Browse content similar to 30/11/2017. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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Hello and welcome to
Thursday In Parliament. | 0:00:19 | 0:00:20 | |
Coming up: There's
universal condemnation | 0:00:20 | 0:00:22 | |
of the President Trump tweets. | 0:00:22 | 0:00:25 | |
President Donald Trump
was wrong to retweet videos | 0:00:25 | 0:00:27 | |
posted by far-right
group Britain First. | 0:00:27 | 0:00:31 | |
Some called for the President's
state visit to be cancelled. | 0:00:31 | 0:00:35 | |
No matter what diplomatic route
we find it to do it, | 0:00:35 | 0:00:38 | |
we cannot simply roll out a red
carpet and give a platform | 0:00:38 | 0:00:42 | |
for the President of
the United States to also sow | 0:00:42 | 0:00:45 | |
discord in our communities. | 0:00:45 | 0:00:48 | |
And a little bit of history is made. | 0:00:48 | 0:00:51 | |
This debate is being interpreted
into sign language, which I believe | 0:00:51 | 0:00:54 | |
is a Parliamentary first. | 0:00:54 | 0:00:57 | |
So we may be making history in this
debate, which is great. | 0:00:57 | 0:01:00 | |
But first, the row over
Donald Trump's retweeting of | 0:01:00 | 0:01:03 | |
anti-Muslim videos has raised
passions across Parliament. | 0:01:03 | 0:01:07 | |
The Home Secretary was called
to the Commons to answer an urgent | 0:01:07 | 0:01:10 | |
question about the matter. | 0:01:10 | 0:01:12 | |
Condemnation of the President came
from all sides of the House. | 0:01:12 | 0:01:19 | |
This is the President
of the United States | 0:01:19 | 0:01:21 | |
sharing with millions,
inflammatory and devisive content, | 0:01:21 | 0:01:23 | |
deliberately posted to sow
hatred and division by, | 0:01:23 | 0:01:26 | |
as the Home Secretary says,
a convicted criminal | 0:01:26 | 0:01:28 | |
who is facing further charges,
who represents a vile, | 0:01:28 | 0:01:32 | |
fascist organisation,
seeking to spread hatred | 0:01:32 | 0:01:35 | |
and violence in person and online. | 0:01:35 | 0:01:38 | |
By sharing it, he is either
a racist, incompetent or unthinking | 0:01:38 | 0:01:43 | |
or all three. | 0:01:43 | 0:01:45 | |
President Donald Trump was wrong
to retweet videos posted by | 0:01:45 | 0:01:48 | |
far-right group Britain First. | 0:01:48 | 0:01:52 | |
When we look at the wider picture,
the relationship between the UK | 0:01:52 | 0:01:56 | |
and America, I know how valuable
the friendship is | 0:01:56 | 0:02:00 | |
between our two nations. | 0:02:00 | 0:02:03 | |
And as Home Secretary,
I can tell the House | 0:02:03 | 0:02:07 | |
that the importance
of the relationship | 0:02:07 | 0:02:08 | |
between our countries,
the unparalleled sharing | 0:02:08 | 0:02:11 | |
of intelligence between our
countries, is vital. | 0:02:11 | 0:02:16 | |
It has undoubtedly
saved British lives. | 0:02:16 | 0:02:20 | |
That is the bigger picture
here, and I would urge | 0:02:20 | 0:02:23 | |
people to remmember that. | 0:02:23 | 0:02:25 | |
Whilst, on this side
of the House, we appreciate | 0:02:25 | 0:02:29 | |
the importance of realpolitik,
we would also call on the Government | 0:02:29 | 0:02:37 | |
to make clear that,
in no way and at no time, | 0:02:37 | 0:02:43 | |
does it give any support whatsoever
to the distasteful views of the | 0:02:43 | 0:02:49 | |
45th President on race
and migration and Muslim | 0:02:49 | 0:02:56 | |
communities internationally. | 0:02:56 | 0:02:58 | |
Because to do anything
else would be an affront | 0:02:58 | 0:03:03 | |
to voters in this country,
whichever side they support. | 0:03:03 | 0:03:10 | |
And one of the advantages of having
such a special relationship | 0:03:10 | 0:03:19 | |
with the United States is,
when a friend tells you you've | 0:03:19 | 0:03:21 | |
done something wrong,
you tend to listen. | 0:03:21 | 0:03:23 | |
And wouldn't the world be a better
place if the Prime Minister | 0:03:23 | 0:03:26 | |
could persuade the President
of the United States | 0:03:26 | 0:03:28 | |
to delete his Twitter account? | 0:03:28 | 0:03:29 | |
