Browse content similar to 25/04/2016. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
Line | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|
Hello and welcome to Monday in Parliament, | 0:00:11 | 0:00:13 | |
the main news from Westminster. | 0:00:13 | 0:00:17 | |
The Health Secretary urges the British Medical Association | 0:00:17 | 0:00:19 | |
to call off the strike by junior doctors | 0:00:19 | 0:00:21 | |
for the sake of patients. | 0:00:21 | 0:00:23 | |
It would be an absolute tragedy for the NHS if something goes wrong | 0:00:23 | 0:00:27 | |
in the next couple of days, and they have a duty | 0:00:27 | 0:00:29 | |
to make sure it doesn't. | 0:00:29 | 0:00:34 | |
Labour says history won't be kind to the Health Secretary. | 0:00:34 | 0:00:36 | |
Tomorrow's strike is one of the saddest days | 0:00:36 | 0:00:38 | |
in the history of the NHS, and the saddest thing | 0:00:38 | 0:00:43 | |
is that the person sitting opposite me could have prevented it. | 0:00:43 | 0:00:48 | |
Also on the programme... | 0:00:48 | 0:00:50 | |
As BHS goes into administration, | 0:00:50 | 0:00:53 | |
MPs raise concerns about the conduct of Sir Philip Green. | 0:00:53 | 0:00:55 | |
It appears that this owner has extracted | 0:00:55 | 0:00:59 | |
hundreds of millions of pounds from the business and walked away | 0:00:59 | 0:01:01 | |
to his favourite tax haven, | 0:01:01 | 0:01:03 | |
leaving the pensions protection scheme to pick up the bill! | 0:01:03 | 0:01:06 | |
And will there be a U-turn on academies? | 0:01:06 | 0:01:09 | |
The Education Secretary isn't giving anything away. | 0:01:09 | 0:01:14 | |
The point about academies and academisation is that they are | 0:01:14 | 0:01:16 | |
the vehicle for schools to innovate and to make best use of the freedom | 0:01:16 | 0:01:20 | |
to drive up standards, do the right things for their children. | 0:01:20 | 0:01:24 | |
But first, the row between the Department of Health | 0:01:24 | 0:01:28 | |
and the British Medical Association over new contracts for | 0:01:28 | 0:01:31 | |
junior doctors has been debated in the Commons on many occasions | 0:01:31 | 0:01:33 | |
over the last few months. | 0:01:33 | 0:01:38 | |
But this time, the exchanges were more biting and emotive than ever. | 0:01:38 | 0:01:40 | |
Up until now, strike action by junior doctors has been confined | 0:01:40 | 0:01:44 | |
to non-emergency care, such as routine operations. | 0:01:44 | 0:01:46 | |
But now, the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, told MPs the BMA | 0:01:46 | 0:01:49 | |
has called on junior doctors to withdraw emergency care | 0:01:49 | 0:01:52 | |
for the first time ever. | 0:01:52 | 0:01:55 | |
I wish to appeal directly to all junior doctors not | 0:01:55 | 0:01:59 | |
to withdraw emergency cover, which creates particular risks | 0:01:59 | 0:02:04 | |
for A, maternity units and intensive care units. | 0:02:04 | 0:02:09 | |
He said he understood that some doctors may disagree | 0:02:09 | 0:02:15 | |
with plans for a seven-day NHS | 0:02:15 | 0:02:16 | |
and with the introduction of a new contract. | 0:02:16 | 0:02:18 | |
I also understand that doctors work incredibly hard, | 0:02:18 | 0:02:20 | |
including at weekends, and that strong feelings exist | 0:02:20 | 0:02:23 | |
on the single remaining disagreement of substance - | 0:02:23 | 0:02:25 | |
Saturday premium pay. | 0:02:25 | 0:02:28 | |
But the new contract offers junior doctors, | 0:02:28 | 0:02:34 | |
who work frequently at weekends, more Saturday premium pay | 0:02:34 | 0:02:37 | |
than nurses, paramedics and the assistants who work | 0:02:37 | 0:02:40 | |
in their own operating theatres. | 0:02:40 | 0:02:43 | |
More than police officers, more than firefighters and nearly | 0:02:43 | 0:02:46 | |
every other worker in the public and private sectors. | 0:02:46 | 0:02:49 | |
The impact of the next two days will be unprecedented, | 0:02:49 | 0:02:54 | |
with over 110,000 outpatient appointments and over | 0:02:54 | 0:02:57 | |
12,500 operations cancelled. | 0:02:57 | 0:03:03 | |
However, the NHS has made exhaustive preparations in order to try | 0:03:03 | 0:03:06 | |
to make sure patients remain safe. | 0:03:06 | 0:03:11 | |
He said every trust had plans in place and there would be | 0:03:11 | 0:03:14 | |
a strike page on the NHS website, which would provide as much | 0:03:14 | 0:03:16 | |
information as possible about alternatives to local hospital care. | 0:03:16 | 0:03:22 | |
Over the weekend, Labour initiated a cross-party plan for | 0:03:22 | 0:03:25 | |
the new NHS contract to be piloted. | 0:03:25 | 0:03:26 | |
The Health Secretary rejected the idea. | 0:03:26 | 0:03:30 | |
Tomorrow's strike is one of the saddest days in the history | 0:03:30 | 0:03:34 | |
of the NHS, and the saddest thing is that the person | 0:03:34 | 0:03:38 | |
sat opposite me could have prevented it. | 0:03:38 | 0:03:42 | |
Yesterday... | 0:03:42 | 0:03:45 | |
Yesterday, the Health Secretary was presented presented | 0:03:45 | 0:03:49 | |
Yesterday, the Health Secretary was presented with a genuine | 0:03:49 | 0:03:51 | |
and constructive cross-party proposal to pilot the contract. | 0:03:51 | 0:03:55 | |
This would have enabled him to make progress towards his manifesto | 0:03:55 | 0:04:00 | |
commitment on seven-day services and, crucially, | 0:04:00 | 0:04:04 | |
could have potentially averted this week's strike. | 0:04:04 | 0:04:08 | |
Any responsible Health Secretary would have grasped that | 0:04:08 | 0:04:10 | |
opportunity immediately, or at least considered it | 0:04:10 | 0:04:15 | |
and discussed it. But not this one! | 0:04:15 | 0:04:22 | |
Yesterday morning, he tweeted, "Labour plan is opportunism." | 0:04:22 | 0:04:27 | |
That was a deeply disappointing and irresponsible response. | 0:04:27 | 0:04:31 | |
She said Jeremy Hunt would try and blame Labour. | 0:04:31 | 0:04:35 | |
The truth is, it is his actions, and his actions alone, | 0:04:35 | 0:04:38 | |
that can stop this strike! | 0:04:38 | 0:04:41 | |
Not me! | 0:04:41 | 0:04:42 | |
Not the Labour Party! | 0:04:42 | 0:04:44 | |
Him! | 0:04:44 | 0:04:47 | |
If he ploughs on, then I warn him know that history will not | 0:04:47 | 0:04:56 | |
be kind to him. | 0:04:57 | 0:04:58 | |
It will show that, when faced with a compromise, | 0:04:58 | 0:05:01 | |
the Health Secretary chose a fight. | 0:05:01 | 0:05:03 | |
When presented with a way out, this Health Secretary chose to dig in. | 0:05:03 | 0:05:08 | |
And that, when asked to put patients first, | 0:05:08 | 0:05:10 | |
this Health Secretary chose strikes! | 0:05:10 | 0:05:12 | |
And she said NHS staff had lost trust in the Health Secretary. | 0:05:12 | 0:05:14 | |
He can barely show his face in a hospital, because he ends up | 0:05:14 | 0:05:18 | |
being chased down the road! | 0:05:18 | 0:05:23 | |
This is a deeply, deeply sad day for the NHS | 0:05:23 | 0:05:26 | |
and, even at this 11th hour, I urge him to find a way out. | 0:05:26 | 0:05:35 | |
Mr Speaker, the Shadow Health Secretary can | 0:05:36 | 0:05:38 | |
do better than that. She talked... | 0:05:38 | 0:05:44 | |
She...she talked... She talked about the judgments... | 0:05:44 | 0:05:51 | |
She talked about the judgments that I have made as Health Secretary. | 0:05:51 | 0:05:54 | |
Well, I'll tell her a judgment issue. | 0:05:54 | 0:05:59 | |
It's whether or not you back a union that's is withdrawing life-saving | 0:05:59 | 0:06:02 | |
care from your own constituents! | 0:06:02 | 0:06:04 | |
Health Secretaries should stand up for their constituents, | 0:06:04 | 0:06:11 | |
