09/12/2015 Prime Minister's Questions


09/12/2015

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The Prime Minister is visiting Poland and Romania, and I have been

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asked to reply.

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This morning, I had meetings with ministerial

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colleagues and others.

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In addition to my duties in the House, I shall have further

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such meetings later today.

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The Chancellor will know that, as Christmas draws closer,

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people who are having difficulty in making ends meet will not

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experience much good will in the season of good

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will if they fall into the clutches of loan sharks as they try to buy

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presents for their families, so why is he choosing

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now to cut the budget of the Birmingham-based England

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Illegal Money-Lending Team by a third, although it has helped

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24,000 loan shark victims to get ?63 million of illegal

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debts written off?

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Will he have a word with his friend the Business Secretary,

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who seems to be refusing to answer questions from the Daily Mirror

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on the subject?

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Of course we take very seriously the issue of illegal

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loan sharks and, indeed, that of excessive interest

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charges on payday lending, which is why it was Conservatives

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who introduced the first-ever cap on payday lending.

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As for the

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Gentleman s specific question about funding for illegal money

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laundering and loan shark teams, we are considering the imposition

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of a levy on the industry to meet the requirements

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that he has identified.

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Following last week s vote, can my right hon.

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friend give us an update on action against the genocidal jihadists

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who not only attack Christians, Yazidis and Muslims,

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but pillage their churches, shrines and mosques?

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I welcome the announcement of ?30 million to protect cultural

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heritage, but can we also ratify the Hague Convention sooner

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rather than later?

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I thank my hon.

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Friend for raising this important issue.

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Let me briefly update the House on the military action that has

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taken place since we met last week.

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We have 16 aircraft conducting strikes, as well as

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our Reaper drones.

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The Royal Air Force has flown 11 missions and conducted four strikes,

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principally against the oilfields, and we are also supporting

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Iraqi security forces.

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My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will be

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in New York next week for talks

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on trying to bring an end to the horrendous conflict in Syria.

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As for the damage that is being done to the cultural artefacts

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in the area, we are providing ?30 million as part

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of the cultural fund.

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I have discussed that with the director of the British

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Museum.

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And as for the Hague Convention, that process is now moving apace.

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I call Angela Eagle.

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ALL: Hurray!

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Thank you, Mr Speaker.

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It is nice to be given such a warm welcome.

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Our hearts go out to all those who are suffering the consequences

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of the severe flooding in the north-west this week.

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Given that thousands of families are affected,

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the priority must be for the Government to give immediate

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help to all of them.

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Yet one year on from the 2013-14 floods, it emerged that only 15%

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of those affected had received payments from the Government s

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repair and renew scheme.

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Does the Chancellor agree that that cannot possibly be allowed

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to happen again?

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These people need urgent help now, so will he today give the House

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a guarantee that people will receive the help they need, and quickly?

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First, let me welcome the hon.

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Lady to her place and the warm support she has on the other side.

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I join her in expressing the sympathy of the whole House

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to those who have been affected by these terrible floods.

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A record rainfall has hit Cumbria and Lancashire.

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The update is that we have just one severe flood warning still in place,

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power has been restored to 168,000 homes and the west coast main line

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is open, but we have to be there for the long term

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for these families.

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We continue to support the immediate rescue efforts,

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and the military have deployed.

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On recovery and the question the hon.

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Lady asks, I can today announce a ?50 million fund for families

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and businesses affected in the area.

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That will be administered by the local authorities to avoid

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some of the administrative problems to which she alluded

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in her question.

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When it comes to rebuilding the infrastructure of Cumbria,

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Lancashire and other areas affected, we are assessing now the damage

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to the flood defences and to the roads.

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Funds will be made available.

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One of the benefits of having a strong and resilient economy

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is that we can help people in need.

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I thank the Chancellor for that answer but,

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from listening to him, you would not think that he has cut

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flood defence spending by ?115 million this year.

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After visiting the floods in the Somerset levels in 2014,

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the Prime Minister told this House that money is no object in this

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relief effort and that whatever money was needed would be spent.

