:00:00. > :00:00.focus in targeted spending on public schemes such as health and education
:00:00. > :00:13.programmes within the region. Order. Questions to the Prime Minister.
:00:14. > :00:18.The Prime Minister. This morning I had meetings with ministerial
:00:19. > :00:24.colleagues and others in addition to my duties in this house, I will have
:00:25. > :00:29.further meetings today. Happy New Year to you, Mr Speaker, let me
:00:30. > :00:33.extend it to everyone in this house. It has been over six months since
:00:34. > :00:37.European referendum and embarrassingly, for the Prime
:00:38. > :00:40.Minister, the Scottish Government is the only administration on the
:00:41. > :00:49.islands which have published a plan on what to do next. LAUGHTER
:00:50. > :00:56.Has the Prime Minister read it yet? And, when will she be publishing her
:00:57. > :01:00.own plan? Can I join the honourable gentleman in wishing everyone in the
:01:01. > :01:04.house, not only members but the staff of the house a happy New Year.
:01:05. > :01:08.Can I say that as I said to the liaison committee when I appeared in
:01:09. > :01:13.front of them before Christmas, I will, in a matter of weeks, be
:01:14. > :01:17.setting out more details of our proposals on the issue. I would like
:01:18. > :01:21.to remind the honourable gentleman that when he talks about the
:01:22. > :01:25.Scottish Government's plan, it is his party, the Scottish Nationalists
:01:26. > :01:35.party, that wants to leave the UK and therefore the U. -- the EU. In
:01:36. > :01:40.my constituency they employ over 1200 people in high skilled jobs,
:01:41. > :01:48.Manufacturing nuclear fuel which generates 15% of the UK's
:01:49. > :01:52.electricity. Do you agree that this industry is of crucial importance to
:01:53. > :01:57.the Northwest economy and will you support the new generation of power
:01:58. > :02:01.stations to guarantee jobs? I certainly agree with my honourable
:02:02. > :02:05.friend that new nuclear has a crucial role to play in securing our
:02:06. > :02:10.future energy needs, especially as we are looking to move to a low
:02:11. > :02:13.carbon society. The industrial strategy that the government will be
:02:14. > :02:17.setting out will have a strong emphasis on the role of regions in
:02:18. > :02:21.supporting economic growth and ensuring the economy works for all.
:02:22. > :02:29.Like my honourable friend I welcome the proposals from Toshiba to open a
:02:30. > :02:32.new power station in Cumbria and they continue to work closely with
:02:33. > :02:43.developers as they bring proposals forward. Jeremy Corbyn... Thank you,
:02:44. > :02:48.Mr Speaker, it is nice to have such a warm welcome and may I wish all
:02:49. > :02:52.members a happy New Year, as well as all members of staff in the house. I
:02:53. > :02:58.hope the whole house will join me, I'm sure that they will, in playing
:02:59. > :03:01.tribute to 22-year-old Lance Corporal Scott Hetherington who died
:03:02. > :03:07.in a non-combat incident in Iraq last Monday, I'm sure that the whole
:03:08. > :03:15.house will send condolences to family and friends of Katie Rough
:03:16. > :03:20.who died in York this week, it is right to send condolences. Last
:03:21. > :03:26.week, 485 people in England spent more than 12 hours on trolleys in
:03:27. > :03:31.hospital corridors. The Red Cross described this as "A humanitarian
:03:32. > :03:38.crisis". I call on the Prime Minister to come to Parliament on
:03:39. > :03:41.Monday. She did not. She sent the Health Secretary, but she agree that
:03:42. > :03:45.the best way of solving the crisis of the four-hour wait is fiddling
:03:46. > :03:51.the figures so that people are not seem to be waiting so long on
:03:52. > :03:53.trolleys in NHS hospitals? Well firstly, may I join the right
:03:54. > :03:58.honourable gentleman in sending condolences to the family of Lance
:03:59. > :04:02.Corporal Hetherington who died in a non-combat incident in Iraq, from
:04:03. > :04:08.everything I have seen and read, he was a very fine young man. We were
:04:09. > :04:13.delighted -- he was delighted to be in the Armed Forces and we are proud
:04:14. > :04:16.that such a fine young man was in the Armed Forces. I also join the
:04:17. > :04:21.right honourable gentleman in expressing condolences to the family
:04:22. > :04:26.and friends of little Katie, who died so tragically. Now, he talks
:04:27. > :04:30.about pressures on the NHS, and we acknowledge that there are pressures
:04:31. > :04:33.on the national Health Service. There are always extra pressures on
:04:34. > :04:38.the NHS over the winter, but of course we have at the moment added
:04:39. > :04:43.pressures of the ageing population, and the growing complex needs of the
:04:44. > :04:48.population. He refers to the British Red Cross term of a "Humanitarian
:04:49. > :04:52.crisis" but I must say that we have all seen humanitarian crisis around
:04:53. > :05:01.the world. And, to use that description of a national health
:05:02. > :05:06.service... Which, last year, saw 2.5 million more people treated in A
:05:07. > :05:14.than six years ago, was irresponsible and overblown. Mr
:05:15. > :05:21.Speaker, 1.8 million people had to wait longer than four hours last
:05:22. > :05:26.year in A departments. The Prime Minister may not like what the Red
:05:27. > :05:30.Cross said, that on the same day, the British Medical Association said
:05:31. > :05:34.conditions in hospitals across the country are reaching a dangerous
:05:35. > :05:38.level. The Royal College of Nursing has said NHS conditions are the
:05:39. > :05:42.worst ever. The Royal College of Physicians told the Prime Minister
:05:43. > :05:45.that the NHS is underfunded, not enough doctors, and overstretched.