for their patients, and, if she won't, I will. | 0:06:11 | 0:06:13 | |
There are only losers in this bitter dispute, | 0:06:13 | 0:06:15 | |
but those who have the most to lose are patients and their families. | 0:06:15 | 0:06:18 | |
Tomorrow, there will be people visiting hospitals to see | 0:06:18 | 0:06:24 | |
the people they care about more than anything in the world, | 0:06:24 | 0:06:28 | |
and they will be asking themselves why the doctors on the picket | 0:06:28 | 0:06:31 | |
line are not inside looking after the people they love. | 0:06:31 | 0:06:33 | |
So can I ask the BMA directly whether they will show dignity, | 0:06:33 | 0:06:36 | |
put patients first and draw back from this dangerous escalation? | 0:06:36 | 0:06:45 | |
Whatever their differences with me, whatever their | 0:06:45 | 0:06:47 | |
differences with the government, to think about patients. | 0:06:47 | 0:06:49 | |
It would be an absolute tragedy for the NHS if something goes wrong | 0:06:49 | 0:06:53 | |
in the next couple of days, and they have a duty | 0:06:53 | 0:06:56 | |
to make sure that it doesn't. | 0:06:56 | 0:06:57 | |
When the Secretary of State came into the chamber today, I don't know | 0:06:57 | 0:07:01 | |
whether he realises it or not, but there is a smirk and arrogance | 0:07:01 | 0:07:04 | |
about him that almost betrays the fact that he's delighted | 0:07:04 | 0:07:07 | |
in taking part in this activity! | 0:07:07 | 0:07:12 | |
He could start negotiations today, wipe that smirk off his face, get | 0:07:12 | 0:07:19 | |
down to some serious negotiations! | 0:07:19 | 0:07:24 | |
It's had to be done in the past, but instead, he comes | 0:07:24 | 0:07:29 | |
into here to try and blame the opposition | 0:07:29 | 0:07:31 | |
for what's taking place! | 0:07:31 | 0:07:35 | |
The Health Secretary said that contribution from Dennis Skinner | 0:07:35 | 0:07:39 | |
was not worthy of him, and he said the Government | 0:07:39 | 0:07:41 | |
had been talking to the BMA for over three years. | 0:07:41 | 0:07:44 | |
Now, for 88 years, the retailer BHS has been a mainstay of high streets | 0:07:45 | 0:07:48 | |
up and down the country. | 0:07:48 | 0:07:50 | |
But the company has been put into administration | 0:07:50 | 0:07:52 | |
and 11,000 jobs are at stake. | 0:07:52 | 0:07:55 | |
The Business Minister came to the Commons to make a statement | 0:07:55 | 1:20:33 | |
about the future of BHS and to answer MPs' questions. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The administrators are looking to sell BHS as a going concern. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
If this proves not to be possible, then the government will | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
obviously stand ready to offer its assistance, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
including through Jobcentre Plus rapid response service, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
to help people move into new jobs as quickly as possible. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Now, there's been a lot of comment and speculation | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
about British Home Stores' pension scheme and it is a fact | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
that the pension regulator is investigating a number | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
of concerns and indeed allegations. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The Shadow Minister was concerned about the conduct of the previous | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
owner of BHS, Sir Philip Green. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
When Sir Philip bought BHS, the pension fund had | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
a surplus of over ?5 million, and it remained in the black | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
as late as 2008, yet, when he got rid of the business, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
he had turned this into a deficit of hundreds of millions of pounds, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
and the pension fund now reportedly has a black hole of ?571 million. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
If the worst happens, the liability will be covered | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
by the pension protection scheme, as the Minister indicated, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
and BHS staff will get only 90% of the pension they've worked | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
so hard for and saved for. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
But Philip Green seems to have got much more out of BHS for himself | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
and his family than that. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
BHS staff and the public will understandably want to know | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
whether the former owner, who took so many millions of pounds | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
out of the business, will have to pay his fair share | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
of the liabilities which accrued during his stewardship. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
We know that Sir Philip is such a vocal supporter | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
of the Conservative Party that, in 2010, the Prime Minister | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
asked him to conduct a review of the Cabinet Office, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
of how to slash government spending. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
What he appears to have done with BHS is to extract huge value | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
from the business before walking away and leaving all the liabilities | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
to others, including the public purse. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Well, I have to say that my concern is for the workers of BHS, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
and indeed those creditors, notably the small businesses. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
And I really do find it most peculiar, but perhaps not | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
unexpected, that the Honourable Lady should turn this into some | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
party political game! | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
I think this is way above all of that. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
I could say this, that it is perhaps unfortunate that the party opposite | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
decided to vote against our very moderate but very important | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
proposals on Sunday trading, where there was clear evidence that | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
that would actually have helped the retail sector. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Perhaps if they had done that, they might have a little | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
bit more credibility, when they now decide to turn this, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
this very unfortunate situation in BHS. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
This is not a political football to be kicked around | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