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I welcome the announcement that the Chancellor has just made,

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but will he confirm that the same will apply this time?

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Absolutely.

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The money will be made available to those affected and to

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the communities who have seen their infrastructure damaged.

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Up to ?5,000 will be made available to individual families

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to repair their homes and protect them against future flooding,

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and we will provide money to businesses that have

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seen their businesses ruined.

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There have been heartbreaking stories ` we have all seen them

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on television ` about businesses that have been affected.

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That money is available.

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Because we have a strong and resilient economy,

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we are increasing the money we spend on our flood defences.

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It is just not the case that that has been reduced.

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The last Labour Government spent ?1.5 billion on flood defences,

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and we will be spending ?2 billion on flood defences and increasing

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maintenance spending.

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It is something we can do and we can help these communities precisely

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because we took the difficult decisions to fix our economy

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and public finances.

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I thank the Chancellor for that, and we will hold him to account

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on the promises he has made today.

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However, I note that the Government s own figures show

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that their planned capital investment in flood defence

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will only protect one in eight of those households at risk.

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I see that the Prime Minister cannot be with us to answer questions today

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because he is visiting Poland and Romania on the latest leg

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of his seemingly endless European renegotiation tour. He has been

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jetting all over the place.

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No wonder we had to buy him his own aeroplane.

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So can the Chancellor tell us, how is it all going?

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The good news is we have a party leader who is respected abroad.

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The Prime Minister is in central and eastern Europe because we are

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fighting for a better deal for Britain, something that never

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would have happened if there had been a Labour Government.

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I have to tell the Chancellor that many of his own backbenchers

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are pretty unimpressed with how it is going so far.

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LAUGHTER

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The hon. Member for North East Somerset has

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described the Prime Minister s

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renegotiation efforts as pretty thin gruel , the hon.

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Member for Harwich and North Essex has called them lame and

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trivial , and yesterday the hon.

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Member for Richmond Park told the Press Gallery they were not

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all that impressive .

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The Chancellor is well known for cultivating his backbenchers,

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and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, so may I ask him

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the question his own side want answering: given that the Prime

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Minister has pre-resigned, does he really aspire to be

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Britain s first post-EU Prime Minister?

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I am not sure I would be quoting the views of backbenchers

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if I was speaking for the Labour party at the moment.

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Most opposition parties are trying to get momentum,

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they are trying to get rid of it.

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We are fighting for a good deal for Britain in Europe,

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we are fighting to make the European economy more competitive

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for everyone and we are fighting to make sure that Britain,

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as a country that is not in the euro, gets a fair

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deal from the eurozone.

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That is what we are fighting for, but in the end this is something

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that we will put to the people of Britain in a referendum.

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The only reason that referendum is happening

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at all is that the Conservative party won the general election.

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Instead of obsessing about issues in the Labour party,

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the Chancellor should be condemning the appalling activities

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in Conservative Future and attacking the Tory bullying scandal.

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I notice he did not answer the question about his own

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prime ministerial activities.

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I am not sure, but he might be worried about somebody a few places

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down from him on the Treasury Bench.

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She knows who she is.

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She knows who she is.

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LAUGHTER

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If the Chancellor will not listen to the doubts of his own

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backbenchers, perhaps he will listen to someone who has written in.

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I have got here a letter.

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It is from Donald of Brussels.

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LAUGHTER

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He writes: Uncertainty about the future of the UK

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in the European Union is a destabilising factor.

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He s right, isn t he?

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Since the Conservative party announced its policy

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on a referendum, we in this country have received the lion s share

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of investment into Europe.

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That is because we have built a strong economy, we stand up

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for Britain s interests abroad and we have made this a competitive

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place to grow and build a business.

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While we are quoting missives, let me tell the House that someone

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called Tony has been writing today.

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He happens to be the most successful Labour leader in history,

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and he describes the current Labour party as a complete tragedy.

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May I suggest that the hon. Lady asks some serious questions,

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about the health service, the economy, social care?