:05:46. > :05:50.If she will not listen to the Red Cross, who will she listened to?
:05:51. > :05:54.I've said to the right honourable gentleman that I have acknowledged
:05:55. > :05:58.that there are pressures on the NHS, the government has put in extra
:05:59. > :06:06.funding and the fact that we are seeing more people being treated in
:06:07. > :06:10.our NHS, 2500 more people are treated within four hours every day
:06:11. > :06:14.in the NHS because of the government adding extra funding and the hard
:06:15. > :06:19.work of medical professionals in our NHS. But I also say to him it is not
:06:20. > :06:23.just a question of targets in relation to the health service. We
:06:24. > :06:28.continue to have a commitment, as the Health Secretary made clear, to
:06:29. > :06:31.the four hour target. It is a question of making sure people are
:06:32. > :06:36.provided with appropriate care for them and the best possible care in
:06:37. > :06:41.their circumstances. Jeremy Corbyn! Mr Speaker, she seems to be in a
:06:42. > :06:44.degree of denial about this and will not listen to professional
:06:45. > :06:49.organisations who have spent their whole lifetime doing their best for
:06:50. > :06:55.the NHS. But, can I ask if she will listen to Sian, who works for the
:06:56. > :06:58.NHS. She has a 22-month-old nephew who went into hospital, there was no
:06:59. > :07:03.bed and he was treated on two plastic chairs pushed together with
:07:04. > :07:07.a blanket. She says one of the nurses told her sister that it is
:07:08. > :07:12.always like this nowadays. She asks the question to all of us. Surely,
:07:13. > :07:15.we should strive to do better than this? Does the Prime Minister and
:07:16. > :07:21.Health Secretary think that this is an acceptable way of treating a
:07:22. > :07:33.22-month-old child needing help? Shameful! I accept there have been a
:07:34. > :07:38.small number of incidents... Where, an acceptable practices have taken
:07:39. > :07:42.place. But, what matters, we do not want those things to happen, but
:07:43. > :07:47.what matters is how you deal with them. That is why it is so important
:07:48. > :07:50.that the NHS looks into issues where there are unacceptable incidents
:07:51. > :07:54.which have taken place and learned lessons from them. But I come back
:07:55. > :07:58.to the point I was making earlier. He talks of the hard-working health
:07:59. > :08:02.care professionals, like Sian, in the NHS. And indeed, we should be
:08:03. > :08:12.grateful for the work that all of those working in the NHS do, over
:08:13. > :08:15.Christmas, we saw the busiest day ever in the NHS and over the few
:08:16. > :08:22.weeks around Christmas, we saw the day where more people were treated
:08:23. > :08:27.in A within four hours than had ever happened before. This is the
:08:28. > :08:33.reality of the National Health Service. Jeremy Corbyn!
