:00:00. > :00:00.we have led the way in humanitarian and emergency food assistance, given
:00:00. > :00:00.help to over 2.4 million people. Questions to the Prime Minister.
:00:07. > :00:18.Caroline Flint. Question number one. Mr Damian
:00:19. > :00:29.Green. My right honourable friend is
:00:30. > :00:34.welcoming the king and queen of Spain on their state visit to the
:00:35. > :00:42.United Kingdom and I am sure the whole House wishes them well. Isn't
:00:43. > :00:47.today's report that the National Grid made ?3 billion profit in 2016
:00:48. > :00:51.at the expense of households further evidence the Government is not
:00:52. > :00:56.delivering their energy prices? Will the Government agreed to an
:00:57. > :01:01.immediate rebate for overcharging, and will the Government now commit
:01:02. > :01:08.and energy price cap for the households on the most expensive
:01:09. > :01:11.tariffs? The right honourable lady is right to identify the issue and I
:01:12. > :01:16.am sure she will welcome the announcement in the Queen's Speech
:01:17. > :01:18.that the Government will ensure there are markets for consumers and
:01:19. > :01:23.this will include bringing forward measures to help tackle unfair
:01:24. > :01:26.practices in the energy market to help produce energy bills. I am sure
:01:27. > :01:35.this is an issue on which we can work across the House together. Mr
:01:36. > :01:38.Speaker, yesterday you kindly hosted discussions on the future of health
:01:39. > :01:41.and social care and their funding, including one by Mike honourable
:01:42. > :01:46.friend. My right honourable friend knows that NHS in Staffordshire and
:01:47. > :01:51.Stoke is delivering fine carer but under great financial pressure along
:01:52. > :01:55.with other parts of the country. Can I encourage the Government to bring
:01:56. > :01:58.together people from across this House to make this Parliament one
:01:59. > :02:05.that puts the NHS and social care on a firm foundation. I am grateful to
:02:06. > :02:11.my honourable friend and I know he has been campaigning vigorously on
:02:12. > :02:15.behalf of the health service in his constituency, including his local
:02:16. > :02:18.hospital, and he is absolutely right to do so. He and I I am sure both
:02:19. > :02:25.welcomed the fact that the Government has committed an extra ?8
:02:26. > :02:28.billion over this Parliament to the NHS, and are also committed to
:02:29. > :02:33.having a full debate across the House and indeed much wider with
:02:34. > :02:36.people about how to improve our social care system because this is
:02:37. > :02:42.indeed one of the big issues facing this country. Emily Thornberry.
:02:43. > :02:48.Thank you, Mr Speaker. Let me welcome the first secretary to his
:02:49. > :02:52.new role. By my reckoning in the 20 years since he first joined this
:02:53. > :02:57.House ease the 16th member of the party opposite to be represented at
:02:58. > :03:00.prime ministers questions, so how about I give him until the end of
:03:01. > :03:01.this session to be able to name all the others?
:03:02. > :03:08.LAUGHTER In the meantime I am sure he and a
:03:09. > :03:10.whole House will join me in congratulating the British and Irish
:03:11. > :03:17.Lions on their historic achievement in recent days. Mr Speaker, on the
:03:18. > :03:20.subject of British and Irish cooperation, the secretary has huge
:03:21. > :03:23.expertise on the practicalities of the Common travel area. On that
:03:24. > :03:27.basis can he tell the House what will happen to the Irish land border
:03:28. > :03:33.if no deal is reached between Britain and Europe by the end of
:03:34. > :03:40.March 2019? I am grateful to the Saffie for her kind remarks -- I am
:03:41. > :03:43.grateful to the right honourable lady for her kind remarks. I might
:03:44. > :03:48.pick up the offer in the tearoom later rather than disturb the House
:03:49. > :03:51.no. Many distinguished people, of both sexes, who have dealt with this
:03:52. > :04:08.in this party, because we of course elect women leaders. I am also... I
:04:09. > :04:15.also absolutely share her view about the British and Irish Lions, though
:04:16. > :04:19.it strikes me as a particularly British thing to do to celebrate and
:04:20. > :04:23.drawn series quite as hard as we have, but nevertheless that is the
:04:24. > :04:27.way we do sport, and I know you, Mr Speaker, will be very keen in
:04:28. > :04:32.following Joe contact's progress through Wimbledon, as well as Andy
:04:33. > :04:38.Murray. -- Johanna Konta through Wimbledon. Let's hope we have two
:04:39. > :04:41.finalists over the weekend. On the question of the Irish border, she
:04:42. > :04:45.will know it is the aim of this Government to make sure we get the
:04:46. > :04:48.best deal for Britain, and as the prime ministers set out in her
