0:00:00 > 0:00:01the Cabinet office to the Home Secretary's work.
0:00:11 > 0:00:20Thank you Mr Speaker. Thank you. Thank you Mr Speaker. I hope it is
0:00:20 > 0:00:25not too late to wish all members and staff in the house a very happy New
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Year. Mr Speaker this morning I have meetings with ministerial colleagues
0:00:28 > 0:00:32and others in addition to my duties in this house I will have further
0:00:32 > 0:00:38such meetings later today.I too would like to wish members of staff
0:00:38 > 0:00:42a happy New Year. At least 1.4 million households across the UK
0:00:42 > 0:00:46have been victims of unfair practices in the leasehold market
0:00:46 > 0:00:52including my constituent Emily Martin. In advance of intended
0:00:52 > 0:00:55legislation what commitment will be Prime Minister make to ensure Emily
0:00:55 > 0:01:00and thousands of people tied into this scandal are compensated by
0:01:00 > 0:01:06developers now?I say to the honourable gentleman that we are
0:01:06 > 0:01:10concerned when we hear of unfair practices taking place. I am sure
0:01:10 > 0:01:14the Housing Secretary will be happy to hear of the particular case as an
0:01:14 > 0:01:18example of this. We are looking to see what action the government can
0:01:18 > 0:01:22take to ensure people are secure in their homes and that they are not
0:01:22 > 0:01:25subject to practices they should not be subject to.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Thank you Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, in December when the Brexit secretary
0:01:34 > 0:01:40met Michel Barnier they hugged. In that spirit would my right
0:01:40 > 0:01:47honourable friend the Prime Minister passionately embrace, not me Mr
0:01:47 > 0:01:51Speaker, but would she passionately embraced the agenda she set out last
0:01:51 > 0:01:57year to build a Briton fit for the future, to encourage home ownership,
0:01:57 > 0:02:01to encourage education and life chances and leave this country in a
0:02:01 > 0:02:09better place than when we find it?I have to say to my honourable friend
0:02:09 > 0:02:13he talks about passionate embraces but I do not think he has ever had
0:02:13 > 0:02:20the kiss he once asked for! But if I may say he's absolutely... He's
0:02:20 > 0:02:26absolutely right. We are determined to deliver Britain which is fit for
0:02:26 > 0:02:29the future and that does mean we need to get Brexit right but it
0:02:29 > 0:02:33means we need to do a lot more. He references house-building and we are
0:02:33 > 0:02:39committed to building the homes this country needs. That is why we have
0:02:39 > 0:02:42put 15 billion of new financial support available over the next five
0:02:42 > 0:02:47years and why we scrap stamp duty for 80% of first-time buyers. We are
0:02:47 > 0:02:52also improving school standards, 1.9 million more children in good or
0:02:52 > 0:03:00outstanding schools today and we are protecting our natural environment.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02We are building a Briton which can look to the future with optimism and
0:03:02 > 0:03:08hope.Mr Speaker could I wish you and all the house and all the staff
0:03:08 > 0:03:12a very happy New Year. Everyone is agreed, yeah? Thank you.CHUCKLES
0:03:12 > 0:03:23.Mr Speaker, I know it seems a long time ago, I know it seems a long
0:03:23 > 0:03:28time ago but just before Christmas I asked the Prime Minister about the
0:03:28 > 0:03:3312,000 people left waiting more than half an hour in the back of an
0:03:33 > 0:03:37ambulance at accident and emergency departments. She told the house the
0:03:37 > 0:03:44NHS was better prepared for winter than ever before. So what words of
0:03:44 > 0:03:49comfort does the Prime Minister have two the 17,000 patients left waiting
0:03:49 > 0:03:55in the back of and allowances in the last week of December? Is it that
0:03:55 > 0:04:02nothing is perfect by any chance?I fully accept that the NHS is under
0:04:02 > 0:04:06pressure over winter, it is regularly under pressure at winter
0:04:06 > 0:04:11times. I have been very, I have been very clear, I apologise to those
0:04:11 > 0:04:14people who have had operations delayed and those people who have
0:04:14 > 0:04:19had admissions to hospital delayed. But it is indeed the case that the
0:04:19 > 0:04:22NHS was better prepared this winter than ever before and it might be
0:04:22 > 0:04:30helpful... Yes...Order!It might be helpful if I let the house now some
0:04:30 > 0:04:34of the things which were done in order to ensure that preparedness.
0:04:34 > 0:04:39More people than ever before having flu vaccines, 2700 more acute beds
0:04:39 > 0:04:46being available since November. For the first time ever, for the first
0:04:46 > 0:04:53time ever, we have seen GP, urgent GP appointments are available across
0:04:53 > 0:04:58the Christmas period across this country. More doctors specialising
0:04:58 > 0:05:02in treating the elderly in accident and emergency. The right honourable
0:05:02 > 0:05:07gentleman mentions the last exchange we had in this house. In our last
0:05:07 > 0:05:12exchange he said mental health budgets have been cut. That is not
0:05:12 > 0:05:14right. Simon stevens from the national health service has made
0:05:14 > 0:05:19clear that mental health spending has gone up both in real terms and
0:05:19 > 0:05:23as a proportion of the overall spending. So will he now apologise
0:05:23 > 0:05:31for what he previously said?Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister knows
0:05:31 > 0:05:34full well that budgets have been raided and that many people who need
0:05:34 > 0:05:42help are not getting that help. And Mr Speaker we saw on ITV news the
0:05:42 > 0:05:47other night that nurses are spending the entire shift treating people in
0:05:47 > 0:05:53car parks because of backed up ambulances. We know the Prime
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Minister recognises there is a crisis in our NHS because she wanted
0:05:56 > 0:06:03to sack the Health Secretary last week but was too weak to do it. And
0:06:03 > 0:06:09if the NHS is so well resourced and so well-prepared, why was the
0:06:09 > 0:06:16decision taken last week to cancel the operations of 55,000 patients
0:06:16 > 0:06:26during the month of January?I say to the right honourable gentleman...
