16/12/2016 The Week in Parliament

Hello and welcome to the Week In Parliament.

On this programme:

Council tax bills will be going up to boost

funding for social care.

But opposition parties say it's the wrong way to tackle the problem.

This is an unfair way to raise additional money,

which will increase inequalities between rich and poor areas.

The crisis in Syria.

Was it a mistake for the Commons to reject taking military action

against President Assad three years ago?

I think we are deceiving ourselves in this Parliament if we believe

that we have no responsibility for what has happened in Syria.

And the Labour former Cabinet Minister Peter Mandelson

weighs into the Brexit debate with a warning.

You are risking a very severe deterioration in the UK

business environment.

But first, the Government has been facing pressure over social care

for older and disabled people.

At Prime Minister's Questions, the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn

dedicated five of his six questions to social care funding.

The crisis affects individuals, it affects families and it affects

the National Health Service, so why doesn't she do

something really bold?

Cancel the corporation tax cut and put the money

into social care instead.

This social care crisis forces people to give up work to care

for loved ones because there isn't a system to do it.

It makes people stay in hospital longer than they should and leads

people into a horrible, isolated life when they should be

cared for by all of us through a properly funded

social care system.

Get a grip and fund it properly, please!

When he talks about governments ducking social care,

let's look at those 13 years of Labour in government.

They said in 1997, they said they would sort

it in their manifesto.

They had a royal commission in 1999, a green paper in 2005,

the Wanless Report in 2006.

In 2007 in the CSR, they said they would sort it.

In 2009, they had another green paper.

13 years, and no action whatsoever.

Well, the next day, the Government revealed what action

it was going to take on funding the social care system in England.

The Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid announced measures amounting

to an extra ?900 million over the next two years.

The plan is to let local authorities bring forward

rises in council tax -

what's called the social care precept.

And money cut from a housing scheme will also be

channelled into social care.

Today I can confirm that savings from the reforms to the new homes

bonus will be retained in full by local government to contribute

towards adult social care costs.

I can tell the House that we will use these funds

to provide a new dedicated ?240 million adult social care

support grant in 2017-18, to be distributed fairly according

to relative need.

Last year, the Government announced that councils would fund social care

via a precept of 2% a year.

In recognition of the immediate challenges that are facing the care

market, we will now allow local councils to raise this funding

sooner if they wish.

Councils will be granted the flexibility to raise the precept

by up to 3% next year and the year after.

This will provide a further ?208 million to spend on adult

social care in 2017-18 and ?444 million in 2018-19.

I ask gently of the Secretary of State, is this really the best

time to be choosing to cut corporation tax on Amazon,

Sports Direct and the big banks?

Since the Prime Minister came to office, there has been much talk

of help for those who are only just about managing their finances.

That seems to have gone out of the window today.

This is surely a truly feeble response to a national crisis,

and the LGA would be entitled to reject this proposal and put

the ball firmly back in the Government's

court to think again.

This is an unfair way to raise additional money,

which will increase inequalities between rich and poor areas.

Now, the crisis in Syria prompted an emergency debate

in the Commons on Tuesday.

There were some powerful speeches as MPs pleaded with ministers to get

aid to civilians and to stand up to President Assad and Russia.

In his first speech as a backbencher in 13 years, George Osborne harked

back to a Commons vote in 2013, when MPs rejected David Cameron's

plans to take part in airstrikes against President Assad's forces.

I think we are deceiving ourselves in this Parliament if we believe

that we have no responsibility for what has happened in Syria.

The tragedy in Aleppo did not come out of a vacuum,

it was created by a vacuum, a vacuum of Western leadership,

of American leadership, British leadership.

I take responsibility as someone who sat on the national Security Council

throughout those years.

Parliament should take its responsibility because of what it

prevented being done.

Meanwhile, a Labour MP warned about the activities of Russia.

I don't think we have even begun to wake up to what Russia is doing

when it comes to cyber warfare, not only their interference,

now proven in the American presidential campain,

probably in our own

referendum, we don't have the evidence, but I think

it is highly probable.

Certainly in the French election, they will be involved,

and there are already concerns that they have been interfering

in the German elections coming up.

We have got to wake up to this.

Ben Bradshaw there.

Now, turning to domestic affairs, let's take a look back

at the challenges facing politicians in Holyrood and Cardiff Bay.

The Scottish Government has gained new powers over income tax.

So there was a lot of interest in the Scottish Budget on Thursday -

unveiled by the Finance Secretary, Derek Mackay.

We cannot accept, at this time of austerity, top earners benefiting

benefiting from an inflation-busting tax cut.

So I will limit the increase in the higher rate threshold

to inflation, and not give a substantial real terms tax-cut

to the top 10% of income earners.

