:00:24. > :00:30.My right honourable friend the Prime Minister is in Bahrain. Mr Speaker,
:00:31. > :00:33.this morning I had meeting with ministerial colleagues and others
:00:34. > :00:37.and in addition to my duties in this House, I shall have further such
:00:38. > :00:44.meetings in this House later today. Yesterday's signing of a memorandum
:00:45. > :00:49.of understanding with Houston Space Court and the Rise Space Ince staut
:00:50. > :00:55.brings the reality of a Prestwick Space Court closer. With the huge
:00:56. > :00:57.boost that could give to the airspace injury, will the UK
:00:58. > :01:02.Government support the Scottish Government to get this off the
:01:03. > :01:09.ground? I can certainly assure the honourable lady that the Government
:01:10. > :01:13.is looking very keenly at the opportunities to Scotland, indeed
:01:14. > :01:17.the whole of the UK, arising from the future development of commercial
:01:18. > :01:21.space operations. The Ayrshire operation that she has described I'm
:01:22. > :01:24.sure will be examined by closely by most both my ministerial colleagues
:01:25. > :01:29.who are particularly concerned with this area of policy but we want to
:01:30. > :01:33.see the UK as a pioneer in seizing these new commercial opportunities.
:01:34. > :01:42.Perhaps thinking of rail passengers trying to get their their jobs, the
:01:43. > :01:46.secretary has spoke about abandoned workers and the Unite's Ken
:01:47. > :01:52.McCluskey is doing a Ukip move, resigning and trying to return. Will
:01:53. > :01:58.my honourable friend tell the RMT that 250 people will guaranteed
:01:59. > :02:02.employment should not put the lives and safety of southern rail
:02:03. > :02:07.passengers at risk? Hype' sure my honourable friend will be speaking
:02:08. > :02:10.on behalf of many thousands of rail passengers in his constituency, and
:02:11. > :02:15.many others -- I'm sure, in the south of England. It is deeply
:02:16. > :02:18.disappointing that some unions are threatening to strike over the
:02:19. > :02:21.Christmas period. The Government is now investing record amounts in
:02:22. > :02:25.improving our railways, up to ?40 billion over the next five years and
:02:26. > :02:28.we need everyone in industry, both management and unions to work
:02:29. > :02:35.together to secure the best deal for passengers. I have to say that the
:02:36. > :02:39.RMT's action shows co-ordinated contempt for the travelling public.
:02:40. > :02:46.And it seems designed to do nothing except bring about the maximum
:02:47. > :02:52.damage to people's lives. Mr Speaker there is heckling from the bedges
:02:53. > :02:57.opposite. -- benches opposite. This party, Mr Speaker s on the side of
:02:58. > :03:01.rail passengers. -- is on the side. I hope that the party opposite will
:03:02. > :03:05.join me in saying to the rail union leaders - sort it out, put the
:03:06. > :03:10.travelling public first. Stop the squabbling and tell your members to
:03:11. > :03:17.get back to work. THE SPEAKER: Emily Thornbury.
:03:18. > :03:22.CHEERS Nchtsds thank you, Mr Speaker. Thank
:03:23. > :03:28.you Mr Speaker. I'm sure the whole house will want to join with me in
:03:29. > :03:34.commemorating the 71st anniversary of the Pearl Harbour attack where
:03:35. > :03:36.thousands of American service personnel and civilians survived.
:03:37. > :03:41.Winston Churchill summoned Parliament to debate the British
:03:42. > :03:44.response. When he z he said this "It is indispensable to aer our system
:03:45. > :03:50.of Government that Parliament should play its full part in all important
:03:51. > :03:54.acts of the state." These quords are a vital reminder that even at a time
:03:55. > :03:58.of crisis, in fact especially at a time of national crisis, the role of
:03:59. > :04:01.Parliament is central A in that same spirit, we welcome the Government's
:04:02. > :04:05.decision to accept our motion today, that they will show Parliament their
:04:06. > :04:10.plan for Brexit, before Article 50 is triggered. So, can I ask the
:04:11. > :04:15.Leader of the House one central question about this plan? Does the
:04:16. > :04:24.Government want the UK to remain part of the customs union?
