03/02/2016 Prime Minister's Questions


03/02/2016

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enabling work to happen legally, not only are we helping those countries

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like Jordan and Lebanon, we are supporting the refugees currently

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there. Questions to the Prime Minister.

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In addition to my duties in this house holed I shall have further

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meetings today. Jon. Mr Speaker, is that it, is that the best the Prime

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Minister can do? Nothing for British pensioners? Nothing for British

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workers and as the Office for Budget Responsibility and the Treasury have

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confirmed, his long-term economic plan is reliant on over 1 million

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new migrants entering this country before 2020! Has the Prime Minister

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got the bottle to confirm this inconvenient truth? I'll tell you

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what we are doing for pensioners, a triple lock on pensions. Never again

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be 75p rise that they got from the Labour Party with prices and wages

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at two and half percent. What we are doing from people who work hard in

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Britain is create 2.3 million more jobs since I became Prime Minister.

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Of course I believe we will succeed more as a country if we get a good

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deal in Europe and stay in a reformed Europe. It will be good for

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jobs, for investment, for growth and that is what I'm fighting for.

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Marcus Fish. People in my constituency, Yeovil, are rightly

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proud of their contribution to the defence of this country, whether

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through the skill and redness of the fleet arm at your fill all the local

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high-tech industry making and maintaining helicopters and

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equipment for ships and aircraft and those who serve on them. In the

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current circumstances of increasing security challenges and

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responsibilities and a worrying lack of commitment to defence in many

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European countries, I welcome the leadership, the government has shown

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in committing to spend 2% of GDP on defence and I ask whether my right

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honourable friend will meet with me to discuss ideas that I have two

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build on local capability. My friend friend is absolutely right that your

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fill makes a huge contribution to the defence of our country, not

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least through Augusta Western, a big dish business. We are committed to

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spending ?178 billion on defence equipment over the next decade,

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something we can only do because we have a strong economy. We are

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committed to that 2% and will make sure the money is well spent and

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making sure we have the right equipment for our brave Armed

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Forces. Jeremy Corbyn. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Tomorrow, Mr Speaker, is

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world comes a day. Cancer is a disease that almost every family in

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this country has been affected by. Two and a half million people in

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this country have cancer. There are members on both sides of this House

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who have or have received treatment. 1000 people every day diagnosed with

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cancer and go through a trauma as soon as they are diagnosed. Accent

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in the last year there's been a 36% increase in the number of people

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waiting more than six weeks for vital diagnostic tests. Could the

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Prime Minister two something to bring that down? First I agree with

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the right honourable gentleman that the fight against cancer is one of

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the great fights of our time, one we are determined to win. When we look

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at the way we treated in this country we are putting an extra ?19

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billion into the NHS and specifically while he is right,

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everyone in this House and every family will know somebody affected

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by cancer, we are treating more patientss. The figures. Compared

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with 2010, over 645,000 more patients with suspected

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cancers have been seen, an increase of 71% and almost 40,000 more

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patients have been treated. An increase of 17%. We have more

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doctors, nurses, more cancer specialists but the fight against it

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is something we need to continue with. Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Speaker,

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early diagnosis is essential when dealing with cancer. I think we all

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know that from personal experience. The government 's independent task

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force into cancer reported last year, and I quote, we currently have

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a serious shortage of radiologists in England. We need more of them so

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could the Prime Minister explain why we are cutting by 5% the number of

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training places available for therapeutic radiographers? We need

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more radiologists and we are getting them because we are putting more

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into the NHS. Where he is right is that waiting times, a moment ago the

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right honourable lady was shouting about waiting times, there are three

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key targets on them. First that people should be seen by a

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specialist within two weeks of an urgent GP referral, and we're meant

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to be on 93% of occasions, we are currently on 94.7, we need to make

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sure that the first treatment comes within 31 days of diagnosis, that's

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very important, there's a 96% standard and we meeting that by

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97.7%. Yet I accept that when it comes to the first treatment within

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62 days the standard is 85% and we are at 82.5 so we must improve. With

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training, we are increasing training places in the NHS, we discussed

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nurses last week where we are opening up nurse training by making

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sure that we train an extra 10,000 nurses but the crucial point is that

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the money is there in the NHS because we've got a strong economy.

