:00:00. > :00:00.enabling work to happen legally, not only are we helping those countries
:00:00. > :00:00.like Jordan and Lebanon, we are supporting the refugees currently
:00:07. > :00:24.there. Questions to the Prime Minister.
:00:25. > :00:35.In addition to my duties in this house holed I shall have further
:00:36. > :00:42.meetings today. Jon. Mr Speaker, is that it, is that the best the Prime
:00:43. > :00:47.Minister can do? Nothing for British pensioners? Nothing for British
:00:48. > :00:51.workers and as the Office for Budget Responsibility and the Treasury have
:00:52. > :00:58.confirmed, his long-term economic plan is reliant on over 1 million
:00:59. > :01:02.new migrants entering this country before 2020! Has the Prime Minister
:01:03. > :01:08.got the bottle to confirm this inconvenient truth? I'll tell you
:01:09. > :01:13.what we are doing for pensioners, a triple lock on pensions. Never again
:01:14. > :01:21.be 75p rise that they got from the Labour Party with prices and wages
:01:22. > :01:25.at two and half percent. What we are doing from people who work hard in
:01:26. > :01:29.Britain is create 2.3 million more jobs since I became Prime Minister.
:01:30. > :01:34.Of course I believe we will succeed more as a country if we get a good
:01:35. > :01:37.deal in Europe and stay in a reformed Europe. It will be good for
:01:38. > :01:46.jobs, for investment, for growth and that is what I'm fighting for.
:01:47. > :01:50.Marcus Fish. People in my constituency, Yeovil, are rightly
:01:51. > :01:54.proud of their contribution to the defence of this country, whether
:01:55. > :01:58.through the skill and redness of the fleet arm at your fill all the local
:01:59. > :02:02.high-tech industry making and maintaining helicopters and
:02:03. > :02:06.equipment for ships and aircraft and those who serve on them. In the
:02:07. > :02:09.current circumstances of increasing security challenges and
:02:10. > :02:14.responsibilities and a worrying lack of commitment to defence in many
:02:15. > :02:18.European countries, I welcome the leadership, the government has shown
:02:19. > :02:22.in committing to spend 2% of GDP on defence and I ask whether my right
:02:23. > :02:31.honourable friend will meet with me to discuss ideas that I have two
:02:32. > :02:34.build on local capability. My friend friend is absolutely right that your
:02:35. > :02:39.fill makes a huge contribution to the defence of our country, not
:02:40. > :02:44.least through Augusta Western, a big dish business. We are committed to
:02:45. > :02:48.spending ?178 billion on defence equipment over the next decade,
:02:49. > :02:52.something we can only do because we have a strong economy. We are
:02:53. > :02:56.committed to that 2% and will make sure the money is well spent and
:02:57. > :03:02.making sure we have the right equipment for our brave Armed
:03:03. > :03:11.Forces. Jeremy Corbyn. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Tomorrow, Mr Speaker, is
:03:12. > :03:17.world comes a day. Cancer is a disease that almost every family in
:03:18. > :03:21.this country has been affected by. Two and a half million people in
:03:22. > :03:27.this country have cancer. There are members on both sides of this House
:03:28. > :03:30.who have or have received treatment. 1000 people every day diagnosed with
:03:31. > :03:35.cancer and go through a trauma as soon as they are diagnosed. Accent
:03:36. > :03:39.in the last year there's been a 36% increase in the number of people
:03:40. > :03:42.waiting more than six weeks for vital diagnostic tests. Could the
:03:43. > :03:48.Prime Minister two something to bring that down? First I agree with
:03:49. > :03:53.the right honourable gentleman that the fight against cancer is one of
:03:54. > :03:56.the great fights of our time, one we are determined to win. When we look
:03:57. > :04:01.at the way we treated in this country we are putting an extra ?19
:04:02. > :04:05.billion into the NHS and specifically while he is right,
:04:06. > :04:10.everyone in this House and every family will know somebody affected
