19/10/2016 Prime Minister's Questions

applaud. As the broadband connectivity is in woodlands. We

have to make sure that is achieved sooner rather than later.

Thank you, Mr Speaker, I know everyone will want to join le in

remembering those affected by Aberfan in which 116 childrdn lost

their lives. It caused devastation to the community, it is likd that

would reflect on this important anniversary and recognise the

solidarity and resilience of the people of Aberfan to overcole this

tragedy. Mr Speaker this morning I had meetings with ministeri`l

colleagues and others and I will have further such meetings today in

addition to my duties in thhs House. Mr Speaker, may I associate myself

with the sentiments of the Prime Minister, I am of an age to remember

those black and white photographs, it affected everyone and we in this

House Basson our thoughts today Mr Speaker, as you might know ht is my

birthday today! The Prime Mhnister has already given me a huge birthday

present by letting everyone know that we will be at the European

union no later than March 30 20 9. So could I press her for another

present? Her excellent policy of closing Victorian prisons and

opening modern ones is a spot on policy. Would she support the

reopening of Wellingborough prison, as part of this excellent programme,

or would she rather just thhnk Happy Birthday? I'm very happy to wish my

honourable friend happy birthday, I hope that Mrs Bone is going to treat

the occasion in an appropri`te manner!

LAUGHTER Can I... Come out...

LAUGHTER Order! I want to hear what hs coming

next! Prime Minister. Calm down Mr Speaker! On the issue that he

raises, the very serious issue he raises about prisons, I welcome the

fact that he applauds the policy that we are following of closing out

of date prisons and building new prisons. I hear the lobbying he s

made in relation to Wellingborough, I assure him that it is one of those

sites being considered but the Secretary of State will look at this

very carefully and make an announcement in due course. Jeremy

Corbyn. Thank you, Mr Speakdr. I join with the Prime Minister in

commemorating the disaster of Aberfan all those years ago when 118

children died, along with m`ny adults at that time. Many in that

community are still living with that tragedy and they will live with that

tragedy for the rest of thehr days. I remember it well as a young person

growing up at that time and watching collections for the disaster fund. I

think the BBC documentary presented by Hugh Edwards last night was

brilliant and poignant and serves to remind us all of what the dhsaster

was about. Mr Speaker, one hn four of us will suffer mental he`lth

problem, analysis by the Kings fund suggests that 40% of mental health

trusts had their budgets cut last year and six have seen their budgets

cut for three years in a row. As the Prime Minister really confident that

we are delivering parity for mental health? May I first say to the right

honourable gentleman that I am also of an age where I remember those

terrible scenes on television of what happened in Aberfan. I did not

see the whole of the documentary by Huw Edwards but the bits I saw I

thought were very poignant `s the right honourable gentleman said And

it is interesting that it showed again the issue of those in power

not being willing to step up to the plate initially, and accept what had

happened. Obviously the restlt of the enquiry was very clear `bout

where responsibility lay. In relation to the mental health

services it is right that wd are introducing parity of esteel for

mental health in the Nation`l Health Service. We have been waiting to

come at long for this. It is important that it is being done But

we are investing more in mental health services, an estimatdd record

?11.7 billion. Particularly increasing the number of chhldren's

beds overall to the highest number in relation to mental health

problems. I think this is ilportant. There is of course more for us to do

in looking at mental health but we have made an important start and

that funding will be there, as I say. Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Speaker, I

have a letter from Colin, a family member office has a chronic mental

health condition and he likd many others with relatives going through

this kind of crisis says thhs, the NHS is so dramatically underfunded

that so often it is left to the underfunded police forces to deal

with the consequence of this crisis. Indeed achieve Constable of Devon

and Cornwall as this month threatened legal action agahnst the

NHS because he is forced to hold people with mental conditions in

police cells because there `re not enough and beds. I simply ask the

Prime Minister this. If the government is committed to parity of

esteem why is this trust and so many others facing an acute financial

crisis at present? Prime Minister. Can I say to Colin and that we all

in this House recognise the difficulty that people have when

they are coping with mental health problems and, I commend those in

this house who have been prdpared to stand up and referred to thdir own

mental health problems. That has been an important signal to people

with mental health issues across the country. He raises the question of

the interaction between the NHS and police forces. I'm very protd of the

fact that when I was secret`ry I worked with the Department of Health

to bring a change to the wax in which police forces were de`ling

with people in mental health prices so that we see those triage pilots

out on the street, we see bdtter NHS support being given to police forces

so the number of people who are having to be taken to a polhce cell

is a place of safety in somd areas, overall it has more than halved in

some areas it has come down by even more than that. This is a rdsult of

the action that this governlent has taken. Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Spdaker the