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?19 billion of money which would never be there if we followed his

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crazy economic plans! Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Speaker, my question was on

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therapeutic radiographers. The Prime Minister did not answer on that.

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Without an improvement in the numbers available there will be a

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problem with treatment, that must be obvious to everyone. The cancer task

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force also asks, and I could, for a radical upgrade in prevention and

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public health. Programmes like stopping smoking and anti-obesity

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absolutely essential to stop the spread of cancer and indeed to help

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people live better lives so they don't develop cancer at all. Yet if

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we cut, as he proposes, ?200 million from the Public health budget,

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surely that is going to lead to an increase in cancer, with all the

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trauma that goes with it, and indeed the greater cost for the rest of the

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community. Could he explain why he is making this cut? First of all,

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but to diagnostic radiographers, there are 1800 more diagnostic

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radiographers than when I became Prime Minister in 2010. As for the

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interests... That is a 15% increase. The reason that there is an increase

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is that we said that we would put more money into the NHS, a real

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terms increase, something we were told by the then Shadow Health

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Secretary was then irresponsible. We ignored Labour and would put money

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into the health service. As a result, there's been a 15% increase

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in diagnostic radiographers. When it comes to the rest of the Cancer

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plan, the money is being invested, there is a key difference, though,

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between England and Wales and something he can help with, is that

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there is a Labour government in Wales. Whereas we have a Cancer

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Drugs Fund, they don't have one in Wales. So he needs to sort that out

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with that Labour Administration. As for public health, under this

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government, real advances have been made on public health, including

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smoking rules in the backs of cars, including plain paper packaging, and

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ring fencing public health budgets. All done and the Conservatives, not

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done under Labour. Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister is

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responsible for the health service in England. Wales is a devolved

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matter. He must be aware... SHOUTING

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And he must know that cancer surviving rates are improving better

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in Wales than in any other part of the UK. But my question was... My

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question, Mr Speaker, was about the cuts in public health budgets and

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the effect that has on cancer care. Could the Prime Minister tell us

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when was the last time that the NHS targets are starting cancer

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treatment was met with in the 62 days required? As I have said, of

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the three big targets we are meeting the specialist within two weeks

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target and meeting the first treatment within 31 days of

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diagnosis treatment and we are currently falling short of the 62

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days target, something I actually said in the answer to question two

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but he has not got around to it until question five. The cogs need

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to turn a little faster! He can't wash his hands of the situation in

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Wales, Labour run Wales. And what have they done in Wales? They have

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cut the NHS in Wales! Now it is emerging, what Labour's great plan

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is, cut the NHS in Wales and raise income tax on hard-working people in

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Scotland. That's right. What will they do to radiographers in

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Scotland, raise their taxes. What will they do to nurses in Scotland

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or dentists? Raise their taxes. We now know the Labour plan, higher

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taxes for more welfare, they have learned nothing in the last decade!

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Mr Speaker, the last time the two months target was mad was 19 months

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ago. The Prime Minister must be aware of that. -- the last time it

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was mad. I am pleased that he is taking action to make sure that

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doesn't continue all get worse. Another issue that affects cancer

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patient Dexter is the recently division and -- deleted provisions

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in the Welfare Reform Bill that would have taken money from the

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group. Martin, who contacted me this week, says, yes, it is funny the

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many members opposite, it isn't funny for Martin. Martin has a close

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friend who has breast cancer, and I quote, is obviously too unwell to

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work, and cuts will put her into hardship at a time when she is most

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vulnerable. There are 3200 people with cancer hit by this cut to the

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essay. Will the Prime Minister now confirm that when that matter

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returns to the House of Commons, he would ensure that the Lord's's

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position is app out and people like her don't suffer the cut that he

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wanted to make in the first place? -- the position is upheld. Let me

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tell you the situation. Though two sorts of support allowance, the

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work-related activity group who are able to train for work and the

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support group will go on getting employment and support allowance

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indefinitely. That's the situation. We have said that in future the

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work-related activity group should be paid at the same rate as

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jobseeker's allowance but that is for future claimants, not for

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existing claimants. They will continue to be paid at the same