:08:34. > :08:39.We all thanked NHS staff and praise them, but her government is
:08:40. > :08:43.proposing through sustainability and transformation to cut one third of
:08:44. > :08:48.beds in all of our hospitals in the very near future. On Monday, she
:08:49. > :08:53.spoke about mental health, and doing more to help people, particularly
:08:54. > :08:57.the young, with those conditions. I welcome that, except last night
:08:58. > :09:02.the BBC revealed that over five years, there had been an 89%
:09:03. > :09:07.increase in young people with mental health issues, having to go to A
:09:08. > :09:11.departments. So, doesn't she agree that the 1.25 billion committed to
:09:12. > :09:15.child and adolescent mental health in 2015 should have been ring
:09:16. > :09:20.fenced? Rather than used as a resource to be raided to plug other
:09:21. > :09:28.holes in other budgets within the NHS? If we look at what is happening
:09:29. > :09:32.in relation to mental health treatment on the NHS we see 1400
:09:33. > :09:37.more people every day accessing mental health services. When I spoke
:09:38. > :09:40.about this issue on Monday, I said that there is, of course, more for
:09:41. > :09:44.us to do. It is not a problem that will be
:09:45. > :09:48.resolved overnight. I have set out ways in which we will see an
:09:49. > :09:52.improvement in the services we see in relation to mental health but it
:09:53. > :09:56.is about appropriate care for any individual and, as I mentioned
:09:57. > :10:02.earlier, it is not just about A When I was in Aldershot on Monday, I
:10:03. > :10:08.spoke to service users with mental health problems, who said that they
:10:09. > :10:13.did not want to go to A, the provision of alternative services
:10:14. > :10:17.has meant that the A locally has seen their numbers stabilising
:10:18. > :10:20.rather than going up. It is about the appropriate care for the
:10:21. > :10:26.individual, and we want to see good practice spread across the whole
:10:27. > :10:31.country. Jeremy Corbyn! Mr Speaker, nobody wants people with mental
:10:32. > :10:35.health conditions to go to A departments, A departments do not
:10:36. > :10:39.want them to go there but under the government, there are 6000 nurses
:10:40. > :10:43.fewer working in mental health, 400 fewer doctors working in mental
:10:44. > :10:47.health, it is obviously they will go somewhere to get help when they are
:10:48. > :10:52.in a desperate situation. Mr Speaker, our NHS is under a huge
:10:53. > :10:57.pressure, and much of it is caused by cuts to social care. The Royal
:10:58. > :11:01.College of Physicians has said that it is pushing more people into our
:11:02. > :11:05.hospitals and trapping them there for longer. We'll be Prime Minister
:11:06. > :11:10.do what my friend, the member for Leicester South has called for, and
:11:11. > :11:17.bring forward the extra 700 million allocated in 2019 now into social
:11:18. > :11:20.care so that we did not have this problem of people staying too long
:11:21. > :11:25.in hospital when they should be cared for by a social care system?
:11:26. > :11:32.The right honourable gentleman has asked me these questions before
:11:33. > :11:35.Christmas in the last PMQs... He may find it difficult to believe that
:11:36. > :11:47.somebody will say the same thing that they said a few weeks ago...
:11:48. > :11:53.But... We have put extra money into social care. In the medium term, we
:11:54. > :11:57.are ensuring that best practice is spread across the country, because
:11:58. > :12:00.he talks about delayed discharge. There are some local authorities
:12:01. > :12:07.working with their health service locally where there are virtually no
:12:08. > :12:13.delayed discharges. 50%, half of the delayed discharges, are in only 24
:12:14. > :12:18.local authority areas. What does that tell us? That it is not just
:12:19. > :12:21.about funding but best practice. If the right honourable gentleman comes
:12:22. > :12:25.back to me and talks about funding again, he should think on this. We
:12:26. > :12:33.can only fun social care and the NHS if we have a strong economy with the
:12:34. > :12:36.Conservatives! Mr Speaker, I'm sorry to have to bring the Prime Minister
:12:37. > :12:40.back to the subject of social care which I raised before Christmas, the
:12:41. > :12:46.reason I did so and will continue to do so is because she has not
:12:47. > :12:51.addressed the problem! The government has cut ?4.6 billion from
:12:52. > :12:56.social care budgets. The Kings fund says there is a social care funding
:12:57. > :13:00.gap of ?2 billion almost this year. Earlier this week, the Prime
:13:01. > :13:05.Minister said that she wanted to create a "Shared society". We
:13:06. > :13:10.certainly have that. More people sharing hospital corridors on
:13:11. > :13:14.trolleys! More people sharing waiting areas and A departments.
