

:12:43. > :12:47.and makes wages go further, as global competition drives down

:12:48. > :12:56.prices on every day goods, a point comeback tour later. In our task,

:12:57. > :13:05.our own history is on our side. We were the trade capital of the world.

:13:06. > :13:10.I share his optimism about the future of our country once we leave

:13:11. > :13:17.the EU. Does he agree with me and witty breaks the myth, that somehow

:13:18. > :13:20.we need trade deals to trade? Of course, trade steels are important,

:13:21. > :13:27.but we can trade without trade deals. I would differentiate between

:13:28. > :13:30.trade deals and trade rules. Of course, we need trade rules

:13:31. > :13:35.governing the global environment, which is why we are committed to the

:13:36. > :13:42.World Trade Organisation, but we don't need agreements to treat.

:13:43. > :13:48.There are lots of other ways in which it is regulated. There are a

:13:49. > :13:52.number of tools that we can use in the way that we shape the global

:13:53. > :13:57.trading environment. She is quite right in that. I give way to my

:13:58. > :14:01.honourable friend. Further to that question, and he is quite right,

:14:02. > :14:09.even if there is no free trade deal, we'll be no worse off than the USA

:14:10. > :14:12.or Japan. I'm sure the Secretary of State can confirm that we are

:14:13. > :14:16.leaving the EU and the single market, but there was some doubt and

:14:17. > :14:20.comment about our state is inside the customs union. I'm sure my right

:14:21. > :14:22.honourable friend is happy to confirm today that we are leaving

:14:23. > :14:31.the customs union. Our manifesto talked about when we

:14:32. > :14:37.had left the customs union. That was the basis of which I was elected.

:14:38. > :14:40.Most of us in this House and according to polls, most of us in

:14:41. > :14:44.this country believe in the principles of free trade and the

:14:45. > :14:48.benefits it brings. Yet in the world today, free trade is in need of a

:14:49. > :14:52.champion. For the first time in decades, the established order of

:14:53. > :14:56.fair, free and open global commerce which has done so much to enrich and

:14:57. > :15:02.empower the world's nations is under threat. In April, the World Trade

:15:03. > :15:07.Organisation noted that in 2016, world trade in goods grew by only

:15:08. > :15:15.1.3%, the first time since 2001 that trade grew more slowly than GDP. Yet

:15:16. > :15:19.this threat to growth and prosperity is going largely unrecognised.

:15:20. > :15:23.Globally, there are signs of an increasing tendency towards

:15:24. > :15:28.protectionism. Barriers to trade are going up across the world and a

:15:29. > :15:31.particularly worrying report by the WTO highlighted the acceleration in

:15:32. > :15:38.protectionist measures since the 2008 financial crash. Some of the

:15:39. > :15:44.worst culprits in this are the countries of the G7 and G20. Those

:15:45. > :15:48.nations, including our own, who have gained the most from free trade, are

:15:49. > :15:53.at risk of forgetting our and principles. And yet protectionism

:15:54. > :15:57.hurts those it purports to help. This is especially important as the

:15:58. > :15:59.expansion of global production chains which sees goods across

:16:00. > :16:03.multiple borders before a final product is made means the barriers

:16:04. > :16:13.on imports damage a nation's exports. The right honourable

:16:14. > :16:16.gentleman speaks about the customs union, but does he not share my

:16:17. > :16:21.concern and the concern of the Scottish whiskey industry as we met

:16:22. > :16:26.for the first time last night, and I should declare an interest as the

:16:27. > :16:31.secretary of the APPG, that the customs processes as they stand are

:16:32. > :16:36.creaking under pressure. They are being transformed through a new

:16:37. > :16:42.digital process, but they are not confident that they will be able to

:16:43. > :16:46.manage the process of Brexit. What guarantees can he give to that

:16:47. > :16:52.industry that they will be solved? The honourable lady raises a fair

:16:53. > :16:56.point about global trade facilitation. We have just signed

:16:57. > :16:59.the trade facilitation agreement which aims to reduce border friction

:17:00. > :17:03.across the world. It is estimated that that is worth 70 billion in the

:17:04. > :17:08.global economy. One of the biggest barriers facing Scotch whiskey, is

:17:09. > :17:12.tariff barriers, and the department has been trying to talk to

:17:13. > :17:16.governments such as India, who have high tariffs against Scotch whiskey,

:17:17. > :17:20.which is not good for their own consumers because it encourages an

:17:21. > :17:27.illicit trade. I would encourage all those governments, as I do myself,

:17:28. > :17:34.to indulge liberally in the pleasures of single malt. Martin

:17:35. > :17:40.Deputy Speaker, by 2010 my G7 and G20 countries were admitted to the

:17:41. > :17:46.operating some 300 nontariff barriers to trade. By 2015, this had

:17:47. > :17:48.mushroomed to over 1200. Having accrued great wealth, there honour

:17:49. > :17:54.those who would pull up the drawbridge behind them and we cannot

:17:55. > :17:57.let this happen. This country's own commitment to free trade was most

:17:58. > :18:03.clearly illustrated by the repeal of the corn laws of 1846. The

:18:04. > :18:06.Conservative Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel, rightly saw this

:18:07. > :18:13.protectionism as an attempt to preserve the wealth of a privileged

:18:14. > :18:17.few at the expense of the many. And import tariffs were all but

:18:18. > :18:20.abolished and Britain's free trade principles were created to put bread

:18:21. > :18:24.into the mouths of the hungry majority. Now as then, it is free

:18:25. > :18:28.trade and competition that will do most to address inequality and

:18:29. > :18:32.safeguard the interests of working people. More than ever, it is up to

:18:33. > :18:35.those nations who possessed the economic and diplomatic means to

:18:36. > :18:40.reassert the rationale of free trade to do so. I thank the honourable

:18:41. > :18:44.friend for his powerful and optimistic speech on free trade. In

:18:45. > :18:48.terms of reducing protectionism, does he agree that leaving the

:18:49. > :18:52.customs union will give us the ability to reduce import tariffs on

:18:53. > :18:56.many goods we do not produce at home which will reduce costs for working

:18:57. > :19:01.families and benefit many developing countries, helping them trading to

:19:02. > :19:08.prosperity? That is an important point. At this morning's trick

:19:09. > :19:17.questions, we made the argument that the freedoms we will have is to help

:19:18. > :19:19.developing countries is something which currently cannot do. We have

:19:20. > :19:24.to encourage poorer countries to trade their way out of poverty and

:19:25. > :19:27.become less dependent on international aid programmes. That

:19:28. > :19:31.is something I don't think would be a party political issue. The

:19:32. > :19:38.question is how to achieve it in practice. In terms of the progress

:19:39. > :19:43.that had been made, we have reduced poverty levels to their lowest in

:19:44. > :19:45.history. As the world's emerging economies have liberalised trade

:19:46. > :19:49.practices, prosperity has spread across the globe, bringing industry,

:19:50. > :19:53.jobs and wealth where once there was only depression. According to the

:19:54. > :19:59.World Bank, the three decades between 1981 and 2011 witness to the

:20:00. > :20:02.single greatest decrease in material deprivation in human history. It is

:20:03. > :20:07.a remarkable achievement. The Leader of the House has accused the Prime

:20:08. > :20:10.Minister -- the Leader of the Opposition has accused the Prime

:20:11. > :20:16.Minister of following "Free-trade dogma" at the expense of the world's

:20:17. > :20:19.most fragile economies. In fact, an economist worth their salt can see

:20:20. > :20:26.the free trade has been one of the most potent liberators of the

:20:27. > :20:30.world's poor. Take India. In 1993, 40 5% of India's population sat

:20:31. > :20:37.below the poverty line as defined by the World Bank. By 2011, it was 22%.

:20:38. > :20:42.Too many, but a phenomenal achievement. It is no coincidence

:20:43. > :20:46.that the in the intervening period, India embraced globalisation and

:20:47. > :20:49.started to liberalise its economy. It is hard to imagine an

:20:50. > :20:53.international aid programme, even one as generous as our own, that

:20:54. > :21:00.would or could ever have been so effective on its own. It's also

:21:01. > :21:05.sadly easy to find examples where a lack of free trade has harmed the

:21:06. > :21:09.most vulnerable. If you want to see the contrasting results of open and

:21:10. > :21:12.closed economies, then look across from China to the Korean peninsula,

:21:13. > :21:17.where so much attention is focused today. In 1945, both North and South

:21:18. > :21:23.Korea began from a very similar base. But while South Korea was more

:21:24. > :21:28.embracing of open trade and free markets despite any shortcomings,

:21:29. > :21:32.Pyongyang turned inwards, with the tragic consequences for its citizens

:21:33. > :21:35.that we see to this day. I am happy to give way to the honourable lady

:21:36. > :21:41.if she thinks that North and South Korea enjoy the same living

:21:42. > :21:43.standards today. Of course what the honourable gentleman says about the

:21:44. > :21:53.situation in those countries today is right. But the point I was

:21:54. > :22:00.chuntering about was that what the honourable gentleman says is not

:22:01. > :22:04.what was happening in South Korea in the 1960s and 1970s. And a lot of

:22:05. > :22:09.the south-east Asian economies did have protection in those two decades

:22:10. > :22:12.in order to modernise and build-up. I accept what the honourable lady

:22:13. > :22:17.has said, but that was why I chose my words and said South Korea was

:22:18. > :22:20.more embracing of free trade and open markets and despite the

:22:21. > :22:23.shortcomings, they nonetheless created a better standard of living

:22:24. > :22:29.for their people. Seoul is now at the heart of a thriving economy and

:22:30. > :22:32.incidentally, a dynamic democracy, where freedom and prosperity are

:22:33. > :22:37.shared amongst its people. It should come as no surprise that while 80%

:22:38. > :22:42.of South Koreans have access to the internet, less than 0.1% of North

:22:43. > :22:46.Koreans enjoy the same. And perhaps most tragically, there is a greater

:22:47. > :22:51.than 10-year discrepancy in the life expectancy of those north and south

:22:52. > :22:57.of the demilitarised zone. That is why we recognise that trade and

:22:58. > :23:00.development for my fundamental and synergistic partnership. Trade

:23:01. > :23:05.flourishes where there are high levels of education, developed

:23:06. > :23:08.financial sectors and importantly, sound government and minimal

:23:09. > :23:13.corruption. There is still much to do, but it is a direction of travel

:23:14. > :23:20.that we would be both foolish and irresponsible to abandon. An open

:23:21. > :23:26.and free trading system is part of a global and national prosperity

:23:27. > :23:31.agenda. As always, he presents a powerful case for free trade, but

:23:32. > :23:34.does he not agree with me that sometimes, there is too narrow a

:23:35. > :23:36.vision of this? We tend to think about free trade in goods because

:23:37. > :23:42.they are visible, and we talk about the problems and the opportunities

:23:43. > :23:45.there. But we forget about the free trade in services, and services are

:23:46. > :23:52.by far the largest part of what the UK has to offer the rest the world.

:23:53. > :23:59.My friend an excellent and key point. What we actually require to

:24:00. > :24:02.get the global economy moving is a major liberalisation of services in

:24:03. > :24:07.the way we had liberalisation of goods as the focus of the Uruguay

:24:08. > :24:11.round. One of the elements that comes from that is that countries

:24:12. > :24:16.like the UK, where 80% of our economy is service driven, are less

:24:17. > :24:20.dependent on being part of a geographical block for trade. When

:24:21. > :24:26.it comes to trade and services, what matters is that we are trading with

:24:27. > :24:29.countries which are functionally similar rather than geographically

:24:30. > :24:33.proximate. That is the changing globalisation that we would do well

:24:34. > :24:39.to understand in the debate we are having as we leave the European

:24:40. > :24:43.Union. Madame Deputy Speaker, it is not just about raising living

:24:44. > :24:46.standards in developing and developed countries. I think there

:24:47. > :24:54.is an even more compelling case for free trade. For the prosperity that

:24:55. > :24:58.it can create is in turn the basis of a social stability that in turn

:24:59. > :25:04.underpins political stability, and we have seen that around the world.

:25:05. > :25:09.And that political stability in its turn underpins our security. In

:25:10. > :25:14.other words, they are all part of the same continuum and you cannot

:25:15. > :25:19.disrupt one element without disrupting the whole, which is why

:25:20. > :25:23.governments of both colours in this country have tended to see

:25:24. > :25:26.development, prosperity and security as a single policy objective. It is

:25:27. > :25:37.a truth that we need to understand in this interdependent, globalised

:25:38. > :25:48.era. It is not just us that is making this case. The WTO have made

:25:49. > :25:53.it clear that they celebrate the re-arrival as a voting member of the

:25:54. > :25:58.UK at the WTO for one vital reason. They're feeling is that globally, it

:25:59. > :26:02.has begun to stall, and the UK is the single biggest exponent of free

:26:03. > :26:05.trade, always has been, and they want to welcome us back for that

:26:06. > :26:12.alone, if for nothing else. My right honourable friend is right. It's

:26:13. > :26:16.important that we can show our trading partners globally that

:26:17. > :26:20.whatever our differences about the mechanics in which we go about the

:26:21. > :26:26.task, there is an overwhelming belief in the concept of free trade

:26:27. > :26:29.in this country. As I said at the outset, the global trading

:26:30. > :26:32.environment needs someone to champion free trade at a time when

:26:33. > :26:37.many countries feel we are rolling backwards, away from the progress we

:26:38. > :26:42.have made. If we as a country can speak with a strong voice about the

:26:43. > :26:46.principles of free trade, citing examples from history as to why it

:26:47. > :26:50.has benefited some of the poorest people in the world, I think we make

:26:51. > :26:58.a moral as well as an economic case for what we are setting out. At one

:26:59. > :27:04.point the minister has not touched on yet is the question of exchange

:27:05. > :27:07.rates. Is it not essential that appropriate exchange rates are

:27:08. > :27:14.arranged between nations so that trade can operate fairly? If a

:27:15. > :27:18.country depreciates massively, they can develop a big trade surplus and

:27:19. > :27:26.China has done precisely that in recent decades. Would he not agree

:27:27. > :27:29.that exchange rates are crucial? It is an important point, but I would

:27:30. > :27:34.differentiate between artificial and intentional currency manipulation

:27:35. > :27:38.from a free market with floating currencies. I believe that floating

:27:39. > :27:43.currencies are one of the ways in which we allow our economies to have

:27:44. > :27:46.shock absorption so that we are not taking all the economic pain through

:27:47. > :27:49.unemployment. One of the problems with the existence of the euro is

:27:50. > :27:53.that some of the countries of southern Europe who might have

:27:54. > :27:58.chosen other mechanisms to adapt to the process of change had to, in the

:27:59. > :28:01.end, opt for high levels of structural unemployment because they

:28:02. > :28:05.were unable to have those mechanisms. But his point is

:28:06. > :28:08.correct. Artificial manipulation of currency is a different issue from

:28:09. > :28:15.the workings of the general economy and floating currencies. Such is the

:28:16. > :28:18.power of free trade that even if we ignore the social and humanitarian

:28:19. > :28:22.benefits it has brought to the developing world, it would still be

:28:23. > :28:27.indispensable from a purely economic standpoint. During the 1990s, the

:28:28. > :28:29.per capita income grew three times faster in those developing countries

:28:30. > :28:35.that lower trade barriers compared to those who did not. This effect is

:28:36. > :28:41.not confined to the developing world either. Analysis by the OECD has

:28:42. > :28:46.indicated that a 10% increase in economic openness is associated with

:28:47. > :28:50.a 4% increase in output per head of the working population. In other

:28:51. > :28:54.words, free trade works. Globalisation has been a huge and

:28:55. > :28:58.sustainable benefit of the world economy through trade migration,

:28:59. > :29:03.specialisation and innovation. These advantages exist at every level,

:29:04. > :29:06.from microeconomics down to individual firms. Increased

:29:07. > :29:11.competition, economies of scale and global value chains have all

:29:12. > :29:14.contributed to a productivity revolution, boosting the output of

:29:15. > :29:19.firms across the globe. Although it might not always be noticed, the

:29:20. > :29:22.wider benefits of liberal trading policy have spread benefits to

:29:23. > :29:28.consumers and households through providing a wider choice of goods at

:29:29. > :29:33.a lower price. In the decade to 2006, the real import price of

:29:34. > :29:38.clothing fell by 38%. In the same period, the price of consumer

:29:39. > :29:41.electronics, as we know, fell by 50% despite the rapid technological

:29:42. > :29:47.improvements which saw our mobile phones go from a $4000 brick that it

:29:48. > :29:49.was hard to carry in one hand to computers little bigger than the

:29:50. > :29:54.palm of one hand. They are tangible benefits of trade and they are

:29:55. > :30:00.important to improving the lives of the people of Britain cannot be

:30:01. > :30:03.overestimated. In any rapid change, which should ensure that the

:30:04. > :30:08.country's growing prosperity spreads to all corners of the UK, of course.

:30:09. > :30:11.It is therefore not only important, but right that governments are able

:30:12. > :30:14.to mitigate the effects of globalisation and provide the tools

:30:15. > :30:19.through which individuals and economies can adapt and prosper.

:30:20. > :30:22.This is how we provide both economic opportunity and also security in an

:30:23. > :30:30.era of sometimes broil during change. -- bewildering change.

:30:31. > :30:37.On his comments about the interdependent global world, we've

:30:38. > :30:45.been warned that hard Brexit could affect small and medium ports, which

:30:46. > :30:49.rely on Sea trade. They are worried about new customers requirements and

:30:50. > :30:54.tariffs. Given that 95% of international trade by tonnage goes

:30:55. > :30:56.through airports, and ask what action is being taken to address

:30:57. > :31:02.those concerns and make sure that Brexit will not affect the trade?

