20/01/2017 The Week in Parliament

Hello and Welcome to the Week In Parliament.

Coming up, after the Prime Minister's big Brexit speech

the Labour leader challenges Theresa May on her EU exit plan.

Can I urge her to stop her threat of a bargain basement Brexit. I

consider the issue, I set out my plan and I stick to it. It's called

leadership. He should try it some time.

With the Supreme Court due to rule on whether MPs and Peers should

have a say in triggering our formal exit from the EU, we talk

to a Brexiteer and a Remainer about Parliament and Brexit laws.

And, there's no decision yet on whether to move everyone out

of the Palace of Westminster which needs essential repairs.

The Chairman of the Treasury Committee tells us why he's decided

The big question is whether we need to spend ?3.5 to ?4 billion and

pretty quickly. But first, there'd been mutterings

in the Commons on Tuesday after Theresa May decided

to make her big Brexit speech not in the Chamber

but to an outside audience. So Prime Minister's Questions

was the first chance for MPs to grille her directly

on her 12-point plan. In her speech, Theresa May made

clear that the UK would not stay in the single market,

that MPs and peers would get a vote on the final exit deal and insisted

no deal was better than a bad The Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn

began with a swipe at the Prime Minister for not setting

out her plans in Parliament. Restoring Parliamentary democracy

whilst sidelining Parliament. Not so... Mr Speaker, it's not so much

the Iron Lady as the irony lady. Yesterday, Mr Speaker, the Prime

Minister finally provided some detail. Request I urge her -- can I

urge her to stop her threat of a bargain basement Brexit. Low pay tax

hive none Europe won't necessarily damage the EU but it will certainly

damage this country. Businesses, jobs and public service. She demeans

herself and her office and our country's standing by making these

kind of threats. Well, I set out yesterday a plan for

a global Britain, bringing prosperity to this country and jobs

to people and spreading economic growth across the country. But

actually yesterday, we also learnt a little more of the Right Honourable

gentleman's thinking on this issue. What he said was the following: She

has said that leave the single market, then at same time says she

wants to have access to the single market. I'm not quite sure how

that's going to go down in Europe. I think we have to have a deal that

ensures we have access to the market.

I've got a plan. He doesn't have a clue.

Jeremy Corbyn said Theresa May had talked about the pressure migration

put on public services but tens of thousands of EU citizens worked

Instead of threatening to turn Britain into an off shore tax haven,

let's look after those who fund our Public Services properly so that we

do have the fully functioning NHS that we all need and deserve.

Theresa May accepted, said there were difference

between her approach and Jeremy Corbyn's.

I set out my plan and stuck to it. It's called leadership. He should

try it some time. at Westminster, Angus Robertson,

said Theresa May's plans for leaving the European Union would lead

to job losses in Scotland. The forecast for people's income is

that it's likely to drop by ?2,000 and that... Mr Speaker, that 80,000

people may lose their jobs in Scotland as a result of the hard

Tory Brexit plan off the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister

believe that this is a price worth paying for her Little Britain

Brexit? The Right Honourable gentleman, once

again, talks about the possibility of negative impacts on Scotland if

Scotland were not part of the single market. His party is dedicated to

taking Scotland out of the single market by taking it out of the

United Kingdom. It was quite clear from the Prime Minister's speech

yesterday that she seeks to build a Brexit consensus and to bring our

country back together and I thank her for that. To that end and indeed

to strengthen the Prime Minister's negotiating hand before article 50

is triggered, would she please consider at least publishing all

those 12 objectives in a White Paper so that we can debate them here in

this place behalf of all our constituents?

