:00:00. > :00:00.Government which is giving out the grants. I think that is wrong in
:00:00. > :00:00.principle. We have been using this in practice for over a year and that
:00:00. > :00:15.is why we have extended it across the Government.
:00:16. > :00:24.The Prime Minister. Thank you Mr Speaker. This morning I had meetings
:00:25. > :00:30.with my colleagues and I shall have further such meetings today. People
:00:31. > :00:37.in Bristol South look forward to the promised Chef apprenticeships yet
:00:38. > :00:41.question how this will happen on the eve of National Apprenticeship Week,
:00:42. > :00:47.does the Prime Minister have a delivery plan or is he making it up
:00:48. > :00:51.as he goes along? We achieved 2 million in the last Parliament, we
:00:52. > :00:55.are confident of achieving 3 million in this Parliament. We have a
:00:56. > :00:59.delivery plan, based on large companies continuing with their
:01:00. > :01:03.plans for apprenticeships. We want small companies to do more and the
:01:04. > :01:07.public sector to join in with larger plans and we regularly review
:01:08. > :01:16.progress towards the target. James Berry. Mr Speaker, many of my
:01:17. > :01:20.constituents get the train to central London every day for work
:01:21. > :01:25.and are concerned about terrorist threats posed by Daesh in the
:01:26. > :01:28.capital. Can my friend Mike update the House on progress made on
:01:29. > :01:37.tackling the source of that threat in Iraq and Syria? --, honourable
:01:38. > :01:39.friend update the House? It was very striking what is this and
:01:40. > :01:44.Commissioner Mark Rowley said last week about the dangers we face.
:01:45. > :01:49.Domestically we are protecting counterterrorism policing and
:01:50. > :01:52.investing in counterintelligence and securities abuses as we did in the
:01:53. > :01:56.last element, we are making good progress and pushing Daesh backs
:01:57. > :02:01.this is something we need to do domestic league and overseas. I was
:02:02. > :02:06.appalled to see yesterday that the Labour Party has readmitted Somerby
:02:07. > :02:10.to their party who says that the 9/11 suicide bombers must never be
:02:11. > :02:16.condemned, and belongs to an organisation that says that we
:02:17. > :02:20.defend Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. Appalling views and I hope the
:02:21. > :02:28.Leader of the Opposition will throw the person out of the party instead
:02:29. > :02:32.of welcoming him in. Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Speaker. I hope the Prime
:02:33. > :02:37.Minister will join me in morning of the death today of the fifth Beatle,
:02:38. > :02:43.George Martin, and the wonderful music that will last for time that
:02:44. > :02:48.he gave us. Last week the Prime Minister told the house we had a
:02:49. > :02:54.strong economy with a sound plan. If the economy is so strong, why this
:02:55. > :02:57.week has he forced through a ?30 per week cut, hitting some of the
:02:58. > :03:04.poorest disabled people in the country? First let me join him in
:03:05. > :03:08.what he said about George Martin, he was a massive figure, a giant in
:03:09. > :03:12.popular music and responsible for some tunes that will live for ever
:03:13. > :03:17.more. I'm only disappointed that he can't comment on my earlier point.
:03:18. > :03:21.It seems to me that we have a responsibility as party leaders for
:03:22. > :03:26.our own parties. He asked about the strength of the economy. We do face
:03:27. > :03:30.an uncertain international environment and all the experts warn
:03:31. > :03:37.of the danger we face. Yet today we have zero inflation percent, our
:03:38. > :03:42.economy is growing, which is growing and we cut the taxes that people are
:03:43. > :03:47.paying. That, combined with reforming welfare, and we are doing
:03:48. > :03:49.that, is the way to get the deficit down, continue with growth and help
:03:50. > :03:58.deliver for working people in Britain. Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Speaker I
:03:59. > :04:02.do not believe that the majority of people in this country are content
:04:03. > :04:07.to see someone diagnosed with cancer today and unable to work next year,
:04:08. > :04:12.reduced to poverty because of the cuts this government is putting
:04:13. > :04:17.through. The Chancellor has found another ?6.6 billion to reduce
:04:18. > :04:19.corporation tax and big business. Despite our corporation tax already
:04:20. > :04:26.being lower than any other G7 nation. Today action for children,
:04:27. > :04:29.the Children's Society, the National children's bureau, shows local
:04:30. > :04:35.authority spending on children and young people has been cut by ?2
:04:36. > :04:43.billion, 71%. Does this not show a wrong choice by the pro-minister?