:04:49. > :04:53.Lancaster house speech, one of the key issues we want to bring forward
:04:54. > :04:56.and have brought forward at the start of the negotiations is
:04:57. > :05:00.precisely the issue of the Irish border, because it is extremely
:05:01. > :05:04.important, not just for our own citizens in Northern Ireland, but
:05:05. > :05:09.for the Irish Republic, that we get that right, and indeed I have
:05:10. > :05:14.already had meetings with my opposite number on this and other
:05:15. > :05:20.matters. I mentioned at the outset he is the 16th member to represent
:05:21. > :05:23.his party in jaw-mac since beginning and seven. Only three of those have
:05:24. > :05:33.been women and the last before the current Prime Minister was 16 years
:05:34. > :05:38.ago -- his party in the House since 1997. If I might turn to the
:05:39. > :05:46.question, it was not what deal do we hope to get, but what happens if we
:05:47. > :05:53.get no deal at all? This isn't some sinister nightmare drugged by
:05:54. > :05:56.Remains. It was the Prime Minister who first floated the idea of no
:05:57. > :06:07.deal -- this is not some sinister nightmare
:06:08. > :06:13.dreamt up. Well the first Secretary clear this up? Are ministers just
:06:14. > :06:26.making it up as they are going along? Or is it still the
:06:27. > :06:35.Government's clear policy that no deal is an option? I recommend the
:06:36. > :06:40.right honourable lady read the Prime Minister's Lancaster house speech,
:06:41. > :06:45.the principle on which we are negotiating. Also seeing it is
:06:46. > :06:50.conceivable we would be offered a kind of punishment deal that would
:06:51. > :06:54.be worse than no deal. That is not our intention because we want a good
:06:55. > :06:57.deal. It is for a leader and her party's position that whatever is on
:06:58. > :07:07.offer they will accept it, can I point out? That is a terrible way to
:07:08. > :07:10.go into a negotiation, and all I can congratulate them on is their
:07:11. > :07:15.consistency. They have been consistently in favour of unilateral
:07:16. > :07:19.disarmament, but they don't only apply that in military matters, they
:07:20. > :07:26.clearly applied in matters of negotiation on Britain's future
:07:27. > :07:29.prosperity as well. The first secretary apparently did not get the
:07:30. > :07:38.Prime Minister's mammal. You are supposed to be building consensus,
:07:39. > :07:43.mam. -- man. And if we ignore the political bluster, I think what we
:07:44. > :07:47.heard was that no deal is indeed still an option, and if that is the
:07:48. > :07:54.case, can we turn to what I might call the East India club question?
:07:55. > :07:56.Before the member for Newton Abbot suddenly turned herself into Nick
:07:57. > :08:04.Griffin, this was the question she was trying to ask. What does no deal
:08:05. > :08:09.mean for our people, our businesses, and for issues such as the Irish
:08:10. > :08:15.land border? Can the first secretary addressed this question now? What
:08:16. > :08:22.does no deal look like in practice? I am very happy to address her first
:08:23. > :08:25.point of it consensus. Am always, as she knows, a moderate person keen on
:08:26. > :08:29.consensus, so I very much look forward to sharing the Labour
:08:30. > :08:40.Party's view this morning on the unemployment figures. Unemployment
:08:41. > :08:44.is now down to its lowest level since the early 70s. There are many
:08:45. > :08:48.members of this House who were not born when unemployment was as low as
:08:49. > :08:53.this Government has made it. I would hope that she can bring herself in
:08:54. > :08:58.the course of her questions actually to welcome lower unemployment. On
:08:59. > :09:05.the substance of her question, as she knows, we are seeking a good
:09:06. > :09:10.deal for Britain that will enable us to trade as freely as possible with
:09:11. > :09:13.the European Union to protect our prosperity, at the same time as
:09:14. > :09:18.getting trade deals with other important markets around the world.
:09:19. > :09:20.In the last week alone, both the United States and Australia have
:09:21. > :09:25.said they would like to sign trade deals with Britain as fast as
:09:26. > :09:29.possible. So I am happy to report to her and that negotiations are going
:09:30. > :09:43.well and that her fear of no deal is probably overstated. If he wants to
:09:44. > :09:46.talk about unemployment, let me ask him, specifically, will he publish
:09:47. > :09:51.the Treasury's assessment of the impact of what they're no deal
:09:52. > :09:55.outcome would have on jobs and growth in Britain? -- the impact of
:09:56. > :10:00.what they know deal outcome would have. I didn't think so. Let's
:10:01. > :10:04.continue. If the first secretary will not tell the House... Order.
