0:00:19 > 0:00:21Questions to the Prime Minister.
0:00:21 > 0:00:30Wendy Morton.
0:00:30 > 0:00:35This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues
0:00:35 > 0:00:38and in addition to my duties in this House, I shall have further such
0:00:38 > 0:00:41meetings later today.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46Last week I visited a manufacturing company, which supplied clay
0:00:46 > 0:00:49for the Tower of London poppies.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53Would my right honourable friend agree with me that supporting small
0:00:53 > 0:00:58businesses and the further increase in personal income tax allowance
0:00:58 > 0:01:00shows that we on this side of the House are the party
0:01:00 > 0:01:03of enterprise and inspiration and believe in enabling
0:01:03 > 0:01:10hard-working people to keep more of the money they earn?
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Let me join her in congratulating the firm that she mentioned.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16She's absolutely right that it is small and medium-size
0:01:16 > 0:01:18businesses that predominantly will be providing the jobs
0:01:18 > 0:01:21of the future and we want people to keep more of their own money
0:01:22 > 0:01:24to spend as they choose.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28That's why the historic move last week to an ?11,000 personal
0:01:28 > 0:01:32allowance means that people will have gained, by 2018.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36They'll be paying ?1,000 less per taxpayer and we will have taken
0:01:36 > 0:01:394 million of the lowest paid people out of tax altogether.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42That is the action of a progressive Conservative Government.
0:01:42 > 0:01:47Jeremy Corbyn.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52Thank you, Mr Speaker.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54I'm sure the whole House will join me in mourning the death
0:01:54 > 0:01:57today of the dramatist Arnold Wesker, one of the great
0:01:57 > 0:02:01playwrights of this country, one of those wonderful angry young
0:02:01 > 0:02:04men of the 1950s and, like so many angry young people,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07actually changed the face of our country.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Yesterday, Mr Speaker, the European Commission announced
0:02:11 > 0:02:16new proposals on country by country tax reporting,
0:02:16 > 0:02:20so that companies must declare where they make their profits in the EU
0:02:20 > 0:02:24and in blacklisted tax havens.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28Conservative MEPs voted against the proposal for country
0:02:28 > 0:02:32by country reporting and against the blacklisting.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34Can the Prime Minister now assure us that Conservative MEPs
0:02:34 > 0:02:39will support the new proposal?
0:02:39 > 0:02:42First of all, let me join the right honourable gentleman in mourning
0:02:42 > 0:02:45the loss of the famous playwright and all the work that he did.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47It's quite right to mention that.
0:02:47 > 0:02:48Let me...
0:02:48 > 0:02:52Let me also welcome...
0:02:52 > 0:02:58Let me welcome the country by country tax reporting proposal
0:02:58 > 0:03:00put forward by Commissioner Jonathan Hill, appointed by this Government,
0:03:00 > 0:03:04the United Kingdom Commissioner.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07This is very much based on the work that we've been doing,
0:03:07 > 0:03:09leading the collaboration between countries, making sure
0:03:09 > 0:03:10that we share tax information.
0:03:10 > 0:03:15As we discussed on Monday, this has gone far faster and far
0:03:15 > 0:03:22further under this Government than under any previous government.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Mr Speaker, if the proposals were put forward by
0:03:25 > 0:03:26the British Government, why do Conservative MEPs
0:03:26 > 0:03:30then vote against them?
0:03:30 > 0:03:38There seems to be a bit of a disconnect here.
0:03:38 > 0:03:45The Panama Papers exposed the scandalous situation,
0:03:45 > 0:03:46where wealthy individuals seem to believe that
0:03:46 > 0:03:48corporation tax and other taxes are something optional.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Indeed, as the Member for Rutland and Melton
0:03:50 > 0:03:54informed us, it is only for low achievers, apparently.
0:03:54 > 0:04:01Sso when the HMRC says that the tax gap is ?34 billion, why, then,
0:04:01 > 0:04:07is he cutting HMRC staff by 20% and cutting down tax offices
0:04:07 > 0:04:14which loses the expertise of people to close that tax gap?
0:04:14 > 0:04:17I'm glad he wants to get onto our responsibilities to pay our taxes.
0:04:17 > 0:04:18I think that's very important.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21I thought his tax return was a metaphor for Labour policy.
0:04:21 > 0:04:31It was late, it was chaotic, it was inaccurate, it was uncosted.
