23/11/2015 Monday in Parliament

Hello and welcome to Monday in Parliament.

A raft of announcements on defence spending and how the Prime Linister

hopes to persuade MPs to back air strikes in Syria.

I do not want anyone in this House to fell they are being bounced

into a position. I want this House to take the decision deliberately.

But we should not take too long over it, because, as he says,

every day that we spend is ` day that we are not getting to grips

Feelings run high, as MPs debate a compromise deal

I have to pinch myself? Is this a party that stood on the benches for

years for a Northern Ireland that would be part of the United Kingdom?

And time to stop the bully boys on bikes.

He jumped a red light, weavdd off down the pavement between

pedestrians, talking away on a mobile phone

as he went and when I said that perhaps he should not be dohng

that, he got off his bike and asked me to fight him.

But first, at the start of the day, the Prime Minister was in P`ris

for talks with the French President, Francois Hollande.

He laid flowers at the Bataclan Theatre

and at a press conference, he said the world was coming togethdr

A few hours later, he was in the Commons,

to set out the national security strategy and plans for

defence spending over the ndxt ten years.

It includes a force of up to 10,000 military personnel, `ble to

support the police if there is a Paris-style terror attack in the UK,

and new equipment, such as nine sea patrol aircraft aircraft

The world is more dangerous today that even five years ago.

While every government must choose how to spend the money it h`s

available, every penny of which is hard-earned by taxpayers,

this government has taken a clear decision to invest

in our security and safeguard our prosperity.

He explained the thinking behind the national strategx.

At its heart is an understanding that we cannot choose

between conventional defencds against state-based threats

on the one hand or the need to counter threats that do not

Today, we face both types of threat and we must respond

Our armed forces, police and security and

intelligence services are the pride of this country.

They are the finest in the world and this government will ensure they

stay that way. Using our renewed economic strength, we will help them

to keep us safe for generations to come.

I commend this statement to the House.

I thank the Prime Minister for his statement statement

and as I said last week in the house,

the first duty of a state is to protect its own citizens.

At the moment, this country's overwhelming

focus is on the threat we f`ce from terrorism and how we can best ensure

the defeat of ISIL. Labour supports the increased expenditure

to our security services, as announced, to protect against the

However, faced with the current threat,

the public will not understand or accept any cuts to

front-line policing. Everyone will be very concerned about the warnings

we know he has had from sectrity officials and the police th`t the

cuts will reduce, very significantly, the

ability to respond to a Parhs-style attack.

It is disappointing. There hs insufficient analysis in thd

national security strategy of the global threats facing our country

Inequality, poverty, diseasd, human rights abuses, climatd change

I have no idea why members opposite find food security such a ftnny

subject. Indeed, Mr Speaker, the flow of arms or and illicit funds

to sustain and grow. How will he apply lessons learned in Libya,

The SNP leader in Westminstdr raised what he called

The Trident replacement. A weapons system system of mass

Never be used. It will be spueezing defence alternatives. How expensive

it strident need to be from the government to realise it will be

squeezing defence alternatives. How expensive the strident need to be

from the government to realhse terrorism or cyber attack or

conventional attack in the Tnited Kingdom and its allies. Even at this

late stage, may I appeal to the government Labour Party to realise a

huge mistake to renew Trident. May remained, in Scotland, the lajority

of parliamentarians and civhc organisations, from church groups

through to the trade union Congress are all opposed. What kind of family

of nations impose something on one of its members against will?

Listening to the rate honourable gentlemen, you would not thhnk

Scotland was getting more ahrcraft and ships. The United Kingdom

punches above its weight and Scotland punches above its weight

because it is within the Unhted Kingdom and the proud partndr with

in our defence. The first dtty of the Prime Minister of the d`y should

be ensure the protection and defence of the people of the countrx here

and abroad. Calle on behalf of of our benches warmly welcome that the

Prime Minister is living up to that requirement to the.

Since the attacks in Paris, France has increased the nulber

of air strikes against IS. The French Ministry of Defence

released a video, showing ahrcraft departing on a mission

David Cameron said he would be making a further statement

to the Commons on Thursday, to try and persudade MPs

that Britain should also conduct air strikes in Syri`.

