27/04/2016 Prime Minister's Questions

Government business are properly regarded and subject to freedom of

information requests as normal despite the rumours he has heard.

I would like to associate myself with the Prime Minister is important

comments on the Hillsborough tragedy along with members on all sides of

the house and pay tribute to the victims, their families, and the

resilience of the campaigners who continue to strive for the pursuit

of justice. In my constituency of easterly service the GPs provide is

crucial to people's daily lives, so does the Prime Minister agree with

me that recent key announcements of ?2.4 billion of funding for GPs is

only possible because there was strong, Conservative majority

government. My honourable friend is absolutely right. We made a choice

to put ?12 billion into the NHS in the last Parliament, 19 billion into

the NHS in this Parliament, and we need to see strengthening primary

care. Our vision is GPs coming together and having in their

surgeries, physiotherapists, mental health practitioners, other clinics

so people can get the health care they need and we take the pressure

off hospitals. That will only happen if we have a government that keeps

investigating -- investing in our NHS. Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Yesterday, after 27 years, the 96 people who tragically lost their

lives at Hillsborough and their families finally received the

justice they were entitled to. I welcome the fact that the Prime

Minister has apologised for the actions of previous governments and

I join him in paying tribute to all of those families who campaigned

with such dignity, steadfastness and determination to get to the truth of

what happened to their loved ones on that dreadful afternoon. I also paid

a very warm tribute to my friends, the members for Liverpool Walton,

Holton, Garston and Halewood, who have relentlessly campaigned with

great difficulty over many years. I hope the whole house today will be

united in demanding that all those involved in the lies, smears and

cover-ups that have so bedevilled the whole enquiry will now be held

to account. Last week, the Prime Minister told the house that he was

going to put rocket boosters on his forced canonisation proposals. This

weekend, in the light of widespread unease, it seems the Weald are

falling off the rocket boosters, and the government is considering a

U-turn -- the wheels are falling. Can the Prime Minister 's confirm

whether the U-turn is being prepared for not? First of all let me join

the Right Honourable gentleman in praising those who campaigned so

hard and so long to get justice for the victims of Hillsborough. This

whole process took far too long but I think it is right, and I pay

tribute to the honourable member that we had that Jones report and

responded to it, and I also want to mention the former Attorney General

who took the case to the High Court for the government himself to argue

for that vital second inquest. Turning to the issue of academies, I

have yet to see a rocket booster with a wheel on it, but rocket

science isn't really my science, and maybe it's not his. I repeat again,

academies are raising standards in our schools. I want a system where

it is heads and teachers running schools, not bureaucrats. There

wasn't much of an answer there, so can the Prime Minister tell us

whether... If the members opposite would be patient enough, they might

hear the question I'm putting to the Prime Minister, which is another

very simple one. Could he tell us whether he will bring forward

legislation to force, against the wishes of good and outstanding

schools, to become academies in the upcoming Queen 's speech? Yes or no?

Obviously I cannot pre-empt what is in the Queens speech, but on this

one example I can help him out. We are going to have academies for all,

and it will be in the Queens speech. Well, Mr Speaker, we look forward to

that, but there is still time for the U-turn that I'm sure is at the

back of the Prime Minister's mine. It has been reported that the

government is considering allowing good local authorities to form

multi-academy trusts. Ironically, this would give local authorities

more responsibility for running schools than they have now. Although

the Prime Minister's previously suggested that local authorities are

holding schools back. So why is this costly reorganisation of school is

necessary for schools that are already good or outstanding? Why is

he forcing it on them? As I said last week, and I like repeats on

television and I am happy to have them in the house as well,

outstanding schools have nothing to fear from becoming academies and

indeed have a lot to gain. Just because a school is outstanding or

good doesn't mean it can't have further improvement, not least,

because we want to see outstanding schools helping other schools in

their area, often by being part of an Academy trust. He raises the

issue about local authorities. To question so far, third question,

third clear answer coming. Simmer down. Perhaps if you can deal with

the anti-Semites in your own party, we might be prepared to deal with

you a little bit more. Maybe we will come answer that. Of course there

are lots of ways schools can become academies. They can convert and

become academies, they can work with an outside organisation or work with

other schools in the area all look at working with the local authority.