reality is that no one with a mental health condition should ever be

taken to a police cell. Thex should be supported in the proper way. I do

commend those Police and Crhme Commissioner 's that have ended that

practice in the areas but the reality is that it isn't just Devon

and Cornwall suffering cuts, Norfolk and Suffolk mental health trust has

had a cut for every one of hts last three years and I agree with the

Prime Minister that members of this House openly discussing mental

health issues they have had is a great thing because we do nded to

end the stigma surrounding these conditions across the whole country.

But NHS trusts are in a fin`ncial crisis. According to NHS providers

it seems to be the worst financial crisis in NHS history, 80% of

hospitals no endeavours that. There was a time in 2010 when the NHS was

in surplus. What has happendd? The Prime Minister. I would likd to

remind him that what has happened with NHS funding is this. Wd asked

the NHS themselves to come tp with a five-year plan and say what extra

funding was needed to delivdr on it. They came up with a five-ye`r plan

led by Simon Stevens as chidf executive of the NHS. He sahd it was

?8 billion that was needed `nd we are giving ?10 billion of extra

funding to the and adjust. @nd I might remind the right honotrable

gentleman that, at the last election, it wasn't the Conservative

Party that was refusing to guarantee funding for the NHS, it was the

Labour Party! Mr Speaker cole in six years, the NHS has gone frol surplus

to its worst crisis. ?3 billion was wasted on top-down reorganisation

and no one wanted and yesterday at the select committee Simon Stevens

made it clear that he does not believe that NHS England has enough

money to get through the crhsis it is facing. Can I offer an analysis

from the Care Quality Commission which seemed to have quite ` good

grasp of what's happening. They save at cuts to adult social card, and I

quote, translating to incre`sed A E attendances, emergency missions

and delays to people leaving hospital which in turn is affecting

the ability of a growing nulber of trusts to meet their perforlances

and their natural targets, will the Prime Minister also addressdd the

reckless, counter-productivd cuts made. You could Simon Stevens. The

time of the Autumn Statement last November he said that their case for

the NHS had been hurt activdly supported. The right honour`ble

gentleman raises the question of social care and the interaction

between health and social c`re. Over ?5 billion extra was put into the

better care of and preciselx to deal with these issues. Local authorities

are able to raise about 2% of council tax to deal with social care

costs that they face. But what is important is the health service and

local authorities working together to ensure that they are delhvering

the best possible service for people who require that social card. I saw

a good example of that at S`lford Royal on Monday. I want to see more

such examples across the NHS, delivering for patients. We have put

the funding in. His party would not have done that. We have seen better

care for patient Mikes. We `ll want the government and the local NHS to

work well together but the problem is that local government funding has

been cut, 400,000 fewer people are receiving publicly funded social

care as a consequence, the NHS is having trouble coping with the

crisis, therefore, unfortun`tely there is bed blocking, wherd acute

patients cannot leave because there is no social care available for them

down the line. The issue is the funding crisis in the NHS and in

local government. The published figures by the NHS Trust show that

the total deficit is 2.45 bhllion but the chief executive says this

figure may even be bigger. The government disguises the extent of

the crisis through temporarx bailouts. They are bailing out, and

trust in a crisis, that is not a bad thing but why are they in a crisis

in the first place? -- bailhng out of trust in a crisis. Next lonth, Mr

Speaker, sustainability and transformation plans are gohng be

published. Many, all over the country, are alarmed by this,

because of the threat to accident and emergency departments. Can the

Prime Minister deal with thhs issue now by simply saying there will be

no downgrades and no closurds of A E departments in the statemdnt next

month? Over the course of this Parliament,

the government will be spending over half ?1 trillion on the NHS. That is

a record level of investment in our National Health Service. But there

is a key difference between the way he approaches this and the way that

I do. We believe on this side of the house that, at local level, people

should be able to make decisions about the NHS, that decisions should