:10:05. > :10:11.Honourable lady must be heard, and she will be, as well first secretary
:10:12. > :10:18.Green. Members must calm themselves. Emily Thornberry... Thank you, Mr
:10:19. > :10:21.Speaker. If the first secretary will not tell the House what no deal
:10:22. > :10:26.means can he is least clear up the confusion over whether a plan for no
:10:27. > :10:29.deal actually exists? Yesterday the Foreign Secretary told me that
:10:30. > :10:34.indeed there was no plan for no deal. Two hours later, Number ten
:10:35. > :10:37.for it back and said there was a plan. That Brexit secretary might be
:10:38. > :10:45.laughing, but I am turning to him next.
:10:46. > :10:50.LAUGHTER The Brexit secretary was so busy
:10:51. > :10:54.fighting with himself, that on March the 12, he said that there was a
:10:55. > :11:00.plan, and on March 17th he said there was not. On May 19th he said
:11:01. > :11:04.he spent half his time thinking about it, and yesterday he said he
:11:05. > :11:07.was not prepared to comment. So can the first secretary clear up the
:11:08. > :11:12.confusion today? Is there a contingency plan for no deal, or is
:11:13. > :11:18.there not? If there is, will you undertake to publish it?
:11:19. > :11:24.The honourable ladies says she is happy to talk about an employment,
:11:25. > :11:31.but you cannot bring herself to welcome the figures. --
:11:32. > :11:34.unemployment. We will have to work harder to establish consensus on
:11:35. > :11:40.something that I would hope genuinely unites all sides of this
:11:41. > :11:43.House. On the report, the OBR is publishing its fiscal risks report
:11:44. > :11:50.tomorrow, so if she can be patient, she will see the report she wants.
:11:51. > :11:54.Emily Thornberry! So let's be clear, the First Secretary seems to be
:11:55. > :12:00.saying that no deal is still on the table, but he won't say what it
:12:01. > :12:05.means, and there is a no deal contingency plan that he will not
:12:06. > :12:10.publish. This is two steps forward and two steps back. After all, if
:12:11. > :12:14.the Government seriously once open, cross-party debate about the best
:12:15. > :12:19.way forward for Brexit, surely they have to spell out what all the
:12:20. > :12:22.options look like. So can the First Secretary at least provide some
:12:23. > :12:27.clarity on one issue, and let's try to make some progress today. He has
:12:28. > :12:37.said repeatedly that we want to avoid a cliff edge Brexit. But and a
:12:38. > :12:40.no deal scenario, he knows that must be impossible, because the Prime
:12:41. > :12:42.Minister can hardly storm out of the negotiating room saying she will not
:12:43. > :12:45.accept the deal, then pop her head around the door and say, can she
:12:46. > :12:51.have two more years to prepare, because that is not how it works.
:12:52. > :12:54.Does he accept that no deal means no transitional arrangements? That me
:12:55. > :12:58.try harder to establish consensus with the right honourable lady. We
:12:59. > :13:03.both want a deal, I hope we will agree to that, a deal at the end of
:13:04. > :13:06.this, and the reason why I am optimistic because of our negotiated
:13:07. > :13:11.stands and the position set out by the Prime Minister we will get a
:13:12. > :13:15.deal, is that we have, for example, paid a fair and realistic offer
:13:16. > :13:22.about citizenship to try to remove that problem from the equations.
:13:23. > :13:25.That is a first indication of how we will approach these negotiations, we
:13:26. > :13:30.approached them in a positive state, and we believe that it is not just
:13:31. > :13:33.in the interests of Great Britain but also in the interests of the
:13:34. > :13:36.other member states of the European Union to reach a deal with what is
:13:37. > :13:43.one of their biggest trading partners. Though it is in everyone's
:13:44. > :13:45.interest to reach this deal, and frankly she said nothing
:13:46. > :13:52.constructive to contribute to a deal so far, but I will give her another
:13:53. > :13:56.chance. Emily Thornberry! I know the right honourable gentleman is new to
:13:57. > :14:01.this, but the way the rules work... Order! I do not know whether it is
:14:02. > :14:06.spontaneous or orchestrated, and I don't really care which, but
:14:07. > :14:09.whichever it is, the idea that it is going to stop the honourable lady
:14:10. > :14:14.asking her questions is for the birds. Members are wasting their
:14:15. > :14:18.vocal chords, we will carry on as long as necessary to accommodate the
:14:19. > :14:22.backbench members who I wish to accommodate. Emily Thornberry. I
:14:23. > :14:25.know that the honourable and is new to this, but I ask the questions and
:14:26. > :14:34.he... LAUGHTER
:14:35. > :14:43.And I quite happy to swap places with them! Frankly, if he doesn't
:14:44. > :14:47.want to continue under these rules, plenty of other people on the front
:14:48. > :14:53.bench would love the opportunity to audition as Prime Minister. But I do
:14:54. > :14:57.appreciate, I do appreciate the first Secretary's answers, but they
:14:58. > :15:00.just serve to illustrate what a mess the Government has got itself into
:15:01. > :15:05.by threatening to walk away even before talks began. Isn't the truth
:15:06. > :15:09.now that we have a no deal option on the table but they will not tell us
:15:10. > :15:12.what it means, contingency plans that they will not let the public
:15:13. > :15:18.see, a Chancellor demanding transitional arrangements, which a
:15:19. > :15:23.no deal option makes impossible, a Foreign Secretary making it up as he
:15:24. > :15:27.is going along, we have got a Brexit Secretary so used to overruling his
:15:28. > :15:31.colleagues that he has started overruling himself! And we have got
:15:32. > :15:36.a Prime Minister who is so be reft of ideas that she started putting
:15:37. > :15:44.suggestion boxes around Parliament! But as a country, as a country, we
:15:45. > :15:49.have got 20 months until Brexit. We absolutely have got to get a grip,
:15:50. > :15:52.and if the party opposite hasn't got the strength or the task, then we
:15:53. > :15:56.have absolutely got to get rid of them.
