25/11/2015 Prime Minister's Questions

and have nothing to do with its past or -- present or future. Order.

Questions to the Prime Minister Fiona Bruce.

Everyone in this House and lany people watching at home know from

yes, Prime Minister, the central role that Bernard, the Primd

Minister's principal PBS pl`ys in the life of the Prime Minister and

ten Downing St. This morning, my Bernard, my principal private

secretary died of cancer. Hd was only 42. He was one of the lost

loyal, hard-working, dedicated public servant that I have dver come

across. I have no idea what his politics were, but he would go to

the end of the Earth and back again for his Prime Minister, for Number

ten, for the team he worked for Today we are leaving the se`t in the

official's box where he used to sit empty as a mark of respect to him.

This morning I had ministerhal meetings, and I will have ftrther

such meetings later today. I echo the Prime Minister's

sentiments regarding the passing of Mr Martin.

I am told that the lack of ` secure family life is a root cause of many

problems experienced by the children it helps. The Prime Minister is a

champion of family life, so can he confirmed that announcement to be

made later today will pass this family test by providing security

for family relationships and opportunities for vulnerabld

children? I thank my honourable friend for her

remarks and there will be condolence books in Number ten and the Treasury

and in the Security service where Chris Martin work. She is rhght that

families are the best welfare state that we have. They bring up our

children, they teach as the right values, and they care for us when we

are sick. We want to help f`milies, and the Chancellor will havd

something to say about that later as we boost the national living wage,

as we boost tax cuts for working people, and as we help with

childcare. All these policids should pass the test of helping Brhtain's

families. Jeremy Corbyn. I `lso express my condolences to the family

of Chris Martin on his death. The Prime Minister told me how hll he

was on Remembrance Sunday. Hf our condolences could be passed on, that

would be helpful. This week, Mr Speaker, councils made a colmitment

to run areas on green activhty. With the Prime Minister join me hn

commending those councils, `nd critical on Conservative cotncils to

do the same? I commend all councils for wanting to promote green energy

and we have made that easier in our country by having the feed hn

tariffs and the other measures we have had to help for, particularly

solar power and also wind power We will be taking part in the Paris

climate talks because it is vital to get that global deal, but wd have to

make sure that we take action locally as well as globally. If you

compare the last Parliament to the previous Parliament, we saw

something like a troubling hn the installation of renewable

electricity. -- travelling. The commitment of those Labour councils

is a bit of a contrast to the Prime Minister's performance becatse he

used to tell us that his was the greenest government ever. Does he

remember those days? First of all, I believe that the last government

does rightly claim that record, the world's first green investmdnt bank

pioneered in Britain, a tripling of renewable energy, a meeting of all

our climate change targets, contributing to a new EU de`l, which

means we go to the climate change conference in Paris with a strong

European record and the ability to say to other countries that they

should step up to the plate. Also, in the last Parliament we spent

record sums helping develophng countries to go green, and hn the

next five years we will spend $ billion on helping other cotntries,

which will be crucial in buhlding the Paris deal next week. Thank you,

Mr Speaker. The problem with the Prime Minister's answer is that to

get to Britain's 2020 target it is the biggest in the EU. Some of his

decisions recently, such as cutting support for solar panels on home and

industrial projects, scrapphng the green deal, cutting support for wind

turbines, putting a new tax on renewable energy, it increasing

subsidies for diesel generators is it any wonder that the chief

scientist at the United Nathons environment programme have

criticised Britain on going backwards on renewable energy? The

facts paint a different picture As I said, a tripling of wind power in

the last Parliament, that is an enormous investment. The pohnt about

solar panels, when the cost of manufacturing solar panels comets,

as it has, it is right to rdduce the subsidy. If we don't reduce the

subsidy, we ask people to p`y higher energy bills, something I sdem to

remember the last Labour Party making rather a lot of. If xou look

at the secretary of state for climate change's speed, you will see

the right balance between affordable energy and making sure we mdet our

green targets. That is what we are committed to. In addition to that,

building the first nuclear power station for decades in our country,

something that the Labour P`rty talk about a lot in government, but were

clay-macro we are putting into action now we are in governlent Mr

Speaker, in the past few wedks, 1000 jobs have been lost in solar

companies in Britain as thex have gone bust. I have got a question

from some apprentice solar panel fitters. They say that cutthng feed

in tariffs mean you are stopping solar projects, that they nded to

help our environment to givd us jobs. They ask the Prime Minister,

why do you want to throw all of this away? We are doubling investment in

renewable energy in this Parliament, and as for solar panels, I think I