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rate. Of course if someone has cancer and cannot work they should

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be in the support group. We've had this issue looked at again and again

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and again. If they cannot work they go on getting the welfare payments

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they need. That is what a compassionate conservative

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government does. But I have to come back to him because he cannot wash

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is hands of the situation in Wales. Hip operations in England take 75

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days waiting times on average, in Wales, its 197 days. Diagnosis of

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pneumonia takes two weeks longer, treatment of cataracts, Ernie Els,

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heart operations take two months longer than in England. Labour are

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running Wales. He is responsible for Labour. The phone and tell them to

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stop cutting our NHS! Keen Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Speaker it is interesting

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that the Prime Minister did not answer the question iPod. Which is

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whether or not he will proceed with the cut in the essay to 3200 people

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with cancer at present. -- in the support allowance. I hope he thinks

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seriously about this and doesn't proceed with this proposal. He'll

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find that MacMillan Cancer Support, rethink Meltham illness, Parkinson's

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UK are all united in opposing this cut because of the affected will

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have on people with a range of serious conditions. The Prime

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Minister used to say that those with the broadest shoulders should bear a

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greater load. Can it be right that cancer patients and those with

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disabilities on ?102 a week really are those with the broadest

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shoulders who should bear this cut? Please, Prime Minister, think again,

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and don't try to reverse the decision of the House of Lords on

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this important matter. The people with the broadest shoulders are the

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highest earners in this country and they are paying a higher share of

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tax and the ever did under labour. That money is paying for the NHS and

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the welfare assistant. I am the question very directly. If you are

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an existing claimant unemployment and support allowance welfare not

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changing. But in future those people who are able to work, we should help

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them to get back to work, that is what a compassionate country does

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when it is quite clear what the Labour policy is, cut the NHS in

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Wales and raise taxes in Scotland to pay for more welfare. That's not the

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approach this David Warburton. My right honourable

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friend will know the West Country is becoming ever more the envy and the

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engine room of the rest of the country, with dozens of companies

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moving from the dark recesses of London to the bright sunlight of the

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West. Will he keep supporting what they are now calling Somerset's

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Silicon Gorge by maintaining investment in our roads, rail and

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digital infrastructure? I am certainly keen to support Silicon

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Gorge. For a moment, I thought he said Silicon George! It is essential

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that we have a balanced economy, and that means a strong economy in the

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west of our country as well as in the South and the north. We are

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investing in the transport infrastructure, not least the vital

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roads to the West Country, and improving rail links as well, as I

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saw for myself yesterday in Chippenham. We also need to Mitch

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with this broadband roll-out is effective across the country, and

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that has to be a big focus getting to the last 10% of homes in so many

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rural areas. It is crucial to make sure they are not left out. Angus

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Robertson. The timing of the forthcoming European Union

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referendum is extremely important. Today, the first ministers of

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Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have jointly called for a commitment

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by the UK Government not to hold the EU referendum in June, which would

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clash with elections to the devolved legislatures. Will the Prime

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Minister give that commitment today? Firstly, there is no agreement, so

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no date has yet been fixed for the referendum. We discuss this a lot in

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the House of Commons, and we legislate to make sure we wouldn't

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hold the referendum at the same time as Scottish or Welsh elections. The

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former First Minister of Scotland, who is not in his place today, said

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it would be wrong to hold the referendum within six weeks of those

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elections, and I can guarantee that will not happen. The first ministers

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of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have written today, saying

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that they believe holding a referendum in June "Risks confusing

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issues when clarity is required, and call upon the Prime Minister to

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defer the EU referendum at least until later in the year". Why will

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the Prime Minister not respect the electorate and the governments of

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Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and give that commitment today? I do

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respect the former First Minister of Scotland, who said that six weeks

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was necessary. I also respect the electrodes of England, Scotland,

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Wales and Northern Ireland on the basis that I think people are

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perfectly capable of making up their minds in a local election or a

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Scottish Parliamentary election or a Welsh assembly election, and then,

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some weeks afterwards, making up their mind on the vital question of

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the European Union. No date has been fixed. There must be a six-week gap,

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but I think he is looking for things to complain about. This House has

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voted for a referendum. It would be odd if having voted for a