:31:03. > :31:05.The first service we can do is not add adjectives in front of the word

:31:06. > :31:11.Brexit, because what the government wants to achieve is is an open

:31:12. > :31:16.trading relationship as possible. If you think about it, the FTA we

:31:17. > :31:23.Booker once a organised with the EU, ought to be the easiest FTA in his

:31:24. > :31:26.study. We're starting from 100% regulatory and legal equivalents.

:31:27. > :31:30.The only reason you would not get a free and open trading environment is

:31:31. > :31:32.if the politics of the process to presidents over the economics of

:31:33. > :31:37.prosperity and well-being of the people. That is the challenge. I

:31:38. > :31:42.will give her a second challenge, this is not just about Europe,

:31:43. > :31:46.because the decisions we take will reverberate throughout the global

:31:47. > :31:50.economy. If we put impediments into the European economy that do not

:31:51. > :31:54.exist today, it will cause ripples across the global economy that are

:31:55. > :32:00.felt well beyond our own borders. I give way on this point. On the

:32:01. > :32:06.specific question of the ports, there is the ports regulation, but

:32:07. > :32:12.was from the European Union and opposed by all 47 of the ports in

:32:13. > :32:16.this country. It was inimical to our national interests, which is the

:32:17. > :32:20.lifeblood trading relationship. So the ports issue is central to this

:32:21. > :32:26.question, that why there another very good reason for leaving the EU.

:32:27. > :32:30.I did not need any more reasons, but I'm all welcome to take another

:32:31. > :32:38.reason on board for the decision we have already taken. I am most

:32:39. > :32:42.grateful. Could the government make it clearer that we want an open

:32:43. > :32:47.trading relationship with our European partners? And it's up to

:32:48. > :32:54.the European Union to decide whether they want that to or not? But pretty

:32:55. > :32:58.also ask them who is arguing for protectionist measures against an

:32:59. > :33:02.independent United Kingdom, because I don't hear many voices in the EU

:33:03. > :33:09.are doing for that. I think this is just there is a bit around by people

:33:10. > :33:13.who want us to stay in the EU. Our debates here I watched the on our

:33:14. > :33:17.own shores, so perhaps the first point to make is we are leaving the

:33:18. > :33:22.European Union. That is not any sense that they won't be leaving the

:33:23. > :33:26.European Union. The British people have spoken and the parliamentary

:33:27. > :33:30.process has begun to make that happen. We have to look beyond our

:33:31. > :33:34.membership of the EU and determine what sort of global trading

:33:35. > :33:40.environment we want to live in. Very clear about model we want. As I have

:33:41. > :33:43.travelled to other countries, we are encouraging other governments beyond

:33:44. > :33:48.the EU to see Jerry European partners that it is in everybody's

:33:49. > :33:52.interests, Europe and the wider global trading environment, that

:33:53. > :33:57.they retained as open a global trading process as we can. That

:33:58. > :34:00.includes student. It would make no sense at a time when the direction

:34:01. > :34:05.of travel and the rest of the world is towards greater liberalisation,

:34:06. > :34:10.that Europe, for internal political reasons, would introduce impediments

:34:11. > :34:13.to that trading environment, in a way that some have suggested. I do

:34:14. > :34:18.not believe that is in the interests of the citizens of Europe, whether

:34:19. > :34:25.in the UK or in the European continent. If we are guided not by

:34:26. > :34:30.obstruction but by the prosperity and well-being of our people in the

:34:31. > :34:35.negotiation, we are likely to come to the right outcomes. To build a

:34:36. > :34:39.free trading worlds, the UK must continue to support, strengthen and

:34:40. > :34:45.promote the existing global trading structures. The World Trade

:34:46. > :34:48.Organisation is the home of the rules -based international trading

:34:49. > :34:54.system, as the Shadow Secretary of State and I agreed on earlier this

:34:55. > :34:59.morning. It is a system that we unequivocally support. Its

:35:00. > :35:04.predecessor, the General agreement on tariffs and trade, was

:35:05. > :35:07.established in 1948, to offer a war-torn world stability and

:35:08. > :35:12.prosperity and security through international trade cooperation. The

:35:13. > :35:16.UK was there from the beginning, and have essentially, we work with our

:35:17. > :35:20.international partners in a series of ministerial rounds, dedicated to

:35:21. > :35:26.removing barriers to do it -- to trade and liberalising the global

:35:27. > :35:30.economy. The WTO was established in 1994, following the success of the

:35:31. > :35:36.Uruguay round. By the first time, we had an international body with truly

:35:37. > :35:39.global reach, which existed to regulate trade and encourage

:35:40. > :35:45.patients to adhere to the principle of ever greater trading freedom. If

:35:46. > :35:51.the WTO did not exist today, we would need to invent it now. Britain

:35:52. > :35:57.is a founding member of the WTO and a member in our own right, but on

:35:58. > :36:01.leaving the EU, we will be to update the terms of WTO membership, with at

:36:02. > :36:07.present on our commitments are applied through the EU as a whole.

:36:08. > :36:11.Constancy and continuity will be key to our approach. As I set out in the

:36:12. > :36:15.recent ministerial statement, we anticipate our rights and

:36:16. > :36:29.obligations with respect to other WTO

:36:30. > :36:32.members, as provided for under the WTO agreements, to remain largely

:36:33. > :36:34.unchanged. Will achieve this through the process of replicating our

:36:35. > :36:36.current commitments, which will cause the minimum disruption to

:36:37. > :36:38.trade and the maximum level of certainty and confidence. And I'm

:36:39. > :36:40.grateful to the secretary-general of the WTO for confirming that this aim

:36:41. > :36:44.for stability is fully supported by the WTO itself. I would like to

:36:45. > :36:48.thank him and his staff for the support they have given the United

:36:49. > :36:54.Kingdom in Geneva. The meals be clear that replicating the EU WTO

:36:55. > :37:00.schedules for the UK's independent use in the weepy judges the outcome

:37:01. > :37:03.of the Article 50 negotiations with the EU. This process is largely

:37:04. > :37:08.technical one and reflects the close ties of trade and commerce we will

:37:09. > :37:13.continue to share with the EU even after exit. And throughout this

:37:14. > :37:17.process, it is imperative that we maintain transparency, both with

:37:18. > :37:20.this House and with our fellow WTO members. I reiterate the offer I

:37:21. > :37:25.have made in private to the opposition front bench, but should

:37:26. > :37:28.they wish to visit Geneva and get a high-level briefing with our

:37:29. > :37:30.ambassador and the secretary-general, then the

:37:31. > :37:34.government will happily facilitate that. The better informed we all are

:37:35. > :37:44.in the house in these discussions, the better. Quite often when there

:37:45. > :37:53.is talk of falling back on WTO rules. But WTO rules fall, form the

:37:54. > :37:58.basis of any agreement, there are not something to fall back on if

:37:59. > :38:03.there is no deal. Indeed, WTO rules are the basis on which the world

:38:04. > :38:08.trade. On top of the basic WTO rules and our most-favoured-nation status,

:38:09. > :38:12.we have a number of agreements which give us in effect exemptions to

:38:13. > :38:17.that. But we trade fairly freely with countries where we don't have a

:38:18. > :38:23.specific free-trade agreement, at the present time the United States

:38:24. > :38:28.is worth about 20% of global export. We don't have a specific FTA, but

:38:29. > :38:37.really able to trade barely freely. That's not to say we can't, through

:38:38. > :38:41.FTA's and other tools available to us, improve the function of the

:38:42. > :38:46.global trading system, but we need to do so. And the Department of

:38:47. > :38:50.Trade and Industry has a highly skilled team dedicated to the

:38:51. > :38:55.rectification of WTO schedules and collaborating with officials in

:38:56. > :38:57.Whitehall and the WTO to make sure our transition to independent

:38:58. > :39:03.membership is both smooth and fully understood by our trading partners.

:39:04. > :39:07.I will give way to my honourable friend and later I will give way to

:39:08. > :39:12.my other honourable friend. He's very generous. He mentioned the word

:39:13. > :39:15.transition, which many people have now mentioned, including those who

:39:16. > :39:20.supported the vote to leave. In terms of smoothing that process of

:39:21. > :39:24.Britain leaving the EU, I wonder does he support transition

:39:25. > :39:27.arrangements in terms of the EU and concerned about the comments today

:39:28. > :39:31.that any negotiations on transition will have to be late 2018 at the

:39:32. > :39:38.earliest, which doesn't leave as much time? I think it's simply a

:39:39. > :39:44.matter of common sense, that if we have a transition into undue

:39:45. > :39:47.environment, it makes sense to do so. What could not be acceptable

:39:48. > :39:51.would be to have any of the elements we have sought to leave on leaving

:39:52. > :39:55.the EU as a binding on that particular transitional agreement.

:39:56. > :40:00.That is something that is part of the negotiation. It is a negotiation

:40:01. > :40:04.and frankly, at any point in that, I would be taken too seriously or too

:40:05. > :40:08.literally anything that the negotiators were saying in the

:40:09. > :40:16.public domain. I will give wee one last time in just a moment. After we

:40:17. > :40:19.leave the EU, we negotiate free-trade agreements with new

:40:20. > :40:25.partners around the world. Although we cannot negotiate and conclude

:40:26. > :40:29.FTAs while we remain in the EU, the Department has instigated ten

:40:30. > :40:34.working trips with 15 countries, as well as a high-level dialogue with

:40:35. > :40:39.the USA, which will develop into a fully fledged trade and working

:40:40. > :40:43.group next month. Going forward, we may find that a new FTA may not be

:40:44. > :40:48.the correct solution for every partner, but we will look at all the

:40:49. > :40:52.measures available to us to ensure the best outcomes for citizens and

:40:53. > :40:57.businesses across the UK. Our dedication to free trade will be

:40:58. > :41:01.constant. That the nation, we will work to remove barriers, liberalise

:41:02. > :41:05.trade and ensure access for British resources. As we move towards

:41:06. > :41:10.greater trade liberalisation, we will make sure that we continue to

:41:11. > :41:14.protect and promote British producers. The first duty of

:41:15. > :41:17.government is the protection of its citizens, then the Department for

:41:18. > :41:22.International Trade must extend that to businesses and work to defend the

:41:23. > :41:27.drivers of Arab asperity from rule breaking an anti-competitive

:41:28. > :41:33.measures. Free trade is not a free for all. That is why we have the

:41:34. > :41:37.WTO. If we support a rules -based system, we must ensure those rules

:41:38. > :41:44.are respected and vigorously enforced. I give way for the final

:41:45. > :41:48.time to my honourable friend. I understand and take on board

:41:49. > :41:51.everything he says about the WTO and the rules -based system, but as he

:41:52. > :41:55.observed earlier, the bulk of our economy and the bulk of our current

:41:56. > :42:02.competitive advantage lies in the services sector, which is not

:42:03. > :42:06.covered by WTO rules. Would he agree that the government is equally

:42:07. > :42:12.committed to making sure we have a global liberalisation of the service

:42:13. > :42:16.sector, which is so critical to us. I think I said that earlier and also

:42:17. > :42:23.said it this morning at questions. If there is a real cause for us to

:42:24. > :42:27.champions beyond the basic case for free trade, it's liberalisation of

:42:28. > :42:31.the service sector. At is the way in which we will unlock the potential

:42:32. > :42:35.of many economies around the world and incidentally, the best way to

:42:36. > :42:41.unlock Britain's economic potential in trade. Let me make one final

:42:42. > :42:46.point. In my discussions around the world, I have been struck by the way

:42:47. > :42:50.in which products, either goods or services, that originate in the

:42:51. > :42:56.United Kingdom, are regarded as being at the top end of the quality

:42:57. > :43:02.market. That is where we are best able to compete. There are those who

:43:03. > :43:06.would make the case for a Britain with lower regulatory standards and

:43:07. > :43:10.fewer protections in place across the economy, by the environment,

:43:11. > :43:15.foreign workers and for consumers. Let me tell the house that Britain

:43:16. > :43:20.will not put itself at the low-cost, low quality end of the spectrum, for

:43:21. > :43:23.it would make no sense for this country economic league to do so,

:43:24. > :43:29.nor morally would it give the leadership that we seek. I believe

:43:30. > :43:34.there is no case for bargain basement Britain. High standards and

:43:35. > :43:39.high quality are what our global customers demand, and that is what

:43:40. > :43:43.we should provide. From our food and drink industry to technological

:43:44. > :43:47.expertise, to our financial services, people across the world by

:43:48. > :43:52.British because they see the Union flag as a kite mark of quality. The

:43:53. > :43:56.key to our long-term economic prosperity lies not in abandoning

:43:57. > :44:01.our standards and values but in reinforcing them. High quality high

:44:02. > :44:07.reputation goods and services are the root to highly paid jobs and the

:44:08. > :44:10.security of the future in this country. The highest ambition of

:44:11. > :44:16.this government is to build a Britain that works for everyone, not

:44:17. > :44:20.just a privileged few. Moreover, it must also be a global Britain,

:44:21. > :44:24.willing to support a rules -based global trading system and

:44:25. > :44:29.championing the cause of free trade itself. We do not pretend that the

:44:30. > :44:33.era of globalisation is without its challenges, but we must never cease

:44:34. > :44:39.to sure our own citizens the benefit that free trade brings the lives and

:44:40. > :44:41.this country. We realise that the challenges and opportunities of

:44:42. > :44:47.globalisation, allied to the rapid change in technology, will also

:44:48. > :44:51.reduce its share of problems and security. We must strive to address

:44:52. > :44:54.the negative aspects of globalisation and make sure no one

:44:55. > :44:59.is left behind by the pace of change, while harnessing the power

:45:00. > :45:02.of the global economy to spread prosperity across Britain and our

:45:03. > :45:06.trading partners. We must make sure we equip a country with the

:45:07. > :45:10.necessary skills to navigate these challenges and make sure those who

:45:11. > :45:14.are disadvantages are given necessary support. We must

:45:15. > :45:18.unfailingly uphold the principles of free trade across the world,

:45:19. > :45:25.nurturing prosperity and banishing poverty to the pages of his study.

:45:26. > :45:36.-- the pages of his study. The Leader of the Opposition has

:45:37. > :45:43.wrongly dismissed political trade as dogma. -- he has dismissed free

:45:44. > :45:46.trade as political dogma. To attack free trade and undermine our

:45:47. > :45:49.nation's proud tradition will deny prosperity to those who need it

:45:50. > :45:56.most. I would hope that all members of the House, regardless of their

:45:57. > :45:59.political persuasion, would like to see the benefits bestowed on this

:46:00. > :46:04.country and back our vision of Britain as a champion of global free

:46:05. > :46:09.trade with the benefits it brings. Two centuries ago, Thomas Babbington

:46:10. > :46:14.described free trade as one of the greatest blessings a government can

:46:15. > :46:20.confer on its people. We intend to do just that. It is in our power to

:46:21. > :46:24.build a better and fairer Britain for future generations. We require

:46:25. > :46:31.courage to do so, particularly at a time when protectionism is rearing

:46:32. > :46:36.its ugly head. Prosperity, stability and security are the prizes for a

:46:37. > :46:44.strong, rules -based international trading order. That is what we seek

:46:45. > :46:48.to achieve. The question is that this House has considered exiting

:46:49. > :46:58.the European Union and global trade. Barry Gardner. Madam Deputy Speaker,

:46:59. > :47:01.thank you. I want to join with the Secretary of State in paying tribute

:47:02. > :47:06.to PC Keith Palmer and all the other victims who suffered on that fateful

:47:07. > :47:15.day in March when this debate was last scheduled. The Secretary of

:47:16. > :47:19.State is at the dispatch box, fielding for the first time since

:47:20. > :47:27.the creation of his department almost a year ago, a debate on

:47:28. > :47:31.government trade in government time. You see, it's not exactly normal

:47:32. > :47:34.practice for trade ministers to hasten to the dispatch box when a

:47:35. > :47:38.country has just posted one of the worst sets of balance of payments

:47:39. > :47:43.figures in the country's recorded history. So whilst I admire the

:47:44. > :47:48.Secretary of State's cheap spa, I am not entirely convinced about his

:47:49. > :47:54.timing. The ONS figures released last week showed that in quarter

:47:55. > :48:02.one, the UK's current-account deficit was ?16.9 billion, a

:48:03. > :48:07.widening of 4.8 billion from a deficit of 12.1 billion in the

:48:08. > :48:11.previous quarter, most of which is due to the widening of the trade

:48:12. > :48:17.deficit. Despite sterling being solo, exports only increased by 1.7

:48:18. > :48:26.billion, whereas imported goods increased by ?4.3 billion, a

:48:27. > :48:30.widening of 2.6. At a time when we are importing more than we are

:48:31. > :48:35.exporting, surely this means it should be easier to get a deal with

:48:36. > :48:42.our European colleagues, it is to continue exporting to us? Look, I

:48:43. > :48:51.want us to get a deal. We want the best deals of this country. The

:48:52. > :48:55.honourable gentleman has to take on board that since the referendum

:48:56. > :49:02.decision took place, the value of our country's currency has

:49:03. > :49:08.depreciated by 12%. I trust but that is not something that he feels

:49:09. > :49:14.Sangin about. -- that is not something that he feels Sangin

:49:15. > :49:20.about. In the areas where our economy will respond most quickly to

:49:21. > :49:23.devaluation of sampling food and drink, we have seen an increase in

:49:24. > :49:27.our exports in this quarter. I would like him to comment on why he