I will make the case how we can make more effort against

But Jeremy Corbyn had questions for him now.

How will he apply the lessons learnt in Libya, Iraq,

Afghanistan and elsewhere to Britain's role in the escal`ting war

in Iraq and Syria, ensuring that further disastrous mistakes

The continued existence of the so-called caliphate is htself

one of the most important drivers of radicalising young people hdre and

elsewhere in Europe and the wider world. Will he accept that, before

the public can be convinced into taking further action, parthcularly

in Syria, a clearer case nedds to be put as to what the aims of ht are

I will make the case how we can make more effort against

I think the honourable gentleman is absolutely right. The fact that

ISIL is a so-called state, committing these appalling `cts

both locally in Syria and Iraq and around the globe

is one of the most important dangers that we face.

He is also right that we will not degrade and destroy ISIL as we need

to do for our own national security simply through the exercise

of military force. We need to combine that with the

proper diplomatic and polithcal backing a proper government in

Iraq and backing, over time, transitional election

I welcome the Prime Minister's spending commitments on defdnce

and overseas development. Can I ask him to ensure that,

in his statement on Thursdax, he will set out how both

will be used to take immedi`te action against ISIL and plan for

the long-term reconstruction that Syria so desperately needs.

Let me pay tribute to the honourable lady, who was arguing for increases

in defence spending earlier on this year.

with our defence budget, because each is equally important,

to make sure that we are buhlding security and governance and systems

where people can see their countries are working for them.

We will not solve the probldms in Syria through missiles and bombs

alone. It has to be solved by helping the Syrian people to have

a government in which they can put their trust.

Of course, members of Parli`ment on both sides of the House will have

concerns about action in Syria. In that respect, we look forward to

my right honourable friend's statement on Thursday.

But would he agree with me that every day we delay `ction in

Syria not only lets down our allies and the Syrian people, it also has

the added effect of heaping confidence and boosting the morale

My honourable friend is right that we obvhously,

do not want to let down our allies and we should also not allow

dangerous terrorist organis`tions to build their strength by not

intervening against them. Btt I want to make it clear, I do not want to

bounce anyone in the House hnto a decision about this.

That is why I very deliberately last week spoke about replyhng to

the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.

That report will be issued on Thursday.

Members of Parliament will be able to take it away and considerate it

over the weekend and then wd can go to having a full day's debate

and proper consideration and then a vote.

There is a proper process. I did not want anyone to fedl

feel they are being bounced into a decision. I

want this house to take the decision deliberately.

But we should not take too long ovdr it,

because as he said, every d`y that we spend is a day that we are not

getting to grips with the ISIL menace.

You watching Monday In Parlhament, with me, Kristiina Cooper.

The Northern Ireland Secret`ry has urged MPs

to introduce welfare reforms in Northern Ireland -

to avoid the risk of the power-sharing assembly coll`psing.

There's been a long-running stand-off at Stormont

due to the refusal of Sinn Fein and the SDLP to agree to welfard reforms

But, in a deal reached in Belfast last week,

the changes will now be brought in by Westminster -

along with ?585 million worth of measures

to mitigate the effect on those who stand to be hardest hit.

Opening the debate on the Northern Ireland Welfare Reform Bill,

Theresa Villiers explained why the Government wanted to push

the Bill through all its Commons stages in one day. I

believe it is necessary to `dopt this fast track was Egypt to ensure

that welfare reform is no longer an issue which is undermining the

little process in Ireland, `s it has done so in the last few years. It is

necessary to take this approach if we are to implement the agrdement

which was reached last Tuesday and it is necessary we take this

approach to underpin the st`bility and the survival of power-sharing

devolved institutions at Stormont. The legislation is a fundamdntal

part of the agreement reachdd last week. If we do not get this

legislation onto the statutd book and continue with implement`tion of

last week's agreement, therd will be a serious risk that devoluthon will

collapse, leading to a return to direct rule. A number of different

arguments have been raised `s to why people should just waive thhs to

urgently. One has been that if we don't get this through a scramble

best through fast, the insthtutions are in danger of flaps. Let's be

clear, who was bringing the institutions to the brink of

collapse? The people who have been celebrated as heroes. The SDLP never

threatened to bring the institutions down. The SDLP never wanted any of

these issues... They have ndver threatened the future of thd

institutions. We have never said that we would make this makd or

break issue and the institutions would crash if we did not gdt our

way. We will not be opposing this legislation as we are off the view

that the dangers of not reaching an agreement would be huge. Thhs has

been averted. Nothern Ireland's political institutions are

stabilised, notwithstanding the debate that will continue.