am right in saying that in the last Parliament over 1 million homes were

fitted with solar panels. It is right that we go on supporthng that

industry, but we should do ht, recognising that the cost of

manufacturing solar panels has plummeted, and so therefore the

subsidy should be what is ndcessary to deliver solar power, not what is

necessary to pump up the hills of hard-working families. -- bhlls

That is not much help to those who are losing their jobs in thd solar

industry at the present timd. However, I would like to ask the

prime ministers something else. Today is the International Day for

the elimination of violence against women. On average, two women a week

are killed by current or former partners, and domestic violdnce

accounts for a quarter of all violent crime. Can the Primd

Minister is explained by a third of those referred to women's rdfuges in

England are now being turned away? We have put more money into refuges,

and the Chancellor will havd something to say about fundhng

women's charities in his Autumn Statement today will stop the fact

is, when it comes to rape crisis centres that we have protected, or

domestic violence centres that we helped to fund, this governlent has

a good record on helping wolen and making sure that the crime of

domestic violence is properly investigated by the police, and

prosecuted in our courts. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The late Denise

Marshall, who was Chief Executive of the domestic violence charity that

this very well when she said, "if you are a woman who has expdrienced

some sort of violence, I believe you have the right to the very best

service and the community owes you an opportunity to recover". In 012,

the Prime Minister's governdd by the Istanbul convention on comb`ting

violence against women and domestic violence, this would make women s

support services clay-macro statutory and would have stopped the

closure of this charity. Can the Prime Minister tell the House when

he will ratify the Istanbul convention. We are going ond further

than that, and in the statelent he will hear in a moment we will

actually be putting more money into women's charities, including

charities that fight domesthc violence, that fight rape, `nd make

sure we cut out these appalling crimes in our country. In addition

to that, we have done more than any other art and to help in terms of

preventing forced marriage `nd preventing the horrors of FGM, that

don't just happen in Africa but in our country too. I don't thhnk any

government has got a strongdr record on those grounds. I have many

constituents who come to my surgery desperate to be able to own their

own home. Many are on low incomes and they recognised that a lonthly

mortgage payments would be significantly lower than thdir

current monthly rental paymdnts sometimes by up to 50% lower. Does

my right honourable friend share in the excitement of many of mx

constituents towards the st`rter home initiative contained in the

housing bill, which was the affordable housing lower thd monthly

outgoings of many people in this country? Clearly there were lots of

individual interventions we can take, like help to ballet, which is

basically put buying homes hn the reach of many more people. We can

help people to save, which we do with our help to buy ice. Wd are

contributing every time people make a saving, but the biggest

contribution is by building more houses, which we will be dohng

during this Parliament, and crucially, by maintaining a strong,

secure and stable economy whth low interest rate so people can afford

to take out a mortgage. Angts Robertson.

May I begin by associating the Scottish National party with the

condolences of the Prime Minister. Having spoken to him last wdek, I am

aware of how much of a personal loss it is to him and of course to Chris

Martin's family and friends. The dangers of unintended consepuences

and escalation in Syria are clear for everybody to see in these days.

Observers agree that an air campaign alone will not lead to the tltimate

defeat of Daesh on the ground. How many troops and from which countries

does the Prime Minister havd in his plan for Syria? I thank The right

honourable gentleman for his remark about Chris Martin, who I know

helped all parties in this House when they had enquiries. Let me deal

directly with the Syria isste and the question he asks. This hs so

crucial. I am not arguing that action from the air alone c`n solve

the very serious problem we have with Isil. Clearly we need `

political settlement in Syrha, and a government in Syria that can act

competitively with us against Isil. The question for the House which we

need to address tomorrow and in the days to come is, should we wait for

that, can we afford to wait for that political settlement before we act,

and my view is we cannot waht for that. We should work as hard as we

can for it, but we should bd acting now with allies because it hs about

keeping our own people in otr own country safe. You asked specifically

about ground troops. The fact is, there are troops in Syria, the Free

Syrian Army and the Kurdish forces that would work with us to help

eliminate Isil, but the full range of ground troops will only be

available when there is a political settlement in Syria. The qudstion is

simple, can we afford to waht for that settlement before taking action

to keep us safe here at homd. The United Kingdom spent 13 times

more bombing Libya than invdsting in its reconstruction after thd

overthrow of the regime. Reconstructing Syria will bd

essential to secure stability. How much does the Prime Minister

estimate this all costs, and how much has he allocated from the UK?

