30/11/2017 Thursday in Parliament


30/11/2017

Similar Content

Browse content similar to 30/11/2017. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

Hello and welcome to

Thursday In Parliament.

0:00:190:00:20

Coming up: There's

universal condemnation

0:00:200:00:22

of the President Trump tweets.

0:00:220:00:25

President Donald Trump

was wrong to retweet videos

0:00:250:00:27

posted by far-right

group Britain First.

0:00:270:00:31

Some called for the President's

state visit to be cancelled.

0:00:310:00:35

No matter what diplomatic route

we find it to do it,

0:00:350:00:38

we cannot simply roll out a red

carpet and give a platform

0:00:380:00:42

for the President of

the United States to also sow

0:00:420:00:45

discord in our communities.

0:00:450:00:48

And a little bit of history is made.

0:00:480:00:51

This debate is being interpreted

into sign language, which I believe

0:00:510:00:54

is a Parliamentary first.

0:00:540:00:57

So we may be making history in this

debate, which is great.

0:00:570:01:00

But first, the row over

Donald Trump's retweeting of

0:01:000:01:03

anti-Muslim videos has raised

passions across Parliament.

0:01:030:01:07

The Home Secretary was called

to the Commons to answer an urgent

0:01:070:01:10

question about the matter.

0:01:100:01:12

Condemnation of the President came

from all sides of the House.

0:01:120:01:19

This is the President

of the United States

0:01:190:01:21

sharing with millions,

inflammatory and devisive content,

0:01:210:01:23

deliberately posted to sow

hatred and division by,

0:01:230:01:26

as the Home Secretary says,

a convicted criminal

0:01:260:01:28

who is facing further charges,

who represents a vile,

0:01:280:01:32

fascist organisation,

seeking to spread hatred

0:01:320:01:35

and violence in person and online.

0:01:350:01:38

By sharing it, he is either

a racist, incompetent or unthinking

0:01:380:01:43

or all three.

0:01:430:01:45

President Donald Trump was wrong

to retweet videos posted by

0:01:450:01:48

far-right group Britain First.

0:01:480:01:52

When we look at the wider picture,

the relationship between the UK

0:01:520:01:56

and America, I know how valuable

the friendship is

0:01:560:02:00

between our two nations.

0:02:000:02:03

And as Home Secretary,

I can tell the House

0:02:030:02:07

that the importance

of the relationship

0:02:070:02:08

between our countries,

the unparalleled sharing

0:02:080:02:11

of intelligence between our

countries, is vital.

0:02:110:02:16

It has undoubtedly

saved British lives.

0:02:160:02:20

That is the bigger picture

here, and I would urge

0:02:200:02:23

people to remmember that.

0:02:230:02:25

Whilst, on this side

of the House, we appreciate

0:02:250:02:29

the importance of realpolitik,

we would also call on the Government

0:02:290:02:37

to make clear that,

in no way and at no time,

0:02:370:02:43

does it give any support whatsoever

to the distasteful views of the

0:02:430:02:49

45th President on race

and migration and Muslim

0:02:490:02:56

communities internationally.

0:02:560:02:58

Because to do anything

else would be an affront

0:02:580:03:03

to voters in this country,

whichever side they support.

0:03:030:03:10

And one of the advantages of having

such a special relationship

0:03:100:03:19

with the United States is,

when a friend tells you you've

0:03:190:03:21

done something wrong,

you tend to listen.

0:03:210:03:23

And wouldn't the world be a better

place if the Prime Minister

0:03:230:03:26

could persuade the President

of the United States

0:03:260:03:28

to delete his Twitter account?

0:03:280:03:29

Several MPs felt strongly

the President's state visit

0:03:290:03:31

should not go ahead.

0:03:310:03:33

Isn't one of the key

dangers in a state visit is

0:03:330:03:37

that we have absolutely no idea

what the President will say or tweet

0:03:370:03:40

next and before he visits?

