:00:00. > :00:00.financial arrangements. Scottish Conservatives 12 additional MPs,
:00:00. > :00:08.Scottish National Party, 21 less. Or even fewer.
:00:09. > :00:24.Questions to the Prime Minister. I'm sure members from all sides will
:00:25. > :00:28.wish to thank this house for their dedication to our work here in what
:00:29. > :00:34.has been a particularly challenging year. We saw terrorists attack our
:00:35. > :00:39.democracy and our way of life, not just in the Westminster attack but
:00:40. > :00:43.also obviously in the attacks at Manchester, Finsbury Park and London
:00:44. > :00:48.Bridge. It is thanks to the professionalism and bravery of
:00:49. > :00:53.people like Elisabeth Byron, an off-duty A nurse who ran to the
:00:54. > :00:57.Borough Market attack and is with us in the gallery today, that this
:00:58. > :01:03.shows these attacks will never succeed because we are united in
:01:04. > :01:06.defending the values that define our nation. This morning I had
:01:07. > :01:12.ministerial meetings with colleagues and others and I will have further
:01:13. > :01:24.such meetings later today. Mr Geoffrey Robinson. Thank you. I
:01:25. > :01:30.wonder, could she find time in Coventry, when I can assure her a
:01:31. > :01:34.very warm welcome from the three Labour MPs in Coventry who more than
:01:35. > :01:42.doubled their recent majority. On a serious note, is she aware Coventry
:01:43. > :01:46.is the National centre designated National Centre for the research and
:01:47. > :01:50.development of controls the driverless vehicles? Would she not
:01:51. > :01:56.consider perhaps it might be an appropriate location to relocate her
:01:57. > :02:01.whole government there, where they can see the driverless vehicles in
:02:02. > :02:04.practice? I'm grateful to the honourable gentleman. I'm always
:02:05. > :02:07.happy to visit the West Midlands and I'm particularly pleased to visit
:02:08. > :02:14.the West Midlands under its new mayor Andy Street. Who doing a very
:02:15. > :02:17.good job. He mentions the question of automated vehicles. This country
:02:18. > :02:21.is a leader in automated vehicles. That's part of building a strong
:02:22. > :02:29.economy and that is what this government is doing.
:02:30. > :02:36.Thank you Mr Speaker. Last week our National Health Service was judged
:02:37. > :02:40.the best health care system. Best, safest and most affordable, better
:02:41. > :02:44.than France, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand.
:02:45. > :02:56.Too often in this house we focus on the negatives and I've heard the
:02:57. > :03:00.Labour Party attempt to... Well my right honourable friend, and I hope
:03:01. > :03:11.the Leader of the Opposition when he stands, congratulates NHS staff on
:03:12. > :03:16.their skills, dedication... CHEERING On their skills, dedication and the
:03:17. > :03:22.hard work they have put in to achieve these high standards.
:03:23. > :03:29.Can I thank my honourable friend. I am very happy to stand here and to
:03:30. > :03:32.congratulate all of those NHS staff who are delivering, delivering such
:03:33. > :03:39.a fantastic service, and who have made the NHS once again, because
:03:40. > :03:44.this isn't the first time, once again, the number one health system
:03:45. > :03:50.in the world. We are determined to continue to enable that high level
:03:51. > :03:56.of service to be provided, which is why between 2015-2020 we will be
:03:57. > :04:04.investing over half ?1 trillion in our NHS. Jeremy Corbyn.
:04:05. > :04:07.Thank you Mr Speaker. I join the Prime Minister in thanking all the
:04:08. > :04:11.staff of this house for all the work they do all the year-round. They are
:04:12. > :04:14.fantastic, they are supported, inclusive and great to the public
:04:15. > :04:21.who come here. I want to thank them for everything they do. I also the
:04:22. > :04:26.Prime Minister in thanking the emergency services in how they have
:04:27. > :04:31.coped with all the terrible emergencies we've had in the last
:04:32. > :04:34.few months, and I have my -- thank my communities, like those in
:04:35. > :04:37.Finsbury Park, who come together against those who try to divide us.
:04:38. > :04:45.The emergency services were in action again protecting people from
:04:46. > :04:49.floods. We always rely on those services. The Chancellor said this
:04:50. > :04:57.week that some public servants are overpaid. Given the Prime Minister
:04:58. > :04:59.has had to administer a slap down to her squabbling cabinet, does she
:05:00. > :05:11.think the Chancellor was talking about her own ministers?