:04:25. > :04:30.Mr Speaker, can I first of all join the honourable lady opposite in
:04:31. > :04:41.marking the anniversary of Pearl Harbour, in remembering all of those
:04:42. > :04:46.who lost their lives at that time, but, also, marking with a sense of
:04:47. > :04:50.some celebration, even, the fact that Prime Minister Abe is joining
:04:51. > :04:57.President Obama in going to Pearl Harbour, the first Japanese Prime
:04:58. > :05:03.Minister so to do, and that sign of reconciliation, putting ancient
:05:04. > :05:07.conflicts behind is a welcome one. The point about Europe. The
:05:08. > :05:11.Government has made it clear we would seek to give additional
:05:12. > :05:14.clarity about our position at the earliest opportunity but it has been
:05:15. > :05:17.the case as my right honourable friend the Prime Minister said many
:05:18. > :05:21.times, that one of our core objectives is going to be to secure
:05:22. > :05:24.the maximum freedom for British companies, both to have access to
:05:25. > :05:28.and operate within the single European market.
:05:29. > :05:32.I thank the Leader of the House for that answer but I would respectfully
:05:33. > :05:35.say to him that surely on this issue, the answer should be
:05:36. > :05:39.straightforward. We all know that it would be a disaster to British
:05:40. > :05:44.business if we do not remain part of the customs union.
:05:45. > :05:48.As the Leader of the House himself said in February, "Everything we
:05:49. > :05:53.take for granted, trade without customs checks or paper work at
:05:54. > :05:59.National Front years, would all be up in the air, it is massive what is
:06:00. > :06:04.at risk." On this side of the House we couldn't agree with him more. Can
:06:05. > :06:08.he put it beyond doubt, right now, today, tell us - does the Government
:06:09. > :06:15.want the UK to stay in the customs union?
:06:16. > :06:19.The honourable lady and I - she's right Mr Speaker, the honourable
:06:20. > :06:23.lady and I both argued passionately for the Remain cause during the
:06:24. > :06:29.referendum. What separates us now is that I am part of a Conservative
:06:30. > :06:33.Government, which is working together to respect the democratic
:06:34. > :06:38.verdict... CHEERS And to secure the best-possible
:06:39. > :06:44.outcome for the prosperity and security of the entire United
:06:45. > :06:47.Kingdom, from those into,s. Whereas the honourable lady, even just two
:06:48. > :06:51.months ago was telling us that she wanted to go back to the British
:06:52. > :06:57.people in some way. She needs to decide whether she accepts the
:06:58. > :07:02.democratic verdict or not. Of course we accept the democratic decision of
:07:03. > :07:07.the British public. Of course we do, but the difference
:07:08. > :07:11.between our side of the House and that side, is that we want to leave
:07:12. > :07:16.the European Union on behalf of 100%, on behalf of the whole of this
:07:17. > :07:19.nation. Now, we really need to have a straightforward answer to a
:07:20. > :07:22.straightforward question. Because leaving the customs union would mean
:07:23. > :07:29.having to check every container coming in at Dover. It would mean UK
:07:30. > :07:33.firms having to prove their origin tests, whenever they export to
:07:34. > :07:37.Europe T would mean chaos and it would mean grud lock for
:07:38. > :07:42.cross-border supply chains and as the Leader of the House -- gridlock.
:07:43. > :07:46.And as the Leader of the House said in lamb and beef exports, they go
:07:47. > :07:50.Taif-free, they go without any extra checks, you cannot guarantee any of
:07:51. > :07:55.that if we are outside. Now, again, on this side, we agree with what he
:07:56. > :08:09.said six months ago. The question is - does he still agree with himself?
:08:10. > :08:12.I thought it hadn't escaped the honourable lady's attention that
:08:13. > :08:17.there has been a significant referendum since February and that
:08:18. > :08:22.changes the context in which we are now having to operate. We face
:08:23. > :08:26.achallenging, yes, very wide-ranging negotiation and it would be harmful
:08:27. > :08:30.to the national interest for me or another ministers to engage in the
:08:31. > :08:34.sort of detailed expedition of our negotiating position that she is now
:08:35. > :08:39.pressing upon me. None of the other 27 governments is doing that, nor
:08:40. > :08:47.should we. Dear oh dear, we are not asking for
:08:48. > :08:51.details. We are asking about a central plank of the negotiation. If
:08:52. > :08:55.he can not give us an answer on the customs union as a whole... THE
:08:56. > :09:00.SPEAKER: Order, order. Both the questions and the answers will be
:09:01. > :09:06.heard. So, if the juvenile behaviour can stop, that would be really
:09:07. > :09:10.#4e7ful to the scrutiny process. Emily Thornbury -- really helpful.
