17/07/2017 Monday in Parliament

Now on BBC News, it's time for Monday in Parliament.

Hello, and welcome to Monday in Parliament.

There's an extra ?1.3 billion for schools in England.

Labour says the Government is in retreat, but the Education Secretary

Fury over the Government's decision on where to route

These constituencies are going to be demolished, and roads are going to

go straight to a development that is only just taking place.

And a debate about parliamentary debate.

Opposition parties say the Government is stifling democracy.

This is what happens when you do nothing, bad stuff happens. This is

a government at war with itself. But first, education in England

was thought to be a big issue on the doorstep

during the general election. The Government announced recently

that it will not be scrapping free school lunches for four

to seven year olds. Now, the Education Secretary has

announced an extra ?1.3 billion Labour said the money -

to be found out of existing education budgets -

was no more than a sticking plaster. We recognise that at the election,

people were concerned about the overall level of funding

in schools as well And as the Prime Minister has said,

we are determined to listen. So that is why today,

I am confirming our plans to get on with introducing a national

funding formula in 2018-19, and I can announce that this

will additionally now be supported by significant extra investment

into the core schools budget over... There will therefore be

an additional ?1.3 billion for in addition to the schools budget

set at spending review 2015. This funding is across the next two

years as we transition I will always be the first

to welcome new money for schools. After all, I have spent a year

asking the Secretary of State to give our schools the funding

they need, so it's nice to know I'm But sadly, Mr Speaker,

today's statement raises more I welcome the 1.3 billion announced

today, but can the Secretary of State confirm if it will protect

per-pupil budgets in real terms Astoundingly, this is all been

funded without a penny Perhaps the Chancellor didn't

want to fund schools and thought that teachers and teaching

assistants are simply more I wonder if the Secretary

of State agrees with him? I know they are in full retreat

from their own manifesto, but I don't see how this 1.3 billion

can possibly fit with it. Mr Chalk, you're usually

a very understated fellow. Rather a gentlemanly type,

I'd always thought. And you're sitting next to a very

senior member who normally behaves, Prince Andrew over there,

the very embodiment of... I think there's only one

party that is retreating We heard over the weekend

that the promise to students wasn't worth the paper it was written on,

and I think it was one of the most dishonest pieces of electioneering

I have seen in many, many years, and our young people

deserve better than to be peddled some snake oil propaganda that

proves to be not true. I call the chair of

the education select committee. The news will be welcomed

by schools, teachers and parents, especially given the additional

costs facing our schools. In addition to moving money

from healthy pupil programmes, my right honourable friend has said

she is redirecting 200 million from the Department's central

programme to Well, we will now go

through a process of looking across those programmes to identify

that ?200 million. But I think across an entire

departmental resource budget of ?60 billion,

it is a reasonable request to make sure that my department and civil

servants in my Department are having to similarly make

efficiency savings. While I welcome this announcement,

of extra money today, isn't the fact that the Government

got themselves into such a mess over schools funding an indication

of the fact that they haven't been And I'm not sure they are being

entirely straight with people now. The Secretary of State talks

about an increased schools budget, but fails to mention

that the number of pupils And isn't it the case that even

with this money today, the truth is that since 2015,

the real terms cuts per pupils that schools have faced is ?2.8 billion

and will be further, additional of ?8.9 billion even

when you take into account So there is still a massive

shortfall here, and I think it is about time the Government

started being straight with the figures of the reality

of what schools on I think we are setting

out our figures very transparently. One thing I don't expect to happen

as a result of today's funding announcement is for the website that

has been worrying parents I don't expect any of those numbers

to be updated because it is far easier just to simply continue

to peddle out of date data. She asked me about the numbers

of pupils, she is of course quite right and that is why I'm sure

she will welcome the fact that I'm saying that actually,

the real terms per-pupil spending The Government has announced

its preferred routes for the HS2 high-speed railway

north of Birmingham. One main route is to run east

of Sheffield, with a separate spur to take passengers

to the city centre. The Government has also announced

seven contracts worth nearly ?7 billion for some

of the engineering work There was anger from Conservative

and Labour MPs over the absence of a Commons statement

from the Transport Secretary, The points of order

came thick and fast. And sure enough, the Transport