Those schools that want to go on looking at local authority services

are free to do so. Academies are great, academies for all our good

policy, but what we are seeing from the Labour Party, I sense, is in

favour of maybe he can save does he favour

academies or not? Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister will be aware that

sometimes repeats on television get more views than the first time

round. The chief executive of the largest academy chain in London, the

Harris Academy, has warned that a far more fundamental thing that the

Prime Minister should worry about, whether school should become

academies or not, is actually teacher shortages. The academies, Mr

Speaker, don't want this, teachers don't want it, parents don't want

it, Conservative councils and MPs don't want it. Who actually does

want this top-down reorganisation he is imposing on the education system?

Question number four, answer number four. Let's start with Michael

Wilshaw, the chief inspector of schools. Somebody quite worthwhile

listening to. Academies Asian -- academies in schools can lead to

improvement and it is right to give more power to the front line. The

OECD, they have been in the news today. The OECD say that they view

the trend towards academies as a promising development in the UK

which used to have a rather prescriptive education system. So

they have supported it. What about endless Academy trusts who support

it? He asked another question, very keen for complete at answers. If you

shout, you won't hear the answers. He asked about teacher shortages.

The fact is, there are more school places and more teachers under this

government than there were under Labour. Why? Because we got a

successful economy and we are putting it into our schools and our

children's future. Mr Speaker, there are of course still record numbers

of children in oversized classes and super-sized classes that is getting

worse. And he feel he is looking for support for his academies proposal,

he might care to phone up his friends, the leaders of Hampshire,

West Sussex and his own Oxfordshire County Council, who are deeply

concerned and opposed to it. He might care to listen to Council

Carter, the Conservative chair of the county council 's network, who

said the change will lead to a poorer education system --

Councillor Carter. So why is he pushing it through with so much

opposition and so much concern and such a waste of money when we should

be investing in teachers and schools, not top-down

reorganisation? I'm glad he is quoting Conservative council

leaders, and because they keep the council tax than provide good

services I hope we will see more of them in days' time. -- council tax

down and provide. On teacher supply, just to be clear, 13,000 more

teachers than 2010, to give a wholly accurate answer to his fourth

question. Again he asked about who else would support academies. Let me

quote Helena Mills of the burnt Mill Academy trust. She said she used to

be very sceptical and resistant to academy status. But during the

process of developing the academy I have been increasingly convinced

that this is the way forward. That is what more and more people are

seeing. That is why 1.3 million more children in good and outstanding

schools. That is why almost nine out of ten converter academies are good

or outstanding schools. We are very clear on this side of the house, we

back aspiration and opportunity. We back investment in our schools. We

want every child to get the best. It is Labour who want to hold back

opportunity and have one size fits all. Mr Speaker, there seems to be a

pattern developing here. The pattern is quite simply this. He

has a Health Secretary that is imposing a contract on junior

doctors against the wishes of patients and the public and the rest

of the medical profession. He has an Education Secretary imposing yet

another Tory top-down reorganisation that nobody wants. When will his

government show some respect and listen to the public, parents and

patients, and indeed, professionals who have given their lives to public

service in education and health and change his ways? Listen to them and

trust other people to run other services rather than imposing things

from above. I tell him the pattern that is developing. We can see 1.9

million more people being treated in the health service. We

can see 1.3 million more children in good or outstanding schools. That is

the battlements developing, a strong economy investing in public

services. -- pattern developing. The other pattern I'm seeing is that I

am on my fifth Labour leader standing at this box, and if he

carries on like this I will soon be on my sixth.