0:04:32 > 0:04:37He's absolutely right to identify the tax gap and that is why
0:04:37 > 0:04:39we closed off loopholes in the last Parliament,
0:04:39 > 0:04:43equivalent of ?12 billion.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46We aim to close loopholes in this Parliament equivalent
0:04:46 > 0:04:51to ?16 billion, so the HMRC is taking very strong action,
0:04:51 > 0:04:53backed by this Government, backed by the Chancellor,
0:04:53 > 0:04:57legislated for by this House, and I think I'm right in saying that
0:04:57 > 0:05:03since 2010 we put over ?1 billion into HMRC to increase
0:05:03 > 0:05:05its capabilities to collect the tax that people should be paying.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09The difference, I think, between this side of the House
0:05:09 > 0:05:12and the right honourable gentleman is we believe in setting low tax
0:05:12 > 0:05:19rates and encouraging people to pay them and it's working.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Mr Speaker, I'm grateful to the Prime Minister for drawing
0:05:21 > 0:05:24attention to my own tax return.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27There warts and all, the warts being my handwriting
0:05:27 > 0:05:32all being my generous donation to HMRC.
0:05:32 > 0:05:42I paid more tax than some companies that he might know quite well.
0:05:44 > 0:05:49The Prime Minister...
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister isn't cutting tax abuse,
0:05:51 > 0:05:55he's cutting down on tax collectors.
0:05:55 > 0:06:00The tax collected helps to fund our NHS and all the other services.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Last month, the OBR reported that HMRC doesn't have the necessary
0:06:03 > 0:06:09resources to tackle offshore tax disclosures.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11The Government is committed to taking ?400 million out
0:06:11 > 0:06:16of HMRC's budget by 2020.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Will he now commit to reversing that cut, so that we can collect the tax
0:06:19 > 0:06:22that will help to pay for the services?
0:06:22 > 0:06:25I'm afraid his figures, rather like his tax return,
0:06:25 > 0:06:30aren't entirely accurate.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34The summer budget 2015, we gave an extra ?800 million
0:06:34 > 0:06:37to HMRC to fund additional work to tackle tax evasion and
0:06:37 > 0:06:39noncompliance between now and 2021.
0:06:39 > 0:06:44This is going to enable HMRC to recover 7.2 billion in tax over
0:06:44 > 0:06:47the next five years and we've brought in more than 2 billion
0:06:47 > 0:06:51from offshore tax evaders since 2010.
0:06:51 > 0:06:56I think we should try and bring some consensus to this issue.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58For years in this country, Labour governments and Conservative
0:06:58 > 0:07:01governments had an attitude to the Crown dependencies
0:07:01 > 0:07:06and overseas territories that their tax affairs were a matter
0:07:06 > 0:07:08for them and their compliance affairs were a matter for them
0:07:08 > 0:07:10and their transparency was a matter for them.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12This Government has changed that.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14We've got the overseas territories and the Crown
0:07:14 > 0:07:17dependencies round the table.
0:07:17 > 0:07:25We said, you've got to have registers of ownership,
0:07:25 > 0:07:27you've got to collaborate with the UK Government,
0:07:27 > 0:07:29you've got to make sure people don't hide their taxes,
0:07:30 > 0:07:31and it's happening.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34So when he gets to his feet, he should welcome the fact that huge
0:07:34 > 0:07:36progress has been made, raising taxes, sorting out
0:07:36 > 0:07:38the overseas territories and Crown dependencies,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40closing the tax gap, getting businesses to pay more,
0:07:40 > 0:07:42giving international leadership to this issue, all things that never
0:07:42 > 0:07:46happened under Labour.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Mr Speaker, I thank the Prime Minister for that answer.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53The only problem with it is that the red book states HMRC
0:07:53 > 0:08:00spending will fall from 3.3 billion to 2.9 billion by 2020.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04And in regard to UK Crown dependencies and overseas
0:08:04 > 0:08:08territories, only two days ago the Prime Minister said that he had
0:08:08 > 0:08:13agreed that they will provide, the overseas territories,
0:08:13 > 0:08:15UK law enforcement and tax agencies with full access to
0:08:15 > 0:08:18information on the beneficial ownership of companies.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21There seems to be some confusion here because the chief
0:08:21 > 0:08:24minister of Jersey said, this is in response to a need
0:08:24 > 0:08:28for information without delay, where terrorist activities are involved.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33We welcome his commitment to fighting terrorism but is Jersey
0:08:33 > 0:08:35and all the other dependencies actually going to provide
0:08:35 > 0:08:38beneficial ownership information or not?
0:08:38 > 0:08:40The short answer to that is yes, they are.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43And that is what is such a big breakthrough.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47I totally accept they are not going as far as us because we are
0:08:47 > 0:08:49publishing a register of beneficial ownership.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52That will happen in June and we will be one of the only
0:08:52 > 0:08:54countries in the world to do so.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57I think Norway and Spain are the others.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00What the overseas territories and Crown dependencies are doing
0:09:00 > 0:09:03is making sure that we have full access to registers of beneficial
0:09:03 > 0:09:05ownership, to make sure that people aren't evading
0:09:05 > 0:09:08or avoiding their taxes.