Several MPs felt strongly
the President's state visit | 0:03:29 | 0:03:31 | |
should not go ahead. | 0:03:31 | 0:03:33 | |
Isn't one of the key
dangers in a state visit is | 0:03:33 | 0:03:37 | |
that we have absolutely no idea
what the President will say or tweet | 0:03:37 | 0:03:40 | |
next and before he visits? | 0:03:40 | 0:03:41 | |
So what does he have to say or tweet
before the idea of a state visit | 0:03:41 | 0:03:45 | |
is ditched once and for all? | 0:03:45 | 0:03:47 | |
Mr Speaker, an invitation
for the visit has been | 0:03:47 | 0:03:51 | |
extended and accepted,
but the dates and precise | 0:03:51 | 0:03:55 | |
arrangements have yet to be agreed. | 0:03:55 | 0:03:58 | |
No matter what diplomatic
route we find to do it, | 0:03:58 | 0:04:00 | |
we cannot simply roll out a red
carpet and give a platform | 0:04:00 | 0:04:04 | |
for the President of
the United States to also sow | 0:04:04 | 0:04:08 | |
discord in our communities. | 0:04:08 | 0:04:11 | |
We know that he and they will keep
doing this and keep spreading | 0:04:11 | 0:04:14 | |
extremism, and we also know,
from the plaque behind us | 0:04:14 | 0:04:18 | |
and from our own history,
where the spread of extremism leads | 0:04:18 | 0:04:23 | |
unless enough of us
are prepared to stand up | 0:04:23 | 0:04:26 | |
now and say no. | 0:04:26 | 0:04:28 | |
Putting aside the question
of a state visit, should he even be | 0:04:28 | 0:04:32 | |
allowed to enter our country,
because unprecedented actions | 0:04:32 | 0:04:36 | |
require unprecedented responses. | 0:04:36 | 0:04:39 | |
I would just point out
to the honourable lady, | 0:04:39 | 0:04:42 | |
the Prime Minister has robustly
replied to the President | 0:04:42 | 0:04:46 | |
and made her views absolutely clear. | 0:04:46 | 0:04:49 | |
In terms of what the honourable lady
is also proposing, I would say, | 0:04:49 | 0:04:53 | |
we do not routinely comment
on individual exclusion cases. | 0:04:53 | 0:04:59 | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. | 0:04:59 | 0:05:00 | |
Is the Home Secretary satisfied that
President Trump's behaviour, | 0:05:00 | 0:05:03 | |
which is not an isolated incident,
does not undermine the important | 0:05:03 | 0:05:06 | |
security and cooperation
relationship we have United States? | 0:05:06 | 0:05:09 | |
And can I just say,
just because somebody | 0:05:09 | 0:05:11 | |
stops using Twitter,
does not mean they | 0:05:11 | 0:05:19 | |
cease to be a twit.
does not mean they | 0:05:19 | 0:05:20 | |
My honourable friend put his finger
on the matter, if I may say, | 0:05:20 | 0:05:23 | |
in the first half of this comments,
which is how important that | 0:05:23 | 0:05:26 | |
close relationship is. | 0:05:26 | 0:05:27 | |
And however strongly
honourable members may feel | 0:05:27 | 0:05:29 | |
about the President himself,
we must protect that | 0:05:29 | 0:05:30 | |
particular relationship. | 0:05:31 | 0:05:33 | |
Around a month ago, the most popular
man in the world was a last-day | 0:05:33 | 0:05:37 | |
employee of Twitter who unplugged
the account of the President | 0:05:37 | 0:05:39 | |
of the United States. | 0:05:39 | 0:05:40 | |
Was he not right? | 0:05:40 | 0:05:42 | |
And if Twitter is genuine
in its commitment to fight hate | 0:05:42 | 0:05:45 | |
crime online, it should have no
hesitant in taking down the Twitter | 0:05:45 | 0:05:49 | |
account of the First Citizen
of the US, as it would with any | 0:05:49 | 0:05:53 | |
other citizen in the world
which peddles such hate crime? | 0:05:53 | 0:05:56 | |
The Prime Minister,
when she was Home Secretary, | 0:05:56 | 0:05:58 | |
said homophobes and racists
and those who stir up hatred | 0:05:58 | 0:06:00 | |
in this country will not be allowed
in this country, and if they come | 0:06:00 | 0:06:04 | |
to this country,
they will be arrested. | 0:06:04 | 0:06:05 | |
That's what should happen in this
case, and the Home Secretary | 0:06:05 | 0:06:08 | |
knows it, just say it! | 0:06:08 | 0:06:09 | |
Mr Speaker, I would say
to the honourable gentleman, | 0:06:09 | 0:06:12 | |