We have won the largest abutment budgets anywhere in the world, as

the support we have given to the refugees which stands at ?1.2

billion demonstrates. Clearly part of our plan, which I will sdt out

tomorrow, will be to help ftnd the reconstruction and rebuilding of

Syria, alongside the political deal we believe is necessary. I would far

rather spend the money reconstructing Syria than in

supporting people kept away from their homes, kept away from their

country, who want to return. I know my right honourable friend hs aware

of the growing cause of concern is running the conviction of Alexandra

Blackman, who shot and insurgents in Afghanistan in 2011. If there is

indeed new evidence, and if, as in many feel, that has been a

miscarriage of justice, would my right honourable friend agrde it is

right this matter should be looked into it again? What I would say is

it is exactly what the crimhnal case review commission exists to look at,

where there is or may have been a miscarriage of justice. As he

knows, we gave the internal report the naval services to his ldgal

advisers, so there is proper disclosure in this case. His legal

team have said they're lookhng at the option of applying to the

criminal cases review commission. Let me just say, our Royal Larines

have a worldwide reputation as one of the world's elite fighting forces

they've made an incredible conjuration to our country `nd we

should make tribute to them. The government's handling of chhld

sexual abuse enquiries has done little to restore public confidence

so far for the last month they enquiry announced it had

accidentally and permanentlx deleted all of the victim testimonids

submitted through its website over an 18 day period without anx

enquiry. These victims deserve justice and that their voicds to be

heard. Can the Prime Ministdr please tell the House what independent

investigation has taken place to establish the cause of the data

loss, and to establish whether or not there is any chronology behind

it? I am sure the whole house will welcome the fact that the Gothard

enquiries up and running, and the best way to get justice is to make

sure we have appalled enquiry we have spoken about. As for the

specific issue she raises? Hf there is further detail, I will write to

her. What is important is that the inquiry is up and running. 3000 jobs

in new work will last under Labour. This month we celebrate the creation

of the 10,000 new job in Newark Does the Prime Minister agrde that

Newark leads away to a strong economy, high employment, hhgher

wages and lower welfare? I `m delighted to hear that Newark has

met this landmark and it is worth remembering that these 10,000

figures, they are 10,000 people each with a job, with a livelihood, with

a chance to support their f`milies. I well remember visiting my

honourable friend's constittency. I do recognise that a business we

visited last week announced the creation of over 800 jobs, so where

Newark leads, I'm sure others will follow. As the Prime Ministdr ever

heard of Alan Cartwright, Stefan Appleton... These are all tdenagers

who was stabbed to death on the street of isn't ink in the last

year. -- Islington. Given the growing culture of drugs, g`ngs and

violence in my borough and lany other boroughs, does the prdmise to

really think it is in the interests of my constituents and their safety

to cut the Metropolitan Polhce? First of all, every life lost in the

way she talks about course ` tragedy, and many of these lives

have been lost because of drugs gangs and knife crime top overall,

night crime has come down over the last few years, but there are still

too many people carrying a knife and not recognising that not only it is

against the law, it is a danger to themselves and others. We whll

continue with our top appro`ch to knife crime with the work wd are

doomed to disband gangs and I will work to try and yield with the

problems of drugs. When it comes to policing, what we have seen in

London is an increase in neighbourhood policing. The

Metropolitan Police have done a good job in cutting back office cost and

putting police on our streets. After many years of neglect under Labour,

Jeremy Corbyn is seeing invdstment in roads and tourism. -- Cornwall is

saying. Choral is a centre for the UK aerospace industry. Newqtay

airport is the forerunner to be the location of the UK's spaceport. Does

he agree that Newquay would be the perfect place for it? It is very

good that in this parliament we have such strong voices were Cornwall

speaking up for that county and making sure against the resources

and help it needs. I am a strong supporter of Newquay airport, not

just as user, but it providds the opportunity for a hub of grdat

businesses in Cornwall. We want to become the European hub for space

flight which will attract ftrther investment into the UK. There are a

number of other airports in the running, so I wish them all well and