0:09:08 > 0:09:14In the interests of giving full answers to his questions,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16let me give him the figures for full-time equivalents in HMRC
0:09:16 > 0:09:19in terms of compliance.
0:09:19 > 0:09:24The numbers are going from 25,000 in 2010 to 26,798 in 2015.
0:09:24 > 0:09:30It's not how much money you spend on an organisation but how many
0:09:30 > 0:09:33people you have out there collecting the taxes and making sure the forms
0:09:33 > 0:09:39are properly filled in.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41The Prime Minister is quite right.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45The number of people out there collecting taxes is important.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Therefore, why has he laid off so many staff at HMRC who therefore
0:09:48 > 0:09:51cannot collect those taxes?
0:09:51 > 0:09:56In 2013, Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister demanded
0:09:56 > 0:09:59that the overseas territories rip aside the cloak of secrecy
0:09:59 > 0:10:01by creating a public register of beneficial
0:10:01 > 0:10:06ownership of information.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11Will he now make it clear that the beneficial ownership
0:10:11 > 0:10:14register will be an absolutely public document, transparent
0:10:14 > 0:10:17for all to see who really owns these companies,
0:10:17 > 0:10:21and whether they are paying their taxes or not?
0:10:21 > 0:10:23Let me be absolutely clear.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26For the United Kingdom, we have taken the unprecedented step,
0:10:26 > 0:10:31never done by Labour, never done previously
0:10:31 > 0:10:35by Conservatives, of open beneficial ownership register.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38With the Crown dependencies and overseas territories they have
0:10:38 > 0:10:41to give full access to the registers of beneficial ownership.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45We did not choose the option of forcing them to have a public
0:10:45 > 0:10:48register because we believed if that was the case,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50we'd get into the situation that he spoke about, where some
0:10:50 > 0:10:56of them might have walked away from this cooperation altogether.
0:10:56 > 0:10:57That's the point.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00The question is, are we going to be able to access the information?
0:11:00 > 0:11:01Yes.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Are we going to be able to pursue tax evaders?
0:11:04 > 0:11:05Yes.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07Did any of these things happen under a Labour government?
0:11:07 > 0:11:08No.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11The Prime Minister does talk very tough and I grant him that.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15The only problem is, it's not a public register he's offering us.
0:11:15 > 0:11:22He is only offering us a private register that some people can see.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26It's quite interesting that the premier of the Cayman Islands
0:11:26 > 0:11:30is today apparently celebrating his victory over the Prime Minister
0:11:30 > 0:11:34because he is saying the information certainly will not be available
0:11:34 > 0:11:36publicly or available directly by any UK or non-Cayman
0:11:36 > 0:11:38Islands agency.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41The Prime Minister is supposed to be chasing down tax
0:11:41 > 0:11:43evasion and tax avoidance.
0:11:43 > 0:11:48He's supposed to be bringing it all into the open.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51If he cannot even persuade the premier of the Cayman Islands
0:11:51 > 0:11:55or Jersey to open up their books, where is the tough talk bringing
0:11:55 > 0:11:57the information we need to collect the taxes that should pay
0:11:57 > 0:12:02for the services that people need?
0:12:02 > 0:12:05I think he's misunderstanding what I've said.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09In terms of the UK, it is an absolute first in terms
0:12:09 > 0:12:12of a register of beneficial ownership that is public.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14He keeps saying it's not public.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16The British one will be public.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Further to that, and I think this is important because it goes
0:12:19 > 0:12:22to a question asked by the right honourable member for Tottenham,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25we are also saying to foreign companies that have dealings
0:12:25 > 0:12:28with Britain that they have to declare their properties
0:12:28 > 0:12:31and the properties they own, which will remove a huge veil
0:12:31 > 0:12:36of secrecy over the ownership, for instance, of London property.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39I'm not saying we've completed all this work but we've got more tax
0:12:39 > 0:12:41information exchange, more registers of beneficial
0:12:41 > 0:12:45ownership, more chasing down of tax evasion and avoidance,
0:12:45 > 0:12:52more money recovered from businesses and individuals and all of these
0:12:52 > 0:12:54things are things that have happened under this Government.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57The truth is, he's running to catch up because Labour did
0:12:57 > 0:12:59nothing in 13 years.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04Thank you, Mr Speaker.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07My constituents John and Penny Clough, whose daughter
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Jane was tragically murdered by her ex-partner whilst he was out
0:13:10 > 0:13:14on bail, are campaigning to save Lancashire's
0:13:14 > 0:13:19nine women's refuges, which are currently at threat
0:13:19 > 0:13:20at threat because Labour-run
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Lancashire County Council are proposing to cut
0:13:22 > 0:13:23all of their funding.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Does the Prime Minister agree with the Clough family and me that
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Labour-run Lancashire County Council should prioritise the victims
0:13:28 > 0:13:34of domestic violence?
