0:00:18 > 0:00:20Hello, and welcome to the programme.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24Coming up: The government heads off the threat of a defeat
0:00:24 > 0:00:28on the Queen's Speech, by offering a concession
0:00:28 > 0:00:31on abortion rights for women in Northern Ireland.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34We will be funding her department with additional funding
0:00:34 > 0:00:36so that she can make a grant to the external organisations
0:00:36 > 0:00:39who will provide these services.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43The Culture Secretary says she's minded to refer Fox's
0:00:43 > 0:00:46proposed takeover of Sky to the competition watchdog.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48And is another Parliamentary tradition about to disappear,
0:00:48 > 0:00:53as the Speaker hints he's relaxing the dress code?
0:00:53 > 0:00:57The question of whether that member is wearing a tie is not absolutely
0:00:57 > 0:01:03front and centre stage.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06But first, the government has seen off a possible rebellion
0:01:06 > 0:01:08in the Commons by announcing that it will fund abortions
0:01:08 > 0:01:10for women who travel from Northern Ireland to England.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13A cross party group of MPs was threatening to back an amendment
0:01:13 > 0:01:18to the Queen's Speech put forward by the Labour MP Stella Creasy.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23With a tiny majority in the Commons the government bowed to the demand.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26A letter from the Equalities Minister, Justine Greening,
0:01:26 > 0:01:30was released as the debate on the Queen's Speech was underway.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33It stated that, while women from Northern Ireland were currently
0:01:33 > 0:01:37asked to pay for terminations, that would no longer happen.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42The news of the change came while the Chancellor,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Philip Hammond, was on his feet, making his speech in the debate.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48My understanding is that my right honourable friend the Minister
0:01:48 > 0:01:52for Women and Equalities either has made, or is just about to make,
0:01:52 > 0:01:55an announcement by way of a letter to members of this House,
0:01:55 > 0:02:01explaining that she intends to intervene to fund abortions
0:02:01 > 0:02:05in England for women arriving here from Northern Ireland,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08and I hope the House will find that a sensible way of dealing
0:02:08 > 0:02:12with this challenge.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15It is welcomed that the government is now saying that they will correct
0:02:15 > 0:02:17this injustice, however, he will know, as everyone knows,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20that the devil will be in the detail, so can I ask him
0:02:20 > 0:02:23whether he will make a commitment on behalf of this government to meet
0:02:23 > 0:02:26with myself and representatives of organisations like Marie Stopes
0:02:26 > 0:02:29and Bpas and the London-Irish Abortion Campaign to look at how
0:02:29 > 0:02:32we can turn this into a reality, so that those women
0:02:32 > 0:02:35in Northern Ireland today will finally have their voices heard
0:02:35 > 0:02:38and can use their services as soon as possible.
0:02:38 > 0:02:39Hear, hear!
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Well, look, I would say to the honourable lady, please,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44read the letter that my honourable friend has sent out.
0:02:44 > 0:02:50We will be funding her department with additional funding
0:02:50 > 0:02:52so that she can make a grant to the external organisations
0:02:52 > 0:02:54who will provide these services.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58I think she will be satisfied when she has read the letter
0:02:58 > 0:02:59and understood the details.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01If she is not, I am happy to meet with her.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Well, that seemed to satisfy those who'd been arguing for the change,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09and Stella Creasy later withdrew her amendment.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12The stated focus of the day's debate was the economy and jobs.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16The previous evening the government had defeated a Labour amendment
0:03:16 > 0:03:21calling for an end to the public sector pay cap and an end to cuts
0:03:21 > 0:03:23to the police and fire services.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25But the Shadow Chancellor thought the government had nevertheless been
0:03:25 > 0:03:29forced to make changes to its programme for government.