:05:12. > :05:14.Can I... Can I first of all join the right honourable gentleman, not only
:05:15. > :05:19.in praising the work of our emergency services but also in
:05:20. > :05:23.recognising their way in which after the terrible terrorist attacks we've
:05:24. > :05:27.seen on the Grenfell Tower fire, that appalling tragedy, the way we
:05:28. > :05:31.have seen communities come together and support those who have been
:05:32. > :05:35.victims of those terrible incidents that have taken place, and I was
:05:36. > :05:39.very pleased, as he knows, to visit Finsbury Park after the attack that
:05:40. > :05:46.took place that and see for myself the work that had been done in that
:05:47. > :05:49.community and the work he had done over that night, in working among
:05:50. > :05:50.his constituents to make sure the community came together after that
:05:51. > :05:54.terrible attack. In terms of public sector pay, I
:05:55. > :05:58.will simply say this, I recognise, as I said when I stood on the steps
:05:59. > :06:03.of Downing Street a year ago, that there some people in our country who
:06:04. > :06:07.are just about managing. They find life a struggle. That actually
:06:08. > :06:10.covers people working in the public sector and some people working in
:06:11. > :06:16.the private sector. That is why it is important that the Government is
:06:17. > :06:20.taking steps, for example to help those on lowest incomes come up with
:06:21. > :06:24.the national living wage, it's why we have taken millions of people out
:06:25. > :06:32.of paying income tax altogether, its wide basic rate tax payers have seen
:06:33. > :06:37.a tax cut the equivalent of ?1000. You only get that with a strong
:06:38. > :06:40.economy and you only get that with a Conservative government. I thank the
:06:41. > :06:44.Prime Minister for what she said about my own community, however my
:06:45. > :06:49.question was about whether the Chancellor had said public service
:06:50. > :06:55.workers are overpaid or not? The reality in this country is simply
:06:56. > :07:01.this, a nurse in a medium salary starts on ?23,000. Police officers
:07:02. > :07:06.?22,800. Job centre car parks on ?15,000. I had a letter from Sarah,
:07:07. > :07:12.who wrote to me this week about her sister-in-law, who is a nurse. I
:07:13. > :07:18.quote, she has sacrificed her health for the caring of others. She's had
:07:19. > :07:23.a pay freeze for the last five years. Only her dedication and
:07:24. > :07:28.passion for her vocation keeps her going. Why is this happening? What
:07:29. > :07:31.is the Prime Minister saying to Sarah and those others working in
:07:32. > :07:37.our NHS? I would say to the right honourable
:07:38. > :07:40.gentleman, what I would say to Sarah and those working in the national
:07:41. > :07:44.health service is we recognise the excellent work they are doing. We
:07:45. > :07:50.recognise the sacrifice they and others have made over the last seven
:07:51. > :07:55.years. That sacrifice has been made because we had to deal with the
:07:56. > :08:00.biggest deficit in our peacetime history, left by a Labour
:08:01. > :08:09.government. And as we look at public sector pay, as we look at that we do
:08:10. > :08:13.balance being fair to public sector workers, protecting jobs, and being
:08:14. > :08:17.fair to those who pay for them. The right honourable gentleman seems to
:08:18. > :08:19.think it is possible to go about promising people more money and
:08:20. > :08:28.promised that nobody is ever going to have to pay for it. He and I do
:08:29. > :08:32.both value public sector workers. We both value our public sector
:08:33. > :08:37.services, the difference is on the side of the House, we know you have
:08:38. > :08:43.to pay for them. The Prime Minister doesn't seem to
:08:44. > :08:52.have any problem finding money to pay for the DUP's support. Her
:08:53. > :08:56.government has been in office, Mr Speaker, the Conservatives have been
:08:57. > :09:02.in office that 84 months, 52 of those months have seen a real fall
:09:03. > :09:06.in wages and income in our country. In the last Prime Minister Question
:09:07. > :09:11.Time before the general election, the Prime Minister, this same Prime
:09:12. > :09:15.Minister said, and I quote, "Every vote for me is a vote for a strong
:09:16. > :09:22.economy, with the benefits felt by everyone across the country." Does
:09:23. > :09:26.the Prime Minister great, you cannot have a strong economy when 6 million
:09:27. > :09:34.people are earning less than a living wage?
:09:35. > :09:38.I will tell the right honourable gentleman when you can't have a
:09:39. > :09:42.strong economy, adopting labour policies, more borrowing, more
:09:43. > :09:47.spending, more borrowing, high prices, higher taxes and fewer jobs.
:09:48. > :09:50.The Labour government crashed the economy, the Conservative government
:09:51. > :09:56.has come in, more people in work, more people in jobs, more
:09:57. > :10:01.investment. Jeremy Corbyn. Can I buy the Prime Minister to take a chat
:10:02. > :10:15.with reality on this? -- check on reality with this? Mr Speaker... One
:10:16. > :10:22.in eight workers in the United Kingdom, that is 3.8 million people
:10:23. > :10:27.in work are now living in poverty. 55% of people in poverty are in
:10:28. > :10:31.working households. The Prime Minister's lack of touch with
:10:32. > :10:37.reality goes like this... Low pay in Britain is holding people back at a
:10:38. > :10:42.time of rising housing costs, rising food prices and rising transport
:10:43. > :10:47.costs. It threatens people's living standards and rising debt and
:10:48. > :10:51.falling savings rate threatens our economic stability. Why doesn't the
:10:52. > :10:58.Prime Minister understand that low pay is a threat to an already
:10:59. > :11:03.weakening economy? The best route out of poverty is
:11:04. > :11:17.through work. What we now see is hundreds to do. Order, order, order!
:11:18. > :11:22.A question has been asked, the Prime Minister's answer will be heard.
:11:23. > :11:26.The best route out of poverty is through that is why it is so
:11:27. > :11:30.important now over the last seven years we are seeing 3 million more
:11:31. > :11:35.jobs being created in our economy. It is why we now see so many
:11:36. > :11:39.thousands of people in households with work rather than in workless
:11:40. > :11:42.households. Many more hundreds of thousands more children being
:11:43. > :11:47.brought up in a household where there is work, rather than a failure
:11:48. > :11:50.to have work. That is what is important. What's important for
:11:51. > :11:54.government as well, is to make sure we do provide support to people.
