20/02/2017 Monday in Parliament


20/02/2017

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Hello and welcome to Monday In Parliament, our look

:00:19.:00:20.

Peers start debate on the Brexit Bill -

:00:21.:00:25.

with the Leader in the Lords warning them not to slow things down.

:00:26.:00:29.

The government is determined to trigger Article 50 by the 31st of

:00:30.:00:37.

March in order to deliver on the decision of the British people. The

:00:38.:00:44.

bill before us is a procedural part of that withdrawal process.

:00:45.:00:46.

MPs debate two petitions on Donald Trump - one calling

:00:47.:00:49.

for his state visit to be cancelled, the other welcoming it.

:00:50.:00:51.

One Labour MP said it went against everything she'd

:00:52.:00:54.

By allowing Donald Trump a state visit and rolling out the red carpet

:00:55.:01:05.

we are endorsing all of those views, all of those things I've fought hard

:01:06.:01:11.

against, and saying, do you know what? It's OK.

:01:12.:01:12.

And the Business Secretary pledges to do all he can

:01:13.:01:15.

to safeguard jobs at Vauxhall, amid speculation a French motor

:01:16.:01:17.

Every part of Britain has a stake in Vauxhall and so I completely agree

:01:18.:01:26.

with her that we will do everything we can and my personal commitment

:01:27.:01:30.

and the commitment of this government will be unbounded.

:01:31.:01:33.

The House of Lords has begun considering the law

:01:34.:01:35.

which would allow Brexit to go ahead.

:01:36.:01:36.

The Prime Minister was in the chamber to hear

:01:37.:01:39.

The Leader of the Lords, Lady Evans, warned peers not to block Brexit -

:01:40.:01:44.

although some have called for the Lords to ask

:01:45.:01:47.

for greater oversight in Parliament of the final deal.

:01:48.:01:50.

187 peers are scheduled to speak over two days of debate.

:01:51.:01:53.

The process of leaving the European Union is a complex one

:01:54.:02:01.

but it is also an opportunity for your Lordships' House

:02:02.:02:03.

to demonstrate the valuable role that we can play.

:02:04.:02:06.

I know that the Great Repeal Bill will be of particular interest

:02:07.:02:08.

but it will be only one of a number of bills brought before

:02:09.:02:12.

Parliament during the process of exiting the EU.

:02:13.:02:16.

From immigration to customs, this House and the Other Place

:02:17.:02:20.

will have a huge number of opportunities to help shape

:02:21.:02:22.

My Lords, the Government is determined to trigger Article 50

:02:23.:02:29.

by the 31st of March in order to deliver on the decision

:02:30.:02:32.

The bill before us is a procedural part of that withdrawal process.

:02:33.:02:42.

I welcome the constructive tone we have heard from the Opposition

:02:43.:02:44.

that they will not seek to frustrate this process while of course

:02:45.:02:47.

undertaking the scrutiny role we are here to perform.

:02:48.:02:51.

Last June the 23rd this country held a historic referendum

:02:52.:02:56.

with a straightforward direct question, should the UK remain

:02:57.:02:58.

a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?

:02:59.:03:02.

It required a straightforward direct answer, a single cross in either

:03:03.:03:08.

The result of that referendum, although hardly overwhelming,

:03:09.:03:18.

was clear in favour of leaving the EU, but although that question

:03:19.:03:22.

was simple and straightforward the simplicity ended there.

:03:23.:03:25.

For those charged with implementing the decision it

:03:26.:03:27.

None of us know what Brexit will look like and that has created

:03:28.:03:35.

and fuelled uncertainty for business, for universities,

:03:36.:03:41.

for science, for environmentalists, and worrying for both EU citizens

:03:42.:03:44.

living and working in the UK and UK citizens living and working

:03:45.:03:47.

And it has become obvious that no thought had been given

:03:48.:03:54.

to our citizens in Gibraltar or the implications

:03:55.:03:58.

for Northern Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement.

:03:59.:04:01.

But the Liberal Democrat Leader in the Lords said the idea

:04:02.:04:04.

the second chamber should nod the bill through without amending

:04:05.:04:06.

of opinion in this House which is seeking to prevent

:04:07.:04:16.

the passage of this bill but there is a world of difference

:04:17.:04:19.

between blocking the bill and seeking to amend it.