0:06:26 > 0:06:30Well, from the front bench the Labour Party say apologise but
0:06:30 > 0:06:34actually, listen to the answer I gave to his right honourable friend
0:06:34 > 0:06:38the Leader of the Opposition I have made clear that I have already
0:06:38 > 0:06:43apologised to those whose operations have been delayed and we will make
0:06:43 > 0:06:47sure that those operations are reinstated as soon as possible. We
0:06:47 > 0:06:51are putting record funding into the NHS and record funding into mental
0:06:51 > 0:06:55health. But he keeps on about the preparations from the national
0:06:55 > 0:06:59health service, I was very pleased last week to be able to go and say
0:06:59 > 0:07:05in person thank you to the staff at Frimley health trust from both
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Frimley Park and webs Park hospitals for the work that they have been
0:07:08 > 0:07:13doing to deliver for patients across this period of pressure across the
0:07:13 > 0:07:19winter. Our NHS staff, and that is not just doctors and nurses, it is
0:07:19 > 0:07:25support staff, administrative staff, porters, it is everybody working in
0:07:25 > 0:07:28our national health service, they do other than plastic job every day and
0:07:28 > 0:07:33they particularly do that when we see these winter pressures -- they
0:07:33 > 0:07:40do a fantastic job every day. This is what NHS providers said only last
0:07:40 > 0:07:44week. Preparations for winter in the NHS have been more extensive and
0:07:44 > 0:07:51meticulous than ever before.Mr Speaker we all bank all NHS staff
0:07:51 > 0:07:57are what they do. But the reality is that the 55,000 operations cancelled
0:07:57 > 0:08:04means that those 55,000 people join the already 4 million waiting for
0:08:04 > 0:08:08operations within the NHS. Perhaps the Prime Minister could listen to
0:08:08 > 0:08:13the experience of Vicky. Her 82-year-old mother spent 13 hours on
0:08:13 > 0:08:19a trolley in a corridor, that was on top of the three hours between her
0:08:19 > 0:08:27first calling 999 and arriving at hospital. Vicky says, and I quote,
0:08:27 > 0:08:31"Is a volunteer first responder from Warwickshire heart service whose day
0:08:31 > 0:08:36job is in the army kept mum safe and tell paramedic arrives". Her mother
0:08:36 > 0:08:41then suffered a heart attack just a week before. This is not an isolated
0:08:41 > 0:08:47case. Does the Prime Minister really believe the NHS is better prepared
0:08:47 > 0:08:52than ever for the crisis it is now going through?First of all can I
0:08:52 > 0:08:56say to the right honourable gentleman that nobody wants to hear
0:08:56 > 0:08:59people having to experience what Vicky and her mother experienced.
0:08:59 > 0:09:05And of course, we need to ensure that we learn from these incidents.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09That's exactly what we do in the national health service. I am very
0:09:09 > 0:09:13happy to ensure that that particular case is look that if you would like
0:09:13 > 0:09:18to provide me with the details of that particular case. But a week in
0:09:18 > 0:09:21and week out in the run-up to Christmas and now today what the
0:09:21 > 0:09:25right honourable gentleman is doing is giving the impression of a
0:09:25 > 0:09:29national health service which is feeling everybody who goes to use
0:09:29 > 0:09:35the NHS. The reality and our NHS is we are seeing 2.9 million more
0:09:35 > 0:09:40people now going to accident and emergency. We are seeing over 2
0:09:40 > 0:09:44million more operations taking place each year. Our national health
0:09:44 > 0:09:48service is something we should be proud of. That is why it is a first
0:09:48 > 0:09:53class... It is a first-class National Health Service that has
0:09:53 > 0:09:58been identified as the number-1 health system in the world. That
0:09:58 > 0:10:04means it's a better health system than Australia, the Netherlands, New
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Zealand, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, France, and the United
0:10:06 > 0:10:08States of America!