0:03:400:03:41

So what does he have to say or tweet

before the idea of a state visit

0:03:410:03:45

is ditched once and for all?

0:03:450:03:47

Mr Speaker, an invitation

for the visit has been

0:03:470:03:51

extended and accepted,

but the dates and precise

0:03:510:03:55

arrangements have yet to be agreed.

0:03:550:03:58

No matter what diplomatic

route we find to do it,

0:03:580:04:00

we cannot simply roll out a red

carpet and give a platform

0:04:000:04:04

for the President of

the United States to also sow

0:04:040:04:08

discord in our communities.

0:04:080:04:11

We know that he and they will keep

doing this and keep spreading

0:04:110:04:14

extremism, and we also know,

from the plaque behind us

0:04:140:04:18

and from our own history,

where the spread of extremism leads

0:04:180:04:23

unless enough of us

are prepared to stand up

0:04:230:04:26

now and say no.

0:04:260:04:28

Putting aside the question

of a state visit, should he even be

0:04:280:04:32

allowed to enter our country,

because unprecedented actions

0:04:320:04:36

require unprecedented responses.

0:04:360:04:39

I would just point out

to the honourable lady,

0:04:390:04:42

the Prime Minister has robustly

replied to the President

0:04:420:04:46

and made her views absolutely clear.

0:04:460:04:49

In terms of what the honourable lady

is also proposing, I would say,

0:04:490:04:53

we do not routinely comment

on individual exclusion cases.

0:04:530:04:59

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

0:04:590:05:00

Is the Home Secretary satisfied that

President Trump's behaviour,

0:05:000:05:03

which is not an isolated incident,

does not undermine the important

0:05:030:05:06

security and cooperation

relationship we have United States?

0:05:060:05:09

And can I just say,

just because somebody

0:05:090:05:11

stops using Twitter,

does not mean they

0:05:110:05:19

cease to be a twit.

does not mean they

0:05:190:05:20

My honourable friend put his finger

on the matter, if I may say,

0:05:200:05:23

in the first half of this comments,

which is how important that

0:05:230:05:26

close relationship is.

0:05:260:05:27

And however strongly

honourable members may feel

0:05:270:05:29

about the President himself,

we must protect that

0:05:290:05:30

particular relationship.

0:05:310:05:33

Around a month ago, the most popular

man in the world was a last-day

0:05:330:05:37

employee of Twitter who unplugged

the account of the President

0:05:370:05:39

of the United States.

0:05:390:05:40

Was he not right?

0:05:400:05:42

And if Twitter is genuine

in its commitment to fight hate

0:05:420:05:45

crime online, it should have no

hesitant in taking down the Twitter

0:05:450:05:49

account of the First Citizen

of the US, as it would with any

0:05:490:05:53

other citizen in the world

which peddles such hate crime?

0:05:530:05:56

The Prime Minister,

when she was Home Secretary,

0:05:560:05:58

said homophobes and racists

and those who stir up hatred

0:05:580:06:00

in this country will not be allowed

in this country, and if they come

0:06:000:06:04

to this country,

they will be arrested.

0:06:040:06:05

That's what should happen in this

case, and the Home Secretary

0:06:050:06:08

knows it, just say it!

0:06:080:06:09

Mr Speaker, I would say

to the honourable gentleman,

0:06:090:06:12

there is no pretence here.

0:06:120:06:16

We're absolutely clear

in the actions we will take against

0:06:160:06:26

people who propagate hate.

0:06:260:06:27

And he should not underestimate

the Prime Minister's views on this

0:06:270:06:30

and the Prime Minister's absolute

clarity on criticising the President

0:06:300:06:32

and showing that to the public

in her comment to him.

0:06:320:06:35

The Home Secretary.

0:06:350:06:36

Now, MPs have accused the Government

of sending mixed messages

0:06:360:06:38

on the environment after Ministers

scrapped a planned rise

0:06:380:06:40

in fuel duty last week.

