:00:17. > :00:26.As we return from the summer recess, I'm shower thoughts of the House
:00:27. > :00:32.will be the Vic tempts of the Barcelona terror attack. Mr Speaker,
:00:33. > :00:37.awant to reassure the house the UK has ensured assistance in the form
:00:38. > :00:42.of military and humanitarian resources are in place including in
:00:43. > :00:51.the overseas territories who are preparing for Hurricane Irma. In
:00:52. > :00:57.addition to my duties in this house, I will have meets later today.
:00:58. > :01:00.Everyone agrees with my right honourable friend and the thoughts
:01:01. > :01:07.she shares with those in the terror attack
:01:08. > :01:19.Bears lone in a. As part of the process, it is imperative we
:01:20. > :01:24.transfer there are many serious concerns about the means not the
:01:25. > :01:29.ends of the EU withdrawal Bill. So, could my Right Honourable Friend
:01:30. > :01:34.assure me she will look in particular at those amendments that
:01:35. > :01:40.seek to change the EU withdrawal Bill so that it doesn't become an
:01:41. > :01:47.unprecedented and unnecessary Government power grab? I'm grateful
:01:48. > :01:53.to my Right Honourable Friend for raising this issue. I know, like me,
:01:54. > :01:57.she wants to see an orderly exit from the EU and will be supporting
:01:58. > :02:04.this bill which enables us not just to leave the EU but to do so in an
:02:05. > :02:08.orderly manner with a functioning statute book. We will require
:02:09. > :02:12.certain powers to make corrections to the statute book after the bill
:02:13. > :02:19.becomes law because negotiations are ongoing. We'll do if through
:02:20. > :02:25.secondary legislation. An approach that has been endorsed by the House
:02:26. > :02:29.of Lords constitution committee. I would like to reassure my Right
:02:30. > :02:34.Honourable Friend that as the bill goes through its scrutiny in this
:02:35. > :02:39.House and the debate continues, we will listen very carefully to that
:02:40. > :02:42.debate. I will be very happy to meet my right honourable friend to
:02:43. > :02:46.discuss this further. THE SPEAKER: Jeremy Corbyn Mr
:02:47. > :02:51.Speaker, I agree with the moment on what she just said about Barcelona.
:02:52. > :02:56.The attack was appalling. We should think of the victims but also thank
:02:57. > :03:01.the people of Barcelona for their wonderful community response to what
:03:02. > :03:05.was a threat to all of them. I hope the whole House will join me of
:03:06. > :03:11.thinking of the Vic tiffs of the terrible floods in Bangladesh,
:03:12. > :03:17.Nepal, searer a Lee Yoann, and in Texas and our thoughts with those
:03:18. > :03:22.facing Hurricane Irma in the United States. Every member of this house
:03:23. > :03:28.should be concerned inflation is once again running ahead of people's
:03:29. > :03:34.pay. This week, workers at McDonald's took strikes action for
:03:35. > :03:42.the first time. The boss of McDonald's is sported to have earned
:03:43. > :03:47.8. ?1.8 million does the Prime Minister back the McDonald's
:03:48. > :03:53.workers' case for an end to zero hours contracts and decent pay? The
:03:54. > :03:56.issue that has taken place in McDonald's is a matter for
:03:57. > :04:04.McDonald's to deal with. The questions... Let's focus. Let's
:04:05. > :04:10.focus on what the right honourable gentleman has raised which is, let's
:04:11. > :04:14.focus on what he's raised on zero hours contracts. The number of
:04:15. > :04:23.people on zero hours contracts is very small. There are people who
:04:24. > :04:27.genuinely say as a proportion of the workforce who say it is a benefit to
:04:28. > :04:30.them being on those contracts. For 13 years, the Labour Party was in
:04:31. > :04:38.Government and did nothing about zero hours contracts. It is this
:04:39. > :04:44.Conservative Government that has put the workers first and band exclusive
:04:45. > :04:51.zero hours contracts. Mr Speaker, my question was about McDonald's and
:04:52. > :04:56.the Chief Executive is paid 1,300 times as much as his staffment there
:04:57. > :05:01.are 800,000 people approximately in Britain on zero hours contracts.
:05:02. > :05:07.When she became leader, the Prime Minister pledged "I want to make
:05:08. > :05:13.shareholder votes on corporate pay not just advisory but binding" and
:05:14. > :05:20.she put it into her manifesto. That manifesto's been dumped or arc
:05:21. > :05:24.I'veed. Like so much else in her manifesto, where was the tough talk
:05:25. > :05:30.on corporate greed? Was it just for the election campaign? Or is it
:05:31. > :05:42.going to be... Or is it going to be put into law? Well, I suggest to the
:05:43. > :05:50.right honourable gentleman he looks at the action Conservative have
:05:51. > :05:55.taken on this Irish you. We recently published our proposals on corporate
:05:56. > :06:01.governance. It is Conservative who force companies to disclose board
:06:02. > :06:04.pay. That's been done not by a Labour Government but the
:06:05. > :06:13.Conservative Party who's been putting workers first. I note she
:06:14. > :06:17.uses the worse advisory. Page 18 of the dumped manifesto says... The
:06:18. > :06:34.next, says, Mr Speaker, the next to help
:06:35. > :06:39.people struggling, Mr Speaker, to help people struggling to make ends
:06:40. > :06:43.meet, many politicians have become convinced we need to cap energy
:06:44. > :06:47.prices. Even the Prime Minister was briefly converted to this policy.
