Business Questions House of Commons

Business question.

Will be Leader of

the House please give us the

forthcoming business?

Feki Mrs Speaker, the business for

the recommitting 12th of March will

be on Monday 12th of March the

status of the financial guidance and

claims Bill. Due to 30th, Maradona

will find the Chancellor of the

Exchequer will deliver his spring

statement followed by a debate on

motions relating to Universal

Credit, children and Young Persons

and Social Security. Wednesday 14th

of March, a general debate on

European affairs day one, Thursday

the 15th of March, conclusion of the

general debate on European affairs

Dave two. Friday 60th March, private

members bills. The business for the

week commencing 19th March will

include second reading of the secure

tenancies fixed term domestic abuse

bill. Followed by a debate on Welsh

affairs. Today Parliament is flying

the flag for International Women's

Day and this is patently special as

we mark the centenary of some women

getting the right to vote. We will

be celebrating women's achievements

throughout this year and I hope all

members will be hosting an equality

in their constituency during the

summer to celebrate democratic

equality and the opportunity to have

cake and eat it. We have achieved

much but there's a long way to go

and today the Home Office has

launched a consultation on Arab

puzzles for a new domestic violence

Bill which will tackle the plight of

the newly 2 million mainly women

living with violence to. We think

that the opportunities for women.

One, and four and practices in my

private office and my Parliamentary

office. And it was our multinational

apprenticeship week in speaking from

my own experiences, I would

encourage any member and every

business to offer the valuable

experience of an apprenticeship to

talented young people and lastly,

this week marks the birthday of our

own resident rock star, the for

Perth and North Ayrshire. I hear

that he's 21 again but actually I

may be confusing and with his

maturity. But I'm sure he's not much

older than that. And I hope the

whole house will join me in wishing

him a very happy birthday tomorrow.

Can I thank the Leader of the House

for the business and for her speech

and I wonder if that will help him

every time. Despite telling me that

the statements will be and has, I'm

pleased the Leader of the House has

announced the date of the spring

statement, it is important. As there

is a reason why the Leader of the

House announces the business one

began the day at a time because that

teams to be the case. I asked last

week about the legislation on

registration and that likely to come

back? There was a good turnout of

the debate and every day and we

don't do something for the costs are

incurred. When is that likely to

come back but she didn't answer. By

all important legislation, it should

not be delayed. It is almost no

business government. I thank the

Leader of the House for finding time

for the statutory instruments. The

only one that is outstanding as an

early day motion 937.

Helina 30% fall in applications for

nursing degrees. . Perhaps the

Chancellor might make a concession

for the spring statement on the

bursaries because immediately after

that when we put it statutory

instruments, there will be cuts to

free school meals, ending childcare

vouchers and ending... Universal

Credit regulations affect

self-employed and disabled people.

It is a committee and environmental

audit committee is on plastic

bottles published in 27 December and

disposable coffee cups. That is on

the 5th of January. We have to find

time for that debate and find time

for the debate on the announcement

by the president of the United

States on tariffs on our steel we

have a sitting Friday on the 16th of

March at all of the leader is aware

at the causing motion is moved after

two hours of debate and stops our

opposition spokesperson from

speaking if you look at the report.

Could leader confirm that is going

to be the normal case and we need to

one the honourable member for

Glasgow South who are second on the

list as his bill

will and two debate on the new case

exit from the European Union have

had an opposition day since January.

The speech at Mansion house for 6800

words, only 2000 words to the House.

I feel robbed, I don't know about

you. We will need further a lot of

dates. We have to talk with the Good

Friday Agreement on 10th of April.

The Prime Minister said the

government is looking at issues

around the world including the

border between the United States and

Canada. The Irish Prime Minister

actually visited that border and he

said it's definitely not a solution

that we could possibly entertain and

how to the former deputy panellist

Michael Heseltine Pataki has

criticised the plan is to get the

speech when he said I is that after

18 months since the referendum we

haven't got any closer to these

issues will do the answer is simple,

it is because nobody has got any

answer. If you followed the rest of

the speech and it was a recipe for a

cake, you can even bake the cake.

Even if it was a cherry Genoa cake.

