:00:30. > :00:42.Questions to the Prime Minister. The Leader of the House.
:00:43. > :00:45.My right honourable friend the Prime Minister is in Bahrain.
:00:46. > :00:49.Mr Speaker, this morning I had meeting with ministerial colleagues
:00:50. > :00:52.and others and in addition to my duties in this House,
:00:53. > :00:55.I shall have further such meetings in this House later today.
:00:56. > :00:58.Yesterday's signing of a memorandum of understanding
:00:59. > :01:01.with Houston Space Court and the Rise Space Ince
:01:02. > :01:04.staut brings the reality of a Prestwick Space Court closer.
:01:05. > :01:09.With the huge boost that could give to the airspace injury,
:01:10. > :01:11.will the UK Government support the Scottish Government to get
:01:12. > :01:24.I can certainly assure the honourable lady
:01:25. > :01:26.that the Government is looking very keenly at the opportunities
:01:27. > :01:30.to Scotland, indeed the whole of the UK, arising from the future
:01:31. > :01:32.development of commercial space operations.
:01:33. > :01:39.The Ayrshire operation that she has described I'm sure will be
:01:40. > :01:41.examined by closely by most both my ministerial colleagues
:01:42. > :01:43.who are particularly concerned with this area of policy
:01:44. > :01:46.but we want to see the UK as a pioneer in seizing these
:01:47. > :01:54.Perhaps thinking of rail passengers trying to get their their jobs,
:01:55. > :02:02.the secretary has spoke about abandoned workers
:02:03. > :02:04.and the Unite's Len McCluskey is doing a Ukip move,
:02:05. > :02:08.Will my honourable friend tell the RMT that 250 people
:02:09. > :02:14.will guaranteed employment should not put the lives and safety
:02:15. > :02:24.I'm sure my honourable friend will be speaking on behalf of many
:02:25. > :02:27.thousands of rail passengers in his constituency,
:02:28. > :02:30.and many others - I'm sure, in the south of England.
:02:31. > :02:33.It is deeply disappointing that some unions are threatening to strike
:02:34. > :02:38.The Government is now investing record amounts
:02:39. > :02:41.in improving our railways, up to ?40 billion over the next
:02:42. > :02:43.five years and we need everyone in industry,
:02:44. > :02:46.both management and unions to work together to secure the best
:02:47. > :02:53.I have to say that the RMT's action shows co-ordinated contempt
:02:54. > :02:58.And it seems designed to do nothing except bring about the maximum
:02:59. > :03:06.Mr Speaker, there is heckling from the benches opposite.
:03:07. > :03:14.This party, Mr Speaker, is on the side of rail passengers.
:03:15. > :03:19.I hope that the party opposite will join me in saying
:03:20. > :03:21.to the rail union leaders - sort it out, put the
:03:22. > :03:27.Stop the squabbling and tell your members to get back to work.
:03:28. > :03:45.I'm sure the whole House will want to join with me
:03:46. > :03:48.in commemorating the 715th anniversary of the Pearl Harbour
:03:49. > :03:51.attack where thousands of American service personnel
:03:52. > :03:54.Winston Churchill summoned Parliament to debate
:03:55. > :04:00.When he said this "It is indispensable to our system
:04:01. > :04:02."of Government that Parliament should play its full
:04:03. > :04:08.These words are a vital reminder that even at a time of crisis,
:04:09. > :04:12.in fact especially at a time of national crisis, the role
:04:13. > :04:16.of Parliament is central in that same spirit,
:04:17. > :04:20.we welcome the Government's decision to accept our motion today,
:04:21. > :04:23.that they will show Parliament their plan for Brexit,
:04:24. > :04:27.So, can I ask the Leader of the House one central
:04:28. > :04:36.Does the Government want the UK to remain part of the customs union?
:04:37. > :04:42.Mr Speaker, can I first of all join the honourable lady opposite
:04:43. > :04:50.in marking the anniversary of Pearl Harbour, in remembering
:04:51. > :04:54.all of those who lost their lives at that time,
:04:55. > :05:02.but, also, marking with a sense of some celebration, even,
:05:03. > :05:05.the fact that Prime Minister Abe is joining President Obama
:05:06. > :05:09.in going to Pearl Harbour, the first Japanese Prime Minister
:05:10. > :05:13.so to do, and that sign of reconciliation, putting ancient
:05:14. > :05:25.The Government has made it clear we would seek to give additional
:05:26. > :05:30.clarity about our position at the earliest opportunity but it
:05:31. > :05:33.has been the case as my right honourable friend the Prime Minister
:05:34. > :05:36.said many times, that one of our core objectives
:05:37. > :05:39.is going to be to secure the maximum freedom for British companies,
:05:40. > :05:47.both to have access to and operate within the single European market.