0:06:400:06:46

Appearing before a committee

of MPs who have been

0:06:460:06:48

investigating air quality,

Ministers defended the announcement

0:06:480:06:50

in the Budget that a tax rise

wouldn't go ahead.

0:06:500:06:53

Are we sending a mixed message?

0:06:530:06:55

No, I don't think we are.

0:06:550:06:56

Because we've allocated since 2010

£3.5 billion on air quality

0:06:560:06:59

and cleaner transport initiatives.

0:06:590:07:02

As against 46 billion

on a fuel duty freeze?

0:07:020:07:07

Well, if that's the Labour policy

to increase fuel duty,

0:07:070:07:09

we're very keen that it

would represent a greater

0:07:090:07:12

value for taxpayers...

0:07:120:07:13

I'm not making the point

for a political point, I'm asking

0:07:130:07:16

you about the Government's policies

in relation to mixed messages?

0:07:160:07:25

I don't think it is a mixed message.

0:07:250:07:27

We have allocated a significant

amount of money to promote air

0:07:270:07:29

quality and the move

to electric vehicles,

0:07:290:07:31

but we're doing this at the same

time as recognising the challenges

0:07:310:07:35

that households and businesses

are with inflation,

0:07:350:07:37

and are working therefore to keep

the two things together.

0:07:370:07:39

The Minister was also challenged

over whether the Treasury had

0:07:390:07:43

analysed how well pollution-reducing

measures were working.

0:07:430:07:46

You're the Treasury Minister

and you don't know if there

0:07:460:07:50

is a cost-benefit analysis

within the Government on seeking

0:07:500:07:52

measures to tackle air

pollution on public health?

0:07:520:07:57

You're suggesting we would only

want to take action on the basis

0:07:570:08:01

of cost-benefit,

that's not the case.

0:08:010:08:03

We recognise the public health

challenge, that's why

0:08:030:08:06

we're working on it.

0:08:060:08:08

The department is revising

its figures, we are seeing

0:08:080:08:10

a downward projection

in the medical statistics

0:08:100:08:12

of an avoidable deaths, but

nevertheless, we are very keen

0:08:120:08:19

to work on air quality, as we know

poor airquality effects...

0:08:190:08:23

The question was to the Treasury

Minister, thank you.

0:08:230:08:26

Later, the Communities Minister

was as what his department does

0:08:260:08:28

with councils that break

air quality rules?

0:08:280:08:31

Where we have concerns

about a particular council,

0:08:310:08:35

we ask the LGA to quite often

look into those concerns

0:08:350:08:40

and assist our department in terms

of making sure that some

0:08:400:08:44

of the functions of local Government

are being carried through properly.

0:08:440:08:47

You have a file, Minister?

0:08:470:08:51

Because you want to file your teeth

so that you can bite a bit more.

0:08:510:08:56

I'm sorry, we are not

getting any clear answer

0:08:560:08:59

here about what you're

doing about it?

0:08:590:09:02

Well...

0:09:020:09:05

Mr Chairman, I share this issue

in several directions.

0:09:050:09:07

With my pals.

0:09:070:09:08

I'll bring in Dr Coffey in a moment.

0:09:080:09:11

But I would say, Mr Parish,

that we have a clear line

0:09:110:09:14

of communication in terms

of improving local

0:09:140:09:18

authorities through the LGA.

0:09:180:09:20

That is not just as a general

programme, that's also where we've

0:09:200:09:23

got specific issues.

0:09:230:09:25

The committee then

turned its attention

0:09:250:09:26

to the emissions rigging scandal.

0:09:260:09:28

Just going back to Germany,

I understand their car industry has

0:09:280:09:31

contributed about 250 million euros

to help with the clean air

0:09:310:09:37

agenda within Germany.

0:09:370:09:39

It just seems that in America,

there's a huge legal payment,

0:09:390:09:42

the German car industry has come up

with 250 million euros to help,

0:09:420:09:47

and we're not in the fortunate

position of having either

0:09:470:09:49

of those two things?

0:09:490:09:51

Believe me, I have been having these

thoughts myself on many occasions.