can tell we are aiming to l`unch the selection process next year. The

government and I disagree on which on what comes Jutes progress in

gender equality. But I did `gree with the promised when he pledged to

change the law to include mothers on marriage certificates. I've heard

nothing since. I wondered if the Prime Minister agreed with le that

with the fast approaching bhrth of my daughter, I'd like to be valued

as equally in her life as mx husband. Will the Prime Minhster

take this important, symbolhc step to ensure that mothers are not

written out of history? This is an area where the honourable l`dy and I

agree. My understanding is that proposals for legislation h`ve gone

to the relevant committee in government, and she's made ` very

article at case for why that bill should be included in the ndxt

session. Will the Prime Minhster join with me in commending the

French government for facing down Tara, continued with the clhmate

summit in Paris next week Chris Rock will he act knowledge the ilportant

role of legislators, and dods he agree with me that his personal

presence in Paris sends a mdssage out to the world about our

continuing commitment to a lasting climate deal? I'm grateful for what

he has said, I will be going to Paris from the start of this vital

conference to set out what Britain and the EU will be doomed to bring

about this deal. What we put on the table in terms of climate fhnance,

nearly $9 billion over the next five years, is one of the most gdnerous

offers ever. The good news `bout the Paris conference is that... We are

going to see China and Amerhca as signatories to a deal, that means

much more the world's missions will be covered by this. What we had to

achieve is that it is a good deal with proper review clauses `nd the

way of tightening any deal, to make sure we keep to 2 degrees. No one

should be in any doubt that Britain is playing a leading role and has

lead by example and with money. Mr Speaker, there will never bd a

future where we don't need to steal, but the government is spendhng

millions of pounds compensate the loss of UK still make in. C`n I

asked the premise that he whll send a clear signal today to this

potential investors in our TK steel industry, that he will do whatever

it takes to back a sustainable, cutting edge UK still history? -

steel future in the UK? I agree We want to support the business, so we

are taking action on the kex men. When you look at what we have done

through our Royal Navy and what we can do through Railtrack, wd should

back British steel. We will be exempting heavy energy users like

British Steel from the high electricity charges, but thhs does

go rather to the questions `sked by the Leader of the Opposition. If we

endlessly pressure builds for everyone else, it costs even more to

exempt the high energy users. That's what you need a balanced programme

was adamant we can do to help produce steel, including a clear

infrastructure plan, is all to the good.

In 2010, unemployment was around 5% of the work and employment. It has

dropped 1.6% in my constitudncy I am sure my Red Bull friend `grees

that help those people -- rhght honourable friend, we need to offer

more opportunities for skills and training. Does my right honourable

friend agree with that, and what more can the government offdr to

help places like my constittency? All young people aged 18 to have a

real choice of either being able to take on an apprenticeship, `nd we're

planning for 3 million in this parliament, or be able to go to one

of other universities. We don't want anyone left behind, everyond should

have the choice. Unemployment has fallen in his constituency. We'll

hear from the transfer in a minute about what has happened, but the

fact is that Britain, over those five years, has grown as fast as any

other G-7 country in terms of our economic performance. You c`n look

back and see that the decishons made in 2011, 2012, difficult decisions,

but they laid the platform for sustained and could tell macro

economic growth and jobs. -, economic growth and jobs. Wd remain

at the bottom of the league tables. Bradford's children can't bd filled

any longer. Will the prime linisters support my call for a Bradford

challenge based on the highly successful London challenge, and

will he stop the dangerous changes to the school's funding for Miller

which were dragged the children are Bradford further into the l`nd of

inequality, despair and neglect We made commitments at the last

election about funding our schools and funding school places, `nd we

will be keeping all of thosd commitments, not just the rdvenue we

provide to schools, where wd won't be reducing the amount which goes

for every people. But spendhng much more unusual places in this

parliament than in the parlhament which preceded me becoming Prime

Minister. We are helping with building the academy chains and new

free skills, and they are available to his constituency as for others.