:09:11. > :09:16.We don't get an answer on the whole of the customs union. Can I ask him
:09:17. > :09:19.about one specificp point. Since 1993 there have been no customs
:09:20. > :09:23.checks between the land border between Northern Ireland and the
:09:24. > :09:25.Irish Republic. In May when visiting Northern Ireland, the right
:09:26. > :09:30.honourable gentleman said - if the UK was in the part of the customs
:09:31. > :09:41.union, then there would have to be custom checks at the border and he
:09:42. > :09:44.said, for anyone to pretend otherwise would be "flying in the
:09:45. > :09:48.face of reality" can he confirm that is the position and if he is right,
:09:49. > :09:52.he must make it clear this is something that the Government is
:09:53. > :09:56.determined to avoid? The Prime Minister and the Northern Ireland
:09:57. > :10:01.Secretary have repeatedly made it clear that we, as indeed has the
:10:02. > :10:05.Irish Government, want to see the very long-standing common travel
:10:06. > :10:08.arguments and the free trade arrangementings across the Irish
:10:09. > :10:12.border continue. We are actively engaged in talking both to the
:10:13. > :10:16.Northern Ireland Executive and to the Government of the Republic of
:10:17. > :10:20.Ireland, about those matters. There is goodwill on all those sides to
:10:21. > :10:23.try and reach a solution that works for the people, north and south of
:10:24. > :10:27.the border. The Leader of the House has made the
:10:28. > :10:32.familiar argument that he can't give answers, that it is all to be
:10:33. > :10:36.resolved through a negotiation. Brexit means Brexit, Brexit means
:10:37. > :10:38.breakfast, but that is not what the Secretary of State for Brexit
:10:39. > :10:43.himself said when he was asked about the customs union in September,
:10:44. > :10:48.because he said "We have looked at this matter carefully and that is
:10:49. > :10:52.exactly the sort of decision that we will resolve before we trigger
:10:53. > :10:57.Article 50." So, if the Government is going to decide the position on
:10:58. > :11:01.this issue before March 31st, account Leader of the House confirm
:11:02. > :11:03.-- can the Leader of the House confirm that the British people and
:11:04. > :11:10.the British Parliament will be told some answers to my questions before
:11:11. > :11:15.they tell the rest of Europe? Mr Speaker if the answers sound
:11:16. > :11:20.familiar t maybe that we need constant repetition before the
:11:21. > :11:26.honourable lady will understand and appreciate it. The Government is, at
:11:27. > :11:32.the moment, engaged in a consultation with more than 50
:11:33. > :11:36.sectors of United Kingdom business, to ascertain precisely which aspects
:11:37. > :11:41.of European Union membership work well for them, which they see as
:11:42. > :11:46.harmful, where the opportunities beyond EU membership lie. We will
:11:47. > :11:51.come to a decision and we will go into negotiations on behalf of the
:11:52. > :11:55.full 100% of the United Kingdom population and all four nations of
:11:56. > :12:01.the United Kingdom. The fact is and he knows t we all
:12:02. > :12:05.know it. He can -- he knows it. He can consult as much as he likes the
:12:06. > :12:08.answer will come back, we should be part of a customs union. It is
:12:09. > :12:14.hugely disappointed that on a day when the Government is committing to
:12:15. > :12:17.its greater transparency on plans for Brexit we get the usual stone
:12:18. > :12:20.walling. We have a Government promising to tell us the plan, while
:12:21. > :12:23.refusing to give us the answers to the most basic of questions. We have
:12:24. > :12:27.a Government promising to give Parliament a spend when they are
:12:28. > :12:30.spending we don't know how much of tax payers' money across the road in
:12:31. > :12:33.the Supreme Court trying to stop Parliament having a say on this. In
:12:34. > :12:38.short, we have a Government that cannot tell us the plan, because
:12:39. > :12:47.they do not have a plan. They do not have a plan. In February, the Leader
:12:48. > :12:53.of the House said when he was hearing about the Leave campaign,
:12:54. > :12:56.was "confusing, contradictory nonsense" my final question is this
:12:57. > :13:05.- are we hearing anything different from this Government today? Mr
:13:06. > :13:10.Speaker, we will publish, before Article 50 is triggered, a statement
:13:11. > :13:15.about our negotiating strategy and objectives, as the Prime Minister
:13:16. > :13:21.has said yesterday. But the honourable lady seems, again, to be
:13:22. > :13:27.in a state of utter denial about the consequences that flow from the
:13:28. > :13:30.referendum decision. No other EU Government is seeking to reverse or
:13:31. > :13:35.question the legitimacy of that vote in the way that she and a number of
:13:36. > :13:40.her colleagues are still trying to do but I'm afraid that just
:13:41. > :13:46.indicates how distant the Labour Party now is from any aspiration to
:13:47. > :13:59.be back in Government again. We watched them in action - it's like,
:14:00. > :14:03.quarterlying like Mutiny on the Bounty reshotly the Carry On team.
