0:00:23 > 0:00:26Hello and welcome to Monday in Parliament, our look at the best
0:00:26 > 0:00:28of the day in the Commons and the Lords.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30On this programme.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32The Government promises action "within days" to deal
0:00:32 > 0:00:42with allegations of sexual harassment at Westminster.
0:00:42 > 0:00:48These reports risk bringing all of our offices into disrepute.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50A peer voices fears that a flu epidemic could strike
0:00:50 > 0:00:54with little warning.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57The problem with viruses, like pandemics is that they are
0:00:57 > 0:00:59completely unpredictable and never hit on the way we expect beforehand.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01And what's wrong with first past the post voting?
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Lots of things, say some Opposition MPs.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09Unless you live in one of a small number of heavily targeted marginal
0:01:09 > 0:01:12seats, your vote quite simply does not count.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Not for the first time, MPs have been putting
0:01:15 > 0:01:16the spotlight on themselves.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Or, at least, on the practices and, more particularly,
0:01:18 > 0:01:19the "culture" of Westminster.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22It follows days of allegations of sexual harassment
0:01:22 > 0:01:24and inappropriate behaviour inflicted on mainly female MPs
0:01:24 > 0:01:28and staff working at Parliament.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31There've even been reports of women using the 'WhatsApp' social
0:01:31 > 0:01:35messaging service to issue warnings about known "sex pest" MPs.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38The Commons Speaker John Bercow stressed
0:01:38 > 0:01:45the importance of the issue.
0:01:45 > 0:01:52I wish to make a statement about recent disturbing allegations about
0:01:52 > 0:01:59a culture of sexual harassment and Westminster. Between members and
0:01:59 > 0:02:07those who work for members. Let me make it clear, there must be zero
0:02:07 > 0:02:12tolerance of sexual harassment or bullying here at Westminster or
0:02:12 > 0:02:13elsewhere.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16The Leader of the House favoured bringing in a code of conduct
0:02:16 > 0:02:23and a grievance procedure.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25As members of Parliament, our constituents will be rightly
0:02:25 > 0:02:30appalled at the thought that some representatives in Parliament may
0:02:30 > 0:02:34have acted in an entirely inappropriate way towards others.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39These reports risk bringing all of our offices into disrepute. I know
0:02:39 > 0:02:43this is an issue of great concern to you, Mr Speaker, and I know you will
0:02:43 > 0:02:47do everything you can to tackle this issue. I know members from all
0:02:47 > 0:02:51parties will want to work alongside you to investigate every claim,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55provide the right support in the future, and make sure this never
0:02:55 > 0:03:00happens again. Mr Speaker, it is a bright, not a privilege, to work in
0:03:00 > 0:03:04a safe and respectful environment. These plans will ensure that
0:03:04 > 0:03:09Parliament takes a zero tolerance approach. It is absolutely right
0:03:09 > 0:03:13that the House must address the urgent issue of alleged mistreatment
0:03:13 > 0:03:18of staff by members of Parliament. These allegations make clear that
0:03:18 > 0:03:23there is a vital need to provide better support and protection for
0:03:23 > 0:03:27the thousands of staff members working in Westminster and in
0:03:27 > 0:03:32constituency offices across the country.She is right, there is
0:03:32 > 0:03:36obviously a problem. It's a good thing it has been exposed and it has
0:03:36 > 0:03:40to be dealt with. No woman or man coming to work in this House should
0:03:40 > 0:03:45be subjected to an unwanted sexual advances from those who are in a
0:03:45 > 0:03:51position of power over them. No one should have to work in the toxic
0:03:51 > 0:03:56atmosphere of sleazy sexist or homophobic banter. No MP, let alone
0:03:56 > 0:04:00a minister, should think it is something to make jokes about. This
0:04:00 > 0:04:04is not hysteria. This is something which is long overdue for all the
0:04:04 > 0:04:09parties in this House to deal with. No one voted for me to come to this
0:04:09 > 0:04:17House to engage in high jinks, no one elected any of us to engage in