Mr Speaker, the Government package to help potential buyers of the Tata

Steel site in Port Talbot is substantial, befitting the trend is

bipartisan measures the government has taken to save this industry for

top it stands in stark contrast with the distasteful, disrespect for

contacts web of contrast of a Labour spokesman who said that it had been

good for Labour. Could I ask if there is any indication that the

package could help expedite the sale of the site, which could provide

long-term viable future for well steal the we all hope for? I want to

thank him for welcoming me yesterday and before come into his

constituency yesterday, I visited Port Talbot and I met with the

management and the trade unions. I had a very constructive discussion

and I did actually meet the Conservative leader, Andrew RT

Davies, who does an excellent job in the Welsh Assembly. If you want to

be Speaker, you better stop interrupting everybody. It's not

going to get you any votes! A little tip for you there. There is a

serious point, which is that the areas where we could help are in

power, procurement, on the issue of pensions. There is a very

constructive conversation going on but I say again from this dispatch

box, while I want to do everything I can to secure the future not only

for Port Talbot but also for Scunthorpe and steel-making in

Britain, we are coping with a massive oversupply, a collapse in

prices from China, so we must do all we can. There is no guarantee of

success but if we work hard, get a proper sales process and get behind

it on a bipartisan basis, we can see success here. Following the

Hillsborough inquiry, we join in all of the comments that have been said

thus far in relation to the families and paying tribute all of the

campaigners for justice. Mr Speaker, last night the Government was

defeated for the second time in the House of Lords on the issue of

refugee children being given refuge in the UK. There are many members of

that house, as there are many members of this House, in all

parties, including the primers to's wild side, who would wish us to do

much much more in helping provide refuge for unaccompanied children in

Europe at the present time. Will the Prime Minister please reconsider his

opposition and stop walking on by on the other side? I don't think anyone

could accuse this country of walking on by in terms of this refugee

crisis. Let's be very clear about what we've done. First of all,

taking 20,000 refugees from outside of Europe, which I think has

all-party support. Second of all, last week announcing a further 3000

principally unaccompanied children and children at risk from outside

Europe that we will be taking. Third of all, in our normal refugee

procedures, last year we took over 3000 unaccompanied children. But

where I disagree, respectively, with their Lordship's house, is those

people who are in European countries are in safe European countries. To

compare somehow children or adults who are in France or Germany or

Italy or Spain or Portugal or Greece... To compare that with

children stuck in Nazi Germany I think is deeply wrong and we'll

continue with our approach, which includes, by the way, being the

second largest donor of any country anywhere in the world into those

refugee camps. Just as in the 1930s, thereafter thousands... There's no

comparison, Mr Speaker. Apparently, there's no comparison between

thousands of children needing refuge in the 1930s and thousands of

children it in Europe at the present time. Order, order! Order! I'm not

interested in somebody yelling out their opinion of the honourable

gentleman's question. This is the home of free speech. The honourable

gentleman and every other member will be heard, however long this

session takes. It's very clear. Mr Angus Robertson. Europol estimates

that 10,000 unaccompanied children in Europe have disappeared. This is

an existential question about the safety of vulnerable children. The

Prime Minister thinks it is not the responsibility of the latest kingdom

to help unaccompanied children in Europe, so I ask him, who has the

moral responsibility to feed them, to clothe them, to educate them and

give them refuge if not us and everybody in Europe? Let me answer

that very directly. First of all, any unaccompanied child who has

direct family in Britain and claiming asylum, under the Dublin

regulations, can come to Britain, and quite right, too. But he asked

the question, who was was once both refugees? The person responsible is

the country in which they are in. -- who is responsible for refugees. You

have to ask yourself, do we do better by taking a child from

refugee camp or taking a child from the Lebanon or taking a child from

Jordan than we do taking a child from France or Italy or Germany?