0:09:510:09:55

The situation in the UK

is that we have a very different

0:09:550:09:58

kind of car industry,

and very different levels

0:09:580:10:02

of exposure to diesel.

0:10:020:10:03

In Germany, they have a relatively

compact car industry,

0:10:030:10:09

very large, but very compact

and focused on diesel.

0:10:090:10:12

And that has created a congruity

of incentives with them.

0:10:120:10:19

Why is it that Germany, when they've

got their massive car industry,

0:10:190:10:22

held to account by their massive car

industry, can still get money out

0:10:220:10:25

of them and we just sit

there wringing our hands saying,

0:10:250:10:28

we don't know what sort of laws

we've got that we can make it stick?

0:10:280:10:32

Why can't you find something

to make it stick?

0:10:320:10:35

What a splendid intervention

from the chair in the corner,

0:10:350:10:38

thank you very much.

0:10:390:10:40

You're asking exactly the same

question, of course...

0:10:400:10:42

I know, but you haven't

answered it, have you?

0:10:420:10:44

You're just not doing

anything about it.

0:10:440:10:46

Au contraire, I've answered it

precisely and to the question asked.

0:10:460:10:49

The situation is very much

not wringing our hands,

0:10:490:10:51

we are doing what we can

within the proper obedience

0:10:510:10:55

to the rule of law and a degree

of deference to the German

0:10:550:10:59

prosecuting authorities.

0:10:590:11:01

Jesse Norman.

0:11:010:11:03

You're watching Thursday

in Parliament with me, Mandy Baker.

0:11:030:11:05

At the last election,

the Conservatives promised to get

0:11:100:11:13

one million more disabled people

into work over the next ten years.

0:11:130:11:16

Now they've unveiled

a plan to do it.

0:11:160:11:19

But Opposition MPs said Ministers

had abandoned more ambition targets,

0:11:190:11:24

and disabled people were bearing

the brunt of Government cuts.

0:11:240:11:28

Our labour market is

in its strongest position for years,

0:11:280:11:30

with the employment rate in the UK

at a near historic high of 75%,

0:11:300:11:36

and around 600,000 more disabled

people in work than four years ago.

0:11:360:11:41

Despite this, only around half

of disabled people are in work,

0:11:410:11:44

but many disabled people and people

with health conditions

0:11:440:11:46

can and want to work.

0:11:460:11:49

This means too many people

are missing the opportunity

0:11:490:11:52

to develop their talents and connect

with the world of work,

0:11:520:12:00

and the range of positive impacts

that come with doing so.

0:12:000:12:03

Including good health and social

outcomes, which is why

0:12:030:12:05

it's important that we act now.

0:12:050:12:07

He said advances in technology

offered new opportunities.

0:12:070:12:09

The change needed is not one that

Government can deliver on its own.

0:12:090:12:12

Across the country,

there are striking examples

0:12:120:12:15

of what can be achieved

when employers, charities

0:12:150:12:19

and health care professionals

work together locally.

0:12:190:12:22

But Government can help create

the conditions for success.

0:12:220:12:26

But Labour said the Government had

watered down its ambitions.

0:12:260:12:31

We should not be surprised

by this disappointment,

0:12:310:12:34

as throughout the Government's seven

wasted years of a sturdy,

0:12:340:12:41

time and time again,

it is disabled people who have borne

0:12:410:12:44

the brunt of their cuts.

0:12:440:12:48

The Work and Health Programme is no

different in this regard,

0:12:480:12:50

with only 130 million a year set

aside for its funding.

0:12:500:12:53

A fraction of the billions

spent on its predecessor,

0:12:530:12:55

the Work Programme.

0:12:550:12:56

The announcement today offers very

little in the way of commitment.

0:12:560:13:00

It is sadly an attempt to kick

the issue back into the long grass,

0:13:000:13:04

with vague statements on pilots,

a commitment from Government

0:13:040:13:11

to carry on doing what

it's currently doing.

