02/03/2016 Prime Minister's Questions

invest in new funding and infrastructure, including new roads

and they will get a 21st-century road network that will improve

economic development. Questions to the Prime Minister. Question number

one. Thank you. This morning I Patricia Gibson. Will the Prime

Minister take this opportunity to confirm that the UK Government

intended to take ?7 billion from Scotland, over a decade, through the

fiscal framework West remark and will he take this opportunity to

take this opportunity today to explain why that was the case. --

through the fiscal framework? Only the SNP can try to maintain a

grievance after the settlement has taken place. What we have done is

build a powerhouse parliament for Scotland with more powers, more

ability to set tax rates, more ability to determine benefits for

its citizens, and now is time for the SNP to stop talking about

grievances, and get on with government! CHEERING

CSA group in my constituency has recently taken on six new

apprentices. Across my constituency we have had more than 1000

apprenticeship starts since 2014, does my right honourable friend

agree that this is time for government to stick with the plan,

so that even more governments have the ability to take on

apprenticeships. We have a very stretching target for 3 million

apprentices to be trained during this Parliament, we will do our bit,

we want business to do its part, I contributing to the apprenticeship

levy, but we need small businesses like CSA, in her constituency, and

indeed the public sector, to get fully involved in training

apprentices to give young people the chance to earn and learn at the same

time. Jeremy Corbyn. It is three years since the government announced

a policy of tax free childcare. Could the Prime Minister tell us

what is the hold-up? We are introducing that, along with the 30

hours of childcare, for everyone with a three and four-year-olds,

with a ?6 billion commitment, with the start of the 30 hours coming in

in a pilot scheme this year. Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Speaker, the Treasury

website describes it as a long-term plan... LAUGHTER

It certainly is that, it was announced in 2013, and is not

apparently going to be introduced until next year. Could the Prime

Minister tell us why his promise of 30 hours free childcare for three

and four-year-olds is not there for one in three working parents who

want their children to be cared for in preschool? First of all, on the

tax relief on childcare, we lost a court case against some of the

existing providers, so there was a delay, and the tax free childcare

will come in in 2017. As for the 30 hours, as I have said, there will be

pilot schemes this year, and full temperament Asian next year, in line

with what we have said in the manifesto. I'm delighted he is

helping me to promote government policy! CHEERING

When I became Prime Minister I think we only had ten hours of childcare,

now it has gone up to 12, and is now 15, and is now 30. These are all the

things you can do if you have a strong economy with a sound plan,

you are getting your deficit down, your economy is growing, you are

able to do all of these things. CHEERING

I'm glad we are able to talk about them. Jeremy Corbyn. Today, the

National Audit Office report confirms that one third of families

promised 30 hours free childcare now will not receive it, this is a

broken promise. The report also warns that many childcare providers

are not offering the new entitlement due to insufficient funding. There

are 41,003 -year-olds missing out on free early education as a result of

this. -- 40 1000 three-year-old. Will the Prime Minister intervene

and make sure those children get the start in life they deserve? --

41,000 three-year-olds. The department has successfully in

fermented entitlement to free childcare for three and

four-year-olds with almost universal take-up of hours offered to parents.

-- implemented universal entitlement. The Department has made

significant progress in making free entitlement, parents and children

are benefiting, stakeholders are positive about increasing the time

to 30 hours. All of these things we are able to do because we have a

strong and sound economy, what a contrast it would be if we listened

to the right honourable gentleman, as I regularly subscribe to the

Islington Tribune, I can announce his latest economic adviser, Yanis

Varoufakis! He was the Greek finance minister, who left his economy in

ruins! That is Labour's policy, into words, Acropolis -- in two words, "