:49:28. > :49:35.thinks, in light of the uncertainty that he paints, why our foreign

:49:36. > :49:41.investment records in Britain are at an all-time high in the previous

:49:42. > :49:46.year? Can I be chair with the Secretary of State? I welcome

:49:47. > :49:50.foreign direct investment in this country. Of course we do. We want

:49:51. > :49:58.people to be investing in our jobs, economy and future. Perhaps if I can

:49:59. > :50:00.finish responding to the intervention from the Secretary of

:50:01. > :50:05.State, than after an appropriate juncture, the honourable gentleman

:50:06. > :50:09.might catch my eye. There is no difference between the Secretary of

:50:10. > :50:12.State and eye on those matters. In fairness to the honourable

:50:13. > :50:17.gentleman, I want to set out that in the past 50 years, there have been

:50:18. > :50:24.15 sets of quarterly balance of payments figures that have been

:50:25. > :50:28.worse than last week's. One of them was under a Labour government, just

:50:29. > :50:36.after the global financial crisis. The other 14 have all been in the

:50:37. > :50:40.past five years under the Conservatives. But it would be mean

:50:41. > :50:44.of me to give the right honourable gentleman too much of a slap down,

:50:45. > :50:48.because the Chancellor has been doing it all so effectively on

:50:49. > :50:50.behalf of us all. Just yesterday, we read that the Chancellor is

:50:51. > :50:54.demanding that the Secretary of State prove the case that our

:50:55. > :50:58.ability to strike trade deals after Brexit will make up the losing

:50:59. > :51:04.tariff free access to the EU. In other words, to justify his job as

:51:05. > :51:10.International Trade Secretary once leaving the customs union gives us

:51:11. > :51:15.the competence, or perhaps in this case, the right to negotiate are an

:51:16. > :51:21.independent trade agreements. So a year on from the referendum, a year

:51:22. > :51:24.from the government's announcement that it was taking back competence

:51:25. > :51:32.on International trade negotiations, the Cabinet is still divided on what

:51:33. > :51:35.it has all been about. This is extraordinary, Madame Deputy

:51:36. > :51:40.Speaker. The country is crying out for leadership, and all its current

:51:41. > :51:52.leaders can do is sit around the Cabinet table, plotting who amongst

:51:53. > :51:56.them should be their next leader. A year on, what has been achieved? I

:51:57. > :52:02.give way to one of their previous leaders. I thank the honourable

:52:03. > :52:04.gentleman forgiving way. He is very busy asking the government what

:52:05. > :52:09.their position is on the government has said it out clearly. Out of the

:52:10. > :52:13.single market, out of the customs union, setting trade deals. As he

:52:14. > :52:16.speaks for the opposition, perhaps he could clarify their position.

:52:17. > :52:20.After the election, having fought the manifesto on a clear commitment

:52:21. > :52:24.to leave the European Union, his leader and Shadow Chancellor both

:52:25. > :52:29.said, we are leaving the single market and Customs union. The member

:52:30. > :52:33.for Camberwell and Peckham said, we are leaving the singles market --

:52:34. > :52:35.single market and customs union. But when he was interviewed and his

:52:36. > :52:39.colleague the shadow Brexit Secretary were interviewed, they

:52:40. > :52:41.never confirmed what their leader and Shadow Chancellor said. They

:52:42. > :52:46.have done an inch or could dance around it. So I ask him a simple

:52:47. > :52:54.question. Is the Labour Party's position to leave the single market

:52:55. > :53:00.and the customs union? I would urge the right honourable gentleman to

:53:01. > :53:14.read precisely what our manifesto says. We have made our position

:53:15. > :53:19.extremely clear on these points. And that is that we are leaving the

:53:20. > :53:28.European Union. That means that if we leave the European Union, we are

:53:29. > :53:35.wanting to secure the best benefits. And we will look to secure exactly

:53:36. > :53:40.what the Secretary of State Brexiting the European Union said he

:53:41. > :53:45.would achieve, which is the exact same and if it's that we currently

:53:46. > :53:52.have inside the European Union. The honourable gentleman really does

:53:53. > :53:57.need to allow me to respond to one of his interventions before he seeks

:53:58. > :53:59.to follow up with a second! The trouble with the honourable

:54:00. > :54:11.gentleman is that he doesn't want to listen to the answer.

:54:12. > :54:27.Keep going, Barry. Is the honourable gentleman quite calm? No! Order. I

:54:28. > :54:34.am sure Mr Gardiner will take the intervention when he wants to. Barry

:54:35. > :54:39.Gardiner. Thank you, Madame Deputy Speaker. As I was saying before I

:54:40. > :54:49.was persistently and quite rudely interrupted, we have set out that we

:54:50. > :54:56.will try to secure the exact same benefits that the Secretary of State

:54:57. > :55:00.for Exiting the European Union claimed would be procured in the

:55:01. > :55:07.negotiations, but we are not fixated on the structures, we are fixated on

:55:08. > :55:10.the outcomes. But we will be leaving the European Union. The honourable

:55:11. > :55:15.gentleman can be assured that we are committed to honouring that

:55:16. > :55:22.manifesto commitment. The honourable gentleman has had his chance. So a

:55:23. > :55:26.year on, what has been achieved? It took Donald Trump's administration

:55:27. > :55:33.seven weeks to produce a trade policy paper. This maladministration

:55:34. > :55:37.has failed to do so in an entire year. I have been asking the

:55:38. > :55:43.Secretary of State to produce a trade White Paper now for seven

:55:44. > :55:46.months. How extraordinary that the department of international trade

:55:47. > :55:51.has existed for a year, but has completely failed to set out its

:55:52. > :55:54.mission and his vision in a white paper so the British businesses can

:55:55. > :56:00.have some clarity about their future. Nor was there any clarity in

:56:01. > :56:04.the Conservative manifesto. Scan on detail, it was peppered with vague

:56:05. > :56:10.promises. We will work to forge a new culture of exporting. "We Will

:56:11. > :56:15.take a more active role in supporting British consortia to win

:56:16. > :56:18.contracts". Of course, we were promised a trade bill, now confirmed

:56:19. > :56:27.in the Queen's Speech. And the accompanying notes state that one of

:56:28. > :56:31.the main benefits of the trade bill would be to meet the manifesto

:56:32. > :56:39.commitment to introduce the trade bill. Well, hmm, yes. That is

:56:40. > :56:42.something of a tautology. Now, I am heartened to know that the Secretary

:56:43. > :56:47.of State clearly read our manifesto, because since the general election

:56:48. > :56:50.his department has adopted Labour's manifesto pledge to guarantee market

:56:51. > :56:53.access for least developed countries at the same level that they

:56:54. > :56:56.currently have with the EU. Since the general election, the government

:56:57. > :57:01.has agreed with Labour's pledged to address trade remedies. If they will

:57:02. > :57:04.only agree to publish a trade White Paper that integrates industrial

:57:05. > :57:06.strategy with international trade policy, that creates a network of

:57:07. > :57:18.regional trade and investment champions to promote

:57:19. > :57:21.exports, that promises transparency and scrutiny of future trade deals

:57:22. > :57:23.and builds human rights and social justice as a key strand of trade

:57:24. > :57:25.policy, perhaps our encounters over this dispatch box may become a lot

:57:26. > :57:28.more consensual. The challenges that face us in leaving the EU are not

:57:29. > :57:31.insurmountable. Ours is a great and proud country, and we are an

:57:32. > :57:37.enterprising people. Our goods and services are amongst the best in the

:57:38. > :57:41.world. Our economy is a dynamic and attractive marketplace for

:57:42. > :57:45.investment, and we will be a thought leader in the next wave of

:57:46. > :57:49.industrial growth. But if we are to rise to the we need more that the

:57:50. > :57:56.patriotic flag-waving we have had from the front bench opposite. We

:57:57. > :58:04.need clarity and careful planning. And that is what we have not had. We

:58:05. > :58:12.are setting out to leave our major trading partner. Where is the road

:58:13. > :58:16.map? No White Paper. Where is the estimate of costs? That appears to

:58:17. > :58:19.be what the Chancellor has now started demanding. Government

:58:20. > :58:22.ministers appear capable of presenting anything approaching a

:58:23. > :58:26.unified view on the matter. The Prime Minister repeatedly tells us

:58:27. > :58:30.no deal is better than a bad deal. Her Chancellor says that actually,

:58:31. > :58:33.no deal would be a very bad outcome for Britain, while her Brexit

:58:34. > :58:39.secretary tells us he is pretty sure, but not certain, not 100%

:58:40. > :58:45.sure, that there will ever be a deal. The truth is that no deal is

:58:46. > :58:50.not a trump card to be thrown on to the negotiating table in some macho

:58:51. > :58:55.gesture. It is actually the procedural outcome of Article 50. If

:58:56. > :59:01.you fail to negotiate a deal within the two-year period, you are ejected

:59:02. > :59:04.from the single market of the European Union and onto World Trade

:59:05. > :59:08.Organisation terms. Far from being a trump card to be played, no deal is

:59:09. > :59:16.actually a cliff edge over which you are pushed. My honourable friend

:59:17. > :59:21.rightly focuses on the trade deficit, which is gigantic with the

:59:22. > :59:25.rest of the European Union. And we have a trade surplus with the rest

:59:26. > :59:29.of the world. So the problem is essentially with trade with the EU.

:59:30. > :59:33.Does that not put us in a strong position to negotiate with the rest

:59:34. > :59:37.of the EU, whatever happens afterwards?

:59:38. > :59:44.I have absolutely said I want us to be in a strong position in these

:59:45. > :59:48.negotiations, but what I also wants is clarity for businesses about what

:59:49. > :59:55.the future will mean. Of course I give way. He talks about the

:59:56. > :59:59.possibility that we crash out of Europe without a deal. If we don't

:00:00. > :00:06.achieve a deal in those negotiations, he will be responsible

:00:07. > :00:10.for not having achieved a deal? I think we must all hope that we will

:00:11. > :00:18.make sure that we get a deal and that it is a deal that is absolutely

:00:19. > :00:22.going to provide us with the friction free access we need, both

:00:23. > :00:29.for our goods and for our service industry. I give wee one last time.

:00:30. > :00:35.We talk about whether no deal is better than a bad deal. And I put it

:00:36. > :00:40.to him that without accepting that, it doesn't mean were going to get a

:00:41. > :00:43.good deal, but if we don't accept no deal is an option, we're guaranteed

:00:44. > :00:50.we will not get an exceptional deal. If you were to go and buy a car and

:00:51. > :00:55.say, I have to buy a car today, or you said, I would like to buy a car

:00:56. > :01:01.today, but I don't have too, which would be the better deal? And would

:01:02. > :01:06.he like to buy a car? The point I would make to him is that the

:01:07. > :01:12.triggering of Article 50 was sitting precisely the time frame in which he

:01:13. > :01:18.bought the car. It said that within two years, we either had to

:01:19. > :01:26.negotiate a deal we would then be trading on WTO terms. He makes my

:01:27. > :01:31.point precisely. My party has consistently said that economic

:01:32. > :01:35.logic... Sorry, I would give way any more, because unconscious more than

:01:36. > :01:38.20 people want to take part in the debate. I've given away many times

:01:39. > :01:42.and I think we need to be fair to colleagues who want to speak in the

:01:43. > :01:48.debate. My party has consistently said that economic logic should

:01:49. > :01:53.dictate the negotiations. We should not jeopardise the new trade deal

:01:54. > :02:01.for some arbitrary migration targets set for political reasons. We need a

:02:02. > :02:07.new trade deal with the EU, it must maintain that which links us and

:02:08. > :02:11.which is so critical. The EU currently accounts for 44% of our

:02:12. > :02:16.exports. It remains closest trading partner in terms of the volume of

:02:17. > :02:23.trade and geographical proximity. The top ten Commonwealth trading

:02:24. > :02:28.partners combined account for just 8% and the entire Commonwealth

:02:29. > :02:31.account for just 9%. The Secretary of State once referred to

:02:32. > :02:37.protectionism as a class C drug. But if he really thinks that his current

:02:38. > :02:46.round of trade talks could make up for the shortfall of goods in

:02:47. > :02:51.leaving the EU, then protectionism is not the only class a drug used in

:02:52. > :02:55.smoking. Labour is united in prioritising the best possible

:02:56. > :03:01.access to the single market once we have left the EU. This means

:03:02. > :03:04.continuous tariff free access and if necessary, a transitional

:03:05. > :03:09.arrangement to avoid any cliff edge. It seems as if lately we may have

:03:10. > :03:16.recruited the Chancellor to our cause. His Mansion House speech seem

:03:17. > :03:21.to have swallowed the Labour Party handbook called. No deal being a

:03:22. > :03:28.very, very bad deal. Securing the trade agreement with the EU must

:03:29. > :03:30.remain the number one priority. Leaving the EU without an agreement

:03:31. > :03:35.would be a significant failure by the government and the British

:03:36. > :03:43.government -- the British people will will remember what they were

:03:44. > :03:47.told repeatedly. Without an earlier comprehensive deal with the EU,

:03:48. > :03:51.there will be substantive tariff and nontariff measures which will cause

:03:52. > :03:56.friction in trade between the UK and the EU. Whether this is in customs

:03:57. > :04:02.duties, custom checks or Visa processes were service providers or

:04:03. > :04:08.VAT procedures. The government is to bring in the Rate Repeals Bill,

:04:09. > :04:12.which incorporates European legislation into domestic law and

:04:13. > :04:18.France's supremacy over domestic law. European legislation currently

:04:19. > :04:21.in place will be converted into ordinarily rip peelable legislation.

:04:22. > :04:25.On the face of it, this appears to mean that the UK can legislate

:04:26. > :04:30.without any regard to EU law going forward. But if we are to maintain a

:04:31. > :04:34.high level of access into the single market and preserve the supply chain

:04:35. > :04:40.is currently in place, are explorers. Have to meet European

:04:41. > :04:44.standards and requirements. Much of the current legislation will have to

:04:45. > :04:49.remain as is. Our future framework will be to be alone to that of the

:04:50. > :04:51.EU in order to maintain mutual recognition and equivalent is

:04:52. > :04:57.necessary to trade into the European market. This is something many

:04:58. > :05:01.British and foreign companies have been calling for, including Toyota

:05:02. > :05:06.and BMW. No longer will we have secretly negotiating table that

:05:07. > :05:10.decides on product and other standards, but we will be forced to

:05:11. > :05:15.accept them if we wish to continue trading into the single market.

:05:16. > :05:20.People might think this is a rather Holloway of returning sovereignty to

:05:21. > :05:25.the UK. In any free trade agreement that the UK negotiates after we've

:05:26. > :05:30.left the EU, will have to make some compromises on our sovereignty. The

:05:31. > :05:34.UK will subject to some supranational courts system, if not

:05:35. > :05:41.the European Court of Justice, we will at least be subject to the WTO

:05:42. > :05:49.dispute settlement procedures. Modern free-trade agreements often

:05:50. > :05:53.involve the harmonisation of your country and their partner country.

:05:54. > :05:55.International trade agreements provide an opportunity to promote

:05:56. > :06:01.higher standards across the world rather than a race to the bottom, if

:06:02. > :06:05.they're negotiated correctly. There is no dichotomy between trade with

:06:06. > :06:11.the EU in trade with the rest of the world. That is simply absurd. But

:06:12. > :06:16.our global trade opportunities will be shaped by whatever our future

:06:17. > :06:20.relationship with the EU is. Prospective trade agreement partners

:06:21. > :06:29.will want to know what trading bilaterally with the UK will mean in

:06:30. > :06:35.terms of access onward into the EU. One last time. I want to be helpful.

:06:36. > :06:43.This constant emphasis on access to EU markets when they have a gigantic

:06:44. > :06:47.surplus in our markets. John Maynard Keynes said Britain was concerned

:06:48. > :06:50.about Rose trading balances between nations and they try to sort out the

:06:51. > :06:54.system that would avoid it in future. Be happy gigantic trade

:06:55. > :07:03.distortion with the rest of the EU, which as to be sorted out one way or

:07:04. > :07:09.another. I would say to him that he does not want to see a decline in

:07:10. > :07:16.jobs in any sector in this country. And it is really not right, simply

:07:17. > :07:23.to dismiss the fact that if we do not secure friction free, tariff

:07:24. > :07:26.free arrangements with the EU, then those jobs could be prejudiced in

:07:27. > :07:33.this country. I'm sure he would want to take licence of that.

:07:34. > :07:39.Cross-border data flows are a key cornerstone of the digital economy.

:07:40. > :07:43.They help drive business efficiency through facilitating data transfers

:07:44. > :07:46.between organisations located in different countries. To help our

:07:47. > :07:50.economy grow and create jobs, we need to create a trade environment

:07:51. > :07:56.that drives innovation and positions the UK as a leader in the digital

:07:57. > :07:59.economy. Tech UK speaks the business when they say that the government

:08:00. > :08:04.needs to facilitate access to both the European market and the rest of

:08:05. > :08:06.the world, but this requires appropriate cross-border data-flow

:08:07. > :08:13.arrangements with very different trading partners. It sounds simple,

:08:14. > :08:18.it is not. That teetered negotiations on the privacy shield

:08:19. > :08:23.framework to protect us, demonstrated that cross-border data

:08:24. > :08:28.flows between the European system and the American system is a genuine

:08:29. > :08:33.challenge that will not be addressed overnight in future FTAs. We can

:08:34. > :08:37.simply create a separate trade policy on this issue for the EU and

:08:38. > :08:42.a different one for non-EU countries. What direction we take on

:08:43. > :08:46.one influences our options on the other. In his response to the

:08:47. > :08:51.debate, I would ask the Minister to set out what discussions he has had

:08:52. > :08:56.with the industry on this and what decision, if any, he has taken about

:08:57. > :09:00.the appropriate way to go forward. I know they will appreciate the issue

:09:01. > :09:05.of cross-border data flows is not just about facilitating market

:09:06. > :09:08.access, it's also about the regulatory framework to provide data

:09:09. > :09:14.protection for privacy and human rights. The second example of the

:09:15. > :09:19.inseparable at the of trade and our policy with the rest of the world

:09:20. > :09:24.refers to the support we provide agricultural industry. Our food and

:09:25. > :09:27.farming are not only important to our national identity, but

:09:28. > :09:33.agriculture also contributed 9.7 billion to the UK economy in 2016.