:04:11. > :04:17.by cancer, we are treating more patientss. The figures. Compared
:04:18. > :04:28.with 2010, over 645,000 more patients with suspected
:04:29. > :04:32.cancers have been seen, an increase of 71% and almost 40,000 more
:04:33. > :04:34.patients have been treated. An increase of 17%. We have more
:04:35. > :04:36.doctors, nurses, more cancer specialists but the fight against it
:04:37. > :04:41.is something we need to continue with. Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Speaker,
:04:42. > :04:46.early diagnosis is essential when dealing with cancer. I think we all
:04:47. > :04:50.know that from personal experience. The government 's independent task
:04:51. > :04:54.force into cancer reported last year, and I quote, we currently have
:04:55. > :04:58.a serious shortage of radiologists in England. We need more of them so
:04:59. > :05:03.could the Prime Minister explain why we are cutting by 5% the number of
:05:04. > :05:08.training places available for therapeutic radiographers? We need
:05:09. > :05:13.more radiologists and we are getting them because we are putting more
:05:14. > :05:17.into the NHS. Where he is right is that waiting times, a moment ago the
:05:18. > :05:21.right honourable lady was shouting about waiting times, there are three
:05:22. > :05:24.key targets on them. First that people should be seen by a
:05:25. > :05:30.specialist within two weeks of an urgent GP referral, and we're meant
:05:31. > :05:36.to be on 93% of occasions, we are currently on 94.7, we need to make
:05:37. > :05:40.sure that the first treatment comes within 31 days of diagnosis, that's
:05:41. > :05:45.very important, there's a 96% standard and we meeting that by
:05:46. > :05:50.97.7%. Yet I accept that when it comes to the first treatment within
:05:51. > :05:56.62 days the standard is 85% and we are at 82.5 so we must improve. With
:05:57. > :05:59.training, we are increasing training places in the NHS, we discussed
:06:00. > :06:07.nurses last week where we are opening up nurse training by making
:06:08. > :06:10.sure that we train an extra 10,000 nurses but the crucial point is that
:06:11. > :06:15.the money is there in the NHS because we've got a strong economy.
:06:16. > :06:23.?19 billion of money which would never be there if we followed his
:06:24. > :06:27.crazy economic plans! Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Speaker, my question was on
:06:28. > :06:30.therapeutic radiographers. The Prime Minister did not answer on that.
:06:31. > :06:32.Without an improvement in the numbers available there will be a
:06:33. > :06:39.problem with treatment, that must be obvious to everyone. The cancer task
:06:40. > :06:43.force also asks, and I could, for a radical upgrade in prevention and
:06:44. > :06:47.public health. Programmes like stopping smoking and anti-obesity
:06:48. > :06:52.absolutely essential to stop the spread of cancer and indeed to help
:06:53. > :06:57.people live better lives so they don't develop cancer at all. Yet if
:06:58. > :07:02.we cut, as he proposes, ?200 million from the Public health budget,
:07:03. > :07:05.surely that is going to lead to an increase in cancer, with all the
:07:06. > :07:09.trauma that goes with it, and indeed the greater cost for the rest of the
:07:10. > :07:15.community. Could he explain why he is making this cut? First of all,
:07:16. > :07:20.but to diagnostic radiographers, there are 1800 more diagnostic
:07:21. > :07:28.radiographers than when I became Prime Minister in 2010. As for the
:07:29. > :07:32.interests... That is a 15% increase. The reason that there is an increase
:07:33. > :07:37.is that we said that we would put more money into the NHS, a real
:07:38. > :07:42.terms increase, something we were told by the then Shadow Health
:07:43. > :07:45.Secretary was then irresponsible. We ignored Labour and would put money
:07:46. > :07:50.into the health service. As a result, there's been a 15% increase
:07:51. > :07:55.in diagnostic radiographers. When it comes to the rest of the Cancer
:07:56. > :07:59.plan, the money is being invested, there is a key difference, though,