by the opposition! | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
In some respects, the predicament of BHS is a reflection mode | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
In some respects, the predicament of BHS is a reflection more | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
of the UK Government's failure to stimulate economic | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
recovery and confidence of people across these isles, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
than Sunday trading, and I am shocked and surprised | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
that the Minister, in one breath, tells the party opposite not | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
to political point score and, in the second, makes a political | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
point scoring herself! | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
I would agree with some of the concerns that have been | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
expressed on the other side of the House, and I do hope | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
that the department will undertake an urgent enquiry as to the conduct | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
of the erstwhile and indeed the current owners of BHS | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
in this regard. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Because it does seem appalling that the pension protection fund | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
is being abused in this way, and I don't suspect that BHS | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
is the only company in this particular position. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Will the Minister consider changing companies legislation to ensure | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
that, in terms of directors' duties, former owners can simply walk | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
away from any fall out, having taken the fast buck, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
and that substantial long-term value creation | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
is prioritised in company law over short-term value extraction. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
I think that what's going on with British Home Stores should | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
ring alarm bells with the Minister. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
When Hull-based Comet went into administration in 2012, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
there were 7000 redundancies and the taxpayers ended up | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
paying up to ?100 million in redundancy costs. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
And, at that point, Comet had been owned for a year by a private equity | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
firm who had bought it for ?1, but made about ?75 million | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
worth of debt, loading the company with debt, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
from which they received huge interest payments | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
before walking off. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The government commissioned a report into what happened with Comet, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
but they've never published it and I think it's about time that | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
actually that report was published and we could see the similarities | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
here with what's happened with BHS is whether there | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
here with what's happened with BHS and whether there | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
are lessons to be learnt. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Now, there's been an impassioned debate in the Commons over | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
whether the UK should be giving refuge to unaccompanied Syrian | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
children who are already in the EU. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The Lords passed an amendment to the Immigration Bill, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
requiring the Government to accept 3,000 child refugees. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The Government said it wanted to overturn the amendment. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
We judge that the best way to make a difference, and to help | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
the greatest numbers of those in need, is to support the majority | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
of refugees to enable them to stay safely in their home region, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
which is why I make the point that I do in respect of | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
the aid and assistance. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
But where people have made that journey to Europe, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
that we support European partners to fulfil their duties. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The Minister's point was effectively that the children who are alone | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
in Greece now are Greece's problem. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
But in fact, Save the Children have said that there are 2000 children | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
alone in northern Greece, child refugees alone in northern | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Greece, and less than 500 places, child shelter places, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
for them and those are full. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
So what does he really want those children to do, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
when they are sleeping rough? | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
When they are being targeted by traffickers by smuggling gangs | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
When they are being targeted by traffickers, by smuggling gangs | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
and subject to abuse? | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
When I was in Calais at Easter, I was told by aid workers | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
there that, because of the British government's refusal to take | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
children from northern France, children are being trafficked | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
into the United Kingdom and are attempting unsafe journeys | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
by jumping onto or under lorries into the United Kingdom. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
These children are already in Europe, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
They are alone, far from their families. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
They are cold, frightened, hungry, frequently without help or access | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