:15:57. > :16:04.I think there may have been a question somewhere in that! Can I
:16:05. > :16:09.issue at the right honourable lady of two things? First of all, that is
:16:10. > :16:13.Government is already in the negotiations, she will have seen
:16:14. > :16:18.that, we have started negotiations, they are going well. We said the
:16:19. > :16:22.first thing we wanted to do was negotiate citizens' writes, that was
:16:23. > :16:28.the first item on the agenda of the first meeting. We want to make sure
:16:29. > :16:31.that European citizens in this country and, British citizens living
:16:32. > :16:36.in other European countries have as much certainty about their rights as
:16:37. > :16:40.soon as possible, and that is what we are negotiating, that is the sign
:16:41. > :16:44.of a practical, pragmatic government getting on with work in the
:16:45. > :16:49.interests of the British people. What we would have, as we have seen
:16:50. > :16:53.from the Labour Party, they have so far had nine different plans on
:16:54. > :16:59.Europe. They want to be both in and out of the single market, in and out
:17:00. > :17:03.of the customs union, they said they wanted to remain, they voted for
:17:04. > :17:07.Article 50, they split their party on that, and she made a point about
:17:08. > :17:11.whether she would prefer to be at this despatch box rather than as
:17:12. > :17:14.that despatch box. I would also remind her of the other event that
:17:15. > :17:17.has happened recently, where the Conservative Party got more votes
:17:18. > :17:25.and more seats than the Labour Party, and won the election. David
:17:26. > :17:31.Morris! Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, I welcome the jobs that
:17:32. > :17:35.have been announced today. Furthermore, Mr Speaker, at the 65
:17:36. > :17:38.years in my constituency of talking about a link road, one actually
:17:39. > :17:42.occurred on my watch, and furthermore there is an enterprise
:17:43. > :17:46.zone stroke business park that we are trying to retain, and we have
:17:47. > :17:49.had a very productive meeting with the minister, and the First Minister
:17:50. > :17:53.of the Isle of Man, who I believe is here today. Would my right
:17:54. > :17:58.honourable friends help to ensure that this business park does become
:17:59. > :18:04.a reality to create more jobs in Morecambe and Lunesdale?! I agree
:18:05. > :18:09.with my honourable friend, he will be interested to know that, in the
:18:10. > :18:16.north-west of England, employment has increased by 2.5% over the past
:18:17. > :18:20.year, and the Labour benches may wish to welcome that. He is
:18:21. > :18:24.absolutely right to highlight the importance of having business parks
:18:25. > :18:28.and enterprise zones as tribe is for economic growth. I wish him well,
:18:29. > :18:35.and I'm sure my right honourable friends the Business Secretary would
:18:36. > :18:39.be happy to look into the matter. Thank you, Mr Speaker, I am sure the
:18:40. > :18:44.whole House would want to join with me and my colleagues in marking the
:18:45. > :18:47.anniversary of the sad events in Srebrenica and thank those who held
:18:48. > :18:52.the memorial in London to make sure we never forget. Mr Speaker, will
:18:53. > :18:55.the First Secretary of State confirmed that the devolved
:18:56. > :19:01.administrations will not face a day munition of powers as a result of
:19:02. > :19:07.the Repeal Bill? I joined the honourable gentleman in
:19:08. > :19:11.commemorating the dreadful events at Srebrenica, and I am happy to
:19:12. > :19:15.reconfirm what my right honourable friend the Prime Minister and others
:19:16. > :19:22.have said, that yes, under the terms of the Brexit deal that we will
:19:23. > :19:25.negotiate, there will be no diminution of the devolved
:19:26. > :19:35.administrations' powers, and indeed that we look to devolve more powers
:19:36. > :19:41.during the process. I thank the Secretary of State for that answer.