there is no pretence here. | 0:06:12 | 0:06:16 | |
We're absolutely clear
in the actions we will take against | 0:06:16 | 0:06:26 | |
people who propagate hate. | 0:06:26 | 0:06:27 | |
And he should not underestimate
the Prime Minister's views on this | 0:06:27 | 0:06:30 | |
and the Prime Minister's absolute
clarity on criticising the President | 0:06:30 | 0:06:32 | |
and showing that to the public
in her comment to him. | 0:06:32 | 0:06:35 | |
The Home Secretary. | 0:06:35 | 0:06:36 | |
Now, MPs have accused the Government
of sending mixed messages | 0:06:36 | 0:06:38 | |
on the environment after Ministers
scrapped a planned rise | 0:06:38 | 0:06:40 | |
in fuel duty last week. | 0:06:40 | 0:06:46 | |
Appearing before a committee
of MPs who have been | 0:06:46 | 0:06:48 | |
investigating air quality,
Ministers defended the announcement | 0:06:48 | 0:06:50 | |
in the Budget that a tax rise
wouldn't go ahead. | 0:06:50 | 0:06:53 | |
Are we sending a mixed message? | 0:06:53 | 0:06:55 | |
No, I don't think we are. | 0:06:55 | 0:06:56 | |
Because we've allocated since 2010
£3.5 billion on air quality | 0:06:56 | 0:06:59 | |
and cleaner transport initiatives. | 0:06:59 | 0:07:02 | |
As against 46 billion
on a fuel duty freeze? | 0:07:02 | 0:07:07 | |
Well, if that's the Labour policy
to increase fuel duty, | 0:07:07 | 0:07:09 | |
we're very keen that it
would represent a greater | 0:07:09 | 0:07:12 | |
value for taxpayers... | 0:07:12 | 0:07:13 | |
I'm not making the point
for a political point, I'm asking | 0:07:13 | 0:07:16 | |
you about the Government's policies
in relation to mixed messages? | 0:07:16 | 0:07:25 | |
I don't think it is a mixed message. | 0:07:25 | 0:07:27 | |
We have allocated a significant
amount of money to promote air | 0:07:27 | 0:07:29 | |
quality and the move
to electric vehicles, | 0:07:29 | 0:07:31 | |
but we're doing this at the same
time as recognising the challenges | 0:07:31 | 0:07:35 | |
that households and businesses
are with inflation, | 0:07:35 | 0:07:37 | |
and are working therefore to keep
the two things together. | 0:07:37 | 0:07:39 | |
The Minister was also challenged
over whether the Treasury had | 0:07:39 | 0:07:43 | |
analysed how well pollution-reducing
measures were working. | 0:07:43 | 0:07:46 | |
You're the Treasury Minister
and you don't know if there | 0:07:46 | 0:07:50 | |
is a cost-benefit analysis
within the Government on seeking | 0:07:50 | 0:07:52 | |
measures to tackle air
pollution on public health? | 0:07:52 | 0:07:57 | |
You're suggesting we would only
want to take action on the basis | 0:07:57 | 0:08:01 | |
of cost-benefit,
that's not the case. | 0:08:01 | 0:08:03 | |
We recognise the public health
challenge, that's why | 0:08:03 | 0:08:06 | |
we're working on it. | 0:08:06 | 0:08:08 | |
The department is revising
its figures, we are seeing | 0:08:08 | 0:08:10 | |
a downward projection
in the medical statistics | 0:08:10 | 0:08:12 | |
of an avoidable deaths, but
nevertheless, we are very keen | 0:08:12 | 0:08:19 | |
to work on air quality, as we know
poor airquality effects... | 0:08:19 | 0:08:23 | |
The question was to the Treasury
Minister, thank you. | 0:08:23 | 0:08:26 | |
Later, the Communities Minister
was as what his department does | 0:08:26 | 0:08:28 | |
with councils that break
air quality rules? | 0:08:28 | 0:08:31 | |
Where we have concerns
about a particular council, | 0:08:31 | 0:08:35 | |
we ask the LGA to quite often
look into those concerns | 0:08:35 | 0:08:40 | |
and assist our department in terms
of making sure that some | 0:08:40 | 0:08:44 | |
of the functions of local Government
are being carried through properly. | 0:08:44 | 0:08:47 | |
You have a file, Minister? | 0:08:47 | 0:08:51 | |
Because you want to file your teeth
so that you can bite a bit more. | 0:08:51 | 0:08:56 | |
I'm sorry, we are not
getting any clear answer | 0:08:56 | 0:08:59 | |
here about what you're
doing about it? | 0:08:59 | 0:09:02 | |
Well... | 0:09:02 | 0:09:05 | |
Mr Chairman, I share this issue