0:13:34 > 0:13:39First of all, my honourable friend does raise a very moving case
0:13:39 > 0:13:43and I know the whole House will wish to join me in sending our sincere
0:13:43 > 0:13:45condolences to Mr and Mrs Clough.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48In terms of making sure we stop violence against women and girls,
0:13:48 > 0:13:52nobody should be living in fear of these crimes.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55That is why we committed ?80 million of extra funding to 2020 to tackle
0:13:55 > 0:13:57violence against women and girls and this does include funding
0:13:57 > 0:13:59for securing the future for refuges and other
0:13:59 > 0:14:01accommodation based services.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03But it obviously helps if local councils make
0:14:03 > 0:14:11the right decisions as well.
0:14:11 > 0:14:16The United Kingdom and its offshore territories and dependencies
0:14:16 > 0:14:18collectively sits at the top of the financial secrecy index
0:14:18 > 0:14:20of the tax justice network.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24Since the leaking of the Panama Papers, France has put
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Panama on a blacklist of uncooperative tax havens
0:14:28 > 0:14:30and the Mossack Fonseca offices have been raided
0:14:30 > 0:14:33by the police in Panama City.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38What have British authorities done specifically in relation
0:14:38 > 0:14:43to Mossack Fonseca and with Panama since the leak of the Panama Papers?
0:14:43 > 0:14:49First of all, in terms of who is at the top of the pyramid
0:14:49 > 0:14:53of tax secrecy, I think it is now unfair to say that about our Crown
0:14:53 > 0:14:57dependencies and overseas territories as they are now
0:14:57 > 0:15:00going to cooperate with the three things that we asked them to do
0:15:00 > 0:15:03in terms of the reporting standard, the exchange of tax information
0:15:03 > 0:15:05and access to registers of beneficial ownership.
0:15:05 > 0:15:10That is more than we get out of some states in America, like Delaware.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14So I think in this House we should be tough on all those that
0:15:14 > 0:15:17facilitate lack of transparency but we should be accurate in the way
0:15:17 > 0:15:18we do it.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21He asked what we are doing about the Panama Papers.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24We have a ?10 million funded cross agency review to get to the bottom
0:15:24 > 0:15:27of all the relevant information.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30It would hugely be helped if the newspapers and other
0:15:30 > 0:15:32investigative journalists now share this information with tax
0:15:32 > 0:15:36inspectors, so we can get to the bottom of it,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40and his final question on blacklists - we are happy to support blacklists
0:15:40 > 0:15:43but we don't think you should draw up a blacklist solely
0:15:43 > 0:15:46on the basis of a territory raising a low tax rate.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48We don't think that is the right approach.
0:15:48 > 0:15:58That's the approach the French have sometimes taken in the past
0:15:58 > 0:16:00but in terms of taking action against tax havens,
0:16:00 > 0:16:02this government has done more than any previous one.
0:16:02 > 0:16:08Angus Robertson.
0:16:08 > 0:16:103,250 DWP staff has been specifically investigating benefit
0:16:10 > 0:16:12fraud while only 300 HMRC staff have been systematically
0:16:12 > 0:16:17investigating tax evasion.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Surely we should care equally about people abusing
0:16:19 > 0:16:23the tax system and those abusing the benefit system.
0:16:23 > 0:16:28Why has this Government had ten times more staff dealing often
0:16:28 > 0:16:33with the poorest in society abusing benefits than with the super-rich
0:16:33 > 0:16:40evading their taxes?
0:16:40 > 0:16:42I will look carefully at his statistics but they
0:16:42 > 0:16:45sound to me entirely bogus for this reason.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49The predominant job of the DWP is to make sure that people
0:16:49 > 0:16:52receive their benefits.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54The predominant job of HMRC is to make sure
0:16:54 > 0:16:56people pay their taxes.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59The 26,000 people I spoke about earlier are all making sure
0:16:59 > 0:17:09that people pay their taxes, the clue is in the title.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Many farmers in South Herefordshire are still awaiting their 2015
0:17:16 > 0:17:20payments from the rural payments agency.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23Nearly four months after they were due.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27This follows the failure of the RPA website last year which is causing
0:17:27 > 0:17:31great personal and financial distress and threatens the future
0:17:31 > 0:17:34of farm businesses so will the Prime Minister agree to meet
0:17:34 > 0:17:39farmers on this issue and press the RPA to make the payments
0:17:39 > 0:17:43by the end of this month and does he share my view that farmers should
0:17:43 > 0:17:47receive interest on the amounts overdue?
