15/12/2016 Thursday in Parliament


15/12/2016

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Hello and welcome to Thursday in Parliament.

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Council tax bills are to go up in order to boost

:00:22.:00:25.

Opposition MPs say the measure will penalise disadvantaged areas.

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This is an unfair way to raise additional money which will increase

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inequalities between rich and poor areas.

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The former Labour Cabinet Minister Peter Mandelson weighs

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into the arguments about Brexit - warning of a severe deterioration

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It will be a gradual, inexorable worsening

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of the conditions for business in the UK.

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And hats off to Peter Bone for getting round the rules

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With the minister be able to say how those charities

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I've indulged the honourable gentleman for the duration of this

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question, but I'm glad that he's now taken that hat off.

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But first, the Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid has announced

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measures to boost social care funding in England by ?900 million

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It follows weeks of pressure on ministers over

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There's a pot of cash - funded from savings elsewhere -

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But the main change is that local authorities will now be allowed

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to increase council tax by up to 6% over two years - instead of three.

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I am sure that all Members on both sides of this House agree

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on the need for action to meet the growing cost of caring for some

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Every year councils spend more than ?14 billion

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It is by far the biggest cost pressure facing local government.

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The spending review put in place up to ?3.5 billion of additional

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funding for adult social care by 2019-20, allowing local

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government to increase its spending on this service in real terms

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by the end of this Parliament, but more needs to be done.

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Over recent months we have listened to, heard and understood calls

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from across the board saying that funding is needed sooner in order

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

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will be retained in full by local government to contribute

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I can tell the House that we will use these funds

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to provide a new dedicated ?240 million adult social care

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

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Last year the Government announced that councils would fund social care

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via a new social care precept of 2% a year.

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In recognition of the immediate challenges faced in the care market,

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we will now allow local councils to raise this funding

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Councils will be granted the flexibility to raise the precept

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

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

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

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These measures, together with the changes we have made

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to the new homes bonus, will make almost ?900 million

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of additional funding for adult social care available over

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Labour said there was a postcode lottery for social care.

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In the most deprived areas of the country,

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social care spending fell by ?65 per person, but it rose by ?28 per

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Will he not accept that the rising social care precept will only

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I gently ask of him, is this really the best time to be

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choosing to cut corporation tax on Amazon, Sports Direct

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

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

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That seems to have gone out of the window today.

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

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The LGA would be entitled to reject the proposal and put the ball firmly

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back in the Government s court, for them to think again.

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This is an unfair way to raise additional money -

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it will increase inequalities between rich and poor areas.

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When will the Government come forward with plans to work

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There have been two suggestions about that already in this

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question-and-answer session, but the Secretary of State has not

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When will he work with others to come up with a genuine

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solution to what is now a real national crisis?

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As the right honourable gentleman will know,

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any funding provided to a local authority is raised through taxes,

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either locally or, when that funding is in the form

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He used the word unfair about this funding, but he should be aware -

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I know he has experience in this area - that when we allocate

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billions of funding from the better care fund, we take into account

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the council tax raising power of each area.

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That is the basis used, and it is the fairest way to do it.

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In his constituency of Bromsgrove, the older adult weekly rate

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in social care homes is ?100 less than in the constituency

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of the Secretary of State for Health in Surrey.

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Will the Secretary of State stand here in front of me

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and tell me that it is okay that his constituents already get

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?100 a week less than those of his frontBench colleagues

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In rightly referring to her constituency in Birmingham,

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the honourable lady mentioned my constituency of Bromsgrove,

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I think that she was somehow trying to demonstrate that Bromsgrove gets

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I am comparing Bromsgrove with Birmingham and it gets

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on average a lot less per head than Birmingham.

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I assure the honourable lady that that is noticed locally.

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Now, the former Labour Cabinet Minister Lord Mandelson has told MPs

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that Brexit represents the same danger to the British

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economy as the global financial crisis of 2008-09.

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Lord Mandelson, who campaigned for Remain during the referendum,

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was giving evidence to the Business Committee

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about the Government's industrial strategy.

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You are risking a very severe deterioration of the UK

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Now, this deterioration is not going to happen straightaway.