:09:34. > :09:38.Our food and farming industry as a product of decades of shipping by

:09:39. > :09:44.the EU single and of course the ?3 billion of support from the Common

:09:45. > :09:49.agricultural policy. The EU's combined rights ensured obligations

:09:50. > :09:53.under the WTO include a specified limit on the amount of agricultural

:09:54. > :09:58.subsidies that the EU may utilise. The UK is entitled to a shade of

:09:59. > :10:02.these as part of the Brexit divorce and could, in theory, continue with

:10:03. > :10:05.the modified version of the CAP. But the Secretary of State will know

:10:06. > :10:10.there are rumours has government is considering a deal whereby the UK

:10:11. > :10:15.would give up a share of its agricultural subsidies to the EU, in

:10:16. > :10:20.order to secure a more favourable deal for other sectors of our

:10:21. > :10:24.economy. Can the Secretary of State guaranteed today that our future

:10:25. > :10:29.trading relationships will not be based upon the sacrificing of

:10:30. > :10:32.British farmers and their livelihoods? And it's not just the

:10:33. > :10:38.EU who will be pressurising the UK to drop its share of agricultural

:10:39. > :10:42.subsidies. Already, a number of countries have expressed interest in

:10:43. > :10:48.free-trade agreements with the UK, on the basis of liberalising our

:10:49. > :10:53.agricultural market. Countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand are

:10:54. > :10:59.active members the Cairns Group, which is the WTO negotiating group

:11:00. > :11:03.for agricultural liberalisation and the deduction of subsidies. Is this

:11:04. > :11:13.a liberalisation that Secretary of State regards as positive for our

:11:14. > :11:19.farmers? I'm extremely concerned to hear what my honourable friend is

:11:20. > :11:23.saying, given that there are 400 sheep farmers in my constituency.

:11:24. > :11:30.They would be very happy if we were to have a flood of cheap imports of

:11:31. > :11:34.lamb from Australia. Would there be with me there can be no virtue in us

:11:35. > :11:40.destroying the hill farmers in our country, to benefit the sheep

:11:41. > :11:48.farmers in wealthy countries like Australia and New Zealand? My

:11:49. > :11:53.honourable friend is right to point out, she is absolutely right to

:11:54. > :12:00.point out that if we were to go on to WTO terms, I think the tariff

:12:01. > :12:05.rate for sheep meat, from memory, is about 44%. That would absolutely

:12:06. > :12:08.destroy the capacity of our hill farmers in particular to compete

:12:09. > :12:13.with foreign imports. The government needs to come clean, it leads to

:12:14. > :12:20.give clarity to the British food and farming industry on what our future

:12:21. > :12:24.trading policy is. It's not good enough to tell them that the status

:12:25. > :12:29.quo will be maintained until 2020 and then leave an abyss as to what

:12:30. > :12:32.options are available for their future. These people needed

:12:33. > :12:37.comprehensive international trade policy and the need to know what it

:12:38. > :12:41.is. Beyond Brexit, as the UK once again assumes competence for our own

:12:42. > :12:45.trade agreements, the Secretary of State must set out Harry is pursuing

:12:46. > :12:48.agreements and share the benefits of globalisation more equitably. One

:12:49. > :13:00.can only wonder that this government thought it sensible to embark on a

:13:01. > :13:02.new industrial strategy without first publishing a White Paper on

:13:03. > :13:05.trade. Will he publish a trade White Paper? He has introduced the trade

:13:06. > :13:08.bill and the Queen's speech, but he hasn't set out to Parliament or

:13:09. > :13:10.business any policy on which to base it. The Secretary of State has been

:13:11. > :13:14.travelling around the world, holding preliminary talks with his

:13:15. > :13:18.counterparts. He has recently returned from a visit to the USA.

:13:19. > :13:22.And the Prime Minister first announced talks with the USA, the

:13:23. > :13:29.American farm Federation wasted no time in seeing BBC came food hygiene

:13:30. > :13:35.changes in any UK/ US the deal, namely to end restrictions on US

:13:36. > :13:42.exports of chlorine washed chicken and hormone grown beef. The solvency

:13:43. > :13:46.of our food safety and environmental protection standards will not be

:13:47. > :13:52.sacrificed in the name of regulatory harmonisation. The reason the White

:13:53. > :13:55.Paper should have come together is precisely because of the

:13:56. > :13:59.interdependence of trade, job creation and economic growth, and

:14:00. > :14:02.that makes those of us on the site of the How is fearful that they have

:14:03. > :14:06.not done the proper assessment of the danger that future trade

:14:07. > :14:10.arrangements could pose to job losses and breach depression. The

:14:11. > :14:14.government has put the cart before the horse. A trade White Paper

:14:15. > :14:19.should set out what our future policy on trade defence instruments

:14:20. > :14:29.will be. The EU currently has in place a series of measures against

:14:30. > :14:31.China and to a lesser degree, India and Malaysia, one steel, other

:14:32. > :14:34.metals and solar panels. The duty has famously opposed such measures

:14:35. > :14:38.at the EU. Now that will be able to set our own trade policy, the

:14:39. > :14:42.government must tell us if they will stick to that line. If they don't

:14:43. > :14:47.plan to introduce defence measures, they need to set out if and how they

:14:48. > :14:48.will protect sensitive sectors such as the steel industry and the solar

:14:49. > :15:04.panel industry from cheap imports. Or will the government sell out our

:15:05. > :15:07.steel sector? The UK steel sector is in an existential crisis. My

:15:08. > :15:13.honourable friend the members for Middlesbrough and Cleveland and the

:15:14. > :15:17.member for Aberavon, who launched the steel 2020 report earlier this

:15:18. > :15:22.year, alongside my honourable friend the member for Redcar, expressed

:15:23. > :15:27.outrage at the government's leaked memo suggesting that steel would not

:15:28. > :15:31.be a priority industry post-Brexit, threatening to destroy the

:15:32. > :15:36.livelihood of communities across England and South Wales. Similar

:15:37. > :15:40.concerns that were raised by my honourable friend the member of

:15:41. > :15:45.Stoke-on-Trent Central as the ceramics industry faces increasing

:15:46. > :15:47.competition from Chinese dumping on world markets. The British

:15:48. > :15:51.government has for the last number of years been blocking efforts by

:15:52. > :15:56.the EU to introduce the sort of anti-dumping measures employed by

:15:57. > :16:00.the US by repeatedly exercising a veto and actively encouraging a

:16:01. > :16:04.blocking group of other nations. One official in Brussels is reported as

:16:05. > :16:07.saying that the British are sacrificing an entire European

:16:08. > :16:11.industry to say thank you to China for signing up to the nuclear power

:16:12. > :16:19.project at Hinkley Point and pretending is about free trade. It

:16:20. > :16:23.is right that we reach out to our international counterparts by

:16:24. > :16:27.travelling around the world to hold pre-negotiations. But it is no

:16:28. > :16:30.substitute for clear policy that sets out what our negotiating

:16:31. > :16:33.armoury is. An international trade White Paper should set out the

:16:34. > :16:37.government's principles, a clear plan of what the UK intends to

:16:38. > :16:41.achieve through future trade negotiations. To that end, I would

:16:42. > :16:44.ask the minister to respond to the following questions about the

:16:45. > :16:52.government's international trade policy. What are its principal trade

:16:53. > :16:56.policy objectives? What will be their guiding principles for our

:16:57. > :17:00.future negotiations? How will they seek further liberalisation from our

:17:01. > :17:04.current tariff levels and in which sectors? What transparency and

:17:05. > :17:08.Parliamentary scrutiny will be given over our future trade negotiations?

:17:09. > :17:13.Will they disclose whether any obligations in trade agreements,

:17:14. > :17:16.both in negotiation or finalised, are the motivation for legislation

:17:17. > :17:19.before the House or regulatory changes by the government? How will

:17:20. > :17:23.they ensure that future trade agreements benefit British SMEs as

:17:24. > :17:26.well as big business? How do they propose to protect and enhance

:17:27. > :17:31.workers' rights? How will they address human rights within the

:17:32. > :17:35.context of trade agreements? How will sustainable development be a

:17:36. > :17:38.guiding principle for trade policy? How will they ensure that current

:17:39. > :17:42.environmental protections are maintained and enhanced in future

:17:43. > :17:47.trade agreements? What investment dispute resolution model is the

:17:48. > :17:51.government prepared to adopt? The department's recruitment

:17:52. > :17:55.advertisement suggests that the priority for trade sectors are in

:17:56. > :18:00.health care, financial services and education. But clearly, food and

:18:01. > :18:03.farming do not feature as their priorities. How will trade policy

:18:04. > :18:08.address the sectors that do not appear to have been identified as a

:18:09. > :18:11.priority, and will be government exclude devolved administrations and

:18:12. > :18:15.local government agencies from trade agreement commitments on government

:18:16. > :18:18.procurement? How will they ensure that British businesses maintain

:18:19. > :18:23.access to both European markets and the markets of other trading

:18:24. > :18:26.partners, especially where there is considerable regulatory divergence,

:18:27. > :18:29.and will the UK be adopting any nonconforming measures for

:18:30. > :18:33.investment and service commitment in its future trade agreements? By

:18:34. > :18:37.providing answers to all these questions and publishing an

:18:38. > :18:40.international trade White Paper, the government may be able to restore

:18:41. > :18:44.business confidence that it is holding current trade dialogues and

:18:45. > :18:50.working groups that are backed by a clear and strategic plan. If not, it

:18:51. > :18:55.will reinforce the sense that the government is blundering into this

:18:56. > :19:00.process without a clear endgame and lacking a strategic understanding of

:19:01. > :19:08.the issues at stake. For the UK economy and jobs in this country.

:19:09. > :19:15.Sir William Cash. I would like to start by quoting what Angela Merkel

:19:16. > :19:18.has said recently. And I would also like to say that I endorse every

:19:19. > :19:23.word my right honourable friend has said, not in a flattering sense, but

:19:24. > :19:27.because it is practical. He has shown command of the subject which

:19:28. > :19:32.completely belies the tittle tattle that the member for Brent North was

:19:33. > :19:37.referring to earlier. It has been my happy experience to notice that my

:19:38. > :19:42.right honourable friend has got a complete command of this subject and

:19:43. > :19:46.what he's saying is important, including in particular the historic

:19:47. > :19:55.but not nostalgic background to what he said. This country has for the

:19:56. > :20:01.last 400 years built itself upon the external trading policy, global

:20:02. > :20:09.trading policy, right the way from the Elizabethan period and even

:20:10. > :20:18.earlier than that. We have built up a policy of external global trading,

:20:19. > :20:23.and when he mentioned Robert Peel, he was of course driven into the

:20:24. > :20:27.repeal of the corn laws by no less than Richard Cobden and John bright

:20:28. > :20:32.in that massive battle over the repeal of the corn laws. And that

:20:33. > :20:38.did liberalise the trading system. It was the French commercial treaty,

:20:39. > :20:45.the first-ever free trade treaty in the world of 1860, which was

:20:46. > :20:53.negotiated on the initiative of John bright and indeed with Maurice

:20:54. > :21:00.Chevalier, who was the president of the board of trade in France at the

:21:01. > :21:05.same time. This is the basis on which our history has been

:21:06. > :21:09.developed. We have been right all the time we have stuck with

:21:10. > :21:13.free-trade, and we have been much encouraged by the attitude of other

:21:14. > :21:20.countries, including his meeting with Mr Ross in the United States a

:21:21. > :21:26.few days ago. On the question of the US, I watched a live speech by

:21:27. > :21:36.Donald Trump only one and a half hours ago from Poland. And amongst

:21:37. > :21:40.other things he said, he said we must get rid of government

:21:41. > :21:45.bureaucracy. We must deal with overregulation. We must insist upon

:21:46. > :21:52.sovereignty. He said this is the basis of our freedom which is for

:21:53. > :21:57.free sovereign nations. That is why when my right honourable friend was

:21:58. > :22:06.speaking about the question of our ability to conclude our own trade

:22:07. > :22:11.agreements, we have to unshackle ourselves from the fact that the

:22:12. > :22:14.European Commission determines our trade policies. There is no getting

:22:15. > :22:20.away from that. The honourable member for Brent North is in a bit

:22:21. > :22:27.of a pickle, because he knows that only last week, the member forced

:22:28. > :22:30.dress -- the member forced debt moved a motion and they were

:22:31. > :22:37.defeated by the opposition itself. They were not prepared to go along

:22:38. > :22:41.with it. I have heard similar remarks made with respect to the

:22:42. > :22:44.noble Lord Lord Adonis's debate in the House of Lords. There is a kind

:22:45. > :22:48.of schizophrenia in the Labour Party at the moment on these questions.

:22:49. > :22:52.They don't really know where they stand. They are completely confused.

:22:53. > :22:58.But I do think there is a realism which is coming into it, and I want

:22:59. > :23:03.to pay tribute to those sensible members of the opposition benches

:23:04. > :23:07.who are beginning to realise that this is what is going on, that we

:23:08. > :23:15.cannot stay in the single market and the customs union and leave the

:23:16. > :23:26.European Union. They are completely inconsistent. I know the member for

:23:27. > :23:31.Brent North accept that now. I would also say that the speech by Mr

:23:32. > :23:35.Barnier today is also extremely relevant. I have the benefit of

:23:36. > :23:41.having the full text of it. I am not going to go through every detail, I

:23:42. > :23:45.can assure you, but some of the things he said are highly relevant

:23:46. > :24:01.to what my right honourable friend rightly pointed to in his speech. On

:24:02. > :24:06.the issue of a new deal, he says" no deal means a return to the status

:24:07. > :24:17.quo. In the case of Brexit, no deal would be a return", he claimed, to a

:24:18. > :24:21.distant past. He is wrong. The reality is that of as far as the WTO

:24:22. > :24:28.is concerned, and I heard the honourable gentleman talking about

:24:29. > :24:33.40% tariffs on land, actually even Mr Barnier himself says there would

:24:34. > :24:41.be customs duties on certain matters. He says there would be an

:24:42. > :24:45.average of 12% on lamp and also fish. That is way different from

:24:46. > :24:48.what the honourable gentleman was saying. I don't blame him, he was

:24:49. > :24:57.speaking from memory, but this is what Mr Barnier said. The reality is

:24:58. > :25:03.that he also goes on to say, and I found this an extraordinary

:25:04. > :25:06.assumption - in practice, no deal, he says, would worsen the lose lose

:25:07. > :25:14.situation which is bound to result from Brexit. Again, he is wrong. He

:25:15. > :25:20.said the UK would have more to lose than its partners. It is just not

:25:21. > :25:26.so. He then goes on, and this is where he reveals the real position

:25:27. > :25:33.which is going on inside the EU. He says" to my mind, there is no

:25:34. > :25:39.reasonable justification for the no deal scenario. There is no sense in

:25:40. > :25:49.making the consequences of Brexit even worse. That is why we want an

:25:50. > :25:54.agreement. " They want an agreement because they know that just as

:25:55. > :25:58.Allister Heath pointed out, now distinguished editor of the Sunday

:25:59. > :26:02.Telegraph, in an article he wrote two weeks ago, that as far as the

:26:03. > :26:05.German car-makers are concerned, they are getting worried at the idea

:26:06. > :26:08.that there would not be an agreement, because it is not in

:26:09. > :26:11.their interest either. So from the point of view of our internal

:26:12. > :26:17.trading relationships with the single market, it is essential that

:26:18. > :26:25.although we will continue to trade something like 40% within the

:26:26. > :26:32.internal market or within the framework of the 27 member states

:26:33. > :26:37.which will remain, the truth is that we run a monumental deficit, as the

:26:38. > :26:43.honourable gentleman from Luton said earlier, we run a monumental trade

:26:44. > :26:49.deficit with the EU and it is ?71 billion a year. If you're trading at

:26:50. > :26:54.a deficit of seven to 1 billion a year, which went up by 10 billion

:26:55. > :26:58.last year alone and we haven't even got the current figures, which will

:26:59. > :27:05.be even greater, my right honourable friend may have some indication from

:27:06. > :27:09.the ONS of how much worse it will be by this time next year. By the same

:27:10. > :27:16.token, our global trade surplus with the rest of the world, in goods and

:27:17. > :27:22.services, imports and exports, this is the golden thread, the parameter

:27:23. > :27:28.that international statistics rely upon. Our global trade surplus is

:27:29. > :27:32.expanding at an enormously accelerating rate and is the basis

:27:33. > :27:36.on which our future prosperity and if I may say with respect to the

:27:37. > :27:43.ladies and gentlemen opposite, the basis of which is the result of our

:27:44. > :27:47.trading more effectively and with greater profitability in relation to

:27:48. > :27:52.the rest of the world as a result of those companies being taxed, we will

:27:53. > :27:56.then be able, after that growing prosperity zone, to be able to pay

:27:57. > :28:00.for the public services that they want and we want. The National

:28:01. > :28:05.Health Service will have more money at its disposal as a result of a

:28:06. > :28:14.successful international trading relationship with the rest of the

:28:15. > :28:18.world. He then went on, and this was an interesting observation. "I Say

:28:19. > :28:25.to my British partners, a fair deal is better than no deal". That may be

:28:26. > :28:29.the way it looks, but the truth is that they will need to be very

:28:30. > :28:37.careful that they don't put us into a position in which we are having to

:28:38. > :28:43.accept the idea of no deal. If we did, the advantages to us of trading

:28:44. > :28:49.on WTO terms are not unsatisfactory at all, quite the opposite. So we

:28:50. > :28:56.all need to be realistic about this. And then he refers to the great port

:28:57. > :29:02.of Zeebrugge, where he is shortly going for a visit and where the UK

:29:03. > :29:10.is the primary market for 17 million tonnes of roll on, roll off traffic

:29:11. > :29:14.in 2016. "I Cannot imagine", he says, "In the interests of the UK,

:29:15. > :29:19.Flanders and Belgium, that it would be a good idea for an interruption

:29:20. > :29:22.of supply to be called into question". Well, we don't want to

:29:23. > :29:28.have a trade war over ports with the rest of the European Union. As I

:29:29. > :29:33.pointed out in an intervention, it is the European Union that brought

:29:34. > :29:36.in the ports regulation. We had a massive row in the House of Commons,

:29:37. > :29:44.in committee and elsewhere and we have carried on for the last two

:29:45. > :29:48.years over this. But it is going ahead because there is no way we can

:29:49. > :29:54.stop it. That is the answer to these questions. Until we get our

:29:55. > :29:58.sovereignty back and our ability to run our own port system on our own

:29:59. > :30:02.terms, we will be subjected to things like the ports regulation,

:30:03. > :30:07.put through act by a majority vote behind closed doors. Nobody really

:30:08. > :30:11.knows who decides what. I tried to find out. We couldn't make any

:30:12. > :30:16.progress in discovering who was making the decisions. I think a lot

:30:17. > :30:21.of it was coming from Hamburg, because they have an enormous

:30:22. > :30:26.interest in preserving their own position. So imposing rules which

:30:27. > :30:33.are rejected by all 47 of our ports, and all the trade unions. It wasn't

:30:34. > :30:38.just the port employers. It was the trade unions as well, who all piled

:30:39. > :30:45.into safe, we can't tolerate this new ports regulation.