0:10:13 > 0:10:17We are all proud on this side of the house of the principal of the NHS,
0:10:17 > 0:10:24health care as a human right about in the last year 565,000 people have
0:10:24 > 0:10:29spent time on trolleys when they should be treated. The number of
0:10:29 > 0:10:33elderly people being rushed into A&E from care homes has risen by 62%
0:10:33 > 0:10:39since the Tories took power. Care Quality Commission figures suggest
0:10:39 > 0:10:44that nearly a quarter of homes need improvement. Not only is this
0:10:44 > 0:10:49robbing older people of their dignity, but it's putting pressure
0:10:49 > 0:10:52on A&E and Ambulance Services. So why, instead of dealing with the
0:10:52 > 0:10:55social care crisis, as the Prime Minister rewarded Health Secretary
0:10:55 > 0:11:03with a promotion and a new job title?Can I say to the right
0:11:03 > 0:11:08honourable gentleman that I think there are many voices across the
0:11:08 > 0:11:12house, including those from his own party, who have been encouraging me
0:11:12 > 0:11:17to ensure that we see better integration between health and
0:11:17 > 0:11:20social care. I am pleased that we have recognised this by making the
0:11:20 > 0:11:25Department of Health the Department of Health and social care, and that
0:11:25 > 0:11:32has been recognised by Age UK, who has said that this is a welcome and
0:11:32 > 0:11:34long overdue recognition of the interdependence of health and social
0:11:34 > 0:11:39care but I saw for myself last week at Ferney Park the good week that is
0:11:39 > 0:11:44being done by some hospitals up and down the country, working with GPs
0:11:44 > 0:11:48and care homes and the voluntary sector to ensure that elderly people
0:11:48 > 0:11:54can stay at home safely and do not need to come into hospital, with all
0:11:54 > 0:11:59of the consequences of them coming in to hospital beds. That is the way
0:11:59 > 0:12:03forward. That is what we want to do, ensuring that we think that
0:12:03 > 0:12:07integration of health and social care at the grassroots level. But
0:12:07 > 0:12:10the way right honourable gentleman talks, you would think that the
0:12:10 > 0:12:17Labour Party had all the solutions for the NHS. If the Labour Party...
0:12:17 > 0:12:25If the Labour Party have got all the answers, why is it that we see
0:12:25 > 0:12:28funding being cut, targets not being met in Wales, where the Labour Party
0:12:28 > 0:12:35is responsible?Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister leads a government
0:12:35 > 0:12:39that is responsible for the funding of national governments, such as in
0:12:39 > 0:12:44Wales. She knows full well what has been cut from Wales. But she is, Mr
0:12:44 > 0:12:50Speaker, directly responsible, she is directly responsible for the NHS
0:12:50 > 0:12:54in England, and giving the Health Secretary a new job title will not
0:12:54 > 0:13:00hide the fact that 6 billion has been cut from social care under the
0:13:00 > 0:13:08Tories. Part, Mr Speaker, part of the problem with the NHS is that its
0:13:08 > 0:13:13funds have been increasingly siphoned off into private companies,
0:13:13 > 0:13:18including in the Health Secretary's area of Surrey footorder! Calm
0:13:18 > 0:13:24yourself, Mr Sheldon. You are supposed to be auditioning to become
0:13:24 > 0:13:30an elder statesman, but there are many more auditions to come, on
0:13:30 > 0:13:34present evidence. Calm yourself, it will be good for your health.Even
0:13:34 > 0:13:39more money is being siphoned out of NHS budgets and into private health
0:13:39 > 0:13:43companies. Even in the Health Secretary's area of Surrey, the
0:13:43 > 0:13:48clinical commissioning group was forced to pay money to Virgin Care
0:13:48 > 0:13:51because it didn't win a contract. Will the Prime Minister sure
0:13:51 > 0:13:59patients that, in 2018, less NHS money intended for patient care will
0:13:59 > 0:14:02be feathering the nests of shareholders in private health
0:14:02 > 0:14:08companies?First of all, an Wales, this government has given more money
0:14:08 > 0:14:17to the Welsh government. It is a decision of Labour in Wales to
0:14:17 > 0:14:21de-prioritise funding for the NHS in Wales and, on the issue of the
0:14:21 > 0:14:23private sector and its role in the health service, under which
0:14:23 > 0:14:32government was it that private access and private use of the
0:14:32 > 0:14:40private sector in health sector no, it wasn't. Iron order!-- order! I
0:14:40 > 0:14:45say to the shadow secretary of state for health, he is also supposed to
0:14:45 > 0:14:54be auditioning for something. LAUGHTER
0:14:54 > 0:14:58He is normally a very amiable fellow, but he is gesticulating in a
0:14:58 > 0:15:01very eccentric fashion. He must calm himself. It isn't good for his
0:15:01 > 0:15:09image.I say to the right honourable gentleman, first of all, we have put
0:15:09 > 0:15:12more money into Wales, but the Labour government in Wales has
0:15:12 > 0:15:17decided to de-prioritise funding for the NHS, and the increase that was
0:15:17 > 0:15:20seen in private sector companies working in the health service wasn't
0:15:20 > 0:15:23under the Conservative government but under a Labour government, of
0:15:23 > 0:15:30which the right honourable gentleman was a member.My honourable friend,
0:15:30 > 0:15:34the Shadow Health Secretary, is auditioning to be Health Secretary,
0:15:34 > 0:15:42and he shows real passion for our NHS. Mr Speaker, under this
0:15:42 > 0:15:46government, virgin Care got £200 million worth of contracts in the
0:15:46 > 0:15:53last year alone. 50% up on the year before. Mr Speaker, the Prime
