15/01/2016 Prime Minister's Questions

I shall have further such meetings later today.

The Royal College of Midwives has called the government's plans to cut

nurses' student grants appalling.

The Royal College of Nursing says they are deeply concerned.

Meanwhile, the honourable member for Lewes who is a nurse

says she would have struggled to undertake her training given

the proposed changes to the bursaries scheme.

Why does the Prime Minister still think he is right to scrap

grants for student nurses?

For the very simple reason that we want to see more nurses

in training and more nurses in our NHS.

We believe there will be an additional 10,000 nurses

because of this change, because the facts are today that two

out of three people who want to become nurses cannot

because it is constrained by the bursary scheme.

Moving to the new system, those people will be able

to become nurses.

Andrew Griffiths!

Mr Speaker, the number one responsibility of any government

is the protection of its people.

Does the Prime Minister agree with me that the nuclear deterrent

and our membership of Nato are key to our defences,

and that any move that would put it at risk

would jeopardise our national security?

My honourable friend is absolutely right.

It has been common ground on both sides of this House of Commons

that the cornerstone of our defence policy is our membership of Nato

and our commitment to an independent nuclear deterrent, which must be

replaced and updated.

They are necessary to keep us safe, and at a time when we see

North Korea testing nuclear weapons, with the instability in the world

today, we recommit ourselves to both Nato and our independent nuclear

deterrent, and I think the party opposite has got some very serious

questions to answer.

Jeremy Corbyn!

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.

This week, the Prime Minister rather belatedly acknowledged

that there is a housing crisis in Britain.

He announced a ?140 million fund to transform 100 housing estates

around the country, which actually amounts to ?1.4 million per housing

estate, to bulldoze and then rebuild.

My maths is perfect!

This money, Mr Speaker, is a drop in the ocean.

It isn't even going to pay for the bulldozers, is it?

What we have done is doubled the housing budget,

we are going to be investing over ?8 billion in housing,

and that comes after having built 700,000 homes since becoming Prime

Minister.

We have got over 250,000 more affordable homes,

and here is a statistic he will like - in the last

Parliament, we built more council houses than in 13 years

of Labour government.

Jeremy Corbyn!

Well, Mr Speaker, he has not clearly thought this thing

through very carefully.

Because every estate that he announces he wishes

to bulldoze will include tenants and people that have

bought their homes under right to buy.

Will those people, the leaseholders, will they be guaranteed homes

on those rebuild states that he is proposing to build?

Look, of course, I accept this isn't as carefully

thought

through as his reshuffle!

Which I gather is still going on, it hasn't actually finished yet!

Of course, what we want to do is go to communities where there are sink

estates and housing estates that have held people back and agree

with those local councils, agree with those local people

and make sure that tenants get good homes,

make sure homeowners are housed in good houses.

That is exactly what we want.

Look at what we have done on housing, we reform the planning

rules, they opposed them.

We introduced help to buy, they opposed it.

We introduced help to save, they opposed it.

They have nothing to say about people trapped in housing

estates who want a better start in their life.

Mr Speaker, I notice the Prime Minister did not give any

guarantee to leaseholders

on estates, and so there is another

probably larger group on most estates that I have a question

to ask him on behalf of, a tenant by the name of Darryl,

who says, will the Prime Minister guarantee that all existing tenants

of the council estates earmarked for redevelopment will be rehoused

in new council housing in their current communities

with the same tenancy conditions as they currently have?

We are not going to be able to deal with these sink estates

unless we get the agreement of tenants, unless we show how

we are going to support homeowners, how we are going to support

communities.

But isn't it interesting, Mr Speaker, who here is the small

C conservative who is saying, stay in your sink estate,

have nothing better than what Labour gave you after the war?

We are saying, if you are a tenant, have the right to buy,

here is help to save, we will help you out.

And that is the fact of politics today, a party on this side

of the house that wants to give people like chances and they Labour

opposition that says, stay stuck in poverty.

Jeremy Corbyn!

Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister does not seem to understand the very

serious concerns that council tenants have when they feel

they are going to be forced away from the community where they live,

where their children go to school, and their community is so strong.

But there is another area where the Prime Minister might be

able to help us today.

His party manifesto said everyone who works hard should be able

to own a home of their own.

So will families earning his so-called national living wage be

able to afford one of his discount starter homes?

I very much hope they will, because also, as well as starter

homes...

As well as starter homes, we're having shared ownership homes,

and so if you take...