Secretary Chris Grayling did get the message and made a statement

in the Commons later in the day. Can I seek your advice on an urgent

matter of the HS2 route and the announcement is due to be

made by the Transport ..Which will affect

millions of people? The Secretary of State

began his consultation with an oral statement last November

and there had been an expectation, Mr Speaker, that he would announce

his final decisions today with an oral statement,

and parts of the media All the indications

are now that the news will be sneaked out in a written statement

any time now. Mr Speaker, this is a gross

discourtesy and adds insult So I would seek your advice

about how we can get the Transport Secretary to come

to the House and show some Very grateful to the right

honourable gentleman As others relate to the same

subject, I will take them, or at least a number

of them, and then respond. Further to that point

of order, Mr Speaker, Because today, the Government has

announced, it's certainly been all over the airwaves,

?6.6 billion worth of contracts on HS2, and it would seem to me that

when such a large amount of taxpayers' money is being spent,

that the minister should come I appreciate the urgent question

in the statement and the business on the order paper today is equally

important, but I'm wondering whether you could extend

the sitting of this House, Mr Speaker, and allow us to

have a statement from the Minister? This is the latest in a long line

of actions by the Government which demonstrates an unwillingness

to make itself available, properly, I, too, sadly think it is outrageous

that this major item of public expenditure

which is affecting my constituents and those of many others

is not being reflected A lot of houses in my constituency

are going to be demolished and roads are going to go straight

through a development that has only just taken place,

that in Derbyshire there will be a slow track dawdling

its way to Sheffield and beyond and then a fast track

that goes to Meadowhall. This is a very important matter

and should be debated at length. I'm afraid it is not

within the power of I can only deal with

the situation as it evolves. But what I would say is that if no

statement is forthcoming from the Minister, it would be

perfectly open to members to do their best to secure

parliamentary time and attention tomorrow, and it may be that

such an exploration would take And it may be that faced

with that scenario, a minister might think

it prudent and judicious to anticipate the

difficulty and to offer Liberal Democrat Tom Brake has

raised reports that Saudi Arabia He said they included at least two

who were juveniles at the time of their alleged offences

and who were convicted on the strength of confessions

obtained through the use of torture. The Foreign Office Minister Alistair

Burt insisted that the UK Government opposed the death penalty

in all circumstances. He said Saudi Arabia was going

through a process of reform. The new chair of the Commons

Foreign Affairs Committee Will the minister ask

the Prime Minister to call on Saudi King Salman

and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to stop the executions,

especially of juveniles Mujtaba Sweikat and Salman Qureish,

from going ahead? Of the executions of juveniles

and others arrested English into alleged protest activity go

ahead, will the UK committed to freezing and reviewing any

criminal justice systems which could contribute

to the arrest of protesters And what further steps

will Her Majesty's Government to take to condemn Saudi Arabia's

use of the death penalty, especially in the case of people

with disabilities and juveniles such as Ali al-Nimr, Dawoud al-Marhoon,

and Abdullah al-Zaher? Our starting point for engagement

on human rights with all countries is based on what is practical,

realistic and achievable and we will always be ready to speak

out as a matter of principle. Ministers frequently discuss human

rights and raise concerns with the Saudi Arabian government,

we have a balanced relationship with Saudi Arabia and we use

engagement to encourage reform. We have heard over the years

Her Majesty's governments talk about the influence it has had over

the actions of the Saudi government I would be very grateful

if the Minister could, from his place today,

give some examples of Because on days like this,

it does leave some questions It's so difficult to try

and prove a negative. The authorities with which we deal

in Saudi Arabia are not necessarily any position to make their judicial

decisions dependent on external pressure,

and nor would we be in their case. What we do know is a number

of allegations are made about possible executions,

possible exclusions of minors, But whether or not it would be

specifically laid at the door of any Saudi Arabia is one

of the world's most prolific executioners and the death penalty

is increasingly being used as a punishment

for non-violent acts. Indeed, in January 2016,

the Saudi authorities executed 47 men in a single day

for alleged terrorism offences. And just last Monday,

six men were killed. It is becoming clear that these

executions are being used not only as a form of draconian punishment,

but as a tool to suppress political opposition,

to fight sectarian religious battles against the Shia minority

and antagonise their religious We are constantly being told

by the party opposite that we share They are not values

