06/01/2016 Prime Minister's Questions


06/01/2016

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Order, questions to the Prime Minister.

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CHEERING.

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Karen Lumley.

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Number one, Mr Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr Speaker.

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This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues

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and others, and in addition to my duties in this House,

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I will have further such meetings later today.

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Caroline Lumley.

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CHEERING.

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Will my right honourable friend confirm that

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while he is Prime Minister of this country, condemning terrorist

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attacks will not be a bar to holding high office?

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What I would say to my right honourable friend is that condemning

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terrorist attacks is an essdntial component of aspiring to high office

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in this country and that should be the case whether you are

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a Shadow Minister or a Minister of the Crown.

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It is worth recalling what it is that the member

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for Wolverhampton South East said, he said this: "Terrorists

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are entirely responsible for their own actions,

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no-one forces anyone to kill innocent people in Paris,

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blow up the London Undergrotnd, behead innocent aid

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workers in Syria".

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He was absolutely right to say that, and it speaks volumes that he cannot

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sit in the Shadow Cabinet with the Leader of the Opposition.

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CHEERING.

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Jeremy Corbyn.

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CHEERING.

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Thank you, Mr Speaker.

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I would like to thank the firefighters, mountain rescue

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services, police, armed services, engineers,

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workers at the Environment @gency, local government workers,

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and all the volunteers for all the work they did in keeping

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safe thousands of people from the floods that have

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affected this country.

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In January 2014, following the devastating floods at that time,

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now two years ago, the Prime Minister said,

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and I quote: "There are alw`ys lessons to be learned

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and I will make sure they are learned."

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Were they?

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Prime Minister.

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Well, first of all, let me join the Leader of the Opposition

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in thanking the emergency sdrvices, the police, the fire servicd.

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Also, the search and rescue teams who went from around the cotntry

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to areas that were flooded.

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Can I thank the military for all the work that they did?

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And as he says, what we saw was communities coming together

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and volunteers carrying out extraordinary work.

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Let me deal directly with this issue of lessons learned.

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Having seen my own constitudncy very badly flooded in 2007 and h`ving had

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floods while being Prime Minister, I think a number of lessons

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have been learned.

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This time, the military camd in far faster than ever before.

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The Bellwin scheme was funddd at 100%, not 85%, and more loney

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was got to communities more quickly.

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So, a lot of lessons have been learned.

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Are there more to learn?

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I am sure there are, there always are, which is why

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I will review everything that has been done.

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Let us be clear, as we do that, we will make money availabld

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because we have a strong economy to build flood resilience

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in our country.

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CHEERING.

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Jeremy Corbyn.

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Thank you, Mr Speaker.

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In 2011, a ?190 million flood defence project on the River Aire

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in Leeds was cancelled on cost grounds by the Government.

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1,000 homes and businesses hn Leeds were flooded in recent weeks.

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The Government is still onlx committed to a scaled-down version

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of the project, worth a fraction of its total cost,

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when the Prime Minister clahmed that money was no object when ht came

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to flood relief.

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When he meets the Leeds MPs and Judith Blake,

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the leader of Leeds Council, in the near future, or his Secretary

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of State does, will he guar`ntee that the full scheme will go ahead

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to protect Leeds from future flooding?

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Well, first of all, let me lake one point before answering

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in detail his points.

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It is worth putting on record before we get on to flood defence

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investment - and I will covdr it in full - that this was the wettest

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December for over 100 years, and actually in Leeds

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and in Yorkshire, it was thd wettest December ever on record.

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That is why rivers in Yorkshire including the Aire in Leeds,

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was a metre higher than it has ever been in its history.

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Now, in terms of flood defences no flood defence schemes have been

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cancelled since 2010.

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The investment in flood defdnces was ?1.5 billion in the last

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Labour Government, ?1.7 billion in the Government I led

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as a Coalition Government, and will be over ?2 billion in this

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Parliament.

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It has gone up and up and up.

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And it has gone up because we run an economy where we are abld

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to invest in the things that our country needs.

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And one more point - let us not forget this.

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We inherited the Darling plan for our economy.

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That was a plan for a 50% ctt in capital spending,

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and Defra was not a protected department.

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Well, we protected that flood spending and we increased it -

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something Labour would not have done.

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CHEERING.

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Jeremy Corbyn.

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Mr Speaker, of course the rainfall was excessive,

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of course the river levels were high, but the Prime Minister

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has still not answered the puestion on the Leeds flood protection scheme

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- I will give him an opporttnity to do so in a moment.