:04:44. > :04:47.Let's look at what has happened to corporation tax receipts since we
:04:48. > :04:50.cut corporation tax. That's the question because the point of
:04:51. > :04:55.setting tax rates is to raise money rather than make a political point.
:04:56. > :05:01.And the fact is that corporation tax receipts are up by 20% under this
:05:02. > :05:06.government so we have more money to spend on children, and children's
:05:07. > :05:10.services, on education. Whereas if we put up tax rates as reasons to be
:05:11. > :05:17.suggesting we would get less money in. That's the result, they care
:05:18. > :05:21.about making a political point, we care about raising revenue and
:05:22. > :05:26.providing good services. I asked, if there's more money available to be
:05:27. > :05:30.spent on children's services why are there half a million more children
:05:31. > :05:35.in poverty in Britain because of the policies of his government? If we
:05:36. > :05:39.really have the strong economy the Prime Minister claims, why did
:05:40. > :05:52.Chancellor warned last week and I quote, we may need to make further
:05:53. > :05:57.reductions? Who will they fall on, young people, women? Will he rule
:05:58. > :06:02.out attacking those groups? He will see the Budget next week when my
:06:03. > :06:07.right honourable friend who has an excellent record of steering the
:06:08. > :06:13.economy stands and to deliver it. About those remarks on poverty let
:06:14. > :06:18.me say what has happened since 2010. There are 680,000 who were workless
:06:19. > :06:21.households. Think what that means. 80,000 households where someone is
:06:22. > :06:27.bringing home a wage, putting food on the table and paying less taxes.
:06:28. > :06:43.There are 40,000 fewer households where no member has ever worked and
:06:44. > :06:49.480,000 fewer, that is about tackling poverty, all things never
:06:50. > :06:53.delivered by Labour. Mr Speaker, the problem is the number of households
:06:54. > :06:57.suffering from in work poverty because of the insecure jobs,
:06:58. > :07:03.because of zero hours contracts, because of low wages. As he well
:07:04. > :07:09.knows, the poorest have paid the most for the cuts and women have
:07:10. > :07:14.paid for 81% of those cuts. Mr Speaker, on 99 previous attempts to
:07:15. > :07:18.ask questions to the Prime Minister, I have been unclear or dissatisfied
:07:19. > :07:28.by the answers, as indeed have many other people! So, on this auspicious
:07:29. > :07:34.100th occasion, can I ask the Prime Minister to help a young man named
:07:35. > :07:37.Cal. Last week the Prime Minister told the engineering employers
:07:38. > :07:43.Federation that we have a skills shortage. A good admission. Callum
:07:44. > :07:49.as a bright young man, wanting to make his way in the world and he
:07:50. > :07:53.says,... Well, maybe the Prime Minister does as well... Will the
:07:54. > :07:57.government acknowledged the importance of sixth form colleges
:07:58. > :08:06.and post-16 education services in Britain? Let me congratulate the
:08:07. > :08:11.honourable gentleman on getting to 100 not out, that will be welcomed
:08:12. > :08:16.across the House. What I would say to Callum is what we are introducing
:08:17. > :08:20.is a situation where we and cap university places so as many people
:08:21. > :08:24.who want to go can go and we will introduce in this Parliament 3
:08:25. > :08:28.million apprentices. That combined with better funded sixth forms and
:08:29. > :08:32.further education colleges means we've got a proper education system