Well, my right honourable friend is right, I absolutely understand the

point that she raised about Parliament's desire to be able to

debate the objectives which I set out very clearly in the plan that I

set out yesterday. One of the objectives, one of the principles I

set was about certainty and clarity and it continues to be the

Government's intention that we will provide clarity whenever it's

possible and we will ensure that at appropriate times, both the public

and Parliament are kept informed and are able to consider and properly

scrutinise the issues. Theresa May and Anna Soubry

on Parliament and Brexit. And the role of MPs and Peers

will be in the spotlight The Supreme Court is due to rule

on Tuesday on whether or not the Government will have to put

a Bill through Parliament triggering Article 50,

beginning the formal start While in the spring ministers

are due to put forward the Great Repeal Bill incorporating

EU laws into UK legislation. In both cases there have already

been suggestions that peers, particularly the pro-EU Lib Dems

could seek to put down amendments making the whole complicated process

that bit more tricky. So to discuss what MPs and Peers

could and should be doing I spoke to Conservative MP Sir Bill Cash

and Lib Dem former MEP I began by asking her if Peers

were going to cause trouble I wouldn't call it trouble if the

Lords does its proper job of scrutinising legislation. After all

if take back control, it meant Parliamentary sovereignty. This is

triggering Brexit so how can you object? I think it's perfectly

within her view of the Lord's to scrutinise very carefully what the

Government's plans and negotiating objectives are and the Prime

Minister spelled out 12 points, and to put them through the normal kind

of scrutiny. If it's a Bill, legislation, then we have every

right to pin the Government down on what exactly its plans are. Sir Bill

cache, any article 50 Bill, let's call it that, will have to go

through the Commons too. What do you think will happen there -- Sir Bill

Cash? The indications are clear what the Commons will put it through. No

doubt about that. We have had lots of indications from the Labour Party

and other Members of Parliament on the other side of the House. I think

it will go through the House of Commons. As to the House of Lords, I

think it's, as you indicated at the beginning, pretty inKong ruous and

pretty disgraceful I would say, so suggest that when you have a

sovereign Act of Parliament that's decided on the referendum itself, an

Act of Parliament passed by 6-1 in the House of Commons and passed by

the House of Lords to have a referendum on simple questions you

want to remain in or leave and then to start quibbling about the manner

in which that would be done, subject only to the question of whether the

Supreme Court actually makes a decision, which in itself is not -

because we already had a vote on article 50 - is not going to alter

the voting in the House of Commons which is the elected chamber. Let's

assume the article 50 Bill goes through. The next thing we'll

probably get would be the great repeal act as it's being called, due

to come up in the Queen's speech. There are suggestions that the

Lord's might try to block this too because this would be the

legislation that puts all EU laws into our laws so it can be amended?

The Lord's has traditionally objected to Henry VIII classes

whereby the Government aboutry Kates to itself a great deal of the

decision-making. I mean, it's going to be the most enormous exercise,

but again, the Lords will be subjecting it to close analysis and

not just writing blank cheques to the Government. Bill Cash, doesn't

Sarah have a basic point here, the Government's going to have to change

a lot of rules and regulations that will be done by ministers, secondary

legislation - isn't that giving the Government an awful lot of power,

isn't she right that the Lord's should scrutinise it? I drafted the

Repeal Bill in May because I had a feeling we were going to get the

right result and I drafted it based on five principles which were that

we'd withdraw, repeal the European communities act, transpose the

legislation now in Europe into UK Westminster jurisdiction so that it

would be UK law and that we would effectively deal with the treaties

at the same time. Now, the bottom line is, that will be redrafted, I'm

sure, by Parliamentary council, so the question of the scope of the

Bill is something which also applies to the article 50 Bill. I think it

will be drafted too tightly because the principle has been established

by the outcome of the referendum which is terribly simple which is,

do you want to remain in or do you want to leave. Sarah, you've

obviously got reservations, you have got things about this you want to

change but many watching will say look, the majority of the British

public voted for Brexit and with the best will in the world, nobody voted

for you? That is absolutely right. We are very conscious of the

conventions and the constraints on the role of the Lord's and of

course, the main constitutional role is for the House of Commons which is

why we are saying, the ultimate sovereignty lies with the people.

They must decide whether they accept the outcome of these negotiations or

whether they want to choose to remain in the EU. The answer is

implicit in what Sarah's just said. The answer lies in the decision of

the referendum, do you want to remain in or to leave. That was the

sovereign decision of the people, that's what we stick to as the

direction, as the remainers themselves have accepted, let alone

respected, that this is the outcome and that has to be implemented, it

will be implemented and it's been agreed there will be a final vote in

the House of Commons and in the House of Lords on the outcome of the

treaty. The bottom line is that therefore the discussions that take

place which she's asking for will take place, but at the same time,

the outcome of that will be put to a vote in Parliament and so you get

both. You get the sovereign decision of the people in the referendum

which has taken place and the vote of Parliament at the end. I don't

think any reasonable democratic person could argue otherwise but

then, if I may say with respect, Sarah, as you were just asked, you

are not exactly in the best position, you got 110 appointed

peers in the House of Lords following your line. You have over

more, double that. And keep appointing many more, your party.

