:00:00. > :00:00.within the UK don't work on that basis. What he also knows if this
:00:00. > :00:00.Government is committed to retaining the Barnett formula which ddlivers a
:00:00. > :00:18.fair allocation of funding to Scotland.
:00:19. > :00:22.This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others
:00:23. > :00:36.and I will further later today. Condemning terrorist attacks will
:00:37. > :00:42.not be a part of holding office I would say to my honourable friend
:00:43. > :00:45.that condemning terrorist attacks is an essential component of aspiring
:00:46. > :00:51.to high office in this country and that should the the case whdther you
:00:52. > :00:57.are a shadow minister or Minister of the Crown, and it is worth recalling
:00:58. > :01:01.what it is. Terrorists are dntirely responsible for their own actions,
:01:02. > :01:06.nobody forces anyone to kill innocent people in Paris, blow up
:01:07. > :01:10.the underground, behead innocent workers in Syria, he was absolutely
:01:11. > :01:13.right to say that! Frankly, it speaks volumes that he cannot sit in
:01:14. > :01:24.the Shadow Cabinet with the Leader of the Opposition. Thank yot, Mr
:01:25. > :01:27.Speaker. I would like to th`nk the firefighters, mountain rescte
:01:28. > :01:30.services, the police, armed services, engineers and workers the
:01:31. > :01:35.Environment Agency, and loc`l government workers, and all the
:01:36. > :01:39.volunteers, for all the work they did in keeping save thousands of
:01:40. > :01:42.people on the floods that affected this country. In January 20 14th
:01:43. > :01:48.following the devastating floods at that time, the Prime Ministdr said
:01:49. > :01:53.and I quote, there are alwaxs lessons to be learnt and I will make
:01:54. > :02:00.sure they are learned. -- 2014. Were they learned? Let me join the Leader
:02:01. > :02:03.of the Opposition in thanking the emergency services, the polhce, the
:02:04. > :02:08.Fire Services, the search and rescue teams who went around the country to
:02:09. > :02:13.areas that were flooded, thd military, and as he says, what we
:02:14. > :02:18.saw was communities coming together and volunteers carrying out
:02:19. > :02:24.extraordinary work. Having seen my own constituency very badly flooded
:02:25. > :02:27.in 2007, having had floods while Prime Minister, a number of lessons
:02:28. > :02:35.have been learnt. The milit`ry came in far faster than before. The
:02:36. > :02:39.scheme was funded at 100%, lore money was got to communities more
:02:40. > :02:44.quickly. A lot of lessons h`ve been learnt. Are there more to ldarn I
:02:45. > :02:49.am sure there are, there always are and that is why I will revidw
:02:50. > :02:53.everything. As we do that, we will make money available becausd we have
:02:54. > :03:07.a strong economy to build flood resilience in our country. Hn 2 11,
:03:08. > :03:13.?190 million defence of floods was cancelled, 1000 homes in Ledds was
:03:14. > :03:16.flooded in recent weeks, thd government is still only colmitted
:03:17. > :03:21.to a scaled-down version of the project worth a fraction of its
:03:22. > :03:27.total cost when the Prime Mhnister claimed money was no object in flood
:03:28. > :03:34.relief. When he meets the Ldeds MPs in the near future, will he
:03:35. > :03:43.guarantee the full scheme whll go ahead to protect leads from future
:03:44. > :03:48.flooding? -- Leeds. It is worth putting on record before we get on
:03:49. > :03:51.to flood defence that this was the wettest December for over 100 years,
:03:52. > :03:57.and actually, in Leeds and Yorkshire, it was the wettest
:03:58. > :04:04.December ever on record, and that is why rivers in Yorkshire, it
:04:05. > :04:09.including the Aire in Leeds was a metre higher than it has evdr been
:04:10. > :04:13.in stock in terms of floods defence is, no floods defence schemds have
:04:14. > :04:18.been cancelled since 2010. The investment in flood defences was 1.5
:04:19. > :04:21.billion in the last Labour government, 1.7 billion in the
:04:22. > :04:25.government I lead is a Coalhtion Government, and will be over 2
:04:26. > :04:29.billion in this Parliament. It has gone up and up and up and it has
:04:30. > :04:34.gone up as we run an economx where we are able to invest in thd things
:04:35. > :04:41.that our country needs. One more point. Let us not forget thhs.. We
:04:42. > :04:47.inherited the Darling plan for our economy. A plan for 50% cut in
:04:48. > :04:51.capital spending and DEFRA was not a protected department. We protected
:04:52. > :04:59.that flood spending and increased it, something Labour would not have
:05:00. > :05:04.done. Of course rainfall was excessive, of course the river
:05:05. > :05:09.levels were high, but the Prime Minister has still not answdred the
:05:10. > :05:15.question on the Leeds flood protection scheme. I will ghve him
:05:16. > :05:19.an opportunity too. In 2014, Cumbria applied for funding for new schemes
:05:20. > :05:24.in Keswick and Kendall and both were turned down, both areas werd flooded
:05:25. > :05:27.again in the last few weeks. Does the Prime Minister believed that
:05:28. > :05:32.turning down those schemes was also a mistake? We are spending lore on
:05:33. > :05:41.floods defence schemes is stacking up a whole series of schemes. Let me
:05:42. > :05:44.make this point. If he is going to spend ?10 billion on renationalising
:05:45. > :05:51.railways, where is he going to find the money for flood defences? The
:05:52. > :05:56.idea that this individual would be faster in responding to floods, when
:05:57. > :06:04.it takes in three days to c`rry out a reshuffle, is laughable! ,- him.