:04:20.:04:25.

So, my Lords, if we clearly have the power to amend the bill,

:04:26.:04:28.

Brexit is the most important single issue which has faced

:04:29.:04:39.

For many of us the approach being adopted by the Government

:04:40.:04:46.

There was a resounding majority in support of the bill

:04:47.:04:54.

in the Other Place, so however much I and the many, many others who have

:04:55.:04:58.

been writing to us during the past few days might have wished that it

:04:59.:05:01.

were otherwise I am convinced that there is no turning back.

:05:02.:05:06.

As it is, I confess to a keen desire to get on with the Article 50

:05:07.:05:10.

It has been made clear to us many times, particularly

:05:11.:05:18.

by the noble lord the Minister, that the government will not

:05:19.:05:21.

reveal its hand until notification is given and the process

:05:22.:05:24.

My Lords, I'm speaking only for myself, as I must do from

:05:25.:05:34.

this position on these benches, where all others speak

:05:35.:05:36.

for themselves, when I say that I find this acutely frustrating.

:05:37.:05:38.

Do we really want to remain in the EU for the next two years?

:05:39.:05:42.

Even the poor old International Monetary Fund, which gets

:05:43.:05:47.

practically every forecast wrong, but maybe not this time, says

:05:48.:05:56.

Greece's debts are on an explosive path and the IMF appears unwilling

:05:57.:05:59.

Professor Otmar Issing, the ECB first chief economist,

:06:00.:06:06.

said recently, "The ECB is becoming dangerously

:06:07.:06:09.

overextended and one day the house of cards will collapse."

:06:10.:06:13.

The Government has lost its sense of perspective in this matter.

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The Prime Minister is terrified of looking less than full hearted

:06:18.:06:20.

Debate is discouraged in case it gives the impression

:06:21.:06:26.

Critics are attacked in case their arguments catch on.

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As is well-known, I was a Remainer, not, I might say,

:06:40.:06:42.

because of my pension rights but because I am a patriot.

:06:43.:06:45.

With the sound of an anti-Trump protest on the streets

:06:46.:06:57.

of Westminster echoing through the walls, MPs settled down

:06:58.:06:59.

to debate petition number 178844 - President Trump's state visit

:07:00.:07:01.

More than 1.8 million people had signed it.

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A counter-petition supporting the visit had mustered

:07:07.:07:08.

And for three hours MPs argued the issue.

:07:09.:07:17.

Only two Presidents of the US have been granted a state visit since

:07:18.:07:27.

1952. It is extraordinary but here we have a position where seven days

:07:28.:07:35.

into his presidency he is invited to have a full state visit,

:07:36.:07:37.

extraordinary. Completely unprecedented. The fact is that

:07:38.:07:43.

there were 61 million people who voted for Donald Trump and when we

:07:44.:07:49.

stand up in this country and then condemn him for being racist, and I

:07:50.:07:52.

have seen no evidence of that, I have seen no evidence of him being

:07:53.:07:59.

racist, or that they attack him in an unseemly way they are actually

:08:00.:08:04.

attacking the American people. There are many African-Americans in

:08:05.:08:09.

America sitting at high in fear. They are concerned about the

:08:10.:08:17.

president, who has had the support of the Ku Klux Klan. They are

:08:18.:08:20.

concerned about the president, who has welcomed white supremacists, it

:08:21.:08:28.

is a term which we almost hoped would fall into history, into his

:08:29.:08:40.

close in a circle. It is to my mind foolish to allow our personal views

:08:41.:08:47.

and assessments of an individual and some of their more grotesque

:08:48.:08:51.

characteristics and behaviour to blur what is in Britain's national

:08:52.:08:59.

interests. What I believe is Britain's national interest is to

:09:00.:09:03.

continue that special relationship. Listen carefully and you hear the

:09:04.:09:08.

thousands of people outside right now outside this House saying they

:09:09.:09:11.

do not want Donald Trump to be coming into this country on a royal

:09:12.:09:18.

state visit. We have a duty to listen to these people, to give them

:09:19.:09:22.

a voice, and if people from the Trump administration are listening

:09:23.:09:28.

this is not fake news. This is a special moment for the special

:09:29.:09:32.

relationship. Mr Turner, the visit should happen, the visit will

:09:33.:09:37.

happen, and when it does I trust that the UK will extend a polite and

:09:38.:09:40.

generous welcome to President Arnold Trump. -- Donald.