0:04:17 > 0:04:20sleazy, oppressive behaviour. It has to be stopped now is the time to do
0:04:20 > 0:04:21it.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Welcoming the new procedures, one MP recalled comments made about her
0:04:23 > 0:04:26by the Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34I'm delighted to hear the Leader of the House will extend these to other
0:04:34 > 0:04:38forms of abuse. Will that include those MPs who go on rallies
0:04:38 > 0:04:45endorsing the lynching of other MPs? It is an absolute disgrace that
0:04:45 > 0:04:53senior MPs go about their business getting violence against female MPs.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57I welcome these steps to eradicate harassment from this place. But when
0:04:57 > 0:05:03I complained recently to an officer of Parliament to have some
0:05:03 > 0:05:06responsibility in this area that I knew a number of researchers, male
0:05:06 > 0:05:10and female, who had been made to feel deeply uncomfortable in the
0:05:10 > 0:05:15sports and social club here by members of Parliament, I was told
0:05:15 > 0:05:21that that happens in pubs all over the country.Of course the House,
0:05:21 > 0:05:25what we recognise is that this is a fault of undiluted power. When
0:05:25 > 0:05:29someone holds your entire future in their hands, it is very difficult to
0:05:29 > 0:05:35refuse or to speak out. While it is sexual abuse and sexual harassment
0:05:35 > 0:05:40that has brought this to the attention today, it is also
0:05:40 > 0:05:44misogyny, dismissal, and gender discrimination.Sexual harassment is
0:05:44 > 0:05:48a problem in Parliament as it is in workplaces and schools, right across
0:05:48 > 0:05:52the country. It is often worst weather big discrepancy of power I
0:05:52 > 0:05:58really hope that the news reports of the last few days actors watershed
0:05:58 > 0:06:03moment and help to catalyse the change that we so clearly need, not
0:06:03 > 0:06:08least in the outdated attitudes that exist still in some quarters.As I
0:06:08 > 0:06:11walked in here, rushed in here today to come to this statement, I
0:06:11 > 0:06:14overheard two male colleagues walking through the halls, wittering
0:06:14 > 0:06:18about a witch hunt that was going on in Parliament. I think what we need
0:06:18 > 0:06:22to do in this building is not think of this as being a party political
0:06:22 > 0:06:26thing, but something that has two absolutely happen. We do not just
0:06:26 > 0:06:30cheer when our own side is the person getting attacked, we cheer
0:06:30 > 0:06:38when everyone is bound to rights.We talk about this being a modern
0:06:38 > 0:06:41workplace. Isn't that the rub? This is not a modern workplace, it's a
0:06:41 > 0:06:46very strange one. It is strange for members, for our families, and most
0:06:46 > 0:06:52of all for those members of staff. This is nothing new, as others have
0:06:52 > 0:06:56said. This comes about because of a political culture deferments, where
0:06:56 > 0:07:00people can't speak about what has happened to them for fear of their
0:07:00 > 0:07:04career being stifled. In order to change that political culture, it
0:07:04 > 0:07:10requires all of us to take very strong political leadership. I say
0:07:10 > 0:07:13this to the political leaders on both sides and all sides of the
0:07:13 > 0:07:18House, that means taking decisions against colleagues and others, even
0:07:18 > 0:07:21when that is inconvenient, even when that is against their own allies or
0:07:21 > 0:07:27their own supporters on their own side.Urgency is very important in
0:07:27 > 0:07:30how we deal with this issue, but nevertheless with the Leader of the
0:07:30 > 0:07:34House confirms is not going to be something that will be dealt with
0:07:34 > 0:07:37simply by house officials and those working in the Palace of
0:07:37 > 0:07:42Westminster? But the best practice would be utilised, and that advice
0:07:42 > 0:07:45would be sought from external organisations as to how they deal
0:07:45 > 0:07:49with this.Over the weekend I read some very worrying articles saying
0:07:49 > 0:07:53that whips officers from all political parties and senior members
0:07:53 > 0:07:57of the government-held information about sexual misconduct by their own
0:07:57 > 0:08:01MPs but stayed quiet because of fear of sabotaging their career and
0:08:01 > 0:08:06bringing the government into disrepute. Is the Leader of the
0:08:06 > 0:08:09House where these reports? That she believed them to be true and if so,
0:08:09 > 0:08:18what will she do about them?I am absolutely not aware of any such
0:08:18 > 0:08:23wrongdoing as she suggests, and I am absolutely confident that anybody
0:08:23 > 0:08:28you had serious allegations would be directed by the whips office or by
0:08:28 > 0:08:31members of Parliament to go directly to the police.