:08:00. > :08:03.between England and Wales and something he can help with, is that
:08:04. > :08:07.there is a Labour government in Wales. Whereas we have a Cancer
:08:08. > :08:15.Drugs Fund, they don't have one in Wales. So he needs to sort that out
:08:16. > :08:19.with that Labour Administration. As for public health, under this
:08:20. > :08:23.government, real advances have been made on public health, including
:08:24. > :08:29.smoking rules in the backs of cars, including plain paper packaging, and
:08:30. > :08:38.ring fencing public health budgets. All done and the Conservatives, not
:08:39. > :08:40.done under Labour. Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister is
:08:41. > :08:45.responsible for the health service in England. Wales is a devolved
:08:46. > :08:50.matter. He must be aware... SHOUTING
:08:51. > :08:53.And he must know that cancer surviving rates are improving better
:08:54. > :09:12.in Wales than in any other part of the UK. But my question was... My
:09:13. > :09:17.question, Mr Speaker, was about the cuts in public health budgets and
:09:18. > :09:23.the effect that has on cancer care. Could the Prime Minister tell us
:09:24. > :09:26.when was the last time that the NHS targets are starting cancer
:09:27. > :09:33.treatment was met with in the 62 days required? As I have said, of
:09:34. > :09:36.the three big targets we are meeting the specialist within two weeks
:09:37. > :09:39.target and meeting the first treatment within 31 days of
:09:40. > :09:46.diagnosis treatment and we are currently falling short of the 62
:09:47. > :09:51.days target, something I actually said in the answer to question two
:09:52. > :09:55.but he has not got around to it until question five. The cogs need
:09:56. > :10:00.to turn a little faster! He can't wash his hands of the situation in
:10:01. > :10:07.Wales, Labour run Wales. And what have they done in Wales? They have
:10:08. > :10:13.cut the NHS in Wales! Now it is emerging, what Labour's great plan
:10:14. > :10:17.is, cut the NHS in Wales and raise income tax on hard-working people in
:10:18. > :10:21.Scotland. That's right. What will they do to radiographers in
:10:22. > :10:26.Scotland, raise their taxes. What will they do to nurses in Scotland
:10:27. > :10:31.or dentists? Raise their taxes. We now know the Labour plan, higher
:10:32. > :10:39.taxes for more welfare, they have learned nothing in the last decade!
:10:40. > :10:43.Mr Speaker, the last time the two months target was mad was 19 months
:10:44. > :10:47.ago. The Prime Minister must be aware of that. -- the last time it
:10:48. > :10:51.was mad. I am pleased that he is taking action to make sure that
:10:52. > :10:55.doesn't continue all get worse. Another issue that affects cancer
:10:56. > :11:00.patient Dexter is the recently division and -- deleted provisions
:11:01. > :11:07.in the Welfare Reform Bill that would have taken money from the
:11:08. > :11:11.group. Martin, who contacted me this week, says, yes, it is funny the
:11:12. > :11:19.many members opposite, it isn't funny for Martin. Martin has a close
:11:20. > :11:23.friend who has breast cancer, and I quote, is obviously too unwell to
:11:24. > :11:28.work, and cuts will put her into hardship at a time when she is most
:11:29. > :11:33.vulnerable. There are 3200 people with cancer hit by this cut to the
:11:34. > :11:37.essay. Will the Prime Minister now confirm that when that matter
:11:38. > :11:42.returns to the House of Commons, he would ensure that the Lord's's
:11:43. > :11:47.position is app out and people like her don't suffer the cut that he
:11:48. > :11:55.wanted to make in the first place? -- the position is upheld. Let me
:11:56. > :11:58.tell you the situation. Though two sorts of support allowance, the
:11:59. > :12:02.work-related activity group who are able to train for work and the
:12:03. > :12:06.support group will go on getting employment and support allowance
:12:07. > :12:09.indefinitely. That's the situation. We have said that in future the
:12:10. > :12:13.work-related activity group should be paid at the same rate as
