:00:20. > :00:24.Good evening, this is Susan Hulme at Westminster.
:00:25. > :00:31.Labour asks with additions to the council tax bill will provide a fair
:00:32. > :00:35.and reasonable solution to the pressures on social care, asking...
:00:36. > :00:38.Why health ministers don't stand up for vulnerable and older people in
:00:39. > :00:44.this country and why they don't fight harder to get extra funding
:00:45. > :00:51.for social care. The Defence Secretary out difficulty in getting
:00:52. > :01:01.aid to Aleppo. It is almost impossible to get food drops in when
:01:02. > :01:09.the city is controlled by Syrian and Russian troops. Why don't we get the
:01:10. > :01:14.board of Southern rail to stand on those platforms at 645 in the
:01:15. > :01:21.morning and managed to get into London at least an hour late.
:01:22. > :01:24.There are signs that the government is looking at allowing local
:01:25. > :01:27.councils in England to raise more money for the care of
:01:28. > :01:32.elderly and vulnerable adults from council tax.
:01:33. > :01:37.The government has countered that at the last election Labour didn't
:01:38. > :01:41.offer any more money to local government to pay for social care.
:01:42. > :01:47.Spending on long-term care in our country is more than the OECD
:01:48. > :01:55.average. In particular, it is more than France and Germany.
:01:56. > :01:59.Nevertheless, I accept, Mr Speaker, the system is under strain. Any
:02:00. > :02:08.system would benefit from higher budget and social care. But quality
:02:09. > :02:13.matters, too. Today is not a budget statement, Nora local government
:02:14. > :02:17.settlement. But I wish to end by commending again the many hundreds
:02:18. > :02:19.of thousands of carers who work so hard to make the current system work
:02:20. > :02:36.for so many. On this side, we called on the government to
:02:37. > :02:40.urgently bring forward promised funding to address the crisis. The
:02:41. > :02:44.Chancellor didn't listen, he didn't bring forward any funding for social
:02:45. > :02:48.care nor, indeed, mentioned it at all. Can the Minister tell us in his
:02:49. > :02:53.response by health ministers don't stand up for vulnerable and older
:02:54. > :02:59.people in this country and why they don't fight harder to get extra
:03:00. > :03:02.funding for social care? I hope in looking at coordinated policy across
:03:03. > :03:05.government, the Minister will not only look at good join up between
:03:06. > :03:10.the Department of Health and local government but also other policies
:03:11. > :03:13.like lifetime homes, family strengthening and flexible
:03:14. > :03:17.employment policies, all of which will help us deal with these issues.
:03:18. > :03:22.Can he give us some encouragement on that score? He's quite right. There
:03:23. > :03:30.is a whole raft of measures that need to be taken on. And better
:03:31. > :03:34.integration of health and social care funding and we are pursuing
:03:35. > :03:37.that vigorously. Basically, the back pressure from social care is
:03:38. > :03:43.actually what is causing the NHS to struggle. I totally agree with the
:03:44. > :03:46.Minister in regards integration and, in Scotland, where we have the
:03:47. > :03:50.integrated joint boards, it's brought a change quicker than we'd
:03:51. > :03:56.have hoped. Our delayed discharges are down 9% in the year. In England,
:03:57. > :04:02.they are up 30%. This isn't something that is easy. It is
:04:03. > :04:07.something that needs to be funded. The Minister has completely missed
:04:08. > :04:14.the point raised by my friend Mike on the bench -- my honourable
:04:15. > :04:19.friend. A 1% rise in council tax in Doncaster raises 21% less than a
:04:20. > :04:25.council in the Prime minister's constituency. Surely, the problem is
:04:26. > :04:29.being pushed onto the areas that can least afford it. She will be right,
:04:30. > :04:34.I would have missed the point had I not said that that issue she has
:04:35. > :04:37.raised is addressed by the way we distribute the additional better
:04:38. > :04:43.care fund which takes into account the relative need. Does the Minister
:04:44. > :04:46.share the view of the Care Quality Commission that the system is close
:04:47. > :04:50.to tipping point? Does he understand the impact that has on very many
:04:51. > :04:55.frail and elderly people? Does not agree that now is the time to bury
:04:56. > :05:00.our differences, work together to come up with a long-term settlement
:05:01. > :05:05.for the health care system? Today is not the day in which we will
:05:06. > :05:12.announce a Royal Commission on the funding of care into the future. But