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referendum, we then spent ages not having one. The Prime Minister will

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be alarmed to hear that a shop in Gillingham selling illicit tobacco

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was making ?25,000. Order. Excessive chuntering from a sedentary position

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from a number of Scottish National Party members who wanted a hearing

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for their leader. The honourable gentleman is entitled to be heard. I

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appeal to the honourable gentleman to start his question again. The

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Prime Minister will be alarmed to hear that a shopping Gillingham

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selling illicit tobacco was making ?25,000 a week, destroying the local

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economy, damaging people's health and nationally, this trade is

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cutting the economy 2 billion a year. Will the government to look at

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increasing the statutory maximum penalty for this offence to bring it

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in line with the supply of class A drugs? -- Kas C drugs? I will look

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at the issue my honourable friend races. HMRC, working closely with

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the Border Force, has been effective in reducing this tax gap of people

:19:25.:19:28.

selling illegal tobacco, and have closed off 1.3 billion of tax gaps

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since 2000. They have sanctions to deal with illicit sales, including

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seizure, penalties and criminal situations. They prosecuted almost

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800 different people in the last two years, so I think the powers are

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there, but I will see if more is needed. My constituent works for the

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DWP and tells me that the government is correct when they deny that staff

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have targets set for sanctioning benefits. They are not called

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targets, they are called aspirations. With the roll-out of in

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work benefits sanctions, how many of his own low-paid DWP colleagues

:20:07.:20:08.

should my constituent aspire to sanction this year? Sanctions in a

:20:09.:20:17.

benefit system are important. We want a benefit system that is their

:20:18.:20:22.

for people who can't find a job and need support, but it shouldn't be a

:20:23.:20:27.

lifestyle choice. If people can work, they should work. That is why

:20:28.:20:31.

we have a sanction system, and I believe it is fairly applied. May I

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share my right honourable friend's this appointment about, despite all

:20:39.:20:45.

his hard work -- his disappointment that the European Union is forcing

:20:46.:20:50.

him to abandon our manifesto pledge to change the benefit system for

:20:51.:20:56.

migrants. Will my right honourable friend confirm that sadly, the only

:20:57.:20:59.

way in which we will be able to regain control over our own borders

:21:00.:21:08.

is by leaving the European Union? My right honourable friend and I do not

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agree on this. We said in our manifesto that anyone coming to

:21:12.:21:14.

Britain from the EU searching for work should not get unemployment

:21:15.:21:18.

benefit, and we fulfilled that promise. We said if within six

:21:19.:21:21.

months, they don't have a job, they should go home. We fulfilled that.

:21:22.:21:25.

We said that people should not be able to come here and send the

:21:26.:21:29.

discharge benefit back to their families, and we have secured that

:21:30.:21:32.

they will only get child benefit at a local rate. And we said, no more

:21:33.:21:36.

something for nothing. The idea that you could come here, claim

:21:37.:21:40.

immediately from our in work benefits system without paying in

:21:41.:21:45.

was not right. I said we would secure a four-year gap, and we have.

:21:46.:21:49.

People said it would be impossible, but that is what we put in place. It

:21:50.:21:54.

is a negotiation, but these are good proposals that I think we'll have

:21:55.:21:57.

the backing of the British people, because they mean no more something

:21:58.:22:01.

for nothing, and that is a vital value for Britain. Over 2500 people

:22:02.:22:10.

are employed by the ceramics industry in Stoke-on-Trent. These

:22:11.:22:16.

and thousands of Jewish manufacturing jobs are at risk if --

:22:17.:22:22.

British menu factory jobs are at risk if China is granted market

:22:23.:22:28.

economy status. The Prime Minister is happy to sell off the family

:22:29.:22:31.

silver, but he guarantee that he will not sell off the family

:22:32.:22:35.

crockery? We want to support industry in the potteries, and that

:22:36.:22:39.

is why we are helping manufacturing with tax credits. We are helping

:22:40.:22:46.

with apprentice schemes. We are helping with a range of measures,

:22:47.:22:51.

which are important for her constituency. The issue with market

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economy status is a separate issue. Even if they get that status, they

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can't dump steel products or other things into European markets. We

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should make sure we are driving open markets for us to sell to China.