:13:15. > :13:21.More people sharing an anxiety created by this government. Our NHS,
:13:22. > :13:26.Mr Speaker, is in crisis but the Prime Minister is in denial. Can I
:13:27. > :13:31.suggest to her, on the economic question, cancelled the corporate
:13:32. > :13:35.tax cuts! Spend the money where it is needed, and people in desperate
:13:36. > :13:42.need in social care, or in our hospitals! The right honourable
:13:43. > :13:46.gentleman talks about crisis, I suggest that he listens to the
:13:47. > :13:50.honourable member for Don Valley, a former Labour health minister, who
:13:51. > :13:54.said the following. With Labour, it is always about crisis. The NHS is
:13:55. > :13:59.on its knees, we had to be a bit more grown-up about this. And come
:14:00. > :14:06.he talks to be about corporation tax. -- and he talks to me about
:14:07. > :14:11.corporation tax and cuts, the Labour Party has already spent that money
:14:12. > :14:15.eight times! The last thing the NHS needs is a check from Labour which
:14:16. > :14:20.bounces, the only way we can ensure we have funding for the NHS is a
:14:21. > :14:24.strong economy. Yesterday, the right honourable gentleman proved that he
:14:25. > :14:25.was not only incompetent but would destroy our economy which would
:14:26. > :14:43.devastate our NHS. Cyber bullying, sexting and revenge
:14:44. > :14:48.pornography are part of British teenage life today, and so is a
:14:49. > :14:54.rapid increase in mental health problems among our teenagers. How is
:14:55. > :14:58.the Prime Minister helping to tackle the pressures teenagers face in
:14:59. > :15:02.Britain today? My right honourable friend raises an important point,
:15:03. > :15:06.and one of the things I spoke about when I spoke about mental health on
:15:07. > :15:11.Monday was trying to ensure we can provide better training for staff
:15:12. > :15:16.and teachers in schools to identify the early stages of mental health
:15:17. > :15:21.problems for young people, so that those problems can be addressed. I
:15:22. > :15:24.think it is something like half of all mental health problems start
:15:25. > :15:28.before age 14, so it's a real issue we need to address. We are going to
:15:29. > :15:33.look at how we can provide that training, and we will be looking at
:15:34. > :15:36.a number of other ways and reviewing the mental health services provided
:15:37. > :15:40.for young people to ensure we can identify what is working and make
:15:41. > :15:47.sure that good practice is spread across the country. May I begin with
:15:48. > :15:51.a tribute to father George Thompson, who died shortly before Christmas.
:15:52. > :15:58.He led a remarkable life as a teacher, priest and SNP member for
:15:59. > :16:03.Galloway. We extend our sympathies to his family. All of us in this
:16:04. > :16:08.house and across these islands care about the peace process and the
:16:09. > :16:12.democratic institutions in Northern Ireland, so may I wish the premise
:16:13. > :16:17.done well, the Taoiseach, the Northern Secretary, the political
:16:18. > :16:20.parties all the best in trying to resolve the serious political
:16:21. > :16:26.difficulties there. Will the Prime Minister tell us what consequences
:16:27. > :16:30.will be if no agreement be found? I join the honourable gentleman in
:16:31. > :16:37.offering condolences to the family and friends of George Thompson, the
:16:38. > :16:41.member for Galloway between 1974 and 1979. On the issue he has raised
:16:42. > :16:44.about the situation in Northern Ireland, we are treating this with
:16:45. > :16:48.the utmost seriousness, and as he will know the Northern Ireland
:16:49. > :16:53.Secretary made a statement in this house earlier this week on this
:16:54. > :17:00.issue. He has spoken to the First Minister and the former Deputy First
:17:01. > :17:05.Minister and he is urging all parties to work together to find a
:17:06. > :17:07.way forward. I have also spoken to the Taoiseach about this issue, so
:17:08. > :17:16.we are putting every effort into this. The legislation is that, if,
:17:17. > :17:18.within seven days, we don't have a nomination for a Deputy First
:17:19. > :17:24.Minister, the matter would go to an election. The Prime Minister has
:17:25. > :17:30.indicated that she wants to date the views of the elected representatives
:17:31. > :17:34.and the devolved institutions on Brexit seriously. So it stands to
:17:35. > :17:37.reason then that, if there is no Northern Ireland Assembly and there
:17:38. > :17:44.is no Northern Ireland Executive for much of the time before the March
:17:45. > :17:48.timetable she has set before invoking Article 50, that she will
:17:49. > :17:51.be unable to properly consult, to fully discuss and find agreement on
:17:52. > :17:57.the complex issues during this time period. In these circumstances, will
:17:58. > :18:08.the Prime Minister postpone invoking Article 50? Will she postpone
:18:09. > :18:16.Article 50, or will she just plough on regardless? It's about ensuring,
:18:17. > :18:21.as he says, we all want to ensure that we do hear the views from all
:18:22. > :18:25.parts of the UK. That is why we have established the GMC, European
:18:26. > :18:32.committee, specifically to take the views and the GMC plenary, which is
:18:33. > :18:36.also meeting more frequently than previously. First, we want to ensure
:18:37. > :18:40.that, within this period of seven days, we can find a resolution to
:18:41. > :18:44.the political situation in Northern Ireland so we can continue to seek
:18:45. > :18:48.the assembly government continuing, but I am also clear that, in the
:18:49. > :18:53.discussions we have, it will be possible and it is still the case
:18:54. > :18:56.that actually ministers are in place and that obviously there are
:18:57. > :19:01.executives in place, and we are still able to take the views of the
:19:02. > :19:13.Northern Irish people. Closed question, Michael fabricant. Thank
:19:14. > :19:17.you, Mr Speaker. Apologies. The fundamentals of the UK economy are
:19:18. > :19:22.strong, including in Staffordshire and the West Midlands. Employment in
:19:23. > :19:26.Staffordshire has risen by over 20,000 since 2010. We have protected
:19:27. > :19:31.schools and police budgets and we have seen more doctors and nurses in
:19:32. > :19:36.the Burton hospitals trust. We are going further than this in the West
:19:37. > :19:38.Midlands by giving new powers to the region with the devolution deal and
:19:39. > :19:45.the election of a directly elected mayor, and I think Andy Street, with
:19:46. > :19:50.his business and local experience, would be a very good mayor for the
:19:51. > :19:54.West Midlands. I think the Prime Minister for that answer.