0:17:47 > 0:17:50I have recently met with both the NFU and Welsh NFU and have
0:17:50 > 0:17:52continued to have meetings with farming organisations including
0:17:52 > 0:17:53in my own constituency.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58I know that have been problems with the payment system.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02The latest figures are that 87% of claims have been paid.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04I believe that the figures in Herefordshire are in line
0:18:04 > 0:18:07with the national average but that is no consolation for those
0:18:07 > 0:18:10who have not received payments which is why we have a process
0:18:10 > 0:18:12and we are working with charities and we made payments amounting
0:18:12 > 0:18:17to over ?7 million but we have to make sure that lessons of how
0:18:17 > 0:18:23to make the system work better in future years are properly learnt.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28If the British people vote to leave the European Union,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31will the Prime Minister remain in office to implement
0:18:31 > 0:18:33their decision?
0:18:33 > 0:18:34Yes.
0:18:34 > 0:18:43CHEERING Again on Europe, does the Prime Minister agree
0:18:43 > 0:18:47that the European Union is not just the world's biggest single market
0:18:47 > 0:18:51but also an ample source of foreign and direct investment providing 50%
0:18:51 > 0:18:55of the investment we receive and also an excellent platform
0:18:55 > 0:19:00for supplying the means to thrive and prosper meaning the ability
0:19:00 > 0:19:04to get the skills they need and the innovation they need
0:19:04 > 0:19:07and for my constituency means a whole load of high-tech companies
0:19:07 > 0:19:13thriving and prospering as they do in the UK?
0:19:13 > 0:19:22I remember my visit to his constituency when the company
0:19:22 > 0:19:31showed me a world first in a bicycle that was printed on a 3-D printer.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34I did not give it a try but it looked like it might even
0:19:34 > 0:19:36carry some of my weight!
0:19:36 > 0:19:39The single market is 500 million people and that is a great market
0:19:39 > 0:19:41for our businesses and services and increasingly the market
0:19:41 > 0:19:46and the supply chain is getting more integrated and that is why we should
0:19:46 > 0:19:50think carefully before separating ourselves from it.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and people under
0:19:55 > 0:20:0040 but despite this, research into them received less
0:20:00 > 0:20:06than 1%, just over 1% of the UK's national spend on cancer research.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10This will be the subject of a debate next Monday in Westminster Hall.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14Will the Prime Minister have a word with the Secretary of State
0:20:14 > 0:20:17for Health so that the minister answering that debate might be able
0:20:17 > 0:20:20to bring with him or her some long overdue good news of
0:20:20 > 0:20:24change in this area?
0:20:24 > 0:20:27I'm very happy to do exactly as he says.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30It is an important issue.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34We invest something like 1.7 billion a year in health research
0:20:34 > 0:20:39but there is always a question when it comes to cancer research,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41the spending has gone up by a third over the last Parliament
0:20:41 > 0:20:43to ?135 million, but there is the question
0:20:43 > 0:20:48of whether that is fairly distributed.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58I have a still producer in my constituency and share
0:20:58 > 0:21:01concerns about the future of the industry.
0:21:02 > 0:21:10The North of England still had significant manufacturers of that
0:21:10 > 0:21:13but it has been held back by green taxes, high energy costs
0:21:13 > 0:21:14and emissions targets.
0:21:14 > 0:21:15What more can he do to help energy intensive industries?
0:21:16 > 0:21:19I think he raises an important point and the changes we are making
0:21:19 > 0:21:22will save the steel industry over ?400 million by the end of this
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Parliament and that is a good example of what we can do.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29There was an excellent debate yesterday about this issue,
0:21:29 > 0:21:32we have to work on everything we can in terms of procurement,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34making sure we are taking action in the EU against
0:21:34 > 0:21:37dumping and we are.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40We have to make sure we reduce energy costs where we can
0:21:40 > 0:21:42and we stand by to work with any potential purchaser
0:21:42 > 0:21:48of the Port Talbot works which will safeguard steel jobs
0:21:48 > 0:21:51in other parts of the country to see how we can help
0:21:51 > 0:21:53on a commercial basis.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55I'm satisfied with doing everything we can.
0:21:55 > 0:22:00We cannot totally buck the global trend of this massive overcapacity
0:22:00 > 0:22:03of steel and decline in prices but those are the key areas in terms
0:22:03 > 0:22:10of power and plant and procurement, all areas where we can help.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16Research by the Sutton Trust shows turning schools into academies does
0:22:16 > 0:22:19not necessarily improve them.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Thousands of excellent primary schools, parents want them to be
0:22:21 > 0:22:25continued to be maintained by their local authority so why
0:22:25 > 0:22:28are ministers planning to overrule parents and force those schools
0:22:28 > 0:22:31to become academies?