:06:05. > :06:08.Since I walked into The Chalber this morning, the Shadow Foreign Minister
:06:09. > :06:14.has resigned, the Shadow Defence Minister has resigned, he could not
:06:15. > :06:19.run anything! It is very strange that when I have asked a qudstion
:06:20. > :06:22.about Leeds floods defence, and Cumbria floods defence, the Prime
:06:23. > :06:27.Minister still seems unable to answer. Canny now tell us if there
:06:28. > :06:34.is going to be funding for those schemes? In October, Professor Colin
:06:35. > :06:42.Mela, he warned the governmdnt about funding cuts to flood defences in
:06:43. > :06:47.Yorkshire being formally discontinued in the future. Would
:06:48. > :06:53.that be a mistake or so? Is he going to reverse the cut in the ddfence to
:06:54. > :06:56.make sure that those cities and areas are protected in the next
:06:57. > :07:02.round of floods which will no doubt come? We have increased and continue
:07:03. > :07:07.to increase the spending of flood defences. We are spending more in
:07:08. > :07:12.this Parliament, and for thd first time, it is a six-year spending is
:07:13. > :07:17.active which is ?2.3 billion extra on flood defences, money whhch would
:07:18. > :07:22.not be available if we trashed the economy in the way he proposes. Of
:07:23. > :07:26.course, after every incident of flooding, you go back and look at
:07:27. > :07:29.what you have is then, what you have built, what you are planning to
:07:30. > :07:33.spend, planning to build, and you see what more can be done, but the
:07:34. > :07:37.head of the Environment Agency was clear that he had the money
:07:38. > :07:42.necessary to take the action necessary, but we can only do that
:07:43. > :07:46.with a strong economy, an economy that is growing, where more people
:07:47. > :07:50.are in work, more people ard paying taxes, we have got the strength to
:07:51. > :07:56.solve this problem of floods and we will do it in a proper way. The
:07:57. > :08:02.Prime Minister still has not answered on Leeds, on Cumbrha, on
:08:03. > :08:07.the warning from Professor Lellor, and like him, last week, I let
:08:08. > :08:12.people in Yorkshire were affected by flooding and I met a young couple,
:08:13. > :08:25.Chris and Victoria, whose home had been flooded over Christmas. It was
:08:26. > :08:32.not very funny for them. Thhs young couple lost many of their
:08:33. > :08:35.possessions. Photos, childrdn, toys, schoolwork, and they have the foul
:08:36. > :08:40.stench of flood water in thdir homes as many families do in this country.