:05:48. > :05:50.I thank the Leader of the House for that answer but I would
:05:51. > :05:52.respectfully say to him that surely on this issue, the answer
:05:53. > :05:56.We all know that it would be a disaster to British business
:05:57. > :06:03.if we do not remain part of the customs union.
:06:04. > :06:05.As the Leader of the House himself said in February,
:06:06. > :06:12."Everything we take for granted, trade without customs checks
:06:13. > :06:15.or paper work at national frontiers, would all be up in the air,
:06:16. > :06:20.On this side of the House we couldn't agree with him more.
:06:21. > :06:23.Can he put it beyond doubt, right now, today, tell us -
:06:24. > :06:28.does the Government want the UK to stay in the customs union?
:06:29. > :06:31.The honourable lady and I - she's right Mr Speaker,
:06:32. > :06:33.the honourable lady and I both argued passionately for the Remain
:06:34. > :06:44.What separates us now is that I am part of a Conservative Government,
:06:45. > :06:50.which is working together to respect the democratic verdict...
:06:51. > :06:54.CHEERS And to secure the best-possible outcome
:06:55. > :06:56.for the prosperity and security of the entire United Kingdom,
:06:57. > :07:06.Whereas the honourable lady, even just two months ago was telling
:07:07. > :07:09.us that she wanted to go back to the British people in some way.
:07:10. > :07:11.She needs to decide whether she accepts
:07:12. > :07:20.Of course we accept the democratic decision of the British public.
:07:21. > :07:25.Of course we do, but the difference between our side of the House
:07:26. > :07:28.and that side, is that we want to leave the European Union
:07:29. > :07:32.on behalf of 100%, on behalf of the whole of this nation.
:07:33. > :07:36.Now, we really need to have a straightforward answer
:07:37. > :07:40.Because leaving the customs union would mean having to check every
:07:41. > :07:46.It would mean UK firms having to prove their origin tests,
:07:47. > :07:50.whenever they export to Europe would mean chaos and it
:07:51. > :07:54.would mean gridlock for cross-border supply chains.
:07:55. > :08:00.And as the Leader of the House said in lamb and beef exports,
:08:01. > :08:05.they go tariff-free, they go without any extra checks,
:08:06. > :08:07.you cannot guarantee any of that if we are outside.
:08:08. > :08:11.Now, again, on this side, we agree with what he said six months ago.
:08:12. > :08:19.The question is - does he still agree with himself?
:08:20. > :08:22.I thought it hadn't escaped the honourable lady's attention
:08:23. > :08:26.that there has been a significant referendum since February
:08:27. > :08:31.and that changes the context in which we are now
:08:32. > :08:39.We face challenging, yes, very wide-ranging negotiation and it
:08:40. > :08:43.would be harmful to the national interest for me or another ministers
:08:44. > :08:47.to engage in the sort of detailed expedition of our negotiating
:08:48. > :08:50.position that she is now pressing upon me.
:08:51. > :08:56.None of the other 27 governments is doing that, nor should we.
:08:57. > :09:04.Dear oh dear, we are not asking for details.
:09:05. > :09:08.We are asking about a central plank of the negotiation.
:09:09. > :09:12.If he can not give us an answer on the customs union as a whole...
:09:13. > :09:16.Both the questions and the answers will be heard.
:09:17. > :09:19.So, if the juvenile behaviour can stop, that would be really helpful
:09:20. > :09:28.We don't get an answer on the whole of the customs union.
:09:29. > :09:30.Can I ask him about one specific point?
:09:31. > :09:35.Since 1993 there have been no customs checks between the land
:09:36. > :09:39.border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.