in several directions. | 0:09:05 | 0:09:07 | |
With my pals. | 0:09:07 | 0:09:08 | |
I'll bring in Dr Coffey in a moment. | 0:09:08 | 0:09:11 | |
But I would say, Mr Parish,
that we have a clear line | 0:09:11 | 0:09:14 | |
of communication in terms
of improving local | 0:09:14 | 0:09:18 | |
authorities through the LGA. | 0:09:18 | 0:09:20 | |
That is not just as a general
programme, that's also where we've | 0:09:20 | 0:09:23 | |
got specific issues. | 0:09:23 | 0:09:25 | |
The committee then
turned its attention | 0:09:25 | 0:09:26 | |
to the emissions rigging scandal. | 0:09:26 | 0:09:28 | |
Just going back to Germany,
I understand their car industry has | 0:09:28 | 0:09:31 | |
contributed about 250 million euros
to help with the clean air | 0:09:31 | 0:09:37 | |
agenda within Germany. | 0:09:37 | 0:09:39 | |
It just seems that in America,
there's a huge legal payment, | 0:09:39 | 0:09:42 | |
the German car industry has come up
with 250 million euros to help, | 0:09:42 | 0:09:47 | |
and we're not in the fortunate
position of having either | 0:09:47 | 0:09:49 | |
of those two things? | 0:09:49 | 0:09:51 | |
Believe me, I have been having these
thoughts myself on many occasions. | 0:09:51 | 0:09:55 | |
The situation in the UK
is that we have a very different | 0:09:55 | 0:09:58 | |
kind of car industry,
and very different levels | 0:09:58 | 0:10:02 | |
of exposure to diesel. | 0:10:02 | 0:10:03 | |
In Germany, they have a relatively
compact car industry, | 0:10:03 | 0:10:09 | |
very large, but very compact
and focused on diesel. | 0:10:09 | 0:10:12 | |
And that has created a congruity
of incentives with them. | 0:10:12 | 0:10:19 | |
Why is it that Germany, when they've
got their massive car industry, | 0:10:19 | 0:10:22 | |
held to account by their massive car
industry, can still get money out | 0:10:22 | 0:10:25 | |
of them and we just sit
there wringing our hands saying, | 0:10:25 | 0:10:28 | |
we don't know what sort of laws
we've got that we can make it stick? | 0:10:28 | 0:10:32 | |
Why can't you find something
to make it stick? | 0:10:32 | 0:10:35 | |
What a splendid intervention
from the chair in the corner, | 0:10:35 | 0:10:38 | |
thank you very much. | 0:10:39 | 0:10:40 | |
You're asking exactly the same
question, of course... | 0:10:40 | 0:10:42 | |
I know, but you haven't
answered it, have you? | 0:10:42 | 0:10:44 | |
You're just not doing
anything about it. | 0:10:44 | 0:10:46 | |
Au contraire, I've answered it
precisely and to the question asked. | 0:10:46 | 0:10:49 | |
The situation is very much
not wringing our hands, | 0:10:49 | 0:10:51 | |
we are doing what we can
within the proper obedience | 0:10:51 | 0:10:55 | |
to the rule of law and a degree
of deference to the German | 0:10:55 | 0:10:59 | |
prosecuting authorities. | 0:10:59 | 0:11:01 | |
Jesse Norman. | 0:11:01 | 0:11:03 | |
You're watching Thursday
in Parliament with me, Mandy Baker. | 0:11:03 | 0:11:05 | |
At the last election,
the Conservatives promised to get | 0:11:10 | 0:11:13 | |
one million more disabled people
into work over the next ten years. | 0:11:13 | 0:11:16 | |
Now they've unveiled
a plan to do it. | 0:11:16 | 0:11:19 | |
But Opposition MPs said Ministers
had abandoned more ambition targets, | 0:11:19 | 0:11:24 | |
and disabled people were bearing
the brunt of Government cuts. | 0:11:24 | 0:11:28 | |
Our labour market is
in its strongest position for years, | 0:11:28 | 0:11:30 | |
with the employment rate in the UK
at a near historic high of 75%, | 0:11:30 | 0:11:36 | |
and around 600,000 more disabled
people in work than four years ago. | 0:11:36 | 0:11:41 | |
Despite this, only around half
of disabled people are in work, | 0:11:41 | 0:11:44 | |
but many disabled people and people
with health conditions | 0:11:44 | 0:11:46 | |
can and want to work. | 0:11:46 | 0:11:49 | |
This means too many people
are missing the opportunity | 0:11:49 | 0:11:52 | |
to develop their talents and connect
with the world of work, | 0:11:52 | 0:12:00 | |
and the range of positive impacts