be led by clinicians, that ht shouldn't be top-down, which is a

prep -- which is typical of the Labour Party. Well, Mr Speaker,

top-down is what we got. And it cost ?3 billion for a reorganisation that

nobody wanted at all. Mr Spdaker, I started by asking the Prime Minister

about parity of esteem. All this government has produced is parity of

failure. Failing mental health patients, failing elderly pdople who

need social care, failing the 4 million on the NHS waiting list

wailing five times as many people waiting more than four hours at A

departments, and another winter crisis is looming. The socidty of

acute medicines is it right, I think, when it says, this ftnding

crisis and the local governlent funding crisis is leaving the NHS on

its knees. What has happened in the NHS over the last six years? More

patients being treated, mord calls to the Ambulance Service, more

operations, more doctors, more nurses. That is what has bedn

happening in the NHS. But ldt's just look at what his party's approach to

the NHS is. A former Shadow Health Secretary said, it would be

irresponsible to put more money into the NHS. A former leader of the

Labour Party wanted to recognise the NHS. -- weapon ise. At everx

election, the Labour Party claims that the Tories will cut NHS

spending. After every electhon, we increase NHS spending. At every

election, Labour claim that the Tories will privatise the NHS. At

every election, indictment, we have protected the NHS. -- in government.

There is only one party that has cut funding for the NHS, the Labour

Party in Wales. Thank you, Mr Speaker. If the Prime

Minister aware that research shows that infrastructure investmdnt most

benefits area is prepared to capitalise on it, with new

associated possibilities in housing, skills and jobs? Will she ensure

that current opportunities `re taken for inward investment to prdserve

and we energise essential n`tional industries, like one in the Yeovil

area, as we seek to capitalhse on the dualling of the A303? Mx

honourable friend is right. We are investing in infrastructure like the

A303. It is important that local communities embrace those

opportunities. I know that ly honourable friend has been putting

together ideas for Yeovil and I m sure he will share those with Mike

right honourable friend, thd Communities Secretary. I johned the

Prime Minister and the leaddr of the Labour Party in remembering the

Aberfan disaster at my thoughts are with everybody affected. Thousands

of innocent civilians have now been killed by Saudi air strikes in

Yemen. Can the Prime Ministdr give the house assurance that those

civilians have not been killed by pave way missiles, partiallx

manufactured in Scotland, under licence from her government in Saudi

Arabia? I congratulate the right honourable gentleman on his election

as deputy leader of the SNP. I say to him, as he knows, we havd one of

the toughest regimes in the world in relation to arms exports. When these

allegations arise, we have been pressing, I have pressed in the past

and my right honourable fridnd the Foreign Secretary has pressdd the

Foreign Secretary, and the Saudi government investigate and learn

lessons. It is beyond doubt that the Saudi air force is bombing Xemen,

flying planes made in Britahn, by pilots trained by Britain and

dropping missiles made in Britain. I asked her a direct question and she

couldn't answer it. Can she give this house and the assurancd that

civilians have not been killed by Paveway 4 bombs being droppdd on

Yemen which are partially manufactured in Scotland under

licence by the government? Hf she doesn't know the answer to that

question, how can she possibly in good conscience continue selling

them to Saudi Arabia? In response to the right honourable gentlelan, the

point I made was simple. We press for proper investigations into what

has happened on those inciddnts before we reach a decision or

conclusion on what has happdned in relation to those incidents. We have

a very strong elation chip with Saudi Arabia. It is for this country

in terms of dealing with counterterrorism and a numbdr of

other issues. What matters when incidents happen which causdd

concern is that they are properly investigated. A few weeks ago, I

thought I'd successfully botght four tickets online for one of mx

favourite bands, Green Day, only to be told the tickets were un`vailable

and the gig sold out. Within minutes, I could buy the tickets on

another site for twice the price. It turned out the ticket site had been

the victim of an attack by organised cats who resold the ticket hnflated

prices. We'll the Prime Minhster asked her ministers to give close

consideration to my amendment to be Digital economy act which would make

the computerised harvesting of tickets for resale in offence?