A double cherry Genoa cake. If it

was a road map, Edward the road map

to know where but I want to join the

Leader of the House and

congratulating and celebrating

women's international day. You have

your reference order. And you have

had, in 2010, before edging to the

size and watch the evidence of the

Speaker's conference on

Parliamentary and it made a huge

difference. But we have

International Women's Day and women

consultant in the NHS, £14,000 paid

less than a man -- than men. Women

are paying a disproportionate amount

to balance the government books.

Most of the Senator has fallen on

women. There may I women reminisced

about the leader of one of the

opposition has 50% of women in his

side Shadow Cabinet and the

government have 26%, the opposition

party is leading the way with

representation of women and you make

up 45% of the Parliamentary party

and could I ask the Leader of the

House and it is international

women's date you could make

representations to the Foreign

Secretary. If France can provide an

exhibition to Iran, Peasgood he make

a chance to on her release which

could have been done before

Christmas and there are schoolgirls

who have been kidnapped again in

Nigeria. On the day we have the

National Audit Office talking about

cuts, almost 50%, I want to thank

all the public services for all

their hard work over this inclement

weather and they have protected us

and made sure we are all safe.

Thank you Mr Speaker and I certainly

will join with the honourable lady

in thanking all those who work so

hard during this period of really

difficult weather and also those who

have to bear the brunt of sitting on

trains that couldn't move due to the

weather. There was a real community

spirit which everybody should be

congratulated on and she raised a

number of legislative issues which

I'm glad she did because quite often

she asks about policy issues which

are not technically a matter for

business questions, she asks about

legislation on registration and

renewal. She knows, she sits on

house committee. I have updated has

commissioned last week, we will be

bringing forward legislation on the

establishment of a delivery

authority as soon as possible and

the trade bill, we discussed in last

week, number of amendments have been

put forward on the government

considers those carefully, as is

right and as I have always said, we

will always consider amendments put

forward to try to improve

legislation as we enter into this

very important decision to leave the

European Union and make steps to

prepare ourselves in the best

possible way and graduates happy

about the statutory instrument

debate and having these debates next

week and as she requested last week.

She asks about nursing training and

she will be aware that there is an

increase in nursing training of 25%.

The biggest increase ever, she also

raises the question of plastics and

what we are doing and I hope she as

I have signed up to plastic

freelance, tried to minimise the use

of single use plastics during the

lengthy period as an opportunity for

ourselves to highlight the

importance of reducing plaque --

plastics. This government's record

is good on that with the

determination and there were 25 year

environment plan to be the first

generation that leaves our

environment and a better state than

we found it. She asks about the top

about tariffs coming out of the

United States on steel and aluminium

and we are concerned about that. She

will be aware, in the UK we have

made social and economic factors

part of the consideration of public

sector procurement of steel. The

commission research to identify high

value opportunities for UK steel

with up to 4 billion a year by 2030

and we have certainly made great

steps to support our steel sector

since 2013 for the cost of

renewables and climate change

policies but she is right to raise

concerns about the US policy in this

area and the parameter with a spoken

with President Trump recently and

raised deep concern at his

forthcoming announcement on steel

and tariffs. The parameter has noted

that multilateral action is the only

way to resolve this problem of

global overcapacity. She asked that

the ministerial response and I can

tell her that list will be

forthcoming as soon as possible once

those positions have been confirmed

and clarified with all departments.

She asks about the debates on the

European Union. I think she is

having those debates. This is in

response to a request for monetary

honourable about honourable members

to be able to talk in general terms

about their ideas and proposals for

how you leave the European Union. We

have had a very important speech on

the famous last week and of course

we have the EU cattle coming up as

well known as a very good time for

all honourable and right Honourable

members to put forward their

thoughts and views she asks for

representations about Mr Radcliffe

and is to raise this case and we are

very concerned about it. She will

know the Foreign Secretary raised it

himself with the Foreign Minister of

Iran when he had the opportunity to

do so, the Foreign Office continues

to do that at every opportunity.

I

associate myself with the birthday

wishes to the honourable gentleman

from pressure who I regard as an

honourable friend. My private

members bill on code of practice

received the second reading thanks

to support from the government and

support from the official opposition

and from the Scottish National Party

from which I am obliged. The bill

cannot proceed further until our

ways and means motion is tabled. Or

the Leader of the House speak to our

mutual friend, the Chief Whip and

hopefully agree with him this is a

matter which should be tabled sooner

rather than later

my honourable

friend raises an important issue the

government had expressed support for

a number of private members bills so

far in the session and we continue

to work with the relevant members in

charge and that will include

bringing forward money resolutions

on a case-by-case basis in the usual

way.