0:22:32 > 0:22:34I think the evidence shows that academies work as part
0:22:34 > 0:22:36of our education reforms.
0:22:36 > 0:22:41Let me give the evidence.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44If you look at those schools that converted into academies,
0:22:44 > 0:22:4988% of them are either outstanding or good schools.
0:22:49 > 0:22:57If you look at the sponsored academies, often failing schools,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00if you listen and look at what happened with the schools
0:23:00 > 0:23:04that were often failing but were now sponsored by academies,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06you have seen on average a 10% improvement over
0:23:06 > 0:23:08the first two years.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11All the evidence is that results are better, freedoms
0:23:11 > 0:23:14lead to improvements and where there are problems,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17intervention happens far faster with academies.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20We have 1.4 million more children in good or outstanding schools
0:23:20 > 0:23:24and we should finish the job.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32The Prime Minister has met many great people but I believe he has
0:23:32 > 0:23:37yet to meet the Vale of Evesham known as the asparagus man.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42Would you like to join me for the upcoming British asparagus
0:23:42 > 0:23:45festival which starts on St George's Day and show his support
0:23:45 > 0:23:49for our fantastic farming industry?
0:23:54 > 0:23:57I'm happy to say that my honourable friend's constituency is only
0:23:57 > 0:23:59one constituency away, we share the same railway line
0:23:59 > 0:24:06so if there is an opportunity for some great British asparagus
0:24:06 > 0:24:11I would be happy to join him.
0:24:14 > 0:24:24Can I take the Prime Minister back to his response to the honourable
0:24:30 > 0:24:32member for Pendle, it was a truly dreadful case.
0:24:32 > 0:24:33Women's refuges are facing absolute crisis.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36The changes the government proposes to make to housing benefit
0:24:36 > 0:24:38will force the closure of women's refuges.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41He needs urgently to look again at these changes
0:24:41 > 0:24:44because unless he makes refuges exempt, they will be closing up
0:24:44 > 0:24:45and down the country.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Can he do it?
0:24:49 > 0:24:53What I would say is what we did in the last Parliament with rape
0:24:53 > 0:24:58crisis centres we are doing the same type of thing with these refuges
0:24:58 > 0:25:02and that is why the ?80 million of funding is so important.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05It is why the Secretary of State has written to local authorities
0:25:05 > 0:25:08to explain that this money is available to make sure
0:25:08 > 0:25:12those refuges are there.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19As part of world autism awareness week last week, the National
0:25:19 > 0:25:24Autistic Society launched its biggest ever awareness campaign.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Young Alex Cunliffe the star of the film, was here in the house
0:25:27 > 0:25:30and met many MPs this week.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34Some 50% of autistic people don't even go out in public
0:25:34 > 0:25:40because of what people think and their reaction.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Will he meet with me and the charity to discuss how the government can
0:25:43 > 0:25:46support this campaign and how we can tackle the social isolation
0:25:46 > 0:25:49of so many families Let me pay tribute to my right honourable
0:25:49 > 0:25:52friend who has been campaigning and legislating on this issue now
0:25:52 > 0:25:54for many years including the landmark legislation that went
0:25:54 > 0:26:04through in the last Parliament.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06We have been working closely with the autism alliance and have
0:26:06 > 0:26:09invested some ?325,000 since 2014 but we don't do more in terms
0:26:09 > 0:26:14of helping families with autistic children and raising the profile
0:26:14 > 0:26:19of the understanding of what being autistic is all about.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26Let me put in a plug for the strange incident of the dog in nighttime,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29which is still available at the Whitehall Theatre,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32it is excellent and will give you a better explanation of autism
0:26:32 > 0:26:34and perhaps anything we can discuss in this house.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Authorities in El Salvador and Panama have raided
0:26:42 > 0:26:46offices of Mossack Fonseca, seizing documents and computer
0:26:46 > 0:26:49equipment but nobody has knocked on the door of their branch
0:26:49 > 0:26:52in the UK.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55While recognising the operational independence of our enforcement
0:26:55 > 0:27:01agencies, does he share my deep concern that comes as we speak,
0:27:01 > 0:27:03documents are no doubt being shredded and databases
0:27:03 > 0:27:06being wiped, undermining the opportunity to bring further
0:27:06 > 0:27:10potential wrongdoing to light?