:08:41. > :08:47.They are asking all of us wholly legitimate questions. Why w`s it
:08:48. > :08:51.that the insignificant pump capacity of the barrier, alerted to hn 2 13
:08:52. > :08:57.by a government report, was not dealt with and those pumps were not
:08:58. > :09:01.upgraded, thus people were flooded in York and their possessions and
:09:02. > :09:06.homes damaged? Those people want answers from all of us and hn
:09:07. > :09:09.particular from the Prime Mhnister. I have the greatest sympathx with
:09:10. > :09:14.anyone flooded and we have to do what it takes to get people and
:09:15. > :09:18.communities back on their fdet and that is why we have put record sums
:09:19. > :09:22.in more quickly to help comlunities in Cumbria, in Lancashire, `nd now
:09:23. > :09:28.in Yorkshire, and we will continue to do that. On the question of the
:09:29. > :09:31.pumps, that was about to be tended for extra investment and th`t
:09:32. > :09:37.investment will now go ahead because the money is there. We are putting
:09:38. > :09:39.in the money, we are putting it in more quickly, the military got
:09:40. > :09:43.involved more quickly and to the couple who got flooded, we `re also
:09:44. > :09:47.doing something that previots governments have talked abott but
:09:48. > :09:50.never achieved and that is to have an insurance scheme so everx
:09:51. > :09:58.household in our country can get insured. That is not being done
:09:59. > :10:02.before. Our lessons being ldarned? Yes. Are there more lessons? Yet.
:10:03. > :10:11.But we do not need a lecturd from the honourable gentleman! -, yes.
:10:12. > :10:14.The reality is that flood ddfence scheme after flood defence scheme
:10:15. > :10:20.has been cancelled, postpondd or at stop many more homes have bden
:10:21. > :10:25.flooded, and too many lessons have been ignored. Why can't the Prime
:10:26. > :10:30.Minister support our call for a coordinated cross-party approach to
:10:31. > :10:36.flooding that looks at everxthing including Upland management in
:10:37. > :10:42.making people's homes more flood resilient, and more protecthon
:10:43. > :10:46.schemes properly funded? Dods the Prime Minister agree with this? The
:10:47. > :10:51.Fire and Rescue Service who have done a great job over the l`st few
:10:52. > :10:57.weeks in all parts of this country, should now be given a statutory duty
:10:58. > :11:03.to deal with loads to help ts through any crisis that might occur
:11:04. > :11:09.in the future? When he has worked out how to coordinate his own party,
:11:10. > :11:12.perhaps he can have a word with me. On the issue of a statutory duty,
:11:13. > :11:16.everybody knows what they h`ve to do when let's take place, that is why
:11:17. > :11:20.there was a magnificent response from the emergency services, the
:11:21. > :11:26.Fire Services, the emergencx rescue services, they have are backing to
:11:27. > :11:30.do the vital work, and we whll go on investing in flood defences, we will
:11:31. > :11:33.increase the money on flood defences because we have a strong economy and
:11:34. > :11:43.strong country that can back the action needed. 2016 is the 400th
:11:44. > :11:49.anniversary of William Shakdspeare's death. Does the Right Honourable
:11:50. > :11:56.friend agree that our country should unite to commemorate his work best
:11:57. > :12:00.at their special events at the RSC. The Shakespeare birthplace trust are
:12:01. > :12:07.renovating the sight of his home, and his school is opening the
:12:08. > :12:10.original classroom. Can I invite the House and the whole world to come
:12:11. > :12:20.and celebrate the greatest living writer? I apologise for almost
:12:21. > :12:24.interrupting his celebrity. The 400th anniversary of the de`th of
:12:25. > :12:27.Shakespeare. Everything he has given to our language and culture and to
:12:28. > :12:32.the world, it will be a fantastic moment for people to come and visit
:12:33. > :12:35.Great Britain and come and see Stratford, and all the other places
:12:36. > :12:39.that have such a great association with Shakespeare. Shakespeare
:12:40. > :12:43.provides language for every moment. Consider what we are thinking about
:12:44. > :12:49.at the moment. There was a loment where it looked like this rdshuffle
:12:50. > :12:54.would go into the 12th night! It was a revenge reshuffle so it w`s going
:12:55. > :12:59.to be as you like it! We can can conclude that it has turned into a
:13:00. > :13:01.comedy of errors, perhaps mtch ado about nothing! There will bd those
:13:02. > :13:30.who worry that Love 's labotrs lost. Thank you. Thank you for thd warm
:13:31. > :13:34.welcome. Mr Speaker, the he`lth service is the role but junhor
:13:35. > :13:39.doctors in Scotland are not banning to strike next week. Why dods the
:13:40. > :13:42.Prime Minister and the Scottish Government has good relations with
:13:43. > :13:48.junior doctors and his government does not? And now to the Scottish
:13:49. > :13:52.play! It raises an important question and we have taken `
:13:53. > :13:57.different approach to the government in Scotland. We have increased
:13:58. > :14:00.spending on the NHS by more than the government in Scotland and that is
:14:01. > :14:04.the right approach but we are determined to deal with the issue of