When I became Prime Minister, a young person trying to buy a home

needed ?30,000 for that deposit.

Order, I apologise for interrupting, I say to the honourable lady,

the member for Bishop Auckland, who aspires to be a stateswoman,

that is not the appropriate behaviour of a would be stateswoman,

shrill shrieking

from a sedentary position.

I want to hear the Prime Minister's answer!

You needed ?30,000 for a deposit on a home, and that is now down

to ?10,000 because of schemes we have introduced.

I want people to own our own homes, so let's consider this issue -

we are saying to the 1.3 million tenants of housing associations,

we are on your side, you can buy your own home.

Why does he still oppose that?

Well, Mr Speaker, I hope this word "hope" goes a long way,

because research by Shelter found that families on his so-called

living wage will not be able to afford the average starter home

in 98% of local authority areas in England.

So there is only the 2% that may benefit from this.

So instead of building more affordable homes,

isn't the Prime Minister branding more homes as affordable?

Which is not a solution to the housing crisis.

Will he confirm that home ownership has actually fallen since he became

Prime Minister?

There is a challenge of helping people to buy their own homes,

that is what help to buy was about, which they opposed,

help to save, which they opposed.

Isn't it interesting?

He did not answer the question about the 1.3 million

housing association tenants.

No...

I want what is best for everybody.

Let's put it like this,

he owns his home, I own mine, why won't we let those 1.3 million

own their homes?

What are you frightened of?

Prime Minister...

When the noise disappears...

Order!

The Leader of the Opposition will be heard.

Jeremy Corbyn.

I thank the Conservative backbenchers for their deep concern

for the housing crisis in this country, it is noted.

The Prime Minister gave no assurances to tenants,

no assurances to leaseholders, no assurances to low-paid people

who want to get somewhere decent to live.

Can I ask him one final question on this?

And it is a practical question that is faced by many people

all around this country who are deeply worried

about their own housing situation and how they are going to live

in the future?

It comes from Linda, who is a council tenant,

who is a council tenant for the last 25 years.

And she says, I will eventually look to downsize to a property suitable

for our ageing circumstances.

Due to the Housing Bill being put through Parliament at present,

if we downsize, we will have to sign a new tenancy agreement.

If we stay, we face having to pay the bedroom tax and debt.

If we downsize, we lose our secure home.

It is a real problem that Linda and many like her are facing.

If she was in the Prime Minister's advice bureau, what advice

would he give her?

The first thing I would say to Linda, we are cutting social

rents in this Parliament, so she will be paying less in rent.

The second thing, if she is concerned about the spare room

subsidy, it is not paid by pensioners, a point

that he fails to make.

The other point I would make to Linda, the other point

I would make to Linda and all those who are in council houses

or in housing association homes, is that we believe in giving

you the chance to buy your own home and are helping you to do that.

Isn't it interesting what this exchange has shown?

We have a Labour Party who have got a housing policy that doesn't

support home ownership, just as they have got a defence

policy that does not believe in defence, just as we have got

a Labour Party that does not believe in work,

and a Labour leader who does not believe in Britain!

Mr Speaker, as someone who grew up in social housing,

may I welcome the Prime Minister's commitment to tear down poor

quality, soulless high-rise estates and replace them

with affordable homes?

Will he seize this opportunity to make sure these new homes

are attractive, well designed places where people will actually

want to live for generations to come?

I think my honourable friend is absolutely right.

If Labour wanted to have a constructive opinion,

they would come along and say, how can we help knock down these

sink estates, rebuild new houses, help people to own their own homes?

That is what you are going to see, Mr Speaker, in this Parliament,

one side committed to opportunity, life chances, helping people get on,

and another side wanting to keep people trapped in property.

Angus Robertson.

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.

The economic and intellectual contribution of college

and university graduates to the UK is immense.

The Smith Commission said the UK and Scottish Government should "work

together to explore the possibility of introducing formal schemes

to allow international higher education students graduating

from Scottish further and higher education institutions to remain

in Scotland and contribute to economic activity for a defined

period of time".

Why did the UK Government this week unilaterally rule out a return

of a post-study work visa without stakeholder discussions

and before key Parliamentary reports?

What I say to the honourable gentleman is we have an excellent

scheme that covers, of course, Scotland,

England, Wales and Northern Ireland, to say to world students

that there is no limit on the number of people that can come and study

in British universities, as long as they have two things,

an English-language qualification and a place at the university.

That is an incredibly generous and open offer.