:19:55. > :19:59.Unemployment in my constituency, my beautiful Litchfield constituency,
:20:00. > :20:06.is around 0.7%, which is fantastic, but I want it even lower. I have
:20:07. > :20:09.found out that 24% of my constituents work in the area of the
:20:10. > :20:13.West Midlands combined authority. So can I press my right honourable
:20:14. > :20:19.friend just a little bit further about what she thinks is needed in
:20:20. > :20:26.the West Midlands combined authority to improve employment still more?
:20:27. > :20:31.Well, I think my honourable friend, and of course I have had the
:20:32. > :20:37.advantage, having visited his beautiful constituency. In relation
:20:38. > :20:42.to the Midlands, we have very strong ambitions to make the Midlands and
:20:43. > :20:46.engine for growth in the UK. That is why we have plans for a Midlands
:20:47. > :20:50.engine that demonstrates that, when we say we are going to build an
:20:51. > :20:55.economy that works for everyone, we actually mean it. In the Autumn
:20:56. > :21:02.Statement, ?5 million was confirmed for a Birmingham rail hub, 250
:21:03. > :21:05.million Midlands engine investment funds, and we will shortly publish a
:21:06. > :21:10.strategy for the Midlands engine, but I repeat that I think, for the
:21:11. > :21:14.West Midlands, having the devolution deal, the mayor and the right person
:21:15. > :21:21.elected as mayor, who I think we'll be Andy Street, is important. Sur
:21:22. > :21:25.Ivan Rogers, in his resignation letter, said people may have to
:21:26. > :21:30.deliver messages to the government that they may find disagreeable, so
:21:31. > :21:34.here is one. Her lack of priority for the single market is putting
:21:35. > :21:38.jobs in Scotland and the economy at risk. That means that government is
:21:39. > :21:43.as big a threat to the union as the SNP. Her government is not worthy of
:21:44. > :21:48.the trust Scots, let alone their blind trust, so will the Prime
:21:49. > :21:52.Minister take this opportunity to apologise for threatening the union
:21:53. > :21:58.and give a solemn promise to every single person in this country that
:21:59. > :22:03.they will not be a penny worse off after a Tory Brexit? The honourable
:22:04. > :22:08.gentleman will be well aware that I want to see the best possible trade
:22:09. > :22:12.deal for the UK with the EU, the best possible deal for trading with
:22:13. > :22:16.an operating in the single European market. When we enter the
:22:17. > :22:20.negotiations, obviously that is one of the issues I have said I want to
:22:21. > :22:24.see, and we will be out there and delivering on it. Unlike the
:22:25. > :22:28.downplaying he does about the approach we are taking, it is
:22:29. > :22:33.government that is ambitious for the opportunities available to this
:22:34. > :22:40.country once we leave the EU. Cheshire schools in areas of reality
:22:41. > :22:44.and high deprivation will receive some of the lowest per-pupil funding
:22:45. > :22:48.rate in the country under the new proposed funding formula. -- in
:22:49. > :22:54.rural areas. Does the Prime Minister agreed that these discrepancies must
:22:55. > :22:59.be addressed to ensure that pupils in my area receive the best possible
:23:00. > :23:03.start in life? I think everybody recognises that the way schools have
:23:04. > :23:07.been funded in the past has been unfair and many pupils have missed
:23:08. > :23:12.out, and that is why it is right for us to look at bringing forward a new
:23:13. > :23:15.fair funding formula, making sure funding is attached to children's
:23:16. > :23:20.needs. We recognise the issues of rural areas in this, which is why,
:23:21. > :23:25.within the fair funding formula, additional funding for such schools
:23:26. > :23:28.has been included, but of course the Department for Education as this out
:23:29. > :23:31.for consultation at the moment and I would urge my honourable friend to
:23:32. > :23:39.make a representation is part of that consultation. Dewsbury hospital
:23:40. > :23:46.A is set for downgrade this year. Over Christmas, I had constituents
:23:47. > :23:49.waiting over 20 hours for a bed, in a facility that might not even exist
:23:50. > :23:56.next year. Would the Prime Minister now please face reality and act now
:23:57. > :24:03.to stop this vital A service from disappearing? The honourable ladies