that come with doing so. | 0:12:00 | 0:12:03 | |
Including good health and social
outcomes, which is why | 0:12:03 | 0:12:05 | |
it's important that we act now. | 0:12:05 | 0:12:07 | |
He said advances in technology
offered new opportunities. | 0:12:07 | 0:12:09 | |
The change needed is not one that
Government can deliver on its own. | 0:12:09 | 0:12:12 | |
Across the country,
there are striking examples | 0:12:12 | 0:12:15 | |
of what can be achieved
when employers, charities | 0:12:15 | 0:12:19 | |
and health care professionals
work together locally. | 0:12:19 | 0:12:22 | |
But Government can help create
the conditions for success. | 0:12:22 | 0:12:26 | |
But Labour said the Government had
watered down its ambitions. | 0:12:26 | 0:12:31 | |
We should not be surprised
by this disappointment, | 0:12:31 | 0:12:34 | |
as throughout the Government's seven
wasted years of a sturdy, | 0:12:34 | 0:12:41 | |
time and time again,
it is disabled people who have borne | 0:12:41 | 0:12:44 | |
the brunt of their cuts. | 0:12:44 | 0:12:48 | |
The Work and Health Programme is no
different in this regard, | 0:12:48 | 0:12:50 | |
with only 130 million a year set
aside for its funding. | 0:12:50 | 0:12:53 | |
A fraction of the billions
spent on its predecessor, | 0:12:53 | 0:12:55 | |
the Work Programme. | 0:12:55 | 0:12:56 | |
The announcement today offers very
little in the way of commitment. | 0:12:56 | 0:13:00 | |
It is sadly an attempt to kick
the issue back into the long grass, | 0:13:00 | 0:13:04 | |
with vague statements on pilots,
a commitment from Government | 0:13:04 | 0:13:11 | |
to carry on doing what
it's currently doing. | 0:13:11 | 0:13:13 | |
And some minuscule sums
of investment in training. | 0:13:13 | 0:13:15 | |
This does not go nearly far enough,
Madame Deputy Speaker. | 0:13:15 | 0:13:20 | |
The SNP are extremely disappointed
in the statement and the command | 0:13:20 | 0:13:23 | |
paper produced today. | 0:13:23 | 0:13:25 | |
We believe that the UK Government
as a priority needs to reverse | 0:13:25 | 0:13:27 | |
the cuts it has made to these
benefits and need to scrap | 0:13:27 | 0:13:30 | |
the freeze on benefits as well,
because they are harming people. | 0:13:30 | 0:13:33 | |
Mencap have released
a statement that says, | 0:13:33 | 0:13:37 | |
we're alarmed that the needs
of hundreds of thousands of people | 0:13:37 | 0:13:44 | |
with mild or -moderate learning
disabilities has been overlooked. | 0:13:44 | 0:13:46 | |
It is the case that the Government
seems to have abandoned its pledge | 0:13:46 | 0:13:50 | |
to have the disability employment
gap, and this gap is even worse | 0:13:50 | 0:13:53 | |
for those people who've got
learning disabilities. | 0:13:53 | 0:13:56 | |
Some MPs thought the Government
should get to the grips with | 0:13:56 | 0:13:59 | |
the work capability assessments. | 0:13:59 | 0:14:00 | |
Are we in danger of setting a very
dangerous precedent, | 0:14:00 | 0:14:02 | |
where constituents are in possession
of a sick note from a health | 0:14:02 | 0:14:12 | |
professional, whether that be
a consultant, doctor or perhaps | 0:14:12 | 0:14:14 | |
a psychiatrist, and that is then
overridden by the work assessors | 0:14:14 | 0:14:17 | |
who therefore declare
that the person is fit for work? | 0:14:17 | 0:14:19 | |
I had a constituent visit me
just two weeks ago, | 0:14:19 | 0:14:23 | |
she is clearly disabled,
it is clear for all to see. | 0:14:23 | 0:14:27 | |
She was asked how she does her
shopping, and she said she doesn't | 0:14:27 | 0:14:32 | |
online every couple of weeks. | 0:14:32 | 0:14:42 | |
Was told she was therefore fit
to work in an office | 0:14:42 | 0:14:45 | |
for 37 hours a week. | 0:14:45 | 0:14:46 | |
I think one point I would make
in terms of assessments | 0:14:46 | 0:14:49 | |
and whether we're looking at ESA
or PIP, that the percentage of those | 0:14:49 | 0:14:52 | |
of those assessments
which are overturned | 0:14:52 | 0:14:54 | |
is running at about 4%. | 0:14:54 | 0:14:57 | |
I would rather it was lower,