Acropolis now". That is not much help to the 41,000 children not

benefiting from what they were promised by the government, looking

further on in the education life of children, according to the figures

from the government, half a million children in primary schools are in

classes over 31, 15,000 are in classes of over 40, we all know the

importance of both preschool and early years of education to give all

of our children a decent start in life. And yet half a million are

living in poverty and many are in oversized glasses, isn't it time for

a serious government intervention to sort out this problem? -- oversized

classes. Introducing the extra hours for childcare is a huge operation

for the childcare providers, since the National Audit Office report,

that said only 58% of disadvantaged to-year-olds were accessing the free

childcare offer, the latest information shows it is over 70% of

those. Now, he mentioned the number of teachers and overcrowded classes,

there is 13,100 more teachers than there were in 2010, because we have

invested in teach first, we have invested in bursaries, we have made

sure that teaching is a worthwhile career, when it comes to school

places, I want to answer him, because there is 453 fewer schools

that are full or overcapacity, compare 220 ten. That is progress.

36,500 fewer pupils who are in schools that are overcrowded. Again,

why have we been able to do this? We protected education funding,

detected the money that went following every pupil in the school,

introduced the pupil premium, the first time any government had

recognised the extra needs of children from the most poor

backgrounds. We did all of that, the school system is growing, there are

more places, fewer overcrowded schools, all because they have the

strong economy and the right values in place. Mr Speaker, the problem is

that class sizes are growing, the problem is that there is a crisis of

teacher shortages as well, and I have been talking, as I am sure the

Prime Minister has, too many teachers, I have a question from

one, I quote, from Tom, " I have been teaching for ten years and I am

currently head of design and technology at a successful secondary

school. With increasing numbers of teachers leaving the profession,

will the government is now access that there is a crisis of

recruitment and also of retention of teachers in this crucial

profession?" I have given you the figures, there is 13,000 more

teachers in schools than when I became Prime Minister, if he worries

about teacher recruitment, explain this: how is it going to help his

party's proposal to put up the basic rate of tax, starting in Scotland,

that will mean classroom teachers, secondary school teachers, nursery

teachers all paying more tax, what we are doing is helping teachers by

saying, you can earn ?11,000 before you pay any income tax at all. I

don't think that recruiting teachers is simply about money, it is also

about having a good school system, which we have in place in this

country, it certainly won't help if we listen to Labour and put up

people's taxes. The Prime Minister seems to be in a bit of denial here.