:24:04. > :24:16.referring to the plans being put forward at local level to
:24:17. > :24:21.consider... shouting. IF THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR DEWSBURY, IF
:24:22. > :24:24.SHE WERE BEHAVING LIKE THAT IN ANOTHER AREA, WOULD PROBABLY BE
:24:25. > :24:32.SUBJECT TO AN ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR ORDER. I returned to the point,
:24:33. > :24:36.decisions about services in the local area are rightly taken by the
:24:37. > :24:40.local National Guard service, because we believe that it is local
:24:41. > :24:45.clinicians and local patients and leaders who know what is less for
:24:46. > :24:48.their area, so it is about trying to tailor services to provide the best
:24:49. > :24:53.possible needs for local people, modernising care and facilities and
:24:54. > :24:57.making sure the services are appropriate to the local area. This
:24:58. > :25:02.trust has an extensive improvement plan to ensure both hospitals within
:25:03. > :25:09.it can care for patients attending A within as timely a way as
:25:10. > :25:13.possible. Next Thursday evening, I will host the first session of the
:25:14. > :25:17.Bedford community business school, free of charge, open to all, with
:25:18. > :25:22.250 local people sharing a passion for entrepreneurship and learning
:25:23. > :25:25.tips about business from national and local business leaders, so will
:25:26. > :25:29.my right honourable friend ensure that her forthcoming national
:25:30. > :25:32.strategy is that it's part be passionate interests of Britain's
:25:33. > :25:40.small business leaders and entrepreneurs? -- has at its heart.
:25:41. > :25:43.I can absolutely give that commitment. The industrial strategy
:25:44. > :25:46.will look to the economy of the future, what is the sort of economy
:25:47. > :25:50.we want in this country, and crucial to that will be the growth generated
:25:51. > :25:54.by entrepreneurs, small businesses and the very passion he speaks
:25:55. > :25:59.about. We want to see an environment in which those who can grow can
:26:00. > :26:03.emerge and develop and provide future jobs for people, so they can
:26:04. > :26:06.contribute to the strength of the economy. That is what the industrial
:26:07. > :26:12.strategy is about and I agree with my honourable friend. The Prime
:26:13. > :26:16.Minister, I am sure, will understand, despite the
:26:17. > :26:22.reassurances, that there are genuine and really serious concerns among
:26:23. > :26:25.staff across the NHS and the care system and patients and their
:26:26. > :26:30.families about the pressures they are under. It is for that reason
:26:31. > :26:34.that MPs from her own party, from the Labour Party and my own have
:26:35. > :26:38.come together to call for the government to establish an NHS and
:26:39. > :26:43.care convention to engage with the public, so we can come up with a
:26:44. > :26:47.long-term settlement for the NHS and care. Would the Prime Minister be
:26:48. > :26:53.prepared to meet with us just to discuss it so she can hear our case?
:26:54. > :26:57.I recognised the interest and attention the honourable gentleman
:26:58. > :27:00.has given to these issues, and he is a former health minister himself and
:27:01. > :27:08.I will be happy to meet with him and others as he suggests. There can be
:27:09. > :27:13.nothing as distressing for a parent as the death of their child,
:27:14. > :27:20.particularly where that child has been murdered. That is what happened
:27:21. > :27:26.to the two ladies, one of them a constituent of mine, who set up
:27:27. > :27:28.Justice After Acquittal, successfully campaigning for
:27:29. > :27:34.voluntary national standards of support by the CPS and policed by
:27:35. > :27:39.the families of murder victims following an acquittal. They are due
:27:40. > :27:43.to be launched next Tuesday. -- for the families. Would the Prime
:27:44. > :27:46.Minister join with me in paying tribute to determination and energy
:27:47. > :27:50.with which they have campaigned, and will she continue to ensure that the
:27:51. > :27:55.voices of the victims of crime and their families are always listened
:27:56. > :27:59.to? My honourable friend raises an important point and I am happy to
:28:00. > :28:02.join with him in paying tribute to these campaigners. I am sure the
:28:03. > :28:07.whole house would want to pay tribute to the work they are doing.