0:03:29 > 0:03:35I would like to thank the millions of voters who rejected
0:03:35 > 0:03:37the Conservatives because they have prevented the Tories
0:03:37 > 0:03:47from implementing their full cuts that they promised.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Thank all those people who called a halt to the barrage of cuts
0:03:52 > 0:03:54that the Tories were intending to introduce, but, regrettably,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57instead the government has been reduced to a grubby backroom deal
0:03:57 > 0:04:00in an attempt to cling on to office.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02But a Conservative backbencher argued the government had
0:04:02 > 0:04:04much to be proud of.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07According to the Office For National Statistics just this week the UK has
0:04:07 > 0:04:13the fifth lowest level of persistent poverty of anywhere in Europe,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17and compared to when the last Labour government was in power, when over
0:04:17 > 0:04:20a million young people had no jobs or education,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24we now have some of the lowest youth unemployment anywhere in Europe.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Are these not statistics that we should be proud of?
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Hear, hear!
0:04:32 > 0:04:37Can I just say I find it astounding that we can have that level
0:04:37 > 0:04:41of complacency when we have this levels of poverty,
0:04:41 > 0:04:48homelessness, and, yes, people going without food -
0:04:48 > 0:04:50the choice between heating and eating every winter.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Is it something to be proud of that the UK
0:04:53 > 0:04:59is the only major developed
0:04:59 > 0:05:03country that is seeing economic growth but falling wages?
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Yesterday we had the absolute chaos of double U-turns, S-bends,
0:05:06 > 0:05:11whatever they have been described as, coming out from Number Ten
0:05:11 > 0:05:14and the Treasury over hints that the pay cap was to be
0:05:14 > 0:05:19scrapped, and it was a disgrace that last night the coalition of Tories
0:05:19 > 0:05:24and DUP voted down our motion to support public sector workers
0:05:24 > 0:05:30simply securing a fair pay rise.
0:05:30 > 0:05:36It would be particularly helpful, it would be particularly helpful,
0:05:36 > 0:05:42if the Chancellor explained today how he covers the cost
0:05:42 > 0:05:45of the ?1 billion grubby bribe to the DUP to keep his party
0:05:45 > 0:05:46clinging in office?
0:05:46 > 0:05:47Shocking!
0:05:47 > 0:05:49That...
0:05:49 > 0:05:50That is a 100 million...
0:05:50 > 0:05:52I will.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55That is ?100 million a vote.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Will he accept that when it comes to grubby bribes his party has got
0:05:58 > 0:06:02a lot to tell us about grubby bribes in the form of letters
0:06:02 > 0:06:04to terrorists to get them off their murder charges etc.
0:06:04 > 0:06:11What is grubby about money being put into the infrastructure
0:06:11 > 0:06:13of Northern Ireland, to promote jobs, money
0:06:13 > 0:06:16going into the health service of Northern Ireland,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20money going into the education service,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25what is grubby about that?
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Later a Conservative backbencher made clear her displeasure
0:06:28 > 0:06:29at what had been agreed.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32I can barely put into words my anger at the deal my party
0:06:32 > 0:06:33has done with the DUP.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38We didn't need to do it.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43I cannot fault the DUP for wanting to achieve the very
0:06:43 > 0:06:48best for their residents in Northern Ireland, nor
0:06:48 > 0:06:51for their tough negotiating skills, but I must put on record my distaste
0:06:51 > 0:06:53for the use of public funds to garner political control.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56When he stood up, the Chancellor turned his fire on Labour,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58saying the party had given up any pretence of fiscal credibility.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Just two years ago, in the 2015 general election, Labour at least
0:07:01 > 0:07:08pretended that its figures added up, that it would pay for its giveaways
0:07:08 > 0:07:13so that its plans would not bankrupt the country.
0:07:13 > 0:07:18Not any more.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21The current lot are clear that not only would they hike taxes,
0:07:21 > 0:07:26but they would also embark on a massive expansion of borrowing,
0:07:26 > 0:07:28and subject the country to a catastrophic programme
0:07:28 > 0:07:30of ideologically-driven productivity-sapping
0:07:30 > 0:07:32investment-destroying
0:07:32 > 0:07:36nationalisation on a scale that this country has not seen
0:07:36 > 0:07:38since the 1970s.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40I give way to the honourable gentleman.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43I am grateful to the Chancellor for giving way, if he is so proud
0:07:43 > 0:07:45of his economic record, why didn't they discuss
0:07:45 > 0:07:47it during the course of the election campaign?