:30:46. > :30:54.And yet, there it is going through, and the bottom line is that all

:30:55. > :31:00.these are reasons why our ports are the lifeblood, they are the arteries

:31:01. > :31:03.for our international trade. They been for the four centuries my right

:31:04. > :31:09.honourable friend referred to. I will certainly give way. I would

:31:10. > :31:14.remind him and the How's that the reason this is a ports regulation is

:31:15. > :31:18.that when it was a director, it was actually blocked by the European

:31:19. > :31:23.Parliament, but so undemocratic is a legislative system in the EU, the

:31:24. > :31:26.commission can force it through as a regulation, so that even the

:31:27. > :31:31.European Parliament cannot block it. What kind of democracy is that? And

:31:32. > :31:40.isn't it a good thing we're getting control back edge we have been

:31:41. > :31:45.battling about this for years and what he has said is on a nail. It is

:31:46. > :31:50.the democracy that is lacking in the EU and the freedom of choice to

:31:51. > :31:56.which Donald Trump referred today and the freedom of sovereign nations

:31:57. > :31:59.to decide their own democratic decision-making processes, including

:32:00. > :32:03.the right to determine their own trading policies. It doesn't say

:32:04. > :32:08.that anything negative about our ability to deliver what is in our

:32:09. > :32:13.national interest, or our history, every single aspect of our life in

:32:14. > :32:17.this Parliament and four centuries, has depended on our ability to make

:32:18. > :32:22.up our own minds about what is in the interests of our own electorate,

:32:23. > :32:26.based on general elections, when they exercise their freedom of

:32:27. > :32:40.choice. And that freedom of choice is based on the word freedom. Once

:32:41. > :32:47.you have arrived at the next point, the key point is this, and this is

:32:48. > :32:51.understood, freedom includes freedom of choice. Freedom of choice in the

:32:52. > :32:55.marketplace and economic is, freedom of choice in the ballot box in terms

:32:56. > :33:03.of electoral decisions. That's why they went forgiving the right for

:33:04. > :33:07.the working person to have the vote in 1867. That's what it's all about.

:33:08. > :33:11.It's about freedom, and when you have that freedom, you can make

:33:12. > :33:15.decisions in your own national interest. We've done it for

:33:16. > :33:21.centuries and been successful. I'm delighted to give way to the

:33:22. > :33:26.honourable gentleman. He complains that the EU is not democratic, while

:33:27. > :33:39.at the same point worrying about the EU being a superstate. The reality

:33:40. > :33:45.is a regional trade agreement. The wrongly five not like that. The UK

:33:46. > :33:48.has agreements with a lot of countries. That is where he's taking

:33:49. > :33:55.the UK and many people are wondering if he really understands what he's

:33:56. > :34:00.doing. I know where he's coming from, but I simply say, as far as

:34:01. > :34:07.independence for Scotland is concerned, actually even his leader

:34:08. > :34:11.isn't now appealing to abandon it. That's the bottom line. And

:34:12. > :34:18.actually, the truth is that comparisons between our great

:34:19. > :34:21.countries, Somalia and Sudan, are simply absurd. Because this is a

:34:22. > :34:27.great country which has been making its own laws were centuries. We went

:34:28. > :34:32.into the European communities with a hope, and I voted yes in 1975 in the

:34:33. > :34:37.referendum, because I wanted to see if this could work. But I have to

:34:38. > :34:41.tell you that my 40 years in the European scrutiny committee has

:34:42. > :34:45.proved absolutely that it doesn't, it is undemocratic, it is actually a

:34:46. > :34:48.system that operates behind closed doors, and I doubt that even that

:34:49. > :34:52.would apply in some of the countries to which the honourable gentleman

:34:53. > :35:03.has referred. I now want to conclude by simply referring... I know are

:35:04. > :35:10.making an impact when my right honourable friend stars wanting to

:35:11. > :35:12.get onto his feet. My very good right honourable friend, I have

:35:13. > :35:14.great respect for him, although we don't always agree about everything,

:35:15. > :35:32.but let's not worry about that. I just want to conclude with this.

:35:33. > :35:35.When you look rest of the world, we actually enjoy trade surplus with

:35:36. > :35:46.the rest of the worlds of 34.4 billion. 44% of our trade is with

:35:47. > :35:52.the EU... All right. Is that surplus not smaller than our surplus and

:35:53. > :35:56.services with the EU? When you're dealing with the question of whether

:35:57. > :35:59.or not we're making a deficit or surplus, you have to look at the

:36:00. > :36:07.totality and the position, but I would say this, the chief trade

:36:08. > :36:10.negotiating adviser has in fact got an enormous amount of experience,

:36:11. > :36:19.and I'm extremely glad to hear he's been given the job of negotiating

:36:20. > :36:23.with countries such as the USA, Canada and Australia. The position

:36:24. > :36:31.is that as far as our trade surplus with the USA is concerned, last year

:36:32. > :36:38.it was 39.6 billion with the USA, 1.3 billion in Canada and in 2015,

:36:39. > :36:43.the trade surplus of 3.7 billion with Australia. They have all of

:36:44. > :36:48.them said that they want to trade with us. It is absolutely right that

:36:49. > :36:54.we should go into those negotiations on the basis that this will lead to

:36:55. > :36:58.greater prosperity for everybody, including ourselves, and that is the

:36:59. > :37:03.means whereby our economic growth and our prosperity will increase

:37:04. > :37:08.exponentially, and it will be the means of providing security and

:37:09. > :37:11.stability and with that, the provision of an effective economy

:37:12. > :37:16.and the provision of public services through the taxation that comes to

:37:17. > :37:21.those companies who trade there. This is a virtuous circle, this is

:37:22. > :37:26.something we are dedicated to, not out of any ideology, not actually

:37:27. > :37:31.from any sense of anti-Europeanism, but simply because it actually does

:37:32. > :37:37.work. It is a good policy the Prime Minister has put her own will behind

:37:38. > :37:43.it, and my right honourable friend the Secretary of State has explained

:37:44. > :37:47.it thoroughly today. In all the circumstances, I would say that

:37:48. > :37:53.whether we voted yes or no, we must continue with the policy we have now

:37:54. > :37:57.got. Angela Merkel says it is the future of Europe that matters, not

:37:58. > :38:02.Brexit. That's the policy of the German Chancellor. Let us seize the

:38:03. > :38:11.opportunity to make sure we make Brexit work for us in our national

:38:12. > :38:16.interest. After the next Speaker, I will be setting a six minute time

:38:17. > :38:27.limit. I'm afraid a lot of members have put in to speak and it may have

:38:28. > :38:31.to be reduced further. First, I would like to associate myself and

:38:32. > :38:36.those in the SNP with the comments that the Secretary of State made in

:38:37. > :38:41.regards to a PC Keith Palmer and the fact that this debate was due to

:38:42. > :38:48.take place on that day. Our thoughts continue to be with him and with his

:38:49. > :38:52.family and his friends. Madam Deputy Speaker, I welcome you to your

:38:53. > :38:59.position in your chair, is thy city we have a gender balance among the

:39:00. > :39:02.Speaker and Deputy speaker. I would like to speak for the first time in

:39:03. > :39:09.a substantive debate since the election and me my re-election. I'm

:39:10. > :39:15.grateful to my constituents are re-electing me. I want to pay

:39:16. > :39:22.tribute to my former colleague and the member for or call and South

:39:23. > :39:25.Perthshire. She was previously our spokesperson for international trade

:39:26. > :39:30.and investment. She was one of the hardest working MPs this Parliament

:39:31. > :39:35.has ever seen. She was a champion for people, she pursued many causes,

:39:36. > :39:39.from matters relating to international trade, to the plight

:39:40. > :39:43.of the people of war-torn Serbia, the UK Government involvement in the

:39:44. > :39:47.Yemen conflicts and her dog at work in should time and time again the UK

:39:48. > :39:51.Government was dragged to the dispatch box to answer the SNP's

:39:52. > :40:00.questions. We will continue to pursue with bigger and passion those

:40:01. > :40:04.issues. Let me be clear, she, as my former colleague, was a far cry from

:40:05. > :40:12.some of the Conservative members serve you have replaced her and some

:40:13. > :40:16.of my SNP colleagues. And I do not mean to be on terror the kinds, but

:40:17. > :40:20.they are not in places today, they have only been here for a few weeks

:40:21. > :40:29.and already they have rolled over on a distasteful deal with the DUP.

:40:30. > :40:37.This Tory government has found ?1.5 billion to do a deal so that they

:40:38. > :40:40.can vote with them to keep the pay down of emergency services workers.

:40:41. > :40:46.Those workers who we've come to rely so heavily on. They should hang

:40:47. > :40:50.their heads in shame, because the Scottish Conservatives and I have a

:40:51. > :40:53.choice in front of them. They can choose to do what is now best

:40:54. > :40:58.interests of Scotland, and the constituency voted the men, or for a

:40:59. > :41:00.moment the rest of their party in support of a hard Brexit. I

:41:01. > :41:04.challenge them to use the opportunities that lie ahead, to

:41:05. > :41:09.make sure that the Prime Minister reconsiders her position, to join us

:41:10. > :41:14.and other parties in defending Scotland boss might place in the

:41:15. > :41:18.single market. Because the trade and customs bill seeks to put in place a

:41:19. > :41:23.legislative framework to allow the UK to operate its own trade policy

:41:24. > :41:27.and provide new domestic legislation to replace EU customs legislation.

:41:28. > :41:32.The problem is that despite all the bluff and bluster from the Tories,

:41:33. > :41:38.the UK had to cave in on the first day of Brexit talks and agree that

:41:39. > :41:43.the divorce deal will have to be established before any trade deals

:41:44. > :41:49.are agreed. Leaving the business, economy and workers across our

:41:50. > :41:56.country in limbo. Just a day ago or earlier today, they said that

:41:57. > :42:00.frictionless trade cannot take place. Frictionless trade of goods

:42:01. > :42:04.and services is not possible outside of the single market and customs

:42:05. > :42:06.union, and we need to know from the Secretary of State and his

:42:07. > :42:12.colleagues, will there be transitional arrangements for our

:42:13. > :42:18.economy, for our goods and services? Because we know the track record of

:42:19. > :42:22.this government on scrutiny and probe says. It avoids it at all

:42:23. > :42:25.costs. They had to be dragged through the courts to give

:42:26. > :42:30.Parliament as the triggering Article 50. What hope do we have but we will

:42:31. > :42:39.get to properly scrutinise the many laws and legislations that will be

:42:40. > :42:43.coming back from the EU. This involves the so-called Henry VIII

:42:44. > :42:47.powers to avoid scrutiny. What guarantees does the government

:42:48. > :42:51.offered that they will not abuse those powers? What guarantees do

:42:52. > :42:57.they offer that they will not use these antiquated measures to avoid

:42:58. > :43:00.scrutiny and consent of devolved administrations? The public rejected

:43:01. > :43:04.the Prime Minister's call to strengthen her hand on the Brexit

:43:05. > :43:17.negotiations at the last election. She cannot carry on as if the

:43:18. > :43:26.election result has not happened. Leaving the single market would be

:43:27. > :43:29.an unprecedented act of self harm. Does my honourable friend agree with

:43:30. > :43:32.me that it would be an act of self harm first Scotland, because at

:43:33. > :43:37.present, EU trade deals with the likes of South Korea have meant the

:43:38. > :43:42.tariff on a major export Scotch whiskey is reduced to nil, winners

:43:43. > :43:48.other exporters coming in to South Korea have 20%. Does she agree that

:43:49. > :43:54.we are unlikely to get these favourable deals without the

:43:55. > :44:01.considerable weight of the EU behind us? I agree with everything she

:44:02. > :44:07.says. The Secretary of State in his opening comments alluded to trade

:44:08. > :44:10.deals with countries such as India particularly on whiskey, but are he

:44:11. > :44:14.and his colleagues not concerned that chilling discussions recently

:44:15. > :44:19.when the Foreign Secretary was visiting, he was advised that

:44:20. > :44:23.mobility issues are of huge importance to us. We cannot separate

:44:24. > :44:25.free movement of people from the free flow of goods, services and

:44:26. > :44:35.industry. Trade agreements are about give and

:44:36. > :44:40.take and it seems to me that this Government does not understand that

:44:41. > :44:45.concept. The plans for a hard Brexit have immersed the UK economy in

:44:46. > :44:48.uncertainty with inflation escalating and companies preparing

:44:49. > :44:57.to move outside of the UK. Figures... Members chanter but you

:44:58. > :45:03.only need to open the papers to see the news and examples of this.

:45:04. > :45:08.Figures from the National in such of economic and social research says

:45:09. > :45:12.Scotland's export could be cut if we fail to retain full membership of

:45:13. > :45:18.the single market. Trade and goods script declined by 35 said its

:45:19. > :45:24.Scottish goods exports were to fall by a similar amount. The cost would

:45:25. > :45:28.be an additional ?3 billion and leaving the single market could

:45:29. > :45:37.lower Scotland's GDP by more than ?10 billion. We must at the end of

:45:38. > :45:41.this process when we have clarity on whether there is a deal or not a

:45:42. > :45:46.deal, the Government must accept that if it is not taking on board

:45:47. > :45:52.Scotland's position, that we must have an insurance policy, a say over

:45:53. > :45:58.our own future and be able to decide whether we want to be an independent

:45:59. > :46:04.nation within Europe. Scotland's main businesses issued a statement

:46:05. > :46:07.last year confirming that Scotland's businesses need continued access to

:46:08. > :46:13.the single market and free movement of Labour. We have raised concerns

:46:14. > :46:21.about the impact of Brexit on business. The loss of EU nationals

:46:22. > :46:27.will seriously harm our rural economy. Around 8000 EU nationals

:46:28. > :46:32.come to live in Scotland and work in the food and drink industry and

:46:33. > :46:37.15,000 migrant workers harvest our fruit and vegetables. We cannot put

:46:38. > :46:43.their futures or the future of our vital sectors at risk. EU nationals

:46:44. > :46:48.make a huge contribution to our NHS. One in 20 doctors come from the EU.

:46:49. > :46:58.There are more than 1000 EU and companies, employing over 120,000

:46:59. > :47:03.people. They bring vital skills and expertise. We heard last week that

:47:04. > :47:11.the rate of applicants for nursing posts from you had dropped to 96%.

:47:12. > :47:17.That is going to be devastating across the UK. Scotland is an open

:47:18. > :47:22.and modern economy. Our exports account to around 50% of our GDP and

:47:23. > :47:28.this is why our membership of the single market is crucial. Scotland

:47:29. > :47:35.trades with the world, the EU has signed free-trade agreements with

:47:36. > :47:40.nearly 90 non-EU countries. And 28 countries are still to be applied.

:47:41. > :47:45.The Secretary of State said he hoped they would be ratified soon, but

:47:46. > :47:50.this is the driving growth in Scotland. To allow us to trade with

:47:51. > :47:55.the rest of the world which has increased by 55%, if we are not able

:47:56. > :48:00.to continue those trade agreements and we know how long many of them

:48:01. > :48:04.could take, cumulatively we could be decades before we even stand still

:48:05. > :48:09.in terms of the position that we have with full access to the single

:48:10. > :48:14.market. Scotland's businesses are well placed to take advantage of the

:48:15. > :48:19.opportunities to sell their products across Europe and the world. If we

:48:20. > :48:25.leave, we gambled these trade agreements. The Tory manifesto

:48:26. > :48:29.contained a pledge to leave the single market and the customs union.