:05:13. > :05:14.I do agree, Mr Speaker, that it is important we put care funding on
:05:15. > :05:20.Twitter better structural basis into the future and the honourable member
:05:21. > :05:23.was right to say that. That was the health minister. Later on, there
:05:24. > :05:26.were reports the Syrian government was claiming victory in the
:05:27. > :05:32.stand-off with rebel forces in Aleppo. At Question Time, some
:05:33. > :05:37.Michael Fallon told MPs it was almost impossible to get food aid
:05:38. > :05:40.into the war-torn city. He said Russian control of Syrian air
:05:41. > :05:45.defences meant that air dropping of aid would mean planes would be shot
:05:46. > :05:51.down. Tens of thousands of people have been trapped with virtually no
:05:52. > :05:53.food or water. Given the US and Nato's precision airdropped
:05:54. > :05:56.capability, can I ask the Secretary of State what conversations he's had
:05:57. > :06:01.with the incoming US administration and with other allies on the
:06:02. > :06:05.feasibility of using this specific capability to alleviate the
:06:06. > :06:11.suffering in Aleppo. Well, we have continually examined options for
:06:12. > :06:18.getting aid into Aleppo, which is now where people are in the most
:06:19. > :06:23.appalling situation. It is almost impossible to get food or medicine
:06:24. > :06:28.clinic in by airdropped when the air defences are controlled by Russia
:06:29. > :06:31.and the Syrian regime. And permissions are not forthcoming. We
:06:32. > :06:38.have looked at other options, such as using the airfield, but it is
:06:39. > :06:43.outside the control of the moderate opposition, and we will continue to
:06:44. > :06:47.look at all kinds of options but it is already very, very late for the
:06:48. > :06:52.people of eastern Europe. Russia, for all its belligerence, doesn't
:06:53. > :06:59.want to trigger a conflict with the UK and our Nato allies. And the
:07:00. > :07:03.longer that this is sensually cowardice goes on in the face of
:07:04. > :07:09.their posturing, the more they will push and the harder it will be for
:07:10. > :07:12.any resolve to come to the dreadful tragedy happening in that country.
:07:13. > :07:18.We continue to get any possibility of getting food or medicine into
:07:19. > :07:22.Aleppo or some of the other besieged areas. But it isn't simply a
:07:23. > :07:27.question of Russian permission. We also would have to make sure that
:07:28. > :07:32.any drops are feasible, considering the vulnerability of aircraft to
:07:33. > :07:39.ground to air defence systems as well. The Secretary of State said it
:07:40. > :07:42.was very late for the people of eastern Aleppo but it isn't too late
:07:43. > :07:45.and I'd second the calls that those planes could be flying over and
:07:46. > :07:51.providing humanitarian airdrops. There are 200 members on this side
:07:52. > :07:53.who have signed a letter calling for this leading humanitarian
:07:54. > :07:59.organisations and Wilkie look at it again? We have continued to look
:08:00. > :08:03.almost daily at the various ways in which we might be able to get food
:08:04. > :08:07.aid in. It is not possible in a contested air space with ground to
:08:08. > :08:11.air missile systems and Russian aircraft flying overhead, denying
:08:12. > :08:17.permission. It isn't possible to fly coalition aircraft over Aleppo and,
:08:18. > :08:22.without that security, we are unable to drop food where it is most needed
:08:23. > :08:26.but we continue to look at all the options. Can I ask the Secretary of
:08:27. > :08:32.State if he will continue and will not at any stage give up on looking
:08:33. > :08:38.at any way that we can alleviate the terrible suffering that is going on
:08:39. > :08:42.in East Aleppo? Well, I can give her that assurance and we continue to
:08:43. > :08:48.look at these options, to talk to the NGOs, who are willing to help us
:08:49. > :08:52.provide food and medicine, and some food and medicine is going into
:08:53. > :08:57.other cities in Syria, but not into Aleppo itself. Simply because of the
:08:58. > :09:02.impossibility of flying aircraft in that airspace over Aleppo, and the
:09:03. > :09:06.very real risk of aircraft then being shot down. The Defence
:09:07. > :09:11.Secretary, some Michael Fallon. Later, the Commons decided to have
:09:12. > :09:16.an emergency debate on how best to help Syrian strapped in Aleppo. The
:09:17. > :09:18.application was made by a conservative former international
:09:19. > :09:22.development secretary, Andrew Mitchell. The need for immediate
:09:23. > :09:28.concerted international action to evacuate from East Aleppo the