Similar legislation exists dlsewhere and it would go a long way to

protecting consumers and genuine music fans. I think my honotrable

friends for raising this issue. I'm sure he isn't the only membdr of the

spouse who has had that expdrience and certainly not the only person,

as people will know from thdir constituency mailbags, to h`ve had

this experience. As part of the consumer rights act, a revidw of

online ticket sales was introduced. Professor Michael Waterson

introduced a report on that. It has produced a number of

recommendations, some for the industry to be able to bettdr

protect itself, but the govdrnment will be looking at the

recommendations of that verx carefully to see what can bd done to

address the issue he talks `bout. The child abuse enquiry needs to

regain the trust of survivors. In September, the Home Secretary said

she had no information about Syria's leadership failings but on Londay

she told the house she had known about serious problems sincd July.

Yesterday it emerged that sdnior home of this -- Home Office

officials were briefed in April this year. She set up the enquirx and

pointed the chair. She was the individual responsible for the

enquiry's success. She was the Home Secretary in April and she was the

only person who had the powdr to act. Can she now finally tell us

when she personally learned of the serious problems developing in this

enquiry and why it was that she took no action at all? Can I say, I

recognise that the honourable lady has taken a particular interest in

this issue and I'm sure she will recognise, as I hope other lembers

of this house do, why it is I set up the enquiry. For too long, people

who had been to child... For too long, people who had been stbjected

to child sexual abuse had their voices going unheard and thdy felt

they were not getting justice. That is why it is very important that the

enquiry is able to continue and find that justice for them. I have to say

to the honourable lady that one of the important aspects of thhs is

that, over the years, too m`ny people have had concerns th`t people

in positions of power have intervened to stop them frol getting

justice. There were stories around about the enquiry and about

individuals related to the dnquiry, but the Home Secretary cannot

intervene on the basis of stspicion, rumour or hearsay. She refers to the

statement made yesterday in this house. She refers to the st`tement

made yesterday in this housd about information being discussed with the

director-general in the Homd Office. She will also have noted th`t that

conversation was asked to bd confidential, and as far as I'm

aware it was treated as such. I think it is important for us to

recognise that, when the Hole Office was officially informed of hssues,

the Home Office acted. It's now for the enquiry to get on and ddliver

for victims and survivors. Having been born and growing up in south

Wales and as a former Secretary of State for Wales, can I associate

myself with the heartfelt tributes that have been paid by the front

bench to the community of Aberfan and throughout this house. Ht was a

tragedy that was unparalleldd and it stunned the world. Can the Prime

Minister in her own words step up to the plate and reconfirm her

commitment to Wales and to dnsuring that her government works whth the

Welsh government, particularly after leaving the EU, to maintain the

levels of investment that so vital to the long-term social and economic

development of the valleys communities and rest of Walds? I say

to my right honourable friend that, as a former Secretary of St`te for

Wales, she is well aware of the impact the Aberfan disaster at an

south Wales and those local communities and, as I said hn my

opening remarks, these events were tragic and the thoughts of the whole

house with those who were affected by them. I can give that colmitment

she is asking for, of this government to Wales and working with

the Welsh government. I am clear this government is going to deliver

a country that works for evdry part of the UK. The Wales Bill whll

transfer a historic transfer of powers to be Welsh Assembly. It will

allow the Welsh government to focus on the job of transforming the Welsh

economy, and we are talking to them about how we are going to go forward

in relation to negotiations for leaving the EU. Progress today has

been very slow. Can I appeal to colleagues to speed up. Much

obliged. Can there be a single member of this house who dods not

have reason to be grateful to those heroes of our high street, the

community pharmacist. And c`n there be any member of the public who is

not as bemused as I am by the fact that the government is proposing a

12% cut in the community ph`rmacy budgets, potentially leading to 3000

closures? Will be Prime Minhster today express her support for

community pharmacy and have another look at this divisive, corrosive and

destructive proposal? I think everybody in this house recognises

the role and contribution of community pharmacies up and down the

country, but it's also right that we look at how we are spending NHS

money. That is why the government is looking at this issue. If the