:48:30. > :48:34.Given they failed to gain a clear majority they must think again and

:48:35. > :48:38.put options back on the table to make that central to their

:48:39. > :48:42.negotiating position. It goes to show the contempt the UK Government

:48:43. > :48:51.has for Scotland when you hear the Brexit secretary admitting to the UK

:48:52. > :48:56.exiting the EU select committee that no economic analysis, none had been

:48:57. > :48:59.done to address the impact of Brexit on the UK economy. How can we have

:49:00. > :49:05.been in a position that knowingly was an impact study not done, but in

:49:06. > :49:10.all of that time between the referendum and coming to that

:49:11. > :49:14.committee, no work-out been done? This was compounded by the comments

:49:15. > :49:21.recently where the right honourable gentleman said open now pushing

:49:22. > :49:29.shins would confirm the UK would get a free trade agreement with the EU

:49:30. > :49:37.was a case of maybes aye, maybe not. His comments show how the Tories

:49:38. > :49:41.are... Just this week the Financial Times reported that London was

:49:42. > :49:45.sending out a delegation to Brussels to present a secret blueprint for

:49:46. > :49:49.post-Brexit free trade deal on financial services. The city are

:49:50. > :49:54.left to do the work of the Government for themselves. Concern

:49:55. > :49:59.over the damage facing employers if forced to move operations to the

:50:00. > :50:04.continent. Not every sector is able to do that more should do that. We

:50:05. > :50:08.should have a government listening to the devolved nations and all

:50:09. > :50:14.those sectors. This is the latest indication that business do not

:50:15. > :50:18.trust the Tories. The SNP put forward a sensible compromise

:50:19. > :50:24.agreement in Scotland's place in Europe. It respected the result in

:50:25. > :50:29.2014 and respected the result of the EU referendum. It gave a sensible

:50:30. > :50:32.approach to the situation we find ourselves in that Scotland could

:50:33. > :50:38.retain its ownership of the single market and remain within the UK. We

:50:39. > :50:46.are working hard to support S M Ds and corporate with initiatives such

:50:47. > :50:50.as border enterprise, we have launched a Scottish European growth

:50:51. > :50:58.current asthma programme, the first part of the Scottish growth scheme

:50:59. > :51:01.worth 50 million pounds. It will average at least ?100 million for

:51:02. > :51:06.private sector fund managers. Evidence of the fruits of the

:51:07. > :51:10.Scottish Government's Labour were born out yesterday when GDP data

:51:11. > :51:20.showed the Scottish economy defy recession concerns compared to the

:51:21. > :51:27.UK. This is set against the backdrop of accept uncertainty. The

:51:28. > :51:32.Chancellor has conceded that a large amount of UK business investment is

:51:33. > :51:35.being postponed and urged early agreement with the EU on

:51:36. > :51:40.transitional arrangements. Our growth is under threat and we need

:51:41. > :51:42.to hear more than warm words from the Government benches. The

:51:43. > :51:48.Government of the bank of England spoke of anaemic wage growth and

:51:49. > :51:53.said he would like to see what their wages begin to farm and generally

:51:54. > :51:57.how the economy reacts to the prospect of tighter financial

:51:58. > :52:02.conditions and the reality of Brexit negotiations. Scotland's voice is

:52:03. > :52:06.being ignored, it is not democratic and it is not acceptable. Scotland

:52:07. > :52:12.is a top destination in Europe for exports in the UK so it isn't

:52:13. > :52:22.everybody's interest to have a close trading relationship. The Secretary

:52:23. > :52:24.of State for exiting the EU recently said that Ireland will not have to

:52:25. > :52:30.choose between having a strong commitment to the EU or the UK, it

:52:31. > :52:37.can and should have both. Why then can that not apply to Scotland? In a

:52:38. > :52:42.press conference of this year, the Prime Minister said the UK would

:52:43. > :52:47.maintain the Common travel area, and excellent economic links with

:52:48. > :52:52.Ireland. Why then can that not apply to Scotland? There must be a meeting

:52:53. > :52:56.of the UK and devolved governments to decide objectives before the next

:52:57. > :53:01.cycle of negotiations with the EU and there must be a commitment to

:53:02. > :53:04.take seriously the interests of Scottish businesses, universities

:53:05. > :53:10.and a range of other groups becoming alarmed at the way Brexit is being

:53:11. > :53:14.handled. Scotland's voice must be heard during these Brexit

:53:15. > :53:19.negotiations. Recently we had a surprise reporter of that long held

:53:20. > :53:25.SNP view. The Labour Party leader took time out from partying in

:53:26. > :53:30.Glastonbury to say, Scotland needs a clear input into Brexit negotiating

:53:31. > :53:33.processes. He said the Scottish gum that must have regular and

:53:34. > :53:38.systematic access to the British negotiating team so deep Scottish

:53:39. > :53:43.perspective, especially in those areas for which the Scottish

:53:44. > :53:47.parliament is responsible, is fully taken into account. That is very

:53:48. > :53:53.welcome, it is just a shame his party cannot be united on access to

:53:54. > :53:56.the single market. With this Government acknowledge the support

:53:57. > :54:00.for a Scottish seat at the Brexit table and extend the hand of

:54:01. > :54:04.friendship to all devolved nations to take part in these negotiations

:54:05. > :54:09.that will affect their people, their economies and future. The

:54:10. > :54:15.Conservative government is reduced and has failed to resolute a trade

:54:16. > :54:23.negotiating deal with the EU. It is also important that the SNP and we

:54:24. > :54:28.believe in the SNP that we maintain our international development goals

:54:29. > :54:31.and ensure an ethical trade policy. Ensuring those are maintained, the

:54:32. > :54:46.Scottish parliament must have a say on any real trade deal.

:54:47. > :54:54.That is not acceptable and it does the UK's reputation no good on the

:54:55. > :54:57.stage said the SNP will defend Scotland's interest and prioritise

:54:58. > :55:03.maintaining membership of the single market and the customs union for

:55:04. > :55:11.Scotland in the Brexit negotiations. She mentioned our relationships with

:55:12. > :55:15.developing countries and resolving the tax treaty with Malawi was a

:55:16. > :55:23.priority in the last parliament. Today is Malawi Independence Day.

:55:24. > :55:29.Despite its many challenges, it is an independent country so we wish

:55:30. > :55:33.them a happy Independence Day. Of course I share his sentiment wishing

:55:34. > :55:38.Malawi a happy Independence Day and noting the work that members across

:55:39. > :55:43.many benchers have done in terms of Malawi, not least the former Labour

:55:44. > :55:50.First Minister, Jack McConnell who continues to challenge that work. If

:55:51. > :55:56.Brexit negotiations alongside a firm commitment to developing an ethical

:55:57. > :56:01.trade policy are by two. They will not get any kind of unity by

:56:02. > :56:06.ignoring the issues they find in front of them. It is time to take

:56:07. > :56:10.their heads out of the sand, face the music, work with the devolved

:56:11. > :56:21.administrations so that we can get the best possible deal. I refer all

:56:22. > :56:26.members... I am grateful, this is the first time I have had a chance

:56:27. > :56:29.to speak in this new parliament. Let me praise the incredible work

:56:30. > :56:36.undertaken by the Department for International Trade. I know everyone

:56:37. > :56:42.in this chamber will have availed themselves of it. Ministers have

:56:43. > :56:46.travelled to 50 countries. Ten trade groups have been setup, we have an

:56:47. > :56:51.instructional trade advisor and the shrewd decision to make the

:56:52. > :56:55.brilliant Antonia remainer at the permanent secretary and we have a

:56:56. > :57:03.minister fluent in German, so everything is in place for progress

:57:04. > :57:09.to be made. I have to say that I am sceptical about the future and may I

:57:10. > :57:15.quickly say I do not work for the BBC. But they are used this

:57:16. > :57:20.opportunity to say I am a huge supporter of the BBC and BBC News,

:57:21. > :57:26.which is respected all around the world. Those who questioned the

:57:27. > :57:33.BBC's patronage system will claim it is buyers are absurd. You can see me

:57:34. > :57:38.when I defended George Osborne's Brexit emergency budget debate being

:57:39. > :57:44.torn apart by Andrew Neil. He gave me no slack as a remainer coming on

:57:45. > :57:48.his programme. The BBC is not biased or impartial and people claim that

:57:49. > :57:52.it is have simply lost the argument, but let me get back to the main

:57:53. > :57:58.point of this debate which is about trade and I confess that I find us,

:57:59. > :58:04.this country in a confusing edition. We are needing a free trade area

:58:05. > :58:11.with the EU in order to trade with them on the basis of WTO. At the

:58:12. > :58:15.same time we can negotiate a free trade deal with the United States

:58:16. > :58:21.because we do not like trading with the United States on a WTO basis, so

:58:22. > :58:25.I am unclear as to what our position is on free trade and why we are

:58:26. > :58:30.walking away from 500 million consumers and I find it odd that we

:58:31. > :58:38.want to have no deal because we do not want a bad deal. It is quite

:58:39. > :58:42.clear that we cannot pick and choose the different sectors that might

:58:43. > :58:46.benefit from access to the single market and it is quite clear that

:58:47. > :58:52.having access to the single market and being members of the youth

:58:53. > :58:57.enable us to have free trade. The EU has negotiated 60 free trade deals,

:58:58. > :59:01.we approved one in the House with Canada, they started their free

:59:02. > :59:08.trade deal with career which has seen exports rise by 54%. They have

:59:09. > :59:11.started negotiations with Japan and it is through no fault of the EU

:59:12. > :59:20.that we have no trade you with the United States. Trade deals are not

:59:21. > :59:25.necessarily... And once I hear ministers say that when we leave the

:59:26. > :59:30.EU, we will have free trade deals, I would caution them. I had one of my

:59:31. > :59:34.colleagues talk about the virtues of free trade which I share and the

:59:35. > :59:40.opportunity to reduced import tariffs, but he has to beware of the

:59:41. > :59:43.reaction of the British public and different sectors if we simply

:59:44. > :59:49.reduced tariffs against their competitors. Not every free trade

:59:50. > :59:55.deal will be plain sailing which is why it has taken seven years to

:59:56. > :00:00.negotiate the free trade deal with Canada.

:00:01. > :00:09.Is he aware of the research which says the average length of time it

:00:10. > :00:12.takes to negotiate a free trade agreement is 18 months? It would

:00:13. > :00:19.take cross 91 years to get to where we are. Does he think that would be

:00:20. > :00:23.a problem? The idea that we can take a free trade deals of the shelf and

:00:24. > :00:32.not faze lobbies in our own economy about possible threats to their own

:00:33. > :00:38.position... All the sectors... These are extremely conjugated

:00:39. > :00:41.arrangements. And we do benefit, although my honourable friend says

:00:42. > :00:46.we don't have a free-trade deal with EU, but we do have access to a

:00:47. > :00:52.market without quotas, with no tariffs and no nontariff barriers.

:00:53. > :00:57.But remember, free-trade deals are constructed by human beings. I was

:00:58. > :01:01.meeting someone this week who was a US trade negotiator and was very

:01:02. > :01:07.well plugged in to that entire scene, who told me that the US trade

:01:08. > :01:11.representative organisation is at full stretch already. It is quite a

:01:12. > :01:17.list by President Trump canning the trade Pacific partnership. It has

:01:18. > :01:21.got to renegotiate Nafta. TTIP is being put back on the agenda. When

:01:22. > :01:25.President Obama said we were back of the queue, the language may have

:01:26. > :01:30.been unfortunate. But I think we should be realistic about where we

:01:31. > :01:34.are in line with the US and where we are in terms of the capacity to

:01:35. > :01:40.connect -- for the US to negotiate with awesome. I have few questions

:01:41. > :01:49.for the Minister on the front bench, and he is free to reply in German or

:01:50. > :01:53.Russian. I would like to hear which countries and why we have chosen

:01:54. > :01:57.those countries. We do have ten trade groups. I would like to hear

:01:58. > :02:00.his thoughts on a timetable for a freight treat -- free-trade deals

:02:01. > :02:04.with those countries. And I would like to know if there is economic

:02:05. > :02:10.analysis as to what the growth of GDP will be once those free-trade

:02:11. > :02:13.deals have been negotiated. Another point made by the Secretary of State

:02:14. > :02:17.at the dispatch box, and I say this as a great supporter of his work,

:02:18. > :02:23.was the welcome for investment we have seen in the last year. I

:02:24. > :02:27.welcome that as well. As a former minister responsible for the digital

:02:28. > :02:32.industries, particularly from companies like Facebook and Google,

:02:33. > :02:35.which have many issues but we welcome their inward investment. But

:02:36. > :02:40.would he agree that is predicated on their ability to recruit people with

:02:41. > :02:44.specialist abilities? Will reassure us that as part of the negotiations,

:02:45. > :02:51.as my honourable friend says, they will be able to continue to recruit

:02:52. > :02:55.companies that want to invest in UK, people with the right skills both

:02:56. > :02:59.from the European Union and from around the world? One of the

:03:00. > :03:03.benefits of the single market was that you could recruit somebody from

:03:04. > :03:06.the European Union and their partner and members of their family could

:03:07. > :03:14.also come here and work. That was a huge incentive. On the issue of

:03:15. > :03:17.benefits of our single market, and I fully respect that we will be

:03:18. > :03:23.leading the single market and needing a new deal, if I take fro

:03:24. > :03:28.example the arrangements we have at the moment, if you were to send a

:03:29. > :03:33.scanner to a Spanish hospital you would need a maintenance contract

:03:34. > :03:36.with it. You could send your engineer to go and service that

:03:37. > :03:41.under the posting of workers arrangement. You have mutual

:03:42. > :03:44.recognition. Other professional qualifications. Would you agree that

:03:45. > :03:49.it is not only important to have in our new trade agreements the ability

:03:50. > :03:55.to trade goods easily, but also to trade services and to have that

:03:56. > :04:00.ability to send workers flexibly from one jurisdiction to another? My

:04:01. > :04:07.honourable friend makes a fantastic point. She was incredibly effective

:04:08. > :04:12.as an MEP. She would have turned up to Jean-Claude Juncker's speech

:04:13. > :04:17.yesterday. I hope the government will listen to her as we negotiate

:04:18. > :04:21.Brexit. She has unparalleled experience in this House. The point

:04:22. > :04:25.she makes is very effective and pertinent to my constituency where

:04:26. > :04:36.MRI scanners are made at Oxford instruments. I would finally

:04:37. > :04:39.asked... We have a debate in Westminster Hall on Wednesday. I

:04:40. > :04:47.don't know if my member -- my honourable friend will be speaking

:04:48. > :04:50.at the debate. I will speak about it on Wednesday morning. I have run out

:04:51. > :04:55.of time. I have only got 30 seconds left. I want to conclude with a

:04:56. > :05:01.plea. I know that we have this two-year timetable for Article 50,

:05:02. > :05:06.but as the Secretary of State said, this is a political process. He is

:05:07. > :05:10.hoping the European Union will do a deal because their politicians want

:05:11. > :05:15.to see what -- to do what is right for their people. Why are we wedded

:05:16. > :05:19.to a two-year cliff edge process? Even in a six minute speech I have

:05:20. > :05:23.been able to highlight some of the extraordinary complexity is we are

:05:24. > :05:30.facing. If I had longer I could have expanded.

:05:31. > :05:34.Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It's a pleasure to follow the

:05:35. > :05:38.honourable gentleman. Perhaps unusually, I agree with almost

:05:39. > :05:42.everything he said. It is a year since the referendum. It is three

:05:43. > :05:50.months since we triggered Article 50. We wasted two months with a

:05:51. > :05:53.general election that has left the Prime Minister enfeebled and the

:05:54. > :05:59.front bench confused, and the impact on our economy is potentially hugely

:06:00. > :06:03.serious. We are running out of time. The public services are in crisis.

:06:04. > :06:06.We need the sort of confident direction which is necessary to

:06:07. > :06:12.attract investment in the economy, to enable growth. And the taxation

:06:13. > :06:20.receipts which are necessary to bolster our services. When I debated

:06:21. > :06:25.in the EU referendum debate a year ago, and I have heard similar

:06:26. > :06:32.sentiments reiterated in the debate today, one of the arguments I heard

:06:33. > :06:37.regularly was that because of the trading imbalance between us and the

:06:38. > :06:42.EU, they need us more than we need them, and therefore there will be

:06:43. > :06:48.very friendly -- favourably inclined to a generous settlement. If that is

:06:49. > :06:53.the case, what I can't understand is why there is a problem with saying

:06:54. > :06:58.that we want to remain part of the single market, we want to remain

:06:59. > :07:02.part of the Customs Union, and must go throughout -- for a transitional

:07:03. > :07:06.arrangement until we get it. But somehow we don't seem to be getting

:07:07. > :07:13.that from the government, and that is what is needed to get the

:07:14. > :07:20.confidence, to get investors investing in our country. Now I make

:07:21. > :07:29.it clear that I have a constituency interest. I have more foreigners in

:07:30. > :07:34.my constituency than any other. They are tied into the manufacturing

:07:35. > :07:37.supply chain, particularly the car industry, and the future welfare of

:07:38. > :07:43.the car industry is absolutely essential for the future jobs Zander

:07:44. > :07:48.Diamond prospect of my constituents. And we must be quite clear the role

:07:49. > :07:55.that the car industry plays in the national economy. 7070 -- 77% of

:07:56. > :07:59.cars manufactured in Britain are exported. 56% of these to Europe. If

:08:00. > :08:04.you look at our overall trading statistics by value, the

:08:05. > :08:11.contribution of the car industry is huge and significant. And it is no

:08:12. > :08:16.coincidence that what I articulated as our objectives earlier are

:08:17. > :08:21.exactly what the Society of motor Manufacturers and traders want. This

:08:22. > :08:27.idea that no deal is better than a bad deal and falling back on WTO

:08:28. > :08:36.tariffs is a nonsense. It would add 10% to car prices. 2.5% to 4.5% for

:08:37. > :08:40.parts. And given the toing and froing of car parks in the industry,

:08:41. > :08:47.the potential cost is ?2.6 billion per -- for imports and 1.6 billion

:08:48. > :08:53.pounds for exports. The cost of an average car could increase by 1500.