:06:48. > :06:53.Last week, the profit margins of the big six energy companies hit their
:06:54. > :06:56.highest ever level. I wonder if I could prevail on the Prime Minister
:06:57. > :07:03.to stick to her own manifesto pledges on this matter as well?
:07:04. > :07:09.Well, first of all, on the question of what we were doing on corporate
:07:10. > :07:14.governance, I didn't use the word advisory. He needs to listen to my
:07:15. > :07:22.answer and not just read out the statement... He's raised an
:07:23. > :07:27.important issue. He's raised an important issue about energy prices.
:07:28. > :07:32.We are concerned about the way that particular market is operating. We
:07:33. > :07:35.expect the companies to treat customers fairly. That's why we've
:07:36. > :07:40.been looking at the action that can be taken. Why the Business Secretary
:07:41. > :07:44.has been doing that. He wrote to Ofgem in June asking them to advise
:07:45. > :07:47.on what action they could take to safeguard customers. We're
:07:48. > :07:51.particularly concerned about those who are the poorest customers who
:07:52. > :07:56.are kept on these tariffs that do not give them value for money. So, I
:07:57. > :08:02.agree, it's the Government that's doing something about it. Well, Mr
:08:03. > :08:08.Speaker, if only that were the case. Ofgem's plans only will benefit 2.6
:08:09. > :08:13.million customers. 17 million customers are short changed by the
:08:14. > :08:19.big six energy companies. She could and should take action on it. Mr
:08:20. > :08:34.Speaker, she's not the only one going back on her word...
:08:35. > :08:43.When the members opposite have #k5u78ed down a little, I'd like to
:08:44. > :08:48.say this, at last year's Sports Direct annual meeting, Mike Ashley
:08:49. > :08:54.personally pledged to ban the use of zero hours contracts in his company.
:08:55. > :08:57.A year on, they're still exploiting insecure hours workers with zero
:08:58. > :09:03.hours contracts. Will the Prime Minister join me in now demanding
:09:04. > :09:10.that Mr Ashley honour his words and ends zero hours contract in all of
:09:11. > :09:14.his companies? I've said it is this Government that's taken action in
:09:15. > :09:18.relation to zero hours contracts unlike the Labour Party. The right
:09:19. > :09:22.honourable gentleman talks about manifestos and people going back on
:09:23. > :09:28.their word. I might remind him in the Labour Party manifesto there was
:09:29. > :09:32.a commitment to support Trident, our independent nuclear deterrent.
:09:33. > :09:40.Shortly after the election, in private, he told people he didn't
:09:41. > :09:44.agree with that. For years, the right honourable gentleman sat on
:09:45. > :09:48.the Labour Party benches and didn't support Labour policy. Now he's
:09:49. > :09:57.Labour Leader and he still doesn't support Labour policy. Mr Speaker, I
:09:58. > :10:00.listened really carefully to what the Prime Minister said on this
:10:01. > :10:05.occasion. I'm struggling to see the connection between what she just
:10:06. > :10:11.said, Mike Ashley, Sports Direct and McDonald's! So, maybe she could now
:10:12. > :10:16.answer the question, will she condemn what Sports Direct and
:10:17. > :10:21.McDonald's are doing to their staff? It is quite straightforward. Yes or
:10:22. > :10:26.no? Mr Speaker, today, thousands of nursing and other health care staff
:10:27. > :10:31.are outside Parliament. They're demanding this Government scrap the
:10:32. > :10:35.1% pay cap. Poor pay means experienced staff are leaving and
:10:36. > :10:42.fewer people are training to become nurses. There's already a shortage
:10:43. > :10:45.of 40,000 nurses across the UK. Will the Prime Minister please see sense
:10:46. > :10:48.and end the public sector pay cap and ensure our NHS staff are
:10:49. > :10:58.properly paid. We absolutely value the work of all
:10:59. > :11:02.those working in the public sector, nurses, teachers and others who are
:11:03. > :11:07.doing a good job for us day in, day out in what are often difficult and
:11:08. > :11:12.harrowing circumstances. It might be helpful if I remind the House on
:11:13. > :11:17.where we are on the issue of pay review bodies in public sector pay.