0:08:31 > 0:08:32Andrea Leadsom.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35A report into deaths in police custody in England and Wales has
0:08:35 > 0:08:40called for major reforms.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43The review was commissioned by Theresa May when she was
0:08:43 > 0:08:44Home Secretary two years ago.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46The report's 110 recommendations include changes in the police
0:08:46 > 0:08:50treatment of people suffering with mental health problems.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53In the Commons, a Home Office Minister said the Government had
0:08:53 > 0:09:02to ensure that the public had confidence in police officers.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07When things do go wrong, policing by consent can only have meaning. Where
0:09:07 > 0:09:11swift action is taken to find the truth, to expose institutional
0:09:11 > 0:09:14failings and tackle any conduct issues where these are found. I want
0:09:14 > 0:09:18to stress to the House that the issues identified in this report
0:09:18 > 0:09:22point to the need for reform in a number of areas. Where we have gone
0:09:22 > 0:09:27all set in motion work today. Her report also highlights complex
0:09:27 > 0:09:30issues, for which there are no easy answers at this time. The government
0:09:30 > 0:09:35response which are outlined today is to be seen as the start of the
0:09:35 > 0:09:39journey, a journey which will see a focused programme of work to address
0:09:39 > 0:09:45the problems identified.I personally have had to comfort to
0:09:45 > 0:09:48many families who said goodbye to their son in the morning, and he
0:09:48 > 0:09:53never came back. Can the Minister explain why we have had to wait two
0:09:53 > 0:09:57and a half years for the publication of this report which I understand is
0:09:57 > 0:10:01completed 15 months ago? Does the Minister agree with United friends
0:10:01 > 0:10:08and families that officers must be held to account?I have met with the
0:10:08 > 0:10:12Home Secretary and some of the families and their camp is
0:10:12 > 0:10:16overwhelming. Overwhelming. In terms of what they have had to endure, not
0:10:16 > 0:10:20just the original lost but the journey from that point, absolutely
0:10:20 > 0:10:26unacceptable. The report is devastating. It is a story of system
0:10:26 > 0:10:32failure and human failure going back over many, many years.I welcome
0:10:32 > 0:10:34this report and the governments response, in west Yorkshire we had
0:10:34 > 0:10:40the tragic case of Mark Kam who died as a result of being held in police
0:10:40 > 0:10:45custody when he should in have been sent on an emergency basis to
0:10:45 > 0:10:51hospital. And his family campaign for years to have the truth
0:10:51 > 0:10:56uncovered about the lack of monitoring of him in a police cell,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00but also who injured real difficulties with the failure of the
0:11:00 > 0:11:03IPC to properly investigate in a timely way and ensure that lessons
0:11:03 > 0:11:09were learned as a result of that case.Can I thank Mr Foy's
0:11:09 > 0:11:13statements, and his personal commitment to following through,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16particularly for better support for bereaved families? Can I take him up
0:11:16 > 0:11:20on his point about making sure we find the right places to detain
0:11:20 > 0:11:23people? We have heard about it and the respect of people with mental
0:11:23 > 0:11:27health problems. I want to press on the point of those were intoxicated.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31Tim Ellis makes a strong recommendation, recommendation 22,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35the government should consider drying up centres with international
0:11:35 > 0:11:37evidence suggests may be safer and cheaper than police custody.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40You're watching our round-up of the day in the Commons and the Lords.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Still to come: The government is accused of "passing the buck"
0:11:43 > 0:11:44over Grenfell Tower.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Now we regularly call Parliament the heart of British democracy.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53But how democratic is Parliament?
0:11:53 > 0:11:57An e-petition that's attracted more than 100,000 signatures says
0:11:57 > 0:11:59the current Westminster electoral system makes Parliament
0:11:59 > 0:12:02"unrepresentative".
0:12:02 > 0:12:07The petition demands the replacement of first-past-the-post voting
0:12:07 > 0:12:10with proportional representation, or PR, where numbers of MPs
0:12:10 > 0:12:13would exactly match the amount of public support across the country
0:12:13 > 0:12:16for each political party.
0:12:16 > 0:12:23In Westminster Hall, MPs debated changing the voting system.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Possibly the biggest argument for first past the post
0:12:25 > 0:12:28and against PR is that more often than not, it will produce
0:12:28 > 0:12:34a clear, decisive result and a stable government.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Just one moment.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Whereas, PR often results in no clear majority and days or weeks
0:12:39 > 0:12:47of backroom dealing in order to form a government.