With which is the problem. The real... No, you have to let Bill

Cash finish. The will of the people, as expressed in the referendum

itself demonstrates point one and point two, that that referendum

itself, a sovereign act was passed by 6-1 of the House of Commons who

are elected. That is the bottom line and I don't think it's up to the

House of Lords or indeed for that small part of the unelected body

which represents the Liberal Democrats to stand in the way of the

will of the British people. We can talk about this a lot longer

but we're out of time. Sarah Ludford and back -- Bill Cash, thank you.

Now, let's take a look at some more news from around

A bill which aims to speed up house building in England

with neighbourhood plans received a mixed welcome in

Many peers liked the idea of consultation with local

people about how best to develop their area.

But others warned of a top down system.

The minister said home ownership was becoming harder.

Millions of young people live with their parents until in their 30s or

struggling to save for a deposit while they rent. Too many cannot

afford a roof over their head at all. This is a profound social

failure. In spite of the general consensus about the urgent need for

new homes, there is always that tendency within every group, even

MPs in the debates, to say yes but. We must make an exception for this

valley, this village, etc. I do hope we don't have an outbreak of yes but

and I hope that every amendment will be looked at in terms of Will this

reduce or increase the number of homes available to the younger

today. The Northern Ireland Secretary James

Brokenshire says he hopes campaigning for Assembly elections

does not "exacerbate Northern Ireland is going

to the polls on March the second following the collapse

of the Executive in Belfast. The Deputy First Minister

Martin McGuinness resigned - in protest at the handling

of a renewable energy scheme. His decision meant

the First Minister - the Democratic Unionists Arlene

Foster - was also out of a job - bringing the Northern Ireland

Executive to a halt. This election is about the future of

Northern Ireland and its political institutions. Not just the assembly

but all the arrangements that have been put in place to reflect

relationships through these islands. That is why it will be vital that

the campaign to be conducted respectfully and in ways that do not

simply exacerbate tensions and division.

Around eight million tonnes of food is wasted each year in the UK.

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

is investigating and heard from the big supermarkets.

A Conservative questioned the policy on selling misshapen fruit and veg.

I just wondered why you bought these vegetables were less than perfect.

They are perfect, they are just a different shape. I wonder if you are

contributing to the problem as referring them to buy products,

wouldn't it be better to sell them as they are? Why don't you do that?

I think it helps our customers to work out what they are buying

in-store. Soap for example, if you were to buy onions from our wonky

range, they may be more dirty, the sizes may be different. If the

customer isn't aware they are buying something different from what they

ordinarily would buy, typically they will come back and question what we

are selling them. What we are trying to do is speak clear about what it

is they buying and providing the choice.

MPs have been told that staffing is the biggest problem facing

The Health Committee heard that enough midwives

are being trained but they are not necessarily being employed.

The committee's hearing followed a report from

the National Childbirth Trust which blamed a shortage of midwives

for women feeling like they had been treated "like cattle".

The number has been granted of 2600 of the gap, if that figure you

would... Our current figure is we are 3500 full-time with white short.

There are various issues. We are seeing a rapidly increasing number

of midwives retiring from the service so the number of midwives

now over 50 is very significant so there is a need to replace, as

midwives to leave and the number going out is now pretty much

equating to the number coming in so you are getting flat-lining of the

workforce. As Donald Trump prepared to take

over as US President, a Conservative peer lambasted his predecessor

Barack Obama as "the most "useless American

president in my lifetime". Lord Blencathra was taking part

in a debate on the rise of populism He made clear he'd be pleased to see

the end of the Obama era. Tomorrow we will be rid of the most

useless American president I have ever seen in my entire lifetime

whose only legacy is rhetoric. He has withdrawn America from the world

stage and left a disastrous back Hume which has been filled by Putin

and China. -- he laid down laws in Syria did nothing to enforce them

they were reached. She turned up line guide to Russian hacking for

seven years and nine months but suddenly became conservator when

Hillary lost the election. But never mind, he has his face in history,

the next time I visit the US, I will be able to use transgender toilets.