:12:14. > :12:17.jobseeker's allowance but that is for future claimants, not for
:12:18. > :12:22.existing claimants. They will continue to be paid at the same
:12:23. > :12:26.rate. Of course if someone has cancer and cannot work they should
:12:27. > :12:31.be in the support group. We've had this issue looked at again and again
:12:32. > :12:35.and again. If they cannot work they go on getting the welfare payments
:12:36. > :12:39.they need. That is what a compassionate conservative
:12:40. > :12:44.government does. But I have to come back to him because he cannot wash
:12:45. > :12:51.is hands of the situation in Wales. Hip operations in England take 75
:12:52. > :13:00.days waiting times on average, in Wales, its 197 days. Diagnosis of
:13:01. > :13:02.pneumonia takes two weeks longer, treatment of cataracts, Ernie Els,
:13:03. > :13:08.heart operations take two months longer than in England. Labour are
:13:09. > :13:14.running Wales. He is responsible for Labour. The phone and tell them to
:13:15. > :13:22.stop cutting our NHS! Keen Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Speaker it is interesting
:13:23. > :13:26.that the Prime Minister did not answer the question iPod. Which is
:13:27. > :13:34.whether or not he will proceed with the cut in the essay to 3200 people
:13:35. > :13:38.with cancer at present. -- in the support allowance. I hope he thinks
:13:39. > :13:43.seriously about this and doesn't proceed with this proposal. He'll
:13:44. > :13:47.find that MacMillan Cancer Support, rethink Meltham illness, Parkinson's
:13:48. > :13:51.UK are all united in opposing this cut because of the affected will
:13:52. > :13:54.have on people with a range of serious conditions. The Prime
:13:55. > :13:59.Minister used to say that those with the broadest shoulders should bear a
:14:00. > :14:05.greater load. Can it be right that cancer patients and those with
:14:06. > :14:10.disabilities on ?102 a week really are those with the broadest
:14:11. > :14:14.shoulders who should bear this cut? Please, Prime Minister, think again,
:14:15. > :14:18.and don't try to reverse the decision of the House of Lords on
:14:19. > :14:22.this important matter. The people with the broadest shoulders are the
:14:23. > :14:26.highest earners in this country and they are paying a higher share of
:14:27. > :14:31.tax and the ever did under labour. That money is paying for the NHS and
:14:32. > :14:35.the welfare assistant. I am the question very directly. If you are
:14:36. > :14:40.an existing claimant unemployment and support allowance welfare not
:14:41. > :14:45.changing. But in future those people who are able to work, we should help
:14:46. > :14:47.them to get back to work, that is what a compassionate country does
:14:48. > :14:53.when it is quite clear what the Labour policy is, cut the NHS in
:14:54. > :14:55.Wales and raise taxes in Scotland to pay for more welfare. That's not the
:14:56. > :15:04.approach this David Warburton. My right honourable
:15:05. > :15:07.friend will know the West Country is becoming ever more the envy and the
:15:08. > :15:13.engine room of the rest of the country, with dozens of companies
:15:14. > :15:18.moving from the dark recesses of London to the bright sunlight of the
:15:19. > :15:23.West. Will he keep supporting what they are now calling Somerset's
:15:24. > :15:30.Silicon Gorge by maintaining investment in our roads, rail and
:15:31. > :15:36.digital infrastructure? I am certainly keen to support Silicon
:15:37. > :15:43.Gorge. For a moment, I thought he said Silicon George! It is essential
:15:44. > :15:46.that we have a balanced economy, and that means a strong economy in the
:15:47. > :15:50.west of our country as well as in the South and the north. We are
:15:51. > :15:53.investing in the transport infrastructure, not least the vital
:15:54. > :15:57.roads to the West Country, and improving rail links as well, as I
:15:58. > :16:01.saw for myself yesterday in Chippenham. We also need to Mitch
:16:02. > :16:07.with this broadband roll-out is effective across the country, and