:09:41.:09:46.

Concerns about assessments for people with limited mobility

:09:47.:09:48.

have been raised at Work and Pensions questions.

:09:49.:09:52.

The Government's promised to look into individual cases

:09:53.:09:54.

and has promised to streamline the appeals process.

:09:55.:09:56.

Separately, ministers promised support to help people

:09:57.:09:57.

with mental-health issues and learning disabilities

:09:58.:09:59.

May I ask the Secretary of State to be personally

:10:00.:10:02.

A victim of a house fire when she was 12 weeks

:10:03.:10:07.

In the migration from DLA to PIP she could not open the envelope

:10:08.:10:16.

On the 1st of February, all her benefits ceased.

:10:17.:10:21.

On the 10th of February her Motability

:10:22.:10:23.

Obviously, if the honourable lady wishes to contact me directly

:10:24.:10:36.

and urgently about this case, we will take it up.

:10:37.:10:40.

Yet again one of my constituents has been to see me about a PIP

:10:41.:10:44.

assessment that has led to her Motability vehicle being

:10:45.:10:46.

She is currently appealing and I have written to the Minister

:10:47.:10:54.

about the case, but what reassurance can she give me and my constituents

:10:55.:10:58.

that this vehicle that she needs will be returned to her?

:10:59.:11:00.

Well, I would first of all point out that there are 70,000 more people

:11:01.:11:04.

in receipt of Motability and making use of that scheme than there

:11:05.:11:09.

were in 2010, but she will know that there are improvements

:11:10.:11:12.

that we want to make to the Motability scheme.

:11:13.:11:15.

We have been working very closely with that independent organisation.

:11:16.:11:23.

We are now attending their board meetings and are able to work much

:11:24.:11:26.

more strategically and I have spoken at length so I won't repeat it,

:11:27.:11:29.

Mr Speaker, but those areas where we wish to see better customer

:11:30.:11:35.

service and we hope to bring forward some announcements shortly.

:11:36.:11:37.

Does she agree that local voluntary groups such as the Talk It

:11:38.:11:40.

Out mental-health group in my constituency do invaluable

:11:41.:11:43.

work helping people to be work-ready and we must do more to support them?

:11:44.:11:48.

I do agree with my honourable friend that voluntary organisations have

:11:49.:11:51.

huge insight and expertise that we can tap into and commend

:11:52.:11:55.

the work of Talk It Out in his constituency.

:11:56.:11:59.

This is one reason why we are recruiting 200 community

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partners across the Jobcentre Plus network so we can ensure

:12:03.:12:05.

we are reaching all of those organisations and benefiting

:12:06.:12:07.

from the huge experience and wisdom they have.

:12:08.:12:13.

Can the Minister say what consideration has been given

:12:14.:12:16.

to providing tax breaks to employers who hire employees with a certified

:12:17.:12:20.

mental-health illness, as proposed by the National Autistic

:12:21.:12:22.

The honourable gentleman has hit on a theme of the green paper.

:12:23.:12:31.

There is much work going on in this area, both for those with mental

:12:32.:12:35.

illness but also those with a learning disability.

:12:36.:12:40.

Just to mention one health trial, there is a trial going

:12:41.:12:42.

on at the moment looking at discounting business rates

:12:43.:12:44.

for employers that have good mental-health practice.

:12:45.:12:49.

You're watching Monday In Parliament.

:12:50.:12:51.

Still to come: the head of Volkswagen in the UK says there's

:12:52.:12:54.

no need for compensation for drivers who bought a car with greater

:12:55.:12:57.

The Business Secretary has promised an "unbounded commitment"

:12:58.:13:04.

The French group PSA, which owns Peugeot and Citroen,

:13:05.:13:10.

is in talks to buy the European arms of General Motors,

:13:11.:13:13.

Greg Clark said the UK car industry was a "beacon of success" and known

:13:14.:13:19.