0:15:53 > 0:15:59Minister needs to understand that it is her policies that are pushing our
0:15:59 > 0:16:07NHS into crisis. Tax cuts for the super-rich and big business are paid
0:16:07 > 0:16:11for... Yes, Mr Speaker, they are paid for by longer waiting lists,
0:16:11 > 0:16:18ambulance delays, staff shortages and cuts to social care. Creeping
0:16:18 > 0:16:27privatisation is dragging our NHS down. He Health Secretary... The
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Health Secretary, during his occupation of her office to keep his
0:16:30 > 0:16:36job, said, he won't abandon the ship. Isn't an admission that, under
0:16:36 > 0:16:48his captaincy, the ship is indeed thinking? -- sinking?This
0:16:48 > 0:16:52government is putting more money into the NHS, we have more doctors
0:16:52 > 0:16:55and nurses in the NHS, more operations taking place on more
0:16:55 > 0:17:02people being treated in accident and emergency. But we can only do that,
0:17:02 > 0:17:08we can only do that if we have a strong economy. What would we see
0:17:08 > 0:17:11from the Labour Party? We have turned the economy round from the
0:17:11 > 0:17:17recession that the Labour Party left us with. What do we know... What do
0:17:17 > 0:17:22we know about the Labour Party's economic policies? We were told all
0:17:22 > 0:17:24about them from the description from the Shadow Education Secretary, icy
0:17:24 > 0:17:31isn't in her place on the front bench today. -- who icy isn't in her
0:17:31 > 0:17:39place oh, I do apologise. No, I didn't realise, Mr Speaker. I did
0:17:39 > 0:17:43not realise the Shadow Education Secretary was herself undergoing
0:17:43 > 0:17:46medical treatment, and I apologise unreservedly for that comment. But I
0:17:46 > 0:17:52have to say that she did describe the economic policies of the Labour
0:17:52 > 0:17:58Party in unparliamentary terms, including the word bust, but she did
0:17:58 > 0:18:03say that the Labour Party's economic policy was high risk, which means
0:18:03 > 0:18:07high risk for taxpayers, high risk for jobs in high risk for our NHS,
0:18:07 > 0:18:15and that's a risk we will never let them take.On a positive note on the
0:18:15 > 0:18:20NHS, my NHS Trust, Morecambe bay, is turned around from being one of the
0:18:20 > 0:18:26worst trusts in the country to one of the best. That was because of
0:18:26 > 0:18:29injections of huge amounts of cash, but the staff there were amazing.
0:18:29 > 0:18:37They turned that hospital round. Jackie Daniels...Can I gently
0:18:37 > 0:18:40invite the honourable gentleman to be sensitive to time. What we want
0:18:40 > 0:18:46is a long spiel but a short question with a question mark at the end.
0:18:46 > 0:18:54Jackie Daniels received a game hood for turning around Morecambe bay
0:18:54 > 0:19:02trust, very positive, along with the staff -- received a damehood. Could
0:19:02 > 0:19:09the Prime Minister wish Jackie well? I'm happy to join my honourable
0:19:09 > 0:19:14friend in paying tribute to the work of the staff at the Morecambe Bay
0:19:14 > 0:19:16trust, and in particular to wish Dame Jackie well and to pay tribute
0:19:16 > 0:19:21for the work she has done in turning that trust around. It's another
0:19:21 > 0:19:25example of the huge gratitude we owe to the NHS staff who worked so
0:19:25 > 0:19:31tirelessly on our behalf.Can I wish you, all staff and members a good
0:19:31 > 0:19:38New Year. The government's EU Withdrawal Bill is simply not fit
0:19:38 > 0:19:41for purpose, and it must be changed. These are not my words, these are
0:19:41 > 0:19:46the words of the honourable member for East Renfrewshire. Does the
0:19:46 > 0:19:55Prime Minister agree with her colleague that we must amend clause
0:19:55 > 0:19:5911, which is nothing more than a power grab from Scotland?The
0:19:59 > 0:20:03honourable gentleman knows full well that we have said we will look to
0:20:03 > 0:20:07improve clause 11. Indeed, if he was in his place when my right
0:20:07 > 0:20:11honourable friend, the Chancellor of the Jack Stephens Ashbrook of the
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, answered questions
0:20:14 > 0:20:16earlier, he made it clear that we would continue to look to amend
0:20:16 > 0:20:22clause 11. We are however, as we discussed before Christmas, we are
0:20:22 > 0:20:25looking to work with the devolved administrations to ensure we put the
0:20:25 > 0:20:30right frameworks in place so that, when we come to bring any amendment
0:20:30 > 0:20:34forward, it is done in the best possible way, in the interests of
0:20:34 > 0:20:37all concerned. I thought that has been accepted by the SNP, but we
0:20:37 > 0:20:42will be looking to bring forward amendments in the Lords.That simply
0:20:42 > 0:20:46isn't good enough. The Secretary of State for Scotland promised a power
0:20:46 > 0:20:53bonanza for Scotland and, crucially, amendments would be tabled ahead of
0:20:53 > 0:20:56next week's debate. Yesterday it was revealed that no amendments would be
0:20:56 > 0:21:00launched. The Tories always promised Scotland everything and deliver
0:21:00 > 0:21:07nothing. The Prime Minister has one last chance. Will she assure the
0:21:07 > 0:21:09house that these amendments will be tabled ahead of next week, as
0:21:09 > 0:21:20promised?The SNP say they want to work with us on the frameworks, the
0:21:20 > 0:21:24future frameworks, and we are doing exactly that. They say they want
0:21:24 > 0:21:29clause 11 amended, and we are doing exactly that. My right honourable
0:21:29 > 0:21:31friend is intensifying his discussions with the Scottish