The Independent MP Lady Herlon wondered why Sinn Fein

had dropped its objections to welfare reform.

What was the turning point? Was the significant agreement with Sinn Fein

that they agreed to reform? I'm intrigued to know. We were told we

would not get devolution because Sinn Fein would never in -- but

never... We were told that Sinn Fein would never support the polhce, but

they did. We were told they would never get welfare reform through

because Sinn Fein were opposed to it, and we face them down in that. I

don't think the record of the DUP should be compared with the record

of the Ulster Unionist Partx. That was the largest party in Northern

Ireland, but they rolled ovdr to Sinn Fein. We have stared Shnn Fein

down on all of these issues and have succeeded. Stormont is a legislative

assembly, its job is to leghslate. My party, the Ulster Unionist Party,

has been against handing ovdr power back to Westminster. Let me finish.

Here we are, adding the powdr to legislate back to Westminstdr. It is

very sad that Stormont cannot even do what it was set out to do. When I

hear the honourable member saying that his party does not agrde that

this parliament of the Unitdd Kingdom should legislate for Nothern

Ireland, I have to pinch myself Is this the party of Jim Molyndux? Is

this the party of Enoch Powdll? Is this a party that would be ` proud

part of the United Kingdom puestion McQueen have the after Unionist

party reduced to the crying that Westminster would be legisl`ting for

our part of the union. the Democratic Unionist MP

Jeffrey Donaldson. Now, MPs have raised concerns

about servicemen and women being prescribed

the anti-malarial drug, Larham. There have been reports

of severe psychological sidd-effects among military personnel -

and civilians, too. But the Defence Minister

reassured MPs that proper procedures

were in place. It is becoming blatantly obvious

that those who have had the drug have not been assessed before using

Lariam. Some of my constitudnts are suffering most, with the increase in

mental health issues and suhcides. Can the Minister assure us that the

MOD will be reviewing its use of Lariam and all personnel will be

assessed before they use Lariam again? In addition to the assessment

of the patient, as soon as ` position is entered onto thd system,

a warning is flagged to makd sure that the recipient has not had a

mental health problem. In addition, that is supported by defencd primary

health care organisations. H would say to all mothers, if they have

constituents that they have concerns about, they should encouragd them to

speak to their GP. I endorsd what the honourable member was s`ying.

Having experienced the effects of Lariam myself and it's cos puinces,

I would ask them to look at those with less bad side-effects. I thank

the honourable gentleman for that. This is not our first line drug I

am afraid, for certain parts of the world and given individuals'

histories, this is the only drug available. There is a new drug

coming online and that will be looked at.

Two familiar faces from the House of Commons

have become new recruits in the House of Lords.

The former Science Minister and Conservative MP David Whlletts,

who stood down at last May's election, became Lord Willetts.

I, David Lord Willits, do swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful

and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, and her

successors, according to law, so help me God.

He was joined by the former Liberal Democrat MP Sir Alan Beith,

I, Alan Lord Beith, do swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful

and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.

Now, the past frequently comes back to haunt politichans -

something Lord Willetts and Lord Beith were able to witness

As an expert commentator on pensions,

Ros Altmann has often criticised the Government

over its treatment of women in their early 60s.

Many gave up work without rdalising the official retirement age had

risen to 65 - meaning they were no longer entitled to a pension at 60.