And, as I said, to compare this to the 1930s is frankly to insult those

countries who are our neighbours and partners. Thank you, Mr Speaker. ATP

industries group based in Kalak would one of Europe's largest

independent manufacturers of vehicle electronics and were last week

awarded the Queens award for innovation. They export goods across

the globe, with the international trade increasing by 50 this out last

year. Will my right honourable friend join me in congratulating ATP

and will he set out what the government is doing to support

exporters to reach new markets? I certainly join her in congratulating

ATP. It's very difficult to win at Queen's on for export so they do

deserve praise. What we need to see in our country is... We currently

have one in five SMEs that exports. If we could make that one in four,

we could wipe out our trade deficit. We are courage and that through the

work of UKTI. We are also encouraging it by encouraging

reassuring, by getting the supply and components industries, for

instance, for the automotive industries, to come back on shore

and invest in Britain. In my constituency, family have lived and

raise their family in a small village for many years. Despite full

cooperation, they face an uphill and fruitless battle the Home Office,

have had their driving licences revoked and are being forced out of

a community they have served and invested in by a technicality around

their business, the local shop. Will the Prime Minister look into this

grossly unfair situation and work with me to achieve justice for this

family? I'll certainly have a look at the KC mentions if he lets me

know the names and the nature of the issues, and I'll make sure the Home

Office look at it urgently. As the primers to will know from getting

stuck in traffic on his way into Bath just before the general

election last year, my constituency is plagued by high air-pollution and

congestion. Given this government's commitment to invest billions of

pounds in a Church, something that the previous Labour government

failed to do in 13 years, will Prime Minister look at committing to look

of the construction of the long overdue and much-needed missing

A36-40 six Link Rd to the east of my constituency? I'll certainly have a

look at what he says stop the makes an important point because some

people think that if you care about air quality, there is no room for

any road building but, of course, stationary traffic is much polluting

than moving traffic and we have to make sure the arteries that serve

all our constituencies are open, so I'll carefully at what he said but

at the same time, we should recognise that air quality is

improving, nitrogen oxides are down 17% over the last four years and we

want to do more by introducing the clean air programme. With the UK

facing our most momentous decision for a generation in eight weeks,

does the Prime Minister think it makes more sense for us to listen to

all of our closest friends and allies around the world or to a

combination of French fascists, Nigel Farage and Vladimir Putin?