0:21:31 > 0:21:36Government and, indeed, with Wales, as part of this. We will be bringing
0:21:36 > 0:21:41forward amendments. At the honourable gentleman says this is a
0:21:41 > 0:21:46government that never delivers for Scotland. £2 billion extra as a
0:21:46 > 0:21:51result of the budget? That is delivering for Scotland.Speaking of
0:21:51 > 0:21:57delivering for Scotland, Eastleigh and Clackmannanshire city regime
0:21:57 > 0:22:03deal is a massive investment in Scotland's economy. -- Stirling and
0:22:03 > 0:22:12Clackmannanshire. With projects like the UK institute for art and
0:22:12 > 0:22:16culture, and a national centre which will have a UK wide impact. Will the
0:22:16 > 0:22:20Prime Minister confirmed to me today now that the UK Government is ready
0:22:20 > 0:22:26to sign off the agreement with the Scottish Government and the local
0:22:26 > 0:22:34councils so that we can get to work? I am very happy to give that
0:22:34 > 0:22:37commitment to my honourable friend and to say this is another example
0:22:37 > 0:22:43of this is a government delivering for Scotland. I know the importance
0:22:43 > 0:22:47of this particular deal, Stirling and Clackmannanshire. It will be
0:22:47 > 0:22:50transformative. My honourable friend has transformed this cause --
0:22:50 > 0:22:54championed this cause since he was elected, he is doing a great job for
0:22:54 > 0:22:57his constituents and we are working to get agreement as quickly as
0:22:57 > 0:23:02possible.I have been contacted by 11 constituents who are frightened
0:23:02 > 0:23:10and many of them suicidal because they have been told by Ivor Hull or
0:23:10 > 0:23:12East Riding CCG that they're desperately needed pain infusion
0:23:12 > 0:23:17treatment will be stopped. This is the cruel reality of the NHS having
0:23:17 > 0:23:23to Russian treatment due to funding cuts. Will the Prime Minister
0:23:23 > 0:23:26personally intervene to ensure that Hull and East Riding CCG review
0:23:26 > 0:23:32their decision and guarantee them the additional funding to allow them
0:23:32 > 0:23:38to deliver it?We are putting extra money into the NHS. We are not
0:23:38 > 0:23:47cutting funding for the NHS. CCGs will be taking individual decisions
0:23:47 > 0:23:51about how they apportion their funding, but to stand up and suggest
0:23:51 > 0:24:00we are cutting funding to the NHS is plain wrong.Telford is a rapidly
0:24:00 > 0:24:05growing new town, where thousands of new houses are built every year, and
0:24:05 > 0:24:10people come to Telford to buy their home on a new build estate and live
0:24:10 > 0:24:16their dreams. But, for far too many, the reality is unfinished communal
0:24:16 > 0:24:20areas, an adopted roads, non-compliance with section 106,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22developers failing to take responsibility, and the local
0:24:22 > 0:24:29passing the buck. Colleagues across the health see similar problems in
0:24:29 > 0:24:32their constituencies. Will the prime ministers agree to strengthen the
0:24:32 > 0:24:36rights of homeowners on new build estate so that people can come to
0:24:36 > 0:24:40Telford or any other new-build area and by a new-build home, confident
0:24:40 > 0:24:46they can live their dream?Yes, I am happy to say to my honourable
0:24:46 > 0:24:50friend, of course, we recognise the concern that she has raised. I think
0:24:50 > 0:24:53it was a similar issue that the honourable member for Weaver Vale
0:24:53 > 0:24:59was racing in the first question he asked. I understand it is Telford's
0:24:59 > 0:25:0450th anniversary, I congratulate Telford on that. We are committed to
0:25:04 > 0:25:07legislating in relation to the factors she has identified, because
0:25:07 > 0:25:12it is only fair that freeholders should have the same rights as
0:25:12 > 0:25:14leaseholders to challenge the service charges they are submitted
0:25:14 > 0:25:19to.On a scale between one to ten, how does the Prime Minister think
0:25:19 > 0:25:24that Brexit is going, with ten being purposely, we know what we want to
0:25:24 > 0:25:28achieve and how to get it, and one being chaotic cluelessness? I know
0:25:28 > 0:25:31what I would give the Prime Minister, but what would she give
0:25:31 > 0:25:46herself?Can I say to the honourable gentleman...Order! Let me just say
0:25:46 > 0:25:50to the honourable gentleman, who I have known for a long time, I think,
0:25:50 > 0:25:54when he comes to reflect on his conduct, he will know he can do
0:25:54 > 0:26:03better than that. Prime Minister. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I say to
0:26:03 > 0:26:06the honourable gentleman that I think anybody who saw the success we
0:26:06 > 0:26:09had in negotiating phase one of Brexit and getting that sufficient
0:26:09 > 0:26:13progress will say that actually this is a government that knows what it
0:26:13 > 0:26:24is doing, it's getting on with the job and it's doing well.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Environmentalists across the UK were absolutely delighted with the
0:26:27 > 0:26:29announcement of cooperation with the Woodland Trust to develop the new
0:26:29 > 0:26:33northern forest. Will the Prime Minister give assurances that plans
0:26:33 > 0:26:39to create new landscapes will not obscure the need to protect existing
0:26:39 > 0:26:45areas of outstanding natural beauty, come and will she confirm her
0:26:45 > 0:26:49commitment to protect the Chilterns AOM B as we pursue the government's
0:26:49 > 0:26:57economic and housing development plans?I would like to congratulate
0:26:57 > 0:27:04my honourable friend on becoming a game. It is very well deserved. I