SHOUTING Ofsted and the National Audit Office

all confirmed there is a shortage and a crisis of teachers. Ensuring

there is another excellent teachers in our schools is fundamental to the

life chances of children. When 70% of head teachers warned they are now

using agency staff, is staff there are classroom, isn't it time the

government intervened and looked at the real cost of this, damage to

children's education, but also, ?1.3 billion spent last year on agency

teachers. We have this agency working situation in the National

Health Service, and also in education, are we moving into an era

in which we can turn it agency Britain? He has got to look at the

facts, rather than talk down people working so hard to teach children in

our schools. Teachers are better qualified than ever, that is the

fact, 96.6% of teachers in state funded schools now have a degree or

higher qualification. Those are the facts. I would argue that going into

teaching, and now, teach first is the most popular destination for

Oxbridge graduates, which never happened under a Labour government,

if you want to encourage people to go into teaching, you have got to

know you have a good school system with more academies, more free

schools. -- Teach First. Higher qualification, making sure we have

rig and discipline in the classroom, all of which has improved, but all

of that is only possible if you have a strong and growing economy to fund

the schools that our children need. In my constituency, we have one of

several UK power stations, which has seen closure this year. In Germany

and Holland, both of whose carbon emissions are higher, they are

building brand-new mega power stations, much of that we are going

to import. It is very hard, for me to expand the logic of this to my

constituents, could the Prime Minister review the pace of our

closure programme, particularly in the context of next year 's energy

crunch. My honourable friend raises an important question, he is right,

there is big change in the industry, we want to see an increase in gas

capacity, an increase in renewable capacity and the restarting of the

nuclear programme, which I hope to be discussing with the French

president this week. He is right that security of supply must be the

number one priority, that is why we have announced we will bring forward

the capacity market to provide this extra boost to existing stations,

this could indeed help Fiddlers Ferry itself. I say to him and

everybody across the house, all of the decisions we take about energy,

they have consequences for peoples bills. He mentions Germany, German

electricity prices are 40% higher than in the UK, the level of

subsidies makes up 30% of German bills, ours is less than half that

level, and we have got to think through these decisions for the

consequences for energy consumers. Angus Roberts and. We all have a

right not to be disconnected against. On the basis of age,

gender, six, sexual orientation, disability or ethnicity. Parents

have right is to paternity and maternity entitlement. -- Angus

Robertson. All of the things -- semi-things are guaranteed through

membership of the European Union, does the Prime Minister guarantee

that there are due to social benefits to being members of the

European Union. What we have done, including under this government, is

actually add to the right that people have, including maternity and

paternity rights. I think that the emphasis on Europe now needs to be

making sure that weeks band the single market and make it more

successful for businesses, recognising the social benefits

matter as well but principally, I believe they are a matter for this

house. Angus Robertson. Millions of UK citizens live elsewhere in the

European Union, European decisions have helped the environment reducing

sulphur dioxide emissions by nine tenths, relations between 28 EU

member states are often imperfect but they occur through dialogue and

agreement, surely a huge improvement on confrontations and wards of the

past. With the Prime Minister concentrate on the positive

arguments for EU membership, and reject the approach of "Project

Fear". My arguments about being stronger in the refund European

Union, and safer, and better off in the refund European Union, are all

positive arguments, and I would add the point that he makes, things like

pollution, crosses borders, and it makes sense to work together. The

fundamental point he makes is one worth thinking about, he and I are

both post-war children, but we should never forget, when we sit

around the table, that 70 years ago, these countries were murdering each

other, on the continent of Europe. For all the frustrated of this

institution, and believe me, there are many, we should never forget

that, the fact that we talk and work together and resolve disputes around

the table. Alberto Costa. Those who foster children deserve our full

support. To mark fostering February, I visited in my constituency a

fostering unit which since establishment in 2003 has helped

over 1250 children, find a loving and caring home. Would my right

honourable friend join me in thanking the unit, as well as the

carers, but would he also agreed to look into how the currently complex

funding arrangements for over 18s could be considerably simplified to

ease the transition of children into adult third.

We all know as parents it is very important to give people the support

they need. That's why we changed the law in the last parliament so local

authorities are under a duty to support young people who choose to

remain with their foster carers beyond the age of 18. We put in

place what is called a staying put arrangement and are providing 40

formerly pounds over three years. In the first year of its roll-out,

almost half of those eligible to stay but have decided to do so. This

is a real advance in our fostering arrangements. Thank you, Mr Speaker.

As this is my first ever question to the Prime Minister, I do hope...

CHEERING I do hope my suit and tie matches

mother's high expectations. Mr Speaker, in September last year,

16-year-old Mohammed was stabbed to death in my constituency. His mother

discovered last week the CPS will not be prosecuting the man arrested

for his murder. Sadly, she joins the 84% people in Southwark are

experienced by crime last year who have seen no one held to account.

Home Office blamed local police for that Lopez occasioned great and I

resent the position that my local elites are not up to the job. Will

the Prime Minister ensure that my local police have the resources to

investigate knife crime fully and bring more killers to justice? The

honourable gentleman uses his first question to raise an incredibly

important issue which is knife crime in our country. The good news is

that knife crime has come down about 14% since 2010 but he makes an

important point about the level of prosecutions. Last year there were

something like 11,000 prosecutions. The rate of prosecution is similar

as for other areas but clearly everything we can do to help the

police, the CPS to increase the rate of prosecution is wholly worthwhile.

We need to give the police the resources they need and we are,

through the spending round. We need to educate young people on the

dangers of knife crime and we need to make sure those who commit these

crimes are properly punished. Mr Bernard Jenkin. Where is the fellow?

He's not here. Well let's hear from someone who is here, Mr David Davis.