:09:40. > :09:41.In May when visiting Northern Ireland, the right
:09:42. > :09:45.honourable gentleman said - if the UK was in the part
:09:46. > :09:48.of the customs union, then there would have to be custom
:09:49. > :09:53.checks at the border and he said, for anyone to pretend otherwise
:09:54. > :09:58.would be "flying in the face of reality" can he confirm
:09:59. > :10:01.that is the position and if he is right, he must make it
:10:02. > :10:03.clear this is something that the Government
:10:04. > :10:12.The Prime Minister and the Northern Ireland Secretary have repeatedly
:10:13. > :10:16.made it clear that we, as indeed has the Irish Government,
:10:17. > :10:21.want to see the very long-standing common travel arguments and the free
:10:22. > :10:25.trade arrangements across the Irish border continue.
:10:26. > :10:29.We are actively engaged in talking both to the Northern Ireland
:10:30. > :10:32.Executive and to the Government of the Republic of Ireland
:10:33. > :10:37.There is goodwill on all those sides to try and reach a solution that
:10:38. > :10:42.works for the people, north and south of the border.
:10:43. > :10:44.The Leader of the House has made the familiar argument
:10:45. > :10:47.that he can't give answers, that it is all to be resolved
:10:48. > :10:56.Brexit means Brexit, Brexit means breakfast,
:10:57. > :10:59.but that is not what the Secretary of State for Brexit himself
:11:00. > :11:01.said when he was asked about the customs union
:11:02. > :11:04.in September, because he said "We have looked at this matter
:11:05. > :11:06."carefully and that is exactly the sort of decision
:11:07. > :11:09."that we will resolve before we trigger Article 50."
:11:10. > :11:14.So, if the Government is going to decide the position
:11:15. > :11:17.on this issue before March 31st can the Leader of the House confirm
:11:18. > :11:21.that the British people and the British Parliament will be
:11:22. > :11:27.told some answers to my questions before they tell the rest of Europe?
:11:28. > :11:30.Mr Speaker if the answers sound familiar maybe that we need constant
:11:31. > :11:33.repetition before the honourable lady will understand
:11:34. > :11:46.The Government is, at the moment, engaged in a consultation with more
:11:47. > :11:50.than 50 sectors of United Kingdom business, to ascertain precisely
:11:51. > :11:55.which aspects of European Union membership work well for them,
:11:56. > :11:59.which they see as harmful, where the opportunities
:12:00. > :12:04.We will come to a decision and we will go into negotiations
:12:05. > :12:07.on behalf of the full 100% of the United Kingdom population
:12:08. > :12:13.and all four nations of the United Kingdom.
:12:14. > :12:17.The fact is and he knows it, we all know it.
:12:18. > :12:21.He can consult as much as he likes the answer will come back, we should
:12:22. > :12:25.It is hugely disappointed that on a day when the Government
:12:26. > :12:28.is committing to its greater transparency on plans for Brexit
:12:29. > :12:33.We have a Government promising to tell us the plan,
:12:34. > :12:36.while refusing to give us the answers to the most
:12:37. > :12:42.We have a Government promising to give Parliament a spend
:12:43. > :12:46.when they are spending we don't know how much of tax payers' money
:12:47. > :12:50.across the road in the Supreme Court trying to stop Parliament having
:12:51. > :12:54.In short, we have a Government that cannot tell us the plan,
:12:55. > :13:02.In February, the Leader of the House said when he was hearing
:13:03. > :13:05.about the Leave campaign, was "confusing, contradictory
:13:06. > :13:08.nonsense" my final question is this - are we hearing anything different
:13:09. > :13:15.Mr Speaker, we will publish, before Article 50 is triggered,
:13:16. > :13:28.a statement about our negotiating strategy and objectives,
:13:29. > :13:34.as the Prime Minister has said yesterday.
:13:35. > :13:37.But the honourable lady seems, again, to be in a state of utter
:13:38. > :13:45.denial about the consequences that flow from the referendum decision.
:13:46. > :13:49.No other EU Government is seeking to reverse or question
:13:50. > :13:52.the legitimacy of that vote in the way that she and a number
:13:53. > :13:55.of her colleagues are still trying to do but I'm afraid that just
:13:56. > :13:59.indicates how distant the Labour Party now is from any
:14:00. > :14:04.aspiration to be back in Government again.
:14:05. > :14:08.We watched them in action - it's like, quarterlying like Mutiny
:14:09. > :14:17.on the Bounty reshotly the Carry On team.
:14:18. > :14:26.THE SPEAKER: Order, I want to hear the words flowing.
:14:27. > :14:31.There is no reason why the chair should be denied these words.