:08:33. > :08:44.that can really drive opportunity in this country. Let me come back once
:08:45. > :08:48.more and child poverty, let me give him the figures. 800,000 fewer
:08:49. > :08:50.people in relative poverty than 2010. 300,000 fewer children in
:08:51. > :08:53.relative poverty in 2010. That is the Labour measurement used so when
:08:54. > :08:57.he gets to did this batch proxy can tell us that he was wrong about
:08:58. > :09:02.child poverty. -- when he gets to this dispatch box. The prime
:09:03. > :09:07.ministers seems to be answering the last question but one. If I could
:09:08. > :09:12.bring him back to the question from Callum, and point out that there has
:09:13. > :09:18.been a 10% cut in real terms in sixth form and further education and
:09:19. > :09:23.adult education has been cut by 35% during his time as Prime Minister,
:09:24. > :09:27.the construction output in Britain has shrunk for two consecutive
:09:28. > :09:33.quarters now. Surely this is a matter of concern? Is this not a
:09:34. > :09:38.sign that this economic recovery has been constructed on sand? Let me
:09:39. > :09:41.first confirmed that we have protected 16-18 education in this
:09:42. > :09:48.spending round. He talks about construction. We want to see every
:09:49. > :09:51.part of our economy growing and it is, unlike so many in what is a
:09:52. > :09:56.difficult and dangerous world right now. Yet if you look at our
:09:57. > :10:02.construction plans because we have a strong economy we can commit to HS2,
:10:03. > :10:05.the biggest road programme since the 1970s, the largest rail programme
:10:06. > :10:10.since Victorian times and together with huge infrastructure projects in
:10:11. > :10:14.energy and other areas. Those things are only possible because we have a
:10:15. > :10:19.strong and growing economy. We know what Labour would do. His spending
:10:20. > :10:23.plans are a risk to the nation 's finances, his tax plans a risk to
:10:24. > :10:27.every family in the country and we know what he wants which is to put
:10:28. > :10:34.up taxes on people earning over ?20,000, that's the plan and it
:10:35. > :10:37.would wreck this country's finances. Mr Speaker we have the construction
:10:38. > :10:40.industry in recession at a time when there is an acute need for new
:10:41. > :10:50.housing. Construction apprenticeships have fallen by 11%
:10:51. > :10:56.since 2010. We have the lowest rate of house building since the 1920s,
:10:57. > :11:01.almost 100 years ago. Will the Prime Minister look again at this issue,
:11:02. > :11:02.stop the cuts to skills training and the cuts to investment
:11:03. > :11:09.that are holding back this country, holding back the skill ambitions of
:11:10. > :11:16.so many young people and invest in them and invest in our future. I
:11:17. > :11:20.have to pick up the right honourable gentleman on his statistics because
:11:21. > :11:23.we have seen a massive boost to apprenticeships and apprenticeship
:11:24. > :11:28.funding under this government, 2 million in the last Parliament, 3
:11:29. > :11:33.million in this one. House-building under Labour fell by 45% and has
:11:34. > :11:40.since increased by two thirds, over 7000 new homes delivered since 2010
:11:41. > :11:45.and now completions our up, housing starts at the highest level since
:11:46. > :11:50.2007, lasted, they nearly doubled the low point of 2009. They wrecked
:11:51. > :11:53.the economy, created that instability, we have been building a
:11:54. > :12:01.strong economy and that is what we have to stick with. Mark Spencer.