:28:08. > :28:13.I remain committed to ensuring that the voices of victims are heard.
:28:14. > :28:18.That is what I did as Home Secretary, looking at issues such as
:28:19. > :28:21.introducing new measures to tackle modern slavery, strengthening BIP
:28:22. > :28:25.CC, legislating in relation to police complaint and discipline
:28:26. > :28:30.systems to strengthen public confidence in policing, and I'm
:28:31. > :28:35.pleased to say that the Home Secretary is taking that same
:28:36. > :28:42.passion to ensure the voices of victims of crime are heard. --
:28:43. > :28:46.strengthening the IPC C. Across the UK, many banks are accelerating
:28:47. > :28:50.their closure of local branches, with adverse effects on vulnerable
:28:51. > :28:53.and older people and the high street. The Royal Bank of Scotland
:28:54. > :29:01.is closing down branches across Scotland, including Juniper Green in
:29:02. > :29:04.my constituency. Local convenience stores are taking the strain,
:29:05. > :29:09.processing bills and often facing exorbitant bank charges for the
:29:10. > :29:13.privilege of doing that. Will the Prime Minister meet with me to
:29:14. > :29:16.discuss how we can realise a situation where banking across the
:29:17. > :29:24.UK services customers and the real economy? The issue of bank branches
:29:25. > :29:29.and accessibility of bank services is one which is for individual banks
:29:30. > :29:34.themselves to take and consider, and there are many ways in which people
:29:35. > :29:37.are now accessing bank services other than going physically into a
:29:38. > :29:43.branch, but I will certainly look at the issue she has raised. Building a
:29:44. > :29:48.country that works for everyone means doing even more to tackle
:29:49. > :29:57.economic and social deprivation that has come to afflict pockets of
:29:58. > :30:03.seaside towns such as Rhyl in my constituency. Would the right
:30:04. > :30:07.honourable friend support a locally developed plan to invest in rail
:30:08. > :30:12.infrastructure to help unlock the true potential of the north Wales
:30:13. > :30:15.and Mersey economic region as an integral part of the northern
:30:16. > :30:20.powerhouse, connected to the rest of the country by the proposed a Harb
:30:21. > :30:26.at Crewe? I welcome the establishment of the north Wales and
:30:27. > :30:31.Mersey rail task force and the work they are doing. The plan he mentions
:30:32. > :30:35.sets out an ambitious programme of improvements for the area. I am sure
:30:36. > :30:39.they will prioritise the most promising option, but I can say that
:30:40. > :30:42.the Department for Transport will continue to work closely with the
:30:43. > :30:43.top force and the Welsh government to consider what can be jointly
:30:44. > :31:11.accomplished. on the 2011 pensions act. He has
:31:12. > :31:22.been deemed someone who can accept a knighthood. Action has been taken in
:31:23. > :31:25.relation to pensions. The number of people affected for the period they
:31:26. > :31:30.were affected was resumes. Money was put in to show that was possible,
:31:31. > :31:34.but I also said to the honourable gentleman that if you look at the
:31:35. > :31:40.new structure that has been put in place, women will be some of the
:31:41. > :31:44.greater benefit choose -- beneficiaries of the new structure.
:31:45. > :31:49.I welcome the Prime Minister raising the awareness of child mental health
:31:50. > :31:54.this week. Not least because last year 65% of young people requiring
:31:55. > :31:58.mental health support in South Warwickshire had to wait over 12
:31:59. > :32:02.weeks before starting treatment. Can my right honourable friend outline
:32:03. > :32:08.how the new proposals will improve our support network for such
:32:09. > :32:12.vulnerable young people? My honourable friend raises important
:32:13. > :32:18.issue that was alluded to earlier in this session of PMQs. We are
:32:19. > :32:23.investing more in mental health. We are spending ?11.4 billion a year.