:16:08. > :16:11.that has to be a big focus getting to the last 10% of homes in so many
:16:12. > :16:16.rural areas. It is crucial to make sure they are not left out. Angus
:16:17. > :16:20.Robertson. The timing of the forthcoming European Union
:16:21. > :16:24.referendum is extremely important. Today, the first ministers of
:16:25. > :16:27.Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have jointly called for a commitment
:16:28. > :16:33.by the UK Government not to hold the EU referendum in June, which would
:16:34. > :16:41.clash with elections to the devolved legislatures. Will the Prime
:16:42. > :16:44.Minister give that commitment today? Firstly, there is no agreement, so
:16:45. > :16:48.no date has yet been fixed for the referendum. We discuss this a lot in
:16:49. > :16:52.the House of Commons, and we legislate to make sure we wouldn't
:16:53. > :16:56.hold the referendum at the same time as Scottish or Welsh elections. The
:16:57. > :17:00.former First Minister of Scotland, who is not in his place today, said
:17:01. > :17:03.it would be wrong to hold the referendum within six weeks of those
:17:04. > :17:10.elections, and I can guarantee that will not happen. The first ministers
:17:11. > :17:12.of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have written today, saying
:17:13. > :17:20.that they believe holding a referendum in June "Risks confusing
:17:21. > :17:25.issues when clarity is required, and call upon the Prime Minister to
:17:26. > :17:31.defer the EU referendum at least until later in the year". Why will
:17:32. > :17:35.the Prime Minister not respect the electorate and the governments of
:17:36. > :17:40.Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and give that commitment today? I do
:17:41. > :17:45.respect the former First Minister of Scotland, who said that six weeks
:17:46. > :17:49.was necessary. I also respect the electrodes of England, Scotland,
:17:50. > :17:51.Wales and Northern Ireland on the basis that I think people are
:17:52. > :17:56.perfectly capable of making up their minds in a local election or a
:17:57. > :18:01.Scottish Parliamentary election or a Welsh assembly election, and then,
:18:02. > :18:07.some weeks afterwards, making up their mind on the vital question of
:18:08. > :18:12.the European Union. No date has been fixed. There must be a six-week gap,
:18:13. > :18:18.but I think he is looking for things to complain about. This House has
:18:19. > :18:21.voted for a referendum. It would be odd if having voted for a
:18:22. > :18:26.referendum, we then spent ages not having one. The Prime Minister will
:18:27. > :18:34.be alarmed to hear that a shop in Gillingham selling illicit tobacco
:18:35. > :18:37.was making ?25,000. Order. Excessive chuntering from a sedentary position
:18:38. > :18:41.from a number of Scottish National Party members who wanted a hearing
:18:42. > :18:44.for their leader. The honourable gentleman is entitled to be heard. I
:18:45. > :18:48.appeal to the honourable gentleman to start his question again. The
:18:49. > :18:55.Prime Minister will be alarmed to hear that a shopping Gillingham
:18:56. > :18:59.selling illicit tobacco was making ?25,000 a week, destroying the local
:19:00. > :19:03.economy, damaging people's health and nationally, this trade is
:19:04. > :19:07.cutting the economy 2 billion a year. Will the government to look at
:19:08. > :19:11.increasing the statutory maximum penalty for this offence to bring it
:19:12. > :19:18.in line with the supply of class A drugs? -- Kas C drugs? I will look
:19:19. > :19:24.at the issue my honourable friend races. HMRC, working closely with
:19:25. > :19:28.the Border Force, has been effective in reducing this tax gap of people
:19:29. > :19:33.selling illegal tobacco, and have closed off 1.3 billion of tax gaps
:19:34. > :19:37.since 2000. They have sanctions to deal with illicit sales, including
:19:38. > :19:42.seizure, penalties and criminal situations. They prosecuted almost
:19:43. > :19:46.800 different people in the last two years, so I think the powers are