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She can ask any of these questions. She has got one more question.

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Let s hear it.

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I prefer this quote from Tony: Just mouth the words five more Tory

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years , and you feel your senses and reason repulsed

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by what they have done to our country. We all know

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that the Chancellor is so preoccupied with his own leadership

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ambitions that he forgot about the day job, and that is why

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he ended up trying to slash working families tax credits in the Budget.

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Is it not about time that he focused on the national interest rather

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than his own interest?

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Three million UK jobs are linked to trade with the EU.

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Half our exports go there.

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That is what they are putting at risk by flirting with Brexit,

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and that is why we on this side of the House know that Britain

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is better off in.

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I thought that the Labour party voted for the referendum when it

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came before the House of Commons.

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We are fighting for a better deal for Britain in Europe.

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The truth is that this week we have shown that we have an economic plan

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that is delivering for Britain.

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Whether it is well-funded flood defences, putting money

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into our national health service, backing teachers in our schools

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or introducing a national living wage, we are delivering security

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for the working people of Britain.

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Their economic and national security would be put at risk if the Labour

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party ever got back into office.

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I recently visited the apprentice workshop of David Wilson Homes

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and saw at first hand the work the construction industry

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is doing to support apprenticeships in Hampshire.

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What more can schools do to promote apprenticeships as a valuable

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alternative to post-16 academic study?

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My hon. Friend raises an important point.

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Schools have a legal duty to provide pupils with information on the full

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range of training and education available.

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Schools in her constituency can tell their pupils about the increase

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in the number of apprenticeship places - three million

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in this Parliament - we are funding.

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That is a huge commitment to young people in this country

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and a big commitment to the construction industry.

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We want homes to be built.

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One of the challenges is getting skilled people into that industry,

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and no doubt that was raised by the business she spoke

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to, but the 3 million apprentices will help.

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Occasionally, highly toxic and dangerous materials

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are transported around the country.

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Are not the public right to expect the highest safety standards

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and full co-operation between the responsible

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public agencies?

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Absolutely.

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That co-operation is expected.

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Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman is talking

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about the transportation of nuclear

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materials from the Faslane base on the Clyde.

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I have met the local teams and seen how they transport

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the nuclear materials.

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If he has something else he wants to ask me about, go ahead.

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There are growing reports in the north of Scotland about plans

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to transport on public roads dangerous nuclear material,

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potentially including nuclear weapons-grade uranium,

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from the Dounreay nuclear facility to Wick airport.

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It is believed that from there it will be flown to the United States.

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What will that nuclear material be used for,

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and has the Chancellor or any of his colleagues spoken

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with a single Minister in the Scottish Government about this?

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The transportation of nuclear materials across this country has

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happened over many decades.

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There are established procedures for that, and the Royal Marines

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and the police service in Scotland provide the security.

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If the right hon. Gentleman has specific concerns

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about the plans for that transportation, he can

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raise them with us.

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As I say, arrangements are in place to ensure

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that we protect the public.

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The Chancellor will know that the Prime Minister said

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in his recent conference speech that we have to get away

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from the lock em up or let em out mentality in respect

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of prison reform.

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That has to be right because the prison system

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is costing our constituents a fortune.

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Does the Chancellor agree that the time for rehabilitation

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that works is now, and that we should not be afraid

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to look at other jurisdictions to find examples and new ideas

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to tackle this ongoing state failure?

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My hon. friend is right to raise

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prison reform.

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People who commit crimes should go to prison,

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but prisons should be suitable places to rehabilitate prisoners.

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Some of our Victorian prisons are not suitable,

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which is why we will close them, knock them down, build desperately

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needed housing in our cities, and build modern prisons

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on the outskirts of our cities.

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I am incredibly proud that a Conservative Government are taking

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on this progressive social reform.

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They are a great British institution and earn billions for our economy,

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so I am sure the Chancellor will share my concern that two curry

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houses a week are closing due to Government policies and the fact

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that the proposed specialist colleges have failed.

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As a fan himself, will he review the situation?