0:12:47 > 0:12:53I just wonder whether he could perhaps explain what his
0:12:53 > 0:12:54definition of democracy is?
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Because I would have thought democracy is about ensuring
0:12:56 > 0:12:59that the governing party or parties actually command a majority
0:12:59 > 0:13:01of support in the country.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05And the truth is, that hasn't happened, has it, for some time?
0:13:05 > 0:13:08I think that historically, in our party, we have had the first
0:13:08 > 0:13:10past the post system which has delivered decisive government
0:13:10 > 0:13:15results over many, many years and that has served
0:13:15 > 0:13:19our country well.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22I believe that the current system has served our country well.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24And we are one of the greatest democracies on the planet,
0:13:24 > 0:13:28I personally believe, and therefore, I don't
0:13:28 > 0:13:31share his views.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33It is right and excellent if you are viewing this
0:13:33 > 0:13:36as a partisan position where simply what matters is your side wins,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39but if you are a Democrat, you have to look at this
0:13:39 > 0:13:42from the point of view as to what the public are putting
0:13:42 > 0:13:44forward and responding to that public demand.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46And if you are not doing that, you have to ask yourself,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49what is the purpose of elections to begin with?
0:13:49 > 0:13:51It cannot just be about maximising our individual own party advantage
0:13:51 > 0:13:54and finding a system that gets us to that point.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57That is not good enough and it is not what democratic
0:13:57 > 0:13:59systems are based upon.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Would you agree that the Scottish Parliament's D'Hondt system,
0:14:01 > 0:14:05which has a first past the post correction and also proportional
0:14:05 > 0:14:09representation list, is one of the best examples
0:14:09 > 0:14:12of a tried and tested proportional representation system that keeps
0:14:12 > 0:14:17the constituency link, which this petition advocates.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21For example, at the last Scottish election, the SNP got 46.5%
0:14:21 > 0:14:27of the votes and 48.8% of the seats.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Lord Norton is actually simplified the issues around PR and the ability
0:14:30 > 0:14:35of countries to form coalitions.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39And he has said that even though party A might have 40% of the vote
0:14:39 > 0:14:43and party B might have 20% of the vote, it does not mean
0:14:43 > 0:14:46that their joint manifesto has 60% of the vote.
0:14:46 > 0:14:51Without a secondary vote agreement in the manifesto,
0:14:51 > 0:14:53their government actually enjoys 0% support.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56It is a stitch up, done in a back room between parties.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01That is in stark contrast to single-member government produced
0:15:01 > 0:15:04by first past the post which knows for certain that it enjoys a large
0:15:04 > 0:15:06plurality of support and is therefore far more legitimate
0:15:06 > 0:15:16than a coalition government.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Why do the honourable member think that after the Second World War,
0:15:19 > 0:15:20British constitutionalists recommended to Germany
0:15:20 > 0:15:21for introducing the best government possible,
0:15:21 > 0:15:23the Best democracy, not first past the post,
0:15:23 > 0:15:30but a proportional system based on AMS?
0:15:30 > 0:15:31It was not first past the post.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33Could he explain why he thinks that was?
0:15:33 > 0:15:36I'm here to talk about first past the post in the United Kingdom...
0:15:36 > 0:15:37LAUGHTER.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41..continue to talk about.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43The current representative voting system is doing
0:15:43 > 0:15:46long-term pervasive damage.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49It manifested itself in phenomena like a widespread lack of trust
0:15:49 > 0:15:52and faith in public servants, the growth of what have some have
0:15:52 > 0:15:53coined with Orwellian overtones, post-truth politics.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Far too many of our constituents are disillusioned,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58disaffected and disengaged.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Continuing to deny them a voice in the decisions that affect us
0:16:01 > 0:16:07all only perpetuates that problem.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09And yet that is exactly what is happening past the post.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12A system where votes are not all equal because unless you live
0:16:12 > 0:16:17in one of a small number of heavily targeted marginal seat, your vote,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20quite simple, doesn't count.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Caroline Lucas.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25The Government's preparedness programme for a flu
0:16:25 > 0:16:32outbreak this winter should be urgently reviewed.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35That was the demand of Opposition peers when debate in the Lords
0:16:35 > 0:16:37turned to the level of take-up of flu vaccinations
0:16:37 > 0:16:38in England and Wales.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41First, a Labour peer said a recent Health Service survey had disclosed
0:16:41 > 0:16:43a rise in numbers of people being re-admitted to hospital
0:16:43 > 0:16:47after being discharged.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50The survey also showed a rise of 29% of people we admitted to hospital
0:16:50 > 0:16:57as emergencies within 24 hours.