0:07:47 > 0:07:51Is it possibly because after seven years of this government
0:07:51 > 0:07:55the Prime Minister stood before the electorate resembling that great
0:07:55 > 0:07:57baddy of the Chronicles of Narnia, promising always winter
0:07:57 > 0:07:58and never Christmas.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Yesterday his department in Downing Street were briefing
0:08:00 > 0:08:02the press about a public sector pay cap,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05to what extent was he aware and did he sanction his officials to carry
0:08:05 > 0:08:07out those briefings?
0:08:07 > 0:08:09And does he now support
0:08:09 > 0:08:15and end to public sector pay constraint?
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Just to be clear, there is no change in the government's position.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23There is no change in the government's position, our pay
0:08:23 > 0:08:26policy has always been designed to strike the right balance
0:08:26 > 0:08:32of being fair to our public servants and fair to those who pay for them.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37In the ten minutes or so that my right honourable friend has been
0:08:37 > 0:08:39speaking, our national debt has increased by nearly ?900,000.
0:08:39 > 0:08:40Will the Chancellor, will the Chancellor continue
0:08:40 > 0:08:50to speak up for hard-pressed taxpayers and make the point that
0:08:50 > 0:08:54for all this talk of austerity, the debt is still rising and we have
0:08:54 > 0:08:56to look after the pennies otherwise we will be
0:08:56 > 0:08:57up Queer Street.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00There are three ways for government to increase spending on public
0:09:00 > 0:09:03services - higher taxes, higher borrowing or higher growth.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05Higher taxes have a cost in terms of business investment,
0:09:05 > 0:09:09economic growth and take-home pay.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11That is why we, on this side,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14are instinctively in favour of keeping taxes as low as possible,
0:09:14 > 0:09:20so that businesses can continue to create high-quality jobs
0:09:20 > 0:09:26and so hard-working people can keep more of the money they earn.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29If you ask people in the street they will tell
0:09:29 > 0:09:32you that they are feeling the pain, they are feeling the pain
0:09:32 > 0:09:34of a decade of wage stagnation, they are feeling the effects
0:09:34 > 0:09:39of rising inflation, rising faster actually
0:09:39 > 0:09:41than the Chancellor predicted in his spring Budget.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44They are feeling the effects of rising inflation
0:09:44 > 0:09:47and they are looking at how they can make their household budgets meet.
0:09:47 > 0:09:48This is the reality for people here.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52The Conservatives fail repeatedly to understand this.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54They stand there and talk about "just about managings",
0:09:54 > 0:09:55the long-term economic
0:09:55 > 0:09:59plan and how great the economy is, people are not feeling those things,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02that is not the real life lived experience of people in the nations
0:10:02 > 0:10:04of the UK.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07At the end of the debate there were a series of votes
0:10:07 > 0:10:11on amendments put down by opposition MPs, but all were defeated,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13meaning the government's programme for the next two years passed
0:10:13 > 0:10:16through the Commons, and specific bills,
0:10:16 > 0:10:25as set out in the speech, will now be put forward.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28The Culture Secretary has told MPs she is minded to refer
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Rupert Murdoch's bid to take full control of Sky television
0:10:30 > 0:10:32to the competition authorities, because of concerns
0:10:32 > 0:10:38about media plurality.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Mr Murdoch already owns 39% of the satellite broadcaster.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43An earlier attempt to take over Sky was abandoned in the wake
0:10:43 > 0:10:44of the phone hacking scandal.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46The Culture Secretary, Karen Bradley, told the Commons
0:10:46 > 0:10:49that the merger would increase the Murdoch family's ability
0:10:49 > 0:10:52to influence the UK's news agenda and political process.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56As a result there were clear grounds to refer the deal to the Competition
0:10:56 > 0:11:00and Markets Authority.