But MPs asked what effect Brexit and the UK's less rigorous employee

:13:20.:13:26.

protection would have on the future of Vauxhall production.

:13:27.:13:28.

Vauxhall is one of our oldest and most valued motor manufacturers.

:13:29.:13:41.

It has been making cars in Britain for 113

:13:42.:13:44.

years and has been owned for the last 92 years

:13:45.:13:47.

There are over 45,000 people employed directly by

:13:48.:13:51.

GM or in Vauxhall's retail or supply chain in this country.

:13:52.:13:53.

Last Tuesday, news emerged that GM are in

:13:54.:13:55.

discussions with the French company PSA about the

:13:56.:13:57.

I spoke to be president of GM that afternoon and

:13:58.:14:01.

communicated the importance we attach to Vauxhall's presence in the

:14:02.:14:04.

The plant at Ellesmere Port in Luton benefit from its

:14:05.:14:13.

dedicated and highly skilled staff who and are among the most efficient

:14:14.:14:16.

If this takeover does go ahead, we need to get the message

:14:17.:14:20.

out that risking the closure would be a retrograde step, not just from

:14:21.:14:23.

the UK economy but also for the new owners.

:14:24.:14:32.

Will the Secretary of State confirm that he will use all the

:14:33.:14:34.

tools in his disposal to protect jobs at Vauxhall.

:14:35.:14:37.

This is a worrying time for everyone affected but it is not a new

:14:38.:14:40.

There have been threats to the plant in the past.

:14:41.:14:46.

They have been seen off by industry collaborations

:14:47.:14:48.

between unions, management and

:14:49.:14:49.

Can the Secretary of State confirm he will work closely with everybody

:14:50.:14:54.

Every part of Britain has a stake in Vauxhall.

:14:55.:14:57.

I completely agree with him that we will do

:14:58.:14:59.

everything that we can and

:15:00.:15:02.

it is my personal commitment will be unbounded to make sure the future,

:15:03.:15:07.

building on the success of the plant in his constituency, of the

:15:08.:15:10.

I am grateful for his support for that.

:15:11.:15:16.

I will of course work with all the groups, including

:15:17.:15:27.

the trade unions, including the workforce, to make that case,

:15:28.:15:30.

Vauxhall has been a huge name in Bedfordshire for over a

:15:31.:15:34.

century and that tradition continues with IBC plant in Luton,

:15:35.:15:36.

Whilst I want to see the Secretary of State do everything he can

:15:37.:15:41.

to secure those jobs, can he say a bit about the pensioners in this

:15:42.:15:45.

country, many of whom are in my constituency?

:15:46.:15:47.

They will be worried for the future of their pensions.

:15:48.:15:49.

Can he say something on that issue as well as the jobs?

:15:50.:15:52.

I am grateful to my honourable friend.

:15:53.:15:56.

Of course, in any prospective take over, the

:15:57.:15:58.

continued welfare of pensioners is of great importance.

:15:59.:16:01.

I mentioned how important that would be in my

:16:02.:16:06.

discussions both with GM and with PSA.

:16:07.:16:09.

Both organisations are well aware of the importance that I,

:16:10.:16:18.

as well as my honourable friend, attach.

:16:19.:16:20.

I do not think we can ignore the impact that

:16:21.:16:22.

Brexit may have in this going forward.

:16:23.:16:26.

If it is a direct competition between a German plant and a

:16:27.:16:29.

UK plant, regardless of the undoubted strength of the UK plant,

:16:30.:16:32.

when they have 75% of their components and 80% of their exports

:16:33.:16:37.

going to the single market, they will be at a disadvantage

:16:38.:16:39.

Can I take this opportunity to ask the Secretary of

:16:40.:16:44.