0:13:110:13:13

And some minuscule sums

of investment in training.

0:13:130:13:15

This does not go nearly far enough,

Madame Deputy Speaker.

0:13:150:13:20

The SNP are extremely disappointed

in the statement and the command

0:13:200:13:23

paper produced today.

0:13:230:13:25

We believe that the UK Government

as a priority needs to reverse

0:13:250:13:27

the cuts it has made to these

benefits and need to scrap

0:13:270:13:30

the freeze on benefits as well,

because they are harming people.

0:13:300:13:33

Mencap have released

a statement that says,

0:13:330:13:37

we're alarmed that the needs

of hundreds of thousands of people

0:13:370:13:44

with mild or -moderate learning

disabilities has been overlooked.

0:13:440:13:46

It is the case that the Government

seems to have abandoned its pledge

0:13:460:13:50

to have the disability employment

gap, and this gap is even worse

0:13:500:13:53

for those people who've got

learning disabilities.

0:13:530:13:56

Some MPs thought the Government

should get to the grips with

0:13:560:13:59

the work capability assessments.

0:13:590:14:00

Are we in danger of setting a very

dangerous precedent,

0:14:000:14:02

where constituents are in possession

of a sick note from a health

0:14:020:14:12

professional, whether that be

a consultant, doctor or perhaps

0:14:120:14:14

a psychiatrist, and that is then

overridden by the work assessors

0:14:140:14:17

who therefore declare

that the person is fit for work?

0:14:170:14:19

I had a constituent visit me

just two weeks ago,

0:14:190:14:23

she is clearly disabled,

it is clear for all to see.

0:14:230:14:27

She was asked how she does her

shopping, and she said she doesn't

0:14:270:14:32

online every couple of weeks.

0:14:320:14:42

Was told she was therefore fit

to work in an office

0:14:420:14:45

for 37 hours a week.

0:14:450:14:46

I think one point I would make

in terms of assessments

0:14:460:14:49

and whether we're looking at ESA

or PIP, that the percentage of those

0:14:490:14:52

of those assessments

which are overturned

0:14:520:14:54

is running at about 4%.

0:14:540:14:57

I would rather it was lower,

but let's put it in context that

0:14:570:15:01

only 4% of assessments

are overturned.

0:15:010:15:05

Wendy Morton.

0:15:060:15:07

Today's command paper,

Madam Deputy Speaker,

0:15:070:15:08

is a huge step forward

and should be welcomed.

0:15:080:15:10

When it comes to attitudes, though,

does my right honourable friend

0:15:100:15:13

agree that we need to tackle

a culture, in some quarters,

0:15:130:15:16

which fails to really harness

the potential of disabled people

0:15:160:15:18

in the workplace?

0:15:180:15:19

David Gauke agreed, saying

there should be a culture shift.

0:15:190:15:21

Now, the Transport Secretary has

faced further questions over claims

0:15:210:15:24

that the Treasury will miss out

on billions of pounds

0:15:240:15:27

following a change to the franchise

for the East Coast Mainline.

0:15:270:15:32

In a statement on Wednesday,

Chris Grayling told MPs that,

0:15:320:15:35

from 2020, a new East Coast

partnership would be responsible

0:15:350:15:37

for both trains and tracks

on the route from London

0:15:370:15:44

to the north-east of

England and Scotland.

0:15:440:15:46

The existing operator,

Virgin Trains East Coast,

0:15:460:15:47

is a partnership between Stagecoach

and Sir Richard Branson's Virgin.

0:15:470:15:51

It had agreed to pay the Government

just over £3 billion to run

0:15:510:15:54

the service until 2023.

0:15:540:15:58

We learned yesterday

that the East Coast rail franchise

0:15:580:16:00

will be terminated in 2020,

three years early, potentially

0:16:000:16:04

forfeiting billions of pounds

in premiums due to the Treasury,

0:16:040:16:09

yet the Secretary of State told

the House that Stagecoach will meet

0:16:090:16:19

in full the commitments it made

to the Government as

0:16:190:16:21

part of this contract.