0:11:00 > 0:11:07On the question of whether the merger gives rise to public
0:11:07 > 0:11:09interest concerns in relation to media plurality, Ofcom's
0:11:09 > 0:11:11report is unambiguous.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13It concludes, "The transaction raises public interest concerns
0:11:13 > 0:11:17"as a result of the risk of increased influence by members
0:11:17 > 0:11:20"of the Murdoch family trust over the UK news agenda and
0:11:20 > 0:11:22"the political process, with its unique presence on radio,
0:11:22 > 0:11:28"television, in print and online.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31"We consider that these concerns may justify reference by the Secretary
0:11:31 > 0:11:34"of State to the Competition and Markets Authority."
0:11:34 > 0:11:41On the basis of Ofcom's assessment I confirm that I am minded to refer
0:11:41 > 0:11:44to a Phase II investigation on the grounds of media plurality.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46The reasoning and evidence on which Ofcom's recommendations
0:11:46 > 0:11:47is based are persuasive.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50The proposed entity would have the third largest total reach
0:11:50 > 0:11:53of any news provider, lower only than the BBC and ITN,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56and would uniquely span news coverage on television,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59radio, in newspapers and online.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02But Ofcom said it had no concerns about Fox's genuine commitment
0:12:02 > 0:12:08to broadcasting standards, so Ms Bradley said she wouldn't be
0:12:08 > 0:12:11referring that second area for further investigation.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15Labour said nothing about the decision was a surprise.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18It is the old playbook.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21The Secretary of State has known all along what she wants to end up
0:12:21 > 0:12:27doing, but she has to establish, she has to follow the established
0:12:27 > 0:12:30dance steps, so let me make a prediction now.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35The parties have proposed some pretty minor undertakings in lieu.
0:12:35 > 0:12:41They always knew they weren't going to be enough to satisfy Ofcom,
0:12:41 > 0:12:43so the Secretary of State will demand extra conditions.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47As a result of which she will get written up as a tough operator.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49The parties will offer something new, which they always had
0:12:49 > 0:12:52in their back pocket, the Secretary of State will accept them,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54as she always planned, and this merger will go ahead.
0:12:54 > 0:13:02Well, let me tell the Secretary of State the problem with Murdoch's
0:13:02 > 0:13:05undertakings in lieu.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Not just these undertakings in lieu, but any undertakings in lieu
0:13:08 > 0:13:10which have ever been offered by the Murdochs,
0:13:10 > 0:13:14they're not worth the newsprint they're written on.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18The only thing on which the opposition spokesman was correct
0:13:18 > 0:13:22was in saying that when it comes to plurality, it is becoming
0:13:22 > 0:13:27increasingly obvious, and the general election bears this
0:13:27 > 0:13:30out, that the printed press are of waning influence and the real
0:13:30 > 0:13:33media giants today are the companies like Google and the
0:13:33 > 0:13:34social media giants.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39Can I urge the Secretary of State not to do a grubby deal with
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Murdochs, because we know their history, as my right
0:13:42 > 0:13:44honourable friend from the front bench said, they break every
0:13:44 > 0:13:46undertaking they make, from The Times
0:13:46 > 0:13:47to the Wall Street Journal.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51On the doorstep media bias came up a lot but I am afraid it was media
0:13:51 > 0:13:55bias by the BBC and they suggested to me that they should
0:13:55 > 0:14:00be called the Brussels Broadcasting Corporation.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03In terms of broadcasting standards, does she recall the anger over
0:14:03 > 0:14:07the Fox News broadcast that claimed that Birmingham is a city
0:14:07 > 0:14:13where non-Muslims simply just can't go, if she approves this merger,
0:14:13 > 0:14:18what assurance can she give us that she can prevent that kind
0:14:18 > 0:14:23of offensive nonsense from being allowed on a Sky News
0:14:23 > 0:14:25programme in this country?
0:14:25 > 0:14:27Any broadcaster in the United Kingdom has to comply
0:14:27 > 0:14:31with broadcasting codes and our standards and those codes
0:14:31 > 0:14:35are very different from those that exist in other countries.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Karen Bradley.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40You're watching Thursday in Parliament with me,
0:14:40 > 0:14:46Alicia McCarthy.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50Should the government be doing more to improve cyber security?