:19:42. > :19:45.Order! Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Secretary of State for
:19:46. > :19:49.that answer. Would he confirm that there will be a cast-iron guarantee
:19:50. > :19:52.that all powers that come back to the United Kingdom on devolved
:19:53. > :19:56.matters will be returned? Furthermore the, does the UK
:19:57. > :19:59.Government intends to meet schedule five of the Scotland Act to change
:20:00. > :20:05.any aspect of the devolved compensations with the approval of
:20:06. > :20:09.the Scottish referendum in 1997? Answer that! I can only keep
:20:10. > :20:12.repeating the assurances we have already given. I am slightly
:20:13. > :20:15.surprised at the Scottish nationalist approach in that my
:20:16. > :20:18.understanding of their position is that they want power is taken from
:20:19. > :20:25.London to Edinburgh so that it can give them back to Brussels! As I
:20:26. > :20:31.understand it, that is their position. But perhaps their
:20:32. > :20:33.inability to explain the logic of that position might explain the
:20:34. > :20:42.recent general election results they had. Thank you very much, Mr
:20:43. > :20:46.Speaker. Earlier this year, a brilliant new hospital opened in my
:20:47. > :20:50.constituency. The old cottage Hospital which it replaces contains
:20:51. > :20:54.an important and unique warble Morrill. Will the First Secretary
:20:55. > :20:58.agree with me that however the NHS we developed the site, it is vital
:20:59. > :21:02.that that war memorial is preserved in a fitting way so that future
:21:03. > :21:08.generations can remember the sacrifices of those who came before
:21:09. > :21:11.us? I think perhaps particularly at the moment, when we are about to
:21:12. > :21:18.commemorate the centenary of the terrible battle of Passchendaele, it
:21:19. > :21:22.is very important that we consider the issue of war memorials like the
:21:23. > :21:26.one he mentions, they call on us to remember the horrors of war and
:21:27. > :21:32.honour the memories of those who died. In this case, I understand the
:21:33. > :21:35.war memorial is protected by an historic England great two listing
:21:36. > :21:43.so specific planning consent would be required to move it. I hope that
:21:44. > :21:51.will provide the protection that he and his constituents need. My
:21:52. > :21:55.constituent has had over 50 admissions to psychiatric care, she
:21:56. > :21:59.requires regular monitoring to prevent her condition worsening, and
:22:00. > :22:04.she could access a board and at the labour stands to lose ?110 under the
:22:05. > :22:13.new regime. Will he look urgently at this case and change this to ensure
:22:14. > :22:17.that people have the support they need to remain safe? The House will
:22:18. > :22:21.be concerned to hear about the case of a constituent, as I am, and she
:22:22. > :22:27.will know that one of the effects of the transition from DLA to PIP is
:22:28. > :22:33.that more people are eligible for support, particularly those with
:22:34. > :22:36.mental health problems, but the Secretary of State for Work and
:22:37. > :22:39.Pensions will have heard her point, and I have no doubt, if she contacts
:22:40. > :22:45.in, he will look into the case personally. Mr Speaker, some of the
:22:46. > :22:47.most distressing cases that I and other members see in my constituency
:22:48. > :22:53.surgery are those involving domestic violence. The Queen's Speech has
:22:54. > :22:58.promised a bill to help strengthen our confrontation of this problem,
:22:59. > :23:02.so I wonder if the First Secretary could tell us when we can expect the
:23:03. > :23:06.legislation, urgently needed as it is, and what the Government is doing
:23:07. > :23:10.about this problem while we await it? I agree, this is a hugely
:23:11. > :23:12.important issue, and he is right that we have committed in the
:23:13. > :23:18.Queen's Speech to introduce a domestic abuse bill in this session,
:23:19. > :23:22.which I hope will be a landmark in this very important area. What we
:23:23. > :23:28.want to do in the bill is set in motion a transformation not just to
:23:29. > :23:33.protect and support victims, but to recognise the lifelong impact
:23:34. > :23:37.domestic abuse can have on children, and to make sure that the agencies
:23:38. > :23:41.respond effectively to domestic abuse. We will of course be
:23:42. > :23:45.consulting with the relevant professions and voluntary groups on
:23:46. > :23:52.this, but we are absolutely determined to press ahead with this
:23:53. > :23:56.very, very important legislation. Max Johnson is nine, he is in
:23:57. > :24:02.hospital and urgently waiting for a heart transplant. His mum Emma and
:24:03. > :24:05.brother Harry join us today to support Max, but also 10,000 people
:24:06. > :24:10.around the country who need an organ transplant. We can do more to help
:24:11. > :24:14.them. In Wales, they have already moved to an opt out system, as
:24:15. > :24:18.Scotland plan to do the same. Can the First Secretary say whether he
:24:19. > :24:22.agrees with me that, in England, we should change the law to one of
:24:23. > :24:29.presumed consent for organ donation to give Max and people like him the
:24:30. > :24:33.best chance of light? I am sure that the thought of numbers across the
:24:34. > :24:37.House are with Max and his family at this incredibly difficult time, and
:24:38. > :24:42.I agree with him that organ donation is clearly a hugely important part
:24:43. > :24:48.of our system, and I am pleased that there are now more than 23 million
:24:49. > :24:54.organ donors on the register, and over the past year we saw the
:24:55. > :24:59.highest ever donor and transplant rates in the UK. But of course there
:25:00. > :25:05.is more that can be done, and as he says, the law is different in other
:25:06. > :25:08.territories inside the UK. And absolutely I can commit the
:25:09. > :25:11.Department of Health is looking at the impact of those changes to see
:25:12. > :25:21.whether that can give rise to further improvements in the number
:25:22. > :25:25.of available organs we have. Is my friend aware that the Greater
:25:26. > :25:29.Manchester Chambers, in the course of their economic survey, predicts
:25:30. > :25:35.economic growth that 3.25% annually, as it has been broadly since 2013?