0:27:12 > 0:27:16She makes an important point which is that we need to make sure
0:27:16 > 0:27:18that all the evidence coming out of Panama is properly investigated
0:27:18 > 0:27:21and that is right we have set up a special cross agency team
0:27:21 > 0:27:24including the National Crime Agency, HMRC and other relevant bodies
0:27:24 > 0:27:29to make sure we get to the bottom of what happened.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32She is right to reference the fact that these organisations
0:27:32 > 0:27:38are operationally independent and it would be quite wrong for a minister
0:27:38 > 0:27:40or Prime Minister to order an investigator into a particular
0:27:40 > 0:27:42building in a particular way, that is not a river,
0:27:42 > 0:27:50we want to cross in this house.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Empower the National crime agency and HMRC,
0:27:52 > 0:27:54give them resources and let them get on with the job.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Can I draw his attention to the tragic death
0:27:57 > 0:28:00of a 21-month-old baby when she was stamped
0:28:00 > 0:28:05on by her mother so violently that it tore her heart.
0:28:06 > 0:28:14Yet she had been known to social services since the day she was born,
0:28:14 > 0:28:17they knew about the violent boyfriends, the domestic violence,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20they saw the doors kicked in and smelt the cannabis,
0:28:20 > 0:28:25they saw the bruises, the cuts, the fingerprints
0:28:25 > 0:28:29on her little thighs and they did nothing.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32He will understand that people want to know how this
0:28:32 > 0:28:34could have happened, yet they are concerned to know
0:28:34 > 0:28:37that the serious case review has on its panel people who are directly
0:28:37 > 0:28:43involved in the organisations that are being investigated.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47Will he look at what we can do to make this and other serious case
0:28:47 > 0:28:50reviews more independent so we can make sure that no other child
0:28:50 > 0:28:56suffers the life and death that this little girl did?
0:28:57 > 0:29:00I think my honourable friend is absolutely right to raise this.
0:29:00 > 0:29:05Obviously in the work we all do we hear about some hideous
0:29:05 > 0:29:08and horrific incidents but anybody watching television that night
0:29:08 > 0:29:11and seeing the description of what happened to that girl,
0:29:11 > 0:29:15it simply took your breath away that people could behave in such
0:29:15 > 0:29:19a despicable way towards their own children.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22There is no punishment in the world in my view that fits that sort
0:29:22 > 0:29:26of crime carried out by their own parent.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29There will be a serious case review and I will look carefully
0:29:29 > 0:29:32at the suggestions he makes and I know the Secretary of State
0:29:32 > 0:29:36for Education will do so as well.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39There are criticisms of the way these cases are done but in this
0:29:39 > 0:29:43case we must get on with the review because we have to get to the bottom
0:29:43 > 0:29:44of what went wrong.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48There are currently over 7000 people in the UK needing an organ
0:29:48 > 0:29:51transplant including 139 children and many will die
0:29:51 > 0:29:54because of a shortage of available organs.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56The Welsh Labour government has already introduced ground-breaking
0:29:56 > 0:29:59legislation for opt out legislation in Wales so will you join me
0:29:59 > 0:30:03in supporting the campaign for opt out organ donation
0:30:03 > 0:30:04throughout the UK?
0:30:04 > 0:30:11I'm always happy to look at this again having looked at it before
0:30:12 > 0:30:14and have not come out in favour of opting out.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17We debated in the last Parliament and made a lot of moves to making
0:30:17 > 0:30:21opt in much easier and we found that if you look at different hospitals
0:30:21 > 0:30:23and areas of the country there are different records in terms
0:30:23 > 0:30:26of how well they do.
0:30:26 > 0:30:34My position is that it is something we should support and continue
0:30:34 > 0:30:38to drive but this house can vote on the issue about whether it wants
0:30:38 > 0:30:41to go down the Welsh track rather than the track
0:30:41 > 0:30:48we are on but personally I say we should make opt in better.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51He will be well aware that our colleague Lord Bates has
0:30:51 > 0:30:54just started a 2000 mile walk from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro,
0:30:54 > 0:30:59arriving in time for the Olympics.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02Will he join me in wishing him well on this epic journey
0:31:02 > 0:31:04and committing his government to uphold the values and principles
0:31:04 > 0:31:14of the Olympic truce?
0:31:22 > 0:31:24I have already written to Michael Bates to wish him well
0:31:24 > 0:31:27and give support for the work he has done over many years.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31He leaves me a bit of a hole in the House of Lords where he has
0:31:31 > 0:31:33been doing fantastic work for the Home Office on security
0:31:33 > 0:31:36issues so we wish him a good walk and a speedy return.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39At Ealing hospital the experienced doctors I met with last week
0:31:39 > 0:31:43are dismayed that the government's own equality assessment
0:31:43 > 0:31:46of their new contract find it discriminates against women
0:31:46 > 0:31:49which is over half of them.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52As he is a self-confessed feminist, leading a progressive
0:31:52 > 0:31:57government, will he...
0:31:57 > 0:32:00So he says.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02Will he reverse this blatant injustice which has no
0:32:02 > 0:32:06place in 2016?