:14:04. > :14:15.THE SPEAKER: Order, I want to hear the words flowing.
:14:16. > :14:23.There is no reason why the chair should be denied these words. They
:14:24. > :14:28.are rudderless, drifting on Europe as on so many other aspects of
:14:29. > :14:32.policy. No wonder that decent working people who for generations
:14:33. > :14:35.have looked to Labour as their champions have given up in despair
:14:36. > :14:46.and looked to this party as the authentic voice of working families.
:14:47. > :14:51.Mr Speaker, in 1943, a 16-year-old girl was forcibly taken to
:14:52. > :14:56.Auschwitz, where she witnessed the horrors of the death camps. On
:14:57. > :14:59.liberation she came to this country with her mother, where she raised a
:15:00. > :15:05.family and became a nurse. She dedicated her life to making sure
:15:06. > :15:10.that the people of this country and beyond know the horrors of the
:15:11. > :15:23.Holocaust. Last week, that lady turned 90. And Kitty Hart-Moxon is
:15:24. > :15:24.with us today at Prime Minister's Questions.
:15:25. > :15:44.APPLAUSE Will my right honourable friend join
:15:45. > :15:49.with me, and I think the whole house in wishing her a very happy belated
:15:50. > :15:54.birthday and thanking her for her lifetime of dedication to raising
:15:55. > :15:59.this important issue and also pay tribute to the Holocaust educational
:16:00. > :16:04.trust, who do everything possible so that we all remember and witness the
:16:05. > :16:13.horrors of the worst part of the 20th century? First of all, Mr
:16:14. > :16:16.Speaker, I am grateful to my right honourable friend for raising this
:16:17. > :16:21.important issue and I would like to join him in marking the achievements
:16:22. > :16:26.of Kitty Hart-Moxon and of the Holocaust Educational Trust. I can
:16:27. > :16:30.never forget the impact of discovering as a schoolboy that two
:16:31. > :16:34.of the boys in my class had fathers who had survived Auschwitz. It's
:16:35. > :16:39.only a couple of generations ago that Europe was plunged into this
:16:40. > :16:49.unspeakable horror and it is important that not just the
:16:50. > :16:52.educational trust but all of us play our part to ensure that the memory
:16:53. > :16:54.of the Holocaust lives on and that the wider lessons of this dark
:16:55. > :16:58.period in our history are learned and I think I would be grateful to
:16:59. > :17:02.all members right across the House and all political parties for their
:17:03. > :17:11.support in working together to ensure this vital work continues. Mr
:17:12. > :17:14.Angus Robertson. Some of the most deprived communities in the country
:17:15. > :17:19.are in Glasgow and today we learn apparently that the government plans
:17:20. > :17:30.to close job centres in those very communities, in Parkhead,
:17:31. > :17:33.Easterhouse, Castlemilk, Anniesland and Maryhill. Is it true that the
:17:34. > :17:37.government are planning to close these offices and add misery to the
:17:38. > :17:43.lives of thousands of people in Glasgow who currently use these
:17:44. > :17:46.centres? Clearly the Department for Work and Pensions like every
:17:47. > :17:51.government department does like from time to time at the number of
:17:52. > :17:55.offices it has but the right honourable gentleman makes a
:17:56. > :17:59.perfectly reasonable point on behalf of people in Glasgow. I will ask my
:18:00. > :18:06.right honourable friend the Work and Pensions Secretary to contact him
:18:07. > :18:08.with the details he is seeking. I'm sorry, Mr Speaker, that is not good
:18:09. > :18:23.enough. Absolutely! Being tackled when dealing with
:18:24. > :18:28.communities that are deprived does not behove Tory members well in
:18:29. > :18:36.Scotland. -- being tackled. The leader of the house is correct to
:18:37. > :18:48.say that the Department of work and pension has plans to cut the state
:18:49. > :18:53.by 20%. The DWP is planning to cut Glasgow by 50%. Why is this
:18:54. > :18:57.government planning to disproportionately cut vital job
:18:58. > :19:05.centres in some of the most deprived communities in our country, why? The
:19:06. > :19:10.key element in any such decision that a government department has to
:19:11. > :19:15.make is not the raw number of offices that there should be but
:19:16. > :19:18.about how accessible the offices and the services that they provide
:19:19. > :19:25.continued to be to the people who need to use them. And I am
:19:26. > :19:30.absolutely confident that it is that criterion that is at the heart of my
:19:31. > :19:32.right honourable friend's thinking. Planning for the future of offices
:19:33. > :19:40.in Scotland and everywhere else in the UK. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
:19:41. > :19:42.Passengers of the chaser of mine face chaos and misery in the autumn
:19:43. > :19:49.and this year it's been worse than ever. Delayed and overcrowded trains
:19:50. > :19:53.leave passengers stranded at stations and being late for work and
:19:54. > :19:57.school. Well my right honourable friend outline what measures the
:19:58. > :20:03.government is taking too penalised poor performing train operators?