0:14:50 > 0:14:52At Culture Questions, Labour argued ministers
0:14:52 > 0:14:54weren't doing enough to protect infrastructure
0:14:54 > 0:14:56and businesses online.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59And the party's spokeswoman said even the government's own scheme
0:14:59 > 0:15:03to help firms do more had been hacked.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07Given the increasing intensity of cyber attacks and threats to our
0:15:07 > 0:15:10national infrastructure, it was quite frankly shocking to see
0:15:10 > 0:15:13no mention of cyber security in the Queen's speech.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15So can the Minister confirm that the Government's cyber
0:15:15 > 0:15:19security strategy relies on a scheme which claims to be a badge of
0:15:19 > 0:15:24assurance for thousands of businesses and institutions, but is
0:15:24 > 0:15:26in fact based on outdated technology, redundant hacking
0:15:26 > 0:15:30approaches, and astonishingly, was itself hacked last week?
0:15:30 > 0:15:34No, I don't recognise what she says, and cyber
0:15:34 > 0:15:39security is incredibly important.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42That is why we brought in and put together the national cyber Security
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Centre, which has been leading on all of these issues.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47The laws we have are the laws that we need
0:15:47 > 0:15:50largely on cyber, and that is why there was not a need for a mention
0:15:50 > 0:15:51in the Queen's speech.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54What we do in Government is not only the
0:15:54 > 0:15:55legislative programme, it is also getting
0:15:55 > 0:15:57on and protecting people in
0:15:57 > 0:15:59terms of cyber security.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Matthew Hancock.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Former police chiefs have challenged plans to recruit senior
0:16:03 > 0:16:06police officers in England from outside the Service.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09For the last few years, forces have been able to recruit
0:16:09 > 0:16:12individuals without policing experience to the middling ranks
0:16:12 > 0:16:15of Inspector and Superintendent.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18The Conservatives promised in their election manifesto to look
0:16:18 > 0:16:24at extending the direct entry scheme to higher up the chain of command.
0:16:24 > 0:16:29What is it about the police service that is so unique that it justifies
0:16:29 > 0:16:32a consultation on whether and how to appoint people to leadership
0:16:32 > 0:16:36positions in the police, who have no professional experience in the
0:16:36 > 0:16:40police, when all other professions regard it as axiomatic that prior
0:16:40 > 0:16:41professional experience is a pre-requisite
0:16:41 > 0:16:46for senior leadership?
0:16:46 > 0:16:50My Lords, we did consult police leaders on direct entry at Chief
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Constable level rank ahead of the election,
0:16:53 > 0:17:03and the proposal featured in the Conservative manifesto, which
0:17:03 > 0:17:06is the direct entry in the broader Chief Officer ranks.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08I found the meeting that I had with the noble
0:17:08 > 0:17:13Lord and the other noble Lords extremely useful indeed, and one
0:17:13 > 0:17:22thing that we all concluded and all agreed on,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24leadership,
0:17:24 > 0:17:27what we saw as so important, was leadership with the skills and
0:17:27 > 0:17:30training that was required for senior police officers.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33I don't believe that the noble Baroness, the
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Minister, answered the noble Lord, Lord Blair's question, so perhaps I
0:17:35 > 0:17:37can rephrase it.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Can the noble Baroness the Minister please
0:17:40 > 0:17:43explain, if the Government is not considering appointing admirals of
0:17:43 > 0:17:45the fleet, who have never commanded a warship
0:17:45 > 0:17:48mad if the Government is
0:17:48 > 0:17:52not considering appointing field marshals who have never led troops
0:17:52 > 0:17:55into battle, why is the Government considering appointing Chief
0:17:55 > 0:17:57Constables who have no experience of policing?