:25:36. > :25:38.Is he further aware that Manchester Airport is planning a ?1 billion
:25:39. > :25:44.investment in the coming years? Doesn't this indicate a welcome
:25:45. > :25:48.rebalancing of the economy, underpinned by sound economic
:25:49. > :25:51.management? And will he undertake to continue that sound economic
:25:52. > :25:59.management that is so necessary to our country? My honourable friend
:26:00. > :26:01.makes a number of important points, particularly about Manchester
:26:02. > :26:06.Airport, which I know has been a significant driver of the excellent
:26:07. > :26:11.growth figures of the increasingly excellent economy of Manchester, and
:26:12. > :26:15.the surrounding areas. Everything he says is true, and I think it is a
:26:16. > :26:18.tribute to the work that is being done on the Northern Powerhouse that
:26:19. > :26:24.we are now spreading that prosperity across the North of England. Thank
:26:25. > :26:29.you, Mr Speaker. The First Secretary said the other day that we need to
:26:30. > :26:34.have a national debate on tuition fees, and he admitted that student
:26:35. > :26:40.debt is a huge issue. With the PM touting for ideas, can I recommend
:26:41. > :26:46.page 43 of our manifesto? Can I ask that they adopt Labour's pledge to
:26:47. > :26:52.abolish tuition fees? I don't remember the contents page 43, so I
:26:53. > :26:57.would quite like to hear this! Mr Speaker, can I recommend that they
:26:58. > :27:04.consult page 43 of our manifesto and commit to Labour's policy of the
:27:05. > :27:09.abolition of tuition fees? People often stand at this despatch box and
:27:10. > :27:13.say I am pleased she raised that question, I am genuinely pleased,
:27:14. > :27:17.because it allows me to point out the very slight problem with their
:27:18. > :27:21.arguments which is that her own education spokesman has admitted
:27:22. > :27:29.that the tuition fees policy has a ?100 billion... She has admitted
:27:30. > :27:36.that there is a ?100 billion hole, black hole in Labour's student fees
:27:37. > :27:41.policy. That is as much money nearly as we spend on the NHS in a year,
:27:42. > :27:45.two years worth of disability benefits. Labour, in this area, were
:27:46. > :27:51.particularly incredible at the general election, I am astonished
:27:52. > :27:53.they want to bring it up at Prime Minister's Questions, and I would
:27:54. > :28:01.remind them that misleading students and young people is a very dangerous
:28:02. > :28:16.thing to do. If they don't believe me, they can ask the Liberal
:28:17. > :28:21.Democrats. Just one in five of our public arts sculptures is of a
:28:22. > :28:32.woman, to mark the anniversary of Jane Austen... Will my right
:28:33. > :28:36.honourable friend join me in calling for more people to do what business
:28:37. > :28:47.to has done and celebrate their famous daughters?