0:27:04 > 0:27:13can assure her that we are continuing to commit to root AONBs
0:27:13 > 0:27:16and, as regards the Chilterns, I enjoy walking in the Chilterns, I
0:27:16 > 0:27:18recognise the value of that particular environment, and we are
0:27:18 > 0:27:28committed to protecting AONBs.Thank you, Mr Speaker. I was a teacher and
0:27:28 > 0:27:34a head teacher for 34 years, so know that I speak on behalf of thousands
0:27:34 > 0:27:38of teachers and support staff when I ask, Prime Minister, in light of the
0:27:38 > 0:27:44recent announcement of a falling teacher training applications by a
0:27:44 > 0:27:47third, will the government listen to professionals and fully and fairly
0:27:47 > 0:27:55fund our schools and colleges, and the toxic culture of targets and
0:27:55 > 0:28:00tests, deliver a broad and balanced curriculum, and most of all, return
0:28:00 > 0:28:07the joy of teaching and learning back to our classrooms?Can I say to
0:28:07 > 0:28:10the honourable lady that we are putting record sums of money into
0:28:10 > 0:28:19our schools. We are ensuring... More than that, we are ensuring that we
0:28:19 > 0:28:22are seeing increasing standards in our schools. That is why today their
0:28:22 > 0:28:281.9 million more children in good or outstanding schools than in 2010 and
0:28:28 > 0:28:35I hope she would welcome that.The Prime Minister will be aware there
0:28:35 > 0:28:38was great potential in the south-west to increase prosperity
0:28:38 > 0:28:42and productivity, and would she confirm how her government will be
0:28:42 > 0:28:47backing the south-west, in particular, the need to invest in
0:28:47 > 0:28:49roads, rail and digital infrastructure?My honourable friend
0:28:49 > 0:28:52is right, and he is a great champion for the needs of the south-west, and
0:28:52 > 0:28:56we want to increase prosperity of productivity there and across the
0:28:56 > 0:29:03country, but we are taking some particular steps. Obviously, across
0:29:03 > 0:29:08the country, we are committing significant sums of money in
0:29:08 > 0:29:09relation to infrastructure investment, road investment
0:29:09 > 0:29:11strategy, and we are committed to creating an expressway to the
0:29:11 > 0:29:16south-west. I think this will be part of an important development,
0:29:16 > 0:29:19investing more than 400 million into the rail network in the area, and
0:29:19 > 0:29:25over 600,000 homes and businesses in the south-west now have access to
0:29:25 > 0:29:28superfast broadband, as a result of our programme. There is more we can
0:29:28 > 0:29:30do for the region and I look forward to working with my honourable friend
0:29:30 > 0:29:35in doing that.The Health Secretary said that the government wanted to
0:29:35 > 0:29:42be the best in the world for cancer diagnosis, treatment and care.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Today, according to a memo from the head of chemotherapy at Oxford
0:29:45 > 0:29:51Churchill hospital, terminally ill cancer patients will have their
0:29:51 > 0:29:53chemotherapy cut because of a massive shortfall in specialist
0:29:53 > 0:30:00nurses. Would the Prime Minister apologised to cancer patients and
0:30:00 > 0:30:04their families for this appalling situation?I say to the honourable
0:30:04 > 0:30:11lady that the trust has made clear there are no plans to delay the
0:30:11 > 0:30:14start of chemotherapy treatment or reduce the number of cycles given to
0:30:14 > 0:30:20cancer patients. What Simon seasons Leeds Stevens has said is happening
0:30:20 > 0:30:25is that, over the past three years, the highest cancer survival rates
0:30:25 > 0:30:30ever, and latest figures show an estimated 7000 more people surviving
0:30:30 > 0:30:33cancer, after successful NHS cancer treatment compared to three years
0:30:33 > 0:30:39prior, and we see 3200 more diagnostic and therapeutic
0:30:39 > 0:30:42radiographers than in 2010, so we will continue to look at this and we
0:30:42 > 0:30:45will continue to put the funding in that enables us to improve treatment
0:30:45 > 0:30:54for cancer patients.With record funding, our NHS is doing more than
0:30:54 > 0:30:58ever, but when the UK is in the bottom third of countries for heart
0:30:58 > 0:31:00attack deaths, when we have significantly worse survival for
0:31:00 > 0:31:05strokes and in France and Germany, and when our closest match for
0:31:05 > 0:31:14cancer survival is Poland, isn't it time to act across this house, back
0:31:14 > 0:31:18this week by the Centre for Policy Studies, to establish a royal
0:31:18 > 0:31:24commission on health and social care, in the 70th anniversary year
0:31:24 > 0:31:26of our most cherished national institution?My honourable friend is
0:31:26 > 0:31:31right that we need to continue to look at the NHS and ensure that we
0:31:31 > 0:31:37are continuing to improve the performance in a variety of areas.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40The independent Commonwealth fund has been clear that the NHS is the
0:31:40 > 0:31:43best health service in the world, it's better than systems in Germany
0:31:43 > 0:31:46and France in a list of other countries that I quoted earlier, but
0:31:46 > 0:31:52of course we need to do more to look at what we can do, and that is why
0:31:52 > 0:31:56we are putting in more funding and looking at the better integration of
0:31:56 > 0:31:58health and social care underground. It's about making sure we make a
0:31:58 > 0:32:01change now and doing that integration now, because that is
0:32:01 > 0:32:06when it will make a difference to people.The Prime Minister said