but let's put it in context that | 0:14:57 | 0:15:01 | |
only 4% of assessments
are overturned. | 0:15:01 | 0:15:05 | |
Wendy Morton. | 0:15:06 | 0:15:07 | |
Today's command paper,
Madam Deputy Speaker, | 0:15:07 | 0:15:08 | |
is a huge step forward
and should be welcomed. | 0:15:08 | 0:15:10 | |
When it comes to attitudes, though,
does my right honourable friend | 0:15:10 | 0:15:13 | |
agree that we need to tackle
a culture, in some quarters, | 0:15:13 | 0:15:16 | |
which fails to really harness
the potential of disabled people | 0:15:16 | 0:15:18 | |
in the workplace? | 0:15:18 | 0:15:19 | |
David Gauke agreed, saying
there should be a culture shift. | 0:15:19 | 0:15:21 | |
Now, the Transport Secretary has
faced further questions over claims | 0:15:21 | 0:15:24 | |
that the Treasury will miss out
on billions of pounds | 0:15:24 | 0:15:27 | |
following a change to the franchise
for the East Coast Mainline. | 0:15:27 | 0:15:32 | |
In a statement on Wednesday,
Chris Grayling told MPs that, | 0:15:32 | 0:15:35 | |
from 2020, a new East Coast
partnership would be responsible | 0:15:35 | 0:15:37 | |
for both trains and tracks
on the route from London | 0:15:37 | 0:15:44 | |
to the north-east of
England and Scotland. | 0:15:44 | 0:15:46 | |
The existing operator,
Virgin Trains East Coast, | 0:15:46 | 0:15:47 | |
is a partnership between Stagecoach
and Sir Richard Branson's Virgin. | 0:15:47 | 0:15:51 | |
It had agreed to pay the Government
just over £3 billion to run | 0:15:51 | 0:15:54 | |
the service until 2023. | 0:15:54 | 0:15:58 | |
We learned yesterday
that the East Coast rail franchise | 0:15:58 | 0:16:00 | |
will be terminated in 2020,
three years early, potentially | 0:16:00 | 0:16:04 | |
forfeiting billions of pounds
in premiums due to the Treasury, | 0:16:04 | 0:16:09 | |
yet the Secretary of State told
the House that Stagecoach will meet | 0:16:09 | 0:16:19 | |
in full the commitments it made
to the Government as | 0:16:19 | 0:16:21 | |
part of this contract. | 0:16:21 | 0:16:22 | |
So, can he confirm that the full
£3.3 billion due from | 0:16:22 | 0:16:25 | |
Stagecoach-Virgin will be paid
to the Treasury in accordance with | 0:16:25 | 0:16:27 | |
the terms of the original contract? | 0:16:27 | 0:16:35 | |
Mr Speaker, every time a franchisee
takes up a new contract it makes | 0:16:35 | 0:16:38 | |
a parent company commitment
to the Government. | 0:16:38 | 0:16:40 | |
That commitment will
be kept in full. | 0:16:40 | 0:16:43 | |
Andy McDonald. | 0:16:43 | 0:16:44 | |
So, can we get to the heart of this? | 0:16:44 | 0:16:47 | |
Will the premiums due
under that contract... | 0:16:47 | 0:16:52 | |
Under that contract covering
the years 2022-2023 of some | 0:16:52 | 0:16:54 | |
£2 billion be paid? | 0:16:54 | 0:16:59 | |
Will they be paid, yes or no? | 0:16:59 | 0:17:03 | |
Well, Mr Speaker, self-evidently,
given my announcement yesterday | 0:17:03 | 0:17:06 | |
that we would have the East Coast
partnership in place | 0:17:06 | 0:17:08 | |
in 2020, there will be
new arrangements in place in 2020. | 0:17:08 | 0:17:11 | |
But what I have said to him,
Mr Speaker, what I have said to him | 0:17:11 | 0:17:15 | |
is that every franchisee makes
a parent company commitment before | 0:17:15 | 0:17:18 | |
taking out the contract
and we will hold that that | 0:17:18 | 0:17:20 | |
commitment be met in full. | 0:17:20 | 0:17:23 | |
Since 2010, rail fares have risen
by 27%, twice the rate of wages, | 0:17:23 | 0:17:27 | |
with the steepest fare hikes in five
years due in January, | 0:17:27 | 0:17:32 | |
while passenger numbers
are now in decline. | 0:17:32 | 0:17:35 | |
With more and more of my
constituents being priced out | 0:17:35 | 0:17:37 | |
of rail travel altogether,
when will this Government accept | 0:17:37 | 0:17:40 | |
that the whole system of rail
franchising and private profiteering | 0:17:40 | 0:17:43 | |
from our railways is
utterly, utterly broken. | 0:17:43 | 0:17:49 | |
Well, I'm afraid members opposite
really shouldn't try and draw | 0:17:49 | 0:17:51 | |
conclusions from one quarter's
statistics to try and underpin | 0:17:51 | 0:17:54 | |
their own ideological agenda. | 0:17:54 | 0:17:57 | |
The simple fact is that we are
seeing far more passengers | 0:17:57 | 0:18:00 | |
using our network than ever before. | 0:18:00 | 0:18:04 | |
I believe that the privatised
railways have been a success | 0:18:04 | 0:18:06 | |
and the alternative that he proposes
ensures that passengers are always | 0:18:06 | 0:18:09 | |
at the back of the queue in every
decision undertaken by any ghastly | 0:18:09 | 0:18:12 | |
future Labour government. | 0:18:12 | 0:18:16 | |
A Liberal Democrat MP raised
an entirely different form | 0:18:16 | 0:18:18 | |
of transport and an entirely
different problem. | 0:18:18 | 0:18:21 | |
In July, a three-year-old boy
experienced a life-threatening | 0:18:21 | 0:18:24 | |
allergic reaction on a plane
when fellow passengers | 0:18:24 | 0:18:27 | |
started eating nuts
that they had been served. | 0:18:27 | 0:18:30 | |
Thankfully, he survived,
but I know from personal experience | 0:18:30 | 0:18:32 | |
how terrifying it is to go
into anaphylactic shock and the last | 0:18:32 | 0:18:36 | |
place you would want that to happen
is 30,000 feet in the air | 0:18:36 | 0:18:40 | |
when you are hours from
formal medical attention. | 0:18:40 | 0:18:43 | |
Will the Secretary of State agree
to meet with me and a group | 0:18:43 | 0:18:46 | |
of campaigners to explore solutions
that would enable the 2% | 0:18:46 | 0:18:48 | |
of the population who have a nut
allergy to fly with confidence? | 0:18:48 | 0:18:53 | |
Mr Speaker, I absolutely understand
why this is such a serious issue | 0:18:53 | 0:18:56 | |
and I would be delighted to extend
an invitation to her to come | 0:18:56 | 0:18:59 | |
into the Department to meet
ministers and officials to talk | 0:18:59 | 0:19:02 | |
about what is clearly
a very important matter. | 0:19:02 | 0:19:04 | |
The Transport Secretary. | 0:19:04 | 0:19:06 | |
There was a Parliamentary
first in Westminster Hall | 0:19:06 | 0:19:08 | |
on Thursday afternoon. | 0:19:08 | 0:19:10 | |
The chair of the All-party Group
on Deafness and Hearing Loss | 0:19:10 | 0:19:13 | |
reckoned a bit of history
was being made. | 0:19:13 | 0:19:16 | |
Our debate is being interpreted
into sign language, which I believe | 0:19:16 | 0:19:19 | |
is a Parliamentary first,
so we may be making history in this | 0:19:19 | 0:19:23 | |
debate, which is great for all of us
who are here to participate | 0:19:23 | 0:19:27 | |
in this event. | 0:19:27 | 0:19:30 | |
Jim Fitzpatrick said he wanted
to focus on three issues - | 0:19:30 | 0:19:40 | |
the implementation of
the National Plan on Hearing Loss, | 0:19:44 | 0:19:46 | |
access to work, and the legal
recognition of British sign | 0:19:46 | 0:19:48 | |
language. | 0:19:48 | 0:19:49 | |
Legal recognition, he said,
would have benefits for deaf | 0:19:49 | 0:19:51 | |
people and wider society. | 0:19:51 | 0:19:52 | |
Deaf children are 42% less
likely to achieve five | 0:19:52 | 0:19:55 | |
or more GCSEs at grade C
or above than their hearing peers. | 0:19:55 | 0:19:58 | |
There is no reason that a deaf
child should do any worse | 0:19:58 | 0:20:00 | |
than a hearing child. | 0:20:00 | 0:20:02 | |
In health, 70% of deaf people
who haven't been to a GP | 0:20:02 | 0:20:06 | |
recently wanted to go,
but didn't, mainly because there | 0:20:06 | 0:20:09 | |
was no interpreter. | 0:20:09 | 0:20:11 | |
A Lib Dem said he had
been deaf for 50 years. | 0:20:11 | 0:20:13 | |
He believes 70% of profoundly deaf
people were unemployed. | 0:20:13 | 0:20:19 | |
That is ridiculous. | 0:20:19 | 0:20:20 | |
That is just ridiculous. | 0:20:20 | 0:20:22 | |
How can you possibly
take out whatever it is, | 0:20:22 | 0:20:25 | |
100,000 people if not more,
of adult working age | 0:20:25 | 0:20:27 | |
and have the barriers as such
that 70% is unemployed. | 0:20:27 | 0:20:29 | |
It's a bloomin' outrage. | 0:20:29 | 0:20:33 | |
A Conservative told how her
mother had gone deaf | 0:20:33 | 0:20:35 | |