:32:24. > :32:27.It was the Conservative led government that introduced the
:32:28. > :32:31.parity of esteem between mental and physical health. There is still more
:32:32. > :32:35.for us to do to ensure we see the appropriate care available for
:32:36. > :32:37.people and I cited an example earlier of where I saw excellent
:32:38. > :32:55.work being done to provide care and support for people which relieve
:32:56. > :32:58.pressure on Accident and Emergency. Strain Accident and Emergency in my
:32:59. > :33:05.constituency is under review and further up the Cumbrian coast the
:33:06. > :33:13.community could lose access to 24 hour Accident and Emergency and
:33:14. > :33:18.maternity led services. No decisions will be made locally, but can she at
:33:19. > :33:25.least say that she can understand the anxiety of expense and mums who
:33:26. > :33:32.face a 40 mile journey on difficult roads that are often blocked. --
:33:33. > :33:35.expectant mums. I think the problem that are facing the health service
:33:36. > :33:41.in Cumbria are widely recognised and I understand the concerns of local
:33:42. > :33:47.people in terms of the services available to them. We have put
:33:48. > :33:52.robust national support in place. We are developing a lasting plan to
:33:53. > :33:55.deliver high-quality sustainable services. He is writing saying that
:33:56. > :34:00.in relation to the specific decisions they are being taken
:34:01. > :34:05.locally. No final decisions have been taken. I recognise the concern
:34:06. > :34:08.he has raised previously, particularly about services at West
:34:09. > :34:15.Cumberland Hospital. There will be considerable involvement in taking
:34:16. > :34:19.those decisions and we do recognise the concerns regarding long-term
:34:20. > :34:27.health provision in Cumbria. Doctor Caroline Johnson. Thank you, Mr
:34:28. > :34:32.Speaker. I never my career in medicine that the men and women of
:34:33. > :34:36.our East Midlands ambulance do a brave and sterling job for the
:34:37. > :34:42.people of the and North Hykeham and others, saving people's lives every
:34:43. > :34:48.day. East Midlands Ambulance Service responded to 11,662 999 calls over
:34:49. > :34:53.the Christmas and bank holiday weekend alone. 2500 of which were in
:34:54. > :34:59.Lincolnshire. Will the Prime Minister join me in paying tribute
:35:00. > :35:04.to the dedication, particularly over the busy winter period and tell the
:35:05. > :35:08.house Watmore the government can do to support our Ambulance Services
:35:09. > :35:17.and improve response times in rural areas like Sleaford and North
:35:18. > :35:20.Hykeham? I thank my honourable friend for her question and for
:35:21. > :35:26.bringing her personal experience as a medical professional in relation
:35:27. > :35:29.to this issue. I'm happy to pay tribute to the men and women of the
:35:30. > :35:35.Ambulance Service and the dedication and commitment they show. She asked
:35:36. > :35:40.what the government has been doing. We recognise the Ambulance Service
:35:41. > :35:49.is busy and that is why we have 2000 more paramedics compared to 2010.
:35:50. > :35:59.Also at the Department of Health, NHS, employers and ambulance unions
:36:00. > :36:03.have agreed changes in compensation to paramedics. We recognise the
:36:04. > :36:07.excellent work they do. Can I commend the Prime Minister for her
:36:08. > :36:11.considered statement last night and indeed the words she has given this
:36:12. > :36:15.afternoon. She knows our commitment to the institutions in Northern
:36:16. > :36:20.Ireland, but would she agreed that nothing can be or should be gained
:36:21. > :36:26.from threatening the peace process, the progress that we have made or
:36:27. > :36:31.the institutions that we have fought so hard to sustain in Northern
:36:32. > :36:36.Ireland? Well, the progress that has been made in Northern Ireland has
:36:37. > :36:40.been hard-won. We must all recognise that we don't want to put that
:36:41. > :36:44.progress in jeopardy. That is why it is so important for the government
:36:45. > :36:50.and for all parties to work as hard as we can to see a resolution to
:36:51. > :36:54.this issue so we can see a return to the power-sharing institutions and
:36:55. > :37:00.ensure, as we say, that the progress that has been hard-won can be
:37:01. > :37:03.continued. Can I warmly welcome what my right honourable friend said
:37:04. > :37:08.about children's mental health earlier this week, but can I draw
:37:09. > :37:13.attention to another burning injustice. One of my constituents
:37:14. > :37:18.have been battling cancer. She has taken 20 weeks off of work and she
:37:19. > :37:21.is on half pay, yet her working tax credits have been stopped which
:37:22. > :37:27.means she is worrying about how she makes ends meet instead of
:37:28. > :37:36.concentrating on recovery. Could the Treasury look at this perhaps in the
:37:37. > :37:41.course of budget preparations? I'm sorry to hear of these particular
:37:42. > :37:45.difficulties that she has set out that her constituent is experiencing
:37:46. > :37:51.and the distress this has caused her. Working tax credits provide
:37:52. > :37:54.support for low income families and are designed to incentivise people
:37:55. > :38:00.to increase their working hours. With the new universal credit system
:38:01. > :38:05.we will have single stream I'm payments that encourage work, but in
:38:06. > :38:08.the individual case that has been raised, I'm sure the financial
:38:09. > :38:11.Secretary to the Treasury will be happy to look at the individual case
:38:12. > :38:27.order. -- at the individual case it has set
:38:28. > :38:35.out. Order.