In offering my best birthday

wishes to the member for Perth and

North Hampshire for tomorrow,

perhaps I can borrow the legendary

observation of the honourable

gentleman, the member for Gateshead

to me and apply to the honourable

gentleman. Fortunately he is not yet

at the age at which the cost of the

candles exceeds the cost of the

cake.

Thank you, Mr Speaker, and thank you

to the Leader of the House for her

kind birthday wishes. Birthdays

nowadays are more to be noted then

celebrated, as our majorities of 21.

Can I also wholeheartedly welcome

International Women's Day and pay

tribute to all the incredible women

who have contributed to our

communities, and we still have more

progress to make. I'm sure many in

this house has seen the incredible

speech made by my honourable friend

yesterday, a profound personal

account of the misogynistic abuse

she has suffered just for being a

young woman in politics. On

International Women's Day, can the

house at least consider making

misogyny a huge crime and

proactively legislate in ensuring

that this is something we can start

a part of the history of the women's

movement in this country? -- making

misogyny hate crime. Can we have

action on RBS branch closures, an

issue which continues to upset and

concerned amenities we represent?

The Scottish affairs committee which

are chair has finally secured equity

to answer questions, but one group

of people we have not heard from

Houston refused to speak to us are

the majority shareholder, this

Government. The Government by the

stewards of the public interest in

this, so will you join me in

insisting that Government treasury

ministers agree to come in front of

the Scottish affairs committee to

answer questions about what they are

doing to represent our interests?

And lastly, we need a statement on

this emerging constitutional crisis

on Brexit. The Government now say we

will push ahead without any

agreement from the Scottish

Government, but the Scottish

Government are still progressing

this constituted bill. The BBC have

a letter in which the Government

says it can't counter the power grab

claims, perhaps they can't because

that is exactly what it is.

Mr

Speaker, to the honourable

gentleman's first point, I am very

appalled, as I think all honourable

members are, to hear of the

experiences of his honourable

friend. I sincerely apologise to her

on behalf of everybody here for the

appalling abuse she is received,

it's utterly unacceptable and, of

course, in my role as Leader of the

Commons, if she wanted to come and

talk to me, I would be happy to do

so and see if there is anything I

can do for her. As the honourable

gentleman knows, Mr Speaker, and as

you know yourself, we have worked

tirelessly across party to put in

place our independence complaint

procedure. Whether that would come

if it were up and running today,

have gone some way to improving the

honourable lady's situation, I am

not sure. But I certainly help, Mr

Speaker, that our commitment across

this house and the other place to

stamping out abuse and making our

Parliament one of the best places to

work and to be employed is going to

stand us in good stead for the

future. To his second point about

RBS, I am very aware of the grave

concerns expressed in a number of

occasions by the honourable members

on his side of the house about

banking closures, and he will of

course be aware that there are

decisions, procedures to go through

before a bank decides to close, in

consultations with communities. But

I would point out that there is an

adjournment debate on backing in

Scotland next week on the 14th of

March, and I'm sure he wants to take

part in that. Finally, the

honourable gentleman raises the

issue of the withdrawal bill and the

Scottish National Party's continuity

bill. It is the Government's

position that the EU withdrawal bill

will provide consistency across the

UK to ensure that all parts of the

UK are ready for departure across

the EU, -- from the EU, and we are

hopeful we can reach an agreement

with devolved administrations on the

bill in the coming weeks.

In a

recent debate on the family test in

the Lords, family impact

assessments, there was good

cross-party support for Lord's -

members Bill promoting a more

satisfactory application of this

test than currently seems to be the

case from several questions I've

asked recently. Would-be leader

facilitate the safe passage of this

bill in the other place by liaising

with the leader there are so that it

will come to this house for

consideration as soon as the? -- as

soon as possible? Carroll I would

like to congratulate and commend my

honourable friend for the amazing

work she does cross-party in

Crosshouse in supporting families. I

totally share her desire to see the

strengthening families of all types

and salt and in particular, I know

she shares my concern for the

importance of early attachment and

giving every baby the best start in

life. I absolutely support her

desire to see the family test

carefully applied and I would be

delighted to meet with her to

discuss how I can specifically help

her.

