11/07/2016

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:00:10. > :00:12.Hello and welcome to Monday in Parliament.

:00:13. > :00:17.As Theresa May is confirmed as the next Prime Minister,

:00:18. > :00:20.there's a taste of the issues waiting for her.

:00:21. > :00:22.Should Parliament, or the Government, decide

:00:23. > :00:24.when to trigger Article 50, which starts the process

:00:25. > :00:37.Isn't it a constitutional outrage and a supreme irony

:00:38. > :00:40.that those people over there who based their argument

:00:41. > :00:42.for Brexit on Parliamentary sovereignty now wants to deny this

:00:43. > :00:46.Those who want to have a vote before Article 50 is triggered

:00:47. > :00:48.are not concerned with Parliamentary sovereignty.

:00:49. > :00:50.It's a clear attempt to thwart the democratic

:00:51. > :00:56.The Defence Secretary announces that British troops are heading east -

:00:57. > :01:04.Britain is stepping up its leading role in the Alliance by deploying

:01:05. > :01:09.more forces to Nato's eastern borders, to Nato's support

:01:10. > :01:12.to Afghanistan and in countering illegal migration.

:01:13. > :01:14.Also on the programme: the benefits of taking children out

:01:15. > :01:21.Andy Murray wouldn't have got to where he was yesterday had he not

:01:22. > :01:24.been given leave at various times to attend tennis camps

:01:25. > :01:31.But first, a few hours before Parliament started business,

:01:32. > :01:33.there was another twist in the extraordinary tale

:01:34. > :01:36.of the battle to become the next Conservative leader.

:01:37. > :01:38.Andrea Leadsom stepped down from the contest after a gruelling

:01:39. > :01:41.few days in which her remarks about motherhood came

:01:42. > :01:46.During the course of the afternoon, David Cameron announced

:01:47. > :01:48.that the remaining candidate, Theresa May, would be installed

:01:49. > :01:52.as Prime Minister by Wednesday evening.

:01:53. > :01:57.A bit later, Theresa May made a statement, promising

:01:58. > :01:59.to build a better Britain. So another momentous

:02:00. > :02:04.And, of course, all this was set in train by the EU referendum.

:02:05. > :02:07.To start the process of leaving the EU, the UK has to invoke Article

:02:08. > :02:13.But who should decide when Article 50 is triggered?

:02:14. > :02:16.Does the Government have that right, known as the Royal Prerogative?

:02:17. > :02:20.Or should it be subject to parliamentary approval?

:02:21. > :02:24.If the royal prerogative is used to trigger Article 50,

:02:25. > :02:27.would that not be a clear breach of the promises made

:02:28. > :02:32.to the public by the Brexiters during the referendum campaign

:02:33. > :02:35.that they would "take back control" and "restore parliamentary

:02:36. > :02:51.The issues at stake are the culmination of 40

:02:52. > :02:55.Is it not extraordinary to suggest that changes to these areas should

:02:56. > :02:59.The priorities and trade-offs are extremely important

:03:00. > :03:02.Surely the Minister is not suggesting that they should be

:03:03. > :03:04.decided behind closed doors in Whitehall while Parliament

:03:05. > :03:11.The Minister quoted Theresa May's comments about the EU referendum.

:03:12. > :03:13.My right honourable friend the Member for Maidenhead,

:03:14. > :03:17.Mrs May - it looks like she is going to be the new Prime Minister -

:03:18. > :03:19.has been very clear in saying that Brexit means Brexit.

:03:20. > :03:22.What that means is that the destination to which we are

:03:23. > :03:28.The means used to get there will have to be explained,

:03:29. > :03:31.but I think it only fair to wait until she is Prime Minister and has

:03:32. > :03:35.a chance to lay out her programme, the process and, therefore,

:03:36. > :03:40.when Parliament will have a chance to discuss and debate the issues.

:03:41. > :03:43.At that point I am sure that all will be revealed.

