:00:12. > :00:15.Hello and welcome to the Week In Parliament.
:00:16. > :00:22.When the row over the Panama Papers tax revelations got personal.
:00:23. > :00:28.The publication of Prime Minister's tax information in this way is
:00:29. > :00:34.unprecedented but it has the right thing to do. I am not sure that the
:00:35. > :00:35.Prime Minister appreciates the anger that is out there over this
:00:36. > :00:37.injustice. corridor as the chairman
:00:38. > :00:41.of the Home Affairs Committee kicks I am going to excuse you from this
:00:42. > :00:51.committee. And is it time for a rethink about
:00:52. > :00:56.how MPs put forward their own bills? Some of the debates have been
:00:57. > :01:00.embarrassing to be part of. the Parliamentary week was dominated
:01:01. > :01:03.by the Panama Papers - leaked documents from the law
:01:04. > :01:05.firm Mossack Fonseca, which revealed how rich and powerful
:01:06. > :01:09.people hid their wealth offshore. The story landed in Downing Street
:01:10. > :01:13.when it was discovered that an investment fund set up
:01:14. > :01:16.by David Cameron's father had been There was no suggestion
:01:17. > :01:21.that he or his father had But questions about whether
:01:22. > :01:25.the Prime Minister had benefited dragged on until
:01:26. > :01:27.finally David Cameron Mr Speaker, there have been deeply
:01:28. > :01:37.hurtful, profoundly untrue allegations made against my father
:01:38. > :01:41.and I want to, if the House will let This investment fund
:01:42. > :01:44.was set up overseas in the first place because
:01:45. > :01:46.it was going to be trading predominantly
:01:47. > :01:47.in So like very many other
:01:48. > :01:50.commercial investment funds it made sense to be set up
:01:51. > :01:53.inside one of the main centres of Even a quick look shows
:01:54. > :01:57.that the BBC, the Mirror Group, Guardian newspapers,
:01:58. > :01:59.and to pick one council entirely at random, Islington,
:02:00. > :02:01.all have these sorts of Since 2010 I have not
:02:02. > :02:13.owned any shares or any The publication of a Prime
:02:14. > :02:17.Minister's tax information in this way is unprecedented but I
:02:18. > :02:20.think it is the right thing to do. May I thank the Prime Minister
:02:21. > :02:23.for the advance sight of his It is absolutely
:02:24. > :02:26.a masterclass in the art of What they have driven home,
:02:27. > :02:47.Mr Speaker, is what many people There is now one rule
:02:48. > :02:56.for the super rich and I'm honestly not sure,
:02:57. > :02:59.Mr Speaker, that the Prime Minister fully appreciates the anger
:03:00. > :03:02.that is out there over this How can it be right that
:03:03. > :03:05.street cleaners, teaching assistants and nurses work
:03:06. > :03:07.and pay their taxes yet some of at the top think the rules simply
:03:08. > :03:10.don't apply We have to ask ourselves, all of us,
:03:11. > :03:14.whether the scale of the problem has been taken seriously
:03:15. > :03:16.because quite patently it has not been thus far, either
:03:17. > :03:24.domesticically or internationally. One Conservative MP called on
:03:25. > :03:28.critics to snap out of what he called synthetic indignation.
:03:29. > :03:31.is that they hate anyone who
:03:32. > :03:33.even has a hint of wealth in their lives.
:03:34. > :03:36.May I support the Prime Minister in fending off those who
:03:37. > :03:40.are attacking him, particularly in thinking of this place, because
:03:41. > :03:44.we risk seeing the House of Commons which is stuffed full of low
:03:45. > :03:47.achievers who hate enterprise, hate people who look after their own
:03:48. > :03:57.family, and who know absolutely nothing about the outside world.