:09:29. > :09:32.remaining approximately 40 doctors, approximately 70 nursing staff, 500
:09:33. > :09:39.children, at least 100 of whom have been wounded, and are receiving
:09:40. > :09:41.rudimentary care, along with thousands of terrified civilians,
:09:42. > :09:46.caught between the different fighting groups in a ten by ten
:09:47. > :09:50.kilometre enclave, where those trapped are, I make no apology to
:09:51. > :09:54.the house for raising this vital issue again. You granted a debate on
:09:55. > :09:59.these matters two months ago. On that occasion, the Foreign Secretary
:10:00. > :10:04.made his first major speech from the despatch box and express the horror
:10:05. > :10:07.so many feel at what is happening in Syria and Aleppo. I am sure, Mr
:10:08. > :10:12.Speaker, if you grant this emergency debate, the house will hope to hear
:10:13. > :10:16.an update from the Foreign Secretary, who has already shown his
:10:17. > :10:20.deep and principled concern about what is taking place. The debate
:10:21. > :10:28.will be held on Tuesday, with the house updated on ongoing debates.
:10:29. > :10:30.With three days of strike action on Southern Rail services
:10:31. > :10:33.in the South-East of England about to start, peers today urged
:10:34. > :10:35.the Government to step in to end the long-running row
:10:36. > :10:44.Southern bosses have warned commuters not to use services
:10:45. > :10:52.because the service will be impacted regardless on Tuesday. The row
:10:53. > :10:55.minister is meeting with duty are in order to be updated on the latest
:10:56. > :11:00.position on how the operator will provide service on days of
:11:01. > :11:05.industrial action. This is a dispute between the operator and unions. The
:11:06. > :11:12.Secretary of State has also written to union leaders in an attempt to
:11:13. > :11:16.bring this dispute to an end. Rather than taking sides, shouldn't the
:11:17. > :11:21.government be trying to put pressure on both sides in this dispute, given
:11:22. > :11:25.the six months of intolerable disruption for consumers in the
:11:26. > :11:30.southern region, and forced the parties through the media to come to
:11:31. > :11:36.terms through ACAS in the next few days ahead of Christmas? Well, I
:11:37. > :11:41.agree with the noble Lord and that is what my honourable friend did. He
:11:42. > :11:44.wrote to both unions and asked them to meet with Southern at ACAS which
:11:45. > :11:49.was supposed to take place yesterday. That meeting didn't take
:11:50. > :11:52.place because the unions hadn't responded to the invitation from my
:11:53. > :11:58.honourable friend, his Secretary of State, and this isn't about taking
:11:59. > :12:02.sides. This is about getting this long-standing dispute resolved. This
:12:03. > :12:06.is just no good. Today, the two trains, first two trains this
:12:07. > :12:14.morning, were delayed. No excuse, no apology. And, then, the people get
:12:15. > :12:20.into the carriages and take the tabloids that are available, and
:12:21. > :12:25.most of them have full page ads from Southern saying, we are sorry. But
:12:26. > :12:31.nothing about it. Why can't we get the board of Southern to stand on
:12:32. > :12:36.the cold, wet platforms at 6:15am and managed to get into London at
:12:37. > :12:40.least an hour late. I know my honourable friend has raised this
:12:41. > :12:44.issue both in your lordship was maccas and also with me bilaterally
:12:45. > :12:50.and let me assure her, I do not miss an opportunity to make sure the
:12:51. > :12:54.Secretary of State is aware of the strong sentiments. On strike days,
:12:55. > :13:00.there is continuous disruption on this line. And those of us who
:13:01. > :13:04.travel on a daily have to suffer the files that has been going on for
:13:05. > :13:08.longer than six months. Can the noble Lord, the minister, tell the
:13:09. > :13:13.house what discussions the government has had with the company,
:13:14. > :13:16.regarding the management of their sickness and absence policy? Because
:13:17. > :13:21.it is precious little comfort to those of us trying to get on a train
:13:22. > :13:26.or waiting for trains to be told, time and time again, there is a
:13:27. > :13:30.temporary shortage of trained crew? What is the company doing about
:13:31. > :13:34.that? It is very well to go on about how the union isn't doing what you
:13:35. > :13:39.want it to do but I have to say the company has come out of this
:13:40. > :13:46.argument over the last 9-12 months looking shabby indeed. As the noble
:13:47. > :13:50.lady knows, I've acknowledged the fact that the communications have
:13:51. > :13:54.been ineffective in the company itself has to take responsibility.