And plans to give more powers to the Welsh Assembly were discussed

in the House of Lords on Wednesday.

But the former lord chief justice Lord Judge warned

that the UK Government would still have the power

to overturn laws made in Wales.

We have been discussing this legislation.

It can be wiped out, any part of it, primary,

secondary, tertiary, whatever it may be, it can be wiped

out by a minister without any consultation with anyone

at the National Assembly of Wales.

Here to explain the challenges facing politicians in Scotland

and Wales are our Wales correspondent and our

Scotland correspondent.

David, starting with Scotland, it's the first budget

in which Scotland has been allowed to set income tax.

What have they done with these new powers?

They've looked at them and said, we will fine-tune them.

They are essentially sticking to what the UK Government is doing.

The basic rate of tax will remain at 20%,

but as we heard in that clip,

when you start paying higher rate tax, they are putting the threshold

up by inflation and no more.

So if you are a higher rate taxpayer in Scotland,

you will start paying the higher rate tax a bit earlier

than you would be in England.

These powers come into effect in April next year, so from then,

in very crude terms, the Scottish parliament will have

far more responsibility and more power over the money it spends.

There has been a lot of pressure from opposition

parties over this budget.

Now we know what is in it, how are they reacting?

As you would expect, the Conservatives, who are now

the principal opposition party at Holyrood, said this

is a tax-raising budget, meaning that people in Scotland,

if you follow the Conservative argument, will pay more tax

than people in the rest of the UK.

Labour have decided to go on the offensive.

They would have liked a higher top rate of tax.

They would like to have seen a 50% tax rate for the highest

earners in Scotland.

And the Liberal Democrats are saying there is a sleight

of hand in all this.

When you look away from the income tax announcements, money

is being taken away from local authorities in Scotland.

Turning to Wales, the Welsh assembly has shut up shop,

but the House of Lords has been discussing the Wales Bill.

Could you explain to us the main points in the Wales Bill?

This is devolving more powers to the Welsh assembly,

mainly on things like energy, transport, the way elections

are run in Wales, even the name of the assembly.

It is also removing the need for a referendum before

devolving income tax, so Wales will, if this is passed,

have powers over a certain amount of income tax,

as in Scotland.

It is also moving to a reserved model of powers, which is something

Scotland already has, which is meant to make it simpler

to understand so that you presume everything is devolved other

than what is listed.

However, there are concerns that it's a little overcomplicated.

There have been a lot of critical comments about it

in the House of Lords and elsewhere.

What are the key criticisms?

Mainly on the reserve powers.

The list is extensive of the amount of exceptions.

They say it's too complex and will lead to wrangling

in the courts, exactly the thing that it is meant to avoid.

There are also concerns that the UK Government has a veto over certain

powers in Wales and could stop things happening in Wales.

All this is against the backdrop of Brexit.

In Scotland, how has that changed the political atmosphere?

You're right, everything is seen through the prism of Brexit,

be it in Cardiff, Edinburgh or Belfast or of course

here at Westminster.

Within hours of the Brexit result coming through,

Nicola Sturgeon was saying it was highly likely

that there would be a second independence referendum.

Slight rowing back on that now, but the constitutional question

in Scotland is now very much alive, and it is all tied in with Brexit.

Depending on how the Brexit negotiations go,

whether they are easy or hard, whether Scotland feels

it is properly represented, we have to remember that

although the UK as a whole voted to leave the European Union,

Scotland, by quite a large majority, voted to remain.

And in Wales, how has Brexit affected political

discussions there?

It has really dominated discussions in the Welsh assembly,

although it is very different to Scotland.

Wales voted to leave.

However, the majority of assembly members actively campaigned to stay.

So they're slightly out of step with the national mood in Wales.

But they are very keen to make sure that Wales has a voice,

that the specific concerns of Wales are heard and are listened

to in these negotiations, because Wales has received

an enormous amount of regional funding from Europe.

Last question on the future.

2016, no one could have predicted what has gone on.

Could I ask you to share any thoughts on 2017

and how things are going to go?

Very simply, Brexit will still be important.

It will dominate the relations between Holyrood and Westminster

and between the Scottish Government and the UK Government.

We also have local authority elections in Scotland in 2017,

where the SNP could do very well.

It could take local authorities from Labour in Scotland,

which will mean that the SNP is in control of Holyrood

and a lot of the large city councils as well.

That is a double-edged sword.

It means the SNP will have the power, but also,

if things go wrong at a local level or there are controversies

at a local level about spending and things like that,

it will be SNP councillors perhaps criticising the SNP

government in Scotland.

And similar for Wales?

Yeah, it will be Brexit-tastic for everyone in Wales next year!

In the same way, we also have local elections and it will be

interesting to see how Ukip do, seeing as Ukip now have the power

base in the Welsh assembly.

Can they build on that in local elections following the vote

to leave, or where does that leave them now that we are leaving

the European Union?

Thank you both very much.

Theresa May has been attending a summit of European Union

leaders in Brussels.

She wasn't present at an informal dinner to discuss Brexit

but during official talks, she said she wanted an early deal

on the status of EU citizens in the UK and British citizens

living in other EU countries.

It follows another week of twists and turns in the Brexit debate.

Mrs May has said she intends to trigger Article 50 in March leading

to a two-year exit procedure.

But on Monday, the Chancellor Philip Hammond suggested -

in a session with the Treasury Committee - that there might be

a drawn-out transition period.

There is, I think, an emerging view among businesses, among regulate as,

and among thoughtful politicians, as well as quite a universal view

among civil servants on both sides of the English Channel that having

a longer period to manage the adjustment between where

we are now, still members of the European Union,

and where we get to in the future as a result of the negotiations

that we will be conducting would be generally helpful,

would tend towards the smoother transition, and would run

less risk of disruption, including crucially risks

to financial stability.

Two days later, the Brexit Secretary David Davis had his first session

with the committee set up to examine the UK's exit from the EU.

The committee chairman, Hilary Benn, wondered what he had made

of the Chancellor's remarks about transitions and

thoughtful politicians.

Now, the Chancellor said on Monday there is an emerging view among

business regulators and thoughtful politicians that it would be

generally helpful to have a longer period to manage the adjustment

as we leave the European Union.

Can we classify you, the Secretary of State

as a thoughtful politician when it comes to transitional arrangements?

Well, I'm not sure about the second qualification.

I hope you can classify me as a thoughtful politician.

In that context, let me be clear about where I think we are going.

Firstly, as the Prime Minister said a number of times,

and as I have said a number of times, what we're up

after is a smooth and orderly exit.

That is the overarching aim.

People get frustrated with us for sticking to the overarching aim.

But that is what we are trying to do, that is the purpose

of at least part of the tactic and strategy of it.

And within that box, we want to get the maximum market

access for British companies with the minimum of disruption.

And, so, we will do what is necessary.

What if all of those things cannot be negotiated within the,

it could be 18 months, depending on what view

he is taking.

He has said 18 months.

I think that it is all negotiable in that time.

I mean, that is the sort of core of this, really.

We have got a lot to do but that is one of the reasons...

You may have thought perhaps my opening answer was not

that helpful but it is one of the reasons that we are

taking our time to get prepared on all fronts.

The Article 50 process was written to allow departure

of the European Union.

That is its purpose.

And, plainly, the architects of it and the authors of it thought

it was time enough to do the job.

The Brexit story moved swiftly on again on Thursday

when Sir Ivan Rogers - the UK's ambassador to the EU -

was reported as saying that the European consensus is that

a Brexit deal might not be reached for another ten years.

The Labour former Cabinet Minister, Peter - now Lord -

Mandelson happened to be giving evidence to a Commons

committee that day.

He was asked about the possible risks of Brexit.

You are risking a very severe deterioration in the UK

business environment.

This deterioration is not going to happen straightaway.

That was the mistaken impression that you were

given in the referendum.

It will be a gradual, inexorable, worsening of the conditions

It will be a gradual, inexorable, worsening of the conditions

for business in the UK.

And that is why those who say it all seems to be going OK so far

are completely missing the point. It hasn't even kicked off yet.

You will be well aware, I'm sure, that Ivan Rogers,

the British ambassador to the EU, in a leaked memo today,

has been revealed as saying that a trade deal will take ten years

to negotiate after Brexit.

Can I ask what your gut reaction to that kind of revelation is?

Lord Mandelson said that sort of timetable was "realistic"

if the government wanted a bespoke trade deal with the EU.

While an agreement on the exit terms will come earlier because this

negotiation will come first, and can be a proved by a majority

of the EU's member states, the separate, quite separate

negotiations on what trade arrangement replaces our membership

of the EU will be harder, it will be longer, and it

will require the approval of all member states

and their parliaments, not just a majority.

Lord Mandelson, giving his views on Brexit.

Now, time for a roundup of some other stories from Parliament.

Nigel Owens - a top rugby referee - spoke to the Culture Committee

about tackling homophobia in sport.

He said that before coming out as gay, he had

experienced suicidal feelings.

I had to accept my sexuality first of all, and it took me an overdose

and a few days in intensive care and only just coming back to life

until I accepted that.

There were people to help me through this and tell me things

will be OK and I can look back now and say yes, they were right,

things will be OK in the end, but at the time, a lot

of it was to do with dealing with myself, and you are quite right

in what you say there.