:19:47. > :19:51.there, but I will see if more is needed. My constituent works for the
:19:52. > :19:55.DWP and tells me that the government is correct when they deny that staff
:19:56. > :19:59.have targets set for sanctioning benefits. They are not called
:20:00. > :20:06.targets, they are called aspirations. With the roll-out of in
:20:07. > :20:08.work benefits sanctions, how many of his own low-paid DWP colleagues
:20:09. > :20:17.should my constituent aspire to sanction this year? Sanctions in a
:20:18. > :20:22.benefit system are important. We want a benefit system that is their
:20:23. > :20:27.for people who can't find a job and need support, but it shouldn't be a
:20:28. > :20:31.lifestyle choice. If people can work, they should work. That is why
:20:32. > :20:38.we have a sanction system, and I believe it is fairly applied. May I
:20:39. > :20:45.share my right honourable friend's this appointment about, despite all
:20:46. > :20:50.his hard work -- his disappointment that the European Union is forcing
:20:51. > :20:56.him to abandon our manifesto pledge to change the benefit system for
:20:57. > :20:59.migrants. Will my right honourable friend confirm that sadly, the only
:21:00. > :21:08.way in which we will be able to regain control over our own borders
:21:09. > :21:11.is by leaving the European Union? My right honourable friend and I do not
:21:12. > :21:14.agree on this. We said in our manifesto that anyone coming to
:21:15. > :21:18.Britain from the EU searching for work should not get unemployment
:21:19. > :21:21.benefit, and we fulfilled that promise. We said if within six
:21:22. > :21:25.months, they don't have a job, they should go home. We fulfilled that.
:21:26. > :21:29.We said that people should not be able to come here and send the
:21:30. > :21:32.discharge benefit back to their families, and we have secured that
:21:33. > :21:36.they will only get child benefit at a local rate. And we said, no more
:21:37. > :21:40.something for nothing. The idea that you could come here, claim
:21:41. > :21:45.immediately from our in work benefits system without paying in
:21:46. > :21:49.was not right. I said we would secure a four-year gap, and we have.
:21:50. > :21:54.People said it would be impossible, but that is what we put in place. It
:21:55. > :21:57.is a negotiation, but these are good proposals that I think we'll have
:21:58. > :22:01.the backing of the British people, because they mean no more something
:22:02. > :22:10.for nothing, and that is a vital value for Britain. Over 2500 people
:22:11. > :22:16.are employed by the ceramics industry in Stoke-on-Trent. These
:22:17. > :22:22.and thousands of Jewish manufacturing jobs are at risk if --
:22:23. > :22:28.British menu factory jobs are at risk if China is granted market
:22:29. > :22:31.economy status. The Prime Minister is happy to sell off the family
:22:32. > :22:35.silver, but he guarantee that he will not sell off the family
:22:36. > :22:39.crockery? We want to support industry in the potteries, and that
:22:40. > :22:46.is why we are helping manufacturing with tax credits. We are helping
:22:47. > :22:51.with apprentice schemes. We are helping with a range of measures,
:22:52. > :22:59.which are important for her constituency. The issue with market
:23:00. > :23:04.economy status is a separate issue. Even if they get that status, they
:23:05. > :23:11.can't dump steel products or other things into European markets. We
:23:12. > :23:17.should make sure we are driving open markets for us to sell to China.
:23:18. > :23:22.They are the ones with massive growth in the middle-class ticking
:23:23. > :23:27.place, and there are many great products made in Stoke that should
:23:28. > :23:31.be sold in China. So, the Isle of Wight Council can balance the books
:23:32. > :23:39.this year, but fear they will be unable to do so next year. Would my
:23:40. > :23:45.right honourable friend confirm the government's willingness to work
:23:46. > :23:50.with them over coming months to help them access existing sources of
:23:51. > :23:57.finance, or find new ways to address the island's unique circumstances?