:14:05. > :14:10.having a genuine seven-day NHS. Everybody knows, doctors know,
:14:11. > :14:14.patients know it, the BMA knows it, there is a problem with the NHS at
:14:15. > :14:18.the weekend, and one of the ways to correct that is to make surd we have
:14:19. > :14:23.new contracts, including with junior doctors, to make sure not that they
:14:24. > :14:31.work longer hours, and in f`ct under our plans, many will work ldss
:14:32. > :14:35.hours. Not to reduce doctors' pay. No one who works legal hours will
:14:36. > :14:42.see a cut in their pay. 75% of doctors will see a rise. Thhs is a
:14:43. > :14:44.good deal for a good NHS and I'm sure in Scotland they will `t it as
:14:45. > :14:52.well. The Scottish Government has been
:14:53. > :14:55.investing record levels in the NHS in Scotland and it also works very
:14:56. > :15:00.hard to have the best possible relations with the doctors `nd
:15:01. > :15:03.nurses and NHS staff. Would the English Health Secretary spdak to
:15:04. > :15:06.his Scottish colleague to ldarn how to resolve the situation in England
:15:07. > :15:14.and stave off strike action, which no-one wants to see, least of all
:15:15. > :15:17.Julia doctors? There should always be good discussions between the
:15:18. > :15:18.Health Secretary in the United Kingdom government and health
:15:19. > :15:22.ministers in the devolved administrations. Obviously, one
:15:23. > :15:29.thing we think is important when we make a decision to increase funding
:15:30. > :15:33.in the NHS, as we have done, ?1 billion more in this Parlialent
:15:34. > :15:37.that has consequences for W`les and Scotland and Northern Ireland under
:15:38. > :15:40.the bonnet formula. And of course I find it very depressing that the
:15:41. > :15:44.Welsh have decided under Labour to spend less than we are planning to
:15:45. > :15:53.spend, and Scotland has dond the same thing. The local econoly in my
:15:54. > :16:02.constituency, Bolton West, continues to strengthen, great businesses
:16:03. > :16:10.relocating and growing in Westhoughton. We are also sdeing
:16:11. > :16:14.heritage trading frames invdsting ?1 million in equipping a new factory
:16:15. > :16:20.in Lostock, another company winning new contracts and recruiting more
:16:21. > :16:24.staff in Norwich. Will the Prime Minister agree with me that the
:16:25. > :16:28.northern powerhouse is not just about our great northern cities it
:16:29. > :16:34.is also about our Great North Run towns? My honourable friend is
:16:35. > :16:37.absolutely right. It is instructive that members opposite do not want to
:16:38. > :16:42.hear good news about businesses and investment which is happening in the
:16:43. > :16:46.economy. Sometimes it can sound as if the plan for a northern
:16:47. > :16:53.powerhouse is all about the cities. Our view is that by linking up the
:16:54. > :16:56.cities, you also helped the towns and the rural areas because you are
:16:57. > :17:04.rebalancing the economy and increasing opportunity in the north
:17:05. > :17:06.of our country. In 2014, in response to the flooding of the Thamds
:17:07. > :17:12.Valley, the Prime Minister said that money would be no object. In the
:17:13. > :17:15.light of his cuts to the flood offences, his cuts to the fhre and
:17:16. > :17:20.rescue service, his cuts to the Environment Agency, can he say the
:17:21. > :17:25.same to the people of Leeds, of Rochdale, York, of Whitby and of
:17:26. > :17:30.Teesside, or is it one rule for his constituents, and another for ours
:17:31. > :17:36.in the north? She is completely wrong about the funding, as I have
:17:37. > :17:43.explained in great detail. What we put in place under this govdrnment
:17:44. > :17:51.is not funding at 85% of wh`t a council spends, but 100%. So what I
:17:52. > :18:01.said absolutely stands good. Thepm has always been a staunch stpporter
:18:02. > :18:04.of the Welsh TV channel S4C, so could he use this opportunity to
:18:05. > :18:11.reinforce the future of the channel and the commitment to safegtard its
:18:12. > :18:13.funding? I am happy to do that. S4C is an important part of our
:18:14. > :18:19.broadcasting structure and ht is very well liked in Wales. Wd will
:18:20. > :18:23.meet the spirit of our manifesto promise to make sure this continues
:18:24. > :18:27.to be a very strong channel. With homeownership down to its lowest
:18:28. > :18:32.level in a generation, down every year since he became Prime Linister,
:18:33. > :18:36.why did Tory MPs vote against Labour's amendments to the housing
:18:37. > :18:39.bill last night, which would have protected the publicly funddd
:18:40. > :18:44.discount for new starter holes for future buyers? Isn't that bdtter
:18:45. > :18:52.value for money for first-thme buyers and for the taxpayer, you saw
:18:53. > :18:55.no? Well, the proposal. The homes is a Conservative Party propos`l put
:18:56. > :19:00.into our manifesto, opposed throughout by the Labour Party. This
:19:01. > :19:04.is only happening because wd have listed a majority and put a housing
:19:05. > :19:09.bill through this House of Commons. We are taking every step we can to
:19:10. > :19:13.help get more people on the housing ladder. In London we are seding Help
:19:14. > :19:19.to Buy now funding 40% of the homes people want to buy, rather than 20%.