:20:04. > :20:08.First of all can I express my sympathy to my right honourable
:20:09. > :20:12.friend -- tonight honourable friend and all passengers who have come
:20:13. > :20:16.across these problems on the Chase Line. It is clearly not acceptable
:20:17. > :20:19.and it is important that the operator works hard to secure rapid
:20:20. > :20:23.and sustained improvement, the government has introduced new rules
:20:24. > :20:28.to make sure that rail passengers will soon be able to claim
:20:29. > :20:31.compensation if their train is more than 15 minutes late but as the
:20:32. > :20:37.Transport Secretary said yesterday more needs to be done and we want to
:20:38. > :20:44.see closer work across the industry so that this problem can be resolved
:20:45. > :20:48.more swiftly than in the past. Thank you, Mr Speaker, does the leader of
:20:49. > :20:53.the house agree with the north-east member for Somerset that Brexit
:20:54. > :20:56.offers an opportunity to remove pesky emissions standards? In the
:20:57. > :21:02.red, white and blue Brexit will he still commit to tackle this will
:21:03. > :21:10.tackling global warming just become a of hot air? The government remains
:21:11. > :21:17.utterly committed to both national and global ambitions and targets
:21:18. > :21:23.when it comes to climate change. Indeed my right honourable friend,
:21:24. > :21:26.the current Home Secretary, in her previous job, played a key role in
:21:27. > :21:32.brokering the Paris agreement last year, the first ever global
:21:33. > :21:36.agreement on climate change. The honourable lady, I hope, would
:21:37. > :21:40.welcome the fact that we will now be ahead of our targets and ambitions
:21:41. > :21:45.in delivering on the proportion of electricity provided by renewables
:21:46. > :21:50.in this country and in continuing to work to get our carbon emissions
:21:51. > :21:55.down. Thank you, Mr Speaker. There has been much talk recently about
:21:56. > :22:03.paying for access to a tariff- free single market. I think that is a
:22:04. > :22:10.very good idea. Given that the United Kingdom is the fifth biggest
:22:11. > :22:16.economy in the world, and we have a ?70 billion trade deficit with the
:22:17. > :22:26.EU, would be excellent acting Prime Minister... Tell the House how much
:22:27. > :22:34.the European Union should pay for tariff - free access to the UK
:22:35. > :22:40.single market? I suppose I should say, thank you to my honourable
:22:41. > :22:48.friend for the upgrade! Although I hope that is limiting the
:22:49. > :22:53.compliment. He makes a good point in that a settlement at the end of our
:22:54. > :22:59.negotiation which maintains maximum access to and freedom to operate
:23:00. > :23:03.within the European market for UK companies elsewhere in Europe and
:23:04. > :23:09.for European companies here is an our mutual interest about that will
:23:10. > :23:13.inspire negotiators on both side. Mr Speaker, how does closing miracle
:23:14. > :23:17.job centre, one of the most deprived parts of the country, help my
:23:18. > :23:20.constituents find a job? Does he accept that travelling to other
:23:21. > :23:26.centres will mean higher costs for those on low incomes and increasing
:23:27. > :23:31.sanctions, why does this government continued to target the poorest and
:23:32. > :23:34.most vulnerable? If the government has been targeting the poorest it is
:23:35. > :23:43.in getting them back to work in record numbers. And it has been in
:23:44. > :23:46.providing a boost to the pay of people on low pay through the
:23:47. > :23:51.introduction and increase in the national living wage. I wish that
:23:52. > :23:56.the honourable gentleman was prepared to celebrate this
:23:57. > :23:59.achievements. Thank you Mr Speaker, as we are about to commence the most
:24:00. > :24:04.important negotiation for decades does my right honourable friend
:24:05. > :24:07.agree that the government being forced to disclose its negotiation
:24:08. > :24:13.strategy at this stage is rather like showing your hand at cards to
:24:14. > :24:17.your opponent before a game of poker, and can I urge him to take no
:24:18. > :24:25.advice from the party opposite? They only have one card to play on this
:24:26. > :24:29.and it is always the Joker! Mr Speaker, we have said we will come
:24:30. > :24:32.forward with more details about our strategic aims going into the
:24:33. > :24:35.negotiation but it would harm the national interest if we were to go
:24:36. > :24:39.into the kind of detailed explanation of our negotiating
:24:40. > :24:44.position that the opposition urges upon us. That is not how any of the
:24:45. > :24:51.other 27 governments acting of thinking and we should learn from
:24:52. > :24:55.bad example. Does the leader of the house agree that tonight's vote on
:24:56. > :24:59.the Prime Minister's Amendment, which we fully support, is a vote of
:25:00. > :25:03.the highest significance and great importance because for the first
:25:04. > :25:06.time honourable and right Honourable members of this House will have the
:25:07. > :25:10.opportunity to vote on whether they respect the will of the people of
:25:11. > :25:15.the United Kingdom, and whether they will get on with implementing it,
:25:16. > :25:19.people will be able to read in Hansard tomorrow who stands by
:25:20. > :25:26.respecting the will of the people of the UK? And will he also agree...