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He once likened the elements of a strong economy to those

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of a good curry, so will he take action to head off

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the coming curry crisis?

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We all enjoy a great British curry, but we want the curry chefs to be

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trained in Britain so that we can provide jobs for people

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here in this country.

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That is what our immigration controls provide.

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My right hon. friend is well aware,

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from my repeated representations

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to him and his colleagues, of the need for a southern relief

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road and eastern bypass for Lincoln, which have been delayed

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by bureaucracy for nearly 100 years.

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He and his Government colleagues are well acquainted with the need

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to drive growth and local economic wellbeing by utilising appropriate

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infrastructure improvements to fuel the midlands engine.

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What would he say to my constituents, should he visit

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the beautiful city of Lincoln, other than to tell them that any

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new road is eventually better than no road?

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new road is eventually better than no road?

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I congratulate my hon.

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I congratulate my hon.

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Friend on securing ?50 million of extra funding for Lincoln

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and ensuring that a bypass will go ahead.

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I have spoken to him.

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I know he has concerns that the bypass will not be big

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enough and that it should be a dual-lane bypass.

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Let us continue to have those conversations.

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We both need to ensure that local authorities agree

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with his assessment, and I am happy to help him

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with that task.

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Since the Chancellor s Budget in July, I have asked time and again

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how he intends to make women prove, in order to qualify for tax credits,

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that they had their third child as a result of rape.

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Will he now admit that his abhorrent, vile policy is completely

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unworkable, and will he drop the rape clause?

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It is perfectly reasonable to have a welfare system

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that is fair not just for those who need it but for those

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who pay for it.

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We have identified the specific cases that the hon. Lady

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refers to in her question, in which women have been victims

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of domestic abuse, or, indeed, rape, and that is why we are consulting

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and discussing changes to protect vulnerable women.

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More than 4,000 apprenticeships have been created in my constituency

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since 2010, and I recently met representatives of In-Comm Training

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and a group of small local businesses to discuss

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skills and apprenticeships.

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What are the Government doing to help small businesses to help

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people into training and employment, thereby securing the economy

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of the midlands engine for future generations?

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The great news is that jobs are being created in the midlands

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engine, including in my hon.

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Friend s constituency, and we are investing

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in infrastructure there as well.

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We are also investing in the skills of the next generation

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through the apprenticeships she mentions, and we are backing

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small businesses by cutting the corporation tax they pay

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and by increasing employment allowance so that they can take

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on more people without paying the jobs tax.

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Medecins sans Frontieres reports that despite giving GPS co-ordinates

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several of its hospitals have been bombed by coalition and,

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in particular, Assad forces in Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan,

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killing medics as well as patients.

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With so many forces involved in airstrikes, will the Chancellor

0:22:470:22:52

explain how the Government propose to avoid this happening in future?

0:22:520:22:57

The hon.Lady mentions the tragic bombing of the hospital.

0:23:000:23:04

A review is going on to ensure that the coalition has accurate

0:23:040:23:09

information for its strikes.

0:23:090:23:11

When it comes to Yemen, we are working with the Saudi

0:23:110:23:15

Government to make sure that they can review this

0:23:150:23:18

information and that it is accurate.

0:23:180:23:24

I am afraid we have no control over the Syrian Government and Assad,

0:23:240:23:27

which is one of the reasons we would like to see Assad go.

0:23:270:23:30

The regeneration of Dunsbury Hill Farm in my constituency will create

0:23:300:23:33

up to 3,500 new jobs, which is good news for an area

0:23:330:23:37

where unemployment has halved since 2010.

0:23:370:23:41

Will the Chancellor commit to continuing investment

0:23:410:23:43

in the Solent regional economy, an area that much prefers his big

0:23:430:23:47

Red Book to any other type?

0:23:470:23:51

I am delighted to hear about the regeneration

0:23:530:23:55

of Dunsbury Hill Farm.