to those who might help or protect them. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Their lives are miserable, brutish and at least half of them | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
we know have experienced or seen violence which we can only dream | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
of in our nightmares, or rather hope that we don't. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
It's the something that I can and will do by joining | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
the Right Honourable Member | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
and the Honourable and Learned Member | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
for Holborn and St Pancras | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
in the opposition lobby this evening. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
This is not an easy decision, or one which I've taken lightly, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
but it's the right decision, made of a conviction | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
which I've reached, having searched my conscience, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
as I pray other Honourable and Right Honourable | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
members will search theirs. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The House should support the Lords and their amendment and vote | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
against this motion to disagree. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
But in the end, in a vote, the Lords amendment | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
was rejected by the Commons. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
You're watching Monday in Parliament, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
with me Kristiina Cooper. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
on | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
this | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The Labour par on this ty | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
and the SNP have | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
accused the Government of delaying | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
plans to have eight Royal Navy frigates built at the Clyde | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
shipyard in Glasgow. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The GMB union, which representing staff at the BAE sites, says that | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
redundancies are on the cards. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
But a Defence Minister maintained that "nothing had changed" | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
since the Government published the strategic defence and security | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
review last year. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
I understand the strong interest in the timing of the award of | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
the contract to build type 26 combat ships. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
I also understand reports of delays create anxiety but let me assure the | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
shipyard workers on the Clyde, this government remains committed to the | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
type 26 programme and to assembling ships on the Clyde | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
and is working closely with | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
BAE Systems to take the type 26 programme forward, ensuring it is | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
progressed on a sustainable and stable footing. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
He was summoned to the Commons | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
following a request for an urgent statement from Labour. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Can the Minister please answer a simple question? | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Will construction begin this year in line | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
with previous commitments? | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The Minister has said he claims that | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
the new frigates will proceed but the SDSR says nothing about the | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
timetable. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The timetable is vitally important. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The unions are being told there could be delays up to a year. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Is the Minister saying this is not the case? | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Does he also deny claims made by the unions that the start has | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
already been delayed? | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Has nothing changed? | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
If so why is it that BAE Systems have not denied press | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
reports there will be redundancies at the shipyard. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Why are the unions being told there will be | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
redundancies if that is not the case? | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
I think the honourable lady is | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
seeking to make a position over a routine meeting between BAE | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Systems and the trade unions which took | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
place last week which happened to come nearly two weeks ahead | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
of a general election for the Scottish Parliament | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
and she is trying to make party political capital out of that fact. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
In relation to her specific questions. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Will construction begin this year? | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The contract last month for a further ?472 million | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
which takes our contract on this programme | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
up to ?1.6 billion. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
That pays for equipment for | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
the first three vessels, long lead items and short testing facilities. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The programme remains therefore on track. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The SNP has been campaigning on this issue too. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
I'm sure those watching will be disappointed that this | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
question so quickly descended into a Tory, Labour bunfight. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Earlier today Scotland's First Minister met with | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
the unions and BAE and they expressed | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
their great concern that the | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