0:17:57 > 0:18:03Well, my Lords, the direct entry scheme would not apply to
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Chief Constables.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10It would not apply to Chief Commissioners of the
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Metropolitan Police.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14The senior officer roles that I have talked
0:18:14 > 0:18:19about do not include them under current legislation, and I hope that
0:18:19 > 0:18:23that helps to answer the noble Lord's question.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Staying in the Lords, Peers also turned their attention,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29for a final time, to the Queen's Speech.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Ministers were accused of offering only a fig leaf
0:18:32 > 0:18:35on education in England, in the face of a funding
0:18:35 > 0:18:38squeeze that is seeing schools shed teachers.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42The brief mention of the subject in the Queen's Speech revealed
0:18:42 > 0:18:46neither imagination nor competence by the Government, according
0:18:46 > 0:18:53to Liberal Democrat peer and former headteacher, Lord Storey.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56In spite of an accentuated consultation period, the fairer
0:18:56 > 0:18:59funding about which the Government has made such great claims has
0:18:59 > 0:19:01turned out to be unfair funding.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03With schools having to reduce teaching staff, reduce
0:19:03 > 0:19:09nonteaching staff, cut subjects from secondary curriculum, and ask
0:19:09 > 0:19:12parents to pay for the free state education which we used to be proud
0:19:12 > 0:19:17of.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20The average primary school will lose ?74,000
0:19:20 > 0:19:22the next four years, equivalent to two
0:19:22 > 0:19:24teachers, and the average secondary
0:19:24 > 0:19:27school will lose ?291,000 in real terms, and that is equivalent to six
0:19:27 > 0:19:29teachers.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32On the upside, I was pleased to see the absence of
0:19:32 > 0:19:33grammar schools from the Queen's speech,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35and I hope very much that
0:19:35 > 0:19:37means we will not see a new wave of secondary
0:19:37 > 0:19:40moderns sweeping England.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43I was glad also that there was no sign of the Tory manifesto to snatch
0:19:43 > 0:19:47school lunches away from infants.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51I am glad the Government thought better of that one as well.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54But, my Lords, that is where the good news ends.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Put simply, there is no vision for education in the Queen's
0:19:57 > 0:19:59speech, no commitment to ensure schools are properly funded, no
0:19:59 > 0:20:03strategy to deal with the crisis in teacher recruitment and retention,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06no plan to help the 500,000 children being taught in classes of
0:20:06 > 0:20:11over 30.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16There are aspirations - the Government wants
0:20:16 > 0:20:18"to make sure all children get a world-class
0:20:18 > 0:20:21"education, and for every child to go
0:20:21 > 0:20:23"to a good or outstanding school."
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Excellent, but how will that be achieved when we have unprecedented
0:20:25 > 0:20:27funding crises in our schools?
0:20:27 > 0:20:30The former Leader of the Lords told peers that she hadn't been to
0:20:30 > 0:20:31university.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34I think we are in danger of thinking of people who are not
0:20:34 > 0:20:37educated to degree standard as sometimes all being failures, and
0:20:37 > 0:20:41that is just not true.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Many of these people who are not educated to
0:20:43 > 0:20:53degree level will have set off and run their own business, and there
0:20:57 > 0:20:59will be skilled tradesmen, tradeswomen. They might do important
0:20:59 > 0:21:02jobs, managing other people, and they have
0:21:02 > 0:21:04things to contribute to society. And they do.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08And I think a better way of thinking about them is being cut off
0:21:08 > 0:21:09and left out sometimes.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11They are not left behind, they are right here,
0:21:11 > 0:21:12right now.
0:21:12 > 0:21:20But what is happening is the educated side of the debate have
0:21:20 > 0:21:22decided that everything is so constituted that only the educated
0:21:22 > 0:21:24people can actually come up with the answers.