0:23:550:23:57

It is part of the good news in my hon. Friend s

0:23:570:24:00

area, where, thanks to local businesses

0:24:000:24:03

and to his work as a new MP in attracting infrastructure

0:24:030:24:06

and investment into his constituency, the claimant count

0:24:060:24:08

is down by 25% in the past year alone.

0:24:080:24:13

I am glad he likes the Red Book of the Government and does not have

0:24:130:24:17

so much time for the little red book brandished by Opposition Members.

0:24:170:24:21

During the autumn statement, the Chancellor casually removed

0:24:250:24:27

vital bursary support from student nurses.

0:24:270:24:30

I have since spoken to a number of nurses and some of the 4,000

0:24:300:24:33

nursing students at my local university, all of whom say

0:24:330:24:36

that they would not have been able to study nursing without vital

0:24:360:24:39

bursary support from the Scottish Government.

0:24:390:24:40

What will he say to the aspiring nurses across the rest of the UK

0:24:400:24:44

who may be prevented from pursuing their dreams

0:24:440:24:46

of becoming a nurse?

0:24:460:24:48

Currently, two thirds of people in England who apply for nurse

0:24:490:24:55

training courses are turned down.

0:24:550:24:57

That cannot be right, as it means hospitals increasingly

0:24:570:25:00

rely on agency staff or overseas nurses.

0:25:000:25:03

We are reforming the education of nurses so that those who apply

0:25:030:25:07

for nursing places are much more likely to get them.

0:25:070:25:10

Carlisle and Cumbria have experienced a traumatic few days,

0:25:140:25:18

with the devastating floods.

0:25:180:25:20

It was good that the Prime Minister saw at first hand the tremendous

0:25:200:25:23

work of the emergency services, the issues relating to the flood

0:25:230:25:26

defences and of course the direct impact of those floods

0:25:260:25:29

on local families.

0:25:290:25:32

As part of the recovery, Cumbria Community Foundation,

0:25:320:25:35

a highly respected, county-wide charitable organisation,

0:25:350:25:38

has launched a flood appeal.

0:25:380:25:41

I wrote to the Prime Minister asking for the Government s

0:25:410:25:43

support for the appeal, as it would help many affected

0:25:430:25:45

people right across the county.

0:25:450:25:48

Would the Chancellor be able to offer such support

0:25:480:25:50

from the Government towards this much-needed fund?

0:25:500:25:54

First, everyone here would pay tribute to the people of Carlisle,

0:25:560:25:59

the extraordinary resilience they have shown and the acts

0:25:590:26:02

of friendship that neighbours have shown to those affected

0:26:020:26:05

by the terrible floods.

0:26:050:26:07

Before the Prime Minister left for central Europe this morning,

0:26:070:26:11

he asked me to make sure we would be able to help on the

0:26:110:26:16

specific point my hon. Friend raises,

0:26:160:26:17

and did raise with the Prime Minister,

0:26:170:26:19

and I can say that we will support the work the Cumbria Community

0:26:190:26:22

Foundation does and we will match, by up to ?1 million,

0:26:220:26:26

the money it is raising for its local flood appeal.

0:26:260:26:29

When the Chancellor tripled student tuition fees,

0:26:310:26:34

he set the repayment threshold at ?21,000.

0:26:340:26:37

He has now frozen the threshold, and the Institute for Fiscal Studies

0:26:370:26:41

tells us that many students will bear many extra thousands

0:26:410:26:44

of pounds in repayments.

0:26:450:26:47

Given that he has broken his promise, will he send students

0:26:470:26:51

an apology or just the bill?

0:26:510:26:55

There seems to be collective amnesia among Labour Members:

0:26:550:26:58

they introduced tuition fees and the payment

0:26:580:27:08

threshold was ?15,000.

0:27:100:27:13

We have increased it to ?21,000, which enables us to fund the lifting

0:27:130:27:16

of the cap and more people who are qualified

0:27:160:27:21

go to university.

0:27:210:27:22

I would have thought, and I would have hoped,

0:27:220:27:25

that on this day the hon. Gentleman welcomed the big

0:27:250:27:27

investment we are making

0:27:270:27:28

in Cambridge, not least with the renovation of the famous

0:27:280:27:30

Cavendish laboratory.