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That was the mistaken impression, in my view, given the referendum.

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It would be a gradual, inexorable worsening

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of the conditions for business in the UK and that's why those

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who say, it all seems to be going OK so far are completely

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Could I suggest to you that you might feel that your

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project would be complete when the Government learns to love

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and understand a modern and industrial strategy?

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Good adaptation of the well-known quote.

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My view, as I said at the beginning, is that Britain is facing a massive

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It has had a result and now we have to get on with it and making sure

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that it has the least negative impact on the UK economy.

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You will be well aware I am sure that Sir Ivan Rogers,

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

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as saying that a trade deal would take ten years

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Lord Mandelson said that sort of timetable was "realistic"

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

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

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is because the negotiation will come first and can be approved

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by a majority of the EU's member states, the separate,

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quite separate negotiation on what trade arrangement

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replaces our membership of the EU will be harder, it will be longer

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and it will require the approval of all member states

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and their parliaments, not just a majority of them.

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If we get Brexit wrong, industrial strategy will not be big

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enough and strong enough to correct its consequences.

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I have absolutely no doubt at all about that.

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But, please, I do underline that it is possible to get,

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It has been an aspiration of successive governments

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and successive ministers to try and get a joined up

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And if this industrial strategy is going to succeed,

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what needs to happen in terms of cooperation and collaboration

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Heads of departments, secretaries of state

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become very possessive, very protective of their policies

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and their resources, and often if they have to share them

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they think either that they are going to be less well executed

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or that they as individuals are going to get less credit.

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Now, welcome to the world of Westminster.

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What is the timescale to evaluate the success of an appropriate

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How will we know that Theresa May has carried that off

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and in the meantime, what are the things that we can be

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looking at, the metrics to see whether that's coming off

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We can judge it by, in a sense, the story it tells now

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and the narrative that offers, whether it makes sense.

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We can judge it too by the policy instrument and levers that

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are being harnessed to it, and the sorts of decisions

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and judgments that are being taken in use of policy instruments.

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How will we be able to judge eventually what is being done now?

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The same length of time, coincidentally, as I suspect it

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will take to negotiate an alternative trade

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agreement between Britain and the European Union

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to replace our existing membership of the EU.

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We heard Lord Mandelson being asked there about remarks

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made by Sir Ivan Rogers, the UK's ambassador to the EU.

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He's reported as saying that the European consensus is that

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a Brexit deal might not be reached until the early-to-mid-2020s.

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Sir Ivan's remarks were also raised with ministers.

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we are told it could take up to ten years to reach a trade agreement

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with the EU after we leave. While research suggests that a drop in

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trade of fudge to 16% of we are outside the customs union. Foreign

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investors are vital to the British economy so will he give those

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investors some of the certainty database pretty need and that we

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also need as well? Will he tell them whether he wants Britain to be

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inside the customs union and whether he wants to free access to the

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single market will not? It has been very clear that the Government is

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not giving running commentary and I would also stress that the comments

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of Ivan Rogers are the opinions from taking... It is not necessarily

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defined how long will take. It's worth looking in mind that while

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looking at some trade deals around the world, it's worth bearing in

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mind that the US Jordan trade deal took four months so it is difficult

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to establish how long it will take. Shouldn't we be thanking our

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ambassador to the European Union but the reality check he has given about

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the decade-long period of time it will take to extricate ourselves

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from this particular process? Shouldn't we be doing, not rushing

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so headlong into this timetable? Yes there are a number of bureaucratic

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challenges that we face but the people that we should be thinking of

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the British people are forgiving as such clear instructions to leave the

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European Union. Questioning then turned

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to the controversial subject of British arms sales to Saudi

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Arabia. Although the tie being worn

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by the Labour spokesman appeared Love the time. It is to arms sales

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particularly to the Middle East. In July the Committee on arms export

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control heard evidence there was an imbalance between promotion of arms

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sales at the expense of the regulation of arms sales. I quote,

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such that in UK practice these things are at odds. Does the

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Secretary of State recognised that imbalance? If he does what does he

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propose to do about it and if he does not, what representations has

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he made to the White House to chastise them for their remarks this