For five or six years... Order. I know the houses in a state of some

motivation but we must hear from The Right Honourable gentleman when he's

composed himself. Mr David Davis. Thank you, Mr Speaker. For five or

six years, national insurance numbers issue to EU migrants have

been hundreds of thousands higher than the official immigration

figures. This implies the figures may be a dramatic underestimate. We

can only know the truth of the matter is HMRC release the data on

active EU national insurance buzz, which HMRC has refused to do. Will

the Prime Minister instructed HMRC to release those statistics so that

we know the truth about European immigration? And glad we've got the

single transferable question, if not the single transferable vote. The

reason why these numbers don't tally is you can get a national insurance

number for a very short-term visit and people who are already here

without insurance number can apply for them, so these numbers are quite

complex. The HMRC has given greater information and I will make sure

that continues to be the case. The proposed changes to Sunday trading

are causing great concern to many retailers, shop workers, to their

families, to faith groups and to all who want to Keep Sunday Special, get

before the election the Prime Minister said he had no plans to

change Sunday Trading laws. When did he change his mind or was it always

his plan to scrap this great British compromise as soon as the election

was safely out of the way? Well, I thought it was right to bring

forward these proposals because they are genuinely new proposals. New in

that we are devolving to local authorities to make those decisions

and secondly, crucially, I'm sure honourable members opposite will be

interested in this, we will be introducing new protections not only

for new workers on Sundays but for all workers on Sundays and so I

think the house should look carefully at this idea, not least

because our constituents are able to shop online all day, every day,

including Sunday. All the evidence shows this will be welcomed by

customers, will create more jobs and I think we have nothing to be scared

of moving into this new arrangement. Thank you, Mr Speaker. At the

weekend I visited a Young enterprise trade fair where teams from across

local Staffordshire schools, including Rugeley sixth form

Academy, where showcasing their entrepreneurial skills. Will my

right honourable friend join me in wishing good luck to all of the

teams and does he agree that with me, initiatives such as this are key

to inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs? I think my honourable