:25:27. > :25:33.And I am sure that he will... The more red white and blue he makes it
:25:34. > :25:39.the better the us and the Unionist benches! The right honourable
:25:40. > :25:45.gentleman as so often makes a powerful and important point. The
:25:46. > :25:50.vote tonight will be the first opportunity for members of this
:25:51. > :25:55.house to decide whether or not they support the government's timetable
:25:56. > :26:01.of triggering Article 50 by the end of March 20 17. And any Right
:26:02. > :26:06.Honourable member who votes against that motion will, in my view, be
:26:07. > :26:13.seeking to thwart the outcome of the referendum in most undemocratic
:26:14. > :26:16.fashion. Mr Speaker, this country's nuclear deterrent is our ultimate
:26:17. > :26:21.defence and must be maintained at all costs, yet hundreds of my
:26:22. > :26:25.constituents who could at the atomic weapons Establishment are currently
:26:26. > :26:29.on strike or work to rule over pensions. These are people who more
:26:30. > :26:34.often than not have devoted their working lives to tending our nuclear
:26:35. > :26:38.defence and to whom promises were made during privatisation. Can I ask
:26:39. > :26:41.that the leader of the house commits to sit down with the promised and
:26:42. > :26:49.review the situation to ensure that those promises are being kept? I
:26:50. > :26:52.will certainly ensure that the Prime Minister is informed about this
:26:53. > :26:57.matter and my honourable friend is right to raise these concerns on
:26:58. > :27:00.behalf of his constituents. My understanding is that the proposed
:27:01. > :27:03.changes to the atomic weapons Establishment pensions scheme are a
:27:04. > :27:07.matter for the company as the employer but I can assure my right
:27:08. > :27:13.honourable friend that the Defence Secretary has been in close contact
:27:14. > :27:17.with AWE throughout the process and has also met the trade unions and is
:27:18. > :27:22.carefully considering recent developments to see what can be
:27:23. > :27:26.done. Thank you, Mr Speaker, I know the House will join me in sending
:27:27. > :27:31.their sympathies to the family of David Brown who aged 18 took his own
:27:32. > :27:35.life. The inquest into his death has heard that he did so on the day he
:27:36. > :27:40.was due to sign on at the job centre after saying that he felt belittled
:27:41. > :27:42.by staff despite actively looking for work and seeking an
:27:43. > :27:47.apprenticeship. Shortly before taking his own life he told his mum,
:27:48. > :27:51.the way that the job centre treat people, it's no surprise that people
:27:52. > :27:55.commit suicide. Will the leader of the house and take a review into
:27:56. > :27:59.this case and also undertake to take stock of six years of brutal welfare
:28:00. > :28:08.reform and look at the way that the DWP treats it most vulnerable... Mr
:28:09. > :28:14.Speaker, can I first also express and reserved sympathy for the family
:28:15. > :28:22.of David Brown. No parent, no family, should have to go through
:28:23. > :28:28.that kind of shocking experience. Clearly human beings in any
:28:29. > :28:35.organisation sometimes take decisions that get things wrong and
:28:36. > :28:39.I will ask the work and pensions department to look at the case she
:28:40. > :28:42.has described. But I do have to say that I think the principle remains
:28:43. > :28:46.right that while staff should always behave with courtesy towards people
:28:47. > :28:52.seeking to claim benefits, it is also right that we should expect
:28:53. > :28:57.people who are receiving benefits to be subject to the kind of
:28:58. > :29:01.disciplines that apply to people in work, even if they are on low pay,
:29:02. > :29:07.there is a principle of fairness here that lies behind the approach
:29:08. > :29:10.that DWP takes. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I applaud the Prime
:29:11. > :29:15.Minister 's vision for a government for all. As chair of the all-party
:29:16. > :29:20.committee on community engagement, the FTSE 150 has less than 4% of
:29:21. > :29:24.individuals from an ethnic minority on its board. Will the government
:29:25. > :29:30.support the vision to help to increase that to 10% by 2021? It is
:29:31. > :29:34.very clear that boardrooms need to do more to reflect the reality of
:29:35. > :29:44.modern Britain and the government supports the principle of increasing
:29:45. > :29:47.the diversity of boards. That is why we should support the initiative