:13:55. > :13:59.I've never stood at the despatch box and said this is an issue or problem
:14:00. > :14:03.raised by the unions alone. It is a challenge, there are challenges
:14:04. > :14:07.between the company Network Rail. In that regard, my honourable friend
:14:08. > :14:11.the Secretary of State, as the noble lady will know, has appointed Chris
:14:12. > :14:17.Skip to look at the issues of the continual issues, not just on strike
:14:18. > :14:22.days as they arise, on this issue... The issues can be resolved. The
:14:23. > :14:25.Transport Minister. This is Monday in Parliament. Our top story. Labour
:14:26. > :14:29.has warned the government that using a portion of council tax to boost
:14:30. > :14:33.funding for social care will create a two tier service. But a health
:14:34. > :14:41.minister says cash will be allocated on the basis of need.
:14:42. > :14:48.Labour has made a call for 21st-century fox interest in sky to
:14:49. > :14:59.be referred to the media watchdog Ofcom. Report more duck has it 39%
:15:00. > :15:01.stake -- Rupert Murdoch. The shadow culture Minister reminded the
:15:02. > :15:05.comments. Will the Minister commit
:15:06. > :15:07.the Government here and now to issuing a public interest
:15:08. > :15:09.intervention notice Remember, back in 2012 Ofcom's
:15:10. > :15:12.assessment of the CEO of Fox James Murdoch was that he,
:15:13. > :15:15.and I quote, repeatedly fell short of
:15:16. > :15:17.the exercise of responsibility to be The Prime Minister met
:15:18. > :15:20.with Ruperth Murdoch Powers to intervene in some
:15:21. > :15:35.media mergers on public interest grounds set out
:15:36. > :15:36.in Government guidance
:15:37. > :15:39.on the operation of the public under that act give
:15:40. > :15:42.an indication of how the intervention regime
:15:43. > :15:42.will operate in practice,
:15:43. > :15:44.the approach the Secretary of State is likely to adopt
:15:45. > :15:46.in considering cases. Any transaction will be looked
:15:47. > :15:49.at on its merits on a The guidance makes clear
:15:50. > :15:52.that the Secretary of State will aim to take an initial
:15:53. > :15:55.decision on whether to intervene within ten working days of formal
:15:56. > :15:58.notification of the merger to the Compeition Authorities
:15:59. > :16:01.or of the transaction been brought
:16:02. > :16:03.to her attention. No such formal notification
:16:04. > :16:17.has yet been received. The culture minister with
:16:18. > :16:21.responsibility for digital services. How long should it take before
:16:22. > :16:27.Britain leave the European Union? Theresa May says she intends to
:16:28. > :16:31.trigger Article 50 in March. What happens after that? The Chancellor
:16:32. > :16:36.Philip Hammond has indicated he favours a more drawn out transition
:16:37. > :16:40.period, rather than a clean break. I would like to move on to the
:16:41. > :16:49.question of transitional arrangement is for leaving the EU. Do you think
:16:50. > :16:58.we are going to be necessary? There is an emerging view among
:16:59. > :17:03.businesses, among regulators and among thoughtful politicians as well
:17:04. > :17:07.as I think quite a universal view among civil servants on both sides
:17:08. > :17:15.of the English Channel that having a longer period to manage the
:17:16. > :17:19.adjustment between where we are now as full members of the European
:17:20. > :17:23.union, and where we get to in the future as a result of the
:17:24. > :17:27.negotiations that we will be conducting, would be generally
:17:28. > :17:34.helpful, would tend towards a smoother transition and route
:17:35. > :17:41.running less risks of disruption, including crucially risks to