Does the Prime Minister agrded with me that the turmoil in northern Iraq

and Syria gives opportunitids to resolve long-standing international

disputes, not at least with Russia? Does he agree that the attack on the

Russian bomber, something that never happened in the Holger Asian of the

Cold War, was disproportion`te? -- in the whole of the Cold War. This

is about a political transition I spoke to President Putin last week,

he mentioned the issue of the downed jet. The backs on this aren't clear,

but we should respect to kedp us back a right to protect its

airspace, as we protect our own We need to get the bottom what

happened. The Prime Minister very often tells us that the first duty

of any government is to be tech the public. Will he give an unddrtaking

to restore the the police and emergency services to ensurd the

public in this country are protected? I think this govdrnment

has a good record of protecting the public, not least because wd have

protected counterterrorism police, and we allowed them to help in a

coat of crime of 31% since H became Prime Minister. -- cut. A

drink-driver destroyed lives of two young girls. Miss Baxter is

paralysed from the neck down and still in hospital. He was sdntenced

to just a three-year driving ban, a fine and a 20 week tag. Weeks later,

he applied to Bolton Magistrates' Court for his tag to be removed so

he could go on holiday to a stag party. Would my right honourable

friend look to issue guidance to magistrates that a tag, when part of

a sentence, should never be removed to allow criminals to go on holiday?

I think my right honourable friend makes a poll point and I will look

at this carefully. Let me express my some of the other victim, and what

is a distressing case. It is always difficult to commentate on

individual cases because I wasn t in the courthouse and did not hear the

point made. The point he makes scenes be powerful. A punishment is

a punishment, tag is a tie, and he is making a strong case. Today's

middle east is resembling the central Europe of one century ago

for some minorities, be thex linguistic, religious or sexual

find them under more pressure than ever. I and my constituents and

understand the threat posed to these groups by Isis. How is a prhme list

are planning to back a bombhng campaign preventing Aleppo becoming

the new Budapest? What I wotld say, will set up the argument clhnic

tomorrow. There is a clear `nd present danger to the UK of based in

Iraq, based in Syria, plannhng attacks against our country today.

We don't live in a perfect world and we can't deliver a perfect strategy

but we can deliver a clear, long-term strategy that will work.

He talks about the lessons we learned from the last century. One

of the lessons I would say we should learn is when your country hs under

threat, and when you face aggression against your country, you c`nnot

endlessly sit around and trhm about a perfect world, you need to act in

the world we are in. Will my right honourable frhend join

the in congratulating all the staff at the birthing unit, the mhdwives,

matron and local activist Rhchard Hallett for scoring 100% on their

friends and family survey on satisfaction and care? The committee

might -- commitment of thesd people is only matched by the Consdrvatives

commitment to the NHS, with the fact that into elections in a row we had

promised and delivered great investment than the Labour Party?

Can I say that she is absolttely right to highlight the friends and

family test, a simple way of measuring whether our hospitals are

giving great care and I think it has been a real advance in the NHS. As

well as good schemes to makd sure you want your friend and falily

treated in a hospital, we nded to provide the resources and that is

what we're doing with the spending announced today, crucially on

childbirth, it's not often H could the Daily Mirror but it is worth

looking at what they are rahsing about the importance of a sdven day

NHS and making sure we have high standards across the NHS evdry day.

As well as the extra money we are putting into the NHS, the sdven day

NHS will also mean a strongdr NHS. The big lottery fund supports

important local project in ly constituency including a sm`ll

children's playground and the purpose of women's aid projdct which

play an essential role in the community, supporting the vtlnerable

people this government has left behind. When he join with md in

congratulating these local projects on their work and reassure the house

that this government will protect the current level of Nation`l

Lottery funding earmarked for charities and community projects? I

can certainly say that we whll be protecting the big lottery fund it

does an excellent job but I can t resist making the point that one of

the things that the UK rings it s a bigger National Lottery, a bigger

pot that can support Scottish charities -- UK brings. Let me make

this point. Following what has happened to the oil price, hf there

was a Scottish November Auttmn Statement, it would be a st`tement

that was about cuts, cuts, cuts taxes, taxes, taxes and no relief

from the National Lottery. Order. Order. Mr Brendan McNeill.

Calm yourself. You may be cheeky but you are also exceptionally noisy!

Statement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Mr Speaker, this Spending Rdview delivers on the commitment we made

to the British people that we would put security first. To protdct our

economic security by taking the difficult decisions to live within

our means and bring down our debt, and to protect our national security

by defending our country's hnterests abroad and keeping our citizens safe

at home. Economic and national security provide the foundations for

everything we want to support. Opportunity for all, the aspirations