:14:32. > :14:34.They are rudderless, drifting on Europe as on so many
:14:35. > :14:44.No wonder that decent working people who for generations have looked
:14:45. > :14:47.to Labour as their champions have given up in despair and looked
:14:48. > :14:58.to this party as the authentic voice of working families.
:14:59. > :15:03.Mr Speaker, in 1943, a 16-year-old girl was forcibly
:15:04. > :15:08.taken to Auschwitz, where she witnessed the horrors
:15:09. > :15:14.On liberation she came to this country with her mother,
:15:15. > :15:16.where she raised a family and became a nurse.
:15:17. > :15:21.She dedicated her life to making sure that the people of this country
:15:22. > :15:26.and beyond know the horrors of the Holocaust.
:15:27. > :15:33.And Kitty Hart-Moxon is with us today at Prime Minister's
:15:34. > :15:57.APPLAUSE Will my right honourable friend join with me,
:15:58. > :16:01.and I think the whole house in wishing her a very
:16:02. > :16:05.happy belated birthday and thanking her for her lifetime
:16:06. > :16:09.of dedication to raising this important issue and also pay tribute
:16:10. > :16:12.to the Holocaust educational trust, who do everything possible
:16:13. > :16:20.so that we all remember and witness the horrors of the worst part
:16:21. > :16:29.First of all, Mr Speaker, I am grateful to my right honourable
:16:30. > :16:32.friend for raising this important issue and I would like to join him
:16:33. > :16:35.in marking the achievements of Kitty Hart-Moxon
:16:36. > :16:38.and of the Holocaust Educational Trust.
:16:39. > :16:44.I can never forget the impact of discovering as a schoolboy that
:16:45. > :16:48.two of the boys in my class had fathers who had survived Auschwitz.
:16:49. > :16:52.It's only a couple of generations ago that Europe was plunged
:16:53. > :16:55.into this unspeakable horror and it is important that not just
:16:56. > :16:59.the educational trust but all of us play our part to ensure
:17:00. > :17:03.that the memory of the Holocaust lives on and that the wider lessons
:17:04. > :17:08.of this dark period in our history are learned and I think I would be
:17:09. > :17:15.grateful to all members right across the House and all political
:17:16. > :17:17.parties for their support in working together to ensure this
:17:18. > :17:26.Some of the most deprived communities in the country
:17:27. > :17:32.are in Glasgow and today we learn apparently that the government plans
:17:33. > :17:36.to close job centres in those very communities,
:17:37. > :17:45.in Parkhead, Easterhouse, Castlemilk, Anniesland and Maryhill.
:17:46. > :17:49.Is it true that the government are planning to close these offices
:17:50. > :17:52.and add misery to the lives of thousands of people in Glasgow
:17:53. > :18:07.Clearly the Department for Work and Pensions like every government
:18:08. > :18:10.department does look from time to time at the number of offices it
:18:11. > :18:12.has but the right honourable gentleman makes a perfectly
:18:13. > :18:14.reasonable point on behalf of people in Glasgow.
:18:15. > :18:16.I will ask my right honourable friend the Work
:18:17. > :18:20.and Pensions Secretary to contact him with
:18:21. > :18:28.I'm sorry, Mr Speaker, that is not good enough.
:18:29. > :18:39.Being heckled when dealing with communities that are deprived
:18:40. > :18:44.does not behove Tory members well in Scotland.
:18:45. > :18:53.The leader of the house is correct to say that the Department of work
:18:54. > :18:59.and pension has plans to cut the state by 20%.
:19:00. > :19:06.The DWP is planning to cut Glasgow by 50%.
:19:07. > :19:10.Why is this government planning to disproportionately cut vital job
:19:11. > :19:17.centres in some of the most deprived communities in our country, why?
:19:18. > :19:22.The key element in any such decision that a government department has
:19:23. > :19:27.to make is not the raw number of offices that there should be
:19:28. > :19:34.but about how accessible the offices and the services that they provide
:19:35. > :19:36.continued to be to the people who need to use them.
:19:37. > :19:40.And I am absolutely confident that it is that criterion
:19:41. > :19:45.that is at the heart of my right honourable friend's thinking.
:19:46. > :19:48.Planning for the future of offices in Scotland
:19:49. > :19:58.Passengers of the Chase Line face chaos and misery in the autumn
:19:59. > :20:01.and this year it's been worse than ever.
:20:02. > :20:04.Delayed, cancelled and overcrowded trains leave passengers
:20:05. > :20:08.stranded at stations and being late for work and school.