honourable gentleman supports community pharmacies, perhaps he

ought to have a word with hhs right honourable friend, the Leaddr of the

Opposition, because his polhcy is to completely nationalised the health

system, lock, stock and barrel, GP surgeries, Macmillan nurses and GP

pharmacies. Next week, this government will finally makd a

decision on airport capacitx in the south-east, something that dluded

three of her predecessors and will help boost trade. Does the Prime

Minister agree that on this issue substance matters more? Will she

outlined her timetable for indentation? He is right, this month

this government will take a decision on the appropriate site for expanded

airport capacity in the south-east. This is a subject that's bedn

debated, discussed, speculated on for 40 years. This government will

take a decision. But there hs a formal process that has to be

undertaken, so the government will identify its proposed option

off-site -- of sight. That will go to a statutory consultation. The

government will consider thd results of that and bring forward an

airports national planning statement on which this house will vote. Does

the Prime Minister agree th`t any move to close the historic barracks

at Fort George would not only be a poor military decision after 25

years of service but a betr`yal of the Black Watch and a slap hn the

face to the Highlands? I sax to the honourable gentleman that I

recognised the strength of the view he has put forward. No decisions on

Fort George or other locations have been taken and the Ministry of

Defence will engage with all parties impacted by any decisions that it

takes of this sort, including in Scotland. My right honourable friend

has been expressing some reluctance to submit even the broad pl`ns for

future negotiations with thd EU to this house because of worrids it

might weaken her government's negotiating position. As shd noticed

that this week one or more Brexiteer members of her Cabinet have been

briefing the newspapers cophously on every proposal being put forward in

papers to be relevant Cabindt committee by their colleaguds, and

launching political attacks on their Cabinet colleagues, who seeled to

disagree with them? Will shd take firm action to stop this process,

and will she also agree that the proper approach is Parliamentary

scrutiny of the broad stratdgy once the government has reached `greement

on what it should be? I say to my right honourable friend that the

government is very clear th`t the vote on June the 23rd was a vote to

ensure that we had control of movement of people from the EU into

the UK, but also we want to see the best possible access for businesses

for trading in goods and services with an operating within th`t

European market. That is wh`t the government will be aiming for and we

will be ambitious in that. Parliament will have its sax. These

are going to be lengthy negotiations over the course of two years or

more. Parliament will have hts say in a variety of ways, not ldast in

relation to the great repeal bill. Some of my constituents havd had

their tax credits suddenly stopped by concentric and have been accused

of being in a relationship with previous tenants of their homes who

they have never even met. In some cases, they have been accusdd of

being in a relationship with members of their own families and told to

prove they are not. This Kafka-esque situation is causing deep dhstress

and hardship among working lothers in my constituency. This is what the

Prime Minister means by being on the side of working people? What is she

going to do to put it right? The right honourable lady raises an

issue which is of concern to members across this house. Making stre that

those who are being assessed are being assessed properly and the

decisions and right decisions are taken. The Department for Work and

Pensions is looking at the process of what should be done and how both

assessment should be taken. I say to her that I hoped she would welcome

the fact that this government has said that, for those with long-term

conditions that are not going to improve, we will not be

The first apprenticeship at EDF and the Ministry of Defence has just

been launched. It is another forefront of the approach of reborn

policy does the Prime Minister agree with me that is exactly the of

business Lent course that wd need may

And we do want to see every generation of nuclear expertise in

the industry. The Prime Minhster is celebrated her 65th birthdax but

will not retire. It is her choice. Yet she is denying that samd choice

to many of my constituents, women like Christina, who has worked every

bit as hard as the Prime Minister but will have to now work an extra

six years. When will she do the right thing and give these women

there transitional... So th`t they can also make the choices that she

has enjoys? The honourable lady knows that we have transition

arrangements in place, that action was taken by the government to

ensure that the period of thme that the pension aged changed wotld be no

more than 18 months compared to the previous timetable and for 81% of

women affected by the 2011 change it will be no more than 12 months.

Heidi Allen. Thank you, Mr Speaker, the unemployment figures results

today are fantastic news yet I worry about the economic volatility that

could come as a consequence of Brexit potentially inflation rising

and the cost of living going up for people on modest wages, does the

Prime Minister agree we need to keep as many people in a plummet as

possible and need to make the right decision of tax credits, cotld I

urge you to look at those ctts embedded in universal credit and

make sure we know what it whll do to people trying to get work in this

Autumn Statement. My right honourable friend is right say this,

I'm very proud of the record that the government has over the last six

years of getting more peopld into work so that there are now hundreds

of thousands fewer households with no work income coming into the

household. That is extremelx important and the point of tniversal

credit is to be able to enstre that the transition from benefits into

work as a transition that mdans that people do have benefit if they are

out of work rows this systel means that for some people there were

better off on benefits, we want to see people in work and that is a

system is there to encouragd. Mr Speaker been asking questions for 15

months and this government hs appalling to child policy and rape

close, from one feminist to another how can the Prime Minister justify

putting vulnerable women to the trauma of proving that the third

child has been born as a result of rape? We have been very cle`r that

women with a third child as a result of rape would not be subject to the

limit being considered in rdlation to benefits. I absolutely rdcognise

that the honourable lady is making a point on how this would affdct

individuals who have been through the trauma of rape. That is why the

government is taking its tile, is considering this, consulting on this

at the moment and looking at how we can make sure we do this in the

right way. Sir who goes quidt. Thank you, Mr Speaker, given the

increasing relevance of the Commonwealth in terms of tr`de were

the Prime Minister give her support to the first ever meeting of

Commonwealth trade ministers in the UK next year and will she commit

when she goes to India next month to persuade the Indian Prime Mhnister

to attend in the UK in 2018? I am happy to encourage all leaddrs to

attend the event when it takes place in the UK. I can assure my right

honourable friend that we are looking at the possibility of trade

deals in relation to the Commonwealth and I to applatd that

first ever meeting of Commonwealth trade metres which is an important

step as we look to forging ` new global role in the world, ensuring

we are making a success of trading around the world. Local authorities

are clear that the removal of 2 hour maternity services in ly area

will cost lives and this is a decision the government will have to

make. Will the Prime Ministdr please commit to visiting my consthtuency

to see the effect of the decision upon West Cumbrian families and

children. I say to the honotrable gentleman, this is not the first

time he's raised his concerns in relation to this hospital. Can I say

that the point of the way in which we are approaching this is that

decisions are taken and gendrated from the local level. It is at the

local level that they will look for services necessary to peopld to

ensure they can provide the services needed and safe services for people

of his constituency and othdr parts of Cumbria. Sir Robert Neill. The

tragic murder of one prisondr and the critical winding of two others

in Pentonville prison last light bring some start to the declining

safety and presence. Will the Prime Minister give the Secretary of State

for Justice full support in commissioning a thorough and

complete review of the oper`tional, managerial capacity of leaddrship of

the service which has signally failed to arrest this declining

situation? This is a matter which is one of the very first issue is that

my right honourable friend the Justice Secretary raised with me

which was the question of vholence in prisons and safety in prhsons.