:11:18. > :11:20.There are two reports still to be published and for the Government to
:11:21. > :11:26.respond to for police and prison officers. Later, as always happens
:11:27. > :11:31.every year, later in the autumn we'll publish the frame work for
:11:32. > :11:36.2018/19 and continue to balance the need to protect jobs, public sector
:11:37. > :11:39.workers and the need to ensure we're also protecting and being fair to
:11:40. > :11:44.those who are paying for it, including public sector workers. I
:11:45. > :11:49.say to the right honourable gentleman, what we have seen, what
:11:50. > :11:53.he does in this House and outside this House is consistently stand up
:11:54. > :11:56.and ask for more money to be spent on this that and the other. He can
:11:57. > :12:09.do that in opposition. He asks consistently for more money
:12:10. > :12:14.to be spent jockey can do that in opposition because he knows he
:12:15. > :12:19.doesn't have to pay for it. The problem with Labour is that they do
:12:20. > :12:23.it in government as well and when... As a result of the decisions the
:12:24. > :12:29.Labour Party took in government... As a result of decisions the Labour
:12:30. > :12:35.Party took in government, we now have to pay more on debt interest
:12:36. > :12:44.ban on NHS paid. That's the result of Labour. The Prime Minister had no
:12:45. > :12:51.problems finding ?1 billion to please the DUP, no problems
:12:52. > :12:56.whatsoever. And NHS staff are 14% worse off than they were seven years
:12:57. > :13:03.ago. Is she really happy that NHS staff use food banks? Warm words
:13:04. > :13:10.don't pay food bills. Pay rises will help to do that. She must end the
:13:11. > :13:14.public sector pay cap. The reality for working people is lower wages
:13:15. > :13:19.and less job security, within work poverty now at record levels. So
:13:20. > :13:27.will the Prime Minister clarifies and she evaded during the election
:13:28. > :13:29.campaign? For those struggling to get by, whether employed,
:13:30. > :13:33.self-employed, permanent or temporary, can the Prime Minister
:13:34. > :13:37.categorically state today they will not see rises in the basic rate of
:13:38. > :13:43.income tax, national insurance contributions or VAT? I can tell the
:13:44. > :13:49.right honourable gentleman the help we have been giving to those who are
:13:50. > :13:54.just about managing. We've taken 4 million B but out of paying income
:13:55. > :13:58.tax altogether. We've given a tax cut to over 30 million people. We
:13:59. > :14:03.see record numbers of people in employment in this country. We're
:14:04. > :14:09.given the lowest earners the highest pay rise for 20 years by introducing
:14:10. > :14:15.the national living wage. But you only get that with a strong economy.
:14:16. > :14:19.We believe in sound money, he believes in higher debts. We believe
:14:20. > :14:25.in making our economy strong so we can invest in our public services.
:14:26. > :14:30.Labour's approaches reckless, ours is balanced. Our approach delivers a
:14:31. > :14:32.strong economy, more money for public services, more jobs for
:14:33. > :14:41.people and families, but you only get a strong economy and a better
:14:42. > :14:44.future with the Conservatives. Thank you, Mr Speaker. As the Prime
:14:45. > :14:49.Minister said, this Government has an outstanding record of job
:14:50. > :14:54.creation with 3 million more people in work than seven years ago. It is
:14:55. > :14:58.perfectly true that wage rises have not been as high as we would have
:14:59. > :15:01.hoped but I'm proud that we gave that big boost to people at the low
:15:02. > :15:05.end with a rise in the national living wage. What the right
:15:06. > :15:13.honourable gentleman opposite does not understand, you can only have
:15:14. > :15:16.sustainable rises in pay with increases in productivity. My
:15:17. > :15:20.question to the Prime Minister is, will she instruct all of her
:15:21. > :15:23.ministers to bring forward proposals for productivity rises in time for
:15:24. > :15:30.the Chancellor to announce them at the budget? I thank my right Rory
:15:31. > :15:34.Bourke friend and he has absolutely put his finger on its. Productivity
:15:35. > :15:38.is absolutely crucial for the strength of our economy going
:15:39. > :15:41.forward and improving that productivity. That is why we have
:15:42. > :15:47.introduced our modern industrial strategy, which will boost
:15:48. > :15:51.productivity and is also why we are introducing really good quality tech
:15:52. > :15:55.Loughgall -- technical education in this country for the first time, to
:15:56. > :15:58.ensure that young people have the skills they need to take the higher
:15:59. > :16:05.paid jobs that will be created as a result of our industrial strategy.