:28:48. > :28:53.I welcome this call for the statue in Basingstoke. I am genuinely
:28:54. > :28:56.astonished there is not a statue of Jane Austen anywhere else around the
:28:57. > :29:01.country, one of our greatest authors, and still popular 200 years
:29:02. > :29:08.since her birth, and I would be very happy also to echo her desire for
:29:09. > :29:15.more statues for great women spread around the country. Mr Speaker,
:29:16. > :29:18.politicians are said to be here today and gone tomorrow, but
:29:19. > :29:23.whatever tomorrow may bring the Prime Minister is not even here
:29:24. > :29:29.today to mark the first -- end of her first year in power. Listen, you
:29:30. > :29:33.might like to hear this. For the first time since she has become
:29:34. > :29:38.Prime Minister image has now been removed from the page of the
:29:39. > :29:53.Conservative Party website. Can the first secretary tell us why she has
:29:54. > :29:57.gone from being the next Iron Lady to the Lady vanishes? The honourable
:29:58. > :30:01.gentleman is ingenious in asking personal questions and I commend him
:30:02. > :30:08.for it. Unfortunately he has his own record on the subject. As recently
:30:09. > :30:11.as June last year the members said the leader of the Labour Party is
:30:12. > :30:15.not destined to become Prime Minister and he called on him to
:30:16. > :30:21.resign. I suggest he makes peace with his own front bench before
:30:22. > :30:25.turning to ours. Today's jobs figures show we have the highest
:30:26. > :30:32.employment rate since compatible records began. We have more people
:30:33. > :30:37.in full-time employment and we are touching on the lowest youth
:30:38. > :30:41.unemployment since records began. In light of the Matthew Taylor review
:30:42. > :30:46.and the modern working practices, what more can be done to ensure this
:30:47. > :30:50.record continues and that low youth unemployment continues and that we
:30:51. > :30:59.read this country of that scourge? -- and that we rid this country of
:31:00. > :31:02.that scourge. Yes, one of the particularly welcome figures of the
:31:03. > :31:05.consistently low and falling unemployment figures over which this
:31:06. > :31:09.Government has provided, youth unemployment figures. It is now at
:31:10. > :31:12.historically low levels and lower than many other comparable
:31:13. > :31:16.economies. We will continue this not just with our moves on more
:31:17. > :31:20.apprenticeships in this parliament but also with the introduction of
:31:21. > :31:23.new and better technical and vocational education, which is key
:31:24. > :31:31.to providing long-term prosperity, not just for the economy as a whole,
:31:32. > :31:38.but for everyone in this country. Thank you, Mr Speaker. How can the
:31:39. > :31:42.Government continue to justify not providing fair and equitable funding
:31:43. > :31:49.arrangements for West Lancashire to support drainage boards, to help
:31:50. > :31:55.protect homes and agriculture and horticulture industries, critical to
:31:56. > :32:01.the local economy, instead of causing threats to turn off the
:32:02. > :32:06.pumping station? V Saffie raises a reasonable point -- the Saffie
:32:07. > :32:11.raises a reasonable point about the Environment Agency and it is the
:32:12. > :32:15.Environment Agency's duty to ensure water supplies are good and safe and
:32:16. > :32:19.I am sure if she wishes to bring this up with my right honourable
:32:20. > :32:29.friend, he will be happy to talk to her about it. Zero energy Bill
:32:30. > :32:32.Holmes at market prices are being built with the support of the
:32:33. > :32:36.building research Establishment. Given that the potential to help
:32:37. > :32:41.people find affordable housing, what more can the Government do to help
:32:42. > :32:48.expand this type of housing, as part of our commitment to both enterprise
:32:49. > :32:51.and social justice? I know my honourable friend is an energetic
:32:52. > :32:55.campaigner for social justice and this is a very good example of how
:32:56. > :32:59.having a dynamic and flexible economy is not just good for the
:33:00. > :33:01.economy but is actually good for the whole of society, and I am happy to
:33:02. > :33:07.join him in welcoming this type of innovation. This firm is a good
:33:08. > :33:11.example of such innovation, and I know it has been supported by the
:33:12. > :33:17.Government's enterprise investment scheme, so the Government is doing
:33:18. > :33:20.its best to support this type of measure, and with stimulating the
:33:21. > :33:23.growth of the off-site construction sector which enables homes to be
:33:24. > :33:26.built through our accelerating construction programme and the whole
:33:27. > :33:29.building fund, another very important issue to make sure that we
:33:30. > :33:36.spread the benefits of prosperity around this country. Mr Speaker, I
:33:37. > :33:42.wonder if the first secretary might imagine what it feels like to be a
:33:43. > :33:48.parent forced to up their children from their settled home to flee war
:33:49. > :33:52.and persecution, as millions of refugees around the world have done.
:33:53. > :33:57.And then would he imagine further how it might feel for those who had
:33:58. > :34:02.become separated from their family members, with one family member
:34:03. > :34:05.making it, for instance, to the United Kingdom, needlessly kept
:34:06. > :34:09.apart from their families due to cruel and unnecessary barriers to
:34:10. > :34:14.family reunification? Will the Government today endorse the
:34:15. > :34:21.Baroness's bill in the other place to bring those desperate families
:34:22. > :34:24.back together? The right honourable gentleman raises an important issue
:34:25. > :34:29.and he will be aware that this Government, this country, has done a
:34:30. > :34:33.huge amount, particularly in the region, but also here at home to
:34:34. > :34:38.help refugees from countries such as Syria. We have expanded the
:34:39. > :34:42.vulnerable persons resettlement scheme, so we make sure our doors
:34:43. > :34:46.continue to remain open to people who most need our help, and in
:34:47. > :34:52.particular we work very closely with the UNHCR to identify and refer the
:34:53. > :34:57.most vulnerable refugees. That is the most sensible humanitarian way
:34:58. > :35:01.we can help these very desperate people. Can also say, since I should
:35:02. > :35:07.visitors last question, I suspect, as leader office party, can I wish
:35:08. > :35:11.him a fond farewell from that job? And say I am delighted the Liberal
:35:12. > :35:14.Democrats have taken so seriously the Government's full working life
:35:15. > :35:20.strategy which is about providing more jobs for older workers, and
:35:21. > :35:24.they are about to skip a generation...