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week that, I quote, the systemic endemic problems in Saudi Arabia's

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targeting true the US decision to hold a future weapons sale which is

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that the Secretary of State and British policy in this area looking

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so callous and so threadbare? I first of country has one of the

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strictest arms sales restrictions in the world and it is thought that

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with great scrutiny and they simply don't accept the picture he paints

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of the UK's attitude. I believe that the honourable gentleman's tie is

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absolutely beautiful. It is tasteful and interesting, not the boring like

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all too many. By insulting my wife's taste and ties the Secretary of

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State must await have reprimand but she must wait in line because there

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are others who wish to reprimand him. The Secretary of State was told

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off going to Brussels and agreeing the comprehensive economic trade

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agreement between the EU and Canada without first bringing it to the UK

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Parliament for scrutiny. He undertook to the scrutiny committee

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he would bring it forward for debate by the end of November, a deadline

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which he missed. The European scrutiny committee actually city

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more generous deadline but that deadline expired two days ago on the

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13th of this month. Can he tell us, does he actually believe in taking

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back sovereignty from Brussels or doesn't he? If he does, repeatedly

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denying the UK Parliament the rights to properly scrutinise such an

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important trade agreement is a very odd way of going about it. Will he

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now committed to bringing a debate and they bought to the floor of this

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house before the European Parliament finally votes on second February?

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The member, who I hold in high esteem, in due course his Ph.D.

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Thesis will be published. I am grateful to the honourable

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forgiving way before Christmas. We forgiving way before Christmas. We

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did not go against procedure due to parliamentary timetable constraints

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and we could not offer a debate in the House before signalling protocol

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agreement on 18th October. We have continued to commit to holding a

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full parliamentary debate as soon as possible and were working with

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The European Parliament has changed The European Parliament has changed

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the date of the expected vote on the agreement to second February 2017

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and we hope to have a debate well within that timetable.

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You're watching Thursday in Parliament with me,

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Ministers have been discussing the child sex abuse scandal

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in football with the police, sports bodies and the NSPCC.

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The Culture Secretary Karen Bradley told MPs it was crucial to give

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the police time to investigate all the allegations fully.

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The government takes these matters seriously. Yesterday I chaired the

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meeting with my right honourable friend with sports bodies, law

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enforcement and the NSPCC to ensure sports are able to deal effectively

:18:27.:18:29.

with allegations of non-recent abuse and that they have the most robust

:18:30.:18:33.

in place today. Does the Secretary in place today. Does the Secretary

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of State believe that wealth the allegations currently under

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investigation, which involve over 100 clubs, are truly shocking, but

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she agreed that the vast majority of coaches and volunteers play a

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crucial role in our constituencies? And also agree that it is vital that

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we do not put off or discourage we do not put off or discourage

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potential volunteers who would never dream of betraying the trust placed

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upon them. I agree, we want to make sure that parents and young people

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have the confidence to participate in sport. We need to know what

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happened and need to make sure the victims, come former band the police

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have time to carry out investigations, and that they is

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confidence in the system. The round table I chaired yesterday was

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incredibly helpful in flushing out where we can do more, because we can

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always do more, but also to give the assurance that so much is being

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done. I am sure we are all appalled by the allegations of horrific abuse

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that have come out, that have this much the game that many of us love

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so much, in recent weeks. We are aware that the helpline that is

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available for people to phone up and relate what has happened to them,

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has the Secretary of State had conversations with football

:19:54.:19:57.

authorities about what more can be done proactively to identify those

:19:58.:20:00.

involved with the abuse of the past and have had contact, and assist

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them in every way to come forward and assist them with a very

:20:07.:20:10.

difficult position. I can confirm I have had those discussions with the

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FA, the Premier League and the PFA to ensure we add identifying those

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who do not yet have the confidence who do not yet have the confidence

:20:20.:20:30.

to come forward. The Secretary of State is right, there has to be

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reflection on what went wrong and how we can maximise safeguarding.

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Can she detailed the House what individual sporting body she has met

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with recently to have these discussions? Not wishing to the

:20:42.:20:46.