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In 2014, Cumbria County Council applied for funding for new schemes

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in Keswick and Kendal - both were turned down and both areas

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have been flooded again in the last few weeks.

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Does the Prime Minister belheve that turning down those schemes

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was also a mistake?

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We are spending more on flood defence schemes and are stacking up

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a whole series of schemes that we will spend more on.

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But let me make this point to him.

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If he is going to spend ?10 billion on re-nationalising our railways,

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where is he going to find the money for flood defences?

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The idea...

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The idea that this individu`l would be faster in responding

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to floods when it takes him three days to carry out a reshuffle

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is frankly laughable.

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Mr Speaker, since I walked into the Chamber this morning,

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his Shadow Foreign Minister resigned, his Shadow Defencd

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Minister resigned - he could not run anything!

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Jeremy Corbyn.

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Mr Speaker, it is very strange that when I have asked a question

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about Leeds flood defence, then on Cumbria flood defence,

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the Prime Minister still seems unable to answer.

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Can he now tell us if there is going to be funding

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for those schemes?

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In October, Professor Colin Mellors, the head of the Yorkshire Rdgional

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Flood and Coastal Committee, warned the Government about funding

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cuts leading to flood defences in Yorkshire being "formallx

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discontinued" in the future.

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Would that also be a mistakd?

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Can the Prime Minister now tell us - is he going to reverse the cuts

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in the defences that have t`ken place to make sure that those cities

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and areas are protected in the next round of floods

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which will no doubt come?

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Prime Minister.

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As I have told him, we have increased and continue to increase

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the spending on flood defences.

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We are spending more in this Parliament, and for the first time

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it is a six-year spending perspective, which is ?2.3 billion

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extra on flood defences - money that would not be avahlable

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if we trashed the economy in the way that he proposes.

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Now, of course, after every incident of flooding,

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you go back and look at what you have spent

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and what you have built, you look at what you are pl`nning

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to spend and what you are planning to build, and you see what lore

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can be done.

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But the head of the Environlent Agency was absolutely clear

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that he had the money necessary to take the action

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that was necessary, but we can only do that with a strong econoly,

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an economy that is growing, where more people are in work

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and more people are paying taxes.

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We have got the strength to solve this problem of floods,

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and we will do it in a proper way.

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CHEERING.

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Jeremy Corbyn.

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Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister has not answered on Leeds,

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he has not answered on Cumbria, and he has not answered

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on the warning from Professor Mellors.

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Like him, last week I met pdople in York who had been

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affected by flooding.

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I met a young couple, Chris and Victoria, whose home had

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been flooded over Christmas...

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It was not very funny for them.

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HECKLING.

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This young couple lost many of their possessions,

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including photos and childrdn s toys and school work,

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including photos and childrdn's toys and school work,

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and they have the foul stench of floodwater in their homes,

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as have many families all over this country.

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They are asking all of us wholly legitimate questions: Why w`s it

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that the insufficient pump capacity at the Foss barrier -

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again, which we were alerted to in 2013 by a Government report -

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was not dealt with or the pumps upgraded?

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That meant that people in York were flooded and their possdssions

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and homes severely damaged.

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Those people want answers from all of us, and in parthcular,

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from the Prime Minister.

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Prime Minister.

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I have the greatest sympathx with anyone who has been flooded

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and we have to do what it t`kes to get people and communitids back

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on their feet.

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That is why we have put record sums in more quickly to help comlunities

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in Cumbria, in Lancashire and now in Yorkshire.

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We will continue to do that.

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Specifically on the question of the Foss pumps,

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that was about to be tenderdd for extra investment,

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and that investment will now go ahead, because the money is there.

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What I say to him is, we are putting in the money

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and doing so more quickly, the military got involved more

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quickly and to that couple who got flooded -

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we are also doing something that previous governments have t`lked

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about but never achieved, which is to have an insurance scheme

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so that every single household in our country can get insured

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Flood Re.

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Now, that has not been done before.

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So, have lessons been learndd?

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Yes, they have.

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Are there more lessons to ldarn

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There always are, but frankly, we do not need a lecture from Malta

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from the honourable gentlem`n.

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CHEERING.

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Jeremy Corbyn.

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Mr Speaker, the reality is that flood defence scheme after flood

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defence scheme has been cancelled, postponed or cut, many more homes

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have been flooded and too m`ny lessons have been ignored.

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Why cannot the Prime Ministdr support our calls for

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a co-ordinated, cross-party approach to flooding that

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looks at everything...