:35:25. > :35:30.LAUGHTER -- since I assumed that this is his
:35:31. > :35:33.last question, I suspect. At the recent T20 meeting the Prime
:35:34. > :35:38.Minister had excellent and constructive trade discussions with
:35:39. > :35:45.the leaders of India, China, Japan and America -- at the recent G20
:35:46. > :35:48.meetings. These represent 43% of the world population, these countries,
:35:49. > :35:51.and six times the population of the European Union. Would my right
:35:52. > :35:57.honourable friend agree with me that this demonstrates the potential for
:35:58. > :36:01.a positive future for Britain post-Brexit, and it really is time
:36:02. > :36:07.for the pessimists to look at the cup being half full rather than half
:36:08. > :36:12.empty? I am happy to endorse my honourable friend's approach and
:36:13. > :36:15.just to emphasise to him in the house it is important to do both. We
:36:16. > :36:19.need a good trade deal with the European Union, still a hugely
:36:20. > :36:23.important trading partner for us, but also we need to take the
:36:24. > :36:26.opportunity to strike trade deals with economies round the world, not
:36:27. > :36:31.just currently advanced economies, but those that are growing very fast
:36:32. > :36:37.as well. That is the route to future global prosperity to this country.
:36:38. > :36:40.Thank you, Mr Speaker. We have had to make general elections where the
:36:41. > :36:45.Government has promised investment to the northern powerhouse, and yet
:36:46. > :36:51.again within weeks they have made a U-turn on the electrification of the
:36:52. > :36:55.trans-Pennine. Is the ?1 billion deal to keep the Prime Minister in
:36:56. > :37:03.power with the DUP being funded at the expense of the North? No, not at
:37:04. > :37:06.all. The money that has gone for infrastructure in Northern Ireland
:37:07. > :37:11.is richly needed there. We have signed for example city deals in
:37:12. > :37:16.England, Scotland and Wales, but none yet in Northern Ireland. I
:37:17. > :37:21.would hope... I mean, she is right about the importance of the northern
:37:22. > :37:24.powerhouse, and we will continue with that programme which is hugely
:37:25. > :37:29.important, and as she has already heard in this session, what we see
:37:30. > :37:35.is unemployment falling consistently in the north of England, as a sign
:37:36. > :37:38.of how the economy in that part of England is going as well as anywhere
:37:39. > :37:43.else in the country, and we are determined to continue that. Mr
:37:44. > :37:47.Speaker, I know the title might first secretary will be delighted to
:37:48. > :37:50.see Parliament Square now displays every flight of every British
:37:51. > :38:00.Overseas Territory to welcome the king of Spain this week, including
:38:01. > :38:04.the flag of Gibraltar. Would he as my right honourable friend the Prime
:38:05. > :38:08.Minister to remind the King of Spain that Gibraltar is British and their
:38:09. > :38:11.sovereignty will remain paramount? I am happy to assure my honourable
:38:12. > :38:17.friend that the Government's position on Gibraltar and the
:38:18. > :38:20.privacy of the wishes of its inhabitants which are overwhelmingly
:38:21. > :38:27.to stay British will be respected by the Government. What assessment has
:38:28. > :38:35.the Government made of the effect on radiotherapy for cancer patients of
:38:36. > :38:38.its decision to withdraw from the deal given the Royal College of
:38:39. > :38:44.radiologistss said this week that half a million scans per year are
:38:45. > :38:51.done using imported radioisotopes, and that thousands of patients could
:38:52. > :38:54.be affected by this decision? I am genuinely again happy to answer this
:38:55. > :39:00.question because it is a very important issue, and there has been
:39:01. > :39:04.some unnecessary worry caused to cancer patients by speculative on
:39:05. > :39:09.this. Let me set out the position. The import or export of medical
:39:10. > :39:14.radioisotopes is not subject to any particular licensing requirements.
:39:15. > :39:20.Euratom places no restrictions on the export of medical isotopes to
:39:21. > :39:23.countries outside the EU, so after leaving Euratom our ability to
:39:24. > :39:28.access military isotopes produced in Europe will not be affected. So I
:39:29. > :39:31.hope that clears it and I hope that reassures cancer patients around the
:39:32. > :39:43.country that the scaremongering going on is unnecessary.