Tenby house, perhaps it would be helpful if I were to write to the

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honourable gentleman with the full list of the bodies both myself and

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my honourable friend have spoken to. Dennis Skinner. Isn't it remarkable

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that the people making statements or those that went to football clubs

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are amongst the major two teams in the football leagues of Britain.

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However, most people like me, used to be coached at the miners welfare.

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Nobody has been brought forward that was helping that the miners welfares

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all over Britain, and there were 700 of them. The truth is, it is about

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the money as well, and so when you are digging into this, remember

:21:34.:21:37.

there is a class argument about it. It is about the people making money,

:21:38.:21:43.

and the Tories know a lot about that. I am sorry, Mr Speaker, I

:21:44.:21:49.

don't think trying to bring party politics into this matter is at all

:21:50.:21:54.

appropriate. It is a matter of vulnerable young people who

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been abused by predatory individuals been abused by predatory individuals

:21:57.:22:01.

and all walks of life and I think it belittles this house to suggest

:22:02.:22:02.

various party politics involved. Now, the Government has toughened up

:22:03.:22:03.

the penalties for using a mobile Under new rules expected

:22:04.:22:07.

to come in next year, drivers will get six points

:22:08.:22:11.

on their licence Ministers are also looking

:22:12.:22:13.

at introducing life sentences for drivers convicted of causing

:22:14.:22:16.

death through dangerous Labour's Lord Campbell-Savours has

:22:17.:22:18.

been conducting his own investigations into drivers

:22:19.:22:20.

using mobile phones. But there was some

:22:21.:22:22.

opposition to new offences. Recently, I was standing on a corner

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waiting for the lights to change near Maidenhead. In the phasing of

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the lighting, discounting 12 of the first vehicles that went through,

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out of 37 vehicles that passed me, 11 rural using mobile phones. I

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believe what I saw is an indicator of a national problem. The estimates

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are grossly underestimated. There is clear support for the proposed

:23:07.:23:11.

change in the law, to increase the fixed penalty notice from 100 to

:23:12.:23:17.

?200, and to double the points added to a license from three to six. This

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means that novice drivers would automatically have their licenses

:23:25.:23:27.

revoked, which should hopefully act as a strong deterrent. I also

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welcome new laws that would see drivers who kill other road users,

:23:33.:23:39.

because of mobile phone distraction be given life sentences. Penalties,

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bands, prison sentences, all well and good, but to my mind that this

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is too late. We need to stop these incidents happening in the

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place. But there was some opposition place. But there was some opposition

:23:54.:24:00.

to the new offences. You don't want to create specific offences of a

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different sort. The existing offences are totally adequate for

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the purpose of dealing with those who drive dangerously. I would say

:24:10.:24:15.

the penalties that are below in those fences are sufficient to act

:24:16.:24:19.

as a deterrent. And finally, from colourful

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ties to crazy hats. There's definitely an end of term

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mood in the House of Commons. The Conservative Pete Bone donned

:24:22.:24:24.

a hat in honour of a breast cancer Tomorrow is local charities day and

:24:25.:24:38.

we also have very good local charities and constituencies. One of

:24:39.:24:45.

mine is crazy hats and it is run by a group of dedicated volunteers.

:24:46.:24:51.

They have raised over ?2 million, by people wearing crazy hats. They

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spent that money on breast cancer in Northamptonshire, and with the

:25:00.:25:03.

minister be able to say how those charities could be further

:25:04.:25:08.

supported? I have indulged the honourable gentleman for the

:25:09.:25:11.

duration of his question but I am glad he has taken it off and I

:25:12.:25:16.

sincerely hope you once put it on again, preferably at any time but

:25:17.:25:22.

certainly not in the chamber. I thought one moment that my

:25:23.:25:24.

honourable friend was auditioning for a real role in some remake of

:25:25.:25:26.

the film Elf. Festive season or not,

:25:27.:25:30.

the Speaker was reminding everyone that wearing hats in the Commons

:25:31.:25:32.

is out of order! That's it from me for now,

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but do join me on Friday night at 11pm for a round-up of the week

:25:36.:25:38.

here in Westminster. But for now from me,

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Kristina Cooper - goodbye!

:25:42.:25:49.

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