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That looks at everything, including upland management,

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to making people's homes more flood resilient,

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and more properly funded protection schemes?

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Does the Prime Minister at least agree with this -

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that the fire and rescue service, which has done such a great job over

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the past few weeks in all p`rts of this country, should now be given

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a statutory duty to deal with floods, to help us through any

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crisis that might occur in the future?

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Well, I think, Mr Speaker, the best I can say is that

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when he has worked out how to co-ordinate his own partx,

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perhaps he could come and have a word with me.

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On the issue of a statutory duty, everybody knows what they h`ve to do

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when floods take place.

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That is why there was such a magnificent response

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from the emergency services, from the fire services

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and the emergency rescue services.

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They have our backing to do the vital work.

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And, yes, we will go on investing in flood defences.

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We will increase the money we are spending on flood defences,

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because we have got a strong economy and a strong country that c`n back

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the action that is needed.

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CHEERING.

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Nadhim Zahawi.

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Mr Speaker, 2016 sees us mark the 400th anniversary

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of William Shakespeare's passing away.

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Does my right honourable frhend agree with me that our country

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should unite to commemorate his works?

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There are special events at the RSC - the Shakespeare Birthplacd Trust

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is renovating the site of hhs home, New Place, and King Edward's School

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is opening his original classroom.

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May I invite my right honourable friend, the whole House

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and the world, to come and celebrate the greatest-living bard?

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My apologies for almost interrupting his soliloquy ,

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I am very sorry about that.

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I think it is a very good moment - the 400th anniversary of thd death

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of Shakespeare - for us to celebrate everything he has given

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to our language and to our culture and, indeed, to the world.

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I think it is going to be a fantastic moment for people

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to visit Britain and come to see Stratford and all the other places

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that have such a great association with Shakespeard.

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I find that Shakespeare provides language for every moment.

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Let us consider what we are thinking about at the moment.

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There was a moment when it looked like this reshuffle could go

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into its Twelfth Night.

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LAUGHTER.

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Yes.

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It was a revenge reshuffle, so it was going to be

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As You Like It.

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I think, though, we can conclude that it has turned into somdthing

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of a comedy of errors - perhaps Much Ado About

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Nothing.

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LAUGHTER.

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There will be those who worry that Love's Labour's

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Lost.

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CHEERING.

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Angus Robertson.

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LOUD CHATTER.

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MPs: More!

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Thank you.

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Thank you very much ...

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Thank you very much for the warm welcome.

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LAUGHTER.

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Mr Speaker, the health service is devolved,

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but junior doctors in Scotland are not planning

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to strike next week.

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Why does the Prime Minister think that the Scottish Government have

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good relations with junior doctors and his government do not?

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Prime Minister.

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And now for the Scottish pl`y.

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I think he raises an important question.

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We have taken a different approach to the government in Scotland.

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We have increased spending on the NHS by more than

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the government in Scotland, which I think is the right `pproach.

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But we are determined to de`l with this issue of having

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a genuine seven-day NHS.

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Everybody knows - doctors know it, patients know it, the managdment

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of the NHS know it, the BMA knows it -

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that there is a problem with the NHS at the weekend and one of the ways

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to correct that is making stre that we have new contracts,

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including with junior doctors, to make sure not

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that they work longer hours...

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In fact, under our plans, many will work many fewer hours

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It is not to reduce doctors' pay.

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No-one who works legal hours will see a cut in their pay.

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Indeed, 75% of doctors will see a pay rise.

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We think that this is a good deal for a good advance in the NHS.

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And I am sure that Scotland will be looking at it too.

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Angus Robertson.

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Thank you, Mr Speaker.

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The Scottish Government havd been investing record levels of funding

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in the NHS in Scotland and `lso works very hard to have the best

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possible relations with doctors nurses and all NHS staff.

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Will the English Health Secretary speak to his Scottish colle`gue

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Shona Robison, to learn how to resolve the situation in England

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and stave off strike action that no-one wants to see,

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least of all junior doctors?

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Prime Minister.

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There should always be good relations and good discussions

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between the Health Secretarx in the United Kingdom Government

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and Health Ministers in the devolved administrathons

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Obviously, one thing that wd think is important: When we make

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a decision to increase fundhng in the NHS, as we have done -

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?19 billion more in this Parliament - it has consequences for W`les

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Scotland and Northern Ireland under the Barnett formula.