:29:48. > :29:52.chaired by Sir John Parker and we encourage businesses to act on his
:29:53. > :30:00.recommendations. Thank you, Mr Speaker. A recent FOI showed that
:30:01. > :30:05.Pinderfields Hospital placed ambulances and divert to do is
:30:06. > :30:12.prehospital 61 times in the past 12 months. One hospital scheduled for
:30:13. > :30:16.downgrade next year. In light of evidence showing that this hospital
:30:17. > :30:19.currently can't cope will the leader of the house pledge urgent support
:30:20. > :30:26.from the government to keep Dewsbury A E open? The NHS is certainly
:30:27. > :30:34.busier than it ever has been in its history, which is why it should be a
:30:35. > :30:40.matter of thanks and tribute to hard-working NHS staff that 90% of
:30:41. > :30:46.people going to A E are still being seen within the four our
:30:47. > :30:49.target. The point about the Confederation of local services in
:30:50. > :30:59.any part of the country is that these need to be driven by local
:31:00. > :31:02.clinicians working together with the CCGs who are the people who actually
:31:03. > :31:06.manage what is needed in each locality. The local authority to its
:31:07. > :31:10.health committee has the right to call in proposed changes to services
:31:11. > :31:15.and refer them to the secretary of State if they are uncomfortable with
:31:16. > :31:21.them. Messi thank you, Mr Speaker. I know my right honourable friend will
:31:22. > :31:26.share with me the importance of the creative sector and that in
:31:27. > :31:29.conjunction with the Welsh language makes S4 see in my constituency
:31:30. > :31:37.hugely important to Welsh and British culture and economy. Will he
:31:38. > :31:41.confirm this government 's commitment to protect S4C why we
:31:42. > :31:46.review its future? We fully committed to the future of Welsh
:31:47. > :31:52.language broadcasting and to S4C. I'm pleased to see the licence fee
:31:53. > :31:55.settlement we have agreed has given financial certainty protecting its
:31:56. > :31:59.funding at more than ?74 million a year for the next five years and we
:32:00. > :32:02.are committed to ensuring that the channel continues to make
:32:03. > :32:07.first-class programmes and serve Welsh audiences in the constituency
:32:08. > :32:12.of my honourable friend and right across the UK. Is the leader of the
:32:13. > :32:16.House aware of reports of children being massacred and thrown into
:32:17. > :32:21.fires, women being raped and houses razed to the ground and what
:32:22. > :32:25.representations have this government made to the Burmese authorities or
:32:26. > :32:31.the militaries in this regard? Yes, those reports are extremely
:32:32. > :32:36.concerning as the honourable lady knows, there is a long history of
:32:37. > :32:44.discrimination against these people in Burma, both British ministers and
:32:45. > :32:52.the British Embassy and officials in London make our concerned very clear
:32:53. > :32:56.to the Burmese authorities. Following the revelations in the
:32:57. > :32:59.panorama programme Clinton has in my constituency is closed and three
:33:00. > :33:03.other care homes run by the same group have been rated inadequate and
:33:04. > :33:07.is CQC and two others are currently under inspection. Concerns have been
:33:08. > :33:11.raised about these homes figures and cannot be acceptable that it took
:33:12. > :33:14.the BBC to provoke the action desperately needed. Does the leader
:33:15. > :33:20.of the has agreed that it is now time to urgently review the role of
:33:21. > :33:23.the CQC to ensure that in future concerns raised by residents, family
:33:24. > :33:30.and staff are properly and promptly addressed? I think that old and
:33:31. > :33:34.vulnerable people deserve the highest quality care possible, no
:33:35. > :33:38.excuse for services that fall short of expectations in the way that my
:33:39. > :33:44.honourable friend has described. This CQC does have extensive powers
:33:45. > :33:48.in law to ensure that no one in the chain of responsibility is immune
:33:49. > :33:52.against legal accountability. And I would expect this CQC to exercise
:33:53. > :33:57.those powers in full, in this case but he's made some criticisms of the
:33:58. > :34:01.CQC and the government has been looking into ways to improve its
:34:02. > :34:04.processes and increase its efficiency and my right honourable
:34:05. > :34:11.friend the Minister for community health and get discussed this issue