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They are the ones with massive growth in the middle-class ticking

:23:18.:23:22.

place, and there are many great products made in Stoke that should

:23:23.:23:27.

be sold in China. So, the Isle of Wight Council can balance the books

:23:28.:23:31.

this year, but fear they will be unable to do so next year. Would my

:23:32.:23:39.

right honourable friend confirm the government's willingness to work

:23:40.:23:45.

with them over coming months to help them access existing sources of

:23:46.:23:50.

finance, or find new ways to address the island's unique circumstances?

:23:51.:23:57.

We are happy to work with authorities on the Isle of Wight.

:23:58.:24:04.

When it comes to spending power, their spending power is increasing

:24:05.:24:09.

slightly in the next year. With this settlement for local government,

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because overall, it is a relatively flat cash settlement over the

:24:14.:24:16.

five-year period, we are allowing councils to use their reserves and

:24:17.:24:20.

sell unwanted property and use that money directly to provide services

:24:21.:24:30.

to bridge the next five years. I believe this is a fair settlement.

:24:31.:24:34.

Stella Creasy. The Prime Minister has told us today that more money is

:24:35.:24:39.

going into the NHS. My local hospital trust is spending ?1.5

:24:40.:24:48.

million a week on interest payments alone for its PFI deal. Wait for it.

:24:49.:25:04.

The Prime Minister eventually saw sense about the need to deal with

:25:05.:25:10.

the damage that high-cost credit was doing to individuals. When will he

:25:11.:25:14.

deal with these legal loan sharks of the public sector? Sometimes, it

:25:15.:25:22.

takes a long time to unwind the damage done by a Labour government.

:25:23.:25:31.

She is right. One of the first things we did was to launch a review

:25:32.:25:36.

of Labour's PFI and begin an initiative to get better value for

:25:37.:25:41.

money for all of the projects. In her health economy, we are saying

:25:42.:25:50.

more GPs in the NHS, and in terms of the NHS Waltham Forest clinical

:25:51.:25:53.

commissioning group, next year, they are getting a cash increase of 3.7%.

:25:54.:25:58.

That is money provided because we are putting more money into the NHS.

:25:59.:26:05.

A lone parent in my constituency has described her experience of the

:26:06.:26:09.

child maintenance group is appalling, with the lack of

:26:10.:26:11.

communication being passed from pillar to post, a failure to act on

:26:12.:26:17.

evidence and not progressing with enforcement. Will the Prime Minister

:26:18.:26:20.

range for the Secretary of State to meet with my constituents to discuss

:26:21.:26:26.

the issues around the enforcement of child maintenance, when nonresident

:26:27.:26:30.

parents are gaming the system and depriving children of the support

:26:31.:26:34.

they are entitled to? I am happy to help arrange that meeting. I know my

:26:35.:26:40.

honourable friend speaks, as many of us find in our own constituency

:26:41.:26:45.

surgeries, particularly about the behaviour of the nonresident parent

:26:46.:26:48.

and how they give everyone the runaround and don't fulfil their

:26:49.:26:51.

duties by helping to pay for the children they are responsible for.

:26:52.:26:55.

We introduce to a new statutory child maintenance service for

:26:56.:26:57.

parents who are unable to make a family -based arrangement. It should

:26:58.:27:03.

involve simpler calculations and faster enforcement action but I will

:27:04.:27:07.

make sure she has the meeting she needs. Tom Elliott. I wonder if the

:27:08.:27:13.

Prime Minister could comment on recent events in Northern Ireland

:27:14.:27:16.

regarding the investigations into steak knife, and will he ensure that

:27:17.:27:23.

there are equal investigations into the likes of the Enniskillen bomb

:27:24.:27:26.

and other major atrocities by terrorist organisations? I will look

:27:27.:27:34.

at what he says. We have to make sure we look at all of these things

:27:35.:27:38.

in a fair way to stop perhaps I could write to him about the issue.

:27:39.:27:46.