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And, of course, I find it vdry depressing that the Welsh h`ve

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decided, under Labour, to spend less than we are planning

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to spend, and that Scotland has done the same thing.

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Chris Green.

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Thank you, Mr Speaker.

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CHEERING.

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The local economy in my constituency of Bolton West continues

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to strengthen, with great btsinesses such as Eventura and LLabor`te both

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relocating to and growing in Westhoughton.

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We are also seeing Heritage Trade Frames investing ?1 million

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in equipping a new factory in Lostock, and Trojan Utilhties

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winning new contracts and rdcruiting more staff in Horwich.

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Will the Prime Minister agrde with me that the Northern Powerhouse

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is not just about our great northern cities, it is also

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about our great northern towns?

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CHEERING.

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Prime Minister.

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My honourable friend is absolutely right.

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It is instructive that Opposition Members do not

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want to hear good news about the businesses,

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jobs and investment that are happening in our economx.

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But I think sometimes it can sound as if the plan

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for a Northern Powerhouse is all about the cities

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of the north of England.

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Our view is that by linking up the cities, you also help the towns

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in the north-west and across our country.

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You also help the rural are`s because you are rebalancing our

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economy and increasing opportunity in the north of our country.

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Anna Turley.

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In 2014, in response to the flooding of the Thames Valley,

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the Prime Minister said that money would be no object.

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In the light of his cuts to the flood defences,

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his cut of a fire and rescud service, his cuts to

0:17:440:17:46

the Environment Agency, can he say the same to the people

0:17:460:17:49

of Leeds, Rochdale, York, Whitby and Teesside?

0:17:490:17:51

Or is it one rule for his constituents and another

0:17:510:17:53

for ours in the North?

0:17:530:17:55

She is completely wrong about the funding figures,

0:17:550:17:57

as I have explained in great detail.

0:17:570:17:59

1.5 billion to 1.7 billion to 2 billion.

0:17:590:18:02

But the point is what we've put in place under this governmdnt

0:18:020:18:05

is not funding of 85% of what a council spends

0:18:050:18:07

but funding of 100%.

0:18:070:18:09

So what I said absolutely stands good.

0:18:090:18:11

The PM has always been a st`unch supporter of the Welsh TV channel

0:18:110:18:14

S4C set up under the Thatcher government.

0:18:140:18:16

Could he use this opportunity to reinforce his support

0:18:160:18:19

for the channel and the comlitment we made to safeguarding its funding?

0:18:190:18:21

I am very happy to do that.

0:18:210:18:23

S4C is a very important part of our broadcasting structure,

0:18:230:18:26

it is very popular and well liked in Wales.

0:18:260:18:28

I want to make sure we meet both the wording and the spirit

0:18:280:18:31

of our manifesto promise to make sure this continues to be

0:18:310:18:34

a very strong channel.

0:18:340:18:36

With home ownership down to its lowest level in a generation,

0:18:360:18:40

down every year since he became Prime Minister, why did Torx MPs

0:18:400:18:43

vote against Labour's amendlent to the housing bill last night

0:18:430:18:45

which would have perfected the publicly funded discount

0:18:450:18:48

for new starter homes for future buyers?

0:18:480:18:50

Isn't that better value for money for first-time buyers

0:18:500:18:54

and for the taxpayer? Yes or no?

0:18:540:19:03

Well, the proposal for starter homes

0:19:040:19:05

is a Conservative Party proposal put into our manifesto and opposed

0:19:050:19:09

throughout by the Labour Party.

0:19:090:19:11

This is only happening because we won a majority and put

0:19:110:19:13

the housing bill through this House of Commons.

0:19:130:19:15

We are taking every step we can to help more people get

0:19:150:19:18

on the housing ladder.

0:19:180:19:19

So, in London, where he represents, we are seeing Help to Buy now

0:19:190:19:22

funding 40% of the home people want to buy rather than 20%.

0:19:220:19:25

We are going to see 200,000 starter homes built during this Parliament.

0:19:250:19:28

Because we are managing our economy properly, interest rates ard low.

0:19:280:19:31

So it is easier for people to get a mortgage and with our

0:19:310:19:34

Help to Save scheme, there is now every opportunhty

0:19:340:19:37

for people to put aside mondy to help them with the deposht.

0:19:370:19:41

We are absolutely on the side of the home owner but above all

0:19:410:19:45

those people who want to get on the housing ladder.

0:19:450:19:48

We are helping with jobs, helping with the tax cuts,

0:19:480:19:51

helping with Help to Buy, helping with Help to Save,

0:19:510:19:54

and crucially, helping by building more homes.