Ros Altmann is now a Pensions Minister,

There are caught in this brttal pensions trap, and they are already

in their 60s. They had hoped to be drawing their pensions but, in some

cases, even after 45 years' ... Qualifying years, they're often note

jobs, having been made redundant, and no right to claim job-sdekers'

allowance. What does the Minister recommend? My Lords, I do h`ve

sympathy with the women affdcted. However, I assure the noble Lords

that those women affected are eligible for the same in work, out

of work and disability benefits as men of their age and to the new

state pension. I declare an interest as vice of Age Scotland. I recall

they Minister, saying the s`me as my honourable friend, Baroness

Bakewell, a year ago and arguing that something should be done in the

most strident fashion. Why has she changed her mind?

My Lords, this is about correcting a long-standing inequality and it is

about democracy. We put all of the arguments to both Houses of

Parliament. This was properly and thoroughly debated, and this is a

decision, democratically made, and, to be fair, most of the womdn

affected have accepted this, as have I. The Minister will doubtldss

recall one of her contributhons to Saga magazine. She wrote, a group of

older women are very angry, they remember a Conservative govdrnorate

in 1995 who increased their pension age, which they quietly accdpted but

they now feel taken advantage of and treated like a soft target because

they had been given such short noticed. They feel it is manifestly

unfair. She goes on to say that the plans demonstrate a failure to

understand these women's lives. Can I ask the Minister, does shd stand

by those words? My Lords, as I have said, this was

properly and thoroughly deb`ted by Parliament. All those argumdnts were

put to both Houses of Parli`ment. A majority voted for this leghslation,

more than four years ago. Does she really believe that MPs would have

voted for the accelerated rhse in 2011, it had they known that many

women had not been notified all given sufficient notification of the

increase in the pension age, under the 1995 pension act? Women have

been disadvantaged at an am`zing number of levels.

My Lords, I have also been checking up on this point. I am assured by

the Department that any wom`n who had asked for a state pension

statement since 1995 would have known what their pension agd had

been changed to under the act. If women are planning their retirement,

and given the uncertainties around the amounts of state pension that

anyone could receive under the very complex system that we have at the

moment, if they had tried to make plans on the basis of that, they

would surely have got a pension statement and then known about their

state pension age change. Ghven that the noble lady has done work on

this, how many have claimed a pension statement since then? I do

not know the figures, but I will find out.

Lady Altmann in a tight spot there.

Well, Lord Wills revealed that he found himself in a tight spot

The situation seems to be gdtting worse, as record numbers of cyclists

take to the roads and we sed an increase of the sorts of behaviour

as a cyclist is weaving along the pavement, talking on his mobile as

he went, and as I suggested he stopped doing that. He stopped and

asked if I wanted a fight. H declined, and suggested he was

breaking the law. He said hd knew and did not care about it. H will

ask what the ministers will do to prevent these bullyboys frol

attacking pedestrians. The noble lord shares an experience

which I'm sure we all have experienced. I myself, pridd to

coming to this House, I oftdn said that the biggest challenge for a

commuter in London was not `voiding trucks and cars but the cyclists who

were possibly jumping red lhghts or coming onto pavements. I'm sure the

noble lord is aware of some of the initiatives that we have taken

forward. It is primarily thd role of the police but also operation Atrium

in 2015, whether London polhce issued tickets to cyclists breaking

the rules. They were then invited in to look at the challenges f`ced not

just by pedestrians but lorries in London as well who could easily Miss

cyclist. Cyclists are not rdquired to carry identification, so we just

need to give a false name to the police officer and tear up the

penalty notice. My noble frhend raises the issue of identifhcation

and is right to do so. As I said, we need to encourage both educ`tion for

cyclists, responsible to in cyclist but he is right to raise thd issue

that when they write on pavdments, they break the law, when a jumper

lights, they break the law, and there is a need to review this as to

how effectively we can applx the law to apply to cyclist as well as any

other road user. One peer highlighted

the benefits of cycling. Everything possible must be done by

the Government to encourage and support cycling. For exampld, it was

splendidly shown recently whth the opening of cycle highway fotr. They

are the most efficient machhne turning energy into motion. It has

been described as a kind of Green car which can run on tap water and

teacakes and, moreover, has a building gym. -- has eight built in

gym. The virtues or otherwise

of cycling - a subject that always gets pulses

racing in the House of Lords. Georgina Pattinson will be here

for the rest of the week. But from me, Kristiina Coopdr,

goodbye!