A note from the business

statement leader that backbench

business have a number of

outstanding applications for time

allocation, so I would hope we would

get some time before Easter recess

in order to get some of our unheard

debates timetabled. Mr Speaker, I'm

afraid chickens have come home to

roost with regard to the backbench

committee, despite the fact that we

had three members present on

Tuesday, that is not a quorum for

the backbench committee, we require

four, we only have six members. We

are hoping the cavalry will come

over the hill from the Conservative

group in terms of the two members

missing at the moment, but also,

could really leader look again at

the core of the backbench business

committee? On this committee, a

quorum of four seems excessive.

I

would gently like to point out that

there is Government time next week

for Welsh affairs debate and as you

will recall, we were all very

disappointed on St David's Day went

due to the awful weather and the

need for members to get home before

train station is closed and so on,

not only I was at Number Ten

reception for Saint Davids Day, and

sadly missed out on the Welsh School

choir, who couldn't get there. So we

would be delighted to get time to to

take place, notwithstanding that it

is within Government 's time, and I

will of course make sure that I make

representations were necessary for

his outstanding applications. I have

raised with colleagues what we can

do to facilitate extra Conservative

members on the backbench committee

and will continue to press for that.

If he would like to write to me on

the subject of the quorum, I'm very

happy to take, to look at that

matter very seriously. Thank you.

You will know, so, this has only

works if convergence are followed.

-- this house only works. My Private

members Bill passed on the 1st of

December, another private members

bill about constituencies pass on

that date, both were actually

unopposed. But more than three

months later, no money resolutions

have been forthcoming. That means

there is not a single... There can

only be one bill, private members

bill committed at one time, none has

been committed because of this. This

looks to be an obstruction of the

private members bill system by the

Government. I'm sure that is not the

case I'm not sure that is not the

case.

LAUGHTER

With the Leader of the House arrange

for an urgent statement next week so

this can be discussed?

Earlier, his

right honourable friend asked

question about migratory species and

in the course of the delivery of the

question, number members on the

opposition benches noted that the

honourable member had migrated from

his heat usual seat to his new seat,

I don't think any particular

significance may be read into that,

but I assure the house that even if

it is unusual it doesn't mean the

honourable gentleman is suddenly

pro-the European Union. If the

honourable gentleman said that

outside the chamber, imagine the

member would be consulting with

learner friends! His behaviour is --

perfectly orderly.

My friend is a

bit suspicious, how could he

possibly think that my? Particularly

of me, we are very honourable

friends. What I would say, as I did

to our other honourable friend, the

Government has expressed support for

a number Private members bills so

far at this session and indeed the

Government does support the bill

that my honourable friend is

bringing through as a private

members Bill. We will be bringing

forward money resolutions on a

case-by-case basis in the usual way.

I really appreciated the comments

the honourable lady made about

President Trump's announcements on

steel tariffs, but I'm deeply

concerned and I think we need the

Secretary of State for International

Development to make a statement next

week. 10% of UK steel is exported to

the US and 15% of our automotive

industry goes there, so it has huge

imprecations plus Brexit, I would

appreciate the opportunity to debate

it.

The honourable lady raises a

very important issue. The Prime

Minister has spoken with President

Trump and raised our grave concern

at his proposals. I can tell the

operable lady that my friend the

Secretary of State for International

's trade is speaking with the US

commerce Secretary about this matter

and she may be aware that there has

been an overnight briefing that

tariffs may not apply to allies and

so on. This is a moving issue and we

will continue to take every step to

protect the UK's steel and aluminium

sectors.

On Monday, my right

honourable friend the Secretary of

State for housing, communities and

local government made a statement on

housing and planning on this

country. Sadly, this common side

with the select committee meeting at

the same time, so those of us that

has a degree of expertise on this

side of the house were unable to

question him on the new policies. --

this coincided with the select

committee. And a debate we had on

homelessness was heavily

oversubscribed, which meant

colleagues could only make very

short species on -- speeches and

contribute since. Could we make time

for a general debate on housing and

planning so that members on all

sides can express their views and

tease out some of these policies for

the Government is proposing? -- that

the Government is proposing?