0:19:540:19:57

On Boxing Day, the village of Croston in my constituency

0:19:570:20:01

suffered the worst floods in living memory.

0:20:010:20:08

With damage to schools, homes and businesses.

0:20:080:20:11

Will my right honourable frhend join with me in praising the efforts

0:20:110:20:14

of everybody in Croston who pulled together to protect their community

0:20:140:20:16

and will he ask his honourable friend, the member for Penrhth

0:20:160:20:19

and The Border to review the decision by the Environlent

0:20:190:20:22

Agency to switch off the pumps at Croston?

0:20:220:20:30

First of all, let me pay trhbute to her constituents who worked

0:20:300:20:33

around the clock to help each other in what were appalling floods

0:20:330:20:36

with this incredibly high level of rainfall.

0:20:360:20:38

Let me join with her in thanking the emergency services again

0:20:380:20:42

for all the work they did.

0:20:420:20:44

After floods like this, there are always questions

0:20:440:20:46

about which pumps were used, which flood gates were open,

0:20:460:20:49

what decisions were made by the experts on the ground

0:20:490:20:51

and it is very important, having seen many communities flooded

0:20:510:20:54

in my own constituency, it is very important to hold

0:20:540:20:57

meetings with community after community to go through those

0:20:570:20:59

decisions and work out what lessons can be learnt and work

0:20:590:21:02

out whether the right decisions were made.

0:21:020:21:05

I absolutely pledge that that should be done.

0:21:050:21:07

We have announced ?40 million for the work across Lancashhre

0:21:070:21:09

and Cumbria for helping people out and we will make sure the flood

0:21:090:21:12

alleviation money, the scheles that we set up after 2013,

0:21:120:21:16

that the money is paid out as quickly as it can be.

0:21:160:21:21

In light of last month's Paris climate agreement

0:21:210:21:29

at which all countries agreed to progressively

0:21:290:21:32

increase their ambition and to keep global warning

0:21:320:21:35

well below two degrees,

0:21:350:21:37

does the Prime Minister agrde that we must now urgently bdgin

0:21:370:21:40

the process of strengthening the EU's 2030 greenhouse gas

0:21:400:21:44

reduction targets to 50% below 990 levels at the very least,

0:21:440:21:48

a position he argued for at the European Council?

0:21:480:21:52

Let me join her in once agahn recognising that Paris

0:21:520:21:58

was a big step forward.

0:21:580:22:00

Previous agreements, like at Kyoto, didn't include action

0:22:000:22:03

by China or action by America.

0:22:030:22:06

And now you've got all the big countries, all the big emitters

0:22:060:22:09

as part of the deal.

0:22:090:22:10

We did argue that the EU should go further.

0:22:100:22:13

We achieved, I think, a very aggressive package for the EU

0:22:130:22:16

but that was the best we cotld do in the circumstances.

0:22:160:22:19

I think the EU agreement helped to bring about the general `greement

0:22:190:22:23

and no-one should be in any doubt that Britain is playing

0:22:230:22:25

a very major role.

0:22:250:22:26

Let me give you one statisthc because I know there is gre`t

0:22:260:22:29

interest in this House about solar panels.

0:22:290:22:32

I asked a question the other day, what percentage of solar panels had

0:22:320:22:35

been installed in Britain since we took office in 2010

0:22:350:22:39

expecting the answer might be 50% or 60%,

0:22:390:22:42

the answer is 98%.

0:22:420:22:44

Yesterday it was announced that the Foxhill housing zone

0:22:440:22:50

in Bath received ?313,000 of government funding to help

0:22:500:22:53

kick-start work to build thousands of new homes in the city.

0:22:530:22:57

Would the Prime Minister agree with me that this funding

0:22:570:23:00

will help to reverse the lack of house-building under the party

0:23:000:23:03

opposite and enable struggling families to get

0:23:030:23:05

onto the property ladder?

0:23:050:23:08

I'm delighted to hear about the development

0:23:080:23:11

in his constituency.

0:23:110:23:13

The fact is we've built 700,000 houses since this government came

0:23:130:23:15

to office in 2010.

0:23:150:23:17

There is a lot more that nedds to be done.

0:23:170:23:20

Sometimes, it is specific bhts of transport infrastructure,

0:23:200:23:22

or specific planning permissions or disagreements between district

0:23:220:23:25

councils and county councils that need to be sorted out.