:12:02. > :12:06.Thank you. Unemployment in Sherwood has halved since 2010. Given that
:12:07. > :12:11.the Chancellor will make his budget statement next week can the Prime
:12:12. > :12:15.Minister assure the House you will continue to support education and
:12:16. > :12:21.support to get to jobs that is maintaining the Conservative lot of
:12:22. > :12:25.aspiration? My honourable friend is right, the school improvement
:12:26. > :12:29.programme we are driving forward combined with an capping university
:12:30. > :12:32.places and investing in apprenticeships is giving people a
:12:33. > :12:35.ladder of opportunity to make the most of their lives and the most of
:12:36. > :12:39.the aplomb and opportunities clearly created in this country where there
:12:40. > :12:44.are 2 million more people in work. I know he has a particular interest in
:12:45. > :12:47.his constituency, and extending the Robin Hood line and is meeting with
:12:48. > :12:54.ministers to deliver this. Just the sort of infrastructure project this
:12:55. > :12:58.government wants to get behind. Angus Robertson. Mr Speaker, the
:12:59. > :13:04.refugee crisis is the biggest issue facing governments across Europe. Is
:13:05. > :13:08.the Prime Minister ashamed that any UK Government programme, we now know
:13:09. > :13:12.that in Folkestone trafficking victims were locked up without food,
:13:13. > :13:16.asylum seeking children were forced to sleep on concrete floors,
:13:17. > :13:22.patients with diarrhoea denied access to showers and a naked woman
:13:23. > :13:23.was allegedly beaten at a detention centre. As the Prime Minister
:13:24. > :13:33.ashamed of this? I would say that our asylum system
:13:34. > :13:37.is fair and Britain, down the ages, has given people asylum who are
:13:38. > :13:43.fleeing persecution and torture. When it comes to the issue of
:13:44. > :13:47.resettling Syrian refugees, it was instructed at this week's European
:13:48. > :13:50.Council with a chart showing how many countries have actually be
:13:51. > :13:54.settled Syrian refugees, Britain has done far better than any other
:13:55. > :14:03.country except Germany. Angus Robertson. This week the Scottish
:14:04. > :14:06.refugee Council called for an investigation into how asylum
:14:07. > :14:11.seekers are treated and housed in Glasgow. They want the Home Office
:14:12. > :14:19.to commission an independent inquiry into claims of substandard housing
:14:20. > :14:24.and deep -- dehumanising treatment by his government. Will he
:14:25. > :14:29.commission that investigation? We are very happy for these issues
:14:30. > :14:32.to be properly investigated. The home affairs select committee on
:14:33. > :14:37.this House of Commons has done a report into the way asylum, housing
:14:38. > :14:41.is commission. If the Scottish Parliament wants to carry out those
:14:42. > :14:47.investigations, of course the United Kingdom government will cooperate.
:14:48. > :14:50.We need to make sure when we take people in they are properly housed,
:14:51. > :14:54.look after, their children at school, because that is the sort of
:14:55. > :15:02.generous country we are. Mr Stevenson.
:15:03. > :15:06.Thank you Mr Speaker. I welcome the Government's excellent initiative to
:15:07. > :15:12.encourage employers to hire ex-offenders. Speaking as someone
:15:13. > :15:17.who employs an ex-offender by the excellent working chance charity,
:15:18. > :15:21.good the Prime Minister sure the House that implies in the public,
:15:22. > :15:26.private and voluntary sectors play their part in providing excellent
:15:27. > :15:32.opportunities? I agree with my friend and agree
:15:33. > :15:35.with what he has done. If people are applying for a job, they have two at
:15:36. > :15:39.some stage declared the criminal record they have on the offences
:15:40. > :15:43.they may have committed. The question is do they have to do it
:15:44. > :15:50.absolutely at the CVE stage? We believe they shouldn't. This level
:15:51. > :15:54.-- civil service will do this. You might at least get the chance of an
:15:55. > :15:58.interview so you are not ruled out. That is what we talk about. When we
:15:59. > :16:01.talk about life chances for people in our country and giving people
:16:02. > :16:06.sometimes a second chance to have a go at their life, we are putting our
:16:07. > :16:11.money where our mouth is. If the British people vote to leave
:16:12. > :16:13.the European Union, will the Prime Minister resign, yes or no?
:16:14. > :16:31.No. It is very much to the Government
:16:32. > :16:35.must back credit that over 2 million jobs have been created since 2010.
:16:36. > :16:41.-- government's credit. But nearly 1 million have gone to non-UK EU
:16:42. > :16:46.nationals. Does the Prime Minister agree with me that the EU's free
:16:47. > :16:52.movement of people is damaging UK nationals implement prospects and
:16:53. > :16:59.contributing to the people still unemployed and has not been
:17:00. > :17:04.compensated for by jobs in other countries the European nationals.
:17:05. > :17:08.If you look at the figures over the last five years two thirds of the
:17:09. > :17:12.rise of employment over the last five years has been made up by jobs
:17:13. > :17:18.going to British people. Where I would agree with her is in
:17:19. > :17:22.combination with the welfare reform we have introduced for EU citizens
:17:23. > :17:28.and the tougher control on migration from outside the EU, we should see
:17:29. > :17:31.while fair reform in the UK as the flip side of migration control. We
:17:32. > :17:36.want to make sure it always pays for British people to train up and do
:17:37. > :17:39.the jobs available. We should see immigration control and welfare
:17:40. > :17:44.reform as a way of getting more of our people into work.