0:27:300:27:33

The Bexhill-Hastings link road will finally open this month,

0:27:340:27:36

delivering a business park, new homes for a new labour market

0:27:360:27:40

and a countryside park.

0:27:400:27:42

The road has been talked about for decades but it has been

0:27:420:27:45

commissioned and built in the past five.

0:27:450:27:47

Will the Chancellor join me in welcoming new business

0:27:470:27:49

to relocate to Bexhill and Hastings, and to expand?

0:27:490:27:55

I would certainly encourage businesses to relocate to

0:27:550:27:57

my hon. Friend s area.

0:27:570:27:58

He is right about the link road: for decades people called for it,

0:27:580:28:04

and although for all those years there was a Conservative MP

0:28:040:28:06

for Bexhill, there was a Labour MP for Hastings for many of those years

0:28:060:28:11

and nothing happened.

0:28:110:28:12

Now that we have Conservative MPs in both Bexhill and Hastings,

0:28:120:28:15

we are getting the investment the local area needs.

0:28:150:28:19

On 7 September, the Prime Minister told me that he could not remove

0:28:230:28:27

refugees from the migration target because of the requirements

0:28:270:28:30

of the Office for National Statistics, but I wrote to the ONS

0:28:300:28:34

and it told me that in fact this would be possible.

0:28:340:28:41

Can the Chancellor therefore demonstrate that Britain

0:28:410:28:43

will do its bit and remove refugees from the migration target?

0:28:430:28:53

Order.

0:28:530:28:56

Order. Let us hear the Chancellor.

0:28:560:29:01

Let me say something surprising: we talk to each other in this

0:29:010:29:04

Government!

0:29:040:29:07

The Cabinet actually gets round the table and has meetings.

0:29:070:29:09

We discuss things, we agree, and then we move forward.

0:29:090:29:12

The Labour party should try it.

0:29:120:29:17

The Office for National Statistics is independent, but Britain

0:29:170:29:21

is doing its bit by taking 20,000 refugees from the Syrian

0:29:210:29:25

refugee camps.

0:29:250:29:27

We have always provided a home for genuine asylum seekers.

0:29:270:29:35

Under current toy regulations, small children can be engulfed

0:29:350:29:40

in flames by 3cm in one second.

0:29:400:29:49

Will the Chancellor encourage my right hon.

0:29:500:29:52

Friend the Prime Minister to intervene to see

0:29:520:29:54

whether the Business Secretary can introduce a statutory instrument

0:29:540:29:56

to improve the flammability of children s play

0:29:560:29:57

and dress-up costumes?

0:29:570:29:58

My hon. Friend is right to raise that case.

0:29:580:30:01

We all saw the tragedy that befell the family

0:30:010:30:03

of the Strictly Come Dancing presenter and the campaign

0:30:030:30:11

that her family have undertaken to change the regulations.

0:30:110:30:15

It is true that we do not have the same flame-retardant

0:30:150:30:17

regulations for children s fancy dress costumes.

0:30:170:30:21

That seems wrong.

0:30:210:30:23

I know that my right hon. Friend the Business Secretary

0:30:230:30:25

is looking at the matter and will ensure that that changes.

0:30:250:30:28

Will the Chancellor take this opportunity to correct the bizarre

0:30:280:30:31

claim made yesterday by Donald Trump about parts of London being no-go

0:30:310:30:36

areas for the Metropolitan police?

0:30:360:30:38

Will he point out to Mr Trump that relationships between the Muslim

0:30:380:30:43

communities of London and the police are in fact excellent?

0:30:430:30:47

The right hon. Gentleman speaks for everyone

0:30:470:30:50

in this House.

0:30:500:30:59

The Metropolitan police do a brilliant job, and they have

0:30:590:31:02

fantastic relations with British Muslims.

0:31:020:31:03

British Muslims have made a massive contribution to our country.