0:16:210:16:22

So, can he confirm that the full

£3.3 billion due from

0:16:220:16:25

Stagecoach-Virgin will be paid

to the Treasury in accordance with

0:16:250:16:27

the terms of the original contract?

0:16:270:16:35

Mr Speaker, every time a franchisee

takes up a new contract it makes

0:16:350:16:38

a parent company commitment

to the Government.

0:16:380:16:40

That commitment will

be kept in full.

0:16:400:16:43

Andy McDonald.

0:16:430:16:44

So, can we get to the heart of this?

0:16:440:16:47

Will the premiums due

under that contract...

0:16:470:16:52

Under that contract covering

the years 2022-2023 of some

0:16:520:16:54

£2 billion be paid?

0:16:540:16:59

Will they be paid, yes or no?

0:16:590:17:03

Well, Mr Speaker, self-evidently,

given my announcement yesterday

0:17:030:17:06

that we would have the East Coast

partnership in place

0:17:060:17:08

in 2020, there will be

new arrangements in place in 2020.

0:17:080:17:11

But what I have said to him,

Mr Speaker, what I have said to him

0:17:110:17:15

is that every franchisee makes

a parent company commitment before

0:17:150:17:18

taking out the contract

and we will hold that that

0:17:180:17:20

commitment be met in full.

0:17:200:17:23

Since 2010, rail fares have risen

by 27%, twice the rate of wages,

0:17:230:17:27

with the steepest fare hikes in five

years due in January,

0:17:270:17:32

while passenger numbers

are now in decline.

0:17:320:17:35

With more and more of my

constituents being priced out

0:17:350:17:37

of rail travel altogether,

when will this Government accept

0:17:370:17:40

that the whole system of rail

franchising and private profiteering

0:17:400:17:43

from our railways is

utterly, utterly broken.

0:17:430:17:49

Well, I'm afraid members opposite

really shouldn't try and draw

0:17:490:17:51

conclusions from one quarter's

statistics to try and underpin

0:17:510:17:54

their own ideological agenda.

0:17:540:17:57

The simple fact is that we are

seeing far more passengers

0:17:570:18:00

using our network than ever before.

0:18:000:18:04

I believe that the privatised

railways have been a success

0:18:040:18:06

and the alternative that he proposes

ensures that passengers are always

0:18:060:18:09

at the back of the queue in every

decision undertaken by any ghastly

0:18:090:18:12

future Labour government.

0:18:120:18:16

A Liberal Democrat MP raised

an entirely different form

0:18:160:18:18

of transport and an entirely

different problem.

0:18:180:18:21

In July, a three-year-old boy

experienced a life-threatening

0:18:210:18:24

allergic reaction on a plane

when fellow passengers

0:18:240:18:27

started eating nuts

that they had been served.

0:18:270:18:30

Thankfully, he survived,

but I know from personal experience

0:18:300:18:32

how terrifying it is to go

into anaphylactic shock and the last

0:18:320:18:36

place you would want that to happen

is 30,000 feet in the air

0:18:360:18:40

when you are hours from

formal medical attention.

0:18:400:18:43

Will the Secretary of State agree

to meet with me and a group

0:18:430:18:46

of campaigners to explore solutions

that would enable the 2%

0:18:460:18:48

of the population who have a nut

allergy to fly with confidence?

0:18:480:18:53

Mr Speaker, I absolutely understand

why this is such a serious issue

0:18:530:18:56

and I would be delighted to extend

an invitation to her to come

0:18:560:18:59

into the Department to meet

ministers and officials to talk

0:18:590:19:02

about what is clearly

a very important matter.

0:19:020:19:04

The Transport Secretary.

0:19:040:19:06

There was a Parliamentary

first in Westminster Hall

0:19:060:19:08

on Thursday afternoon.

0:19:080:19:10

The chair of the All-party Group

on Deafness and Hearing Loss

0:19:100:19:13

reckoned a bit of history

was being made.