:17:45. > :17:48.Thank you Mr Speaker. Does the Prime Minister agree with me it is very
:17:49. > :17:53.important we make the positive case for Britain remaining in the EU?
:17:54. > :17:58.Each of us get ?1200 back for every ?120 we get back, we have lower
:17:59. > :18:05.prices and choice in shops and easier travelling for holidays and
:18:06. > :18:09.businesses. Can the Prime Minister explained how our membership of the
:18:10. > :18:12.EU impact so many aspects of our lives?
:18:13. > :18:16.The honourable lady makes an important point. In all the
:18:17. > :18:20.arguments about single markets and sovereignty we can sometimes lose
:18:21. > :18:25.some of the simple consumer benefits of being a member of the European
:18:26. > :18:29.Union. The things she mentioned about cheap air travel, ease of
:18:30. > :18:33.travel, not having any tariffs, these are things we take for granted
:18:34. > :18:37.now, but simply weren't the case 40 years ago. That is a strong part of
:18:38. > :18:41.the very positive case we should make the remaining in the EU. But
:18:42. > :18:45.with her own constituency in mind I also think we should point of the
:18:46. > :18:50.enormous success of the British car industry, which now employs and is
:18:51. > :18:55.responsible for over 140,000 jobs. That is a great European success
:18:56. > :19:02.story. A lot of those cars go to the European market and we want to make
:19:03. > :19:06.sure that continues, tariff free. Thank you. Our security is
:19:07. > :19:10.guaranteed under Nato and this government's action to meet our 2%
:19:11. > :19:24.commitment is most welcome. I recently visited RAF Odiham in my
:19:25. > :19:31.constituency where the chin-ups -- chinooks base. Would the Prime
:19:32. > :19:39.Minister improve the living quarters for these people?
:19:40. > :19:44.I pay tribute to all the people who service those helicopters. I visited
:19:45. > :19:48.Afghanistan something like 13 times in recent years and their
:19:49. > :19:52.professionalism and brilliance in flying at very low levels is very
:19:53. > :19:57.remarkable. They have rightly been decorated for the work they do. We
:19:58. > :19:59.have an upgraded programme for the chinooks, which means new
:20:00. > :20:06.helicopters replacing part of the existing fleet. Some ?2 million has
:20:07. > :20:12.been spent on RAF Odiham but if more is needed, we shall make sure that
:20:13. > :20:17.happens. In 1949, aged 11 months, my constituent William was diagnosed
:20:18. > :20:23.with polio. He has worked from the age of 15 and continues to work at
:20:24. > :20:28.67 but following a clearly flawed EIP assessment he is set to lose his
:20:29. > :20:31.motor ability card, within three weeks. He said it will leave him
:20:32. > :20:36.unable to leave the House and unable to work. Will the Prime Minister
:20:37. > :20:44.urgently review his case and the case of 14,000 disabled people who
:20:45. > :20:47.have this as an essential lifeline? What we have found so far with
:20:48. > :20:51.personal independence payments is we are spending more money on
:20:52. > :20:54.disability, rather than less money on disability. I will look very
:20:55. > :21:05.carefully at the case. The whole point about PIP compared to DLA is
:21:06. > :21:12.there is a proper medical screening process. I am sure your constituent
:21:13. > :21:14.will welcome us being so close to eradicating polio entirely from our
:21:15. > :21:16.world and this government is committed to going the extra mile
:21:17. > :21:26.and making that happen. Schools in South Suffolk were
:21:27. > :21:31.delighted this week to see the publication of the Government's
:21:32. > :21:34.consultation on fairer funding. Given that the first part of this
:21:35. > :21:38.consultation will focus on the core principles, does my right honourable
:21:39. > :21:42.friend agree with me, one of those principles must be to recognise
:21:43. > :21:46.rural schools face unique and unavoidable costs which are not
:21:47. > :21:50.funded under the current formula? I certainly agree it is right we are
:21:51. > :21:53.examining this formula and trying to achieve better fairness. I think
:21:54. > :21:58.everyone can see that the figures between best funded schools on the
:21:59. > :22:04.less worst funded schools, that gap has got too great. I agree, it will