That is why my right honour`ble friend is looking across-thd-board

and the action needed to be taken and has announced extra mondy to the

staff in prisons because shd recognises the importance of this

issue. Lucy Powell. Thank you Mr Speaker, one in every 1000 pupils

has three meals in grammar schools. Does the Prime Minister agrde with

me that this tiny number is flimsy evidence base on which to create a

new national schools policy. Watching the better looking at the

real evidence of how we redtce inequality in education? -- would

she not be better looking about I want to see every child getting the

education right for them, every child able to get on as far as their

talents and hard work will them That is why we need to incrdase the

number of good schools in this country. If you look at the gap in

attainment between those who are from disadvantaged backgrounds and

those not in grammar schools it is virtually zero. That's not the same

in other schools. I say to the honourable lady that I think it is

wrong that we have a system in this country where we have a law that

prevents the opening or exp`nsion of good schools, that is what we will

get rid of. Pauline Latham. Will the premise to work with her secretaries

of state to try to reduce the amount of ivory trade and trade of

endangered species throughott the world, to try to lead by ex`mple

from this country? My honourable friend raises an important hssue,

this is something the government has been taken up and I can asstre her

not only has my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretarx heard

them that has promoted that this is an issue the government will take

up. The pottery industry is witnessing a modest Renaiss`nce

partly through EU exports and action on Chinese ceramic dumping. The

previous prime ministers sahd he would make sure that the ceramic

industry's voice is heard and we would get a good negotiation. What

is this Prime Minister doing to make sure that Stoke-on-Trent ceramic

manufacturers maintain tariff free access to the EU and a level playing

field in the face of protectionist dumping? I say to the honourable

gentleman that I am pleased to welcome the Renaissance in the

ceramics industry that he rdfers to. His constituency has a long,standing

history and tradition in ceramics. What are we doing as we go through

the negotiations were leaving the European Union we will ensure that

this country has the best possible access to trade with and opdrate

within that European market. That is what people want. Many constituents

have expressed concern to md of anti-Semitism. I'm sure that every

member of this House will agree that we should show its zero toldrance.

Does the Prime Minister also agree that all parties should not allow a

situation to arise where it appears that an environment is created when

anti-Semitism is tolerated? Liverpool Prime Minister? I

absolutely agree with my honourable friend that this House should send a

clear message that we won't tolerate anti-Semitism. I have been concerned

about the rise we have seen in the number of anti-Semitic incidents in

this country. We should enstre that those incidents are properlx

investigated and dealt with and give that clear message that we want

tolerated. But that has to be every political party in this chalber And

I ask the right honourable gentleman, the Leader of thd

Opposition, given the report of the select committee of this Hotse about

anti-Semitism and the appro`ch to anti-Semitism in the Labour Party,

he needs to think very carefully about the environment being created

in the Labour Party in relation to anti-Semitism. Andy Burnham. We are

one such man and -- we one lonth from the inquest into the Bhrmingham

pub bombings, the west midl`nds fund has a fund of ?1 million yet the

bereaved families have no ldgal funding. This is a shameful state of

affairs. Please intervene and show the Birmingham families the same

compassion that was shown to the Hillsborough families. The right

honourable gentleman may be aware that the Birmingham families have

been encouraged to apply and I believe they have applied to the

legal aid fund for the exceptional funds. That was as I understand what

happened after the 7/7 bombhngs The Home Secretary has made cle`r her

expectation that funding will be provided. We await the decision from

the legal aid fund. We hope that decision be for certificate. -- will

be positive. Why build a new runway at Heathrow when we could ddliver

one at Gatwick for a fraction of the time and the cost. May I assure my

right honourable friend that no decision has been taken on the site

of airport expansion on the south-east. As she will know from

her previous background that Davis commission said that airport

capacity should be expected, the Davis commission identified three

sites all of which they said would be credible and deliverable. I feel

it is fitting that we finish with a question from Mr Gerard Jonds. Could

I first thank the Prime Minhster and the Leader of the Opposition and

other members for their comlents on the Aberfan disaster and thd

resilience and quiet dignitx shown by the people of Aberfan. On Friday

morning at 915, on the anniversary of the disaster the people of that

community along with communhties of Wales will mark that disastdr with

one minute's silence. Could I ask the Prime Minister if she would

support that moment of silence being marked as the disaster affected

communities across the country, if not the world, that that molent of

silence be marked across thd UK I say to the honourable gentldman I

know the Secretary of State for Wales will attend the memorhal in

his constituency on Friday. I think it is appropriate that we all mark

and show our respect for those who lost their lives and the falilies

who suffered as a result of the tragedy that took place 50 xears ago

in Aberfan. It was, as we s`id earlier, terrible tragedy not just

for families but for communhty and I think it is right that we rdcognise

that and mark it. Thank