Well, I'm glad he takes the English pronunciation of Farage, rather than

the rather poncey foreign sounding one that he seems to prefer. I think

that's a thoroughly good thing. Obviously, I think we should listen

to our friends and our allies and as I look around the world, it's hard

to find the leader of a country that wishes us well that wants us to do

anything other than stay inside a reformed European Union. Mr Speaker,

the new ISAs that were announced in this budget are very welcome. They

will help people save for homes and retirement. Does my right Oracle

friend will have seen in this morning's City AM, as much of a

third of the gains a pension could make over a lifetime could be

stripped. Can he tell me what this covenant is doing to make sure that

firms investing people's hard earned savings reveal all the fees they

will be paying so that people can choose what is best for them? He has

fought a long campaign about this and quite rightly so. One of the

things that saps people's enthusiasm for investing and savings products

is the sense that they don't understand the fees and charges and

don't know how much they are going to get out of them. What we've done

is since last April, trustees have defined -- of defined contribution

schemes... The FCA argument bids to making regulations with us during

this Parliament requiring the publication of more costs and

charges. -- the FCA are committed. I'm sure he will put us all the way

to make sure it happens. The Prime Minister and his government did next

to nothing to say the Scottish steel industry. It was left to the

Scottish Government. Now the UK Government is breaking the promises

made by both Tories and Labour to protect the Scottish shipbuilding

industry. Why does the Prime Minister think that Scottish jobs

are so expendable? Frankly, the Scottish Government and the UK

Government should work together and one of the things we should work

together on his procurement. And it is worth asking how much Scottish

steel was in the Forth Road Bridge? Zero, none, absolutely nothing. Yes,

what a contrast with the warships that we're building. Of course, we

wouldn't be building them if we happen independent Scotland. So

we've backed the steel industry with actions as well as words. Order! The

House is excitable but it must simmer down. We must hear the

honourable lady. Hatred and ignorance lie at the heart of

anti-Semitism. And when those in public life express such views, they

denigrate not only themselves but also the institutions to which they

belong. Will my right honourable friend please reassure this House of

his commitment to fighting this vicious form of prejudice? I think

it is very simple. Anti-Semitism is effectively racism and we should

call it out and fight it wherever we see it. And the fact that, Frankie,

we've got a Labour MP with the Labour whip, who made remarks about

the transportation of people from Israel to America, and talked about

a solution, and is still in receipt of the Labour whip, is quite

extraordinary. Let me tell you what the Shadow Chancellor said about

these people. "Out, Out, out. If people express these views, they are

out. People might be able to reform their views on the rest of it. On

this, I can't see it, I'm not having it. People might say, I change my

views and will do something with a different organisation". I'm

friendly, there will be too many hours in the day before that happens

the MP in question. One of my constituents was killed at the age

of 25 by an 18-year-old driving a hire car without a licence. He was

driving at 80 mph in a 30 mph zone. The 18-year-old was convicted of

causing death by dangerous driving and received a sentence after six

years, of which probably serve three. Two weeks ago, myself along

with Joseph's family, delivered a 20,000 signature petition calling

for tougher sentences for causing death by dangerous driving. Does the

Prime Minister agree with me that sentences for these crimes are too

lenient, and when can we expect to get a response to our petition and

get justice for Joseph? Well, I have every simply with the family in

question. I had an almost identical case in my constituency, where a

young girl was killed I a dangerous driver. The maximum sentence is 14

years, so the courts do have the ability to sentence more but I know

what this means to the families. I'm making sure that the Minister for

roads is looking again at these issues in terms of dangerous driving

and I'll make sure the case she mentioned this taken into account.

-- is taken. As the birthplace of the industrial revolution, Dudley is

proud of its heritage but we need economic stability to deliver a

prosperous future. Will the Prime Minister helped to launch the new

enterprise zone in Brierley Hill, to look at how we can attract more

investment, create new jobs and develop a highly skilled workforce

our community needs? I will look very carefully, whether I'm able to

do that, because we support the industrial regeneration of the Black

Country. The truth is, enterprise zones have been a success. They

created nearly 25,000 jobs, attracted over 630 companies and

secured 2.4 billion of private sector investment. A lot of the

delivery of enterprise zones is going to involve a lot of hard work

by local authorities and I pay tribute to them and I wish him well

in the Black Country. Given the strategic and economic importance of

the M62 corridor to the northern powerhouse, can the Prime Minister

give me and the people of Bradford his commitment to the

electrification of the cold of a line, and lent his support for the

great city of Bradford to be a fundamental part of the proposed

northern powerhouse? We have made commitments knowledge

of occasion in terms of North- South lines and East - Westlands stockpile

look carefully at proposal she makes. Nuclear matters in Cumbria.