:16:06. > :16:10.Does the Prime Minister agree with me that immigration is essential to
:16:11. > :16:17.the strength of the UK economy, as well as enhancing our diversity and
:16:18. > :16:20.cultural fabric? As I have said on many occasions before, overall
:16:21. > :16:25.immigration has been good for the UK. But what people want to see is
:16:26. > :16:29.control of that immigration. That is what people wanted to see as a
:16:30. > :16:32.result of coming out of the European Union. We're already able to
:16:33. > :16:38.exercise controls in relation to those who come to this country from
:16:39. > :16:41.outside the countries within the European Union and we continue to
:16:42. > :16:45.believe as a Government that it is important to have net migration and
:16:46. > :16:48.sustainable levels, which we believe to be in the tens of thousands,
:16:49. > :16:51.because of the impact particularly on people on the lower end of the
:16:52. > :16:59.income scale in depressing their wages. Mr Speaker, last October the
:17:00. > :17:05.Prime Minister was forced into a humiliating U-turn on prose Poles --
:17:06. > :17:09.proposals to force companies to disclose any foreign workers
:17:10. > :17:14.employed. During the summer, 100 EU nationals resident in the UK
:17:15. > :17:18.received to deportation notices in error, causing alarm to them and
:17:19. > :17:23.many others. We need to cherish those who are here and not chase
:17:24. > :17:30.them away. The Prime Minister must stop dancing to the tune of her
:17:31. > :17:33.right-wing backbenchers and apologise for the disgraceful
:17:34. > :17:39.treatment her Government has shown migrants in the UK. In the first
:17:40. > :17:41.instance, will she pledged that international students will no
:17:42. > :17:47.longer be included in the net migration figures? Can I just say to
:17:48. > :17:51.the honourable gentleman back in relation to the error that was made
:17:52. > :17:56.by the Home Office, every single one of those individuals was telephoned
:17:57. > :18:00.with an apology. It shouldn't have happened in the first place but the
:18:01. > :18:03.Government did telephone with an apology. Let me just say this to the
:18:04. > :18:08.honourable gentleman. As I explain to my first answer to him, there is
:18:09. > :18:14.a reason for wanting to ensure we can control migration. It is because
:18:15. > :18:20.of the impact that that migration can have on people, on access to
:18:21. > :18:23.services, on access to infrastructure but crucially, it
:18:24. > :18:28.often hits those at the lower end of the income scale hardest and I
:18:29. > :18:31.suggest that the honourable gentleman thinks about that impact,
:18:32. > :18:36.rather than just standing up here and saying what he has done. Is
:18:37. > :18:40.important we bring in controls, we want to want to continue to welcome
:18:41. > :18:47.the brightest and the best here to the UK, and we continue to do so. I
:18:48. > :18:52.know that my right honourable friend will be as alarmed and angered as
:18:53. > :18:57.many at the decision of the Northern Ireland judicial authority to open
:18:58. > :19:03.the so-called legacy cases involving past and present members of the
:19:04. > :19:07.Armed Forces. These cases have been meticulously investigated and
:19:08. > :19:12.represent just 10% of deaths in the troubles. A line really does need to
:19:13. > :19:15.be drawn here. Does my right honourable friend agree that it is
:19:16. > :19:19.wrong to single out any group for this kind of investigation, and that
:19:20. > :19:23.the hundreds of thousands of people who served in Northern Ireland
:19:24. > :19:27.should feel appreciated for the difficult job they did, not being
:19:28. > :19:32.hounded into old age by investigations of this kind? Can I
:19:33. > :19:35.first of all say to my right honourable friend that we are
:19:36. > :19:39.unstinting in our admiration for the role that our Armed Forces played in
:19:40. > :19:44.ensuring Northern Ireland's future would only ever be decided by
:19:45. > :19:47.democracy and consent, and the overwhelming majority serve with
:19:48. > :19:51.great distinction and we owe them a great debt of gratitude. But as part
:19:52. > :19:57.of our work to implement the Stormont House agreement, we will
:19:58. > :19:59.ensure that new supporters will be under obligations to be fair,
:20:00. > :20:02.balanced and proportionate, which will make sure our veterans are not
:20:03. > :20:09.unfairly treated or disproportionately investigated and
:20:10. > :20:11.indeed reflect the fact that 90% of deaths in the troubles were caused
:20:12. > :20:20.by terrorist and not the Armed Forces. But as he will appreciate,
:20:21. > :20:25.the investigations by PSNI are, of course, a matter for them, as they
:20:26. > :20:29.are independent of government. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister
:20:30. > :20:34.will be aware of the death of my constituent Kim Briggs, who was
:20:35. > :20:41.knocked over last year by a cyclist on an illegal fixed wheel bike with
:20:42. > :20:46.no front brake. Does the Prime Minister agree with me that the law
:20:47. > :20:53.on dangerous driving should be extended to include offences by
:20:54. > :20:59.cyclists, and does she also agree with me that the 1861 offence of
:21:00. > :21:04.wanton and furious driving, which the prosecution had to rely upon in
:21:05. > :21:14.this case, is hopelessly outdated and wholly inadequate? Can I first
:21:15. > :21:18.of all extend our sympathies to the family and friends of the honourable
:21:19. > :21:23.lady's constituent who died in this tragic circumstances, and she has
:21:24. > :21:28.raised an important issue. I think we should welcome the fact that they
:21:29. > :21:34.were able to find legislation under which to make a prosecution but the
:21:35. > :21:38.point is a general one about ensuring our legislation gives up to
:21:39. > :21:40.date with events that take place ensure this is something the
:21:41. > :21:44.Secretary of State for transport will look at. Living near a natural
:21:45. > :21:50.green space is good for your physical and mental health but those
:21:51. > :21:56.in the most deprived areas of the country are the least likely to do
:21:57. > :21:59.so. My right honourable friend is committed to reducing inequality and
:22:00. > :22:03.improving mental health. Can I ask her to read the new report published
:22:04. > :22:09.by the Conservative environment network, masterminded by my
:22:10. > :22:13.honourable friend, the Member for Taunton Deane, and ask to take on
:22:14. > :22:18.board its recommendation to consider the environment across government
:22:19. > :22:21.policy? The whole question of mental health is one that I know she has
:22:22. > :22:25.campaigned on and has a particular interest in and it is interesting
:22:26. > :22:29.that she has raised, and I welcome the fact she has raised this issue
:22:30. > :22:33.of the health benefits of green space, which is becoming ever more
:22:34. > :22:37.recognised and certainly, I know this is something that the
:22:38. > :22:42.Conservatives network highlights in its report it up Defra will be
:22:43. > :22:45.producing a 25 year environment plan. It will look at the evidence
:22:46. > :22:50.in that report and it will focus on what can be done to ensure that the
:22:51. > :22:59.benefits provided by access to green space are available to all segments
:23:00. > :23:04.of society. Thank you, Mr Speaker. This summer, a third of all parents
:23:05. > :23:08.across the country went without a meal to ensure that they can feed
:23:09. > :23:12.their children during the school holidays. In Stoke-on-Trent, amazing
:23:13. > :23:17.volunteers came together to provide over 10,000 meals for local kids.