:20:09. > :20:10.Will my right honourable friend outline what measures the government
:20:11. > :20:18.is taking too penalise poor performing train operators?
:20:19. > :20:20.First of all can I express my sympathy to my
:20:21. > :20:21.honourable friend and her constituents
:20:22. > :20:23.and all passengers who have come across these problems
:20:24. > :20:31.It is clearly unacceptable and it is important
:20:32. > :20:33.that the operator works hard to secure a rapid and sustained
:20:34. > :20:36.The government has introduced new rules to make sure
:20:37. > :20:39.that rail passengers will soon be able to claim compensation
:20:40. > :20:44.if their train is more than 15 minutes late but as the Transport
:20:45. > :20:48.Secretary said yesterday, more needs to be done
:20:49. > :20:52.working across the industry so that this problem can be resolved
:20:53. > :21:03.with the north-east member for Somerset that Brexit offers
:21:04. > :21:08.an opportunity to remove pesky emissions standards?
:21:09. > :21:11.In the red, white and blue of Brexit, will his government
:21:12. > :21:17.commit to tackle this or will tackling global warming just
:21:18. > :21:25.The government remains utterly committed to both national
:21:26. > :21:29.and global ambitions and targets when it comes to climate change.
:21:30. > :21:34.Indeed, my right honourable friend, the current Home Secretary,
:21:35. > :21:39.in her previous job, played a key role in brokering
:21:40. > :21:44.the Paris agreement last year, the first ever global agreement
:21:45. > :21:56.The honourable lady, I hope, would welcome the fact
:21:57. > :21:59.that we are now going to be ahead of our targets and ambitions
:22:00. > :22:01.in delivering on the proportion of electricity provided
:22:02. > :22:03.by renewables in this country and are continuing to work
:22:04. > :22:10.There has been much talk recently about paying
:22:11. > :22:14.for access to a tariff-free single market.
:22:15. > :22:22.Given that the United Kingdom is the fifth biggest
:22:23. > :22:25.economy in the world, and we have a ?70 billion trade
:22:26. > :22:30.deficit with the EU, would the excellent acting
:22:31. > :22:40.tell the House how much the European Union
:22:41. > :22:44.should pay for tariff-free access to the UK single market?
:22:45. > :22:51.Well, I suppose I should say thank you to my honourable
:22:52. > :23:03.Although I hope that doesn't turn out to be
:23:04. > :23:12.He makes a good point in that a settlement at the end
:23:13. > :23:14.of our negotiation which maintains maximum access to and freedom
:23:15. > :23:18.to operate within the European market for UK companies elsewhere
:23:19. > :23:21.in Europe and European companies here is in our mutual interest
:23:22. > :23:23.and I hope that will inspire negotiators on both side.
:23:24. > :23:28.Mr Speaker, how does closing Maryhill Jobcentre
:23:29. > :23:33.one of the most deprived parts of the country, help my
:23:34. > :23:38.Does he accept that travelling further to other centres will mean
:23:39. > :23:40.increased costs for those already on low incomes
:23:41. > :23:43.Why does this government continue to target the poorest
:23:44. > :23:47.If the government has been targeting the poorest,
:23:48. > :23:51.it is in getting them back to work in record numbers.
:23:52. > :23:56.And it has been in providing a boost to the pay of people on low pay
:23:57. > :24:01.through the introduction and the increase in the
:24:02. > :24:12.I wish that the honourable gentleman was prepared
:24:13. > :24:13.to welcome and celebrate this achievements.
:24:14. > :24:17.As we are about to commence the most important negotiation for decades,
:24:18. > :24:20.does my right honourable friend agree that the government being
:24:21. > :24:23.forced to disclose its negotiation strategy at this stage is rather
:24:24. > :24:26.like showing your hand at cards to your opponent before a game
:24:27. > :24:30.of poker, and can I urge him to take no advice from the party opposite?
:24:31. > :24:33.They only have one card to play on this and it is always the joker!
:24:34. > :24:38.Mr Speaker, we have said we will come forward with more
:24:39. > :24:43.details about our strategic aims going into the negotiation but it
:24:44. > :24:46.would harm the national interest if we were to go into the kind
:24:47. > :24:49.of detailed explanation of our negotiating position
:24:50. > :24:57.That is not how any of the other 27 governments are either acting
:24:58. > :25:00.or thinking, and we should learn from that example.