:23:58. > :24:04.We are happy to work with authorities on the Isle of Wight.
:24:05. > :24:09.When it comes to spending power, their spending power is increasing
:24:10. > :24:13.slightly in the next year. With this settlement for local government,
:24:14. > :24:16.because overall, it is a relatively flat cash settlement over the
:24:17. > :24:20.five-year period, we are allowing councils to use their reserves and
:24:21. > :24:30.sell unwanted property and use that money directly to provide services
:24:31. > :24:34.to bridge the next five years. I believe this is a fair settlement.
:24:35. > :24:39.Stella Creasy. The Prime Minister has told us today that more money is
:24:40. > :24:48.going into the NHS. My local hospital trust is spending ?1.5
:24:49. > :25:04.million a week on interest payments alone for its PFI deal. Wait for it.
:25:05. > :25:10.The Prime Minister eventually saw sense about the need to deal with
:25:11. > :25:14.the damage that high-cost credit was doing to individuals. When will he
:25:15. > :25:22.deal with these legal loan sharks of the public sector? Sometimes, it
:25:23. > :25:31.takes a long time to unwind the damage done by a Labour government.
:25:32. > :25:36.She is right. One of the first things we did was to launch a review
:25:37. > :25:41.of Labour's PFI and begin an initiative to get better value for
:25:42. > :25:50.money for all of the projects. In her health economy, we are saying
:25:51. > :25:53.more GPs in the NHS, and in terms of the NHS Waltham Forest clinical
:25:54. > :25:58.commissioning group, next year, they are getting a cash increase of 3.7%.
:25:59. > :26:05.That is money provided because we are putting more money into the NHS.
:26:06. > :26:09.A lone parent in my constituency has described her experience of the
:26:10. > :26:11.child maintenance group is appalling, with the lack of
:26:12. > :26:17.communication being passed from pillar to post, a failure to act on
:26:18. > :26:20.evidence and not progressing with enforcement. Will the Prime Minister
:26:21. > :26:26.range for the Secretary of State to meet with my constituents to discuss
:26:27. > :26:30.the issues around the enforcement of child maintenance, when nonresident
:26:31. > :26:34.parents are gaming the system and depriving children of the support
:26:35. > :26:40.they are entitled to? I am happy to help arrange that meeting. I know my
:26:41. > :26:45.honourable friend speaks, as many of us find in our own constituency
:26:46. > :26:48.surgeries, particularly about the behaviour of the nonresident parent
:26:49. > :26:51.and how they give everyone the runaround and don't fulfil their
:26:52. > :26:55.duties by helping to pay for the children they are responsible for.
:26:56. > :26:57.We introduce to a new statutory child maintenance service for
:26:58. > :27:03.parents who are unable to make a family -based arrangement. It should
:27:04. > :27:07.involve simpler calculations and faster enforcement action but I will
:27:08. > :27:13.make sure she has the meeting she needs. Tom Elliott. I wonder if the
:27:14. > :27:16.Prime Minister could comment on recent events in Northern Ireland
:27:17. > :27:23.regarding the investigations into steak knife, and will he ensure that
:27:24. > :27:26.there are equal investigations into the likes of the Enniskillen bomb
:27:27. > :27:34.and other major atrocities by terrorist organisations? I will look
:27:35. > :27:38.at what he says. We have to make sure we look at all of these things
:27:39. > :27:46.in a fair way to stop perhaps I could write to him about the issue.