My

honourable friend will be aware that

the prime Minster has been very

clear that sorted out our broken

housing market is one of her top

record his fourth premiership. She

is determined to see young people

able to aspire to a home of their

own. -- top priorities for her

premiership. That means planning,

protecting tenants, and sorting out

things like leases on new homes and

so on, and all those are part of my

right honourable friend the

Secretary of State's new policies.

And I would like to pay tribute to

my honourable friend for his

Homelessness Reduction Act, which

the Government has incremented and

as part of our determination to deal

with the problem homelessness and

rough sleeping in this country.

Cancer Research UK say obesity is

the second most preventable cause of

cancer. The Government is reviewing

its childhood obesity strategy, so

may we have a debate on stopping

junk food adverts before the nine

o'clock watershed to help reduce

childhood obesity?

I completely sure

the honourable gentleman's concern

at childhood abuse and BCC, it does

appear we have a massively growing

problem in this country. --

childhood obesity. He may want to

seek an adjournment debate so he can

speak darkly to ministers about his

own ideas. -- directly to ministers.

As we are aware, we have just

approved more housing to be built in

this country, we can all say that is

good. But I can also name, I would

name at this time, councils who have

used Private company 's and estate

agents to further their aims. -- I

will not name at this time. Please

can we have a debate on making sure

that there's a clear understanding

between developers, estate agents,

planners, and companies? Because if

we don't, we can see situations

arising which are not going to help

any of us in future deliberations.

My honourable friend is absolutely

right to raise the importance of

keeping good boundaries. Ultimately,

the aim is to produce more homes so

that more people can aspire to a

home of their own. He may want to

raise these specific concerns and

questions to the department, which

happen on Monday 12 March.

One of my

very favourite feminists, can I wish

you and everyone else here are happy

International Women's Day today.

With the Leader of the House

consider a debate great statement

from the Government on gender

pricing? We know consumers have to

pay an average 31% more to pay for

goods which are marketed or aimed

specifically at women, and this is

not just limited to toiletries, it

can be toys, stationery, clothes, et

al host of things. We need to put

pressure on those retailers and

manufacturers to stop this pink tax.

I think the honourable lady raises

an issue that many of us would be

equally concerned about and it is

very obvious in the case of, for

example, toiletries that men get

their face care product much cheaper

than we do, don't they? I would

support the honourable lady in

seeking an adjournment debate so she

can raise this issue directly with

ministers.

Following the recent

bonus storms, we have seen another

significant cliff fall onto one of

our beaches in NUT. This is a site

that has recently been granted

planning permission for the

development of houses. This is

causing great concern but local

residents, could the Leader of the

House arrange for a ministerial

statement to make clear to local

authorities and the planning

Inspectorate the position on coastal

development, and Italy in areas

prone to coastal erosion? --

particularly in areas prone to

coastal erosion?

I'm sorry to hear

of the incident in his constituency

and he's right to raise it, a real

local champion. I can tell him local

plans determine the allocation of

land for development and panning

permission should always take

account of the risk of erosion and

the National planning policy

framework sets the expectation of

local planning authorities

establishing coastal change

management areas that encourage

development that is suited to the

area is changing coastline, so I

think the panning rules are probably

there, but he might well want to

seek an adjournment debate to

discuss the particular concerned he

has.

What the leader says with a

facial products and differential

costs, I'm not experiencing these

matters could because I included

long ago that I am on beyond

redemption and that there might fit

with as much fortitude as I can

muster. Yellow on this International

Women's Day, can I remind the Leader

of the House that worldwide, there

will be 1.5 million knocks on the

doors of families is dead, your

daughter, your son, the family will

be totally destroyed. There is a

Commonwealth Parliamentary meeting

in the next few days in London,

could we have a debate in this

chamber focusing on this scourge,

the greatest epidemic of our time

and not enough concentration on

these avoidable deaths

I think the

honourable gentleman is speaking

about violent deaths, deaths on the

road. He raises an incredibly

important point and right across the

world, we see everyday tragic and

avoidable deaths. In the United

Kingdom our track record is good and

improving and are seeing reduced

numbers of road deaths here is an

important point that he might like

to seek a backbench debate to talk

about road safety and an adjournment

debate that he wants to cover an

issue. My right honourable friend

knows well of the series consent of

the people of Redditch at the

centralisation of paediatric

emergency services from Worcester

because I have raised its my

tenderness house. We'll see please

join me in calling on the CCG and

the trust to speed up their plans to

ring the GP urgent care centre and

can we have a debate about the

future of our health services in

Worcestershire?