0:32:06 > 0:32:11she'd reshuffled her ministers so they looked more like the country
0:32:11 > 0:32:16they seek to represent. I am not quite sure about that, but in that
0:32:16 > 0:32:20spirit, would she acknowledge the massive problems we have with the
0:32:20 > 0:32:24private rented sector, with absentee private landlords? And will she
0:32:24 > 0:32:28commit to come and visit Easington to give her an appreciation of the
0:32:28 > 0:32:32scale of the problems facing many working-class communities? In the
0:32:32 > 0:32:37spirit of goodwill, would she support and give free passage to the
0:32:37 > 0:32:42bill on homes fit for habitation being promoted by my honourable
0:32:42 > 0:32:48friend for Westminster North?I say to the honourable gentleman that I
0:32:48 > 0:32:52have fond memories of the time I spent in the north-east when I was a
0:32:52 > 0:33:02candidate, but we do need to ensure that we have a good private rented
0:33:02 > 0:33:07sector in this country. I have to say to him that the one set of
0:33:07 > 0:33:11policies which would damage the private rented sector is the set of
0:33:11 > 0:33:17policies put forward by his Leader of the Opposition.I was delighted
0:33:17 > 0:33:20to hear the Environment Secretary last week confirming this
0:33:20 > 0:33:22government's commitment to supporting farmers after we leave
0:33:22 > 0:33:30the EU. Can my right honourable friend assure me that, when
0:33:30 > 0:33:33designing a future system, the unique needs of Scottish farmers and
0:33:33 > 0:33:41crofters will be taken into account in any such new system?My
0:33:41 > 0:33:44honourable friend is right that, as we leave the European Union, we will
0:33:44 > 0:33:48be able to put in place our own policy of support for farmers. We
0:33:48 > 0:33:52want that to be a policy that recognises the particular needs of
0:33:52 > 0:33:56farmers across all parts of the UK, and that will include the needs of
0:33:56 > 0:34:02farmers in Scotland. My constituency office and local citizens advice
0:34:02 > 0:34:09bureau are receiving ever-increasing complaints about Pip claims.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11Assessments are being refused and 65% of claims are overturned at
0:34:11 > 0:34:16tribunal. This means that tribune is taking longer, anything between four
0:34:16 > 0:34:21seven months. Can I ask the Prime Minister if she agrees that the
0:34:21 > 0:34:23assessment service is flawed, and what she can do to help avoid
0:34:23 > 0:34:28unnecessary stress and hardship being caused to my constituents and
0:34:28 > 0:34:34those across the country?I understand the point the honourable
0:34:34 > 0:34:37gentleman is taking about ensuring, as we want to, that these
0:34:37 > 0:34:40assessments are conducted as well as they can be, and that people are
0:34:40 > 0:34:44getting the awards that they in fact should be getting and are entitled
0:34:44 > 0:34:50to. In fact, since we introduced the personal independence payment, we
0:34:50 > 0:34:56have carried out around 2.9 million assessments. 8% of those have been
0:34:56 > 0:34:59appealed, but only 4% of those decisions are changed following an
0:34:59 > 0:35:02appeal, and in the majority of cases it's because new evidence is
0:35:02 > 0:35:07presented at the Peel than was presented when the original case was
0:35:07 > 0:35:12put forward. -- presented at the appeal. The DWP continues to look at
0:35:12 > 0:35:15ensuring that, when assessments are made, they are done properly and
0:35:15 > 0:35:24people get the right results.My constituent Justin Bartholomew was
0:35:24 > 0:35:28just 25 when he committed suicide late last year. His family are
0:35:28 > 0:35:33convinced is intake of high energy drinks over 15 cans a day, increased
0:35:33 > 0:35:38his anxiety and contributed to his death. Given the increased safety
0:35:38 > 0:35:41concerns around the high energy drink market and the actions of
0:35:41 > 0:35:45people like Jamie Oliver and Waitrose, would the Prime Minister
0:35:45 > 0:35:49consider introducing a national ban on the sale of these energy drinks
0:35:49 > 0:35:53for the under 16 's?My honourable friend has raised a tragic case, and
0:35:53 > 0:35:57I know the thoughts and sympathies of the whole house will be with
0:35:57 > 0:36:00family and friends of Justin Bartholomew. We have introduced the
0:36:00 > 0:36:03soft drinks industry levy and recognise that the issues around
0:36:03 > 0:36:07drinks that are high in sugar, and we know that those drinks can be
0:36:07 > 0:36:11damaging to children's health. We are supporting schools and parents
0:36:11 > 0:36:16to make healthier choices and to be able to identify those through
0:36:16 > 0:36:19clearer labelling and campaigns, but this is an issue that the Department
0:36:19 > 0:36:23of Health and social care will continue to look at, and they will
0:36:23 > 0:36:25continue to look at the scientific evidence in relation to these
0:36:25 > 0:36:31drinks.I have a constituent that escaped an abusive relationship and
0:36:31 > 0:36:36has been passed from pillar to post between a support agency and new
0:36:36 > 0:36:41child maintenance service. After four and half years, she has been
0:36:41 > 0:36:44told by the CMS that she has to start the process all over again
0:36:44 > 0:36:48and, on top of that, they are insisting she passes on a personal
0:36:48 > 0:36:53and bank details to her ex-partner to receive payment. We were promised
0:36:53 > 0:36:57agreed to help me resolve this problem, -- will the Prime Minister
0:36:57 > 0:37:02agree to help me resolve this, and look at the system that is allowed
0:37:02 > 0:37:08this situation to develop?I recognise that there are
0:37:08 > 0:37:11arrangements in place which would ensure that an individual would not,
0:37:11 > 0:37:15as I understand it, have to pass their bank details on directly. The
0:37:15 > 0:37:19fact that her constituent has been asked to do that should be looked
0:37:19 > 0:37:22into, and I'm sure that if she passes those details to the
0:37:22 > 0:37:27appropriate department they will look into it.Does the Prime
0:37:27 > 0:37:30Minister welcomed the findings of the social research survey that the
0:37:30 > 0:37:35majority of Scots believe the rules on trade and immigration should be
0:37:35 > 0:37:39the same in Scotland as in the rest of the UK? It looks like they agree
0:37:39 > 0:37:45we are better together.I think my honourable friend has raised an
0:37:45 > 0:37:49important point. People across the UK want to see controlled
0:37:49 > 0:37:52immigration, and that is people in Scotland as well as the rest of the
0:37:52 > 0:37:57UK. As we leave the we will be able to introduce our own immigration
0:37:57 > 0:38:02rules and control that immigration to Britain from Europe. The only
0:38:02 > 0:38:09point of differentiation is that we have a Scotland only shortage
0:38:09 > 0:38:13occupation list to recognise the particular labour market needs in
0:38:13 > 0:38:17Scotland but, for the most part, that has matched the UK wide
0:38:17 > 0:38:21shortage occupation list, and I think that shows this is an issue
0:38:21 > 0:38:26for the whole UK and we need the same policy approach.In March 2005
0:38:26 > 0:38:32in an interview, the Prime Minister said, not getting things done and
0:38:32 > 0:38:33seen people's lives hurt by government bureaucracy makes her
0:38:33 > 0:38:39depressed. In light of this comment, can the Prime Minister tell me
0:38:39 > 0:38:43whether she considered it reasonable and acceptable for the DVLA to
0:38:43 > 0:38:50withhold my constituent, Mr Coleman toss license for over 18 months, is
0:38:50 > 0:38:54despite evidence showing he was fit and able to drive, as she has not
0:38:54 > 0:38:59responded to my letter the 5th of December?I will ensure that the
0:38:59 > 0:39:03honourable lady receives a response to that letter. She has raised a
0:39:03 > 0:39:05particular case in this house and I'll need to look at the details,
0:39:05 > 0:39:16and I will respond to the letter. Last week, 230 job losses were
0:39:16 > 0:39:22announced in my constituency, which is devastating for Loftus and the
0:39:22 > 0:39:28community, where the mine is the largest employer. Local members are
0:39:28 > 0:39:32agreed it would be incredibly helpful if some of the funds
0:39:32 > 0:39:38remaining for the 2015 SSI rescue package could be we furnished to
0:39:38 > 0:39:40support people here? Will the Prime Minister agreed to look into this
0:39:40 > 0:39:45with the Business Secretary and will she commit that agencies will do
0:39:45 > 0:39:50everything they can to support people affected?My honourable
0:39:50 > 0:39:52friend is right to raise this case and it's obviously a worrying time
0:39:52 > 0:39:57for the workers affected by the announcement for Cleveland potash,
0:39:57 > 0:40:03and I say to him that we will be helping people find other work in
0:40:03 > 0:40:06supporting people affected through the DWP's rapid response service,
0:40:06 > 0:40:09and we will coordinate with the Tees valley combined authority to ensure
0:40:09 > 0:40:14that we are working together to get the best possible support and make
0:40:14 > 0:40:18sure that support is aligned. The department for business, energy and
0:40:18 > 0:40:21industrial strategy will look at the situation is the specific issue he
0:40:21 > 0:40:28has raised.Ava has been a foster carer for years. When her privately
0:40:28 > 0:40:32rented home failed the electrical certificate needed to continue
0:40:32 > 0:40:37fostering, a landlord evicted her because he didn't want to do the
0:40:37 > 0:40:41repairs. So now she and the kids are living in council temporary
0:40:41 > 0:40:45accommodation in a converted warehouse in the middle of a working
0:40:45 > 0:40:49industrial estate in Mitcham, and the same council who plays her there
0:40:49 > 0:40:54are going to withdraw her right to foster because her accommodation
0:40:54 > 0:41:02isn't good enough. Can the Prime Minister tell Ava, kids in care who
0:41:02 > 0:41:07need foster carers and the overworked British taxpayer how this
0:41:07 > 0:41:09makes sense?
0:41:09 > 0:41:14As the honourable lady sets it out, it doesn't appear to make sense we
0:41:14 > 0:41:20will be losing somebody who has been a foster carer. I would pay tribute
0:41:20 > 0:41:26to the work her constituent has done in foster caring. We owe a debt of
0:41:26 > 0:41:30gratitude to those who care as foster parents and I'm sure has she
0:41:30 > 0:41:43has raised this, the local council will want to look at this again.
0:41:43 > 0:41:53Thank you, Mr Speaker. While most of us were celebrating over New Year,
0:41:53 > 0:41:58the crews of Poole-based tug and the lifeboats were battling seas and
0:41:58 > 0:42:0270mph winds off the coast of Dorset to prevent a cargo ship from being
0:42:02 > 0:42:09blown on to the rocks. Thanks to the skill of the tug's crew and the tow
0:42:09 > 0:42:22was fixed. Will she join me in praising those involved, not least
0:42:22 > 0:42:31the volunteers.I'm happy to do that. Both the tug crews and those
0:42:31 > 0:42:37in the RNLI. Those volunteers in the RNLI do a fantastic job around the
0:42:37 > 0:42:41coastlines and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude.