20/05/2016 The Week in Parliament

Hello, and welcome to The Week In Parliament.

When the Queen came to Westminster for the state opening,

revealing the new laws the government wants to make

My government will legislate in the interests of everyone in our

country. It will adopt a one nation approach.

But Labour disputes the government's claim it's supporting aspiration.

Still this government does not seem to understand that cuts have their

consequences. We are building a great Britain again with a Sound

economy, strong defences and better opportunity for all.

Elsewhere the Health Secretary holds out an olive branch to junior

doctors after reaching a deal in their long running dispute.

And, an Education minister says despite a recent court

ruling parents shouldn't take their children

There is no circumstance in which a trip to Disney World can be regarded

as educational. Her Majesty the Queen came

to Westminster on Wednesday to carry There were 21 bills

in what the Prime Minister called a One Nation Queen's Speech

from a One Nation government. Among the measures,

a Prison Reform Bill will give governors more independence

in the running of jails, and overhaul education

and training to cut offending. There's a Children

and Social Work Bill, favouring permanent adoption

for children, rather than long-term fostering or placing children

with distant relatives. An Education Bill designed to expand

Academy schools in poorly-performing But they won't be forced

to convert to academies, Then there's a Counter-Extremism

Bill, with new powers designed to protect children and other

vulnerable people from being And there's a Bill of Rights,

something many Conservatives have called for to give the UK Courts

supremacy in the way human Lastly a Modern Transport Bill,

paving the way for trials of driverless cars,

as well as for the building of a spaceport, where commercial

flights will be able to blast off, giving paying passengers

a taste of space travel. The day had begun in rather

more old fashioned way, with the traditional pageantry

of the State Opening. Parts of the annual ceremony date

back as far as the 14th century. Her Majesty was opening Parliament

for the 63rd time in her reign, accompanied as ever by the Duke

of Edinburgh, but also by the Prince of Wales

and the Duchess of Cornwall. As the Royal party made its way

to Westminster, in the House of Lords peers in their traditional

bright red robes had Then, the fanfare by the trumpets,

and the Queen, now wearing her robes of state and crown, moved

through the Royal Gallery The Queen and the Duke

of Edinburgh took their places And so Black Rod was sent to summons

MPs from the Commons Then the traditional slamming

of the Commons door in the face of Black Rod, a symbol

of the supremacy and Black Rod knocked three times

and was then let in. And there was the now traditional

heckle from veteran Labour Then that walk through from

the Commons to the Lords. Usually there's some chat

between the party leaders, but this year Jeremy Corbyn avoided

any small talk with David Cameron. And with MPs gathered

at the bar of the Lords, the Lord Chancellor,

Michael Gove, handed the Queen her copy of the Speech

to read, and the contents My Lords, and members of the House

of Commons... The Queen, giving the speech written

for her by the government and setting out the Bills ministers

plan to introduce. When the Commons reassembled

a couple of hours later, the Labour leader gave his response,

rounding on David Cameron's claim to be striving

for a more equal society. Still this government does not seem

to understand that cuts have their consequences. When you cut adult

social care it has an impact on NHS accident and emergency departments,

when you saddle young people with more debt you impede their ability

to buy a home or start a family. When you fail to build housing and

cap housing benefit then homelessness and the number of

families in temporary accommodation increases. When you/ the budgets of

local authorities then leisure centres close, libraries close,

children's Centres close. When you close fire stations and cut

firefighters jobs then response times increase and more people are

in danger of dying in fires. This austerity is a political choice, not

an economic necessity, and it is a wrong choice for our country and

made by a government with the wrong priorities.

Mr Corbyn spoke at length, going through the measures

in the speech, with Conservatives becoming increasingly restless

and noisy as Mr Corbyn refused to give way.

The Labour leader turned to the measures on prisons.

We will scrutinise carefully proposals to give prison governors

more freedom. It seems the policies of this government have been to give

greater freedoms to prisoners, that is the consequences of overcrowding

prisms and cutting one third of dedicated prison officer positions.

He moved onto the counter-extremism proposals.

We will, of course, support strong measures to give police and security

services the support they need and we will also support checks and

balances to ensure powers are used appropriately.

Mr Speaker, if anyone wants to deliver a more equal society, an

economy that works for everyone and a society where there is opportunity

for all, it takes an active government to do it, not the

driverless car, heading in the wrong direction, that we have in this

government at the present time. Then it was the turn

of the Prime Minister, who focused When I became Prime Minister some

social workers were refusing to place Black, mixed race or age and

children with white parents and I think that is profoundly wrong and

we change the law to prevent it and it was a rout of that change and

other things we have done adoption is up today by 72%. Believing in

opportunity means never writing anyone off Radford too long in our

country young offender institutions and prisons have not been working.

They give the public the security of knowing offenders are locked in but

they do not do enough to turn around the lives of people who will one day

be left out. While a Conservative intervened

to ask about the counter-extremism Budgets have been slashed by a third

at the same time prison populations are growing. Given that many

prisoners are incarcerated for offences linked to jog years, isn't

it time to review a policy that treats drug addict is only as

criminals rather than people who need our support. I really think we

need to get away from the idea that you any measure progress in public

services by the amount of money that is spent. The whole aim here is to

try and do more with less as we have done in so many parts of the public

sector. While a Conservative intervened

to ask about the counter-extremism Extremists are adept at grooming and

brainwashing our young people and does the Prime Minister agree we

should be bolder in offering great support and encouragement to the

brave Muslims in our communities that seeks to stand up and encourage

the intolerance and hatred that is exported by Daesh. My honourable

friend is absolutely right. If we give in to the idea that spokesman

who are extremist but non-violent can somehow represent their

communities we completely disempower the moderate voices who want us to

stand up for the liberal values we should champion in this house.

We are building homes again and we are creating jobs again with more

than 2 million people in work. We are investing in our NHS again with

more than 2000 more doctors than 10,000 more nurses on our wards in

2010. Mr Speaker, we are building a better Britain again with a sound

economy, strong defences and opportunities for all. These are the

actions of a progressive one nation Conservative government and I

commend this speech to the house. Well, it wasn't what was in

the Queen's Speech but what wasn't that seemed to exercise

many backbenchers. The SNP's leader at Westminster

began by noting that nearly all of the Bills set out

in the Speech only affected They relate to education, adoption

and reforms and democratic processes so when the Prime Minister talks

about this being a One Nation Queens speech we, on these benches, know

which nation he is speaking about. Mr Robertson then set out some

of the things that he would rather have heard and seen -

a Scotland Home Rule Bill, a replacement for the House

of Lords, tough new At the top of our list of what we

have proposed advance of this speech is a need for an emergency summer

Budget. Why? Because it would give the government an opportunity to put

an end to austerity. It could bring about an inclusive and a prosperous

economy for a modest investment in infrastructure and vital public

services. The proposals are detailed. It would be to boost

investment and to hold the austerity programme that has strangled

economic progress. And the Lib Dems had

a wish list too. An ambitious plan for housing that

actually builds homes that are genuinely affordable. Rather than

tinkering with Parliament, let's replace the other place with a fully

elected second chamber as was pointed out moments ago. Governments

do sometimes get tired and clapped out and run out of ideas, but it

usually takes 12 years and not 12 months. This programme is so sparse

and vacuous it is positively, positively Blairite.

One measure that was in the Speech, which many considered

This idea of a British bill of was the promise of a consultation

This idea of a British bill of rights has been knocking about the

lamp shade like a demented lob -- demented moth for some little while

and it may well be that if you have an arm painted head it can knock

itself around the lampshade for a good while longer. I really do think

it is a waste of intellectual and political energy for this, to mix my

metaphors, dead horse to be revived. Ditching the Human Rights Act would

be a comfort to despots and I think it should be resisted and this party

wants to do so. We're not talking about this country withdrawing from

the Convention of human rights or European human rights, we are

talking about this house serving as the final arbiter in terms of

decision making which will be this sovereign parliament. This sovereign

parliament cannot be overridden, especially when it comes to

decisions which are clearly and utterly opposed by the vast bulk of

the people of the United Kingdom right across the board.

In the Lords, peers started their debate

Labour's Leader reflected on the last session,

which saw 60 government defeats, and looked to the year ahead.

Port your lordship's has to do its job well it requires noble Lords to

use their expertise and knowledge and skills to work effectively and

cooperatively to scrutinise legislation often takes much time

and a lot of stamina. Can I thank all noble Lords who engage in many

hours of debate on bills and propose amendments and seek clarifications

and engaged to seek to improve legislation in a process that

governments should for the most part find valuable and helpful. We

respect, and we will continue to respect, those well established

conventions that have served this as well. I can pledge we will continue

to be a good and effective and a responsible opposition. We note in

the speech the primacy of the Commons. It is right, the primacy of

the Commons, but let us not confuse that with the issue which is the

importance of the legislature standing up to the executive and

holding the executive to account. This house improves legislation.

Every minister will agree but there bill is better for the scrutiny it

cheats here. Our scrutiny serves an important purpose. Yes, to hold the

government to account and to help give the public confidence in the

Lords parliament mix. Holding our role as a revising chamber is hugely

important to me, but if we want to be legitimate as an elected house we

need to be mindful of the limits of that role and I believe it must

always be the elected house that has the final stage -- say.

Well, debate on the Queen's Speech continues in both

On Thursday, having had 24 hours to absorb the speech,

the Shadow Leader of the Commons described it as truly awful.

I love a bit of dressing up just as much as any other defrocked vicar

- almost as much as you in fact, Mr Speaker - but I did think

yesterday was a case of all fur coat and knickerbockers.

Her Majesty announced that the Government would legislate

for driverless cars and spaceports, and arrived

Then she announced that the Government intends to tackle

poverty, to a roomful of barons and countesses dressed

And even the door handles on the Royal coach I understand

were decorated with 24 diamonds and 130 sapphires.

I thought yesterday was Britain at its finest.

Strong institutions, great tradition, things that make

this great city one of the finest if not the finest in the world,

a monarch we should be proud of, and a programme for Government

that is fulfilling the commitments we made

to the electorate last year - an election I would like to remind

What a few weeks we're going to have.

We're going to have to spend most of our time discussing this anaemic,

turgid stuff in the Queen's Speech, when all they want to do is to knock

lumps out of each other for the EU referendum.

A debate which, he argued, had turned increasingly nasty,

and relied on differing interpretations of European history.

Can we perhaps have a debate on World War II, and then it

would allow all the senior numbers on the Labour benches

and the Conservative benches to indulge their new passion

We could hear about all the dodgy histories, all the spurious

examples, and perhaps it would take minds off the raging civil wars

between the Labour Party and the Conservative Party

Mr Speaker, I'm really not sure this is the week

for the Scottish National Party to be talking about

I've read the news - there has to be something

Mr Speaker, as you'll remember me telling the House a few months ago,

the honourable member for the Western Isles wrote to me

about recess dates because he wanted to put the ram in with the ewes.

At that time, I thought he was talking about sheep!

Chris Grayling - poking a little fun at the SNP.

Now let's take a quick look at some of the other stories making

the news this week; here's Sam Francis with our countdown.

Ukip group leader in the Welsh Assembly, Neil Hamilton,

wasted no time in creating controversy in his new home.

During his first speech he described the two senior female AMs

as "political concubines in Carwyn Jones's harem."

Cue accusations of sexism, and this uncomfortable stare from

Tory backbencher Philip Lee made many an eye water with this joke.

Referring to the Prime Minister's history as a PR man,

the GP noted that: In a medical context, PR does not stand

for "public relations", but is shorthand for the type

of examination that involve putting on rubber gloves...

of examination that involves putting on rubber gloves...

applying gel, and asking a man to cough.

John Bercow announced he plans to be even stricter on speaking limits

in the House of Commons this session - almost immediately

after this statement, Mr Bercow was besieged by pleas

from Conservative MPs to intervene on the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn,

The scourge of long-winded politicians was slightly

overshadowed in the South African parliament, where a brawl broke

Punches, water bottles and even a hard hat were thrown when security

forcibly removed the Economic Freedom Fighters party.

It is the second brawl in the parliament this month.

The Lords Speaker announced that four peers are to leave the Lords

after not attending proceedings in the last year.

Turning to our Ermine-o-meter, at the start of the parliament

Since then, 61 new peers have joined the House of Lords,

taking our Ermine-o-meter to an off-the-scale 857.

But with 46 retirements and deaths, minus the four, we begin

the session with 803 members of the House of Lords.

Now back to the Commons, and away from the Queen's Speech,

the Health Secretary came to the Commons to tell MPs

that the doctors' union, the British Medical Association,

is to ballot its members on a deal over weekend working -

to end the long-running dispute over a new contract for junior

The agreement came after a series of strikes, which led to thousands

of appointments and operations being delayed and rescheduled.

A ten-day round of talks at the conciliation service Acas

Announcing the deal in the Commons, the Health Secretary

The agreement will facilitate the biggest changes to the junior

It will allow the Government to deliver a seven-day NHS,

improve patient safety, support much-needed

productivity improvements, as well as strengthening the morale

and quality of life of junior doctors, with a modern contract fit

He said the Government recognised safer care was more likely to come

from well motivated and rested doctors - so he announced a series

of changes to the work-life balance, which he hoped would improve morale

But whatever the progress made with today's landmark changes,

it will always be a matter of great regret that it was necessary to go

through such disruptive industrial action to get there.

We may welcome the destination, but no-one could have

So today I say to all junior doctors, whatever our disagreements

about the contract may have been, the Government has heard

and understood the wider frustrations that you feel

about the way you're valued and treated in the NHS.

But the opposition insisted strikes could have been avoided.

I am pleased and relieved that an agreement has been reached,

but I am sad that it took an all-out strike of junior doctors to get

What is now clear, if it wasn't already, is that a negotiated

So I have to ask the Health Secretary, why couldn't this deal

It was a "Computer says no" attitude, and that is no

But what she didn't dwell on was why it needed to be changed

in the first place - namely the flawed contract for

And we have many disagreements with the BMA, but one

thing we agree on - Labour's contract was not

We actually don't have enough junior doctors,

and we don't have enough junior doctors in the most

So I would ask, how is the Secretary of State planning

to re-establish a relationship, how is he going to recruit

fear of junior doctors - a lack of doctors simply

Does the Secretary of State realise that even if this

dispute is now settled, which we hope it will be,

there's been a really serious impact on goodwill in the health service

which could affect service delivery going forward.

A lot of this has been caused by political shenanigans

which should not have been allowed to get to this stage,

and the failure of this is that junior doctors themselves have

lost prestige throughout the United Kingdom,

because they were used as political pawns by two organisations.

Also on Thursday, an education minister repeated his determination

to stop parents taking their children on holiday

during term time, despite a High Court ruling.

A father who refused to pay a ?120 fine for taking his daughter

on holiday to Florida during term won a High Court

It was ruled last week that Jon Platt had no case to answer, as,

overall, his daughter had attended school regularly.

A Conservative MP asked the minister to come to the Commons and set out

The rules must and should apply to everyone, this

When parents with the income available to take their children out

of school go to Florida, it sends a message to everyone that

The Government understands, though, the fact that many school

holidays being taken at roughly the same time does lead to a hike

in prices - but that's precisely the reason we've given schools

the power to set their own term dates in a way that

works for their parents and their local communities.

There is nothing stopping schools from clubbing together

and collectively changing or extending the dates

of their summer holidays, or doing so as part of a multi-academy trust;

in fact this Government would encourage them to do so.

But the MP who asked the question wasn't satisfied.

There is nothing socially mobile for a family,

if your parents lose their job or have their hours cut

because of the downturn in the tourist industry and the way

And I would also put the Minister, that is it not

the case that only 8% of school absenteeism is as a result of family

holidays, and when you actually look at the attainment of those children,

I do not believe that we should be returning to the Dickensian world

where the needs of industry and commerce take precedence over

I doubt, Mr Speaker, that the Cornish tourist industry

will be best pleased by my honourable friend's assertion

that tourism in Cornwall is dependent on parenting

that tourism in Cornwall is dependent on truanting

The Shadow Education Minister called on the government to "get a grip".

This problem is of the Government's own making.

Changing the guidance to head teachers back in 2013,

they should have done a full impact assessment much earlier,

Taking children out of school to come to the mother

of all parliaments and to learn about our democracy is one thing,

but taking them to Orlando, Florida is another.

A Labour MP thought the fundamental problem was that school summer

holidays were squeezed into a six-week period

I have constituents with great pressure from the Muslim community,

especially from Pakistan, to take their children out,

and they are the very children who have been suffering.

So I'm on the side of being tough, but let's look at this in a more

Nick Gibb said MPs should be helping to coordinate schools

Well, time for us to take a break now, but Joanna Shinn will be

here on Monday with a round-up of the day at Westminster -

including the continuing debate on the Queen's Speech.

But until then, from me, Alicia McCarthy, goodbye.