:08:54. > :09:00.The mixed messaging and hostile rhetoric from the government has

:09:01. > :09:04.caused damage. The figures earlier, mentioned by my honourable friend

:09:05. > :09:08.for Bridgend in the business questions, about investment in the

:09:09. > :09:16.car industry, which is dropped from 2.56 billion in 2015 to only 322

:09:17. > :09:21.million in the first half of this year, these are hugely significant

:09:22. > :09:29.for the future of a Manufacturing industry that is crucial for our

:09:30. > :09:38.export performance. I would just like to comment on the approach and

:09:39. > :09:40.the potential of some of the alternative scenarios that I have

:09:41. > :09:46.heard outlined. And I would like to make it clear, Mr Speaker, Madam

:09:47. > :09:52.Deputy Speaker, that I am as in favour of trading with other

:09:53. > :09:57.countries as anybody is. And I think implicit in a lot of the arguments I

:09:58. > :10:01.have heard said is that somehow the EU is a barrier to us having good

:10:02. > :10:15.trading relations with other countries. I would say to them...

:10:16. > :10:20.Thank you. Our markets and economy are at a Cliff edge due to the

:10:21. > :10:24.responsible behaviour of the UK government at the moment. I agree

:10:25. > :10:28.with my honourable friend in the statements he has made. Can I also

:10:29. > :10:38.correct the honourable member for a stone in his Commons he made earlier

:10:39. > :10:42.on sheep market imports. And Miss quoting Michel Barnier in the

:10:43. > :10:47.tariffs of 12%. What is actually the case is that sheep market imports

:10:48. > :10:59.outside of the EU are subject to tariffs of 12%, plus a fixed amount

:11:00. > :11:02.ranging from 900 euros... Order! I have been very lenient with the

:11:03. > :11:07.honourable lady because I appreciate she has only been in the House for a

:11:08. > :11:12.matter of days. But what she is actually doing is intervening on the

:11:13. > :11:16.honourable gentleman for West Bromwich. She making a speech about

:11:17. > :11:22.something that was said earlier by someone else. I am sure she will get

:11:23. > :11:27.the hang of it. But I can't let her go on any longer. I am sorry. Mr

:11:28. > :11:31.Bailey. Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I do think the ability to

:11:32. > :11:37.make a speech whilst doing an intervention demonstrates that the

:11:38. > :11:51.member is rapidly acquiring the skills! Can I just get back to the

:11:52. > :11:55.point that I was making? If being a member of the EU is an impediment to

:11:56. > :12:01.trading with other countries, why is it that some of our key EU rivals,

:12:02. > :12:07.such as Germany and France, actually managed to trade far more

:12:08. > :12:10.successfully with those at market than we do? Could it be that

:12:11. > :12:16.notwithstanding their membership of the EU, they are doing something

:12:17. > :12:20.right that we are not doing? And our approach should take that into

:12:21. > :12:26.account rather than blaming the EU for some of our deficiencies in our

:12:27. > :12:31.ability to get the maximum from our trading potential with countries

:12:32. > :12:37.outside. I would also like to make the point, there is this rather

:12:38. > :12:41.naive and I think totally fallacious belief that somehow been coming out

:12:42. > :12:46.of the EU, it is gone to be easy to trade with other countries. The fact

:12:47. > :12:54.is, and again if you look at the biggest market abroad, the expanding

:12:55. > :13:00.markets, China, India and Brazil, if you look at the World Bank ratings

:13:01. > :13:08.on ease of doing business, China is 96, India 149th and Brazil 143rd.

:13:09. > :13:12.The idea that by coming out of the EU they are going to become any

:13:13. > :13:18.easier to trade with quite frankly is self-delusion. The honourable

:13:19. > :13:22.member for Wantage outlines some of the practical difficulties there are

:13:23. > :13:30.in setting up any trade negotiations with other countries. And those will

:13:31. > :13:34.still be alive. The fact is by coming out of the EU we are moving

:13:35. > :13:39.from a trading bloc which is relatively easy to deal with, the

:13:40. > :13:44.one that isn't. And we need at this point to make it quite clear that we

:13:45. > :13:50.want to remain within the EU single market and Customs union.

:13:51. > :14:00.Maiden speech. Julia Dockrell.

:14:01. > :14:04.CHEERING. I thank the honourable member Fred 's contribution and I am

:14:05. > :14:07.grateful to you Madam Deputy Speaker for calling me to make my maiden

:14:08. > :14:11.speech in this important debate about trade. I am also thankful to

:14:12. > :14:14.my honourable friend 's for a gathering around like a protective

:14:15. > :14:20.huddle of penguins. I very much appreciated! We must be realistic,

:14:21. > :14:22.pragmatic and determined about how we best shape this country as we

:14:23. > :14:28.leave the European Union. Too often debate about how we do this is

:14:29. > :14:30.infected by corrosive pessimism that betrays a lack of confidence in our

:14:31. > :14:34.nation and what we can offer the world. Now is it time for

:14:35. > :14:38.resilience, resourcefulness and self belief. Not a crowing self regard,

:14:39. > :14:39.but nevertheless an appreciation for our people and we have created

:14:40. > :14:50.together. First I would like to pay tribute to

:14:51. > :14:57.my predecessor dame Angela Watkinson, a lady of grace and who

:14:58. > :15:02.leaves a proud legacy. She embodies the essence of conservatism. From

:15:03. > :15:07.humble roots she not only built a flourishing career through her hard

:15:08. > :15:11.work and talent but her record of public service, particularly through

:15:12. > :15:16.her church and a half of children with disabilities. I offer her my

:15:17. > :15:22.profound gratitude on behalf of the people of one chance and often

:15:23. > :15:27.stuff. Like me Hornchurch and not Minister will always and forever

:15:28. > :15:32.have an Essex heart. It was an agricultural parish and the vestiges

:15:33. > :15:46.of a simpler past scattered across the seat like and antiques joules.

:15:47. > :15:48.From the mid-17th century, the area attracted successful merchants from

:15:49. > :15:54.London looking to build their country pads and Upminster was first

:15:55. > :16:00.formally collected to the metropolis by rail. Its population remained

:16:01. > :16:05.modest when a developer sported the chance to turn the area into a new

:16:06. > :16:12.garden suburb. One church was similarly swept up and by 1965 both

:16:13. > :16:18.were formally incorporated into favouring. The area's role in

:16:19. > :16:22.defending against the war was played out in my constituency and it later

:16:23. > :16:27.helped revive London by providing land for a large new housing estate

:16:28. > :16:33.on Harold Hill to alleviate housing shortages. What more fitting

:16:34. > :16:41.location for the first sale of a council home to a tenant by the GLC.

:16:42. > :16:44.For aspiration, hard work and a deep sense of family, community and

:16:45. > :16:50.nationhood flow through the veins of my constituents. Ours is the seat

:16:51. > :16:58.where stability mixes with the upward mobility of the metropolis.

:16:59. > :17:04.It is a place where taxis, bands and the tools of trade people rests,

:17:05. > :17:10.where doorways are swept, Holmes taken pride in and where people hold

:17:11. > :17:13.honest hopes for good schools, jobs, public services and homes. My

:17:14. > :17:18.constituents contribute and believing what this nation has to

:17:19. > :17:21.offer but they expect our nation's politicians to hold that belief as

:17:22. > :17:27.well. I began my career working for my right honourable friend the

:17:28. > :17:31.member for the City of London and Westminster, he gave me the space

:17:32. > :17:38.and confidence to flourish. It fills me with enormous joy to see him

:17:39. > :17:43.promoted to serve his country. Those were deceptively sunny days but in

:17:44. > :17:48.quick succession I was to witness the expenses crisis, the financial

:17:49. > :17:52.crisis and then an unending series of scandals that systematically

:17:53. > :17:57.undermined public trust in nearly every institution. I shared in the

:17:58. > :18:01.national mood of disillusionment. Not long afterwards I attended a

:18:02. > :18:05.town hall meeting where I saw councillors physically attacked and

:18:06. > :18:09.issued death threats to one another. I felt a profound sense of horror

:18:10. > :18:15.over what has happened in the borough, the divisive, identity

:18:16. > :18:19.politics of race, religion and class had turned out to breed a culture of

:18:20. > :18:24.grotesque corruption, instability and isolation while local

:18:25. > :18:31.politicians self congratulatory mantras were used only as a cloak to

:18:32. > :18:35.retain power. That night inspired me to become one in five feisty

:18:36. > :18:39.Conservative councillors who has fought to expose what was going on.

:18:40. > :18:43.Tower Hamlets is a byword for what can go wrong when we failed to

:18:44. > :18:48.uphold the systems, is that you should that make Britain work. I

:18:49. > :18:53.spent time working with European and developing nations on governance

:18:54. > :18:57.issues. In witnessing developing niche and spat on corruption it

:18:58. > :19:00.became clear that without decent governance all other efforts to

:19:01. > :19:06.raise living standards and increase the spirit he will struggle.

:19:07. > :19:10.Meanwhile, in seeing the EU in close quarters I reluctantly came to the

:19:11. > :19:15.view that it was divorced from the reality from those it represents and

:19:16. > :19:20.it is now time to return our accountability. I should like to see

:19:21. > :19:24.post Brexit Britain as one of a group of modern, open nations

:19:25. > :19:27.pursuing close corporation in matters of security and defence and

:19:28. > :19:32.an ambitious agenda of free trade covering goods and services,

:19:33. > :19:36.economic prosperity and the creation of international standards for the

:19:37. > :19:40.new technologies shaping our lives. This must sit alongside a

:19:41. > :19:44.restatement of the importance of the nation state with a loose focus on

:19:45. > :19:52.intergovernmental corporation rather than collected decision-making. For

:19:53. > :19:58.our Parliamentary democracy is a precious and delicate gift, the sum

:19:59. > :20:02.of the toil, sacrifice, disagreements and compromises that

:20:03. > :20:06.generations before us have made. Its principles have proved a temp fate

:20:07. > :20:11.governance across the globe and provided a space for millions of

:20:12. > :20:15.individuals to flourish. It is a dynamic system that works because it

:20:16. > :20:20.is lubricated by trust and because each generation tries their best to

:20:21. > :20:24.find chewing it to reflect the needs and wants of the citizens they

:20:25. > :20:28.represent. The past decade may have undermined trust in the economy,

:20:29. > :20:32.politicians and media that crises can drive improvements and should

:20:33. > :20:37.not be taken as a reason to give up or dismiss our nation with a

:20:38. > :20:43.relentless and virulent negativity. Quite the opposite, it is the duty

:20:44. > :20:48.of our politicians to reform and to pursue the hopes and ambitions of

:20:49. > :20:53.British people of every background as we enter this challenging but

:20:54. > :21:05.enormously exciting new era. Helen Goodman. I would like to begin by

:21:06. > :21:10.congratulating the honourable member for Hornchurch and Upminster on her

:21:11. > :21:13.agent speech. She demonstrated how attached she feels to her

:21:14. > :21:21.constituency and that is the best start for being an effective MP. It

:21:22. > :21:26.is also a demonstration of progress we're making when a member can stand

:21:27. > :21:31.up and say that they are the second woman member in their constituency.

:21:32. > :21:37.This is the first time I have spoken since the general election and of

:21:38. > :21:40.course I want to begin by thanking my constituents since for taking

:21:41. > :21:47.part in the general election, especially those who voted Labour.

:21:48. > :21:53.The majority of my constituents voted to leave the European Union in

:21:54. > :21:57.the referendum last year. And when I have discussed this with them what

:21:58. > :22:03.they have told me is that they want a Brexit that immigration but one

:22:04. > :22:06.that boosts exports and secures long-term jobs, particularly in

:22:07. > :22:11.manufacturing. What they were like about the European Union is the

:22:12. > :22:16.social chapter, the Common Market, what we call the customs union, the

:22:17. > :22:21.environmental protections, corporations on our NT and the

:22:22. > :22:26.European arrest warrant. Because of their views on migration, I have to

:22:27. > :22:31.say I think it is inevitable that we are going to have to as part of the

:22:32. > :22:35.event the European Union also believe the single market. But I

:22:36. > :22:43.think the issues on the customs union are rather different and I am

:22:44. > :22:46.very pleased that with the speech that my honourable friend made from

:22:47. > :22:51.the front bench and the remarks made by the honourable member for Saint

:22:52. > :22:57.pancreas who said we must keep the customs union on the table. I do not

:22:58. > :23:02.know why the Chancellor were suggesting that there are legal

:23:03. > :23:06.difficulties in this. Turkey belongs to the customs union and not the

:23:07. > :23:13.European Union, it is the position this country had in the period

:23:14. > :23:19.between 1975 and 1992, and this gives us not just tariff free trade

:23:20. > :23:23.but barrier free trade. When I went to talk to the north-east chamber of

:23:24. > :23:29.commerce, they were worried about how firms would handle the rules of

:23:30. > :23:37.origin if we were to leave the customs union. It is not enough for

:23:38. > :23:44.the customs, that HMRC to have computer systems, that does not deal

:23:45. > :23:51.with the bureaucracy because all the individual firms have to apply in

:23:52. > :23:56.order to be able to use, to get the stages they need in order to be able

:23:57. > :23:59.to use this system and that is immensely bureaucratic and

:24:00. > :24:07.time-consuming and what we have found is this increases costs by

:24:08. > :24:11.about 25%. Another thing which I think it is very important is what

:24:12. > :24:16.we are going to do and the Government has not been clear at all

:24:17. > :24:23.about all the European agencies. In my constituency areas is a Glaxo

:24:24. > :24:29.plant, it employs 1000 people, it produces 500,000 drugs a day. I have

:24:30. > :24:33.been working with Glaxo to look at what kind of Brexit deal would be

:24:34. > :24:36.good for the pharmaceutical industry. They want a level playing

:24:37. > :24:43.field with the other drugs manufacturers across Europe and what

:24:44. > :24:49.that means is staying inside the European medicines agency. The

:24:50. > :24:54.European medicines agency is located at the moment in London because

:24:55. > :25:00.Britain is one of the best producers or pharmaceuticals and we helped to

:25:01. > :25:05.draft almost all the walls that the European medicines agency applies.

:25:06. > :25:11.What Glaxo have said in their paper on priorities for the UK's accident

:25:12. > :25:16.which they sent to me is this, any UK withdrawal from the EU that ends

:25:17. > :25:25.damages the UK's ability to benefit from the EU framework could

:25:26. > :25:31.significantly impacts patients and hinder GS K's operations in the UK

:25:32. > :25:36.and across the EU. Any future regulatory processes must avoid

:25:37. > :25:41.introducing delays, significant costs or unpredictable outcomes. It

:25:42. > :25:47.is critical that an agreement is reached early in negotiations

:25:48. > :25:51.between the UK and EU, that the European regulatory framework will

:25:52. > :25:56.continue to apply to medicines, vaccines, medical devices and

:25:57. > :26:00.consumer ticks that are already authorised or undergoing trials to

:26:01. > :26:08.ensure supply or development of these products are maintained

:26:09. > :26:12.without disruption. Thank you to the honourable member to give way. I was

:26:13. > :26:17.interested in in what she was saying about the issues to do with

:26:18. > :26:21.medicines and vaccines because yes the mutual recognition principle is

:26:22. > :26:24.helpful in allowing British companies to work with others across

:26:25. > :26:30.Europe and the single market, but there are issues which make it

:26:31. > :26:34.difficult for those same pharmaceutical developers to then

:26:35. > :26:40.share data with American counterparts and under the seat

:26:41. > :26:45.agreement, which is not perfect for the UK, there are potential and fits

:26:46. > :26:51.of having mutual recognition not only with Europe but also there, and

:26:52. > :26:57.with the honourable member not agree we would have both types agreement

:26:58. > :27:02.if possible? What we really want to have is minimal regulatory costs on

:27:03. > :27:06.the businesses and that means that we should stay in the European

:27:07. > :27:13.medicines agency because it really is and we have to setup our own we

:27:14. > :27:21.would then be imposing yet a third regulatory system on them and that

:27:22. > :27:26.is immensely expensive. We have a lot of exports and a lot of jobs in

:27:27. > :27:33.this sector. Quite down a lot of peak yous before the election to the

:27:34. > :27:38.Department, I got content free answers. I now want ministers to

:27:39. > :27:42.come clear on what they are going to do that just about the European

:27:43. > :27:45.Medicines Agency but about the 40 other agencies we belonged to

:27:46. > :27:51.ranging from aviation safety to plant health. All of which

:27:52. > :27:55.facilitate trade on a level playing field for British businesses. The

:27:56. > :28:04.second group of people I am concerned about are the hill

:28:05. > :28:09.farmers. I have 400 hill farmers. After Brexit, three things matter

:28:10. > :28:14.for them- the new trade rules, the support systems and their

:28:15. > :28:18.regulations on food safety and the environment. Again, we have had no

:28:19. > :28:24.clarity whatsoever from ministers. If ministers agreed the import of

:28:25. > :28:33.meat with lower animal welfare standards, lower consumer safety and

:28:34. > :28:37.lower prices, they can decimate British agriculture. This would be a

:28:38. > :28:44.disaster for farmers and a disaster for the environment.