We have to do more we can to make the environment

safer for these people, the matter what age they are.

It was the last Prime Minister's Questions of 2016.

It started on a jovial note - with a few jokes at the expense

of the Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson.

In the light of the Foreign Secretary's this play of chronic

foot in mouth disease, when deciding on Cabinet positions,

does the Prime Minister now regret that pencilling FO against his name

should have been an instruction, not a job offer?

LAUGHTER.

Mr...

Order!

There is far too much noise in the chamber,

we have heard the question, but I want to hear

the Prime Minister's answer. Prime Minister.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

I have to say that the Foreign Secretary is doing

an absolutely excellent job.

He is, in short, an FFS, a fine Foreign Secretary.

And now for a quick rundown of some other interesting nuggets of news

from in and around Westminster.

Here's Richard Morris with our countdown.

Sleaford by-election winner Caroline Johnson arrived

in the Commons this week as the 455th woman ever to have

been elected as an MP.

That total now finally equals the number of male MPs

in the front parliament.

Ministers faced three urgent questions on Monday as MPs

asked about social care, the Fox bid for Sky,

and the conflict in Yemen.

The last time so many urgent questions were asked

was in March of 2015.

Tory MP Peter Bone got into a bit of trouble on Thursday

for an unusual choice of headwear for asking a question

in the Commons.

The hat was made by a local charity but one glance at the Speaker,

and it was promptly removed.

Margaret Thatcher has topped the Woman's Hour

Power List on Radio 4.

The list was compiled of women who have made a difference

to real women's lives.

Also featured was Barbara Castle.

And season's greetings, let's take a look at some

of the festive cards from party leaders this year.

Merry Christmas.

Richard Morris.

Now, as many of us sit down to Christmas leftovers

on Boxing Day, spare a thought for the shop assistants

who are back at work for the first day of the sales.

A public petition has called for shops to be

closed on Boxing Days.

The Government has said it's not for ministers to tell retailers how

to run their businesses.

But the Labour MP, Helen Jones, recalled a time when the sales

didn't start until January.

Now, I confess that we are bit long in the tooth, I can remember

when Boxing Day closure was the norm.

It was a bank holiday.

Nobody thought of doing anything else.

Certainly, all big stores would close.

And people stayed at home with their families.

In fact, I'm old enough to remember that when the New Year sales

actually began in the New Year.

After the 1st of January. So, people stayed at home.

If they wanted to go to the sales, they went later on.

And here is the thing. Nobody starved to death.

The world did not run out of cheap televisions.

Nor did the country run out of supplies of winter coats and boots.

So, I confess when I first realised that people

were shopping on Boxing Day, I would look at people

going into the supermarket, I would look at the queues,

and I would enter myself, for heaven's sake, get a life.

However, I have moved from indifference to anger.

And I have done so because all of the evidence shows that

poorly paid retail workers are being exploited to fuel

a national obsession, a debt fuelled shopping binge that

in the end does know one any real good.

Now, it's six months since the Labour MP Jo Cox

was murdered in her constituency in West Yorkshire.

She is still very much on the minds of MPs.

As a tribute to Jo Cox, the parliamentary rock band, MP4 -

along with several pop stars - have released a single.

It's a cover of the Rolling Stones song,

You Can't Always Get What You Want.

Proceeds from the downloads will go to the Jo Cox Foundation.

MPs remembered their colleague at Prime Minister's Questions.

Sadly, Mr Speaker, our late colleague Jo Cox will not be

celebrating Christmas this year with her family.

She was murdered and taken from us.

So, I hope the Prime Minister, as I'm sure she will,

join me in encouraging people to download the song,

which many members helped to create, as a tribute to Jo's life and work

and in everlasting memory of her.

The right honourable gentleman is absolutely right

to raise this issue.

I'm sure everybody in this House will send a clear message,

download this signal, single for the Jo Cox Foundation.

It is a very important cause.

And we all recognise that Jo Cox was a fine member of this House

and would have carried on contributing significantly

to this House and this come true, had she not been brutally murdered.

It is right, I think, that the Chancellor is waving

the VAT on this single, I think everybody involved in it has

gave their services for free, I'm having a photograph with MP4

later this afternoon.

Pete Wishart is a member of MP4.

And...

And once again, once again, let's just encourage everybody

to download this single.

Well, that's it from me for now.

Keith Macdougall will be with you on Monday night at 11

for another round up of the day here at Westminster.

Until then, from me, Kristiina Cooper, goodbye.

Questions

Questions to

Questions to the

Questions to the Prime

Questions to the Prime Minister.

This morning, I had meetings with ministerial colleagues

and others in addition

to my duties in this House.

I shall have further such

meetings later today.

Mr Speaker, can I take the opportunity to wish you