:19:20. > :19:23.We will see 200,000 starter homes built during this Parliament.
:19:24. > :19:26.Because we are managing the economy properly, interest rates ard low and
:19:27. > :19:32.it is easier for people to get a mortgage. With our help to save
:19:33. > :19:36.skin, people can put aside loney to help them with their deposit. We are
:19:37. > :19:38.on the side of the homeowner, and above all those people who want to
:19:39. > :19:54.get on the housing ladder. Mr Speaker, on Boxing Day, the
:19:55. > :19:57.village of crust and in my constituency suffered the worst
:19:58. > :20:01.floods in living memory. We had damage to schools, homes and
:20:02. > :20:05.businesses. Will my right honourable friend join with me in praising the
:20:06. > :20:10.efforts of everybody who pulled together to protect their community
:20:11. > :20:13.and will he ask is honourable friend the member for Penrith and The
:20:14. > :20:18.Border to review the decision by the Environment Agency to switch off the
:20:19. > :20:21.pumps in that particular pl`ce? First of all let me pay tribute to
:20:22. > :20:25.her constituents, who worked around the clock to help each other in what
:20:26. > :20:30.were appalling floods, with this incredibly high-level of rahnfall.
:20:31. > :20:34.Let me join with her in thanking the emergency services again for all the
:20:35. > :20:38.work they did. After floods like this there are always questhons
:20:39. > :20:40.about which pumps were used, which flood gates were opened, wh`t
:20:41. > :20:45.decisions were made by the dxperts on the ground. And it is very
:20:46. > :20:49.important, having seen many communities flooded in my own
:20:50. > :20:52.constituency, to hold meetings in the community to go through those
:20:53. > :20:56.decisions and work out what lessons can be learned and whether the right
:20:57. > :21:01.decisions were made. I absolutely pledge that that should be done if
:21:02. > :21:05.we have announced ?40 million for the work across Lancashire `nd
:21:06. > :21:09.Cumbria for helping people out. And we will make sure that the flood
:21:10. > :21:13.alleviation money for households and businesses, the scheme is that we
:21:14. > :21:20.set up after 2013, that the money is paid out as it can be. Thank you
:21:21. > :21:24.very much, Mr Speaker. In the light of last month's Paris climate
:21:25. > :21:28.agreement, in which all countries promised to keep global warling well
:21:29. > :21:31.below 2 degrees, does the Prime Minister agree that we must now
:21:32. > :21:36.urgently begin the process of strengthening the EU's 2030
:21:37. > :21:40.greenhouse gas reduction target to 50% below 1990 levels at thd very
:21:41. > :21:46.least a position which he argued for, I am glad to say, at the
:21:47. > :21:49.European Council? First of `ll let me join her in once again
:21:50. > :21:54.recognising that Paris was ` very big step forward. Previous
:21:55. > :21:58.agreements, like at Kyoto, did not include action by China or @merica.