0:16:57 > 0:16:58-- readmitted.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Does this not raise huge concerns about patient
0:17:00 > 0:17:02is being discharged unsafely and before they are medically
0:17:02 > 0:17:05fit in order to meet the government's empty beds target?
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Not to mention the trauma and upset caused to the patients themselves
0:17:07 > 0:17:09and their carers and families.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11Do the targets take account of readmission?
0:17:11 > 0:17:18What additional funding and contingency plans are in place
0:17:18 > 0:17:21across NHS Trusts and local authorities if there just aren't
0:17:21 > 0:17:23enough beds to cope with the flu crisis and isn't the government's
0:17:23 > 0:17:25flu preparedness in urgent need of review?
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Well, the NHS has never been better prepared
0:17:27 > 0:17:30for winter or indeed for flu.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32There are something like 21,000 people who are eligible
0:17:32 > 0:17:35for free flu jabs this year, including for the first time care
0:17:35 > 0:17:39workers the voluntary sector.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41So I think that is good progress.
0:17:41 > 0:17:48Of course, we don't know how exactly that will play out.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51My lords, I wonder if my noble lord the minister would perhaps consider
0:17:51 > 0:17:54all reconsider the statement he made in answer to the question,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56that the NHS has never been better ready for flu outbreak?
0:17:56 > 0:17:58The problem with viral infections is, like pandemics,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01that they are completely unpredictable and often hit in a way
0:18:01 > 0:18:02that we never expect beforehand.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06They remain one of the biggest single threat to humanity and I hope
0:18:06 > 0:18:13he will understand that this unpredictability is a real
0:18:13 > 0:18:14issue with all these infections, including influenza,
0:18:14 > 0:18:16as history has shown us.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18The noble Lord is of course quite right.
0:18:18 > 0:18:25We can't know what will hit else.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28-- we can't know what will hit us.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30What we can do is prepare in advance as much as possible
0:18:30 > 0:18:34and that was the sense in which I meant there was a huge
0:18:34 > 0:18:36amount of preparedness in terms of what has gone on not just
0:18:36 > 0:18:38for flu, but in terms of winter.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40Starting earlier this year than ever before.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42I was talking to a very senior consultant early this morning
0:18:42 > 0:18:45and to my absolute amazement, he said to me that the latest
0:18:45 > 0:18:47research on flu jabs, compulsory for NHS staff,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49provides no significant improvement at all in patient health.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52And I wondered whether the Minister has any different research
0:18:52 > 0:18:59or evidence because it is rather striking and unexpected.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Well, that would be unexpected and worrying if that is true.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05That is not the information on which we have based our policy.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08The information on which we have based our policy is that flu jabs
0:19:08 > 0:19:09are effective in most people.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Of course, they are not effective in all people,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15but they are effective in spreading the risk of flu
0:19:15 > 0:19:23within care settings.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26The World Health Organisation recommends about nine months
0:19:26 > 0:19:28to a year what strain of vaccine should be developed.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31And this is of course, before the Australian epidemic that
0:19:31 > 0:19:33took place which of course killed many people and affected
0:19:33 > 0:19:35many elderly.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Can my noble friend the Minister say that the vaccine that has been
0:19:38 > 0:19:42developed here in the UK is both effective and remains very relevant
0:19:42 > 0:19:48and people need to go and access it, both young and the elderly?
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Yes, my noble friend is absolutely right.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55Simon Stephens, the head of the NHS, warned about the impact of the flu
0:19:55 > 0:19:59epidemic in Australia and New Zealand back in September.
0:19:59 > 0:20:07The feedback on the Australian epidemic was that those particularly
0:20:07 > 0:20:10vulnerable groups were the over-80s and five-year-old to nine-year old.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13So we have talked about helping the younger children
0:20:13 > 0:20:15through the school-based immunisation, and I should also
0:20:15 > 0:20:19point out that we have the highest uptake of over 65 is getting flu
0:20:19 > 0:20:22jabs in Europe, but clearly there is more to do because around
0:20:22 > 0:20:23a third of people don't.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Lord O'Shaughnessy.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28The government's being urged to stop "passing the buck" in its response
0:20:28 > 0:20:29to the disaster at Grenfell Tower.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32At least 80 people died when fire tore through the block
0:20:32 > 0:20:36in West London on the evening of Wednesday June 14th.
0:20:36 > 0:20:43An inquiry into the disaster opened in September.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45At Commons Question Time, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats
0:20:45 > 0:20:48focused on how such tragedies could be prevented in future.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51I want to ask him about things that could be done to prevent fires
0:20:51 > 0:20:52from claiming lives.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55We know that sprinklers saved lives yet only 2% of council tower
0:20:55 > 0:20:59blocks have systems.
0:20:59 > 0:21:05Is the Secretary of State content with that state
0:21:05 > 0:21:08of affairs and if not, four months on from the Grenfell tragedy,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11when will he stop passing the buck and help local authorities
0:21:11 > 0:21:16fit sprinklers in high-rise authorities?
0:21:16 > 0:21:19-- in high-rise buildings.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23Mr Speaker, the honourable lady will know that it is already the law
0:21:23 > 0:21:30in building regulations that since she thousands of seven,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33-- since 2007,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35any new high-rise buildings above 30 metres are required
0:21:35 > 0:21:37to fit sprinklers.
0:21:37 > 0:21:38In terms of whether that is appropriate,
0:21:38 > 0:21:42and whether more can be done, I think the appropriate way to look
0:21:42 > 0:21:45at that is through the independent building regulations review on fire
0:21:45 > 0:21:46safety which Dame Judith Hackett is taking.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49I know she is gathering evidence, there is a call for evidence right
0:21:49 > 0:21:52now, perhaps the honourable lady would like to input into that.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Is it not an irony, actually, that it wasn't that enough money
0:21:55 > 0:21:58was not spent on Grenfell Tower, but that £10 million was spent
0:21:58 > 0:22:00on Grenfell Tower to provide cladding to stop water ingress
0:22:00 > 0:22:01which caused the whole problem?
0:22:01 > 0:22:05And is my right honourable friend aware that experts have told me that
0:22:05 > 0:22:07sprinklers are not the sole solution to this issue.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09Sprinklers alone without sound fire doors will not work.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13And there are other provisions that can be made.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Mr Speaker, if my honourable friend will allow me,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19I won't speculate on Grenfell Tower and the causes of that
0:22:19 > 0:22:23terrible tragedy.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26But in terms of his broader point about measures
0:22:26 > 0:22:30which also are important, such as fire doors, something
0:22:30 > 0:22:34that we found in Camden, when fire safety checks were done,
0:22:34 > 0:22:39there were hundreds of fire doors that were not there and so there
0:22:39 > 0:22:47are other measures alongside shrimpers which certainly can be
0:22:47 > 0:22:52-- alongside sprinklers, which certainly can be and should be taken
0:22:52 > 0:22:53when necessary.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Sajid Javid.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Finally, 100 years have passed since this humble-looking but very
0:22:58 > 0:22:59significant document was drawn up.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01The Balfour Declaration was sent in 1917 to Lord Rothschild,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04leader of the British Jewish community, and to the Zionist
0:23:04 > 0:23:05Federation of Great Britain.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07It pledged support for the establishment of a national home
0:23:07 > 0:23:15for dues in the area of Palestine, which was then part
0:23:15 > 0:23:16-- dues.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18of the Ottoman empire.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21The Declaration was written by Arthur Balfour,
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Conservative Prime Minister in the first few years
0:23:23 > 0:23:25of the 20th century, who later became Foreign Secretary.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28His successor 100 years on told MPs the government was proud of the UK's
0:23:28 > 0:23:31part in the creation of Israel.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35And I see no contradiction in being a friend of Israel
0:23:35 > 0:23:45and a believer in that country's destiny while also being profoundly
0:23:49 > 0:23:51moved by the suffering of those who were affected and dislodged
0:23:51 > 0:23:53by its birth.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55That vital caveats in the Balfour declaration intended to safeguard
0:23:55 > 0:23:58the rights of other communities, by which of course we mean
0:23:58 > 0:24:01the Palestinians, has not been fully realised.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03As we approach the centenary of the Balfour declaration
0:24:03 > 0:24:06we on this side of the House are glad to join him
0:24:06 > 0:24:09in commemorating this historic anniversary and expressing once
0:24:09 > 0:24:13again our continued support for the state of Israel.