:11:55. > :12:06.That is why we created the National living wage. Biggest pay increase
:12:07. > :12:08.for people on lowest incomes ever. When did the Labour Party ever
:12:09. > :12:09.introduced the national living wage? Never. That was a Conservative
:12:10. > :12:15.government. Jeremy Corbyn.
:12:16. > :12:20.It was labour that first introduced the minimum wage, with opposition
:12:21. > :12:24.from the Conservative Party. Mr Speaker, wages are lower than they
:12:25. > :12:28.were ten years ago. The Prime Minister has been in office for just
:12:29. > :12:35.one year. During that time, disposable income has fallen by 2%.
:12:36. > :12:39.The economic consequences of false territory are very clear, and so are
:12:40. > :12:48.the social consequences: life expectancy stalling for the first
:12:49. > :12:51.time in 100 years. Today the IFA 's forecast income inequality is going
:12:52. > :13:02.to get worse and that child poverty will rise to 5 million by 2022. Does
:13:03. > :13:06.that Prime Minister... Order, order, members are shouting
:13:07. > :13:12.and shouting excessively. They must calm themselves. Jeremy Corbyn.
:13:13. > :13:17.I will try and help the honourable member, Mr Speaker. Does the Prime
:13:18. > :13:22.Minister not realised that her talk of a strong economy doesn't remotely
:13:23. > :13:28.match the reality that millions of people face, with low wages and
:13:29. > :13:31.poverty at home? The right honourable gentleman is of
:13:32. > :13:36.course wrong in some of the fact he is putting forward. In fact,
:13:37. > :13:41.inequality is down, life expectancy is continuing to rise. But what we
:13:42. > :13:46.know, in terms of a strong economy, is that what will not deliver a
:13:47. > :13:50.strong economy for this country is Labour's policy of more borrowing,
:13:51. > :13:53.more spending, higher taxes and fewer jobs. What the right
:13:54. > :13:59.honourable gentleman wants his country living beyond its means.
:14:00. > :14:03.That means making future generations pay for his mistakes. That is
:14:04. > :14:08.Labour's way and the Conservatives will never do that.
:14:09. > :14:13.Mr Speaker, what we want is a country where there are not 4
:14:14. > :14:18.million people living in poverty. Where homelessness does not rise
:14:19. > :14:23.every year, and I look along that front bench opposite, Mr Speaker,
:14:24. > :14:25.and I see a Cabinet to grin and backbiting was the economy gets
:14:26. > :14:34.weaker and people are pushed further into debt. You can try talking to
:14:35. > :14:43.each other... Mr Speaker... The economy... Order, order! The
:14:44. > :14:51.honourable gentleman for Stratford-upon-Avon is gesticulating
:14:52. > :14:54.in a distinctly eccentric manner. Shakespeare's county deserves
:14:55. > :15:00.better. Jeremy Corbyn. The reality is, wages are falling, the economy
:15:01. > :15:05.is slowing, the construction sector in recession, trade deficit widening
:15:06. > :15:09.and reflects crucial Brexit negotiations. Isn't the truth that
:15:10. > :15:12.this divided government is unable to give this country the leadership it
:15:13. > :15:18.so desperately needs now, to deal with these issues?
:15:19. > :15:23.I will tell The right honourable gentleman the reality. The reality
:15:24. > :15:29.is he is always talking Britain down, and we will lead Britain
:15:30. > :15:33.forward. Let's look at the record of the Conservatives in government. 3
:15:34. > :15:37.million more jobs, 4 million more people out of paying income tax
:15:38. > :15:40.altogether, 30 million people with a cut in income tax, record levels of
:15:41. > :15:47.the Berlin employment, record numbers of women in work, deficit
:15:48. > :15:50.cut by three quarters, inequality Dan, record levels of foreign direct
:15:51. > :15:53.investment. That is a record to be proud of, and you only get it with a
:15:54. > :16:11.Conservative government. SHOUTING. I don't think the
:16:12. > :16:19.honourable gentleman knew how popular he was! Will the Prime
:16:20. > :16:23.Minister join me in again congratulating Gracie Shepherd, who
:16:24. > :16:26.designed the black flag when she was just 12 years old, reflecting our
:16:27. > :16:30.industrial heritage, and does she agree that the latest figures
:16:31. > :16:35.showing the West Midlands as the fastest-growing part of this country
:16:36. > :16:43.shows once again that the Black Country remains a great place to do
:16:44. > :16:47.business? As my honourable friend says, he is right. The Black Country
:16:48. > :16:50.remains a great place to do business, and I would like to
:16:51. > :16:54.congratulate Gracie on designing that flag at the age of only 12
:16:55. > :17:01.years, and I have to say I think I'm sure that she and others including
:17:02. > :17:05.the Express and Star have been surprised at the attitude of the
:17:06. > :17:08.benches opposite on this. I commend my honourable friend and my other
:17:09. > :17:14.honourable friends in the Black Country and indeed the Express and