State, given he has said he will do everything

:16:45.:16:46.

he can at all times, to rule out the hard Brexit

:16:47.:16:49.

that is being proposed, reassess We can leave the EU but we do not

:16:50.:16:52.

have to leave the single market and doing so will protect

:16:53.:16:59.

employees at Vauxhall and right We are all, as local MPs,

:17:00.:17:02.

justifiably proud of the work that they have done

:17:03.:17:05.

which has kept this for our efficiency and productivity

:17:06.:17:07.

in the Ellesmere Port plant. But given that it is much

:17:08.:17:23.

cheaper effectively to get rid of British workers

:17:24.:17:27.

because of the nature of the employment rights in

:17:28.:17:30.

this country compared to France and Germany,

:17:31.:17:31.

what can he do to ensure that when it

:17:32.:17:36.

comes to potential cost-cutting that equation is evened up,

:17:37.:17:41.

so we can support British The concern will be that this

:17:42.:17:43.

issue of this important company's future in Britain will

:17:44.:17:49.

become collateral damage in wider negotiations and deals

:17:50.:17:51.

regarding Brexit. In the face of elections in France

:17:52.:17:54.

and Germany this year, does he think that nations will have

:17:55.:17:58.

to engage in an ever rising bidding If so, what will he do

:17:59.:18:01.

for British manufacturing? If I was on the board

:18:02.:18:08.

of directors and had a very successful vehicle

:18:09.:18:12.

manufacturing outlet in the fifth biggest

:18:13.:18:15.

economy in the world, and that economy was about to leave

:18:16.:18:18.

the EU, I think I would want to invest more in that facility

:18:19.:18:22.

and make sure that I do not put In the Commons, the Government

:18:23.:18:25.

accepted limits on the number of properties and land that could be

:18:26.:18:32.

compulsorily purchased to make way A House of Lords Committee had

:18:33.:18:35.

recommended that powers be restricted to what's needed

:18:36.:18:42.

for the project - rather than the wider development

:18:43.:18:45.

and regeneration opportunities. The Transport Minister,

:18:46.:18:48.

Andrew Jones, said the powers had been intended as a "backstop"

:18:49.:18:50.

if commercial negotiations failed. However, the Lords felt that

:18:51.:18:55.

given the broad nature of the powers, and the

:18:56.:18:57.

fact that local authorities had similar

:18:58.:18:59.

powers, it was unnecessary for

:19:00.:19:01.

the Government The Government accepts this

:19:02.:19:02.

ruling and will continue to work with local

:19:03.:19:07.

authorities to ensure that opportunities for regeneration

:19:08.:19:09.

arising from phase one If there is then disagreement,

:19:10.:19:11.

these powers would therefore give the Department for Transport

:19:12.:19:18.

the power to do this by fear - to override the local

:19:19.:19:21.

authority or local resident's Well, it certainly does give

:19:22.:19:23.

the power to the Secretary of State, if required,

:19:24.:19:40.

to make TROs himself that hinder the delivery

:19:41.:19:45.

of the railway. I think an answer to the honourable

:19:46.:19:48.

gentleman's question We cannot have a position

:19:49.:19:50.

with a significant national project could be held up over

:19:51.:20:00.

a small matter of TROs. The best thing to do

:20:01.:20:02.

is to work with the highways These are some back stop powers

:20:03.:20:05.

is just in case that does The government decision was welcomed

:20:06.:20:09.

by a former Conservative cabinet minister and opponent of the HS2

:20:10.:20:13.

scheme, Cheryl Gillan. Such a sweeping power would have

:20:14.:20:15.

been adding insult to injury with the plundering of

:20:16.:20:17.

property that has resulted from this project, which is as ravenous

:20:18.:20:20.

for land as it is taxpayers money. If we had not had this

:20:21.:20:23.

amendment accepted, the Government would have been able

:20:24.:20:26.

to buy up land for a lucrative developments, virtually

:20:27.:20:29.

without control. However, I still have

:20:30.:20:30.

constituents with They believe that HS2 one has

:20:31.:20:37.

to give 28 days notice to enter and do what they like to

:20:38.:20:48.

the land and pay no compensation until the job is finished,

:20:49.:20:51.

which they believe could be MPs accepted the changes made

:20:52.:20:53.

by the Lords to the HS2 Bill It will give ministers the ability

:20:54.:20:57.

to begin work on the line This first phase of

:20:58.:21:02.

the ?56 billion scheme, which will eventually run

:21:03.:21:05.

to Manchester, is expected The head of Volkswagen in the UK

:21:06.:21:07.

has told MPs there are no grounds for paying compensation

:21:08.:21:16.