And there is no limit on the number of people who can stay

after they have graduated, as long as they have a graduate level job.

I think that is a clear message, that all of us, whether involved

in the Scottish Government, Northern Ireland or Welsh or UK

administrations, should get out and sell around the world.

It is a world beating offer, we want the brightest graduates

to study here and then work here.

What a great deal!

Thank you.

The return of post study visas is supported by amongst others,

all of Scotland's 25 publicly funded colleges,

the University of Scotland, the representatives of higher

education institutions, many other organisations

and businesses, all parties, including the Scottish Conservative

Party, so why does the Prime Minister think they are all wrong

and he is right?

For the reason I have given.

I think the clarity of our offer is world beating.

The disadvantage of inventing a new post-work study route,

where you are effectively saying to people coming

to our universities, it is OK to stay with a less

than graduate job, frankly, there are lots of people

in our own country desperate for those jobs and we should be

training them up and skilling them up.

We don't need the world's brightest and best to come here and study

and then to do menial labour jobs which actually,

that is not what our immigration system is for.

What we want is a system where people can come here,

study and work and that is the system we should keep.

Would the Prime Minister join me in welcoming the fact that Aldi

are building a distribution centre in my constituency,

bring more jobs to local people.

It is situated off one of the busiest trunk roads

in the south-east of England.

Could I ask my right honourable friend if he would encourage

the Department of Transport to take a review of A429 to ensure

it can cope with the increase of traffic being generated

by the expanding business activity in my constituency.

I certainly join him in welcoming the investment.

The claimant count down in his own constituency has fallen

by 39% since 2010 and this is welcome news.

I will take up the point he says because obviously,

we will only continue to attract investment if we make sure our road

and rail network is up to date.

The Prime Minister will be aware that last week this House discussed

the equalisation of the state retirement age between

men and women.

Can I ask him, does he feel the outrage of a generation of women

born in the 1950s who feel robbed and cheated out of their state

pension, and will he give an undertaking, giving the unanimous

decision of this House, to ask him to look at further

improvements to transitional arrangements that he will do so?

I know this is an issue that many colleagues have been written

to and there are some important cases to look at.

What I would say is we looked very carefully at this at the time

and decided no one should suffer more than an 18-month increase

in the time before they were expecting to retire.

I would also say that if you look at what we are putting in place

with the single tier pension starting at ?150 a week,

combined with the triple lock that we have, I think we have a very

good settlement for pensioners.

It is affordable for the taxpayer and generous into the future.

By the 8th of January, within a period of just eight days,

parts of London had exceeded the annual limit

for nitrous dioxide pollution.

Giving this medically serious news, will the Prime Minister and ensure

that the Department for Transport's current consideration of airport

expansion prioritises air pollution concerns?

And will he pledge never to expand Heathrow Airport while nitrous

dioxide levels are risking the health of millions of people?

I think my right honourable friend is absolutely right to raise this.

There are problems of air quality and air pollution,

not just in London but elsewhere in our country, and that is one

of the reasons why we decided to delay the decision about airport

capacity expansion, because we need to answer the question

about air quality before we provide the answer to that question.

That is what the Environmental Audit Committee recommended

to this government.

They said on air quality, the Government will need

to re-examine the commission's findings in light of

the air quality strategy.

The point she makes is being taken on by the Government.

Can I say to the Prime Minister, he has answered the honourable

member for Edinburgh East for the transitional arrangements

for women born in the 1950s, it is not good enough.

As he is talking to other EU leaders, can he ask why some

countries are not implementing the changes till 2044,

and can he look at what Italy, the Netherlands and Germany did

about their transitional arrangements to protect the people

who have been affected?

What other European countries do is a matter for them.

We have the ability to make sovereign decisions about this

issue, that is entirely right.

What we have decided to do is put in place a pension system

that is long-term affordable for our country, but also sustains

a very strong basic state pension right into the future.

That is why the single tier pension will make such a difference

to people in our country, and the triple lock never put

in place by Labour, we all remember that miserly increase

to the pension we had under Gordon Brown, that can never happen

again under our arrangements.

Since 2010, my constituency has seen the generation of 200

new businesses, with the youth unemployment rate falling to below

1%, with a ?240 million investment in Bracknell town

regeneration, falling unemployment is of genuine possibility.

Does the Government agree with me that it is the Government's sound

stewardship of the economy that has led to this economic success

in the Bracknell constituency?

I'm delighted to hear the news from Bracknell.