Julian Knight. They cheered billion pounds a year is currently spent on

:27:47.:27:51.

pensions tax relief -- ?38 billion a year, with records of that going to

:27:52.:27:54.

higher rate taxpayers who need it the least. Would the Prime Minister

:27:55.:27:57.

agree that it would be a huge boost to social justice in this country if

:27:58.:28:01.

pensions tax relief was reformed to a single flat rate which would

:28:02.:28:04.

benefit millions of hard-working Britons? I know my honourable friend

:28:05.:28:11.

speaks on this issue with expertise because of the career he had before

:28:12.:28:15.

coming to this House. He brings a knowledge about the sector. He is

:28:16.:28:21.

right that there are great cost is related to pensions tax relief. That

:28:22.:28:24.

is why the Chancellor published a consultation last summer to see

:28:25.:28:28.

whether the system should be reformed. But taxes are a matter for

:28:29.:28:33.

the Chancellor and his Budget. I welcome the government's

:28:34.:28:35.

announcement of further support for child refugees last week as far as

:28:36.:28:40.

it goes. A nine-year-old girl in my constituency has recently asked me

:28:41.:28:44.

what we are doing to help refugee children. Of course, a child

:28:45.:28:48.

refugees mostly needs a home. When are we going to offer a home to 3000

:28:49.:28:52.

unaccompanied refugee children in Europe? Let me say what we have done

:28:53.:29:00.

so far. She knows about the 20,000 relocation scheme, where we got 1000

:29:01.:29:03.

people in by Christmas, including many vulnerable children. Fewer

:29:04.:29:08.

people are aware of the fact that in the last year, through our normal

:29:09.:29:13.

asylum processes, we took something like 2500 unaccompanied children

:29:14.:29:16.

last year. If you look at Kent social services and the pressure

:29:17.:29:20.

they are under, they have something like a thousand children that they

:29:21.:29:24.

are looking after. Another point that people do not recognise is

:29:25.:29:34.

If they claim asylum, if they have direct family in Britain they can

:29:35.:29:39.

come to Britain. We think that is the right approach. Taking some

:29:40.:29:45.

people from the region but being cautious because even if it is an

:29:46.:29:49.

orphaned child they may have broader family and it's better to keep them

:29:50.:29:56.

with them. Given the security threats faced by this country, whose

:29:57.:30:02.

policies are most dangerous, those in Scotland who want to scrap the

:30:03.:30:06.

nuclear deterrent or those opposite who want to keep Trident submarines

:30:07.:30:11.

without nuclear missiles. It's hard to choose from the wrong or the

:30:12.:30:18.

bizarre? You can take your pick. Labour's latest plan is to use

:30:19.:30:22.

Trident submarines to transport military personnel around the world.

:30:23.:30:31.

It's the most expensive Uber service anyone has ever thought of. What

:30:32.:30:32.

will they think of next? I think the honourable gentleman is

:30:33.:35:56.

wrong, we should take the issues separately. We will support action

:35:57.:36:03.

in the European Union and it can be done in spite of the status of a

:36:04.:36:08.

country, and we have put those burdens on America before today so

:36:09.:36:11.

it is not right to connect those issues in the way he does. Mental

:36:12.:36:22.

health issues take many forms. Those suffering eating disorders are often

:36:23.:36:26.

overlooked and yet they cause intolerable suffering. Does the

:36:27.:36:33.

Prime Minister agree that the devolution in Manchester is a great

:36:34.:36:39.

opportunity to secure better mental health provisions, particularly for

:36:40.:36:42.

young adults? My honourable friend is right, I don't see any reason why

:36:43.:36:51.

this landmark deal should disadvantage mental health and if

:36:52.:36:54.

anything lead to greater priority being given to mental health as

:36:55.:36:59.

people see the connections between mental health and holding back

:37:00.:37:03.

opportunities for many people. We are investing more in terms of

:37:04.:37:07.

children's mental health and eating disorders where we tragically see a

:37:08.:37:16.

real growth. The money is there. Statement, the Prime Minister. With

:37:17.:37:24.

permission I would like to make a statement on progress with our

:37:25.:37:28.

renegotiation. The House has now had the chance to study the document is

:37:29.:37:32.

published by the European Council yesterday. I believe this is an

:37:33.:37:38.

important milestone in the process of reform, renegotiation and

:37:39.:37:39.

referendum

:37:40.:37:40.

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