:25:01. > :25:07.Does the Leader of the House agree that tonight's vote
:25:08. > :25:11.on the Prime Minister's Amendment, which we fully support,
:25:12. > :25:14.is a vote of the highest significance and greatest importance
:25:15. > :25:18.because for the first time honourable and right honourable
:25:19. > :25:21.members of this House will have the opportunity to vote
:25:22. > :25:24.on whether they respect the will of the people
:25:25. > :25:29.of the United Kingdom, and whether they will get
:25:30. > :25:34.on with implementing it, people will be able to read
:25:35. > :25:37.in Hansard tomorrow who stands by respecting the will of the people
:25:38. > :25:41.And will he also agree that the more...
:25:42. > :25:45...the more red white and blue he makes it the better for us
:25:46. > :25:53.The right honourable gentleman, as so often, makes a powerful
:25:54. > :25:59.The vote tonight will be the first opportunity for members of this
:26:00. > :26:03.House to decide whether or not they support the government's
:26:04. > :26:06.timetable of triggering Article 50 by the end of March 2017.
:26:07. > :26:09.And any right honourable member who votes against that motion will,
:26:10. > :26:12.in my view, be seeking to thwart the outcome of the referendum
:26:13. > :26:15.in the most profoundly undemocratic fashion.
:26:16. > :26:24.Mr Speaker, this country's nuclear deterrent is our ultimate defence
:26:25. > :26:30.and must be maintained at all costs, yet hundreds of my constituents
:26:31. > :26:35.who work at the Atomic Weapons Establishment are currently
:26:36. > :26:39.on strike or work to rule over pensions.
:26:40. > :26:45.These are people who more often than not have devoted their working
:26:46. > :26:49.lives to tending our nuclear defence and to whom promises were made
:26:50. > :26:56.Can I ask that the Leader of the House commits to sit down
:26:57. > :27:00.with the Prime Minister and review the situation to ensure that those
:27:01. > :27:05.I will certainly ensure that the Prime Minister is informed
:27:06. > :27:09.about this matter and my honourable friend is right to raise
:27:10. > :27:14.these concerns on behalf of his constituents.
:27:15. > :27:18.My understanding is that the proposed changes to the Atomic
:27:19. > :27:22.Weapons Establishment pensions scheme are a matter for the company
:27:23. > :27:27.as the employer but I can assure my right honourable friend
:27:28. > :27:30.that the Defence Secretary has been in close contact with AWE throughout
:27:31. > :27:33.the process and has also met the trade unions and is carefully
:27:34. > :27:35.considering recent developments to see what can be done.
:27:36. > :27:44.in sending their sympathies to the family of David Brown
:27:45. > :27:54.The inquest into his death has heard that he did so on the day he was due
:27:55. > :27:57.to sign on at the job centre after saying that he felt
:27:58. > :27:59.belittled by staff despite actively looking for work
:28:00. > :28:04.Shortly before taking his own life he told his mum, the way
:28:05. > :28:07.that the job centre treat people, it's no surprise that
:28:08. > :28:12.Will the Leader of the House undertake a review into this case
:28:13. > :28:15.and also undertake to take stock of six years of brutal
:28:16. > :28:18.welfare reform and look at the way that the DWP treats
:28:19. > :28:26.Mr Speaker, can I first also express unreserved sympathy
:28:27. > :28:46.No parent, no family, should have to go through that kind
:28:47. > :28:53.Clearly, human beings in any organisation sometimes take
:28:54. > :28:56.decisions that get things wrong and I will ask the Work
:28:57. > :28:59.and Pensions Department to look at the case she has described.
:29:00. > :29:02.But I do have to say that I think the principle remains right that
:29:03. > :29:04.while staff should always behave with courtesy towards people
:29:05. > :29:07.seeking to claim benefits, it is also right that we should
:29:08. > :29:10.expect people who are receiving benefits to be subject to the kind
:29:11. > :29:14.of disciplines that apply to people in work, even if they are on low
:29:15. > :29:18.pay, there is a principle of fairness here that lies behind
:29:19. > :29:27.I applaud the Prime Minister's vision for a government for all.
:29:28. > :29:31.As chair of the all-party committee on community engagement,
:29:32. > :29:35.the FTSE 150 has less than 4% of individuals from an ethnic
:29:36. > :29:40.Will the government support a vision to help to increase
:29:41. > :29:47.It is very clear that boardrooms need to do more to reflect
:29:48. > :29:50.the reality of modern Britain and the government supports
:29:51. > :29:52.the principle of increasing the diversity of boards.