0:32:06 > 0:32:09I am grateful for her question and backhanded compliment!
0:32:09 > 0:32:14I would say that this contract is actually very pro-women
0:32:14 > 0:32:18because it involves a 13% basic pay rise, because it restricts
0:32:18 > 0:32:24the currently horrendous hours that some junior doctors
0:32:24 > 0:32:27are working that are unsafe, and because it gives greater
0:32:27 > 0:32:30guarantees about levels of pay and the amount of money that
0:32:30 > 0:32:32doctors will get.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35As people start to work on it and with it, they will see
0:32:35 > 0:32:39it is very pro-women.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47Over 200,000 economic migrants came from the European Union
0:32:47 > 0:32:53in the period for which we have figures and yet the propaganda sheet
0:32:53 > 0:32:56said that the British people says we maintain control of our borders.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58As we withdraw from the free movement of people,
0:32:58 > 0:32:59is it simply untrue?
0:32:59 > 0:33:00The truth is that economic migrants coming into the EU don't
0:33:09 > 0:33:12The truth is that economic migrants coming into the EU don't
0:33:12 > 0:33:15have the right to come to the UK, they are not European nationals.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17They are nationals of Pakistan or Morocco or Turkey.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20None of them have the right so it is very important
0:33:20 > 0:33:23and it is important we send information to households
0:33:23 > 0:33:28because then they can see the truth about what is proposed.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31What he has put forward is classic of the sort of scare stories we get,
0:33:31 > 0:33:33Britain has borders, Britain will keep its borders,
0:33:33 > 0:33:43we have the best of both worlds.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47Still at the University of sporting excellence elite sports have been
0:33:47 > 0:33:49rocked in recent months about an international doping
0:33:49 > 0:33:51scandal that threatens the entire country being thrown out
0:33:51 > 0:33:52of major competitions.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56Does he agree that the world anti-doping agency needs further
0:33:56 > 0:33:59support and can he tell me what further action can be taken?
0:33:59 > 0:34:05I think he is right to raise it, we have made a lot of advances
0:34:06 > 0:34:07in recent years.
0:34:07 > 0:34:13There is a relevance to our anti-corruption Summit in May
0:34:13 > 0:34:16when we will be looking at corruption in sport and bringing
0:34:16 > 0:34:19forward new codes of practice to adopt in this country
0:34:19 > 0:34:21and we hope others also do.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23There is also the question about whether doping should
0:34:23 > 0:34:25be a specific criminal offence which is something
0:34:25 > 0:34:26we should be debating.
0:34:26 > 0:34:34What progress has been made in Sir Bruce Keogh's ten clinical
0:34:34 > 0:34:37standards published in December 2013 which are essential for rolling
0:34:37 > 0:34:42out the seven-day NHS?
0:34:42 > 0:34:46Perhaps I can write specifically on the clinical standards
0:34:46 > 0:34:50but the truth is that what is good is that he and others in the NHS
0:34:50 > 0:34:53support this vision of a seven-day NHS and recognise that we should pay
0:34:53 > 0:34:58tribute to all those doctors and nurses who work at weekends
0:34:58 > 0:35:04already because it is very important but what we are trying to move
0:35:04 > 0:35:14toward is an NHS where the individual has access
0:35:19 > 0:35:22to their family doctor seven days a week and also where hospitals work
0:35:22 > 0:35:25on databases because it will save lives and improve care
0:35:25 > 0:35:27and I will write to him about the specific detail.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30Parent governors play a key role in local schools supporting their
0:35:30 > 0:35:32children's education and performing an important civic duty.
0:35:32 > 0:35:42If the Prime Minister is aware of the sadness and anger which has
0:35:47 > 0:35:50resulted from the forced academies announcement that the duty for each
0:35:50 > 0:35:52school to have parent governors will be removed?
0:35:52 > 0:35:59Will he urgently review this attack on parents?
0:35:59 > 0:36:02I'm delighted the Honourable lady asked this question because we will
0:36:02 > 0:36:04be debating it later but let me be clear,
0:36:04 > 0:36:06we support parent governors, we think they have a great role
0:36:06 > 0:36:09to play but no school should think that by simply having
0:36:09 > 0:36:11parent governors you have solved the problem about
0:36:11 > 0:36:12engaging with parents.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15Let me say that there is something in the Labour motion today
0:36:15 > 0:36:23that it is actually inaccurate and should be withdrawn.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26It says, the white Paper proposes the removal of parent governors
0:36:26 > 0:36:27from school governing bodies.
0:36:27 > 0:36:28It does no such thing.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31As well as not getting his tax return in on time he is
0:36:31 > 0:36:39bringing forward motions that are simply wrong.