friend makes an important point, which is four years in our schools

not enough was done to encourage enterprise and entrepreneurship when

we know that so many jobs of the future will come from start-up

businesses and small businesses and rapidly growing start-ups, so it is

absolutely right that in our schools we should be promoting enterprise,

not only through teaching but also to exercises including starting

businesses for young people by giving them small grants. Yesterday,

a north-east SME ceased to trade. Their goal was the extraction of gas

from coal deep under the North Sea. The Government failed to abide --

provide a supporting statement to support investment due to its

inability to compound that not only would the company secure our

energies apply but also provide feedstocks to grow our industries

and all of that totally decarbonise stop Will the Prime Minister look at

this appalling loss of opportunity and urgently change course and

develop a meaningful industrial and energy strategy that British

industry and workers and the planet so badly need? I will certainly look

at the case that he raises because we back all energy projects that

could create jobs and create growth in our country and we have a very

active industrial strategy for that. I know that he's disappointed about

our decision on carbon capture and storage but I would say to him that

that is an extra capital investment and even after that, there is no

sign yet that carbon capture or storage can be even close to

competitive to even nuclear power offshore wind but I will look

carefully E mentions. -- at the case he mentions. A large proportion of

the fish caught by British vessels and landed in the UK are exported to

Europe, mainly to EU countries, and a great many of our fishermen fish

in the sovereign waters of other European Union countries. In a

reformed regime, reforms that were led by the British government. Does

my right honourable friend agree that our sees, those that exploit

them and the communities that they support, are better off in a

reformed European Union? I agree with my honourable friend and I pay

tribute to him for the huge work that he did to reform the common

fisheries policy from what was a very poor policy to one that is now

working much better for our fishermen. When it comes to fishing

and farming, the key issue is going to be making sure that Europe's

markets remain open to the produce that we land and we produce and that

I think is going to be vital in the debate in the months ahead. When

more than 16,000... 1600 families are on York's waiting list, when

care workers are forced to leave the city due to the cost of renting,

when young families are placed in single rooms in homeless hostels and

when supported housing schemes will have to close due to benefit

changes, can the Prime Minister specifically state why, up to 2500

predominantly high-value homes are being planned for development in

York Central without building a single home for social rent? The

decisions made in York about planning for York City Council and

their local plan but what I would say to her, one of the things that

we did in the last parliament was specifically designed to help York,

was to change the change of use provisions so that empty offices

could be used to build flats and houses for local people, which is

happening in York and will help to make sure that city continues to

thrive. Will my right honourable friend agree to meet me and my

constituent William Lawrie, a brilliant young farmer whose

business has been put at risk because the RPA haven't paid his

basic payment scheme money? Will he also confirmed that the RPA figures

that they keep putting out our fictional, or does he agree with his

Defra secretary that it is the EU's commissioners' fault for making the

cap so compensated? What I would say to my honourable friend is that the

system is complicated and we need to make sure that the rural payments

agency does the very best that it can. To date, 70,000 farmers have

received their 2015 payments, which is now 81% of all claims paid but

there is always room for improvement. We should look at all

the devolved areas of the UK and see how they are coping with this

problem. In terms of the issue more broadly, I think it's very important

we maintain the access that our farmers have without tariffs,

without tax, without quota, to produce the cleanest and best food

anywhere in the world and explored it -- export it to 500 million

people in the EU single market. Yesterday the chair of the board of

international campaign for Tibet came to the House of Commons to meet

with members of parliament as well as you, Mr Speaker. Will the Prime

Minister follow the example set by the United States, Canada, Germany

and Japan and write to the Chinese authorities to express his concerns

about their oppressive counterterrorism laws, introduced in

Tibet? I wasn't aware of that visit. I will look very closely at what he

said and perhaps get back to the honourable lady about the issues he

raises. In 2004, the 16-year-old some of my constituent Lorraine

Fraser was murdered by a gang and the conviction of four of them was

secured by joint enterprise. The recent ruling in the Supreme Court

has caused Lorraine and many other Victors' families a great deal of

anxiety. Would my right are both friend agreed to facilitate a

meeting to enable these families to discuss their concerns with

ministers and understand what the ruling might mean in cases like

there's? Well, through my honourable friend, can I extend my sympathy is

to his constituents? He is absolutely right, we should remember

that the families of all those who've lost loved ones to dreadful

crimes who are worried about this judgment and what it might mean for

them. I'm very happy to facilitate a meeting between him and one of the

justice ministers to discuss it. We should be clear that this judgment

only referred to a narrow category of joint enterprise cases and I

think it would be wrong to suggest that everyone convicted under the

wider law on joint enterprise will have grounds for appeal. It is very

important that message goes out but I will fix the meeting that he calls

for. People in the Midlands are absolutely furious to learn that the

Government's awarded a contract to make British medals to some French

company. Imagine it, Mr Speaker. You open your distinguished service

order or CBE and it says "Made in France". I visited Midlands metal

manufacturers in Birmingham's jewellery Quarter. They are the best

in the world. We should go back to Downing Street -- he should go back

to Downing Street, call in the Cabinet Office minister and get this

scandal sorted out. The only point I would make to the honourable

gentleman is, I'm sure all of those in the Royal Mint in Wales would

want to contest the fact that they make the finest medals in the United

Kingdom and I'm sure the competition between them and Birmingham is very

intense. I'll certainly take away what he says. I wasn't aware of this

issue but I'm always in favour, where we can make something in

Britain, we should make something in Britain. A recent investigation

carried out by my local newspaper, the Derby Telegraph, uncovered

reports of alleged experiments carried out on children by medics at

a medical facility in Derbyshire during the 1960s and 1970s. Can I

ask the Prime Minister to ensure that a thorough investigation into

this situation is now undertaken? I'm very happy to give my honourable

friend that assurance. She is absolutely right to raise this. They

are very serious allegations and it's vital that the full facts are

considered. My understanding is that the police, the local authority and

NHS working together and there's an inquiry process under the Derby

safeguarding children board in line with its procedures. I would

encourage anyone who knows anything about this to come forward and give

evidence to that board. The Syrian ceasefire is extremely fragile.