:22:05. > :22:09.be vital, the specific needs of schools in rural areas are properly
:22:10. > :22:13.considered. Our proposal suggests sending additional funding to all
:22:14. > :22:17.schools in sparsely populated areas. To follow up the question from my
:22:18. > :22:22.right honourable friend, the Leader of the Opposition, that official
:22:23. > :22:31.figures show... It is not funny. 12,000 vacancies in construction are
:22:32. > :22:36.hard to fill due to a lack of skilled applicants. Can the Prime
:22:37. > :22:40.Minister explain why the number of construction apprenticeships have
:22:41. > :22:44.fallen under him? The point is we are building more
:22:45. > :22:49.houses, investing more in construction, training more
:22:50. > :22:53.apprentices. The money is there from the Government and now we are going
:22:54. > :22:56.to have the apprenticeship levy on the larger businesses that will make
:22:57. > :23:03.sure we can fund apprenticeships long through this Parliament. Mr
:23:04. > :23:11.Bellingham. The Prime Minister will be aware of a recent tragic fatality
:23:12. > :23:15.on the A17 in my constituency. Whilst we must await the result of a
:23:16. > :23:20.full inquest and police inquiry, does he agree it is vital the local
:23:21. > :23:24.council is consulted when it comes to looking at new safety measures?
:23:25. > :23:28.I have heard about this tragic accident and I am sure on behalf of
:23:29. > :23:31.everyone we should send our sympathies and condolences to those
:23:32. > :23:35.involved. I think he is right to say and so many of these cases the
:23:36. > :23:38.parish council has a lot of expertise about roads that are not
:23:39. > :23:44.things that could be done and they should be listened to in this and
:23:45. > :23:47.other cases. On Sunday we celebrated Mother's Day
:23:48. > :23:52.and just yesterday International Women's Day. Members opposite
:23:53. > :23:57.rightly working to celebrate women on both occasions. Why has this
:23:58. > :24:01.government introduced cuts to public services, a freeze to child benefit
:24:02. > :24:08.and reductions in work-related benefits that have left mothers ?13
:24:09. > :24:12.billion worse off? The one thing I share with the
:24:13. > :24:16.honourable lady is it was right to celebrate Mother's Day, I shared it
:24:17. > :24:20.with my mother, but I think I have probably said enough about her for
:24:21. > :24:24.the time being a! Also, it was a privilege to welcome to number ten
:24:25. > :24:28.yesterday some inspirational women from all walks of life, to mark
:24:29. > :24:31.International Women's Day. I'm not saying this government has sold all
:24:32. > :24:35.of these problems. We have more women in work, they are getting
:24:36. > :24:39.higher pay, paying lower taxes, getting more childcare and retiring
:24:40. > :24:44.with better pensions. When it comes to the things government needs to
:24:45. > :24:48.do, we are appointing more women to senior positions, to public
:24:49. > :25:04.appointments. The honours system is properly reflecting women.
:25:05. > :25:08.Some said, what about the pay gap? It is at its lowest published level.
:25:09. > :25:11.We have abolished the pay gap for the under 40s. When it comes to
:25:12. > :25:13.protecting women, this is the Government that criminalised forced
:25:14. > :25:15.marriage and introduced the duty to report female genital mutilation. It
:25:16. > :25:18.set out a specific domestic violence measure. We introduced Claire 's Law
:25:19. > :25:21.so people can find out about violent partners. I accept there is more to
:25:22. > :25:26.be done, but let me say this to the Labour Party, one thing you could
:25:27. > :25:31.help with, no more segregated, political meetings. Let us end the
:25:32. > :25:35.process of having people with bigoted religious views treating
:25:36. > :25:38.women as second-class citizens. I think you should all take the
:25:39. > :25:53.pledge, no more segregated meetings! The UK still has relatively poor
:25:54. > :25:58.superfast broadband and far too many mobile not spots. Great work has
:25:59. > :26:03.been done but what will my right honourable friend be discussing with
:26:04. > :26:08.his right honourable friend the Chancellor, in advance of the Budget
:26:09. > :26:12.Statement next week, in how we can improve coverage further,
:26:13. > :26:17.particularly for rural, small businesses in areas like mine?