:21:59. > :22:03.And now, you have got all the big emitters as part of the deal. We did
:22:04. > :22:06.argue that the EU should go further. We achieved I think a very
:22:07. > :22:11.aggressive package for the DU, but that was the best that we could do
:22:12. > :22:15.in the circumstances. I think the EU agreement helped to bring about the
:22:16. > :22:18.general agreement. Nobody should be in doubt that Britain is pl`ying a
:22:19. > :22:22.very major role. Let me givd you one statistic. I know there is ` great
:22:23. > :22:26.interest in this house about solar panels. I asked the question the
:22:27. > :22:29.other day, what percentage of solar panels have been installed hn
:22:30. > :22:38.Britain since this government took office in 2010, expect it mhght be
:22:39. > :22:43.50 or 60%. The answer is 98$. Yesterday it was announced that the
:22:44. > :22:47.Foxhill housing zone in Bath would receive ?313,000 of governmdnt
:22:48. > :22:50.funding to help kick-start work to build thousands of new homes in the
:22:51. > :22:53.city. Would the Prime Minister agree with me that this funding whll help
:22:54. > :22:58.to reverse the lack of new building under the party opposite and unable
:22:59. > :23:02.struggling families to get onto the property ladder? I am delighted to
:23:03. > :23:07.hear about that development. The fact is, we have built 700,000
:23:08. > :23:13.houses since this government came to office but there is a lot more to be
:23:14. > :23:15.done. Sometimes it might involve specific planning permissions orders
:23:16. > :23:20.agreements between councils which need to be sorted out. But we should
:23:21. > :23:23.not forget that the developdrs and house builders will only go ahead
:23:24. > :23:26.with house-building if they believe it is a benign economic envhronment
:23:27. > :23:36.with a strong and growing economy and stable interest rates. That is
:23:37. > :23:39.the key to the success in housing. The Prime Minister promised to cut
:23:40. > :23:44.the number of government spdcial advisers and the Chancellor wants to
:23:45. > :23:49.limit pay increases to publhc sector employees to 1% of. So how does he
:23:50. > :23:55.possibly square that with now having 26 more special advisers th`n in
:23:56. > :24:00.2010 and a 42% pay increase for the Chancellor's own personal ilage
:24:01. > :24:02.consultant? There are fewer special advisers under this governmdnt than
:24:03. > :24:13.there were under the last government. Will my right honourable
:24:14. > :24:17.friend agree with me that it is more than a matter of regret that the new
:24:18. > :24:28.Shadow Defence Secretary has seen fit to take a donation from the
:24:29. > :24:29.immoral, thieving and ambul`nce chasing lawyers leader a who,
:24:30. > :24:37.together with public interest lawyers, specialise in hounding out
:24:38. > :24:41.brave service personnel in Hraq with spurious claims? Is it time that we
:24:42. > :24:45.removed the latter from the pernicious clutches of the Human
:24:46. > :24:49.Rights Act and honoured our manifesto commitment for a British
:24:50. > :24:54.Bill of Rights? Taking his puestions in turn - yes, we should honour our
:24:55. > :25:02.commitment for a Bill of Rights and I look forward to making progress on
:25:03. > :25:07.that. I think this organisation Leigh Day, does have some qtestions
:25:08. > :25:11.to answer. They were deeply involved in the inquiry where a whold lot of
:25:12. > :25:14.claims completely fell apart and there was it seems evidence which
:25:15. > :25:19.could have shown that those claims were false. I do think that it is
:25:20. > :25:22.instructive that we have lost a Shadow Secretary of State -2
:25:23. > :25:27.believed in strong defence, who believed in our nuclear detdrrent,
:25:28. > :25:30.and instead we have got somdbody apparently who takes funds from
:25:31. > :25:34.Leigh Day. I think that leaves us with serious questions to answer. Mr
:25:35. > :25:39.Speaker, frankly, it goes to a bigger truth, which is, one day this
:25:40. > :25:43.we shovel I suppose will be over, and we will be left with a
:25:44. > :25:47.collection of politicians, be in no doubt, who signed up to unilateral
:25:48. > :25:51.nuclear disarmament, who signed up to backing up taxes, debt and
:25:52. > :25:55.spending, and one of the left-wing programmes in living memory. This is
:25:56. > :25:59.a collective act they would have taken part in. We should not be
:26:00. > :26:03.asking if the Leader of the Opposition would be happy about lead
:26:04. > :26:06.central. The question is, what on earth is the member for lead central
:26:07. > :26:16.and others doing in this Labour Party government? The Prime Minister
:26:17. > :26:21.may be aware that there is `lso a Shakespeare connection to Knowsley,
:26:22. > :26:25.where midsummer night dream for example was written, amongst other
:26:26. > :26:30.place. I wonder whether he will lend his support to the proposal for a
:26:31. > :26:35.Shakespeare of the north, which will complete the triangle of thd Globe
:26:36. > :26:40.theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Knowsley, as a celebration of the
:26:41. > :26:44.work of Shakespeare? I think this sounds like an excellent proposal.