:03:58. > :04:03.The row spilled over into Prime Minister's questions on Wednesday by
:04:04. > :04:04.which time Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had also published as tax
:04:05. > :04:09.return. This tax return was
:04:10. > :04:11.a metaphor for Labour It was late, it was chaotic,
:04:12. > :04:17.it was inaccurate, it was uncosted. Mr Speaker, I am grateful
:04:18. > :04:20.to the Prime Minister for drawing There, warts and all, the warts
:04:21. > :04:31.being my handwriting, all being my I actually paid more
:04:32. > :04:43.tax than some companies Last month the OBR
:04:44. > :04:50.reported that HMRC doesn't have the necessary resources
:04:51. > :04:52.to tackle offshore tax disclosures. The Government is committed
:04:53. > :04:54.to taking ?400 million out of
:04:55. > :04:57.HMRC's budget by 2020. Will he now commit to reversing that
:04:58. > :05:01.cut so they can collect the tax that
:05:02. > :05:05.will help to pay for the services? I'm afraid his figures rather
:05:06. > :05:07.like his tax return, his figures are not
:05:08. > :05:12.entirely accurate. In the summer budget
:05:13. > :05:15.2015 we gave an extra fund additional work
:05:16. > :05:19.to tackle tax evasion and noncompliance between
:05:20. > :05:21.now This is going to enable HMRC
:05:22. > :05:26.to recover a cumulative 7.2 billion in tax over
:05:27. > :05:29.the next five years. David Cameron on tax
:05:30. > :05:33.and tax collection. Now let's take a look at some
:05:34. > :05:35.other news from around The campaign over our EU membership
:05:36. > :05:42.is now officially under way. The Leave and Remain campaigns have
:05:43. > :05:45.come out fighting ahead But in the Commons at the start
:05:46. > :05:51.of the week there was anger over a pro EU leaflet sent out
:05:52. > :05:53.by the Government to every The idea that this leaflet
:05:54. > :06:02.simply has facts in it, when it says for example,
:06:03. > :06:04.who now believes we except the fantasists
:06:05. > :06:08.in the Foreign Office? Or that we will keep our own border
:06:09. > :06:11.patrols when we have to admit almost any person who says
:06:12. > :06:14.they are an EU citizen. not be part of further
:06:15. > :06:17.integration, and I am quoting. The absurd proposition
:06:18. > :06:21.that the Government of the day is not entitled to form an opinion
:06:22. > :06:26.on policy on the role of the Government in the modern
:06:27. > :06:28.world or is not allowed to communicate reasons
:06:29. > :06:32.for having that policy to the The Government has promised
:06:33. > :06:37.significant concessions over plans to make local authorities in England
:06:38. > :06:40.sell off their high value housing The money, paid by councils
:06:41. > :06:48.to Whitehall even before any sale is made, is to be used to compensate
:06:49. > :06:50.housing associations for allowing their tenants
:06:51. > :06:54.to buy their homes at a discount. Now ministers have agreed
:06:55. > :06:56.that properties must be The concessions came in a week
:06:57. > :07:01.when the Government suffered a series of defeats in the Lords
:07:02. > :07:09.on the Housing Bill. Veteran Labour MP Dennis
:07:10. > :07:14.Skinner was ordered out of the Commons chamber on Monday
:07:15. > :07:16.after referring to the Prime The Speaker suggested Mr Skinner
:07:17. > :07:29.rephrase his question. and when he refused
:07:30. > :07:34.the Bolsover MP was ejected. Meanwhile on the committee
:07:35. > :07:38.corridor the chair of the Home Affairs Committee,
:07:39. > :07:41.Keith Vaz, was so angered by one witness that he was dismissed
:07:42. > :07:43.from the session. Top Whitehall mandarin
:07:44. > :07:44.Oliver Robbins was threatened with being held in contempt
:07:45. > :07:46.and repeatedly criticised when he failed to answer questions
:07:47. > :07:51.over the budget of UK Border Force. We are asking you specifically
:07:52. > :07:53.on an issue that has been raised by this
:07:54. > :07:56.committee with Sir Charles Does Sir Charles Montgomery
:07:57. > :08:02.know what his budget is? It is either a yes or a no,
:08:03. > :08:05.Mr Robbins. And if you don't answer the question
:08:06. > :08:08.we might hold you in contempt. I intend to excuse you from this
:08:09. > :08:12.committee because I think the evidence so far has
:08:13. > :08:15.been unsatisfactory. ringing in his ears,
:08:16. > :08:23.Mr Robbins left the hearing. There have been calls for the BBC
:08:24. > :08:26.to speed up efforts to increase diversity among its on-air
:08:27. > :08:30.and off-air workforce. The demand came from a Labour MP
:08:31. > :08:33.who is clearly losing patience At the end of this month the BBC
:08:34. > :08:38.will publish an equality and Yet another one is coming very
:08:39. > :08:45.shortly and it's all going to be Another strategy to get
:08:46. > :08:52.our teeth sunk into. If it is genuinely a universal
:08:53. > :08:58.broadcaster we have to ask, it can no longer be
:08:59. > :09:02.about skills training. MPs have been told they'll have
:09:03. > :09:13.to wait a little longer for publication of the Chilcot
:09:14. > :09:15.report into the Iraq war. It's due to be handed
:09:16. > :09:17.to the Government for security But publication is not
:09:18. > :09:21.expected until the summer. The fact is the report has been
:09:22. > :09:28.pored over by many people for five We are not in the era
:09:29. > :09:36.of hot lead typesetting. Somebody said to me this morning
:09:37. > :09:41.that I might have summarised that rather long motion
:09:42. > :09:45.rather more crisply by saying this House instructs Sir John Chilcot
:09:46. > :09:50.simply to press send. A new high speed rail line
:09:51. > :09:55.was proposed by Labour back in 2010. The bill to construct
:09:56. > :09:57.the first phase, from London to the West Midlands,
:09:58. > :10:00.has been slowly making its way The legislation has now arrived
:10:01. > :10:05.in the Lords where a Government minister set out the now
:10:06. > :10:09.familiar case for HS2. Patchwork and sticking
:10:10. > :10:12.plasters will work for a period but are not
:10:13. > :10:13.the This will not help us create
:10:14. > :10:19.the capacity we need on the It will not improve our
:10:20. > :10:21.country's connections. It will not maximise
:10:22. > :10:24.the opportunities for our northern cities and cities
:10:25. > :10:30.in Scotland to grow and prosper. The noble Lord has said he was proud
:10:31. > :10:34.that HS2 had not demolished a single Well, ancient woodlands
:10:35. > :10:36.are the grade one We cannot doubt that those who live
:10:37. > :10:47.on or near the line face The Government has an important
:10:48. > :10:51.responsibility, this is my main point, to continue to listen
:10:52. > :10:55.to their concerns and to work with them and prove worthy
:10:56. > :11:00.of their trust. I do wonder whether the second part
:11:01. > :11:03.of this investment might be called in to say we can't complete
:11:04. > :11:08.it beyond Birmingham. I am not aware, my Lords,
:11:09. > :11:10.of a single country high-speed rail between its major
:11:11. > :11:15.cities and now thinks that this was Parliament was on its Easter recess
:11:16. > :11:22.when news broke of the crisis Tata Steel is selling
:11:23. > :11:27.off its loss-making UK plants - A buyer has been found
:11:28. > :11:32.for its Scunthorpe plant. But the future of the Port Talbot
:11:33. > :11:35.plant in south Wales Business Secretary Sajid Javid
:11:36. > :11:40.was criticised for being away In the Commons on Monday he told MPs
:11:41. > :11:51.he was fighting every hour of I have been in contact
:11:52. > :11:55.with potential buyers making clear that the government stands
:11:56. > :11:57.ready to help. This includes looking
:11:58. > :11:59.at the possibility of co-investing And we have appointed EY
:12:00. > :12:04.as financial advisers Earlier I spoke to BBC Wales'
:12:05. > :12:12.Parliamentary Correspondent David Cornock and asked if Westminster -
:12:13. > :12:15.or the Welsh Assembly - was making I think there is a sense that the UK
:12:16. > :12:22.Government was caught on the hop by the announcement by Tata Steel
:12:23. > :12:24.last month that it was Mr Javid famously had to fly back
:12:25. > :12:31.from Australia and has since been to Port Talbot,
:12:32. > :12:36.the biggest steel works twice and then this week to MPs,
:12:37. > :12:39.he talked more about what the UK He talked about co-investment,
:12:40. > :12:47.was not entirely clear what that meant, but he did under pressure
:12:48. > :12:50.from MPs suggest that perhaps it would involve taking
:12:51. > :12:53.over some of the debts, going in with a private company,
:12:54. > :12:56.helping essentially to oil It is very much top of his agenda
:12:57. > :13:05.at the moment because the clock is ticking in terms of Tata Steel
:13:06. > :13:08.being able to find a buyer for a business that is losing
:13:09. > :13:11.a million pounds a day. There was a bit of grumbling
:13:12. > :13:13.about the fact that the Westminster Parliament was not recalled
:13:14. > :13:15.when this crisis broke What was the First Minister able
:13:16. > :13:20.to do or say? Assembly members disappeared
:13:21. > :13:24.for their elections or retirement in some cases, cleared their offices
:13:25. > :13:29.only to be brought back for only the third time in the Assembly's
:13:30. > :13:33.history to debate the steel crisis because it was an iconic industry
:13:34. > :13:36.in the history of Wales and it The First Minister said
:13:37. > :13:45.that he was in favour of short-term public ownership, if that
:13:46. > :13:49.was what was involved, but of course the Welsh Government
:13:50. > :13:52.did not have the power to do that so he had to work with the UK
:13:53. > :13:55.Government and in terms of the Welsh Government's powers,
:13:56. > :14:01.they control business rates in Wales now but again,
:14:02. > :14:05.that had to be approved by the EU so Port Talbot is now
:14:06. > :14:09.in an enterprise zone but again some of the levers that are being used
:14:10. > :14:12.rely on approval from other It is quite unusual in the sense
:14:13. > :14:18.that in policy terms it is three different layers of government
:14:19. > :14:20.interacting on this to try You mentioned the Assembly elections
:14:21. > :14:26.which are coming up in a couple of weeks, how far has the steel
:14:27. > :14:28.issue overshadowed or even It has very much overshadowed
:14:29. > :14:35.the early weeks of the campaign and yes, the political parties
:14:36. > :14:39.are continuing to publish their manifestos and talk
:14:40. > :14:44.about schools and hospitals and all the day-to-day stuff,
:14:45. > :14:47.but I also think that the focus on the steel crisis,
:14:48. > :14:51.the overwhelming nature of it and the response of the government
:14:52. > :14:55.has focused people's attentions on the fact that there
:14:56. > :14:59.is a government in Wales, there are elections being fought,
:15:00. > :15:02.elections in which most people tend not to vote and in that sense it may
:15:03. > :15:05.yet increase turnout. Thank you very much
:15:06. > :15:12.indeed for coming in. Backbenchers have branded
:15:13. > :15:14.the system for Mps trying to get their own bills
:15:15. > :15:16.through Parliament a "disgrace". Every session a few Mps
:15:17. > :15:18.get the chance to bring They're debated on 13 sitting
:15:19. > :15:23.Fridays - but are often talked out by other backbenchers
:15:24. > :15:27.or government ministers. The Commons procedure
:15:28. > :15:29.committee is taking a look In a Westminster Hall
:15:30. > :15:33.debate Labour's Jeff Smith called for change -
:15:34. > :15:48.and was backed by a former deputy I absolutely agree with the
:15:49. > :15:52.honourable member about the absurdities of Fridays. It does not
:15:53. > :15:56.do any good for the image of Parliament, it is wearisome even for
:15:57. > :16:01.those who are here and I think I can make the claim for what it is worth
:16:02. > :16:06.that no other member of this house has resided over as many Friday
:16:07. > :16:08.debates as I have done. And it really is a disgrace.
:16:09. > :16:12.behind that debate - Jeff Smith .
:16:13. > :16:15.I think the public are increasingly fed up with the charade that happens
:16:16. > :16:18.on Friday when bills about quite serious issues that are talked
:16:19. > :16:20.about and we are not allowed to vote on them.
:16:21. > :16:23.Not taken seriously, some of the debates have been
:16:24. > :16:28.I think it is a view that is shared widely across the house.
:16:29. > :16:31.I think it looks as though Parliament is not taking serious
:16:32. > :16:35.issues seriously and that brings Parliament into disrepute.
:16:36. > :16:38.So what do you think can be done to change the current system?
:16:39. > :16:40.There are three things we can do very easily.
:16:41. > :16:42.We could move the debates from Friday to a Tuesday
:16:43. > :16:47.or Wednesday to make sure that lots more MPs are around.
:16:48. > :16:50.Secondly, we could impose time limits on speeches.
:16:51. > :16:54.We do it for other debates and there is no reason we cannot do
:16:55. > :16:56.it on private members bills and thirdly we can guarantee a vote
:16:57. > :17:01.so it does not come before us and not be voted on.
:17:02. > :17:03.These issues come up time and again but surely government backing
:17:04. > :17:09.We need the backing of government, but the committee last time had
:17:10. > :17:12.said the time had not come for the change.
:17:13. > :17:15.I would argue that the time has now come given what we have
:17:16. > :17:21.Now let's take a look at some of the week's
:17:22. > :17:34.# 5,4,3,2,1.# The Foreign Office unveiled a new recruit this week.
:17:35. > :17:41.Palmerston is a rescue cat, hired to catch mice.
:17:42. > :17:44.Seven candidates are vying to become the next Liberal Democrat hereditary
:17:45. > :17:48.peer in the latest House of Lords by election.
:17:49. > :17:54.It is a very select electorate, only three people can vote.
:17:55. > :17:57.An old London tube station uses a bunker by wartime PM
:17:58. > :18:01.Winston Churchill, is opening for tours next month.
:18:02. > :18:07.The station closed to passengers in 1932.
:18:08. > :18:11.There is a call to limit so-called Henry VIII clauses in bills.
:18:12. > :18:15.The former Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge wants these ancient measures
:18:16. > :18:20.to enable ministers to change laws without Parliamentary scrutiny.
:18:21. > :18:22.And campaigning in the EU referendum is officially underway.
:18:23. > :18:25.Vote Leave is leading the out campaign while the lead Remain
:18:26. > :18:41.campaign is Britain Stronger in Europe.
:18:42. > :18:43.Let's take you back fifty years to the early hours
:18:44. > :18:49.Voting in the general election ended a few hours earlier and the results
:18:50. > :18:53.It's shortly after 3am in the BBC's election night studio,
:18:54. > :19:02.I thought we could at that time take the opportunity to give
:19:03. > :19:05.you the whole long list of the 42 Labour gains that we
:19:06. > :19:11.There is an additional one, I gather on that list,
:19:12. > :19:14.that was mentioned before that Labour have gained Croydon in South
:19:15. > :19:21.That means that Sir Richard Thomas has lost a seat he has
:19:22. > :19:29.That is another gain to Labour and down in the south-east that
:19:30. > :19:37.gives us an opportunity to go across to David Holmes.
:19:38. > :19:40.I was going to give you a list of gains that we had
:19:41. > :19:50.The national gains of 42, we have had 17 with that one we just
:19:51. > :19:54.Part of the BBC's Live coverage from election night 1966..
:19:55. > :19:57.And with me is the victor of that Croydon South contest,
:19:58. > :20:03.And the only MP in the current House of Commons to have first
:20:04. > :20:08.Thank you very much for coming in to see us.
:20:09. > :20:11.I understand that is the first time you have seen that clip.
:20:12. > :20:16.Tell me what you do remember about that night, I understand
:20:17. > :20:18.there were a couple of recounts.
:20:19. > :20:23.Labour lost and perhaps it was along the lines when I could stand
:20:24. > :20:26.in the by-election not knowing that we would lose all by-elections
:20:27. > :20:36.My agent went through the piles at the end and he went
:20:37. > :20:39.through four Tory ones, just to see and lo and behold,
:20:40. > :20:48.100 votes that belonged to me as the Labour candidate.
:20:49. > :20:50.Then the Tory agent went through mine and at any moment
:20:51. > :20:58.I thought he would produce 100 Tory votes but he did not and I won.
:20:59. > :21:00.Dramatic and rather nerve-wracking for you.
:21:01. > :21:04.It was and of course, for my team and I owe a debt
:21:05. > :21:06.of gratitude to the voluntary agent who worked in the Pakistan High
:21:07. > :21:09.Commission and later opened a newsagent shop in Croydon
:21:10. > :21:18.So, you have been around politics for a long time,
:21:19. > :21:20.you have been in the House of Commons for
:21:21. > :21:30.Modern technology, we had correspondents
:21:31. > :21:35.at the time from constituents but nothing like today.
:21:36. > :21:43.Moreover, there was no secretarial support at all.
:21:44. > :21:45.If you did manage to find a part-time secretary,
:21:46. > :21:48.you could not afford a full-time one, it would come out
:21:49. > :21:54.I think you got one third off your income tax as a result.
:21:55. > :21:56.Office accommodation, what happened was I came
:21:57. > :21:59.to the Commons, as all MPs duly elected do, that is our main place
:22:00. > :22:02.of work and I had correspondents and I went up to a room
:22:03. > :22:11.which was to be occupied or had been occupied by some eight members,
:22:12. > :22:21.Labour members, and took a seat, which was vacant.
:22:22. > :22:27.Within a matter of three or four days, the Serjeant at Arms
:22:28. > :22:30.or the named Serjeant at Arms sent a note that said, would you please
:22:31. > :22:36.You have not been allocated it and I wrote back and said
:22:37. > :22:39.I would leave once you provide me with some accommodation so I can
:22:40. > :22:45.We mentioned that although you were elected in 1966 you have been
:22:46. > :22:47.in the Commons for just over 40 years.
:22:48. > :22:51.That is because you had some time out and that means you're not
:22:52. > :22:57.The father of the house is someone who has continuously been
:22:58. > :23:02.At the moment it is Gerald Kauffman because he signed
:23:03. > :23:06.If the other two had signed it first, he would not be
:23:07. > :23:14.I will not be the father, uncle or cousin of the house.
:23:15. > :23:20.I did not go there to be the father of the house.
:23:21. > :23:24.You stood in plenty of elections, do you still find them nerve-wracking?
:23:25. > :23:31.Elections, yes, because mine is a marginal.
:23:32. > :23:33.I do find it nerve-wracking, I would not wish to
:23:34. > :23:41.At least standing for re-election, even more so, one does not wish
:23:42. > :23:47.In the last two elections, they have been tied but the last
:23:48. > :23:53.election, 2015, I increased my majority over 2010 and here I am.
:23:54. > :23:55.You're one of the more senior members of the house,
:23:56. > :24:04.When I do make up my mind, I'm aware of my age and I am not
:24:05. > :24:06.a George Clooney lookalike, mind you I probably
:24:07. > :24:12.was not one in 1966, but when I do make up my mind,
:24:13. > :24:16.I think my constituency party will be the first to be told.
:24:17. > :24:18.For now, thank you very much indeed, David Winnick.
:24:19. > :24:25.Just how easy will it be to implement the sugar tax,
:24:26. > :24:28.the surprise measure unveiled in the Budget aimed at tackling
:24:29. > :24:31.obesity? The levy on sugary drinks will be imposed in two bands,
:24:32. > :24:34.a lower one for sugar content above 5 grams per 100 millilitres
:24:35. > :24:36.and a higher one for content with more than 8 grams
:24:37. > :24:45.When MPs had the chance to question a leading economist,
:24:46. > :24:49.one Conservative wondered how the tax would work in practice .....
:24:50. > :24:53.But if is going to work, I do not know if you know this
:24:54. > :24:57.If you have premixed alcoholic drinks, where the sugar
:24:58. > :25:00.in the alcohol is exempt but if it is put in a fizzy
:25:01. > :25:09.If you have a premixed glass of Pimms, which I believe
:25:10. > :25:12.you can get in little cans, where do you think the tax falls
:25:13. > :25:23.My understanding is that it will be applied to soft drinks and that
:25:24. > :25:31.Are we in the situation that if you mix your own gin and tonic,
:25:32. > :25:34.you pay tax on the tonic, but if you buy it premixed,
:25:35. > :25:40.Jacob Rees-Mogg with a glass half full kind of question!!
:25:41. > :25:42.And that's it for this edition of the programme,
:25:43. > :25:45.but do join Joanna Shinn on Monday night at 11 for another round up
:25:46. > :25:49.of the best of the day here at Westminster.