:29:53. > :29:55.That is why we are supporting the business-led diversity
:29:56. > :29:57.initiative chaired by Sir John Parker and we encourage
:29:58. > :30:00.businesses to act on his recommendations.
:30:01. > :30:06.A recent FOI has shown that Pinderfields Hospital placed
:30:07. > :30:08.ambulances destined for their A department on divert
:30:09. > :30:14.to Dewsbury Hospital in my constituency 61 times
:30:15. > :30:23.a hospital scheduled for downgrade next year.
:30:24. > :30:26.In light of evidence showing Pinderfields can't currently
:30:27. > :30:30.cope, will the Leader of the House pledge urgent support
:30:31. > :30:34.from the government to keep Dewsbury A open?
:30:35. > :30:37.The NHS is certainly busier than it ever has been in its history,
:30:38. > :30:40.which is why it should be a matter of thanks and tribute
:30:41. > :30:46.to hard-working NHS staff that 90% of people going to A
:30:47. > :30:52.are still being seen within the four-hour target.
:30:53. > :30:58.The point about the configuration of local services in any part
:30:59. > :31:04.of the country is that these need to be driven by local clinicians
:31:05. > :31:09.working together with the CCGs who are the people who actually
:31:10. > :31:17.manage and understand what is needed in each locality.
:31:18. > :31:19.The local authority, through its health committee,
:31:20. > :31:22.has the right to call in proposed changes to services
:31:23. > :31:24.and refer them to the Secretary of State
:31:25. > :31:33.I know my right honourable friend will share with me the importance
:31:34. > :31:37.of the creative sector to our economy and that
:31:38. > :31:45.in conjunction with the Welsh language makes S4C, based currently
:31:46. > :31:59.to the Welsh and British culture and economy.
:32:00. > :32:01.Can my right honourable friend reaffirm this government's
:32:02. > :32:03.commitment to protect the S4C budget while we review its future?
:32:04. > :32:06.We are fully committed to the future of Welsh language
:32:07. > :32:09.I'm pleased to say the licence fee settlement we have agreed has
:32:10. > :32:11.given financial certainty protecting S4C's funding at more
:32:12. > :32:15.than ?74 million a year for the next five years and we are committed
:32:16. > :32:17.to ensuring that the channel continues to make first-class
:32:18. > :32:21.programmes and serve Welsh audiences in the constituency of my honourable
:32:22. > :32:30.Is the leader of the House aware of reports of Rohingya children
:32:31. > :32:35.being massacred and thrown into fires, of Rohingya women being raped
:32:36. > :32:42.and houses razed to the ground and what representations has this
:32:43. > :32:44.government made to the Burmese authorities
:32:45. > :32:50.Yes, those reports from Rohingya are extremely concerning
:32:51. > :32:52.as the honourable lady knows, there is a long history
:32:53. > :32:57.of discrimination against the Rohingya people in Burma.
:32:58. > :32:59.Both British ministers and the British Embassy
:33:00. > :33:02.and officials in London make our concerned very clear
:33:03. > :33:07.Following the revelations in the BBC Panorama programme,
:33:08. > :33:10.Clinton House in my constituency is now closed.
:33:11. > :33:14.Three other care homes run by the Morleigh Group have been rated
:33:15. > :33:25.inadequate and is CQC and two others are currently under inspection.
:33:26. > :33:26.Concerns have been raised about these care homes
:33:27. > :33:29.for many years and it cannot be acceptable that it took the BBC
:33:30. > :33:31.to provoke the action desperately needed.
:33:32. > :33:34.Does the Leader of the House agree that it is now time to urgently
:33:35. > :33:37.review the role of the CQC to ensure that in the future,
:33:38. > :33:39.concerns raised by residents, family and staff are properly
:33:40. > :33:45.I think that old and vulnerable people deserve the highest
:33:46. > :33:51.There is no excuse for services that fall short of expectations
:33:52. > :33:54.in the way that my honourable friend has described.