:17:42. > :17:47.financial stability which must be a very real concern. I appreciate the
:17:48. > :17:51.answer is yes. That is another way of putting it. I do not think we
:17:52. > :17:54.should approach this on the basis that we need transitional
:17:55. > :17:59.arrangements because I think we can only get to a situation where we
:18:00. > :18:03.have a transition if there is a genuine meeting of minds on both
:18:04. > :18:08.sides of the negotiation and they are beneficial. We, the current
:18:09. > :18:12.members of the EU? Yes, collectively. Collectively I think
:18:13. > :18:17.the arrangements would be beneficial to us. What we are talking about in
:18:18. > :18:23.a nut shell is a risk of severe instability. By these
:18:24. > :18:27.representations being made to you? Yes, we are hearing from the
:18:28. > :18:31.financial service sector is of concerns in this area. As you say,
:18:32. > :18:35.falling to two categories I think. They are about disruption to
:18:36. > :18:40.patterns of business. Remember that the financial service sector in
:18:41. > :18:46.London supports in many ways the real economy across the European
:18:47. > :18:50.Union. The businesses in manufacturing and agricultural
:18:51. > :18:58.sectors, for example. Also if changes in practice are carried out
:18:59. > :19:07.in haste, there is a danger that regulatory procedures will not be as
:19:08. > :19:11.robust as they should be. Full understanding of what is being
:19:12. > :19:16.regulated will not necessarily being had by all regulators involved. This
:19:17. > :19:20.would run risks for stability of the financial system as a whole. The
:19:21. > :19:23.committee member Rachel Reeves was the friend of the murdered MP Jo
:19:24. > :19:31.Cox. She had this question about the single being released in her memory.
:19:32. > :19:35.Brendan and other parliamentarians are releasing a single before
:19:36. > :19:39.Christmas to raise money for the Jo Cox foundation. I was wondering
:19:40. > :19:42.whether the Treasury will consider waiving VAT on that single so that
:19:43. > :19:48.more money could be raised for because is that your care so much
:19:49. > :19:51.about? Of course the Government fully support the efforts of
:19:52. > :19:57.parliamentary colleagues and others to raise funds for the Jo Cox
:19:58. > :20:00.foundation and we have heard those representations. You will be aware
:20:01. > :20:04.and members of the committee will be aware that the Government does not
:20:05. > :20:12.have it in its power to waive VAT because of European union rules.
:20:13. > :20:15.What I can do and I will do is announce that the Government will
:20:16. > :20:22.donate to the foundation and equivalent amount to the VAT paid on
:20:23. > :20:26.sales of the forthcoming single you can not always get what you want.
:20:27. > :20:33.Thank you very much. I welcome that decision and thank you to your
:20:34. > :20:40.colleagues. Thousands of people have been killed in the conflict in Yemen
:20:41. > :20:43.in which Saudi Arabia is leading a campaign to restore the Government.
:20:44. > :20:50.Boris Johnson and he repeat from Downing Street for accusing them of
:20:51. > :20:54.proxy wars. MPs complained the UK policy was no longer clear on the
:20:55. > :20:59.issue. Please confirm that we would never be involved in any
:21:00. > :21:04.puppeteering or proxy wars anywhere in the world, including in Yemen.
:21:05. > :21:09.Our influence and credibility as an honest broker is now being seriously
:21:10. > :21:13.questioned. When we criticised Russia's bombing of Aleppo, the
:21:14. > :21:19.Russians are accusing us of supporting the same thing in Yemen.