concerning human rights. They are not values

of international law. What are these values

we could possibly share with Saudi Arabia when they propose

to crucify somebody and to use Well, in response to the honourable

lady asking for things which we may share in common,

we shouldn't ignore Saudi Arabia's important contribution

to regional stability. It has had its own painful

experiences as the victim of numerous Daesh attacks,

and the collaboration with Saudi Arabia has

foiled terrorist attacks, So there are areas

where our interests work together in the interests

of the United Kingdom. It is a month now since

the devastating fire at Grenfell Tower, in which over

80 people died. The tragedy has left dozens of

families without a permanent home. Some are being offered

temporary accommodation. A few have received offers

of permanent homes. When the Communities Secretary Sajid

Javid updated MPs about re-housing the former Grenfell Tower residents,

the local MP, Emma Dent Coad, The first new permanent homes

will be available very shortly, and more are being secured,

either in Kensington and In the meantime, good quality,

fully furnished, temporary accommodation in the local area has

been offered to every family. Sorry, I'm not sure

about the formalities of this, but in some cases, this is due

to a single unsuitable offer. The fact that people are refusing

these homes is because an unsuitable One single, unsuitable offer,

and this is absolutely true. I am dealing with cases day by day

and I'm amazed that only 22 households have been matched

with temporary accommodation, four There are empty homes

all across the borough and they are still not

being taken up. They are being offered unsuitable

homes, can the Secretary of State please answer

what is happening here? I can tell the honourable lady,

first of all, there are only 220 temporary homes that

have been identified. They have been inspected,

they are all good quality, they are all available

with good quality accommodation. She has referred to something

that she is called an unsuitable offer, she should certainly bring

those details to me and we will certainly look at that

and take it very seriously. In terms of the families,

169 families have been, 30 offers of temporary accommodation

had been accepted by those families. As she will full well know

from talking to her constituents, many families don't feel ready

to move into temporary accommodation yet and we will absolutely

respect their wishes. You're watching Monday

in Parliament, with me, Coming up, a voyage of discovery

for one Minister as she watched I was amazed to see the diversity of

people on horseback and on foot. And I also got some nice food for

breakfast. With Brexit and the so-called

"Great Repeal Bill" on the horizon, MPs are putting parliamentary

scrutiny high on the agenda. Labour claims the Government

is trying to "stifle" debate by restricting

the parliamentary timetable. But the Government says it's

"business as usual", and Labour should focus on policy

rather than process. The convention is that each

parliamentary session must include 20 days on which the opposition

parties set the agenda. But as this session is twice

the usual length, there's confusion The Government has not

provided an opposition day before the summer recess,

making the earliest This means a staggering

eight months, nearly as long a time as it

takes to have a baby, without a single opposition day,

denying vital scrutiny The SNP and Labour

were equally upset. Perhaps unfavourably,

this Parliament has already been I actually think that this

comparison would actually give This is turbo-charged

political zombie-ism. But it's a curious type

of zombie-ism, Mr Speaker, cos if you look at them,

not only are they tearing the flesh from the public,

but they are starting If you look around Whitehall just

now, what passes for discourse, normal discourse, amongst

Secretaries of State and Whitehall departmentsm is briefing

and counter briefing. And this is what happens,

Leader of the House, when you do nothing -

bad stuff happens. This is a Government

at war with itself. The Government said many important

debates had already taken place. Last week, we had a vital debate

on the Grenfell inquiry. Many powerful points

were raised from members on all sides of the house,

and it's right that we have prioritised giving time to such

a catastrophic and tragic event. This week, we are having a general

debate on what more could be done to eradicate the evil

of drug misuse, and today, although now under threat by this

debate, we're scheduled to have a debate on the intimidation

and abuse of candidates in the general election -

abuse that challenges the very heart These, to me, Mr Speaker,

seem to be perfect examples of our parliamentary

democracy working well. And she accused Labour

of playing politics. My Government, this party,

has done far more for parliamentary So far, over 10 million people have

signed various petitions. The Government has formally

responded to 264 petitions, and 20 petitions have been

scheduled for debate. The Government has also responded

to a 162 urgent questions in this Mr Speaker, this urgent debate

is the result of party Nearly 13 million people voted

for the party opposite to come I don't believe they were voting

for petty time-wasting by Labour. One of the pledges in

the Conservatives' election manifesto was to give Parliament