to the 1.2 million British drivers affected by the scandal

:21:17.:21:18.

over emissions tests In 2015, the German car giant

:21:19.:21:20.

was found to have installed a "defeat device" or software

:21:21.:21:30.

designed to foil emissions tests in the United States,

:21:31.:21:34.

and as a result has paid out The scandal also spread

:21:35.:21:37.

to Europe and elsewhere, with millions of cars being recalled

:21:38.:21:43.

for remedial measures the group's UK Managing Director,

:21:44.:21:45.

appeared before the Commons Transport Committee,

:21:46.:21:53.

he insisted in answer to questioning from a Labour MP that

:21:54.:21:55.

compensation for British drivers My position on compensation

:21:56.:21:57.

is absolutely consistent and clear. You cannot compare the situation in

:21:58.:22:10.

Europe to what you are referring to. I think you are referring

:22:11.:22:13.

to the United States. For example, after the technical

:22:14.:22:20.

fixes, there is no change to the vehicles in terms

:22:21.:22:28.

of fuel consumption. There is no change in

:22:29.:22:32.

terms of the criteria. The vehicles are more

:22:33.:22:35.

or less where they Indeed, one of the discussion points

:22:36.:22:36.

we have had previously is any effect From all the data that

:22:37.:22:45.

I analyse, and all the data that I see from the people who are

:22:46.:22:54.

experts and independent on residual values, there is no

:22:55.:22:57.

evidence that there has been any degradation

:22:58.:22:59.

in What I come back to

:23:00.:23:00.

is there is no loss. Compensation is a legal

:23:01.:23:06.

question in the end and therefore there is no legal

:23:07.:23:09.

basis for compensation. But what about those drivers who'd

:23:10.:23:11.

been misled on the levels of nitrogen oxide being emitted

:23:12.:23:17.

by the vehicles? Mr Efford wanted to know

:23:18.:23:20.

weren't they entitled Have you made an assessment

:23:21.:23:22.

of how much Volkswagen have benefited from selling vehicles

:23:23.:23:32.

on the basis of people making decisions on falsified

:23:33.:23:36.

emissions information? Our position is that we did not

:23:37.:23:38.

falsify any information at all. We never sold cars on the basis

:23:39.:23:41.

of nitrogen oxide levels. There is no falsification

:23:42.:23:44.

whatsoever. So as a result of the actions

:23:45.:23:45.

by people yet to be identified in Volkswagen, nobody was misled over

:23:46.:24:04.

emissions from your vehicles? In Europe, our position

:24:05.:24:06.

is that no one has been misled over

:24:07.:24:08.

emissions in Europe. The customers that

:24:09.:24:10.

bought your vehicles based on the information

:24:11.:24:13.

you were supplying, that we now know was incorrect for whatever reason,

:24:14.:24:16.

you do not feel any responsibility to them

:24:17.:24:18.

to compensate them in any way? You bear no responsibility

:24:19.:24:22.

to those customers at all? Well, first of all I have a great

:24:23.:24:27.

responsibility to our customers because without responsibility

:24:28.:24:32.

to our customers, we do not have a I come back and say

:24:33.:24:35.

to you we have a very important responsibility to our customers

:24:36.:24:39.

and that is why we are working so hard to apply the technical

:24:40.:24:42.

fixes, and that is why I have

:24:43.:24:44.

explained to the committee You came before us again and you're

:24:45.:24:47.

opening gambit, the first thing you came and told us in 2015 was how

:24:48.:24:55.

sorry you were, how awful it Today, you are sit in front of us

:24:56.:24:58.

and you have done nothing wrong. I am sorry for any ambiguity or any

:24:59.:25:05.

confusion that I have cost the You're sorry you have

:25:06.:25:08.

been made to look daft. You are sorry that

:25:09.:25:12.

you have been in a situation where Volkswagen was

:25:13.:25:19.

caught red-handed doing things that I'm afraid, Mr Menzies,

:25:20.:25:21.

I have to refute He then went on to describe Mr

:25:22.:25:37.

Willis as an incredible witness. The chairperson told the boss that he

:25:38.:25:39.

was free to go. Kristiina Cooper's here

:25:40.:25:40.

for the rest of the week.

:25:41.:25:46.

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