government was set to renege on the promises they made, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
along with the Labour party, before | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
the independence referendum that there would be a steady stream of | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
work coming to the yards on the Clyde, guaranteed employment. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Just three years ago the Prime Minister | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
said and I quote, Scottish defence jobs are more secure as part | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
of the United Kingdom. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Given that, could the Minister confirm to us | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
today there will be no redundancies at BAE Systems in Glasgow and will | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
he confirm that the Ministry of Defence will stick to the timeline | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
that has been agreed and set out? | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
What I can confirm is that had the independence vote gone the way | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
that he and his colleagues would have | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
liked, there would have been no warships built on the Clyde because | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
the United Kingdom government would not | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
have chosen to do so. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
We made that very clear. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The Education Secretary Nicky Morgan was also feeling the heat as MPs | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
questioned her over plans to force all schools in England | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
to become academies. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Many state secondaries have already made the change but concerns have | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
been raised about the impact of the policy on primary schools - | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
particularly those in rural areas with small numbers of pupils. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
It's been reported that Nicky Morgan, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
is considering a U-turn - allowing the best performing | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
councils to run their own academy chains. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
But when the subject came up at question time, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
the Education Secretary wasn't giving anything away. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Converting to academies is improving the education | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
for children up and down the country. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
It is absolutely right we | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
make this opportunity available to all children. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Concerns have been expressed about the impact on small | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
schools, especially in a place like Cornwall where we have | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
many small schools. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Has she considered one of the ways to | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
address these concerns would be allowing local councils to be | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
involved in the running of the academy trusts? | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Can I thank him very much indeed. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
We published a white paper. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The point of having a white paper is to make sure we are talking about | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
members of the House and local authorities. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Like him, I want all young people to have the best | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
possible start in life. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
We know academies make a difference. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
We know small schools are improved by being | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
pooled together, including the 15 schools in Cornwall. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
I look forward to continuing my conversation with him. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The Secretary of State has intimated that good local authorities can | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
form academy trusts. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Ironically this would give local authorities more | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
responsibility for running schools than they have now. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Something the prime minister suggested was holding | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
schools back. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Why is such costly upheaval necessary for outstanding | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
schools in good local authorities? | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Is it not time for her to smell the coffee and shelve her plans for | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
forced academisation? | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
He perhaps knows I am a caffeine addict but he misses the | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
point which is that good schools have much | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
to offer the whole of the rest of the education system. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
What we're seeing now in schools across | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
the country is collaboration and partnership in clusters of schools | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
and we want to see that continue across the system. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
We know the best people to run the schools are their | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
heads and professionals. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The Labour party never talks about the pupils. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
It is always about vested interest. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Does he agree with me that a good argument | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
for academisation is | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
to get schools out of the control of loony left | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
councils like Brighton and | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Hove which is seeking gender assignment of four-year-olds? | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
I thank him for that question. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The point about academies is they are a vehicle for | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
schools to innovate and make best use of freedom to drive up | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
standards, to do the right thing for their children. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
That often doesn't happen under local authority | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
control. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Some Conservatives raised concerns about the role of parent governors | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
if schools convert to academies. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
I am extremely fortunate to have many parents in my | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
constituency who engage with local schools but many have approached me | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
recently because they have been concerned that their voice | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
and influence may be diminished by academies. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Can she assure me this is not the case? | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Involving parents in governance and listening | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
to the views of parents | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
are not necessarily the same thing which is why I want to see Academy | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
boards appointing parents for their experience and to engage | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
parents meaningfully and represent their views | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
to governing bodies. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
What steps is she taking to ensure that time, focus, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
energy and morale are not lost while the white paper is | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
discussed so teachers continue to do what they do best, inspire young | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
people and children? | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
We have set out the fact there will be six years | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
before schools become academies in 2022. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Teachers should be doing more teaching in the classrooms. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
The people who will be driving the process will be the heads and | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
governors of that school. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
At question-time - in a more relaxed moment - | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
the Education Secretary had a chance to enthuse about a production | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
of Merchant of Venice she had seen at a primary school to mark | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Over in the Lords, the Bard was providing inspiration too. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Peers were discussing the future of regional museums - | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
one of the subjects raised in the Culture white paper - | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
published last month. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
My Lords, decisions on changes to regional museums service | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
provision are for those who run them. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
However we fully appreciate regional museums are | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
important with the local communities and economies. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
This information is not collated centrally but we have | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
asked the Arts Council to provide what information | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
they currently have on Museum | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
closures and will consider the challenges facing local museums | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
more fully in the museums review announced in | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
the Cultural white paper. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
My Lords, in this 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare, | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
it is highly fitting we have a white paper graced with a quotation | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
from Love's Labour's Lost, slightly obscure one but it's there. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
It raised two questions in my mind. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Which Shakespearean character does the Minister remind you of? | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Was it when he was younger, shaking his | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
mane of golden locks around, the fair youth of early sonnets. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Or is it Ariel or Puck to successive ministers? | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Why does the government in the white paper persist in praising local | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
museums for the contribution they can make to economic | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
growth, education and well-being when the reality is ?1 | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
billion worth of cuts and regional Museum closures, up to 45 so far? | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
My Lords, I think the noble Lord Stevenson knows | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
his Shakespeare perhaps better than I do. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
I would not like to put myself forward as any of the characters he | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
mentions. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
He draws attention to the Cultural white paper which is of | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
course very important. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
We are setting out our intention to increase participation of young | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
people and children, especially from | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
disadvantaged backgrounds. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
As far as the museums are concerned, we will be | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
looking at the review and looking at the roles of government, the Arts | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Council and Heritage lottery funding as well as directly funded museums. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
And that obscure quotation from Love's Labour's Lost | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
in the Culture white paper is all about how books | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
and the arts nourish the world. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Well, that's it from Monday in Parliament. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
Keith Macdougall will be here for the rest of the week. | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 | |
But from me, Kristiina Cooper, goodbye! | 1:20:33 | 1:20:33 |