0:19:130:19:16

Our debate is being interpreted

into sign language, which I believe

0:19:160:19:19

is a Parliamentary first,

so we may be making history in this

0:19:190:19:23

debate, which is great for all of us

who are here to participate

0:19:230:19:27

in this event.

0:19:270:19:30

Jim Fitzpatrick said he wanted

to focus on three issues -

0:19:300:19:40

the implementation of

the National Plan on Hearing Loss,

0:19:440:19:46

access to work, and the legal

recognition of British sign

0:19:460:19:48

language.

0:19:480:19:49

Legal recognition, he said,

would have benefits for deaf

0:19:490:19:51

people and wider society.

0:19:510:19:52

Deaf children are 42% less

likely to achieve five

0:19:520:19:55

or more GCSEs at grade C

or above than their hearing peers.

0:19:550:19:58

There is no reason that a deaf

child should do any worse

0:19:580:20:00

than a hearing child.

0:20:000:20:02

In health, 70% of deaf people

who haven't been to a GP

0:20:020:20:06

recently wanted to go,

but didn't, mainly because there

0:20:060:20:09

was no interpreter.

0:20:090:20:11

A Lib Dem said he had

been deaf for 50 years.

0:20:110:20:13

He believes 70% of profoundly deaf

people were unemployed.

0:20:130:20:19

That is ridiculous.

0:20:190:20:20

That is just ridiculous.

0:20:200:20:22

How can you possibly

take out whatever it is,

0:20:220:20:25

100,000 people if not more,

of adult working age

0:20:250:20:27

and have the barriers as such

that 70% is unemployed.

0:20:270:20:29

It's a bloomin' outrage.

0:20:290:20:33

A Conservative told how her

mother had gone deaf

0:20:330:20:35

overnight following a virus.

0:20:350:20:38

She hadn't been ill, she's never had

any hearing problems,

0:20:380:20:41

but she went from being a hearing

person one day to the next

0:20:410:20:44

day having nothing.

0:20:440:20:48

My father took my mum

to the hospital and, at that time,

0:20:480:20:51

we had a really good ear,

nose and throat

0:20:510:20:53

hospital in Maidstone.

0:20:530:20:56

It was about a week later,

so about a week after

0:20:560:20:58

she had lost her hearing,

that she was taken there.

0:20:580:21:02

It was confirmed that

she had no hearing.

0:21:020:21:05

They put her on steroids,

they told her it was due to a virus

0:21:050:21:08

and that the hairs in her ears had

died and that it was probably very

0:21:080:21:12

unlikely she would ever

get her hearing back.

0:21:120:21:15

This was absolutely devastating

for my mother and for all of us -

0:21:150:21:18

my sister, myself and my dad.

0:21:190:21:23

It changed her life

and our life fundamentally.

0:21:230:21:28

We couldn't communicate with her.

0:21:280:21:30

Everything had to be written down.

0:21:300:21:32

My mum couldn't sign,

my mum couldn't lip-read,

0:21:320:21:35

so she was flung into isolation

and into, to be honest with you,

0:21:350:21:40

a state of depression.

0:21:410:21:43

It was a really, really tough time

with two teenage girls at that

0:21:430:21:47

particular time who were very much

into their singing,

0:21:470:21:50

and all of a sudden my mum had

to admit that she would never be

0:21:500:21:54

able to hear her

daughters sing again.

0:21:540:21:57

Deafness is the

invisible disability.

0:21:570:22:01

My mum didn't look like

she had a disability.

0:22:010:22:04

Her voice sounded like it always

did, as she had been a hearing

0:22:040:22:07

person for 40 years,

but I saw and experienced first-hand

0:22:070:22:09

the major barriers that people

who are deaf have to experience.

0:22:090:22:17

While a Labour MP told MPs

she was the eldest child

0:22:170:22:20

of two deaf parents.