0:21:24 > 0:21:25Lady Stowell.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27Now to a Parliamentary tradition, the drawing
0:21:27 > 0:21:28of the Private Members' Bill ballot.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31Labour MP Chris Bryant was the first name to be picked.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35The draw was presided over by Deputy Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Members who are picked at random have the chance to bring
0:21:38 > 0:21:39in a bill of their own.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43Labour's Steve Reed was second, while new Labour MP
0:21:43 > 0:21:47Afzal Khan came third.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51461 MPs took part in the ballot, with 20 names being chosen.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Only the first few bills stand any realistic chance of making their way
0:21:54 > 0:21:58through Parliament.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01On what was the last day of debate on the Queen's Speech,
0:22:01 > 0:22:05several MPs had the chance to make their maiden speeches.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08First off the mark was the new Labour MP whose
0:22:08 > 0:22:14constituency of Gower was previously held by the Conservatives.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17It is indeed outstanding to take this seat back for Labour of being
0:22:17 > 0:22:22the most marginal seat in the last election,
0:22:22 > 0:22:29and to be the first woman to do so.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31It is a constituency wrought by the devastating impact of
0:22:31 > 0:22:33post-industrialisation, and remains with stubbornly high unemployment.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37It is a constituency that has borne the brunt of the policies put
0:22:37 > 0:22:40forward by the party opposite, and it is a constituency that on the 8th
0:22:40 > 0:22:45of June, said, "Enough is enough".
0:22:45 > 0:22:48I grew up in Huyton in Knowsley, and went to the local
0:22:48 > 0:22:52comprehensive school.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56I left school at 16, and started work as an
0:22:56 > 0:23:01apprentice in a car factory in Kirby.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05General Motors invested in me, sponsored my
0:23:05 > 0:23:11degree, and gave me the life chance to have a successful, international
0:23:11 > 0:23:19business career in the tech sector for the next 27 years.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21There is today a false narrative about
0:23:21 > 0:23:23multinational companies and the contribution they make to our
0:23:23 > 0:23:30society.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32'It turned out that she has connections to the Speaker.'
0:23:32 > 0:23:36In the name of transparency, I informed the
0:23:36 > 0:23:42House that the honourable lady, the member for Chichester, is the
0:23:42 > 0:23:44godmother of two of my children.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Secondly, as has been declared in all the appropriate places, I
0:23:47 > 0:23:50nevertheless take this opportunity to declare to the House that the
0:23:50 > 0:23:56honourable lady's husband, Michael, my very good friend of 32 years,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59generously contributed to each of my last three
0:23:59 > 0:24:04election campaign funds in the Buckingham constituency.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07And finally, the long-standing tradition that male MPs should wear
0:24:07 > 0:24:12a tie in the Commons chamber appears to have been abandoned.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16Concern has been raised in Parliament that
0:24:16 > 0:24:19on Wednesday one MP - Tom Brake - appeared in the Chamber
0:24:19 > 0:24:22and asked a question without one.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26I noticed yesterday, sir, that a member was allowed to ask
0:24:26 > 0:24:30a question in the Chamber without wearing a tie.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34Now, I have no particular view on that, but have the rules on that
0:24:34 > 0:24:36changed, sir?
0:24:36 > 0:24:39I must say to the honourable gentleman that I think
0:24:39 > 0:24:43the general expectation is that members should dress in businesslike
0:24:43 > 0:24:48attire.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51So far as the Chair is concerned, I must say to the
0:24:51 > 0:25:01honourable gentleman, and I fear this will
0:25:03 > 0:25:05gravely disquiet him,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07it seems to me that as long as a member
0:25:07 > 0:25:09arrives in the House in what might
0:25:09 > 0:25:12be thought to be businesslike attire, the question of whether that
0:25:12 > 0:25:14member is wearing a tie is not absolutely front and centre stage.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18So, am I minded not to call a member something because that member is not
0:25:18 > 0:25:19wearing a tie?
0:25:19 > 0:25:20No.
0:25:20 > 0:25:21The always dapper John Bercow.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25And that's it from me for now, but do join me on Friday
0:25:25 > 0:25:27night at 11.00, when, among other things, we'll be taking
0:25:27 > 0:25:29a look back at the first Prime Minister's Questions
0:25:29 > 0:25:31of the new Parliament, and getting some top tips
0:25:31 > 0:25:34on the skills you need to be Deputy Speaker.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38But for now, from me, Alicia McCarthy, goodbye.