:33:55. > :33:58.The CQC does have extensive powers in law to ensure that no one
:33:59. > :34:02.in the chain of responsibility is immune against
:34:03. > :34:09.And I would expect the CQC to exercise those powers in full,
:34:10. > :34:13.in this case, but he's made some criticisms of the CQC
:34:14. > :34:16.and the government has been looking into ways to improve its processes
:34:17. > :34:19.and increase its efficiency and my honourable friend
:34:20. > :34:23.the Minister for Community Health and Care and discussed this
:34:24. > :34:29.6% of methane from fracking is leaked through fugitive emissions.
:34:30. > :34:33.Given that methane is 86 times worse than C02 for global
:34:34. > :34:36.warming over 20 years, will he support the Council
:34:37. > :34:42.for Europe's call for banning fracking or at least a maximum
:34:43. > :34:47.of 0.1% fugitive emissions at the well head?
:34:48. > :34:50.No, Mr Speaker, the government took its decision to give
:34:51. > :34:56.the go-ahead to fracking after extensive consideration
:34:57. > :35:00.of both the economic and the environmental risks
:35:01. > :35:12.We are confident that fracking can be carried out
:35:13. > :35:16.in a way that is safe, that does not harm the environment
:35:17. > :35:20.but which also provides job opportunities for this country
:35:21. > :35:26.and makes this country less dependent on imported energy.
:35:27. > :35:30.Mr Speaker, I expect my right honourable friend will be astonished
:35:31. > :35:33.if not aghast to learn that a succession of journalists
:35:34. > :35:37.from the BBC have contacted me seeking to manufacture stories
:35:38. > :35:41.of backbench rebellion on the issue of the EU.
:35:42. > :35:48.I want to hear about these activities!
:35:49. > :35:55.Will he agree with me that on these controversial issues,
:35:56. > :36:00.the BBC should stick to its charter obligation for accuracy
:36:01. > :36:05.and impartiality instead of seeking to create problems
:36:06. > :36:17.Mr Speaker, I am sure that my honourable friend is shocked
:36:18. > :36:22.at the thought that anybody could look to him as a source
:36:23. > :36:24.of information about rebellion against the government!
:36:25. > :36:30.I hope that he will be able to find some comfort in the fact
:36:31. > :36:35.that the new Royal Charter agreement requires the BBC to deliver
:36:36. > :36:37.impartial news, the first time impartiality has been enshrined
:36:38. > :36:44.Having now received a response from the Prime Minister
:36:45. > :36:47.to my request for a children's funeral fund I was disturbed to be
:36:48. > :36:53.told that the Social Fund can provide a simple respectable
:36:54. > :36:58.funeral, this response totally lacks any understanding of my request.
:36:59. > :37:02.Can the Leader of the House facilitate a meeting between myself
:37:03. > :37:07.and other bereaved mothers so we can explain to the Prime Minister
:37:08. > :37:15.This request is important to us as parents.
:37:16. > :37:19.Many in this House and from my postbag very many
:37:20. > :37:23.people and organisations throughout this country.
:37:24. > :37:32.Burying a child must be an incredibly painful
:37:33. > :37:37.experience for any family, and I think all of us
:37:38. > :37:42.would want to pay our respects to and have enormous sympathy
:37:43. > :37:45.with the honourable member for Swansea East.
:37:46. > :37:49.And she speaks on behalf of, she says, thousands of parents
:37:50. > :37:59.As the Prime Minister said, there are mechanisms in place
:38:00. > :38:04.for financial support from central government to be available and local
:38:05. > :38:07.authorities are of course free to, and many of them do, waive funeral
:38:08. > :38:12.I will speak to my ministerial colleagues about the request
:38:13. > :38:15.from the honourable lady for a meeting and I am sure
:38:16. > :38:21.Good train links are vital for constituents to get to work
:38:22. > :38:25.so it's incredibly frustrating that Cross Country operates 63 services
:38:26. > :38:29.a day between Birmingham and Bristol yet only three stop at Gloucester.
:38:30. > :38:33.Would my right honourable friend ensure that ministers,
:38:34. > :38:37.in extending the franchise of the train operators,
:38:38. > :38:41.do not allow Cross Country to go on treating Gloucester like a leper
:38:42. > :38:44.to be avoided at all cost and oblige them to deliver a service that
:38:45. > :38:52.Any of us who have been to Gloucester know that it's a place
:38:53. > :38:57.that you want to be able to visit frequently and easily.
:38:58. > :39:06.The government is investing record amounts in improving our railways
:39:07. > :39:10.and as regards his particular case, transport ministers are working
:39:11. > :39:14.with Cross Country and Great Western to see how the service