There are reports that Russia is continuing to attack anti-Assad

rebels, not Daesh, and that Islamic terrorists and weapons continue to

pass into Syria across the Turkish border. What is the British

Government doing to ensure the ceasefire is properly monitored and,

in particular, to reduce serious tensions between Russia and our Nato

ally Turkey? The honourable lady is absolutely right to raise this. The

cessation of hostilities is an important step forward, imperfect

though it is, and it does enable the possibility of political

negotiations starting next week. She asks service and agree what we are

proud to admit it is properly enforced stop we are working with

the Americans and Russians to make that happen. I've got a European

conference call with Vladimir Putin later this week to reinforce these

points. Even though the ceasefire is imperfect, it is progress that we

have it. Not every group is included in the ceasefire but basically there

aren't the attacks that were taking place on the moderate opposition,

which is welcome, and it is also enabled us with others to get aid

into communities that desperately need it, including through airdrops

and convoys. So I wouldn't put too much optimism into the mix right now

but this is progress and we should work on it. Two weeks ago I visited

a refugee Cap and the surrounding area on the Jordanian/Syrian border,

primarily to assist health care services. I was struck by the

remarkable resilience the quite significant pressure. Would

the Prime Minister meet with me to discuss further what Britain can do

to enhance health care services on the ground, both for the Syrian

refugees and the wider Jordanian community? I'm very happy to meet

with my honourable friend to discuss this. It is an extra ordinary sight,

that refugee camp, because of the scale of the endeavour under way.

Britain can be proud of what we've done in terms of the direct aid

we've given and also the London conference that raised $11 billion

for these refugee camps. I know he's got a long-standing interest on what

we can do to make sure facilities are delivered quickly, including on

occasions using military facilities, and I think there may be

opportunities for that but we also need to make sure the emergency

response from NGOs and the knighted nations is as fast as it can be when

crises like this happen in the future. As the Prime Minister

struggles with certain elements in his party over Europe, does he ever

think that on an inspirational Prime Minister -- think back on an

inspirational Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, who faced difficulties but

stood up to the rebels in his own party and secured a yes vote for

staying in Europe, and will he join with me because Harold Wilson's

Centenary of his birth is next week and could be celebrated across all

parties, a great innovative Prime Minister. I do feel a natural

sympathy for anyone who has had this job. Irrespective of what side of

the house we're on. I think he did do some important things and the

honourable gentleman has some important things. I wish his family

well on this important day and I think we approach things in

different ways but one thing we would have agreed about is Britain's

future is better off in a reformed EU. I'm sure the whole house will

join me in expressing our condolences to Neil and Jennifer

Burdett, the parents of two-year-old Fay, who died on Valentine's Day of

meningitis B. Since they's death, 815,000 people have signed a

petition calling for the Government to vaccinate more children against

meningitis B. I'm proud that the UK is the first country to have a

vaccination programme for meningitis B but could my right honourable

friend make sure the government looks at what more can be done to

prevent more children like fei dying from this disease? On behalf of the

whole house, let me extend my sympathies and condolences to Faye's

parents and all those who have had children suffering from this

terrible disease. By Robert friend is absolutely right, we were the

first country in the world to have this vaccination programme, which is

based on the advice of the joint committee on vaccination and

immunisation who recommended targeting the vaccine to protect the

infant at highest risk. The incidence of highest risk it does

occur in babies at five months and of the 276 children contracting

meningitis B last year, over 100 were one year of age but she makes

important points. We need to look at all the evidence carefully, as do

the expert bodies that advise us, recognising that Britain is already

taking some important steps forward by being the first country to

vaccinate in this way. Order. Urgent question, Mr Owen

Smith. May I ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to make

a statement on the Government's review of the state pension age? Mr

Iain Duncan Smith. Yesterday, Mr