:21:20. > :21:23.Further to what the minister has said, can you clarify that our
:21:24. > :21:30.objective is an immediate ceasefire and can he lay out the detail on how
:21:31. > :21:34.we will get to that position? As the Foreign Secretary has said, we hold
:21:35. > :21:41.the pen is an Yemen at the united nations. There is a draft resolution
:21:42. > :21:45.calling for a ceasefire, resumption of peace talks and humanitarian
:21:46. > :21:49.access. Where is this resolution now? Will it be tabled before the
:21:50. > :21:55.Security Council before the end of the year? We must not fiddle as
:21:56. > :22:00.Yemen burns. She material access is vital. I made it very clear that we
:22:01. > :22:05.are investing more funds to make sure we can support the UN agencies
:22:06. > :22:10.and others in order to get through. The resolution that he touches on a
:22:11. > :22:13.still being discussed in New York as he speaks. The quad meeting which
:22:14. > :22:18.will take these matters further is coming up in the near future. He
:22:19. > :22:23.does touch on a comparison between Yemen and the conflict in Syria. I
:22:24. > :22:29.make it very clear that the support for the president has the backing of
:22:30. > :22:35.the United Nations through the resolution. There is a legitimate
:22:36. > :22:54.call for supporting President and what he has done.
:22:55. > :22:57.He has still been slapped down by Downing Street and forced to go
:22:58. > :23:00.to clarify his remarks and he has sent as junior minister today
:23:01. > :23:02.to support Saudi Arabia's actions to the hilt.
:23:03. > :23:05.It seems that he will will not support our calls for an independent
:23:06. > :23:07.UN investigation into Saudi Arabia's alledged war crimes and he will
:23:08. > :23:10.continue to sell them arms to prosecute it proxy wars.
:23:11. > :23:11.There is no consistency, no principle.
:23:12. > :23:16.We hear so much about the Government's positive
:23:17. > :23:18.relationship with Saudi Arabia, although it is not clear
:23:19. > :23:20.whether that extends to the Foreign Secretary.
:23:21. > :23:23.What good is that relationship if Government cannot and will not
:23:24. > :23:25.use its influence to prevent the killing and starvation
:23:26. > :23:28.Speaking to the Yemeni diaspora in Liverpool,
:23:29. > :23:29.their very clear message is
:23:30. > :23:31.that they fear for the lives of people back home.
:23:32. > :23:34.This is a country on the edge of famine.
:23:35. > :23:36.Can I urge the Government, and it is good to see
:23:37. > :23:40.do everything that we can as a country to relieve the humanitarian
:23:41. > :23:45.What representations has the Government made to the Iranian
:23:46. > :23:50.Government to stop the flow of arms to the Houthis?
:23:51. > :23:52.At the same time, what representations have been made
:23:53. > :23:56.to facilitate with the Iranians the opening of the ports, so that
:23:57. > :24:00.much-needed and desperate aid can get through to the Yemenis that are
:24:01. > :24:15.The honourable gentleman raises a very important point. What is their
:24:16. > :24:21.involvement in Yemen? Is it helpful or hindering? Yemen can play a more
:24:22. > :24:25.constructive role in making sure weapon systems are not entering the
:24:26. > :24:30.country themselves and making sure the Houthis are coming to the table
:24:31. > :24:37.and making sure the absence of ships that might want to come in to harm
:24:38. > :24:45.the Houthis .de 's are things we are asking Iran to recognise. There has
:24:46. > :24:49.been no mention to Iran, the UK must take responsibility for the
:24:50. > :24:53.escalating violence in Yemen. If we had not agreed to the nuclear deal,
:24:54. > :24:58.the billions of pounds of resources would not be able to go into this
:24:59. > :24:59.conflict and indeed conflict in Syria, Lebanon and other parts of
:25:00. > :25:06.the middle east. Dr Caroline Johnson retained
:25:07. > :25:08.the seat of Sleaford and North Hykeham for
:25:09. > :25:10.the Conservatives in a by-election Will the member wishing
:25:11. > :25:22.to take her seat... The conservative won the seat in a
:25:23. > :25:24.by-election after the resignation of a conservative who disapproved of
:25:25. > :25:29.the Government's policy on Brexit. I swear by Almighty
:25:30. > :25:31.God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance
:25:32. > :25:34.to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth her heirs and successors according
:25:35. > :25:36.to law, so help me God. Kristiina Cooper's here for the rest
:25:37. > :25:44.of the week but from me,