:23:18. > :23:20.I'm very proud of my constituents but I'm disgusted that this
:23:21. > :23:25.Government, who have done nothing and turned a blind eye. How many
:23:26. > :23:28.kids have to go hungry, how many parents have to go without food,
:23:29. > :23:35.before this Prime Minister will do her job and act? Well, I have to say
:23:36. > :23:40.to the honourable lady, I recognise an issue that she has raised about
:23:41. > :23:43.children, particularly those who are normally able to access free school
:23:44. > :23:47.meals during term time and the impact this has during the holidays,
:23:48. > :23:52.is a matter that her writer Robert friend the Member for Birkenhead has
:23:53. > :23:56.been taking up, together with colleagues in the APPG for hunger.
:23:57. > :24:01.From the Government's point of view our focus remains on tackling the
:24:02. > :24:10.root causes of poverty. This is what is important, not just the symptoms.
:24:11. > :24:12.Nearly three quarters of children from workless families moved out of
:24:13. > :24:17.poverty when their parents entered into full-time work and we see
:24:18. > :24:21.record levels of employment under this government. That's why this is
:24:22. > :24:26.so important. Ensuring that we get a strong economy and those jobs. But
:24:27. > :24:29.I'm sure that ministers at the Department for Work and Pensions on
:24:30. > :24:31.the Department for Education will be looking at the proposals the right
:24:32. > :24:38.honourable member for Birkenhead has brought forward. The reductions in
:24:39. > :24:43.unemployment, poverty and income inequality are some of our proudest
:24:44. > :24:48.achievements in recent years. What more is the Government planning to
:24:49. > :24:57.do to further the one nation principal and ensure a fairer
:24:58. > :25:02.society still? Under this Government, we have seen income
:25:03. > :25:07.inequality fall to its lowest level since 1986. The number of people in
:25:08. > :25:12.absolute poverty is at a record low and we've got the lowest
:25:13. > :25:18.unemployment rate since 1975. But he's right, there is more to do, and
:25:19. > :25:22.that's why yesterday we announced a ?40 million for youth organisations
:25:23. > :25:27.to boost the skills and life chances for young people who are living in
:25:28. > :25:31.disadvantaged areas. I think that will have a transformational effect
:25:32. > :25:34.on the lives of some of our most disadvantaged young people and will
:25:35. > :25:41.help to achieve the fairer society that my honourable friend has
:25:42. > :25:44.rightly referred to. Thank you, Mr Speaker. A few weeks ago, the
:25:45. > :25:49.utterly shaming lack of mental health provision in this country was
:25:50. > :25:54.condemned by our most senior family court judge, as he sought a bed for
:25:55. > :25:59.a desperately ill teenage girl. The 17-year-old had been restrained no
:26:00. > :26:04.fewer than 117 times in a place not fit to care for her. Does the Prime
:26:05. > :26:10.Minister agree with me, in echoing the words of Sir James Mumby, that
:26:11. > :26:12.the continued failure to tackle our nation's mental health crisis means
:26:13. > :26:19.the state will have blood on its hands? I'm sure everybody across
:26:20. > :26:22.this House was concerned to read of the circumstances of the individual
:26:23. > :26:27.that she has referred to and the treatment that she had received. I
:26:28. > :26:30.accept that we need to do more in relation to our mental health
:26:31. > :26:33.services. That's precisely why the Government is putting more money
:26:34. > :26:37.into mental health, it is why we have introduced a number of
:26:38. > :26:42.programmes, particularly focusing on the mental health of young people,
:26:43. > :26:46.it is why we have reduced by 80% the numbers of people being detained in
:26:47. > :26:50.police cells because of their mental ill-health and, as I say, we've
:26:51. > :26:54.increased the funding. But of course we need to do more. That's why we
:26:55. > :26:58.are pushing forward on further change. We are pledged to reforming
:26:59. > :27:02.outdated mental health laws and we've created targets to improve
:27:03. > :27:04.standards of care. I agree mental-health is important. This
:27:05. > :27:13.Government is focusing on it and putting more resources into it.