:27:47. > :27:51.Julian Knight. They cheered billion pounds a year is currently spent on
:27:52. > :27:54.pensions tax relief -- ?38 billion a year, with records of that going to
:27:55. > :27:57.higher rate taxpayers who need it the least. Would the Prime Minister
:27:58. > :28:01.agree that it would be a huge boost to social justice in this country if
:28:02. > :28:04.pensions tax relief was reformed to a single flat rate which would
:28:05. > :28:11.benefit millions of hard-working Britons? I know my honourable friend
:28:12. > :28:15.speaks on this issue with expertise because of the career he had before
:28:16. > :28:21.coming to this House. He brings a knowledge about the sector. He is
:28:22. > :28:24.right that there are great cost is related to pensions tax relief. That
:28:25. > :28:28.is why the Chancellor published a consultation last summer to see
:28:29. > :28:33.whether the system should be reformed. But taxes are a matter for
:28:34. > :28:35.the Chancellor and his Budget. I welcome the government's
:28:36. > :28:40.announcement of further support for child refugees last week as far as
:28:41. > :28:44.it goes. A nine-year-old girl in my constituency has recently asked me
:28:45. > :28:48.what we are doing to help refugee children. Of course, a child
:28:49. > :28:52.refugees mostly needs a home. When are we going to offer a home to 3000
:28:53. > :29:00.unaccompanied refugee children in Europe? Let me say what we have done
:29:01. > :29:03.so far. She knows about the 20,000 relocation scheme, where we got 1000
:29:04. > :29:08.people in by Christmas, including many vulnerable children. Fewer
:29:09. > :29:13.people are aware of the fact that in the last year, through our normal
:29:14. > :29:16.asylum processes, we took something like 2500 unaccompanied children
:29:17. > :29:20.last year. If you look at Kent social services and the pressure
:29:21. > :29:24.they are under, they have something like a thousand children that they
:29:25. > :29:34.are looking after. Another point that people do not recognise is
:29:35. > :29:39.If they claim asylum, if they have direct family in Britain they can
:29:40. > :29:45.come to Britain. We think that is the right approach. Taking some
:29:46. > :29:49.people from the region but being cautious because even if it is an
:29:50. > :29:56.orphaned child they may have broader family and it's better to keep them
:29:57. > :30:02.with them. Given the security threats faced by this country, whose
:30:03. > :30:06.policies are most dangerous, those in Scotland who want to scrap the
:30:07. > :30:11.nuclear deterrent or those opposite who want to keep Trident submarines
:30:12. > :30:18.without nuclear missiles. It's hard to choose from the wrong or the
:30:19. > :30:22.bizarre? You can take your pick. Labour's latest plan is to use
:30:23. > :30:31.Trident submarines to transport military personnel around the world.
:30:32. > :30:32.It's the most expensive Uber service anyone has ever thought of. What
:30:33. > :35:56.will they think of next? I think the honourable gentleman is
:35:57. > :36:03.wrong, we should take the issues separately. We will support action
:36:04. > :36:08.in the European Union and it can be done in spite of the status of a
:36:09. > :36:11.country, and we have put those burdens on America before today so
:36:12. > :36:22.it is not right to connect those issues in the way he does. Mental
:36:23. > :36:26.health issues take many forms. Those suffering eating disorders are often
:36:27. > :36:33.overlooked and yet they cause intolerable suffering. Does the
:36:34. > :36:39.Prime Minister agree that the devolution in Manchester is a great
:36:40. > :36:42.opportunity to secure better mental health provisions, particularly for
:36:43. > :36:51.young adults? My honourable friend is right, I don't see any reason why
:36:52. > :36:54.this landmark deal should disadvantage mental health and if
:36:55. > :36:59.anything lead to greater priority being given to mental health as
:37:00. > :37:03.people see the connections between mental health and holding back
:37:04. > :37:07.opportunities for many people. We are investing more in terms of
:37:08. > :37:16.children's mental health and eating disorders where we tragically see a
:37:17. > :37:24.real growth. The money is there. Statement, the Prime Minister. With
:37:25. > :37:28.permission I would like to make a statement on progress with our
:37:29. > :37:32.renegotiation. The House has now had the chance to study the document is
:37:33. > :37:38.published by the European Council yesterday. I believe this is an
:37:39. > :37:39.important milestone in the process of reform, renegotiation and
:37:40. > :37:40.referendum