:26:18. > :26:21.I think my honourable friend is right to raise this. Since 2010 we
:26:22. > :26:25.have nearly doubled the number of homes and businesses with superfast
:26:26. > :26:29.broadband. We are on track for the 90-95% target but there is more that
:26:30. > :26:33.needs to be done. I think this is something for members right across
:26:34. > :26:38.the House. Ten year is ago we were all rather guilty of leading
:26:39. > :26:41.campaigns against phone masts. Our constituents now want coverage for
:26:42. > :26:46.their Internet, they want coverage for mobile phones. We need to make
:26:47. > :26:49.sure we change the law in all the ways necessary, to make sure the
:26:50. > :26:52.masts are built, we increase coverage and make sure everyone is
:26:53. > :27:01.connected to the information superhighway. Thank you. 76% of the
:27:02. > :27:05.cost of a bottle of whiskey is taxed. Last week the Government's 2%
:27:06. > :27:11.cut in duty Priest revenue by 2.5 million. Well that Prime Minister
:27:12. > :27:16.accepts one of our greatest products as taxed too much and join with me
:27:17. > :27:22.in calling for a further 2% cut in duty in this year's budget?
:27:23. > :27:24.The Chancellor and I have consistently backed Scotland,
:27:25. > :27:28.Scottish whiskey and this vital industry. Let me say this. On the
:27:29. > :27:35.day the profit and loss account comes out for Scotland, you can see
:27:36. > :27:39.there is a ?15 billion gap that Scotland would face if it was
:27:40. > :27:44.outside the United Kingdom. I dread to think what taxation would be have
:27:45. > :27:51.to be levied not just an whiskey but petrol, work incomes, Holmes. That
:27:52. > :27:58.is the prospect of life outside the United Kingdom and why I am so we
:27:59. > :28:07.voted to stay together. The Government has just presented
:28:08. > :28:11.three White papers to Parliament under their self-imposed legal duty
:28:12. > :28:15.to provide information under the European referendum act. The
:28:16. > :28:20.Minister for Europe, during the proceedings between the two houses,
:28:21. > :28:23.undertook to me that the Government's information under that
:28:24. > :28:29.act would certainly be accurate and impartial, as he put it. The three
:28:30. > :28:38.recent White papers are not. My right honourable friend is the
:28:39. > :28:41.enforcer of the ministerial code, which demands ministers give
:28:42. > :28:45.accurate information to Parliament. Will my right honourable friend
:28:46. > :28:49.issue instructions to Foreign Office ministers to review and correct
:28:50. > :28:57.these White papers? Let me say to my honourable friend,
:28:58. > :28:59.we believe in the sovereignty of Parliament. Parliament dictated that
:29:00. > :29:04.these documents would be published and that is why they are being
:29:05. > :29:08.published. On the question of their content, their content has been
:29:09. > :29:12.prepared by civil servants and all the appropriate codes. If he does
:29:13. > :29:15.not agree with some of the content I would say, challenged the content.
:29:16. > :29:24.Have an argument about the content, not the process.