:27:14. > :27:18.Thank you, Mr Speaker. Given the importance of the fishing industry
:27:19. > :27:22.around the whole of the UK and in particular in Banff and Buchan, can
:27:23. > :27:24.I ask what discussions the government has had with
:27:25. > :27:30.representatives of fishing in the north-east of Scotland as heart of
:27:31. > :27:33.the ongoing EU negotiations? I recognise the importance of the
:27:34. > :27:36.fishing industry to a number of parts of the UK, including my
:27:37. > :27:41.honourable friend's constituency, and he is right to raise this point.
:27:42. > :27:45.The Government is engaging with a range of fishing stakeholders,
:27:46. > :27:49.including a meeting with the Scottish Fishermen's Federation,
:27:50. > :27:53.which took place in July. We do value our fishing communities and
:27:54. > :27:57.supporting them will be an important part of the action we will take as
:27:58. > :28:01.part of the EU. We are working closely with the fishing industry. I
:28:02. > :28:05.have met some fishermen and spoken to them over the summer about the
:28:06. > :28:08.industry and we are working with fishermen and others who have a
:28:09. > :28:10.stake in the industry to make sure we get this right when we leave the
:28:11. > :28:18.EU. The Prime Minister will be aware of
:28:19. > :28:26.our initiative last week to have devolution running immediately in
:28:27. > :28:29.parallel with the talks process, an initiative welcomed by the opinion
:28:30. > :28:32.in Northern Ireland. If, however, despite our best efforts and
:28:33. > :28:37.agreement with all the other parties, Sinn Fein continues to
:28:38. > :28:41.block the restoration of Government in Northern Ireland, will she
:28:42. > :28:44.confirm to the House what her Government spokesperson said
:28:45. > :28:47.yesterday evening about the future governance arrangements for Northern
:28:48. > :28:50.Ireland, in particular, a welcome statement there will be no question
:28:51. > :28:55.of joint authority or a role for Dublin? The right honourable
:28:56. > :28:59.gentleman is right about the importance of the talks we have to
:29:00. > :29:03.restore devolved administration in Northern Ireland. I'm happy to
:29:04. > :29:12.confirm we'd not be looking at a joint authority. He will be aware...
:29:13. > :29:20.In relation to the Government of the Republic of Ireland in north/south
:29:21. > :29:25.co-ordination. The focus should be in trying to ensure we resolve the
:29:26. > :29:27.current differences and see that devolved administration reasserted
:29:28. > :29:32.in Northern Ireland. That is what would be best for the people of
:29:33. > :29:37.Northern Ireland. Thank you Mr Speaker, by refusing to discuss free
:29:38. > :29:41.trade, does the Prime Minister agree that the European Commission is
:29:42. > :29:52.damaging the employment and economic interests of their own member
:29:53. > :29:56.states? For ex-ample endangerings jobs in the German car industry?
:29:57. > :30:00.Will the Prime Minister call on other heads of European Government
:30:01. > :30:07.to prevail on the European Commission to end this act of wanton
:30:08. > :30:17.economic self-harm and start free trade talks which are so clearly in
:30:18. > :30:22.the interests of everybody? My Right Honourable Friend, the Secretary of
:30:23. > :30:24.State for exiting the EU was back in Brussels for the further rounds of
:30:25. > :30:29.negotiations. Those have been productive. We do want to see the
:30:30. > :30:33.discussions moving on to the future relationship. What this Government
:30:34. > :30:37.has done and will continue to do is publish a set of position papers
:30:38. > :30:41.setting out options and ideas for how that deep and special parter
:30:42. > :30:45.inship can be taken forward in the future. This isn't just a question
:30:46. > :30:50.of what suits the UK. It is in the interests of the European Union to
:30:51. > :30:56.have that good, deep and special partnership. What action is the
:30:57. > :31:01.Prime Minister taking to ensure that my constituents, many of whom are
:31:02. > :31:08.paying in excess of ?5,000 to travel to London every year, get better
:31:09. > :31:13.service, not the service the new plans under our Government
:31:14. > :31:22.introduced. And under these plans, the people of Bedford will lose the
:31:23. > :31:25.Intercity rail service?s Can I say to the honourable gentleman, if you
:31:26. > :31:30.look at the record of this Government, we recognise the
:31:31. > :31:34.importance of rail services. Oh, he says, no we don't. I suggest he
:31:35. > :31:38.looks at the funding we are putting in to improving rail services across
:31:39. > :31:45.this country. That is a sign of recognition we have of the
:31:46. > :31:49.importance of those services. One person sleeping rough is one too
:31:50. > :31:54.many. Our party's manifesto set out to end rough sleeping by the end of
:31:55. > :31:58.this Parliament. Given the important role that charities play in this
:31:59. > :32:04.task, will the Prime Minister join me in paying tribute to the
:32:05. > :32:09.excellent charity Crisis, which is marking its 5th anniversary? Can I
:32:10. > :32:15.first of all pay tribute to my honourable friend. This had is an
:32:16. > :32:23.issue he cares about deeply and he co-chairs the APPG on ending