We have low interest rates, inflation right on the floor,

real wages growing so people are feeling better off.

People are investing in this country in huge numbers in terms

of inward investment.

Business investment has been going up because people

are confident about the future of our economy, and all

that is based on a long-term economic plan of dealing

with our debts, getting our deficit down and making this a country

where people can start a business, run a business, expanded business

and therefore create jobs and prosperity for all

our people.

Over the last four years, excess winter death figures

from the ONS have shown a staggering 117,000 people have died

unnecessarily as a result of the cold.

43,000 people tragically died last winter.

I wonder if the Prime Minister agrees with me that not only is that

appalling, but it is also avoidable.

Can I ask the Prime Minister why he thinks so many people are dying

needlessly in our country and what will he do

to stop that happening?

I think the honourable gentleman is right to raise this.

The winter death figures are published every year.

They are standing rebuke to all governments about what more

needs to be done.

First of all, we have maintained the cold weather payments.

They may kick in if the cold weather continues.

There are also the winter fuel payments.

The increase in pension going up by prices, earnings or 2.5%.

We also have falling energy prices because of the falling oil price.

I agree they're not falling as fast as I would like and that is why

I think it is right that we have this competition commission enquiry

into the energy industry, to make sure it is a fully

competitive industry. It has come a long way.

When I became Prime Minister, the independent energy companies

were just 1% of the market, they are now 15% of the market.

The big six are being broken down through competition.

All of those changes, plus home improvements,

all of those things can make a difference.

Implementation of the Iran nuclear deal, in which British

diplomacy was crucial is imminent.

Can my right honourable friend inform the House what steps

are being taken to ensure that Iran abides by its side of the deal?

I think my honourable friend is absolutely right about this.

Let me pay tribute to the Secretary of State John Kerry

for the incredible work he did, but also the Foreign Secretary

who was by his side all the way through, negotiating what is a very

tough and difficult deal.

Where we have got to is that the adoption day for this deal

was in October, and since then, Iraq has started shipping

12.5 tonnes of enriched uranium to Russia.

Now we're getting close to what is called the implementation

day for this deal to...

Sorry, Iran... ..for this deal.

The key point is Iran has granted the International Atomic Agency

unprecedented access to make sure it is doing all the things it said

it would do in this deal.

As I said, it is a good deal, it takes Iran away from a nuclear

weapon, but we should enter into it with a very heavy heart

and a very clear eye and a very hard head

in making sure this country does everything it said it would.

When the Government pushed through their changes

to undergraduate funding four years ago, they said that providing

maintenance grants for the poorest students was key

to their participation in higher education.

No mention was made in the Conservative manifesto

of ending those grants.

Is it not completely unacceptable to make that fundamental change

tomorrow, by the backdoor without a vote in this House.

This issue has been fully debated in this House.

We have shown that espite all the warnings from the party

opposite, more people are taking part

in higher education and more people

from lower income backgrounds are taking part in higher education

and I'm confident that will continue to be the case.

Thanks to this government's long-term economic plan,

unemployment in North West Leicestershire now stands

at an all-time low of 522.

This Saturday, East Midlands Airport will hold jobs fair

with 350 more positions available.

Will the Prime Minister join with me in wishing all the businesses

in North West Leicestershire more success at recruitment and retention

that the Leader of the Opposition?

I'm delighted to hear there are only 522 people are unemployed

in his constituency.

May I praise him and all the people who have run jobs fairs

in their constituencies which have made a huge difference

in people finding opportunities.

Since 2010, 64% of the rise in private sector

employment has taken place outside London

and the south-east.

This is, in growing terms, a balanced recovery and we need

to keep working to make sure it is.

Last year, the Energy Secretary scrapped support for under

the renewables obligation for new onshore wind projects,

which will impact the ?3 million investment by Nissan

at their wind farm in my constituency.

Does the Prime Minister realise that his attacks on clean

energy are detrimental to businesses like Nissan?

We had some extensive exchanges about this

at the liaison committee yesterday.

If you look at onshore wind, we will see another 50% increase

in onshore wind investment during this Parliament.

If we look at offshore wind, Britain has the biggest offshore

wind market anywhere in the world.

If we look at solar, Britain has the fourth largest solar

installation of any country anywhere in the world.

And my new favourite statistic, 98% of those solar panels have been

installed since I was Prime Minister.

This is all good news and means we have a genuine claim to be

leading a renewables revolution.

But every single subsidy you give to these technologies is extra money

that we put onto people's bills making energy more expensive.