0:23:250:23:28

But we shouldn't forget the fact that the developers

0:23:280:23:30

and house-builders will onlx go ahead with house-building

0:23:300:23:33

if they believe it is a benhgn economic environment with a strong

0:23:330:23:36

and growing economy and stable interest rates and all

0:23:360:23:39

the things that we need.

0:23:390:23:41

That is the key to the success in housing.

0:23:410:23:43

The Prime Minister promised to cut the number of government spdcial

0:23:430:23:48

advisers and the Chancellor wants to limit pay increases to ptblic

0:23:480:23:52

sector employees to 1% so how does he possibly square that with now

0:23:520:23:56

having 26 more special advisers than in 2010 and a 42% pay hncrease

0:23:560:23:59

for the Chancellor's own personal image consultant?

0:23:590:24:05

There are fewer special advhsers under this government

0:24:050:24:10

than there was under the last government.

0:24:100:24:14

Will my right honourable frhend agree with me that it is more

0:24:140:24:21

than a matter of regret that the new Shadow Defence Secretary has seen

0:24:210:24:25

fit to take a donation from the immoral, thieving

0:24:250:24:30

and ambulance-chasing lawyers Leigh Day, together

0:24:300:24:35

with Public Interest Lawyers specialise in hounding our brave

0:24:350:24:43

service personnel in Iraq with spurious claims?

0:24:430:24:46

Is it time that we removed the latter from the pernicious

0:24:460:24:51

clutches of the Human Rights Act and honoured our manifesto

0:24:510:24:53

commitment for a British bill of rights?

0:24:530:24:57

Taking his questions in turn, yes, we should honour our commitlent

0:24:570:25:01

for a British bill of rights and I look forward to

0:25:010:25:05

making progress on that.

0:25:050:25:07

I do think that this organisation, Leigh Day, does have some qtestions

0:25:070:25:10

to answer, not least because they were deeply involved

0:25:100:25:13

in the Al-Sweady inquiry where a whole lot of claims,

0:25:130:25:16

completely fell apart and there was, it seems, evidence that could have

0:25:160:25:22

shown that those claims were falsd.

0:25:220:25:24

And I do think it is instructive that we have lost a Shadow Secretary

0:25:240:25:28

of State for Defence who believed in strong defence,

0:25:280:25:32

who believed in our nuclear deterrent, and instead,

0:25:320:25:35

we've got someone, apparently, who takes funds from Leigh Day.

0:25:350:25:38

I think that leaves us with serious questions to answer.

0:25:380:25:41

Frankly, it goes to a bigger truth, which is one day, this reshtffle,

0:25:410:25:45

I suppose, will be over, and we will be left

0:25:450:25:48

with a collection of politicians

0:25:480:25:52

who have signed up to unilateral nuclear disarmament,

0:25:520:25:56

who have signed up to wrackhng up taxes, debt and spending

0:25:560:25:59

and one of the left-wing programmes in living memory.

0:25:590:26:02

This is a collective act they would have taken part hn.

0:26:020:26:06

We shouldn't be asking is the Leader of the Opposition happy

0:26:060:26:08

to have the member of Leeds Central. We know he is not.

0:26:080:26:11

The question is, what on earth is the member for Leeds Central

0:26:110:26:14

and others doing in this Labour Party government?

0:26:140:26:18

The Prime Minister may be aware that there is also a Shakespeare

0:26:180:26:25

connection to Knowsley where Midsummer Night Dream,

0:26:250:26:30

for example, was written, amongst other plays.

0:26:300:26:34

I wonder whether he will lend his support to the proposal

0:26:340:26:37

for a Shakespeare of the North, which will complete the tri`ngle

0:26:370:26:41

of the Globe Theatre, Stratford upon Avon and Knowsley

0:26:410:26:45

as a celebration of the work of Shakespeare?

0:26:450:26:47

I think this sounds like an excellent proposal.

0:26:470:26:51

We shouldn't try and constr`in Shakespeare to Stratford.

0:26:510:26:54

We should be making sure thhs is a national, indeed international

0:26:540:26:57

celebration so I will look carefully at the proposal he makes.

0:26:570:27:01

In Derbyshire, the County Council have announced plans to cut four

0:27:010:27:07

care homes, including Hillcrest in my constituencx.

0:27:070:27:10

As well as axing sheltered housing wardens from March.

0:27:100:27:14

This is clearly an attack on the elderly and vulnerable

0:27:140:27:18

in Derbyshire by an authority with a proven track record

0:27:180:27:21

of wasting taxpayers' money.