:32:24. > :32:30.homelessness. He's right, we had a commitment to reduce rough leaping,
:32:31. > :32:34.eliminating by 2027. ?50 million has been allocated to 2020 to tackle
:32:35. > :32:38.homelessness and rough sleeping. I'm also happy to join with him in
:32:39. > :32:42.paying tribute to Crisis as they mark their 5th anniversary. They've
:32:43. > :32:46.been doing, over those 50 years, a very important job. I will be
:32:47. > :32:53.hosting a reception for them to mark their 5th anniversary in Downing
:32:54. > :32:57.Street later today. The University of Bradford makes a compelling case
:32:58. > :33:01.for a medical school teaching all types of health professionals. Can
:33:02. > :33:04.the Prime Minister confirm those universities where the need is the
:33:05. > :33:12.most will be given the opportunity to set up medical schools? We are
:33:13. > :33:16.pleased we'll be increasing the number of training places. That does
:33:17. > :33:19.mean the Department of Health is looking at the whole question of
:33:20. > :33:24.what places are available where and what new medical schools should be
:33:25. > :33:28.set up. I'm sure the Secretary of State for Health will be interested
:33:29. > :33:39.in hearing her pitch for Bradford to have a medical school. In the 1960
:33:40. > :33:43.and 70s thousands of women were described a pregnancy test which
:33:44. > :33:49.resulted in profound effects for the babies that followed, including my
:33:50. > :33:55.constituent Charlotte Fensom who cares as a sister alongside elderly
:33:56. > :33:59.parents of her brother Steve enwho was pro frownedly affected. Those
:34:00. > :34:03.families now deserve justice and there should be a chance to launch a
:34:04. > :34:08.public inquiry into this terrible scandal? My honourable friend has
:34:09. > :34:15.raised an important issue. She's right to do so. We should recognise
:34:16. > :34:22.the impact this had on those women who took this hormone pregnancy test
:34:23. > :34:25.from the late 1950s into 1978. There is an expert working group set up
:34:26. > :34:30.which is looking into this issue which is due to publish its findings
:34:31. > :34:36.in the autumn. I would be happy to meet my honourable friend to discuss
:34:37. > :34:43.this issue with her. Parents in my constituency are disappointed. Over
:34:44. > :34:46.the summer, they sought to take advantage
:34:47. > :34:51.THE SPEAKER: Order! An unseemly response. The honourable lady ask a
:34:52. > :34:58.new member. She's highly articulate and she will be heard! The
:34:59. > :35:01.honourable lady will be heard! Parents any my constituency are
:35:02. > :35:07.disappointed. They sought to take advantage of the 30 hours childcare
:35:08. > :35:12.but due to underfunding found it was not available and not free. Will the
:35:13. > :35:16.Prime Minister apologise to parents across the country for false
:35:17. > :35:22.advertising on what over wise would have been a welcome policy? What I
:35:23. > :35:28.can tell the honourable lady is we are investing ?1 billion of extra
:35:29. > :35:35.funding every year in early years entitlement. That includes 3 million
:35:36. > :35:39.a year. This investment is based on work that was done, a plan by the
:35:40. > :35:42.Department for Education which was described by the National Audit
:35:43. > :35:47.Office as thorough and wide-ranging. There are important ways that
:35:48. > :35:52.childcare providers can get more from their funding. The DFE is
:35:53. > :35:57.offering to support them to do that. Our hourly funding rate is
:35:58. > :36:04.significantly higher than the average cost of providing a place to
:36:05. > :36:07.a three or four-year-old. I hope the honourable lady thinks this is
:36:08. > :36:13.something this Government is delivering on. For the second year
:36:14. > :36:16.running, planning the festival of engineering, this time with the
:36:17. > :36:21.honourable member for South West Wiltshire. We hope to inspire 3,000
:36:22. > :36:27.children to help challenge stereotypes of engineering careers
:36:28. > :36:30.to help combat the local skills gap and in addition, to highlight
:36:31. > :36:34.Wiltshire is a hub of engineerings design and technology. Would the
:36:35. > :36:42.Prime Minister consider attending this wonderful event? Can I
:36:43. > :36:45.congratulate my honourable friend for her initiative. She does raise
:36:46. > :36:51.an important point. It is important we see more young people moving into
:36:52. > :36:56.engineering. Pursuing careers in engineering and describes more
:36:57. > :37:02.generally. The steps she's taking with our honourable friend is an
:37:03. > :37:06.important part of this. We need to address those stereotypes. I'm
:37:07. > :37:11.particularly keen to address women in engineering. We should see more
:37:12. > :37:19.women. If my diary allows, I will be very happy to attend. Clinicians
:37:20. > :37:21.don't believe it will be safe, commissioners and providers don't
:37:22. > :37:27.believe it would be feasible. Isn't it now the time for ministers to
:37:28. > :37:34.reverse the decision they took in 2011 to close the A department at
:37:35. > :37:38.King George hospital? Can I say, we have been very clear that where
:37:39. > :37:43.decisions are taken, we want those decisions to be taken at a local
:37:44. > :37:48.level with clinical advice. That is what the Department of Health is