:28:45. > :28:48.Can I shock the front bench by saying I agree with absolutely

:28:49. > :28:55.everything the honourable member for Bishop Auckland said. About the

:28:56. > :29:03.member for Hornchurch and Upminster, who is indeed truly fabulous! As we

:29:04. > :29:08.all cuddled around her in what is now known as a doughnut. I'm used to

:29:09. > :29:12.being called a doughnut. I have never before being called a penguin.

:29:13. > :29:19.I have waddled back to my usual place. I am proud to have supported

:29:20. > :29:25.Brexit. And while there were many reasons to support Brexit, the

:29:26. > :29:28.principal reason was around taking back control of our laws, my

:29:29. > :29:32.principal reason was not around that, although I did also campaign

:29:33. > :29:37.on that issue, but about the economic future of Britain. Prior to

:29:38. > :29:45.entering this place I was a banker. When I rang banks in various African

:29:46. > :29:50.countries, the backbone of those countries and the bank was

:29:51. > :29:55.commodities and trading goods. So I have some degree of experience with

:29:56. > :30:03.trade finance, with letters of credit, export guarantees and also

:30:04. > :30:07.doing business across different territories and trading across

:30:08. > :30:13.different territories. As such, I think it is quite good that this

:30:14. > :30:17.parliament is not jam-packed full of detailed legislation beyond Brexit.

:30:18. > :30:23.Because Brexit is going to become placated enough in the detail today.

:30:24. > :30:27.I personally think we will look back with a selective memory and not see

:30:28. > :30:30.Brexit as a great revolution in retrospect. It feels very

:30:31. > :30:34.problematic at the moment and I feel for the Minister who is responsible

:30:35. > :30:38.on a day-to-day basis for delivering. In many ways I'm

:30:39. > :30:40.grateful for being on the backbenches having campaigned for

:30:41. > :30:47.something and letting him do some of the details list. I would like to do

:30:48. > :30:54.more of the next 18 months on trade and customers -- customs. The

:30:55. > :30:57.honourable member of Stone gave us a bit of history lesson. But I think

:30:58. > :31:04.an A-level history student could be confused by some of the debates. If

:31:05. > :31:08.you look through the corn laws or a gunboat diplomacy, trying to build

:31:09. > :31:14.trade and open markets, it feels like an A-level student will be

:31:15. > :31:22.taught a trajectory more open free trade. It seems like a good thing.

:31:23. > :31:25.In a time of uncertainty, the thing that I'm perhaps most concerned

:31:26. > :31:32.about is Donald Trump's comments in relation to trade. At a time when

:31:33. > :31:38.there is uncertainty about QE, sub-prime, eurozone collapse, and I

:31:39. > :31:42.could go on. But actually, I think we need to take responsibility,

:31:43. > :31:45.whether it is G7, G20, the big nation states, to not only look for

:31:46. > :31:50.a free trade for our own benefit but to look at free-trade for other

:31:51. > :31:54.benefits, particularly in the Commonwealth and Africa, which I

:31:55. > :32:03.will come to if I have time. Since I have been in this house in 2005, we

:32:04. > :32:08.have gone from exporting 48% of our goods to outside Europe, to 56%. The

:32:09. > :32:14.growth areas are beyond the European Union. I raised an intervention to

:32:15. > :32:18.the shadow front bench, the issue of us importing more than we are

:32:19. > :32:23.exporting. Quite understandably in the UK, we look at Brexit from our

:32:24. > :32:28.own position because we voted on it, we wanted it, as a nation. There

:32:29. > :32:31.were clearly debates across the parties on all sides. I think

:32:32. > :32:41.thinking more about the German exporters of BMW's, or Prasad echo

:32:42. > :32:47.and champagne etc, we look at it from a European perspective. I think

:32:48. > :32:53.Brexit could seem close to being delivered. I mentioned the

:32:54. > :32:57.Commonwealth. I meant -- welcome the Department's meeting of trade

:32:58. > :33:01.ministers. I was fortunate enough to attend some of those early meetings.

:33:02. > :33:05.There was a real appetite to refresh what should have been happening

:33:06. > :33:09.anyway, but Brexit allows us to refresh the relationships with the

:33:10. > :33:12.Commonwealth. In Africa more generally I'm glad we are taking a

:33:13. > :33:16.step back from the European partnership agreements and would

:33:17. > :33:19.encourage the government, particularly this department, to

:33:20. > :33:26.pursue government policies overall in terms of growing countries out of

:33:27. > :33:29.poverty, which has a great impact on us in terms of cutting migration,

:33:30. > :33:34.cutting terrorism and growing people out of poverty. And that, quite

:33:35. > :33:36.frankly, is as important, if not more important, than getting a

:33:37. > :33:44.short-term benefit of the trade exports. It is a very good

:33:45. > :33:47.opportunity. I do express some concern about the way the department

:33:48. > :33:51.is organised at a time when the Foreign Office at ministerial level

:33:52. > :33:57.is joining with Dyfed so there is a united approach. I think they are

:33:58. > :34:04.taking a regional, country by country approach. The trade envoys

:34:05. > :34:10.will be country approach. However, ministers are taking a more

:34:11. > :34:13.secretary liberals. When I was on the Gold Coast, gold miners would

:34:14. > :34:17.come to me and ask me about the country, how easy it was to do

:34:18. > :34:21.business. But they wouldn't ask about technology and gold and so

:34:22. > :34:28.forth. They would ask about more regional issues and doing business.

:34:29. > :34:34.But perhaps in the round government can provide these services. I would

:34:35. > :34:40.love to see more of the high-value opportunity study, which we can

:34:41. > :34:47.leveraged. The blockage should be freed up and we should appoint more

:34:48. > :34:58.trade envoys as soon as possible. Maiden speech, Karen Lee.

:34:59. > :35:05.An area which covers not only the city of Lincoln but also the

:35:06. > :35:09.surrounding villages of Scunthorpe and Warrington East. I'm proud to

:35:10. > :35:12.have been elected and have the chance to serve my city. Being

:35:13. > :35:16.Lincoln through and through, in electing me as member of Parliament,

:35:17. > :35:19.Lincoln have truly elected one of their own. I will ensure the people

:35:20. > :35:25.of Lincoln that I will be their voice in Westminster. Until just a

:35:26. > :35:32.few wakes ago I was in NHS nurse. Having worked in the NHS on -- since

:35:33. > :35:35.2003, I am aware of the challenges a running down of the service means

:35:36. > :35:39.for health workers and my constituents. I am proud to have

:35:40. > :35:44.been part of the Labour led city council and watched its many

:35:45. > :35:46.positive achievements, including the new transport hub currently

:35:47. > :35:51.undergoing construction in the city centre. As a local councillor, I

:35:52. > :35:54.have witnessed the impact of cuts on budgets and how austerity for some

:35:55. > :35:58.has caused untold misery for the many but not the few. At the

:35:59. > :36:01.beginning of the general election campaign, it was on tear if I would

:36:02. > :36:06.be standing here today making this speech, but Lincoln and its citizens

:36:07. > :36:10.have a history of defying the odds. From the development of the first

:36:11. > :36:15.tank during World War I by determined engineers, to the runaway

:36:16. > :36:19.success of the Lincoln City football club recently, who took the FA Cup

:36:20. > :36:22.to the Emirates Stadium last season, Lincoln has a proud history of going

:36:23. > :36:27.the extra mile. Who would've thought that just a few weeks ago Lincoln

:36:28. > :36:32.would elect one of its own, born and bred, working class citizens as a

:36:33. > :36:38.Thampi to Henry VIII looted Lincoln's Cathedral of its treasures

:36:39. > :36:42.in 1538. Over the last seven years, the Tories' austerity programme has

:36:43. > :36:46.seen a similar looting of services in Lincoln and an increase in social

:36:47. > :36:49.inequality. Our public services, including the local hospital where I

:36:50. > :36:55.worked as a nice, are under tremendous pressure because of the

:36:56. > :36:59.current austerity for some. Likewise, there is huge pressure

:37:00. > :37:03.with the closure of local GP practices. Since my first day in

:37:04. > :37:08.Parliament I have been inundated with messages of concern from

:37:09. > :37:10.residents worried about the possible closure of a walk-in centre. Every

:37:11. > :37:18.day I went to work I witnessed first-hand the strain Lincoln A

:37:19. > :37:23.was under. Chronically shortage -- chronically short of doctors and

:37:24. > :37:26.nurses... As a single parent in 2000, I relied upon the nursing

:37:27. > :37:30.bursary to undertake my training. During my election campaign I

:37:31. > :37:33.visited some of the city's food banks, again a testament to the

:37:34. > :37:42.stark poverty found in parts of Lincoln. Surely in 2017 the need for

:37:43. > :37:47.food banks in the world's fifth richest country is proof of the

:37:48. > :37:52.inequality present. Hard-working people just about managing, people

:37:53. > :37:56.sleeping on the streets, are just as much the norm in Lincoln as many

:37:57. > :38:01.other areas of this country. Over a quarter of all Lincoln children, in

:38:02. > :38:04.some areas of Lincoln, live in poverty. Yet Theresa May has found

:38:05. > :38:09.the key to the magic money tree which has enabled her to find over

:38:10. > :38:14.?1 billion to keep government in power, proving that austerity is

:38:15. > :38:18.indeed an ideological choice and not a necessity. Madame Deputy Speaker,

:38:19. > :38:22.Lincoln has two great universities which we are very proud of, both of

:38:23. > :38:24.which recently achieved the highest rating possible in a new national

:38:25. > :38:28.assessment for the quality of teaching, learning of student

:38:29. > :38:32.achievement in UK higher education. Yet many of the student to live in

:38:33. > :38:36.our city struggle with a mountain of debt because they are paying huge

:38:37. > :38:41.tuition fees, and living privately rented homes which are often poorly

:38:42. > :38:46.maintained, paying high rents which increased the mad of debt they queue

:38:47. > :38:49.Millett. How can that be fair? During my time in this House I will

:38:50. > :38:53.strive to represent Lincoln and all that that is good about it. But I

:38:54. > :38:57.will also champion because of those left without a voice and left

:38:58. > :39:01.behind. And I hope that when my time here is done, Lincoln is a fairer

:39:02. > :39:04.and more equal place for all of its residents. Members may know that

:39:05. > :39:14.Lincoln boasts a stunning Gothic cathedral, and even -- medieval

:39:15. > :39:18.castle and historical quarter... However, perhaps fewer members know

:39:19. > :39:22.that 2017, the year of my election, marks the 800th anniversary of the

:39:23. > :39:27.Charter of the forest, signed in Lincoln and on display in Lincoln

:39:28. > :39:30.Castle. Tradition has it that I mention my predecessor, Karl

:39:31. > :39:34.McCartney. He was a strong advocate for transport and its infrastructure

:39:35. > :39:39.within the city and its surrounding area. Lincoln is still struggling to

:39:40. > :39:44.cope with the heavy demands placed on a modern city. And as part of my

:39:45. > :39:49.election pledges, I will continue the work that Karl contributed to

:39:50. > :39:53.and look forward to positive and effective relationships with the

:39:54. > :39:58.county and city councils and other stakeholders to find the solution is

:39:59. > :40:04.to keep Lincoln moving. I would like to pay tribute to Gillian Merrin,

:40:05. > :40:09.Lincoln's MP from 1997 to 2010, who worked incredibly hard for Lincoln

:40:10. > :40:13.and achieve much for our city. Turning to Brexit, Lincoln voted

:40:14. > :40:18.overwhelmingly to leave. Whilst there will be significant

:40:19. > :40:21.implications for trade, employment and services, the decision to leave

:40:22. > :40:27.was a democratic one and our task is to ensure we get the best possible

:40:28. > :40:30.deal for everyone. Lincoln has a guard -- large European country --

:40:31. > :40:36.community. We need to ensure EU nationals are protected. In closing,

:40:37. > :40:40.Madame Deputy Speaker, I want to restate my hope and aspirations for

:40:41. > :40:43.Lincoln as its MP. I will campaign hard to get a medical school in

:40:44. > :40:47.Lincoln which will attract the doctors we so desperately need to

:40:48. > :40:50.start to address the crisis in our local NHS. I will work with local

:40:51. > :40:54.councils, business and community stakeholders to attract the funding

:40:55. > :40:58.and transport networks and infrastructure which will bring jobs

:40:59. > :41:02.and training my constituents so badly need after seven years of Tory

:41:03. > :41:06.austerity. And I will campaign for extra housing to be built in

:41:07. > :41:09.addition to the plan by the Labour led City Council which will benefit

:41:10. > :41:13.local families and those unfortunate enough to be homeless. And finally,

:41:14. > :41:17.and this comes from the heart, I hope that by the end of this

:41:18. > :41:21.Parliament, however long it lasts, the indignity and suffering and

:41:22. > :41:24.jawed by those who have to use one of Lincoln's many food banks is

:41:25. > :41:31.something that was just bad memory and not a fact of daily life. Adam

:41:32. > :41:37.Davies figure, it is a pleasure to follow the new member for Lincoln. I

:41:38. > :41:44.congratulate her on her passionate maiden speech. Many of us will also

:41:45. > :41:48.remember her predecessor fondly. This debate is at the heart of the

:41:49. > :41:53.challenge for us all in this Parliament. For while leaving the EU

:41:54. > :41:56.is by no means the only task before us, many of our constituents have a

:41:57. > :42:01.clearer focus perhaps on seeing the local school and hospital well

:42:02. > :42:05.funded. Their own standard of living gradually increasing. But if we lose

:42:06. > :42:08.our access and free trade with the EU and fail to grow our global

:42:09. > :42:14.business to compensate, then much else is at risk. Because business

:42:15. > :42:19.generates directly and indirectly 75% of our total tax revenue that

:42:20. > :42:25.funds vital services. And that also means that for all of us who voted

:42:26. > :42:29.against leaving the EU, there is a particular responsibility not to sit

:42:30. > :42:34.back in our chairs and say, I told you it would be a disaster, rather

:42:35. > :42:40.to do our best in making sure that this process works and succeeds.

:42:41. > :42:44.There are jobs, the economy and ultimately the lives of our

:42:45. > :42:47.constituents, are at stake. If I ask Remainers to be pragmatic in seeking

:42:48. > :42:51.the opportunities and not overplaying the risks, I would also

:42:52. > :42:58.ask Leavers to be pragmatic in their approach. The big one example. The

:42:59. > :43:02.Prime Minister did not commit us to a position on the Customs Union. She

:43:03. > :43:05.said, I want Britain to negotiate its own trade agreements but I also

:43:06. > :43:12.want tariff free trade with Europe. And she went on to say, whether that

:43:13. > :43:16.means we must reach a completely new customs union agreement, become an

:43:17. > :43:21.associate member become a signatory to some elements, I have an open

:43:22. > :43:25.mind, which is not the means that matter but the ends. And so the

:43:26. > :43:30.Secretary of State was right earlier today to focus on prosperity as his

:43:31. > :43:35.guiding light. What works best for business is what will be best for

:43:36. > :43:40.us. Because it is business that has delivered the 2.9 million new jobs

:43:41. > :43:45.since 2010, more than all the other 27 new nations together. Today we

:43:46. > :43:53.should all rejoice that exports are up sharply and inward investment, I

:43:54. > :43:59.think, is at record highs from 2016. It is a far cry from the prediction

:44:00. > :44:04.made by some of 800,000 unemployed, deep recession and real economic

:44:05. > :44:10.hardship by now. But nor should we be complacent. For the figures show

:44:11. > :44:13.a strong surplus of exporting services and continued deficit in

:44:14. > :44:18.traded goods. In a year of significant seat -- significant

:44:19. > :44:21.currency depreciation we have to do more. It implies success in

:44:22. > :44:23.retaining the more than 40% of trade with the EU, and success in

:44:24. > :44:38.exporting high-growth markets. Let me touch on China as chairman of

:44:39. > :44:44.the all-party group. I thank the honourable gentleman for giving way.

:44:45. > :44:49.Can I compliment him on his work and on creating greater knowledge on

:44:50. > :44:57.Hong Kong and could I touch on the trading relationships between the

:44:58. > :45:02.two. I thank him for what he said. I am not going to talk too much about

:45:03. > :45:08.Hong Kong and China but for the differences between the closeness,

:45:09. > :45:15.but what I did want to mention is that our exports to China doubled

:45:16. > :45:20.between 2010 and 2016, but they are dependent on a handful of companies

:45:21. > :45:26.and what holds us back and where we have to make much greater progress

:45:27. > :45:30.is on market access. With an excellent new director-general on

:45:31. > :45:34.trade and investment in Beijing, I hope ministers will drive real

:45:35. > :45:36.progress in the strategic partnership to deliver greater

:45:37. > :45:44.access for British services in particular. I thank the honourable

:45:45. > :45:48.member for accepting an intervention, and would he accept

:45:49. > :45:51.that innovation universities should be an area that we should be

:45:52. > :45:57.focusing on in the context of Brexit? I think she is absolutely

:45:58. > :46:04.right in general and I was going to touch on the importance of education