My honourable friend is a strong

voice for her constituency and I

commend her parading this matter in

the chamber was a local

commissioners are currently

reviewing the national guidance that

has been issued with regard to

urgent care centres prior to

commissioning a revised model for

the Alexandrov hospital, I

understand they are expected to

implement the new service in the

next 12 months as planned and she

might like to seek an opportunity to

raise this matter directly with

health ministers.

We had read

weather warnings in the first

domestic and I welcome the fact that

Renfrewshire Council and the local

McDonald's franchise and Glasgow

airport are paying their employees

who are unable to travel to work.

Can we have a debate on employers

responsibilities to the city of

Leicester and ensuring that no

worker is left out of pocket Julian

Savea weather warnings?

First, can I

join him in congratulating all those

who put an extra effort to try to

keep people safe and to keep

transport open and so on. What I can

say is that there are, I'll keep

transport operators, Network Rail,

they all have winter contingency

plans as I am sure do their

equivalents in Scotland. Whilst we

pay tribute to all those who have

put in that extra work at the same

time, it's for their employers to

ensure they take the right decisions

to have the right balance of keeping

services open and protecting their

employees at all times. July I still

hear way too many stories from

constituents who are in arguments

with landlords about their homes.

Can we have a review of the housing

complaints system? When I am

grateful for the honourable question

and its vital consumers have served

effective routes through which to

complain when things go wrong,

people need to know where to go and

to be clear about what they can

expect and he is right that existing

can be confusing, he will be pleased

that on the naked Afobe we published

a consultation on strengthening

consumer redress in the housing

market. We are looking at the

options on how Jewish people,

whether tenants or owners and have

access to quick, easy and effective

redress including looking at whether

a single Housing ombudsman could

actually simplify access.

The issue

for me is drivers who receive

reimbursement for patient transport.

The UK taxation rules had mileage is

very hard, clearly by definition in

my constituency, people have to

travel huge distances to get the

patient to hospital and back. With

the Leader of the House agree that

we have a debate on this issue in

this house. But many honourable

death and raises are very particular

issue which I can well understand

there's a real concern to his

constituents and others when there

are long distances to travel. I

suggest he raises the subject at an

adjournment debate so he can hear

directly from ministers what they

can do for those who have to travel

long distances. Can we have a debate

on local businesses who are also

global brands that would allow me to

highlight the fantastic Walkers

shortbread from my constituency vote

a company that has been subjected to

unacceptable and despicable abuse

this week from naturalists in

Scotland because just one of their

many products featured a union Jack.

We should condemn these attacks and

celebrate the success Walkers

shortbread they have employed

hundreds of local people and our

great credit to our area.

My

honourable friend raises a very

significant issue for his

constituency, he's a great champion

for Murray and I would agree with

them Walkers shortbread is both

delicious and are vital UK brand,

it's a fabulous Scottish brand and

many of their sins are marked with,

I love Scotland and others are

marked with the union Jack and very

often for export, so they are a

fabulous export, they are delicious,

only to be eaten in some modesty. We

don't want to encourage overeating

shortbread or any other sugary

product but nevertheless, we love

Walkers, it's a great UK and

Scottish product.

The leader of the

houses quite right in to my

honourable friend and the shadow

Leader of the House to say that

these dead by the US administration

to put huge tariffs on steel is

unmoving issue but the very fact

it's a moving issue underlines the

need for a statement in this house

as to what the government is doing.

When will we have a statement on as

and one will the official opposition

get an opposition day debate.

I

think I said as much as I can about

the poor Mr's determination to

protect UK interests and she has

made her views very clear to

President Trump. As I have

mentioned, my right honourable

friend, the Secretary of State for

International Development has raised

the matter with the US commerce

Secretary and as I also have said,

all right, the White House has

indicated that there may be

exemptions from tariffs were allies

of the United States, very important

that we continue to work to look

after global trade, it is something

that the United Kingdom, as we leave

the EU, which is to be a world

leader in promoting free trade

around the globe, so that's what we

will be doing. In terms of

opposition days, as I mentioned to

his honourable friend, the shadow

Leader of the House, they will be

brought forward in the usual way.

The European Union structural and

social fans have benefited local

authorities across the United

Kingdom, can I request a leader we

have some parliamentary time to the

debate what will replace these funds

after Brexit.