0:31:030:31:05

Donald Trump s comments fly in the face of the founding

0:31:050:31:08

principles of the United States, which have proved such

0:31:080:31:10

an inspiration to so many people over the past 200 years.

0:31:100:31:14

The best way to defeat such nonsense is to engage in robust,

0:31:140:31:18

democratic debate and make it very clear that his views

0:31:180:31:22

are not welcome.

0:31:220:31:24

Cornwall Hospice Care, which has one hospice on the border

0:31:270:31:37

Will the Chancellor work with me and my other colleagues in Cornwall

0:31:520:31:55

to see what more money can be put into our hospices,

0:31:550:31:57

and Cornwall Hospice Care?

0:31:570:31:58

I know that my hon.

0:31:580:31:59

I know that my hon. Friend is a strong champion

0:31:590:32:02

of his community and of the hospice he mentions.

0:32:020:32:06

We have taken steps to help the hospice movement,

0:32:060:32:08

not least by removing the VAT it paid in the previous Parliament.

0:32:080:32:12

We want to get the right balance.

0:32:120:32:14

It is good that our hospices are funded in part by local

0:32:140:32:17

charities and supported so strongly by the local community,

0:32:170:32:19

but they also need the backing of the NHS.

0:32:190:32:24

Of course, as we have a strong economy, we are now putting that

0:32:240:32:27

money into the NHS so that it can help the hospice movement.

0:32:270:32:33

If business rates are localised without equalisation,

0:32:330:32:39

my own authority of Gateshead will lose ?9.4 million a year on top

0:32:390:32:44

of the proposed severe cuts to the revenue support grant.

0:32:440:32:48

The seven north-east local enterprise partnership authorities

0:32:480:32:55

will lose ?186 million a year and the combined 12 authorities

0:32:550:32:58

in the north-east ?223 million a year.

0:32:580:33:04

Meanwhile, the City of London will gain ?222 million

0:33:040:33:06

and Westminster ?440 million.

0:33:060:33:07

How does that help the Chancellor s vision of the northern powerhouse?

0:33:070:33:10

The top-up and tariff system will apply as we devolve

0:33:130:33:17

business rates to reflect the discrepancies the hon.

0:33:170:33:20

Gentleman identifies.

0:33:200:33:22

I would have thought that the Labour party supported the devolution

0:33:220:33:25

of business rates.

0:33:250:33:26

It is a massive opportunity for local areas to grow and to see

0:33:260:33:29

the benefits of that growth.

0:33:290:33:31

When it comes to the northern powerhouse, we have the fantastic

0:33:310:33:34

announcement today of the new train franchises, which mean more than ?1

0:33:340:33:38

billion going into new trains, faster journeys, and better

0:33:380:33:42

journey experiences for people in the north of England.

0:33:420:33:44

He should get behind it.

0:33:440:33:48

An important report was published today showing that the TV debates

0:33:480:33:53

at the general election were a great success, engaging people who are not

0:33:530:33:56

normally interested in politics, particularly young people.

0:33:560:34:01

Will the acting Prime Minister - I know he might have a personal

0:34:010:34:05

interest in this matter - encourage TV debates

0:34:050:34:10

at the next general election?

0:34:100:34:14

The TV debates are decided in discussions between the political

0:34:160:34:19

parties and the broadcasters.

0:34:190:34:23

I think that my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister

0:34:230:34:25

did exceptionally well in them last time.

0:34:250:34:29

I understand that the Home Secretary has banned 84 hate preachers

0:34:310:34:35

from entering the UK.

0:34:350:34:37

Will the Government lead by example and consider making

0:34:370:34:40

Mr Donald Trump the 85th?

0:34:400:34:45

I think that the best way to confront the views of someone

0:34:450:34:48

like Donald Trump is to engage in a robust, democratic argument

0:34:480:34:53

about why he is profoundly wrong about the contribution

0:34:530:34:57

of American Muslims, and indeed British Muslims.

0:34:570:35:00

That is the best way to deal with Donald Trump and his views,

0:35:000:35:03

rather than trying to ban presidential candidates.

0:35:030:35:09

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