We have a nuclear Gazzi at Sellafield. Defence work at Barrow

and the prospect of serious investment in a new nuclear land at

Moorside. Given the apparent opposition to nuclear from the party

is opposite, can the Prime Minister confirm that the long-term decisions

for both nuclear power and defence will be made in a timely manner? He

is absolutely right that Cumbria does depend, to a large extent, on

jobs from the industries that he mentions. Obviously, an Sellafield,

we continue to invest in reprocessing and in the procedures

that. We are also looking at redeveloping our commercial nuclear

industries, starting with the vital decision that Hinkley Point, which

could have very great benefits for other areas that want to see nuclear

power stations. And, of course, Barrow is home to the development of

our nuclear submarines and we will be holding a vote in this House to

make sure we renew our Trident in full. The Prime Minister has just

suggested that child refugees alone in Europe are safe. There are

children's homes fall in Italy and Greece and over 1000 children will

sleep rough in Greece alone tonight. How are they safe? 10,000 children

have disappeared in Europe. How are they safe? The agencies say that

children are committing survival sex. They are being abused, subject

to prostitution and rape. It is not insulting other European countries

to offer to help. They want us to help. So will he reconsider his

position on the amendment before it comes back to the vote and stopped

with his attitude to loan child refugees, putting this House and

this country to shame? If we are helping other European countries,

and we're helping other European countries, not least with the ?10

million we was announced. But the crucial point is this. How do we in

Britain best help child refugees? We think we help them by taking them

from the refugee camps. Taken from Lebanon, from Jordan, when they to

this country. That's what we're doing and we have a proud record. --

bringing them to this country. Several small businesses I've met

within Tadcaster last week are being treated appallingly by insurance

companies. Four months after the floods Maclean's have not been

settled and renewal premiums art being hiked to astronomical levels.

-- claims have not been settled. The Government has introduced the flood

scheme to help homeowners after flooding the stock does my right

honourable friend agree with me that the same protection should be given

to small business owners, to? First of all, I absolutely recognise the

problem that he lays out. My constituency was badly flooded and

some insurance company is paid out very quickly, others were not so

fast. I understand when will look at what happened during the winter,

we've got 82% of claims that have been paid out but what I would say

to him and other colleagues is, where you have specific examples,

the Secretary of State for farming, food and rural affairs will be very

interested to see them so we can get on top of the insurance industry. On

the issue of whether we need a flood restyle approached of small

businesses, we will looks as if they're about to make sure the small

businesses can get the insurance they need. Three years ago, whilst

on holiday in France, my mother fell seriously ill. Thanks to the French

health service, she received excellent treatment, was diagnosed

with cancer, unfortunately, but she is doing well today, thanks to our

NHS is well. Millions of Brits every year travel to other EU countries

and benefit, like my mum, from the revered health insurance card. What

would happen to that card should we vote to leave on the 23rd of June?

First of all, our behalf of the whole house, can I wish Motherwell

in her treatment and the treatment she is getting from the NHS? She

raises an important point, which is, this is one of the important

benefits we have now. Many of us would have used it ourselves or for

our own children and we think we can make the system even better as we

are. It is for those who want to leave the EU to explain, if we were

to leave, would we still be able to access this and other such systems,

which are very handy for people going on holidays? Whatever the

outcome of the EU referendum, does the Prime Minister agree that one

thing that will never diminish is the mutual affection and admiration

between Britain and our great ally France? In that connection, will he

paid tribute to the people who fought and won the Normandy

campaign, such as the late Captain Paul Cash, who was killed fighting

in Normandy at the age of 26, having won the military cross. He was the

father of the honourable member, my friend the honourable member for

stone, and Sergeant Peter Carne, who, at 93, is at Westminster today,

who built the bridge is that May the break-out from the Normandy

beachhead and who will be receiving a French award in a typically

cordial gesture French allies. I join him in paying tribute all those

who served, particularly those who fell in that heroic campaign. One of

the proudest things I've been able to do as Prime Minister was to go to

the 70th anniversary and go to that vigil, where our gliders came in to

prepare for those landings and to go to Gold Beach and see the incredible

work that was done, so we should remember what they did and we should

remember what it was that they gave their lives for, which was to

achieve peace on our continent. My constituent Debra has HIV that she

contracted via a partner who received a contaminated blood

transfusion. My constituent Neil has hepatitis, again from the controller

tainted transfusion. He now needs a second liver transplant. Neither of

them can hold down a full-time job because of the catastrophic effects

of their health on the conditions so they absolutely rely on the support

from the state that the Government is applied to slash in half. I asked

the Prime Minister, why is the Government so willing to attack

people whose only this take was to be unlucky? First of all, what we

said before the election was that we'd set aside ?25 million to help

those who were infected with HIV because of contaminated blood. We

raise that to 100 million and we are currently consulting with all the

groups about how best to use that money. We are going to be doing more

than we said at a lecture on time and it is very necessary because

these people have suffered through no fault of their own.

Order. Secretary of State for the Home Department.