0:22:200:22:22

I have to tell you that

I was tempted to sign my whole

0:22:220:22:26

speech and I was going to do that

and have the interpreters voice-over

0:22:260:22:31

my comments for my colleagues,

to give everybody a feel for how

0:22:310:22:34

it is not to be able

to communicate directly,

0:22:340:22:38

not for a minute, not

for a sentence, but for five

0:22:380:22:45

minutes or however long it

takes me to finish this.

0:22:450:22:49

Not to be able to communicate

directly to the person

0:22:490:22:51

you are talking to is really,

really strange and difficult

0:22:510:22:55

and deaf people feel that,

experience that every single minute

0:22:550:22:59

of their lives.

0:22:590:23:01

The Public Health Minister turned

to calls for British sign language

0:23:010:23:04

to be legally recognised.

0:23:040:23:07

It is not entirely clear to me

which department would lead on legal

0:23:070:23:10

recognition of British sign

language, which is kind

0:23:100:23:12

of the problem that so many people

have referred to today.

0:23:120:23:16

Personally, I am sympathetic

to the calls for strengthening

0:23:160:23:18

the role of British sign language

and we certainly want to see as many

0:23:180:23:24

people trained and providing

support as possible.

0:23:240:23:26

The message that I can only bring

today is that, at this time,

0:23:260:23:29

Her Majesty's government is not yet,

anyway, convinced that the way to

0:23:290:23:32

achieve this is through legislation.

0:23:320:23:35

Now, we have protections

of the legal rights of people

0:23:350:23:37

who are deaf in the Equality Act,

of course, and in the duties

0:23:370:23:40

of the NHS and the mandate that I'm

responsible for giving to NHS

0:23:400:23:43

England and, of course,

publicly-funded social care

0:23:430:23:45

organisations to conform

to what we call the Accessible

0:23:450:23:47

Information Standard.

0:23:470:23:50

I'm very happy to take

this point away.

0:23:500:23:52

It's come across really clearly

from so many members

0:23:520:23:54

during the debate today

and all I would say

0:23:540:23:58

is that the Private Members Ballot

is a wonderful thing.

0:23:580:24:02

The Public Health Minister

with a hint that keeping up

0:24:020:24:04

the pressure for the legal

recognition of British sign

0:24:040:24:06

language might bear fruit.

0:24:060:24:09

Finally, it wasn't just

MPs who were up in arms

0:24:090:24:12

about Donald Trump and his tweets.

0:24:120:24:13

In the Lords, peers

were equally exercised.

0:24:130:24:18

I assume that President Trump only

tweets messages he has thought

0:24:180:24:22

carefully about and agrees

with because, if so,

0:24:220:24:26

he has endorsed a Nazi group

with a vicious record of attacks,

0:24:260:24:31

racism, Islamophobia

and anti-Semitism.

0:24:310:24:36

Surely there can be no question

of a state visit until at least

0:24:360:24:39

he has expressed some

remorse about this.

0:24:390:24:43

I would gently suggest

to the president of our greatest

0:24:430:24:48

ally, that if he would make

the White House

0:24:480:24:52

a tweet-and-Twitter-free zone,

he would make an immeasurable

0:24:520:24:56

contribution to the

peace of the world.

0:24:560:24:59

Hear hear.

0:24:590:25:02

Well, I do actually recall the words

of the former Prime Minister

0:25:020:25:05

about too many tweets and I shan't

repeat what he said, but, yes,

0:25:050:25:08

we must all be careful

about what we tweet and the effect

0:25:080:25:11

that it can have on

the wider community.

0:25:110:25:16

So, yes, we should tweet

with care, my Lords.

0:25:160:25:21

And Lady Williams brings us

to the end of the programme.

0:25:210:25:24

I'll be back at the same time

tomorrow with The Week

0:25:240:25:26

In Parliament, when I'll be talking

to an MP who hopes to

0:25:260:25:30

break the boundaries -

of constituencies, that is.

0:25:300:25:32

Until then, from me,

Mandy Baker, goodbye.

0:25:320:25:38

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS