0:00:55 > 0:01:00The Prime Minister spent all morning chairing a meeting of the European
0:01:00 > 0:01:07Union strategy back at... It was a first time the group had to
0:01:07 > 0:01:12formulate discuss future trade arrangements. Theresa May took place
0:01:12 > 0:01:20at the dispatch box to update MPs on her trip to Brussels and formal
0:01:20 > 0:01:34agreement to... The Prime Minister gave...We trigger of Article 50 and
0:01:34 > 0:01:39began the first phase. We demonstrated what can be achieved
0:01:39 > 0:01:42with commitment to perseverance on all sides. We have already seen
0:01:42 > 0:01:47ministers in our cabinet like the Brexit circuitry and the Secretary
0:01:47 > 0:01:51of State for the environment, food and roll affairs give the impression
0:01:51 > 0:01:56that the agreement can be changed or ignored. That it effectively does
0:01:56 > 0:02:01not amount to a hell of beans. It is not very reassuring that this is the
0:02:01 > 0:02:08end product of eight months of negotiation.One Conservative picked
0:02:08 > 0:02:13up on comments that Britain would not be allowed to cherry pick a
0:02:13 > 0:02:20trade deal. She sets out the position of where the EU is.The
0:02:20 > 0:02:25chicken from the Government has neither discussed nor agreed this
0:02:25 > 0:02:32and therefore it is not government policy?I noticed the comments
0:02:32 > 0:02:38Michel Barnier made in relation to the negotiations on the trade deal.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43This is a matter we will start the negotiations on as a result of the
0:02:43 > 0:02:47decisions taken last Friday by the EU Council. I can tell my right
0:02:47 > 0:02:50honourable friend that today one of the senior members of the
0:02:50 > 0:02:58negotiating team has made very clear that the UK can have its own bespoke
0:02:58 > 0:03:04agreement in terms of the trade agreement.At the weekend there were
0:03:04 > 0:03:08reports some Tories wanted to tear up the working Time directive after
0:03:08 > 0:03:14Brexit. No fewer than eight MPs raised the matter.Given our cabinet
0:03:14 > 0:03:17colleagues are agitating for some of these rights to be done away with
0:03:17 > 0:03:26well she guarantee that post Brexit none of the working Time
0:03:26 > 0:03:35regulations, will be done away with after we leave the EU?We are
0:03:35 > 0:03:48bringing these rights into UK law. I have said we will maintain workers'
0:03:48 > 0:04:00rights...Changes may remade to working time. The Prime Minister
0:04:00 > 0:04:08refused to give a cast-iron guarantee that there will be no
0:04:08 > 0:04:18changes.A Labour Party that voted against bringing workers' rights can
0:04:18 > 0:04:23be trusted with working rights. Theresa May was anxious to condemn
0:04:23 > 0:04:34the use some MPs received following a vote on Brexit last week.It is
0:04:34 > 0:04:42natural there are many strongly held views on all sides. We should debate
0:04:42 > 0:04:45them with all the passion and conviction that makes our democracy
0:04:45 > 0:04:49what it is. There are can never be a place for threats of violence and
0:04:49 > 0:04:59intimidation. Our politics must be better than that.The Daily Mail
0:04:59 > 0:05:01which previously branded the judiciary enemies of the people is
0:05:01 > 0:05:08now whipping up hatred against backbench rebel MPs. Threats and
0:05:08 > 0:05:18intimidation have no place in...The Leader of the Opposition said that
0:05:18 > 0:05:30threats and intimidation should not form parts of our political life.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37The Prime Minister pointedly referred to the abuse that her
0:05:37 > 0:05:45election candidates received. Unless she and everyone accepts that abuse
0:05:45 > 0:05:49comes from all sides we will not make any progress. If she so wishes
0:05:49 > 0:05:55I can accommodate her this week ensure the litany of abuse I have
0:05:55 > 0:05:59received in the election and since. Will she accept that unless we
0:05:59 > 0:06:02accept it comes from all areas we will not move forward.Later MPs
0:06:02 > 0:06:05described some of the abusive messages and death threats they
0:06:05 > 0:06:10received. The Home Secretary made a statement about a new report on
0:06:10 > 0:06:16intimidation in public life. Amber Rudd said the law shouldn't
0:06:16 > 0:06:18differentiate between online and real life and she said the kind of
0:06:18 > 0:06:22its MPs received were deterring people from entering politics.
0:06:22 > 0:06:34Everybody should be treated... Which party an MP stands for and how they
0:06:34 > 0:06:37vote should not be met with vitriolic and disgusting messages
0:06:37 > 0:06:43suggesting they should be hanged in public or get what's coming to them
0:06:43 > 0:06:52or perhaps most unacceptable of all that their unborn child should die.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56Across the chamber we have much to disagree on but we are agreed on
0:06:56 > 0:07:01this matter. Everyone in this House condemns, particularly if I may say,
0:07:01 > 0:07:07the abuse and harassment that the right honourable life Hackney
0:07:07 > 0:07:11received. You have our support in condemning all of that. We cannot
0:07:11 > 0:07:15reach a situation where people are put off from expressing their views,
0:07:15 > 0:07:20engaging in debate or politics in the first place because of fears of
0:07:20 > 0:07:30being targeted. People being able... The report makes recommendations for
0:07:30 > 0:07:33political parties, social media companies, the media,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36law-enforcement and everyone in public life. This reflects the fact
0:07:36 > 0:07:43that tackling abuse is a joint responsibility. We will consider the
0:07:43 > 0:07:48recommendations in detail and we will respond to them in due course.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53Social media companies have a role to play. They're very quick to take
0:07:53 > 0:07:56down material in breach of copyright. They must be made to
0:07:56 > 0:08:02react as quickly to offensive material and material that incite
0:08:02 > 0:08:06hatred or violence. If necessary a system of punitive fines should be
0:08:06 > 0:08:13put in place. Mainstream media also has a role to play. When politicians
0:08:13 > 0:08:21get death threats as a result of how they fought in this House that is
0:08:21 > 0:08:25not the primary response body of social media companies. If anyone is
0:08:25 > 0:08:30responsible, it is the headline writers who accuse judges of being
0:08:30 > 0:08:36enemies of the people and elected members of parliament as being
0:08:36 > 0:08:41mutineers and saboteurs.We are not exactly shrinking violets in this
0:08:41 > 0:08:44House and I think most of us are capable of engaging in a robust
0:08:44 > 0:08:51debate but I have to say I have been shocked by the level of vitriolic
0:08:51 > 0:08:55abuse I have received in the course of the last week. Shocked also to
0:08:55 > 0:08:58realise that actually it is really the new normal for large numbers of
0:08:58 > 0:09:03members of this House, a sort of hidden unpleasantness that dominates
0:09:03 > 0:09:12our lives. And also concerned that whilst undoubtedly some of it is
0:09:12 > 0:09:18coming from people who may be a little unhinged, the stimulus for it
0:09:18 > 0:09:23undoubtedly comes from the way in which national media, some sections,
0:09:23 > 0:09:29choose to report the politics of this country in a way that is
0:09:29 > 0:09:34designed to entertain but also to intimidate.
0:09:34 > 0:09:39Dishy agreed that what we have got is a toxic triangle, the divisive
0:09:39 > 0:09:43issue of the Brexit issue, the Telegraph and the Daily Mail
0:09:43 > 0:09:49identifying certain honourable member as targets and facilitated by
0:09:49 > 0:09:54social media, the mob following. In other countries, MPs are threatened
0:09:54 > 0:10:01of violence, we call that tyranny. We call it fascism. But that is what
0:10:01 > 0:10:07is happening here. As well as commending the bravery, rightly, of
0:10:07 > 0:10:14her Hons friends, is she going to be brave herself? Is she going to call
0:10:14 > 0:10:20in the editors of the Daily Mail and the Telegraph?In voting as you
0:10:20 > 0:10:28think fit on any political issue, you as members of Parliament are and
0:10:28 > 0:10:38never mutineers. You are never traitors, you are never malcontents,
0:10:38 > 0:10:47you are never enemies of the people. You are dedicated, hard-working,
0:10:47 > 0:10:51committed public servants, doing what you believe to be right.John
0:10:51 > 0:10:59Bercow. You are watching Monday in Parliament. You can find all our
0:10:59 > 0:11:09programmes on the BBC iPlayer. A senior engineer to review building
0:11:09 > 0:11:14regulations because of the Grant Holt has told MPs the current system
0:11:14 > 0:11:19is not fit the purpose.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21In an interim report, Dame Judith Hackett said she had
0:11:21 > 0:11:23been shocked by how some residential properties had been
0:11:23 > 0:11:25built and maintained.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29And she didn't mince her words.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33There is a systematic failure here which needs to be addressed by a
0:11:33 > 0:11:38significant culture change and be organised by a large part of people
0:11:38 > 0:11:42who are part of the system and that is to design, build and maintain
0:11:42 > 0:11:50high rise, complex buildings and it includes policymakers among others.
0:11:50 > 0:11:55The system we have in place has evolved and it is overly complex and
0:11:55 > 0:12:00confusing. There is confusion about roles and responsibilities
0:12:00 > 0:12:04throughout and a general lack of competence in accreditation in many
0:12:04 > 0:12:10areas. We've identified numerous ways in which the system is gained
0:12:10 > 0:12:15worked around because of these factors. That is how I have
0:12:15 > 0:12:21concluded the regulatory system is not fit for purpose.Are you
0:12:21 > 0:12:27confident the construction industry is sufficiently competent? You focus
0:12:27 > 0:12:31on competency right through the report, to implement the
0:12:31 > 0:12:38recommendations you make in the report now, certainly in the future?
0:12:38 > 0:12:43I am confident they are capable of doing it and as long as the will is
0:12:43 > 0:12:48there, I believe it is eminently possible. Why is that? Because I
0:12:48 > 0:12:54have already seen them doing it once. I spent ten years as chair of
0:12:54 > 0:13:00the Health and Safety Executive. When I started as chair of the
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Health and Safety Executive, construction had a poor record for
0:13:02 > 0:13:09the safety of its own employees and it underwent a transformation in
0:13:09 > 0:13:13that decade and resulted in us building the safest Olympic project
0:13:13 > 0:13:21ever. That was a massive change in the way it cares for, looks after
0:13:21 > 0:13:24and manages the safety of its employees. What we are asking them
0:13:24 > 0:13:29to do in this report is repeat that with their focus on the people who
0:13:29 > 0:13:33will be living in the buildings they build, in the decades after they
0:13:33 > 0:13:39walk away from those projects.You have made any recommendations on
0:13:39 > 0:13:45this interim report, any thoughts on what should happen as we go on
0:13:45 > 0:13:51retrofitting sprinters?There is two things, a clear case are looking at
0:13:51 > 0:14:03additional layers of protection you can provide. It could include
0:14:03 > 0:14:07sprinklers, it could include other measures, including additional
0:14:07 > 0:14:13staircases. Additional doors, different means of protection, alarm
0:14:13 > 0:14:19systems, all of those different ways of providing protection. What is
0:14:19 > 0:14:24clear to me is there isn't a simple one answer to this that will apply
0:14:24 > 0:14:25to every building.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27Dame Judith was asked if she could reassure people
0:14:27 > 0:14:34living in high-rise blocks.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38There has been an extraordinary amount of work done by the Fire And
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Rescue Services in conjunction with local authorities and central
0:14:40 > 0:14:47government, to put in place, measures to improve their safety
0:14:47 > 0:14:52since Grenfell. What I am trying to do is build a better system for the
0:14:52 > 0:14:58future. My report does not say all buildings are unsafe, there is clear
0:14:58 > 0:15:05evidence that many people build to high standards, in spite of the
0:15:05 > 0:15:09weaknesses and the mistakes in the regulatory system. What we have to
0:15:09 > 0:15:13do is make that more widespread, much more effective and in
0:15:13 > 0:15:16particular, we have to keep the process going throughout the life
0:15:16 > 0:15:21cycle of the building, not just during construction.Even the
0:15:21 > 0:15:24waiting for a change of system, which he will eventually
0:15:24 > 0:15:28recommend...They should take assurances from the measures that
0:15:28 > 0:15:32have already taken place, but there will be further measures that will
0:15:32 > 0:15:39take that even further.And the owners should be doing the sort of
0:15:39 > 0:15:43things in the immediacy?Yes.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45Well, about an hour after Dame Judith had finished
0:15:45 > 0:15:47speaking to the Committee, the Communities Secretary
0:15:47 > 0:15:52gave his response to her report in the Commons.
0:15:52 > 0:15:58I can confirm the government has accepted all of Dame Judi's
0:15:58 > 0:16:03recommendations. We call for a change in culture and system that
0:16:03 > 0:16:09encourage people to do the right thing. Everyone who is part of the
0:16:09 > 0:16:12system, including government, has an important role to play in delivering
0:16:12 > 0:16:13this change in culture and mindset.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Sajid Javid also updated MPs on the situation
0:16:15 > 0:16:18regarding people made homeless by the Grenfell Tower fire.
0:16:18 > 0:16:19207 households need new homes.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23144 have so far accepted an offer of temporary
0:16:23 > 0:16:25or permanent accommodation.
0:16:25 > 0:16:33But that still leaves many people living in hotels.
0:16:33 > 0:16:39To have so many families, including children living in hotels and other
0:16:39 > 0:16:41emergency accommodation six months after the tragedy, is simply not
0:16:41 > 0:16:47good enough. The situation is undoubtedly complicated, but I have
0:16:47 > 0:16:51been clear with the council but I expect them to do whatever is
0:16:51 > 0:16:54necessary to help people into suitable homes as swiftly as
0:16:54 > 0:17:01possible. I am confident accountable is confident in doing this but I
0:17:01 > 0:17:05will monitor the situation and work with the council to ensure it
0:17:05 > 0:17:10happens.Over 200 children still in bed and breakfast accommodation for
0:17:10 > 0:17:21up to six months, which I believe is illegal.First of all, from the date
0:17:21 > 0:17:25of the tragedy, the commitment that was given that all families will be
0:17:25 > 0:17:28offered temporary accommodation within three weeks, was met. They
0:17:28 > 0:17:35were all offered that. We have seen over the last six months, as I have
0:17:35 > 0:17:39continuously updated the House, no doubt the honourable lady has had
0:17:39 > 0:17:44some updates from her constituents, we have tried at every stage of both
0:17:44 > 0:17:47permanent accommodation and different types of temporary
0:17:47 > 0:17:51accommodation. As I have acknowledged, there are too many
0:17:51 > 0:17:54families in emergency accommodation and we will continue to work with
0:17:54 > 0:17:56the local authority to continue to do that.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Sajid Javid.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Peers have called for an independent, judge-led inquiry
0:18:00 > 0:18:03into the collapse of a rape prosecution after police
0:18:03 > 0:18:05failed to disclose vital evidence to the defence.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07Liam Allan was charged with 12 counts of rape and sexual assault
0:18:07 > 0:18:10but his trial collapsed after police were ordered to hand over phone
0:18:10 > 0:18:14records which proved his innocence.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16The 22-year-old student said his life had been
0:18:16 > 0:18:19flipped upside down, and he wanted lessons to be learned.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Mr Allan's ordeal was raised in an urgent question by a former
0:18:22 > 0:18:30Labour Attorney General.
0:18:30 > 0:18:36The then chairman of the bar Council complained as far back as 1998 about
0:18:36 > 0:18:43nondisclosure. I believe I'd put steps in to put matters right.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48Matters seem to have gone backwards since then. In the light of recent
0:18:48 > 0:18:53events, will the Attorney General set up an independent enquiry,
0:18:53 > 0:18:59headed by a judge, to examine whether disclosure rules are being
0:18:59 > 0:19:07complied with, to ensure the timely delivery of justice?
0:19:07 > 0:19:11My Lords, the matter of disclosure in the context of criminal cases has
0:19:11 > 0:19:15not gone backwards since 1998. There is no present intention to set up an
0:19:15 > 0:19:20enquiry of the type referred to by the noble lord.The senior
0:19:20 > 0:19:24independent prosecutor at the bar who averted the recent miscarriage
0:19:24 > 0:19:28of justice, in addition to being a senior and experienced prosecutor is
0:19:28 > 0:19:32a former Conservative MP, who described a system creaking for lack
0:19:32 > 0:19:37of resources. Will the noble Lord and the Minister please consider my
0:19:37 > 0:19:42noble friend 's request.There is to be a joint review, an internal
0:19:42 > 0:19:49review by the CPS and the police, in order to determine what occurred in
0:19:49 > 0:19:54that case. What I would say is this... With regard to the case
0:19:54 > 0:19:58alluded to by the noble Baroness, the CPS have acknowledged their
0:19:58 > 0:20:01standards make have fallen below what is expected and they have
0:20:01 > 0:20:06apologised to all parties involved. It is reported that it took 14
0:20:06 > 0:20:10months for this young man to be charged, which means he was on bail
0:20:10 > 0:20:17charged for 14 months. What on earth is the reason for that? My Lords, I
0:20:17 > 0:20:22am not able to determine why the question of charge took as long as
0:20:22 > 0:20:31it did in that particular case. And I appreciate that in some instances
0:20:31 > 0:20:37investigations take longer in some cases than they do in others.In
0:20:37 > 0:20:40this case of Liam Allan it was fairly obvious that this material
0:20:40 > 0:20:45should have been looked at and it was either the result of lack of
0:20:45 > 0:20:48resources in the police service, lack of resources the Crown
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Prosecution Service or a deliberate attempt to put that the course of
0:20:51 > 0:20:55justice. Can the minister estimate how many people perhaps are
0:20:55 > 0:20:58unlawfully imprisoned as a result of similar mistakes having occurred in
0:20:58 > 0:21:03the past?I believe the noble Lord probably knows the answer to his own
0:21:03 > 0:21:08question. Nevertheless I would make this point. The alternative is
0:21:08 > 0:21:12advanced by the noble Lord do not exhaust the issue of why, if it
0:21:12 > 0:21:16occurred, disclosure was not made at an appropriate time, and that will
0:21:16 > 0:21:20be the subject of a high-level review, jointly by the CBS and the
0:21:20 > 0:21:24police and it is not for me in this place to anticipate the outcome of
0:21:24 > 0:21:29that review.There was widespread concern that this clear near miss
0:21:29 > 0:21:34carriage of justice, and can he at least say he can understand why
0:21:34 > 0:21:40people's confidence in the police service has been very significantly
0:21:40 > 0:21:45undermined?My Lords, again, I am not going to anticipate the outcome
0:21:45 > 0:21:49of the review.The reason why this particular case has much wider
0:21:49 > 0:21:54relevance than just the particulars of this individual, however dreadful
0:21:54 > 0:21:59his circumstances may have been is that it allows credence to be
0:21:59 > 0:22:04attached to the notion that there are more examples of injustice
0:22:04 > 0:22:07against people who have been accused of rape than there are of injustice
0:22:07 > 0:22:11against people who have suffered rape and this is something that
0:22:11 > 0:22:18really the review ought to take into account.I note what the noble lady
0:22:18 > 0:22:22says on that matter and I would react to rate that it is
0:22:22 > 0:22:29fundamentally important that justice is due both to the accuser and the
0:22:29 > 0:22:31accused. -- I would reiterate.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Back in 2012, the then Coalition government introduced a policy
0:22:34 > 0:22:35of automatic enrolment for pensions.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37It meant employers had to offer a workplace pension
0:22:37 > 0:22:39to their employees, and contribute towards it too.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42The Work and Pensions Secretary told MPs that since the scheme
0:22:42 > 0:22:44was introduced five years ago, some nine million people have been
0:22:44 > 0:22:45enrolled in a workplace pension.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48Earlier, the SNP's spokesman referred to stories which had
0:22:48 > 0:22:51appeared in the media over the weekend.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55Today I can announce the government 's ambition to extend automatic
0:22:55 > 0:22:58enrolment to help more people achieve greater financial security
0:22:58 > 0:23:02in later life. The 2017 review of automatic enrolment published today
0:23:02 > 0:23:06sets out the steps we intend to take as we continue to develop a culture
0:23:06 > 0:23:11of routine pension saving. We will help young people to save to lower
0:23:11 > 0:23:15the age of automatic enrolment from 22 to 18 and we enable people to
0:23:15 > 0:23:19start saving from the first pound of their earnings to provide a better
0:23:19 > 0:23:30retirement income for lower earners and
0:23:45 > 0:23:47those in multiple jobs. I have tabled a written statement setting
0:23:47 > 0:23:49out further detail, including trialling a number of targeted
0:23:49 > 0:23:51approaches to identify the most effective ways of increasing pension
0:23:51 > 0:23:53saving amongst the self employed. Does the Minister agree that auto
0:23:53 > 0:23:56enrolment has been a success to date and he is right to lower hit but the
0:23:56 > 0:23:58politicians and the pensions industry must all work together to
0:23:58 > 0:24:01meet the savings an d this country. I could not agree with my honourable
0:24:01 > 0:24:04friend more and I am facing this country. I could not agree with my
0:24:04 > 0:24:06honourable friend more and I am delighted with that we now have 9
0:24:06 > 0:24:08million people signed up to auto enrolment improving workplace
0:24:08 > 0:24:12improving workplace and employees many employers and employees have
0:24:12 > 0:24:13signed
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Earlier, the SNP's spokesman referred to stories which had
0:24:15 > 0:24:16referred to stories which had
0:24:16 > 0:24:21appeared in the media over the weekend.
0:24:21 > 0:24:26great credit to holidays and extra protection for night shift workers
0:24:26 > 0:24:31so can the secretary of state confirm what representations he has
0:24:31 > 0:24:36made at Cabinet to ensure his colleagues are not successful in
0:24:36 > 0:24:41ripping up our workers' rights?I think it is the case that our Right
0:24:41 > 0:24:43honourable friend the Secretary of State for environment food and rural
0:24:43 > 0:24:48affairs said to not believe everything you read in the
0:24:48 > 0:24:50newspapers and this government is committed to protecting employment
0:24:50 > 0:24:55rights.
0:24:55 > 0:24:56David Gauke.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Now the rules of the Commons are occasionally arcane,
0:24:58 > 0:24:59sometimes nit-picky, but you'd have thought
0:24:59 > 0:25:04a former deputy Speaker would be familiar with them.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09Nigel Evans.Minister, I know I can be a little slow at times but I am
0:25:09 > 0:25:13finding it incredibly difficult to discern what the policy of Her
0:25:13 > 0:25:18Majesty 's opposition is to Brexit. It changes depending on whom I am
0:25:18 > 0:25:22listening to.The honourable gentleman is a very experienced
0:25:22 > 0:25:25member and he is not that slow and he knows that the policy of the
0:25:25 > 0:25:29opposition is not a matter for the government of the day. No, no,
0:25:29 > 0:25:35hopeless!In these circumstances it is really best not to shake your
0:25:35 > 0:25:43head.Do not shake your head at me, Mr Evans. I have told you what the
0:25:43 > 0:25:47position is. Order. You ask an orderly question or you do not ask a
0:25:47 > 0:25:47question at all.
0:25:47 > 0:25:48I'll bear that in mind.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50And that's it from me, Mandy Baker.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52I'll be back at the same time tomorrow.
0:25:52 > 0:26:02But, for now, goodbye.