:17:15. > :17:19.Star for the work they are doing to promote the Black Country is a great
:17:20. > :17:26.place to do business, to live and to bring up children like Gracie. Does
:17:27. > :17:29.the Prime Minister believe that her Government has delivered pensions
:17:30. > :17:36.fairness from women who, like her, were born in 1950s? What the
:17:37. > :17:39.Government is delivering for women is a better state pension for women
:17:40. > :17:44.so that women in future will be better off under the state pension
:17:45. > :17:47.that they have been in the past. We are equalising the state pension age
:17:48. > :17:52.I think across the whole has everybody will Buckley denies that
:17:53. > :18:01.is the right thing to do. The Prime Minister has found up to ?35 billion
:18:02. > :18:09.for Hinkley point C nuclear power station. Up to 200 billion to
:18:10. > :18:14.replace Trident, and 1 billion for a deal with the DUP just so she could
:18:15. > :18:19.keep her own job. She seems to be to the magic money tree when she wants
:18:20. > :18:25.to. Can the Prime Minister now end the injustice for those women who
:18:26. > :18:33.are missing out on their pensions before she herself thinks about
:18:34. > :18:35.retiring? I have to say to the honourable gentleman I am a little
:18:36. > :18:40.surprised given his background that he said what he did about Hinkley
:18:41. > :18:46.point. It is privately funded. This is not money that is coming from the
:18:47. > :18:53.Government to developing viewpoint, so I find that a little strange. We
:18:54. > :18:58.have put ?1 billion extra into this question of the change of the state
:18:59. > :19:01.pension age to ensure that nobody sees their state pension age
:19:02. > :19:05.increased by more than 18 months from that which was previously
:19:06. > :19:08.expected. But I have to also say to the honourable gentleman that the
:19:09. > :19:17.Scottish Government does also have extra powers in the area of welfare.
:19:18. > :19:20.And perhaps... Perhaps it is time the Scottish Government got on with
:19:21. > :19:28.the day job and stop talking about independence. Mr Speaker, businesses
:19:29. > :19:32.in Stafford and other constituencies need as much certainty as possible
:19:33. > :19:36.now about what will happen after we leave the EU in March 2019 for
:19:37. > :19:40.investment decisions they are making in the coming weeks and months. As
:19:41. > :19:45.the Government works on the cob rents a future relationship with our
:19:46. > :19:49.European neighbours, would it also negotiate time bound transitional
:19:50. > :19:53.arrangements which prioritise the jobs of our constituents and the
:19:54. > :19:56.health of our economy? My honourable friend is absolutely right. As I
:19:57. > :19:59.have said in this chamber and elsewhere before, we want to avoid a
:20:00. > :20:04.cliff edge from businesses, because people want to know where they stand
:20:05. > :20:09.and Tobia Arlt to carry on investing in the UK and creating those jobs
:20:10. > :20:18.that we have seen being created. -- to be able to carry on investing in
:20:19. > :20:21.the UK. We want to know what the end state relationship for the UK and
:20:22. > :20:26.the EU will be in the future, and then we need a period to adjust to
:20:27. > :20:29.that new end state, practical things will need to be done during that
:20:30. > :20:33.period, and as part of the negotiations it will be important
:20:34. > :20:40.for us to agree on that implementation period and what the
:20:41. > :20:48.arrangements will be during that. Mr Speaker, since Winnie Ewing's maiden
:20:49. > :20:51.speech 50 years ago this year, MSP is happening arguing for the voting
:20:52. > :20:56.age to be lowered. In recent elections, young people have proven
:20:57. > :21:00.themselves to be the most knowledgeable and engage they have
:21:01. > :21:05.ever been. I believe there is a majority in this House in favour of
:21:06. > :21:08.lowering the voting age. All the prime Ministers avoid giving the
:21:09. > :21:11.vote to 16 and 17-year-olds? This is one of those issues on which people
:21:12. > :21:17.will obviously have different views, my view continues to be that 18 is
:21:18. > :21:19.the right edge. We expect people to continue in education or training,
:21:20. > :21:26.and I think that is the right point for the voting age. In Harrow and up
:21:27. > :21:31.and down the country, young people will be eagerly anticipating their
:21:32. > :21:35.A-level results to see if they will qualify for a university education.
:21:36. > :21:39.Could my right honourable friend confirmed the dramatic increase of
:21:40. > :21:43.people from disadvantaged backgrounds going to universities,
:21:44. > :21:54.and can she think of anyone that should apologise for misleading the
:21:55. > :21:57.British public? Well, I think it is a very important as people are
:21:58. > :22:03.thinking about going to university that they are not misled in any way.
:22:04. > :22:07.It is the case that more disadvantaged 18-year-olds are now
:22:08. > :22:10.applying to university than ever before. I believe the Leader of the
:22:11. > :22:17.Opposition said exactly the opposite, and I think you should
:22:18. > :22:21.apologise for having said that. But I think the Labour Party should go
:22:22. > :22:24.further at the election. The Leader of the Opposition vowed to deal with
:22:25. > :22:30.student debt, Labour were going to abolish it, now there a promise at
:22:31. > :22:41.all. Students know Labour can't be trusted on student fees. The Prime
:22:42. > :22:45.Minister will now know what it is like to have a job but lacked job
:22:46. > :22:51.security. Sometimes it can even bring a tear to the eye. Given her
:22:52. > :22:55.new-found empathy for millions of workers in insecure work, why is she
:22:56. > :22:59.now cutting six DWP job centres in Glasgow, and also BRCA office staff
:23:00. > :23:05.in my constituency where unemployment is twice the national
:23:06. > :23:09.average? I start by welcoming the honourable gentleman to his new job
:23:10. > :23:14.in this House. What is happening in relation to job centres in Scotland
:23:15. > :23:17.is we are ensuring that it is using the estate properly to the best
:23:18. > :23:22.advantage, and as a result of what is happening, no service is going to
:23:23. > :23:28.be cut. In fact services to people using job centres will be enhanced
:23:29. > :23:36.in future. What matters is actually the service that is provided to
:23:37. > :23:40.people attending those job centres. The brave men and women of our Armed
:23:41. > :23:45.Forces put themselves in extremely challenging situations in their
:23:46. > :23:47.efforts to keep us all safe. We owe it to them therefore to do all we
:23:48. > :23:54.can to support them and their families when they have completed
:23:55. > :23:58.their service. I warmly welcome the launch of the mental health and
:23:59. > :24:02.well-being strategy yesterday, but can my right honourable friend tell
:24:03. > :24:06.the House how we can call Wood and eight this excellent programme with
:24:07. > :24:09.our international allies, and may I wish her a very well-deserved break
:24:10. > :24:17.when she finally decides to take recess. The issue Moura boyfriend
:24:18. > :24:22.has raised is a very important one. Across this House we recognise the
:24:23. > :24:29.importance of ensuring that we are providing the support -- the issue
:24:30. > :24:35.my honourable friend has raised is a very important one. I welcome the
:24:36. > :24:38.new strategy for mental health and well-being in the Armed Forces that
:24:39. > :24:48.is being produced, and I also like to pay tribute to the tireless work
:24:49. > :24:52.of my honourable friend from Plymouth, but he raises an important
:24:53. > :24:56.issue. This isn't just for us in the UK, we need to work internationally
:24:57. > :25:01.on this, which is why we launched the strategy at an international
:25:02. > :25:04.conference. The Secretary of State for Defence yesterday launched this
:25:05. > :25:08.at an international conference with counterparts from the United States,
:25:09. > :25:11.Australia, Canada and New Zealand. We will all campaign against the
:25:12. > :25:18.stigmas around mental health so that members of our Armed Forces veterans
:25:19. > :25:21.can get the help they need. In Liverpool Walton, my constituency,
:25:22. > :25:27.almost 40% of children are growing up in poverty. With schools closing
:25:28. > :25:32.this week and local support services cut to the bone, Oster bites and
:25:33. > :25:37.kids don't get fed. The Prime Minister's mission as she says it is
:25:38. > :25:41.to make Britain a country that works for everyone. What is she doing now
:25:42. > :25:47.to stop kids going hungry this summer in Liverpool Walton? I
:25:48. > :25:52.welcome the honourable gentleman to his place in this House. He is right
:25:53. > :25:57.that it is important that we look at the provision that is made in school
:25:58. > :26:01.for children. We look at the issue of households on poverty. But as I
:26:02. > :26:06.said to his writer or friend the Leader of the Opposition, the best
:26:07. > :26:10.route out of poverty is for people to get into the workplace and for us
:26:11. > :26:20.to ensure that there are better paid jobs being provided for people in
:26:21. > :26:24.the workplace in the future. A young woman in Telford who gave evidence
:26:25. > :26:30.in an horrific child sexual exploitation case five years ago is
:26:31. > :26:34.living in fear. The perpetrator, who received a 22 year sentence, is
:26:35. > :26:39.about to be released early. CSE victims are too often overlooked and
:26:40. > :26:43.ignored. Does the Prime Minister agree with me that CSE victims
:26:44. > :26:46.should be properly consulted upon the release of perpetrators, and
:26:47. > :26:51.that in this case the perpetrator should not be returned to Telford?
:26:52. > :26:56.This is a very important issue that my honourable friend has raised, and
:26:57. > :27:00.we all know that child sexual exportation is a horrific crime
:27:01. > :27:04.takes place, and it is right that if victims are going to come forward to
:27:05. > :27:09.report this abuse, they need to know that they will have the support and
:27:10. > :27:13.the confidence that they can do that, and be confident in their
:27:14. > :27:16.future security and safety as well. The victim contact scheme is
:27:17. > :27:20.supposed to treat victims properly, and it is supposed to ensure that
:27:21. > :27:25.consideration is given to victim related conditions when they are
:27:26. > :27:28.looking at the offender's license, and somebody being released. If she
:27:29. > :27:36.would like to write tomorrow but friend the Justice Secretary, he
:27:37. > :27:40.will look at it carefully. The interim Prime Minister has
:27:41. > :27:46.repeatedly refused to answer the question from my right honourable
:27:47. > :27:51.friend the Leader of the Opposition. It was reported at the weekend that
:27:52. > :27:55.the temporary Chancellor said that some public sector workers were
:27:56. > :28:00.overpaid. So can she tell the House and the country and those public
:28:01. > :28:05.sector workers which ones she thinks are overpaid, which ones she thinks
:28:06. > :28:11.are underpaid and what she is going to do about it? As I said earlier, I
:28:12. > :28:14.recognise that there will be be born working in the public sector who do
:28:15. > :28:17.find life a struggle, who are just about managing. There will be people
:28:18. > :28:26.working in the private sector in the same place as well. I also say to
:28:27. > :28:29.the honourable gentleman that some people working in the public sector
:28:30. > :28:39.are very well paid, as we have seen in the figures released today. What
:28:40. > :28:45.I also say is that we need to ensure that when we look at public sector
:28:46. > :28:49.pay that we balance being fair to workers, protecting jobs and being
:28:50. > :28:52.fair to those who pay for the public sector, and that also we give
:28:53. > :28:56.support to people to ensure that they can keep more of the money that
:28:57. > :29:04.they earn. That's why we believe it cutting taxes.
:29:05. > :29:09.Mr Speaker, the Government is under predictable pressure on public
:29:10. > :29:14.sector pay and spending, which we would all like to respond to, if it
:29:15. > :29:18.was actually sensible to respond to some of these demands. But does my
:29:19. > :29:23.right honourable friend agree that the only way in which a responsible
:29:24. > :29:29.government can actually increase public sector pay is if we restore
:29:30. > :29:33.to this country strong economic growth and a sensible government
:29:34. > :29:37.fiscal balance sheet? And that the biggest threats to our achieving
:29:38. > :29:41.either of those over the next two years are a bad Brexit deal putting
:29:42. > :29:45.barriers to our trade and investment, or the return of a hard
:29:46. > :29:52.left old-fashioned socialist government?
:29:53. > :29:59.My right honourable friend is absolutely right. As a very
:30:00. > :30:02.successful former Chancellor of the Exchequer with expertise on this
:30:03. > :30:06.particular issue, he is right that we need to get a good Brexit deal,
:30:07. > :30:09.but he's also right that the policies of the Leader of the
:30:10. > :30:12.Opposition and the Shadow Chancellor, where they ever to get
:30:13. > :30:16.the opportunity of putting them into practice, would not lead to more
:30:17. > :30:21.money for nurses or for our National Health or more money for the health
:30:22. > :30:25.sector. It would lead through its higher borrowing, higher spending,
:30:26. > :30:29.higher taxes, we would see jobs going, we would see higher prices,
:30:30. > :30:31.higher taxes for people, and we would see less money available for
:30:32. > :30:42.our health service and our nurses. Does the Prime Minister know how
:30:43. > :30:49.universal processes failing my constituents? Vulnerable Blackpool
:30:50. > :30:53.people are juggling a month's money without help, a six-week wait for
:30:54. > :30:58.money coming, causing more stress on a phone helpline which Citizens
:30:59. > :31:06.Advice says can cost claimant 's 55p a minute. Couldn't she start by
:31:07. > :31:10.getting a free phone number? I think the importance of the
:31:11. > :31:14.Universal Credit scheme is it is ensuring that being in work always
:31:15. > :31:20.pays. What we see from the Universal Credit scheme is we are seeing more
:31:21. > :31:23.people getting into the workplace. The DWP is constantly looking at the
:31:24. > :31:27.scheme and how it is operating around the country, to ensure any
:31:28. > :31:36.problems that are being raised by people are being addressed.
:31:37. > :31:40.Mr Speaker, thousands of my constituents are millions of
:31:41. > :31:44.consumers in this country have to pay surcharges when they use their
:31:45. > :31:51.credit or debit card, a highly unfair practice. Good my right
:31:52. > :31:55.honourable friend outlined the impact of lifting of surcharges on
:31:56. > :31:58.consumers in this country? My honourable friend is absolutely
:31:59. > :32:01.right and I think it is very important this issue is being
:32:02. > :32:05.addressed. We believe rip-off charges have no place in modern
:32:06. > :32:10.Britain and that is why card charging abuse is going to come to
:32:11. > :32:13.an end. This is about fairness and transparency. We don't want people
:32:14. > :32:17.to be surprised when they come to pay for something, that they see an
:32:18. > :32:23.extra surcharge suddenly being added because they have used a particular
:32:24. > :32:30.card. We estimate the charges can add up and the total value of these
:32:31. > :32:34.fees in 2010 was estimated at ?473 million. That money is going to be
:32:35. > :32:37.put back in the hands of shoppers across the country, so they have
:32:38. > :32:44.more cash to spend on the things that matter to them.
:32:45. > :32:49.In her Lancaster House speech, the Prime Minister said the UK would be
:32:50. > :32:54.leaving the single market. Can she tell the House whether that red line
:32:55. > :32:57.on the single market also applies to any transition agreement or
:32:58. > :33:02.implementation period that might be agreed for the period after March,
:33:03. > :33:05.2019? We said we would no longer be
:33:06. > :33:14.members of the single market because we will no longer be members of the
:33:15. > :33:17.European Union. The four pillars of the European union are indivisible,
:33:18. > :33:22.and therefore the other issues that we wish also to not be subject, like
:33:23. > :33:26.the European Court of Justice and freedom of movement requirements,
:33:27. > :33:29.mean we would no longer be members of the single market, at the end
:33:30. > :33:34.point, at the end of the two years, when we have negotiated the deal,
:33:35. > :33:39.there will be an end-stage agreement for that deal. We are clear, at the
:33:40. > :33:43.point at which we reach the end of those negotiations, we will be out
:33:44. > :33:49.of the EU. Can I welcome the report from the
:33:50. > :33:54.IFS this week on income inequality in the UK. Contrary to Labour
:33:55. > :33:59.propaganda, often repeated during the general election, the income gap
:34:00. > :34:05.between rich and poor in our country has reduced every year since 2010.
:34:06. > :34:09.Does my right honourable friend agree with me that this clearly
:34:10. > :34:13.shows that those with a broader shoulders are bearing the heaviest
:34:14. > :34:17.burden of dealing with the debt inherited from the last Labour
:34:18. > :34:21.government? No, my honourable friend is
:34:22. > :34:27.absolutely right. The IFS report very clearly shows what he has said
:34:28. > :34:34.today. As we know, the top 1% of taxpayers are bearing 27% of the tax
:34:35. > :34:37.burden. That is a higher burden than in any year under the Labour
:34:38. > :34:46.government. NHS England commissioned child and
:34:47. > :34:51.adult mental health beds in my constituency recently received a
:34:52. > :34:55.damning si QC report. It was found on safe because they found a young
:34:56. > :35:00.woman with MRSA with open wounds on a ward. Does the Prime Minister
:35:01. > :35:05.share my concern that a shortage of mental health beds risks the NHS
:35:06. > :35:09.placing very young and vulnerable people in unsafe environments? Will
:35:10. > :35:12.she consider giving NHS England the responsibility and resources to
:35:13. > :35:16.investigate the quality of care before the commission?
:35:17. > :35:20.I think the honourable lady has raised a very significant point.
:35:21. > :35:23.First of all, mental health we are boosting the funding going into
:35:24. > :35:27.mental health and the national health service. We are taking a
:35:28. > :35:30.number, and across the picture, across government in terms of
:35:31. > :35:33.dealing with mental health, and taking a number of steps to improve
:35:34. > :35:37.mental health. She has raised a very particular case, which I'm sure
:35:38. > :35:41.everybody around this house will have been concerned here I will
:35:42. > :35:53.ensure the Secretary of State looks into the case she has raised.
:35:54. > :35:56.Daesh's atrocities have failed to deliver a caliphate. Does my right
:35:57. > :36:02.honourable friend our international partners must commit resources to
:36:03. > :36:09.bring prosecutions against Daesh fighters and those who join with
:36:10. > :36:16.them? Making sure where ever a death cult had terrorist hides, we will
:36:17. > :36:18.find them and hold them accountable? My honourable friend is absolutely
:36:19. > :36:23.right about this. It is important that those who have committed these
:36:24. > :36:27.horrific crimes are brought to justice. We have done good work as
:36:28. > :36:30.the United Kingdom, in helping those in those theatres to see how they
:36:31. > :36:33.can collect evidence which can be used in prosecutions. We want to do
:36:34. > :36:38.this work internationally through the United Nations and is an issue
:36:39. > :36:41.that yesterday I was speaking to the Prime Minister of Iraq about and we
:36:42. > :36:47.want to work with them and others, to make sure we send a clear message
:36:48. > :36:51.that my friend identified. Does the Prime Minister agrees a
:36:52. > :36:55.huge increase in knife crime has tragic consequences for families in
:36:56. > :37:00.constituencies like mine? What with the Prime Minister do to work with
:37:01. > :37:04.me and other MPs across this house, to find solutions to this blight on
:37:05. > :37:09.young lives, including looking again at the budget for policing?
:37:10. > :37:15.Can I also welcome the honourable lady to the House, to her place in
:37:16. > :37:17.the House. Her presence here, of course, has enabled me to have a
:37:18. > :37:28.very good chief of staff appointed into my office at number ten. She
:37:29. > :37:32.raises this issue... This... This issue is, the issue of knife crime,
:37:33. > :37:35.she has raised a very serious issue of macro. The Government has been
:37:36. > :37:39.taking a tougher stance on knife crime. We do think this is an issue.
:37:40. > :37:44.We have done this in a whole variety of ways, so that now a a knife in
:37:45. > :37:48.public you are much more likely to go to prison. We do recognise there
:37:49. > :37:52.is more to do in this area. That is why yesterday the Home Secretary did
:37:53. > :37:59.announce plans to consult on new offences to toughen up knife crime
:38:00. > :38:02.laws, including restricting the online sale of knives. We have done
:38:03. > :38:05.some of that already, and banning possession of dangerous or offensive
:38:06. > :38:09.weapons on private property. The honourable lady has raised an issue,
:38:10. > :38:12.the Government is addressing this, we recognise we need to do more and
:38:13. > :38:17.that is what the Home Secretary is doing.
:38:18. > :38:22.Before the election, the Government committed to removing the faith
:38:23. > :38:25.-based cap for free schools and even included this promising a la
:38:26. > :38:31.election manifesto. Catholic dioceses up and down the country are
:38:32. > :38:35.anxious to open free schools and some of purchase sites. Will the
:38:36. > :38:41.Prime Minister, her government to honouring a solemn pledge in our own
:38:42. > :38:45.manifesto? My honourable friend will recognise
:38:46. > :38:48.that the reason we put that in our manifesto and the reason it was in
:38:49. > :38:54.the school's green paper that we published before the election was we
:38:55. > :38:57.do believe it is important to enable faith schools, more faith schools to
:38:58. > :39:01.be set up a more faith schools to expand. This is an issue my right
:39:02. > :39:04.honourable friend the Secretary of State for Education is considering
:39:05. > :39:08.and she will be publishing further details on our overall view, in
:39:09. > :39:12.terms of improving school diversity and encouraging more good school
:39:13. > :39:16.places to be created in the near future.
:39:17. > :39:20.Last week the Prime Minister refused to make public a report on the
:39:21. > :39:26.foreign funding of extremists in the UK, despite pressure from all sides
:39:27. > :39:33.of this house and beyond. With survivors of 9/11 urging her to make
:39:34. > :39:36.the report available, would she explain if this refusal is because
:39:37. > :39:39.the contents of the report will embarrass the Government's trends in
:39:40. > :39:43.Saudi Arabia or because they came about arms sales to Riyadh more than
:39:44. > :39:52.public safety? It is absolutely nothing to do that.
:39:53. > :40:04.Are certain elements of, and confidential elements in the report
:40:05. > :40:08.that could not be made available. Mr Speaker, for signs of the strong
:40:09. > :40:13.economy that Prime Minister has so eloquently been outlining this
:40:14. > :40:20.morning, you need look no further than Taunton Deane. It is a
:40:21. > :40:25.microcosm of the national picture, with record house-building, record
:40:26. > :40:32.employment and record government investment in road schemes, like the
:40:33. > :40:36.A358. Would the Prime Minister agree with me, to further fuel the
:40:37. > :40:39.economic success this government is everything, these key road projects
:40:40. > :40:46.should not just speed up traffic and ease congestion but more jobs,
:40:47. > :40:51.further food and in productivity? I am very happy to recognise Taunton
:40:52. > :40:54.Deane is a microcosm of the excellent economy we see across the
:40:55. > :40:58.country. My honourable friend has made an important point and it is a
:40:59. > :41:03.point the Government readily understands and accepts, the
:41:04. > :41:06.importance of investing in infrastructure to boost our economy.
:41:07. > :41:10.That's like the ordinance statement latte the Chancellor of the
:41:11. > :41:14.Exchequer announced the investment fund, considerable proportion of
:41:15. > :41:17.which will be going to infrastructure and we fully
:41:18. > :41:22.recognise the importance not just of large-scale transport projects like
:41:23. > :41:26.Crossrail and HS2 and the expansion of Heathrow, but also of investment
:41:27. > :41:29.in projects at a more local level if we're going to unlock further
:41:30. > :41:38.economic growth in areas like Taunton Deane.
:41:39. > :41:44.Without legal powers, funds, criteria is all schools or
:41:45. > :41:49.Parliament open, this in Keleher TriStar consulting on the closure of
:41:50. > :41:53.the hospital and the building of a new ?400 million hospital in
:41:54. > :41:58.Belmont. After five consultations over 18 years, wasting ?40 million
:41:59. > :42:01.of tax payers money, isn't it time for the Prime Minister to step in
:42:02. > :42:06.and put a stop to it and allow this important hospital to get on with
:42:07. > :42:11.the day job? I would say to the honourable lady
:42:12. > :42:23.that I understand Jepson Anson Keleher trust are seeking views on
:42:24. > :42:29.specialist -- Epsom and St Helier. No final decisions have been made
:42:30. > :42:33.and any decisions for further change will be subject to consultation.
:42:34. > :42:38.Not only has the Institute for Fiscal Studies said we have the
:42:39. > :42:41.lowest income gaps for a decade but the Office for National Statistics
:42:42. > :42:47.has also said Britain has some of the lowest levels of persistent
:42:48. > :42:51.poverty in all of Europe. Does my right honourable friend agree that
:42:52. > :42:56.it is right that this country is governed by the true facts and not
:42:57. > :43:03.the fake news? And that this government is committed to building
:43:04. > :43:07.a strong economy for all? Can I start by welcoming my
:43:08. > :43:12.honourable friend to her place in this chamber. Can I say she is
:43:13. > :43:16.absolutely right. We owe it to our constituents and the public that we
:43:17. > :43:20.actually ensure when we debate these issues, we debate on the basis of
:43:21. > :43:29.the facts are not the basis of the sort of fake news we hear too often
:43:30. > :43:32.being put forward in chamber. Mr Speaker, Lakeside children's
:43:33. > :43:36.Centre is a lifeline for often struggling kids and their parents in
:43:37. > :43:43.one of the poorest wards in Britain, giving them the best possible start
:43:44. > :43:47.in life. Yet Lakeside and 26 children's Centre now face closure
:43:48. > :43:53.in Birmingham. Does the Prime Minister understand that the
:43:54. > :43:57.consequences of her actions, ?700 million of cuts to the City
:43:58. > :44:02.Council's budget, is having a devastating impact on the provision
:44:03. > :44:07.of children centres and Wilshire act properly to fund and reverse the
:44:08. > :44:11.tidal wave of closures that will otherwise have a devastating impact
:44:12. > :44:15.on the life chances of a whole generation of children?
:44:16. > :44:18.Can I say to the honourable gentleman that obviously decisions
:44:19. > :44:23.on this issue are being taken by the Birmingham Local Authority. It ill
:44:24. > :44:29.behoves any member of the Labour Party to stand up and complain about
:44:30. > :44:34.the issues we have had to address with public spending because they
:44:35. > :44:36.are the direct result of a failure of a Labour government to manage our
:44:37. > :44:38.economy. Order.