:34:12. > :34:18.with the CQC today. 6% of methane from fracking is leaked from
:34:19. > :34:21.fugitive emissions. Given that methane is 86 times worse than
:34:22. > :34:26.carbon dioxide for global warming over 20 years will he support the
:34:27. > :34:35.Council for Europe's call for banning fracking or at least a
:34:36. > :34:41.maximum of 0.1% fugitive emissions at the well head? No, Mr Speaker,
:34:42. > :34:46.the government took its decision to give the go-ahead to fracking after
:34:47. > :34:51.extensive consideration of both the economic and environmental risks and
:34:52. > :34:55.opportunities involved. We are confident that it can be carried out
:34:56. > :35:00.in a way that is saved, that does not harm the environment but which
:35:01. > :35:07.also provides job opportunities for this country and makes this country
:35:08. > :35:11.less dependent on imported energy. Mr Speaker, I expect my right
:35:12. > :35:19.honourable friend will be astonished if not aghast to learn that a
:35:20. > :35:22.succession of journalists from the BBC have contacted me seeking to
:35:23. > :35:40.manufacture stories of backbench rebellion! On the issue of the EU. I
:35:41. > :35:42.want to hear about these activities! Will he agree with me that on this
:35:43. > :35:48.controversial issues the BBC should stick to its charter obligation for
:35:49. > :35:56.accuracy and impartiality instead of seeking to create problems with the
:35:57. > :36:03.government! Mr Speaker, I am sure that my honourable friend is shocked
:36:04. > :36:09.at the thought that anybody could look to him as a source of
:36:10. > :36:12.information about rebellion against the government! I hope that he will
:36:13. > :36:19.be able to find some comfort in the fact that the new Royal Charter
:36:20. > :36:23.agreement requires the BBC to deliver impartial news, the first
:36:24. > :36:30.time impartiality has been enshrined in the BBC's mission. Having
:36:31. > :36:33.received a response from the Prime Minister to my request for a
:36:34. > :36:42.children's funeral fund I was disturbed to be told that the fund
:36:43. > :36:49.can provide, and simple respectable funeral, this response totally lacks
:36:50. > :36:51.any understanding of my request. As the leader of the House any
:36:52. > :36:54.authority to facilitate a meeting between myself and other bereaved
:36:55. > :36:58.mothers so we can explain to the Prime Minister exactly what we are
:36:59. > :37:04.asking for? This request is important to us as parents. Too many
:37:05. > :37:13.in this house and from my postbag very many people and organisations
:37:14. > :37:19.throughout this country. Burying a child must be an incredibly painful
:37:20. > :37:27.experience for any family, and I think all of us would want to pay
:37:28. > :37:32.our respects to and have enormous sympathy with the honourable member
:37:33. > :37:36.for Swansea Is. And she speaks on behalf of, she says, thousands of
:37:37. > :37:40.parents who go through that anguish. As the Prime Minister said, there
:37:41. > :37:44.are mechanisms in place for financial support from central
:37:45. > :37:48.government to be available and local authorities are of course free and
:37:49. > :37:56.many of them to waive funeral fees for child burials. -- many of them
:37:57. > :37:59.do. I will speak to my ministerial colleagues about the request from
:38:00. > :38:06.the honourable lady for meeting and I am sure she will receive a
:38:07. > :38:11.response. Good train links are vital for constituents to get to work so
:38:12. > :38:15.it's incredible frustrating that cross-country operates 63 services a
:38:16. > :38:18.day between Birmingham and Bristol yet only three stop at Gloucester.
:38:19. > :38:22.Would my right honourable friend ensure that ministers, in extending
:38:23. > :38:26.the franchise of the train operators, do not allow cross
:38:27. > :38:30.country to go on treating Gloucester like a letter to be avoided at all
:38:31. > :38:42.cost and oblige them to deliver a service that every city deserves.
:38:43. > :38:46.Any of us who have been to Gloucester know that it's a place
:38:47. > :38:48.that you want to be able to visit frequently and easily. The
:38:49. > :38:54.government is investing record amounts in improving railways and as
:38:55. > :38:57.regards his case, transport ministers are working with
:38:58. > :39:08.cross-country and great Western to see how the service can be improved.