0:27:210:27:24

Will my right honourable frhend look at this dismal situation to ensure

0:27:240:27:27

all Derbyshire residents have access to good levels of care?

0:27:270:27:31

I am very happy to look at the problem and the issud

0:27:310:27:34

that my honourable friend r`ises.

0:27:340:27:37

Obviously, this is the Labour-controlled council

0:27:370:27:41

taking these decisions.

0:27:410:27:42

What I would urge them to do is look at the proposal that we madd

0:27:420:27:46

in the spending review, look at the fact that counchls

0:27:460:27:48

are now able to use a surch`rge on the council tax to fund

0:27:480:27:52

additional social care and then recognise that their job,

0:27:520:27:55

instead of playing politics, should be serving local people.

0:27:550:27:58

Last year, the IMF warned income inequality is the most defining

0:27:580:28:05

challenge of our time, is gdtting worse, and slows economic growth.

0:28:050:28:08

By last night, FTSE 100 chidf executives will have been p`id

0:28:080:28:11

more for five days' work than the average UK worker will be

0:28:110:28:15

paid for the whole of 2016, getting a pay rise of nearlx 50

0:28:150:28:21

last year while the average worker had a pay rise of less than 2%.

0:28:210:28:26

So, will the Prime Minister support the High Pay Centre's

0:28:260:28:30

recommendations for organis`tions to publish data on the ratio

0:28:300:28:34

of the top pay to average p`y?

0:28:340:28:37

Well, I'm a great supporter of transparency in these thhngs

0:28:370:28:41

as we've proved in the government.

0:28:410:28:44

But, let's be clear, since I have become Prime Mhnister,

0:28:440:28:46

income inequality has actually fallen whereas it went up under

0:28:460:28:50

Labour.

0:28:500:28:52

One of the biggest things we are doing to help with income

0:28:520:28:55

inequality is for the first time ever to bring in

0:28:550:28:58

a national living wage.

0:28:580:29:00

This is the year that we ard going to see people paying no tax

0:29:000:29:03

until people have earned ?10,00 .

0:29:030:29:06

This is the year we are going to see a national living wage at ?7.20

0:29:060:29:09

Those are big advances in hdlping the low paid in our country.

0:29:090:29:12

I would like to pay tribute, as well, to the countless ntmbers

0:29:120:29:18

of people and organisations who have helped out during the recent floods.

0:29:180:29:22

Yesterday, I spoke with the chairman of the new insurance scheme Flood Re

0:29:220:29:26

and I know that people who have been hammered by the floods will welcome

0:29:260:29:30

the fact that their premiums will be quashed and that they won't meet eye

0:29:300:29:35

watering excesses but he told me that it won't cover any houses

0:29:350:29:40

built after 2009 and it won't cover businesses eithdr.

0:29:400:29:45

Will the Prime Minister look again at the scheme to ensure

0:29:450:29:50

that it is properly comprehdnsive?

0:29:500:29:53

We are looking very carefully at this scheme, particularlx

0:29:530:29:58

on the issue of the businesses.

0:29:580:30:00

What we have heard so far is a number of anecdotal stories

0:30:000:30:03

about small businesses saying it will be very difficult

0:30:030:30:05

to get insurance.

0:30:050:30:07

Meanwhile, the insurance colpanies are telling us they won't ttrn down

0:30:070:30:10

any small businesses.

0:30:100:30:12

So, we need to get to the bottom of this before we get the fhnal

0:30:120:30:16

introduction of Flood Re in April this year.

0:30:160:30:18

It was good to welcome the Prime Minister and his

0:30:180:30:23

Excellency the President of China to Manchester Airport

0:30:230:30:25

in my constituency recently to talk about investment.

0:30:250:30:29

But what is in the North's hnterests and what is in that nation's

0:30:290:30:32

interests is extra runway capacity in the South East.

0:30:320:30:35

Why does the Prime Minister continue to procrastinate?

0:30:350:30:38

First of all, can I thank hhm and everyone in Greater Manchester

0:30:380:30:43

who helped to welcome President Xi at the excellent lunch that was held

0:30:430:30:48

in Manchester and then the very good visit to Manchester Airport.

0:30:480:30:51

The point I would make, in response to his question,

0:30:510:30:54

is that the Environmental Atdit Committee of this House and indeed

0:30:540:30:57

the author of the original report, Howard Davies, have both sahd

0:30:570:31:01

that the problems of air qu`lity do raise new questions

0:31:010:31:06

that the government has to `nswer.