0:24:13 > 0:24:20Understanding the challenges of unfinished business
0:24:20 > 0:24:24-- notwithstanding the challenges,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27to which my right honourable friend rightly referred, does he agree
0:24:27 > 0:24:30with me that centenary can be a powerful way of drawing people
0:24:30 > 0:24:36together for fully and respectfully, even where, as here,
0:24:37 > 0:24:44-- thoughtfully and respectfully, even where, as here, the history is
0:24:44 > 0:24:46complex and nuanced.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48I agree very strongly with that.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51And it has been very salutary for people to go back over the last
0:24:51 > 0:24:54hundred years and look at the many, many opportunities that have been
0:24:54 > 0:24:56missed and also to look at the reasons why Balfour thought
0:24:56 > 0:24:58it necessary to make his declaration.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02And it wasn't, as is frequently said, simply because Britain wanted
0:25:02 > 0:25:07to solicit American support in the First World War,
0:25:07 > 0:25:17it was genuinely because of a need, an imperative to deal
0:25:18 > 0:25:20with the pogroms and the anti-Semitism that have
0:25:20 > 0:25:28plagued Russia and parts of Eastern Europe for solar.
0:25:28 > 0:25:34-- for so long. It was vital to find a homeland for the Jewish people and
0:25:34 > 0:25:37it was vital that Balfour made that decision. But we have to balance
0:25:37 > 0:25:41that with the suffering that was occasioned by that decision.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43And that's it for this programme.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Mandy Baker will be here for the rest of the week.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47But for now, from me Keith Macdougall, goodbye.
0:26:22 > 0:26:27When it's time to vote, MPs come out of the chambers, and into one of the
0:26:27 > 0:26:32lobbies. This is the no lobby for MPs who are opposed to what has been
0:26:32 > 0:26:37put forward. Getting a bill through Parliament has never been easy but
0:26:37 > 0:26:41until 2015, it was a process in which all MPs took part at every
0:26:41 > 0:26:50stage. But that was before the arrival of English votes for English
0:26:50 > 0:26:55laws. The change came about because there had long been concerned over
0:26:55 > 0:26:58what was known as the West Lothian question. They knew that Scottish
0:26:58 > 0:27:04MPs could vote on questions such as education but English MPs had no say
0:27:04 > 0:27:09over how Scottish schools were run because education was devolved to
0:27:09 > 0:27:13the Scottish Parliament at Hollywood. It was a problem David
0:27:13 > 0:27:20Cameron decided to tackle in 2015, following this Scottish independence
0:27:20 > 0:27:26referendum. The answer was to give English and Welsh MPs a greater say
0:27:26 > 0:27:31on laws that only apply in their countries.All MPs will still vote
0:27:31 > 0:27:35on some bells but laws which only apply in England should only pass if
0:27:35 > 0:27:43they are supported by a majority of English MPs.So, how does it work?
0:27:43 > 0:27:48Early on in the process, the Speaker certifiers whether a bill or part of
0:27:48 > 0:27:53it applies only to England or England and Wales. After that, it
0:27:53 > 0:27:58all gets fiendish to complicated. But the Portman bit is this, a bill
0:27:58 > 0:28:05for England or England and Wales -- the important bit is this. Such a
0:28:05 > 0:28:11bill has stages when only MPs from those countries can vote, ruling out
0:28:11 > 0:28:14MPs from Scotland and Northern Ireland. So if they come here to
0:28:14 > 0:28:20vote, they wouldn't be allowed through. The arrival of this measure
0:28:20 > 0:28:26has been hugely controversial. SNP MPs argue it has turned them into
0:28:26 > 0:28:28second-class citizens with fewer powers than there in griz colleagues
0:28:28 > 0:28:33while others think it has put the Speaker and his deputy is a
0:28:33 > 0:28:38difficult position as it is down to them to certify which of sometimes
0:28:38 > 0:28:44complex legislation apply when.We have illegitimate view and we object
0:28:44 > 0:28:52to being made second-class citizens. This is our Parliament just as as
0:28:52 > 0:28:57and yet we have got to accept the second-class status.But once a bill
0:28:57 > 0:29:01has finished its passage through the Commons and finished its final
0:29:01 > 0:29:05hurdle at third reading, it is off to the House of Lords where this
0:29:05 > 0:29:08measure doesn't apply.