My honourable friend

is quite right to raise this matter

and he will be pleased and we have

committed to the placing European

structural funds with the UK Shared

Prosperity Fund after we leave the

European Union, the fund will be

designed to raise productivity and

reduce inequalities between

communities across all four nations

of the union and we will consult on

this later in the year.

20,000

elephants are slaughtered every year

simply for their ivory. With the

Leader of the House in from us when

we could have a debate about the

results of the consultation and

finished a couple of months ago

about the governmenthe plans to ban

the sale of ivory as soon as

possible.

I'm so glad the honourable

gentleman has raised this issue

because it is absolutely vital that

the UK continues to be at the

forefront of clamping down on the

illegal wildlife trade and in

particular on the poaching of ivory.

When I was secretary I was very

proud to be progressing that

consultation which is now completed.

They'd received over 70,000

consultation responses which is one

of the largest responses we have had

an history of better and it's clear

the overwhelming majority support

the ban and we have a conference on

the trade and we can assure him that

be doing everything we can to bring

forward legislation as soon as

possible. Yesterday Babcock

announced 500 defence jobs will be

lost at the dog with a cost to the

Royal Marines and the sale of HMS

Ocean. Can the other statement up

from ministers about was aboard the

government can offer to the Babcock

workers losing their jobs in

Plymouth. I am sorry to hear about

those prospective job losses. As he

points out, but got the

international have announced 500 job

losses. 100 of those posts are

unfilled making the reduction to

headcount potentially 400. Whilst

the restructure as a commercial

matter for the company. Nevertheless

there is a consultation period with

staff and trade unions under way

which is expected to conclude in

mid-April. In the meantime

government is closely monitoring the

situation and DWP are on stand-by to

provide support for those affected

by Jobcentre plus rapid response

service. May I also wish a happy

birthday to the honourable member

for Perth and North Perthshire and

say that he shares that with

somebody who has every intention of

continuing to be 21 again. Mr

Speaker, on Friday second March,

several busy South Eastern trains

were stranded for hours outside

Lewisham station due to severe

weather conditions. Many passages

self evacuated from these trains and

we are extremely lucky that nobody

died and we have a debate on

updating guidance for stranded

commuter trains to keep our

passengers safe. She raises a very

important and topical matter and I

encourage her to seek an adjournment

debate so she can discuss this

directly with ministers they are

inserted at the risks to their cells

and the train system people decided

to evacuate themselves from players

and we have to a stop to that. She

will be aware there are safety plans

in place and its vital people abide

by those for their own safety. Reid

I wish to join a leading wishing the

lady a happy birthday.

Following on from a question and the

serious travel disruption that

happened last week, can we have a

debate about cutting -- putting

passengers fascists. When fit

services are cancelled, there should

be an automatic the Dead Man

passengers can use other train

services, and how we have had severe

disruption to services and it's come

to my attention that the Isco 's

mainline has not been the

automatically allowed train

passengers who cannot go all the way

to London to use their service. I

think that has to be looked at in

terms of putting the passenger first

agony lady readers a very important

point and she will be aware that

train operating companies are moving

towards an automatic reimburse for

people who have experienced train

delays but she would like to raise

the issue of whether the

automatically allowed passengers to

use other transport we now intend to

announce it at some point but when

you have often turned up for a train

that is not the end you have to move

stations. I sympathise with her

point entirely and reckon Matt and

she seems an adjournment debate. I

wish my honourable friend the happy

birthday.

I'm sure he will be celebrating with

a slice of shortbread! Can we have a

debate on the relationship between

the motor Bility scheme and pep

reviews. I have -- mobility schemes.

I have a constituent who is having

her car removed for the second time.

Even before her appeal has been

heard.

The honourable gentleman

raises a very important and

concerning constituency issue, and

as I've always said, if he wants to

raise this with me in writing I can

take it up with the Department on

his behalf. In a more general policy

sense, we do spend over £50 billion

per year on benefits to support

disabled people and people with

health conditions. We are seeking to

enable more disabled people into

work, and we are seeing a

significant increase in the number

of people who were able to get away

from their disability and getting to

work, which is a great way into a

more productive and enjoyable life.

And that is the policy that the

Government is trying to pursue. If

he has particular concerns, I'm

happy to take them up on his behalf.

Thank you.