0:31:060:31:08

I'm in favour of answering those questions and then

0:31:080:31:11

making a decision.

0:31:110:31:13

Two years ago, I think tomorrow the House lost a superb

0:31:130:31:18

parliamentarian and much-loved colleague in all parts of the House,

0:31:180:31:22

the honourable gentleman's predecessor, Paul Goggins.

0:31:220:31:25

We remember him with affection and respect.

0:31:250:31:29

And we also remember and thhnk fondly of his widow Wyn

0:31:290:31:33

and their children, Matthew, Theresa and Dominic

0:31:330:31:38

who are all wonderful human beings

0:31:380:31:40

and we wish them well for the future.

0:31:400:31:44

Philip Davies.

0:31:440:31:45

As the Prime Minister knows, my constituency was decimatdd

0:31:450:31:50

by the recent floods.

0:31:500:31:52

It was reported in the Bradford Telegraph earlier this week

0:31:520:31:55

that the Bradford district would not receive any of the extra funding

0:31:550:31:58

the Prime Minister announced for Yorkshire for flood defdnces.

0:31:580:32:01

Will he take this opportunity to confirm that isn't the c`se,

0:32:010:32:03

that whatever money is necessary to protect my constituency

0:32:030:32:08

from future flooding will bd spent?

0:32:080:32:10

And if he is struggling to find the money, perhaps he could use

0:32:100:32:14

money from the overseas aid budget because I am sure he believds

0:32:140:32:16

that victims are flooding in Shipley should not be discriminated

0:32:160:32:19

against in terms of victims of flooding in other parts

0:32:190:32:22

of the world.

0:32:220:32:23

Let me say to my honourable friend, we will do what it takes to make

0:32:230:32:27

sure that families and commtnities and businesses can

0:32:270:32:30

get back on their feet.

0:32:300:32:32

That is why we have invested record sums more quickly into

0:32:320:32:34

the areas that have been affected.

0:32:340:32:36

We have learnt the lessons of previous floods where soletimes

0:32:360:32:39

the schemes have been too bureaucratic, too much time

0:32:390:32:41

has been taken.

0:32:410:32:43

So, whether it is building new bridges, whether it is repairing

0:32:430:32:45

roads, whether it is building the flood defences,

0:32:450:32:48

whether it is examining where the water went this thme

0:32:480:32:51

and what more can be done, we will make sure that work

0:32:510:32:53

is carried out in Bradford, as in everywhere else.

0:32:530:32:56

Is the Prime Minister aware of the valuable work

0:32:560:33:01

of the National Wildlife Crhme Unit in not just enforcing the l`w

0:33:010:33:05

but in promoting

0:33:050:33:07

animal welfare and part of the international

0:33:070:33:10

effort against the trade in endangered species?

0:33:100:33:12

Is he further aware that thd funding for it expires in just a cotple

0:33:120:33:16

of months' time and Defra and the Home Office have yet to make

0:33:160:33:19

a decision to continue it?

0:33:190:33:21

Can I ask him to prevail upon his right honourable friends

0:33:210:33:24

to ensure this extremely important and valuable work is continted?

0:33:240:33:27

My understanding is that we have kept the funding for

0:33:270:33:32

this organisation.

0:33:320:33:33

It does important work both domestically and in

0:33:330:33:36

terms of overseas.

0:33:360:33:38

I will look very carefully at what he suggests.

0:33:380:33:40

I think there is a decision still to be made about the future

0:33:400:33:43

but up until now, we have b`cked this organisation fully.

0:33:430:33:45

My right honourable friend knows that the legacy of thalidomhde

0:33:450:33:51

still hangs over over 500 pdople in our country today.

0:33:510:33:55

In the last Parliament, Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister signalled a very

0:33:550:34:00

strong support to get a fair and just solution to their problems.

0:34:000:34:04

Can I ask my right honourable friend in this Parliament to renew that

0:34:040:34:08

pledge and to work with the all-party group to ensure

0:34:080:34:11

a just outcome?

0:34:110:34:13

I'm very happy to make that clear.

0:34:130:34:15

In the last Parliament, I mdt with some of my own constittents

0:34:150:34:18

who have been affected by thalidomide and they had a number

0:34:180:34:21

of things they wanted parliamentarians to do.

0:34:210:34:23

I think a lot of people got behind their campaign and I'm happy

0:34:230:34:27

to continue to work with thdm in this Parliament.

0:34:270:34:30

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