:29:25. > :29:27.The Prime Minister's notes will indicate to him that I raised the
:29:28. > :29:32.question at the National wildlife crime unit this year, I'm delighted
:29:33. > :29:44.to report its funding has now been secured. For the next four years. I
:29:45. > :29:50.take full responsibility for that. I read it on my website, so it must be
:29:51. > :29:54.true! As my mother used to say, it never hurts to say thank you, and I
:29:55. > :30:04.do. Can I ask him on a similar matter
:30:05. > :30:07.how his manifesto pledge on not using animals in circuses is
:30:08. > :30:16.progressing? Can I thank him for raising such good questions. On the
:30:17. > :30:20.circuses and wild animals, we have a manifesto commitment. We did not
:30:21. > :30:24.manage to meet it in the last parliament. We license these things
:30:25. > :30:29.so strictly I think we are talking about one or two circuses. Two,
:30:30. > :30:36.thank you. We are committed to legislating when Parliamentary time
:30:37. > :30:41.allows. Later today colleagues across the House and I will be
:30:42. > :30:44.launching a Parliamentary group on ending homelessness. Will my right
:30:45. > :30:48.honourable friend join me in welcoming the work of organisations
:30:49. > :30:51.around the country, including the Hope Centre in my constituency and
:30:52. > :30:54.pledge as a government we will do all we can to help homeless people
:30:55. > :31:03.and I certainly welcome my honourable
:31:04. > :31:06.friend, and the launch of the old parliamentary group. We have to work
:31:07. > :31:28.on the issues of rough sleeping, We hope to build by the end of this
:31:29. > :31:31.Parliament 1 million new homes. All the arguments against homelessness
:31:32. > :31:39.eventually come down to providing effective new homes.
:31:40. > :31:45.Can the Prime Minister imagine the shock when a shop worker discovered
:31:46. > :31:48.he was going to lose money as a result of the introduction of the
:31:49. > :31:53.living wage question that that is because to introduce it be and Q are
:31:54. > :32:02.cutting allowances. As a result he will take home ?50 a week less, or
:32:03. > :32:08.?2600 a year after the hourly rate goes up. Can that Prime Minister and
:32:09. > :32:14.Chancellor in their budget next week ensure that nobody working on a shop
:32:15. > :32:17.takes on less money? We want to see people take hope that more money and
:32:18. > :32:22.that is why we introduced the national living wage which will be
:32:23. > :32:27.at ?9 by 2020. We are cutting the taxes of people like the friend whom
:32:28. > :32:31.the honourable lady refers, will be able to earn ?11,000 from the 1st of
:32:32. > :32:39.April before paying any taxes at all. A recent study led by Imperial
:32:40. > :32:43.College has shown biomass, is progressed through the contracts for
:32:44. > :32:51.difference, could save Bill payers and the Treasury millions of pounds.
:32:52. > :32:53.An industry that supports many jobs in Selby in Cleethorpes. Can the
:32:54. > :32:58.Prime Minister look at this as a sustainable business
:32:59. > :33:02.model? Biomass comes from the US and Canada. Will you look at this so we
:33:03. > :33:07.can try and get it into the programme? I will, but what we have
:33:08. > :33:11.do realise is the extra amount of money we are prepared to put into
:33:12. > :33:18.renewable energy is a finite amount and in the end we have to make sure
:33:19. > :33:25.that what we get is cost effective. I will look carefully at what my
:33:26. > :33:28.friends as. It used to be said in English family's home was their
:33:29. > :33:38.castle. But following the Government's Housing Bill new
:33:39. > :33:43.tenants in social housing will be on pre-5-year contracts. Does the Prime
:33:44. > :33:46.Minister think it is right a student beginning their secondary education
:33:47. > :33:52.may face eviction at the time they come up to their GCSEs and A-levels?
:33:53. > :33:57.We want for their home to genuinely be there on which is why we are
:33:58. > :34:01.extending right to buy so that millions of people will be able to
:34:02. > :34:05.own their own home. As for future tenancies, we want to make sure
:34:06. > :34:09.social housing is therefore the people who need it most. No current
:34:10. > :34:13.tenant is going to be affected. That is why we think this Housing Bill
:34:14. > :34:16.will see more homes built, more homes owned, more homes rented and
:34:17. > :34:27.will be good for housing in our country.
:34:28. > :34:36.We will come to the points of order. Honourable members raising points of
:34:37. > :34:42.order should have an attentive audience. Which seems more likely
:34:43. > :34:49.once those leaving have done so quickly and quietly. And what is
:34:50. > :34:54.more, sorry to disappoint the honourable gentleman, whose
:34:55. > :35:00.eagerness is evident for all to see, that the points of order come out of
:35:01. > :35:05.the question and this statement. I'm sure these are genuine points of
:35:06. > :35:06.order, honourable members will come scurrying back to