:03:44. > :03:46.The Prime Minister originally said that he would trigger

:03:47. > :03:48.Article 50 immediately, so presumably he felt that he had

:03:49. > :03:54.Does my honourable friend accept that those who want to have a vote

:03:55. > :03:58.before Article 50 is triggered are concerned not with parliamentary

:03:59. > :04:00.sovereignty but at making a clear attempt to thwart the democratic

:04:01. > :04:09.Does he agree that they must be completely resisted

:04:10. > :04:12.The referendum was not a consultation with the British

:04:13. > :04:15.people; it was an instruction from the British people

:04:16. > :04:24.I strongly agree with my right honourable friend and parliamentary

:04:25. > :04:28.neighbour that the question here is not about the legal power,

:04:29. > :04:30.which clearly, as the Prime Minister has previously mentioned,

:04:31. > :04:35.The question is: what is politically and democratically right to reflect

:04:36. > :04:39.the decision that has been made in the referendum?

:04:40. > :04:42.Therefore, although the Prime Minister is, very sensibly,

:04:43. > :04:48.saying that the timing and method of triggering Article 50 needs to be

:04:49. > :04:51.a decision taken by his successor - we now know who that will be -

:04:52. > :04:56.his successor is also right to say very clearly that the British people

:04:57. > :05:00.have spoken and that Brexit means Brexit.

:05:01. > :05:04.Scotland did not vote for this Tory-inspired Brexit,

:05:05. > :05:06.and for us it is the Scottish people who are sovereign.

:05:07. > :05:09.We have yet to hear any Minister say that they respect the Scottish

:05:10. > :05:12.result and are prepared to make sure that the Scottish people also secure

:05:13. > :05:18.This Government might be charged with taking the UK out of the EU,

:05:19. > :05:21.but those of us on the SNP Benches are charged with ensuring

:05:22. > :05:25.that the Scottish people always get what they voted for too.

:05:26. > :05:28.Is it not the case that referendums are advisory and that this

:05:29. > :05:34.Is it not a constitutional outrage and supreme irony that those

:05:35. > :05:37.on the Conservative Benches who based their argument for Brexit

:05:38. > :05:41.on parliamentary sovereignty now want to deny this House a vote

:05:42. > :05:47.and are suggesting that an unelected Prime Minister, with no mandate,

:05:48. > :05:51.agrees to such a fundamental decision for this country?

:05:52. > :06:07.That is a disgrace, and they must not be allowed to get away with it.

:06:08. > :06:14.He may be right on strict constitution will legality is.

:06:15. > :06:17.Democratically, he is fundamentally wrong.

:06:18. > :06:20.These devices is not to help the Government to implement

:06:21. > :06:22.the will of the public, but to ask for the right

:06:23. > :06:24.to try to prevent it from being implemented?

:06:25. > :06:26.If the Government do not implement it because Labour frustrates

:06:27. > :06:29.the process, Labour will be wiped out in the north of England

:06:30. > :06:33.The referendum has been a deeply divisive process that has divided

:06:34. > :06:35.city against town, community against community

:06:36. > :06:39.Does the Minister agree that we now need a cross-party approach to deal

:06:40. > :06:44.with when to invoke Article 50 and the basic negotiating

:06:45. > :06:50.position around that, and how we hold the negotiating

:06:51. > :06:51.team to account? The Minister agreed

:06:52. > :06:54.that the referendum was divisive and that some healing,

:06:55. > :07:01.Hundreds of UK troops are to be sent to eastern Europe and the Baltic

:07:02. > :07:05.states as part of Nato's response to concerns over Russia.

:07:06. > :07:07.There will be a 500-strong battalion in Estonia and 150

:07:08. > :07:19.The Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said it was to "reassure" those

:07:20. > :07:21.countries and to "deter Russia from any further aggression."

:07:22. > :07:23.That is our response to Russian aggression.

:07:24. > :07:26.NATO's approach is based on balancing strong

:07:27. > :07:31.Dialogue remains right where it is in our interests

:07:32. > :07:36.to deliver hard messages to promote transparency and to build

:07:37. > :07:40.understanding to reduce risks of miscalculation.

:07:41. > :07:43.Brexit, he said, would have no impact on the UK's commitment

:07:44. > :07:48.to Nato: Britain is stepping up its leading role in the alliance

:07:49. > :07:51.by deploying more forces to NATO's eastern borders and to NATO's

:07:52. > :07:59.support to Afghanistan and in countering illegal migration.

:08:00. > :08:06.The Opposition welcome the clear message from the Warsaw summit

:08:07. > :08:08.that Nato is determined to strengthen its commitment

:08:09. > :08:12.to our friends and allies in eastern Europe.

:08:13. > :08:16.Whatever the consequences of Brexit-and there will be some

:08:17. > :08:19.that are unforeseeable, we must not let one of them be that the UK

:08:20. > :08:21.is seen as retreating into isolationism.

:08:22. > :08:23.In the light of ongoing tensions between NATO and Russia,

:08:24. > :08:25.I was pleased to hear the Secretary of State mention

:08:26. > :08:28.That commitment was echoed in the summit communique,

:08:29. > :08:31.which recognises the risk of misunderstanding and calls

:08:32. > :08:34.for a renewed commitment to improving dialogue,

:08:35. > :08:37.particularly through the NATO-Russia Council.

:08:38. > :08:39.It cannot now be business as usual with Russia,

:08:40. > :08:44.but there are interests that we have in common, as we saw

:08:45. > :08:51.in the refinement of the nuclear deal with Iran and ongoing

:08:52. > :08:55.discussions about a political settlement in Syria.

:08:56. > :08:58.It is right that we continue to talk to Russia in the areas

:08:59. > :09:03.I express grave concern that all we are really doing

:09:04. > :09:07.is irritating Russia by putting a number of troops on its border.

:09:08. > :09:12.We have to recognise that Russia has a zone of influence,

:09:13. > :09:20.Questioning turned to the renewal of the Trident nuclear missile

:09:21. > :09:24.A number of Russia's destabilising actions and policies,

:09:25. > :09:34.including the annexation of Crimea; the deliberate destabilisation

:09:35. > :09:35.of eastern Ukraine, large-scale snap exercises,

:09:36. > :09:42.activities near NATO borders, aggressive nuclear

:09:43. > :09:43.rhetoric, and repeated violations of NATO airspace.

:09:44. > :09:59.Which of those actions has been deterred by Trident?

:10:00. > :10:03.There remains the danger that others, such as non-state actors

:10:04. > :10:06.or terrorist groups, may try to get hold of nuclear weapons.

:10:07. > :10:09.That is why I will be inviting the House to vote next Monday

:10:10. > :10:12.to continue the principle of the nuclear deterrent that has

:10:13. > :10:14.served this country well and will protect it in the 2030s,

:10:15. > :10:21.What, in the Government's view, would it do to the UK's position

:10:22. > :10:24.in the nuclear alliance of NATO if we were suddenly to commit

:10:25. > :10:30.Any decision by this House to resile or withdraw from the position

:10:31. > :10:35.of successive Governments, Labour and Conservative,

:10:36. > :10:40.that we are committed to the nuclear deterrent, and committed to placing

:10:41. > :10:45.that nuclear deterrent in support of the NATO alliance as a whole,

:10:46. > :10:50.would fundamentally undermine that alliance.

:10:51. > :10:53.The Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon.

:10:54. > :10:56.Now, the fate of a group of women born in the 1950s

:10:57. > :10:59.who will receive their pensions later than they expected has once

:11:00. > :11:05.Anger flared as the government insisted it had done all it

:11:06. > :11:08.could for the group, known as the WASPI women.

:11:09. > :11:15.It stands for women against state pension inequality.

:11:16. > :11:21.by the new Prime Minister, who herself falls into the category

:11:22. > :11:24.of women affected by the pension changes, would this not be the ideal

:11:25. > :11:27.moment to look again at the various proposals that have been advanced

:11:28. > :11:34.for much fairer transitional arrangements-such as the one

:11:35. > :11:37.from Mariana Robinson of Wales, for all the women who do not

:11:38. > :11:44.have a prime ministerial salary to fall back on?

:11:45. > :11:47.I remind the House that in 2012 the DWP conducted a survey

:11:48. > :11:50.and found that only 6% of women who were due to retire

:11:51. > :11:52.within the next 10 years were unaware of an increase

:11:53. > :11:57.As I said earlier, the Government have no plans to review the matter.

:11:58. > :12:02.A little over a week ago, thousands of women

:12:03. > :12:04.from across the United Kingdom came to Parliament in a display

:12:05. > :12:08.of solidarity that reminded me very much of the Dagenham women

:12:09. > :12:15.Is not the Secretary of State's refusal to revisit the financial

:12:16. > :12:21.issues faced by the 2.6 million women whose pension ages have been

:12:22. > :12:24.increased without adequate notice a slap in the face for those women?

:12:25. > :12:28.Given that the former Pensions Minister admitted

:12:29. > :12:33.that the coalition Government had got it wrong, why

:12:34. > :12:35.is the Under Secretary being so unreasonable?

:12:36. > :12:45.I find it deeply regrettable that Opposition parties seek to make

:12:46. > :12:47.capital at the dispatch box, and indeed from the Back Benches,

:12:48. > :12:49.when they do not have a solid proposal.

:12:50. > :12:52.They cannot provide a proper, credible solution that will ensure

:12:53. > :12:54.that the financial position of the country is taken

:12:55. > :13:06.I suspect that most members have been acquainted with these difficult

:13:07. > :13:11.cases, such as the one that the honourable lady has mentioned. Can I

:13:12. > :13:15.ask my honourable friend to keep an open mind on pension credit

:13:16. > :13:18.arrangements for these type of people, which are means tested and

:13:19. > :13:24.could deal with the worst hardship cases? What I would say is that we

:13:25. > :13:28.do have particular criteria, and when people fit that criteria, then

:13:29. > :13:29.they will qualify for whatever benefit it is they are seeking

:13:30. > :13:32.guidance on. On the day that the Conservatives

:13:33. > :13:34.concluded their search for a new leader, it seems that

:13:35. > :13:36.Labour's leadership Angela Eagle launched her bid to be

:13:37. > :13:40.party leader, saying that she wanted to bring the party

:13:41. > :13:42.and the country back together. In the meantime, the rift

:13:43. > :13:44.between the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and some Labour MPs

:13:45. > :13:48.is surfacing in unexpected ways. Nia Griffith, who recently resigned

:13:49. > :13:52.as Shadow Welsh Secretary, complained to the Speaker

:13:53. > :13:55.about the withdrawal On Friday, a member of my staff had

:13:56. > :14:01.his parliamentary pass deactivated, following an e-mail from the office

:14:02. > :14:04.of the Leader of the Opposition This e-mail advised the pass office

:14:05. > :14:10.to terminate the passes of a number of staff working for former members

:14:11. > :14:14.of the Shadow Cabinet. Can I seek your advice, Mr Speaker,

:14:15. > :14:17.on the propriety of members seeking to deactivate the passes

:14:18. > :14:22.of other members' staff? Would you be able to clarify

:14:23. > :14:24.the rules on this issue, as I was under the impression

:14:25. > :14:28.the question of authorising passes was the sole responsibility

:14:29. > :14:33.of the sponsoring member? I can say to the honourable lady

:14:34. > :14:37.in response to her point of order - for notice of which I'm grateful -

:14:38. > :14:41.that she's correct. That is the basis on which these

:14:42. > :14:46.matters are handled. I understand, I was conscious

:14:47. > :14:50.of this, that the passes of several members of staff were incorrectly

:14:51. > :15:03.suspended, temporarily, on Friday. As soon as the error

:15:04. > :15:05.came to light... As soon as the matter came to light,

:15:06. > :15:10.the passes were reinstated. We do not discuss security matters

:15:11. > :15:13.on the floor of the House, so I do not propose to say any more

:15:14. > :15:16.on this matter. Moreover, I don't need to do so,

:15:17. > :15:21.because I've given the information the honourable lady sought,

:15:22. > :15:25.and I have very specifically answered the point that she raised

:15:26. > :15:29.in her point of order You're watching Monday

:15:30. > :15:37.in Parliament, with me, On Friday, prison officers

:15:38. > :15:45.in England and Wales staged unofficial walk-outs and held

:15:46. > :15:47.meetings outside their prisons. They have serious concerns

:15:48. > :15:51.about the increase in At one jail, staff have been

:15:52. > :15:56.stabbed, spat at and kicked. The Justice Secretary Michael Gove

:15:57. > :15:59.has been explaining what he is doing to make life safer

:16:00. > :16:02.for prison officers. It was his first appearance

:16:03. > :16:05.at the Despatch Box since his failed It is of profound concern to me that

:16:06. > :16:11.serious assaults against staff in prisons have been

:16:12. > :16:13.on the rise recently. In the 12 months to December 2015,

:16:14. > :16:17.there have been 625 incidents, Those who work in our prisons

:16:18. > :16:24.are idealistic public servants who run the risk of assault

:16:25. > :16:27.and abuse every day. But they continue in their jobs,

:16:28. > :16:31.because they're driven They want to reform

:16:32. > :16:34.and rehabilitate offenders - that is why we must

:16:35. > :16:37.stand behind them. He said the Government had initiated

:16:38. > :16:40.a huge reform programme. We'll be replacing ageing

:16:41. > :16:44.and ineffective prisons with new establishments,

:16:45. > :16:46.designed to foster rehabilitation. We'll give governors greater scope

:16:47. > :16:50.to design regimes that encourage We will ensure that prisoners

:16:51. > :16:54.are more effectively incentivised And as we press ahead

:16:55. > :16:58.with this reform programme, I'm confident that we can

:16:59. > :17:01.ensure our prisons can become what they should always be -

:17:02. > :17:04.safe and secure places The situation on our prison estate

:17:05. > :17:15.continues to deteriorate, And I'm sorry that we've heard

:17:16. > :17:20.nothing new from him today, Over the weekend, prison staff held

:17:21. > :17:24.crisis meetings across the country, amid concerns about their security

:17:25. > :17:27.and safety in the workplace, and incidents of violence

:17:28. > :17:30.and disorder reported He highlighted serious problems

:17:31. > :17:35.at Liverpool jail. According to local staff at that

:17:36. > :17:39.prison in Liverpool, the past 12 months have had more

:17:40. > :17:42.assaults than the previous 12 years. Including one member of staff

:17:43. > :17:46.who was stabbed, while others have been spat at, punched and kicked,

:17:47. > :17:48.and urine and faeces Frankly, the secretary of state has

:17:49. > :17:53.been absent in the last few weeks, and we have had an inadequate

:17:54. > :17:56.and reactive response The situation in our underfunded

:17:57. > :18:04.prisons is deteriorating. I wonder whether the secretary

:18:05. > :18:07.of state is prepared to acknowledge that the combination of rising

:18:08. > :18:09.prisoner numbers and shrinking budgets is a major factor impacting

:18:10. > :18:12.upon the welfare and safety of both The Scottish Government is committed

:18:13. > :18:16.to significant reform of penal policy, aimed at reducing

:18:17. > :18:19.reoffending by moving away from ineffective,

:18:20. > :18:22.short-term prison sentences in favour of more effective

:18:23. > :18:25.community sentences, which have been shown to be more

:18:26. > :18:29.effective in preventing reoffending. She is right that there is much

:18:30. > :18:33.we can learn in England and Wales I wouldn't say Scotland has got

:18:34. > :18:36.everything right in terms of criminal justice and penal

:18:37. > :18:39.policy, but I do think there are some welcome changes that

:18:40. > :18:43.are taking place in Scotland, not least with respect to the care

:18:44. > :18:46.and treatment of female offenders. I hope, in the near future,

:18:47. > :18:51.to have the chance to talk to leaders within the Scottish

:18:52. > :18:53.prison service and visit Scottish prisons in order to better

:18:54. > :18:55.understand what's working, and to learn from the initiatives

:18:56. > :18:58.that they have been piloting. The root cause of the

:18:59. > :19:02.problem is overcrowding. That creates stress on the members

:19:03. > :19:07.of staff and, indeed, There are currently 13,000 foreign

:19:08. > :19:13.national prisoners in our prisons. And the prisoner transfer

:19:14. > :19:17.arrangement with the EU has so far We have now, obviously,

:19:18. > :19:22.decided to come out of the EU. What further steps can be taken

:19:23. > :19:25.in order to get countries to take Michael Gove did, of course,

:19:26. > :19:33.campaign to leave the EU. The chairman of the Home Affairs

:19:34. > :19:36.Select Committee makes a very good point, there are far too many

:19:37. > :19:38.foreign national offenders I have been working

:19:39. > :19:42.with the Home Secretary in order It is actually the case

:19:43. > :19:45.and sometimes countries outside the European Union -

:19:46. > :19:48.I'm always loath to mention Albania, but on this occasion, Albania,

:19:49. > :19:50.outside the European Union at the moment - have

:19:51. > :19:53.actually concluded good, bilateral arrangements with this

:19:54. > :19:55.country in order to facilitate And he said it wasn't necessary

:19:56. > :20:00.to be in the EU to have good When Michael Gove was

:20:01. > :20:04.Education Secretary, he toughened up the rules to stop

:20:05. > :20:08.absences from school in term time. But now, there's a petition

:20:09. > :20:12.signed by over 200,000, people calling for a return to ten

:20:13. > :20:20.days of authorised absence. Two MPs from the southwest

:20:21. > :20:23.of England - where many parents work in the tourist industry -

:20:24. > :20:25.said greater flexibility was needed. Back in 2013, the Government changed

:20:26. > :20:29.the law on taking children out of school in term time,

:20:30. > :20:33.so that now you receive a penalty fine of ?60 per child,

:20:34. > :20:37.and this can increase if not paid Before the change in the law,

:20:38. > :20:45.which was passed by way of a statutory instrument,

:20:46. > :20:47.and without the impact assessments being considered,

:20:48. > :20:49.head teachers had discretion to allow up to ten days off

:20:50. > :20:52.for pupils in special circumstances. That approach was rooted

:20:53. > :20:55.in common sense. Teachers know their pupils,

:20:56. > :20:59.they know the families they come from, and they know

:21:00. > :21:02.the communities they are part of. I hope that perhaps one other

:21:03. > :21:06.the result of raising this issue today will be that holiday companies

:21:07. > :21:10.take a long, hard Holiday companies, airlines,

:21:11. > :21:16.those that offer package holidays. They should not be charging such

:21:17. > :21:19.vastly inflated prices Andy Murray wouldn't have got

:21:20. > :21:26.to where he was yesterday had he not been given leave at various times

:21:27. > :21:30.to attend tennis camps It seems very, very unfair,

:21:31. > :21:38.and it seems very, very difficult that so many different regions

:21:39. > :21:44.in England treat unauthorised The new Shadow Education Secretary

:21:45. > :21:49.backed the Government's approach. Every day of school missed can

:21:50. > :21:54.affect a pupil's chance of developing, as well as their

:21:55. > :21:58.classmates passing the exams, and gaining good qualifications

:21:59. > :22:05.with which to build 7 million parents know the benefits

:22:06. > :22:08.of regular attendance. After all, schools are in session

:22:09. > :22:16.for just 190 out of 365 days a year. The Government acknowledges,

:22:17. > :22:18.of course, that families holidays can be enriching experiences,

:22:19. > :22:23.but the school year is designed to give families numerous

:22:24. > :22:26.opportunities to enjoy holidays without having to disrupt

:22:27. > :22:29.children's education. Parents should plan their holidays

:22:30. > :22:32.around school breaks and avoid seeking permission from schools

:22:33. > :22:37.to take their children out of school during term time, unless there

:22:38. > :22:40.are exceptional circumstances. And I recognise that the cost

:22:41. > :22:45.of holidays is a frustration I would certainly encourage

:22:46. > :22:50.travel operators to do what they can to provide value

:22:51. > :22:55.for money to families. With such a frenetic pace of change

:22:56. > :22:58.in Westminster at the moment, there are a few things

:22:59. > :23:00.in parliamentary life that some politicians

:23:01. > :23:02.would like to stay the same. There's been an ongoing dispute over

:23:03. > :23:06.whether Acts of Parliament should continue to be printed on vellum,

:23:07. > :23:10.or whether quality paper will do. The Lords - with a few exceptions -

:23:11. > :23:13.wants to stop the use of vellum. But the Commons wants to keep it,

:23:14. > :23:17.and the Government has May I congratulate the Government

:23:18. > :23:22.on offering assistance to help preserve this very long,

:23:23. > :23:26.and deeply cherished tradition, which has great practical

:23:27. > :23:30.importance, since vellum lasts Should we not be particularly

:23:31. > :23:36.conscious of the strength of feeling which has been exhibited

:23:37. > :23:39.in the other place in favour of retaining vellum,

:23:40. > :23:43.especially in view of the resolution passed by both Houses of Parliament

:23:44. > :23:48.in 1849 that there should be no change without the express

:23:49. > :23:50.consent of both of them. I'm very delighted to be discussing

:23:51. > :23:54.this pressing issue today, because there's not

:23:55. > :23:58.much else going on. I respect what my noble

:23:59. > :24:04.friend has to say, but I would just gently repeat what I have said,

:24:05. > :24:06.which is the recording of Acts of Parliament

:24:07. > :24:09.is a matter for the two houses, and we very much hope that way

:24:10. > :24:11.forward can be found I can't really believe that

:24:12. > :24:20.that is the Government position. My Lords, this house,

:24:21. > :24:22.in our committees, has decided To reintroduce it would be hugely

:24:23. > :24:27.expensive and a complete I do hope the Government are not

:24:28. > :24:31.reversing their position on this. I gently say again, this is a matter

:24:32. > :24:35.for both houses and a matter for the committee of this House

:24:36. > :24:38.and the committee of the other House I'm delighted though

:24:39. > :24:42.that the Labour Party is now looking to save money,

:24:43. > :24:45.this is a great turnup for books. As I say, this is not a matter,

:24:46. > :24:50.my Lords, this is not We have made an offer, but it is up

:24:51. > :24:58.to the houses to decide. Will my noble friend not take very

:24:59. > :25:01.carefully into account what the other House, the other

:25:02. > :25:05.place has so very sensibly decided. Should not this have a united

:25:06. > :25:09.parliamentary response, where we acknowledge the supremacy

:25:10. > :25:13.of the elected House? The letter from Lord Cormack

:25:14. > :25:17.in the Times deserves to be printed on vellum and preserved

:25:18. > :25:20.for posterity. That's a very

:25:21. > :25:24.interesting point. Lord Cormack had suggested

:25:25. > :25:28.in his letter that Andrea Leadsom should withdraw from

:25:29. > :25:30.the leadership contest. A course of action that,

:25:31. > :25:33.a few hours later, Well that's it from

:25:34. > :25:37.Monday in Parliament - the day that Theresa May

:25:38. > :25:39.was confirmed as the Keith Macdougall will be

:25:40. > :25:43.here covering the fast-moving events in Parliament

:25:44. > :25:45.for the next two days. But from me, Kristiina

:25:46. > :25:50.Cooper, goodbye.