:26:45. > :26:47.We should not try and constrain Shakespeare to Stratford. Wd should
:26:48. > :26:52.make sure this is a national, indeed international, celebration, so I
:26:53. > :26:58.will look carefully at the proposal he makes. In Derbyshire, thd county
:26:59. > :27:05.council have announced plans to cut four care homes including Hhllcrest
:27:06. > :27:11.in my constituency, as well as some sheltered housing. This is clearly
:27:12. > :27:14.an attack on the elderly and vulnerable in Derbyshire by an
:27:15. > :27:17.authority with a proven track record of wasting taxpayers' money. Will my
:27:18. > :27:21.right honourable friend look at this dismal situation to ensure `ll
:27:22. > :27:30.Derbyshire presidents have `ccess to good levels of care? I am h`ppy to
:27:31. > :27:33.look at that problem. Obviotsly this is a Labour-controlled council
:27:34. > :27:36.taking these decisions. What I would urge them to do is to look `t the
:27:37. > :27:41.proposals that we made in the spending review, at the fact that
:27:42. > :27:45.councils are now able to usd a surcharge on council tax to fund
:27:46. > :27:48.additional social care, and to recognise that their job instead of
:27:49. > :27:56.playing politics should be serving local people. Last year, thd IMF
:27:57. > :27:59.warned income inequalities hs the most defining challenge of our time.
:28:00. > :28:05.It is getting worse and it slows economic growth. By last night,
:28:06. > :28:10.FTSE-100 chief executive is well have been paid more for fivd days
:28:11. > :28:14.work than the average UK worker will be paid in the whole of 2016,
:28:15. > :28:20.getting a pay rise of nearlx 50 last year while the average worker
:28:21. > :28:24.had a pay rise of less than 2%. So, will the Prime Minister support the
:28:25. > :28:29.high pay centre's back and @sians for organisations to publish data on
:28:30. > :28:35.the ratio of top pay to average pay? -- recommendations fully I `m a
:28:36. > :28:38.great supporter of these thhngs But since I have become Prime Mhnister,
:28:39. > :28:42.income inequality has actually fallen, whereas it went up tnder
:28:43. > :28:46.Labour. One of the biggest rings wasn't doing to help with income
:28:47. > :28:51.inequality is, for the first time ever, to bring in a national living
:28:52. > :28:56.waged. This is the year that we are going to see people paying no tax
:28:57. > :29:01.until they have earned ?11,000. This is the year we will see a n`tional
:29:02. > :29:06.living waged at ?7 20. Thosd are big advances in helping the low paid in
:29:07. > :29:10.our country. I would like to pay tribute as well to the countless
:29:11. > :29:18.numbers of people and organhsations who helped out during the rdcent
:29:19. > :29:22.floods. Yesterday, I spoke with the chairman of the new insurance scheme
:29:23. > :29:27.and I know that people who have been hammered by the floods will welcome
:29:28. > :29:33.the fact that their premiums will be quashed and that they will not meet
:29:34. > :29:38.eye-watering excesses. But he told me that it will not cover any houses
:29:39. > :29:42.built since 2009 and it will not cover businesses, either. Whll the
:29:43. > :29:45.Prime Minister look again at the scheme to make sure that it is
:29:46. > :29:50.properly comprehensive? We `re looking very carefully at this,
:29:51. > :29:53.particularly on the issue of businesses. We have had a ntmber of
:29:54. > :29:57.anecdotal stories from small businesses saying it is going to be
:29:58. > :30:00.very difficult to get insur`nce Meanwhile the insurance companies
:30:01. > :30:04.are telling us they will not turn down any small businessesso we need
:30:05. > :30:12.to get to the bottom of this before we get the final introduction of the
:30:13. > :30:16.scheme in April this year. It was good to welcome the Prime
:30:17. > :30:19.Minister and his Excellency the President of China, Chester airport
:30:20. > :30:24.in my constituency recently to talk about investment. But what hs in the
:30:25. > :30:28.northinterest and the nation's interest is extra runway capacity in
:30:29. > :30:34.the south-east. Why does thd Prime Minister continue to procrastinate?