His world view was challenged by a former Liberal Democrat leader

who argued it was time for politicians to abandon

Spare a thought for the lost tribes of Labour and the Tory party. What

you do these days if you are part of that great Tory tradition of

internationalism and now find yourself in a party that has

completely abandoned it? What do you do if you are a Labour member of

Parliament who believes in the free market not as our master but as our

servant and finds your party has expository reject it? It is

extraordinary how much politics has spun away to the extreme and this is

the time for us to get out of our tribes and start working together to

ensure we can help build that moderate, liberal consensus in which

I believe the only chance lies for altering the very dangerous

trajectory of our country. Back in the Commons, an MP raised

concerns about human rights abuses in Myanmar,

also known as Burma. Thousands of Rohingya Muslims

are said to have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh

amid allegations that the Burmese army has carried out

human rights abuses. Troops took control of the region

after armed men raided police posts, It is very difficult to get accurate

information. In order to get to the truth, when he called for full

access to independent observers and journalists to bilges and

displacement camps -- villages? Can I just say that UN led commission

can be established in one of three ways, either by the Security

Council, the human rights Council of the Secretary General. It would

require broad international support which does not exist right now. The

Minister Rather sidestepped the question of action in the UN by

saying that the government opinion wasn't sufficiently consensus at the

present time. Will the government commit to trying to build that

consensus as opposed to remarking that it doesn't exist? Will the

Minister may clear to the Birmingham property is that there are welcome

re-entry into the international community will not be helped if they

failed to protect minorities and particularly the Rohingya community

rushed and Mark Hunt was up being attacked, many are being murdered.

Many been sold into slavery with the complicity of Burmese authorities.

The very authority of which treat the Rohingya as a non-people. And my

honourable friend the Minister has avoided the challenge that it is not

sufficient for the government to cooperate. The government needs to

lead UN support, if these reports are true. Since the security forces

start of the campaign in October, it has been estimated that around

65,000 Rohingya Muslims have Fred come three, according to reports,

and ready groups have been subject to our son, rape, and murder at the

hands of the military. Such allegations are incredibly serious

and for that reason I asked the Minister for the fourth time if he

will continue to call for the establishment of an independent

investigation into these claims. The minister said there

were a number of avenues the Government could pursue and that

included continued work with the UN Now what's been happening

in the wider world With our countdown

here's Simon Vaughan. A good week for Brexit secretary

David Davis. He has revealed he made ?1000 eating on the results of the

EU referendum. Government and opposition whips work-out on

Wednesday, they swapped their House for this House, a play set in the

1970s and posed for photos with the cast.

The House of Lords plans to reupholster the arms of the state in

the next financial year. Big speeches on Brexit from Theresa

May and she has found time to pose for US Vogue.

And, finally, sport. The Speaker interrupted Scottish questions on

Wednesday to update MPs on the tense.

I'm pleased to inform the House I have been informed the House that

Andy Murray has won his second match in Melbourne.

It's one of the most iconic buildings in the world -

but the Palace of Westminster is in need of urgent repairs.

It's not clear yet whether MPs and peers might have to move out

while the work takes place - a vote on that is expected

But the estimated repair bill is substantial.

The Treasury Select Committee is investigating

The Palace of Westminster is in a pure state of repair and certainly a

lot of money will have to be spent to sort it out. The big Western is

whether we need to spend 3.5 to four alien pounds and pretty quickly. So,

both, how long it takes and the amount will need to be carefully

examined. The public will want to be confident that everybody has looked

at this and has made sure all this spending needs to be undertaken and

undertaken now, and that is what the Treasury committee will look at. It

will look at the report produced by Deloittes on which both houses of

the committee came to its comp allusions.

And that's it from me for now, but do join Joanna Shin on Monday

night at 11pm for another round up of the best of the day

But for now, from me, Alicia McCarthy, goodbye.