:37:49. > :37:53.doing. As home sectsry, the Prime Minister was one of the first to
:37:54. > :37:58.appreciate the alarming extent of child sexual exploitation and
:37:59. > :38:03.respond to calls to set up the historic abuse inquiry. Does she
:38:04. > :38:07.agree those who expose to root out the criminal perpetrators for the
:38:08. > :38:15.horrific crimes they commit especially in the face of cultural
:38:16. > :38:22.sensitivities should be encouraged and promoted not gagged? My
:38:23. > :38:28.honourable friend has raised a very sensitive and important issue. As he
:38:29. > :38:33.says, was an issue I took a particular interest in when I was
:38:34. > :38:38.Home Secretary. Anyone who abuses a child must be stopped regardless of
:38:39. > :38:41.race, age or gender. Child exploiltation happens in all areas
:38:42. > :38:47.of the country. It can take many different forms. I'm clear and the
:38:48. > :38:52.Government is clear political or cultural sensitivities must not get
:38:53. > :38:57.in the way of pro venting and uncovering child abuse. The freedom
:38:58. > :39:00.to speak out must apply to those in positions of responsibility,
:39:01. > :39:06.including ministers and shadow ministers on both sides of this
:39:07. > :39:11.House. If we turn a blind eye to this abuse, as has happened too much
:39:12. > :39:21.in the past, then more crimes will be committed and more children will
:39:22. > :39:26.be suffering in silence. Thank you. Glenfield's children's heart surgery
:39:27. > :39:29.unit has some of the best outcomes in the country, including mortality
:39:30. > :39:36.rates lower than the national average. One of the Professor'S says
:39:37. > :39:38.proposals to Church of England children's heart surgery are
:39:39. > :39:43.embarrassing and plucked out of thin air. Can I ask the Prime Minister to
:39:44. > :39:48.ensure the final decision is made on the basis of sound clinical evidence
:39:49. > :39:55.and when this House is sitting so MPs can question ministers about NHS
:39:56. > :40:00.England's plans? The honourable lady is aware there are many ways MPs can
:40:01. > :40:05.question ministers about plans. As I said in answer to one of her
:40:06. > :40:10.honourable friends earlier. The decisions about the future structure
:40:11. > :40:14.of the NHS, Sir veries and provision are being taken on the basis of
:40:15. > :40:19.clinical needs and clinical evidence. Britain is among the
:40:20. > :40:26.world's leading digital economies. As we leave the EU, technology will
:40:27. > :40:30.be crucial to a successful Brexit from the Northern Irish border to
:40:31. > :40:35.customs controls. Does the Prime Minister agree that Brexit can
:40:36. > :40:38.kick-start a further wave of ding stall investment and working with
:40:39. > :40:44.the industry, a Brexit technology task force could help her do that?
:40:45. > :40:49.My honourable friend is right about the position the UK holds in
:40:50. > :40:53.relation to science and innovation. We're already a leading destination.
:40:54. > :40:57.We've some of the world's top universities, three of which are in
:40:58. > :41:03.the world's top ten. We've more Nobel Prize winners than any country
:41:04. > :41:07.outside of the United States. We've proud history of cutting edge rest
:41:08. > :41:12.search, science and took nothingy. Brexit gives us an opportunity to
:41:13. > :41:16.give a further kick-start to our position in relation to the digital
:41:17. > :41:19.economy. We'll want to attract investment from all over the world
:41:20. > :41:28.in relation to this and work with industry to ensure that can be done.
:41:29. > :41:31.In her conference speech last year, the Prime Minister said existing
:41:32. > :41:36.workers legal right will continue to be guaranteed in law as long Asim
:41:37. > :41:45.aPrime Minister. Can the Prime Minister tell the House how long
:41:46. > :41:50.that will be? Can I say to the honourable gentleman, that is a
:41:51. > :41:54.commitment that I'm happy to stand by in relation to improving workers'
:41:55. > :41:57.rights. That's something we've den doing as a Conservative Party and
:41:58. > :42:11.something I'll continue to do as Prime Minister. Mr Speaker, tomorrow
:42:12. > :42:15.is world awareness day which highlights this devastating muscle
:42:16. > :42:20.wasting condition which affects young men. If as anticipated the
:42:21. > :42:25.current development of a more reliable newborn screening test goes
:42:26. > :42:30.ahead, psychological support must be readily available to any affected
:42:31. > :42:38.families. Will the Prime Minister provide assurance to families that
:42:39. > :42:44.NHS England will develop such a vital psychological support? This is
:42:45. > :42:49.an important aspect of this terrible condition. I recognise the
:42:50. > :42:52.importance of ensuring people can access appropriate psychological
:42:53. > :42:57.support when they have a young family member diagnosed with this
:42:58. > :43:03.serious health problem. In relation to the new screening test, I
:43:04. > :43:07.understand muscular Diss fie UK is working with NHS England's advisory
:43:08. > :43:10.groups to understand how best to meet the needs of parents and
:43:11. > :43:15.careers following the diagnosis of this. I'm grateful to my Right
:43:16. > :43:18.Honourable Friend for raising this issue.