a free vote on whether The Government has said it isn't

planning to hold a vote during this parliamentary session,

which is due to last for two years. It's an issue that still

rouses a few passions. Obviously the message is beginning

to seep through that Theresa May's support for hunting with hounds

was massively unpopular The manifesto pledge to reopen

the debate once again illustrated a party out of touch

with the British people. The latest polls showed

that an overwhelming My Lords, it is widely regarded

as cruel, inhumane and ineffective. So, can the noble lady confirm

that the ban on fox-hunting is now And can she give a guarantee that

any approach from the Council of Hunting Associations to

reverse the legislation will My Lords, I'd like to commend

the noble lady for her continued Any decision or announcement

on future legislation programmes will be made before the start

of the second session However, the Government does

acknowledge the high level of public interest in this debate,

and the strength of feeling on this Since the ban, the latest research

by the British Ornithological Trust and Springwatch have both shown

a significant fall, a decline, in the numbers

of both hares and foxes. In asking this question, I am having

to declare my interest as chairman of the Hunting Association,

and chairman of the Masters Of Foxhounds Association,

of which I am pleased gives so much amusement opposite, but are the only

two organisations, clearly, which have any interest

in the welfare of Given the latest successful

prosecution by the police of three members of the Grove

and Rufford Hunt, does the Minister agree with me that the Hunting Act

is both enforceable and effective? My Lords, I do agree with the noble

lady in that the police are under a duty to enforce the Hunting Act,

and enforcement is ultimately But I would also say that,

as with any suspected criminal activity, we rely on

the general public as well. Anyone who believes an offence

is taking place, or has taken place, should report the matter

to the local police. My Lords, I declare my

interest as the president of the Countryside Alliance

and a passionate hunter. Can I take up with the minister,

if I may, very briefly, the point that has has just been

made by the noble The issue where the methods

available now to those who were suffering fox predation,

of which I have to say I have been one in recent

weeks very considerably, are sneering, which is in my view

likely to cause very considerably greater and prolonged suffering,

and night shooting, which does cause Does the noble Minister agree

that what is important, as soon as it is politically

possible, is to look at the way in which we manage wildlife

populations and come up with a method which is stable,

which is acceptable on both sides of the argument,

and which puts animal welfare at the forefront,

which I don't believe Will my noble friend join

with me in commending one of Anthony Trollope's novels

Of The American Senator? It describes the visit

to the English countryside in the mid-19th-century

of Mr Senator Gotobed, who arrives and is at first

shocked by what he sees in the English countryside,

fox-hunting in particular, but, after weeks of experience,

comes round to their merits My Lords, I have not actually read

that particular book, but I will commend it to you anyway

because you've got weeks off. But I would like to say, actually,

that I watched my first hunt earlier this year,

and I was amazed to see the diversity of people involved,

from all walks of life, on horseback and on foot, and I also

got a taste for mini-sausages Well, mini-sausages and port

might not be on the breakfast menu at Skegness, but a Lincolnshire MP

is urging holiday-makers to consider Skegness was home to the first

Butlins Holiday Resort in 1936. It has a clean, sandy beach

and - says the tourist board - With Parliament on its last week

before the summer break, minds are, quite naturally,

turning towards the holidays. Mr Speaker, as you know,

in Lincolnshire we have some They trip off the tongue

with a litany of sun and fun - Cleethorpes,

Mablethorpe, Skegness... Indeed, Mr Speaker, when you go

on your holidays on Thursday, don't go to Italy and France,

come to bracing Skegness. So, can I say to my right honourable

friend, can he promise to use the Coastal Communities Fund

to promote all-round tourism, and after Brexit match

the ?143 million we receive in European Regional Development

Fund for these resorts? Mr Speaker, my right honourable

friend rightly highlights the importance of all of our coastal

communities, and of course those in Lincolnshire as well,

many I had the pleasure of visiting during the recent

general election campaign, and I can assure that we

will continue to use the Coastal Communities Fund,

and whatever other resources we have available,

to help promote those areas. Brexit and the general election,

never far from the conversation. Well, that it's from

Monday In Parliament. Alicia McCarthy will be

here for the rest of the week, but, from me,

Kristiina Cooper, goodbye. Yesterday, we saw 27

degrees in the London area, with increasing amounts of medium

and upper-level cloud, but the sky stayed pretty much clear

in northern Scotland. And, through the day today,

we're going to see those temperatures creeping

up a notch or two. 29 degrees somewhere

in England and Wales.