It is right that we seek a balance between decarbonising our economy

but making sure we do it at a low cost to our consumers and the people

who pay the bills. That's what our policy is all about.

With the numbers of workless households in the UK at an all-time

low, and with 1.4 million children being taught in schools ranked good

or outstanding since 2010, does my right honourable friend

agree with me that the marker for one nation government is not

the amount of money we spend on benefits, but is what we do

to tackle the root causes of poverty?

My honourable friend is absolutely right.

As far as I can see, Labour's only answer to every single

problem is to spend more money.

It ends up with more borrowing, more spending, more debt,

all the things that got us into this problem

in the first place.

Our approach is to look at all the causes of poverty,

all the things holding people back.

Let's fix the sink estates, let's reform the failing schools,

let's give people more childcare, let's deal with the addiction

and mental health problems people have, and in that way,

we will demonstrate that this is the government and party helping

people with their life chances where Labour just want to stick

people where they are!

The draft Wales Bill contains provisions which reverses the 2011

settlement which was endorsed in the last Welsh referendum.

Unless amended, the National Assembly will unanimously,

including Tory AMs, oppose the bill

during the legislative consent motion process

sparking a constitutional crisis.

The veto and consent clauses do not apply

in the case of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Why is this government treating Wales like a second-class nation?

What this government has done is first of all hold a referendum

so the Welsh Assembly has those lawmaking powers.

Secondly, the first government in history to make sure

there is a floor under the Welsh level of spending,

something never done by a Labour government.

And now in the Wales Bill, we want to make sure we give Wales

those extra powers.

We are still listening to the suggestions made by him

and the Welsh Assembly Government, but this government has a proud

record, not only of devolution for Wales but in delivery for Wales.

$30 oil is great for petrol prices, but it is potentially catastrophic

in other respects.

If it goes on like this, we risk seeing regimes under

pressure, dramatic corporate failures and financial default,

enormous financial transfers out of our markets to pay for other

country's deficits, a possible collapse in share prices

and dividends for pensions, and a liquidity problem

in our banking sector.

May I invite the Prime Minister to initiate an urgent review

across Whitehall, to assess the effects of continuing low oil

prices on our economy and beyond, and in particular, work out how

we can avoid the destruction of our own oil industry

in the North Sea?

My right honourable friend makes an important point,

which is this very big move in the oil price.

It has a highly beneficial effect for all our constituents are able

to fill up their cars for less than a pound a litre,

and that is a very big increase in people's disposable income

and holy welcome.

A low oil price is good for the British economy

which is a substantial manufacturing and production economy.

We need to look carefully at how we can help our own

oil and gas industry.

He did mention one other calamity which is it has led to a complete

and utter collapse of the SNP's policy.

Recent press reports suggest...

The honourable lady must be heard!

Recent press reports suggest that although some on the Government's

backbenches would agree with me, despite the fact that my background

would be what the Prime Minister would consider to be menial,

in calling for a reduction on the ?100 fixed odds

betting terminals.

This Cabinet refuses to bring this industry under scrutiny.

Can the Prime Minister ensure that his government will undertake

a review of this dangerous, addictive and ever-growing problem?

We have looked at this problem and this industry and we did make

a series of changes, including planning changes,

but we keep this important situation under review.

Whilst the floods over Christmas were bad for many areas in the North

of England and Scotland, Calder Valley residents

were hit the hardest.

2,100 homes and 13,000 businesses flooded, three bridges lost,

four schools flooded or part-flooded,

and a tip of asbestos which has slid keeping 20 families out

of their homes.

Will the Prime Minister meet with me to discuss how we can

help to discuss the damage, the shortfall in future flood

schemes and the rebuilding of Todmorden High School as well?

My honourable friend and I have discussed Todmorden High School

but I think we should meet again and discuss it again

and try and make progress on this.

First of all, may I say my sympathies and the sympathies

of the whole House go out to those people

and businesses who were flooded.

We will do everything we can to help those communities

get back on their feet.

The very large investment programme is in place.

And the maintenance programme, which is being protected,

in real terms.

But there are number of other infrastructure pieces of work that

needs to be done.

I would commend the Highways Agency which have been quick to examine

roads and in some cases have taken over repairs to local authority

roads because they have the capacity to act and act quickly.

As I said last week, this time, the army was in faster,

the money was distributed faster, the EA worked faster

and round-the-clock but there are always more lessons to learn

to demonstrate we want to get these communities back on their feet

as soon as possible.