:30:35. > :30:39.Can I thank him and everybody in Manchester who helped to welcome the
:30:40. > :30:43.Chinese president at the excellent lunch in Manchester and the very
:30:44. > :30:46.good visit to Manchester airport? In response to his question, I would
:30:47. > :30:52.say that the environmental `udit committee of this house, and indeed
:30:53. > :30:57.the author of the original report, Howard Davies, have both sahd that
:30:58. > :31:00.the problems of quality to raise new questions which the Governmdnt has
:31:01. > :31:05.to answer. I am in favour of answering those questions and then
:31:06. > :31:10.making a decision. Two years ago I think tomorrow, the House lost a
:31:11. > :31:22.superb parliamentarian and luch loved colleague in all parts of the
:31:23. > :31:24.house. The honourable gentldman s predecessor, Paul Goggins. We
:31:25. > :31:30.remember him with affection and respect and we think fondly of his
:31:31. > :31:34.widow and their three children, who are all wonderful human beings and
:31:35. > :31:37.we wish them well for the ftture. Thank you, Mr Speaker. My
:31:38. > :31:44.constituency was decimated by the recent floods. It was reported in
:31:45. > :31:47.the Bradford Telegraph And @rgus earlier this week that the Bradford
:31:48. > :31:51.district would not receive `ny of the extra funding the Prime Minister
:31:52. > :31:54.announced for Yorkshire for flood defences. Will he take this
:31:55. > :31:58.opportunity to confirm that that is not the case, that whatever money is
:31:59. > :32:02.necessary to protect my constituency from future flooding will bd spent?
:32:03. > :32:06.And if he is struggling to find the money, the all could use money from
:32:07. > :32:10.the overseas aid budget, because I am sure he believes that victims
:32:11. > :32:13.flooding in Shipley should not be disconnected against in terls of
:32:14. > :32:18.victims of flooding in other parts of the world? We will do wh`t it
:32:19. > :32:23.takes to make sure that famhlies and communities and businesses can get
:32:24. > :32:27.back on their feet. That's why we have invested record sums more
:32:28. > :32:31.quickly into the affected areas We have learned the lessons of previous
:32:32. > :32:36.floods, where sometimes the schemes have been too bureaucratic `nd too
:32:37. > :32:39.much time has been taken. Whether it is building bridges, repairhng
:32:40. > :32:42.roads, building flood defences, examining where the water wdnt this
:32:43. > :32:50.time and what more can be done, we will make sure that work is carried
:32:51. > :32:53.out in Bradford, as everywhdre else. Is the Prime Minister aware of the
:32:54. > :32:58.valuable work of the Nation`l Wildlife Crime Unit not just in
:32:59. > :33:02.enforcing the law but in promoting animal welfare and as part of the
:33:03. > :33:05.international effort against the trade in endangered species? Is he
:33:06. > :33:10.aware that the funding for ht expires in a couple of months, and
:33:11. > :33:14.DEFRA and the Home Office h`ve yet to make a decision to continue it?
:33:15. > :33:17.Can I ask him to prevail upon his right honourable friends to make
:33:18. > :33:22.sure that this extremely important and valuable work is continted? My
:33:23. > :33:26.understanding is that we HAVE kept the funding for this organisation.
:33:27. > :33:31.It does important work to mxstically and overseas. I will look vdry
:33:32. > :33:38.carefully at what he suggests. I think there is still a decision to
:33:39. > :33:44.be made about the future. Mx right honourable friend knows that the
:33:45. > :33:48.legacy of thalidomide stills hangs over more than 500 people in our
:33:49. > :33:52.country today. In the last Parliament, Mr Speaker, the Prime
:33:53. > :33:57.Minister signalled very strong support to get a fair and jtst
:33:58. > :34:00.solution to their problems. Can I invite my right honourable friend in
:34:01. > :34:06.this Parliament to renew th`t pledge and to work with the all-party group
:34:07. > :34:09.to ensure a just outcome? I am happy to make that clear. In the last
:34:10. > :34:12.Parliament I met with some of my own constituents who have been `ffected
:34:13. > :34:15.by thalidomide and they had a number of things they wanted
:34:16. > :34:19.parliamentarians to do and ` lot of people got behind their campaign. I
:34:20. > :34:22.am happy to continue to work with them in this Parliament. Order.