overnight following a virus. | 0:20:35 | 0:20:38 | |
She hadn't been ill, she's never had
any hearing problems, | 0:20:38 | 0:20:41 | |
but she went from being a hearing
person one day to the next | 0:20:41 | 0:20:44 | |
day having nothing. | 0:20:44 | 0:20:48 | |
My father took my mum
to the hospital and, at that time, | 0:20:48 | 0:20:51 | |
we had a really good ear,
nose and throat | 0:20:51 | 0:20:53 | |
hospital in Maidstone. | 0:20:53 | 0:20:56 | |
It was about a week later,
so about a week after | 0:20:56 | 0:20:58 | |
she had lost her hearing,
that she was taken there. | 0:20:58 | 0:21:02 | |
It was confirmed that
she had no hearing. | 0:21:02 | 0:21:05 | |
They put her on steroids,
they told her it was due to a virus | 0:21:05 | 0:21:08 | |
and that the hairs in her ears had
died and that it was probably very | 0:21:08 | 0:21:12 | |
unlikely she would ever
get her hearing back. | 0:21:12 | 0:21:15 | |
This was absolutely devastating
for my mother and for all of us - | 0:21:15 | 0:21:18 | |
my sister, myself and my dad. | 0:21:19 | 0:21:23 | |
It changed her life
and our life fundamentally. | 0:21:23 | 0:21:28 | |
We couldn't communicate with her. | 0:21:28 | 0:21:30 | |
Everything had to be written down. | 0:21:30 | 0:21:32 | |
My mum couldn't sign,
my mum couldn't lip-read, | 0:21:32 | 0:21:35 | |
so she was flung into isolation
and into, to be honest with you, | 0:21:35 | 0:21:40 | |
a state of depression. | 0:21:41 | 0:21:43 | |
It was a really, really tough time
with two teenage girls at that | 0:21:43 | 0:21:47 | |
particular time who were very much
into their singing, | 0:21:47 | 0:21:50 | |
and all of a sudden my mum had
to admit that she would never be | 0:21:50 | 0:21:54 | |
able to hear her
daughters sing again. | 0:21:54 | 0:21:57 | |
Deafness is the
invisible disability. | 0:21:57 | 0:22:01 | |
My mum didn't look like
she had a disability. | 0:22:01 | 0:22:04 | |
Her voice sounded like it always
did, as she had been a hearing | 0:22:04 | 0:22:07 | |
person for 40 years,
but I saw and experienced first-hand | 0:22:07 | 0:22:09 | |
the major barriers that people
who are deaf have to experience. | 0:22:09 | 0:22:17 | |
While a Labour MP told MPs
she was the eldest child | 0:22:17 | 0:22:20 | |
of two deaf parents. | 0:22:20 | 0:22:22 | |
I have to tell you that
I was tempted to sign my whole | 0:22:22 | 0:22:26 | |
speech and I was going to do that
and have the interpreters voice-over | 0:22:26 | 0:22:31 | |
my comments for my colleagues,
to give everybody a feel for how | 0:22:31 | 0:22:34 | |
it is not to be able
to communicate directly, | 0:22:34 | 0:22:38 | |
not for a minute, not
for a sentence, but for five | 0:22:38 | 0:22:45 | |
minutes or however long it
takes me to finish this. | 0:22:45 | 0:22:49 | |
Not to be able to communicate
directly to the person | 0:22:49 | 0:22:51 | |
you are talking to is really,
really strange and difficult | 0:22:51 | 0:22:55 | |
and deaf people feel that,
experience that every single minute | 0:22:55 | 0:22:59 | |
of their lives. | 0:22:59 | 0:23:01 | |
The Public Health Minister turned
to calls for British sign language | 0:23:01 | 0:23:04 | |
to be legally recognised. | 0:23:04 | 0:23:07 | |
It is not entirely clear to me
which department would lead on legal | 0:23:07 | 0:23:10 | |
recognition of British sign
language, which is kind | 0:23:10 | 0:23:12 | |
of the problem that so many people
have referred to today. | 0:23:12 | 0:23:16 | |
Personally, I am sympathetic
to the calls for strengthening | 0:23:16 | 0:23:18 | |
the role of British sign language
and we certainly want to see as many | 0:23:18 | 0:23:24 | |
people trained and providing
support as possible. | 0:23:24 | 0:23:26 | |
The message that I can only bring
today is that, at this time, | 0:23:26 | 0:23:29 | |
Her Majesty's government is not yet,
anyway, convinced that the way to | 0:23:29 | 0:23:32 | |
achieve this is through legislation. | 0:23:32 | 0:23:35 | |
Now, we have protections
of the legal rights of people | 0:23:35 | 0:23:37 | |
who are deaf in the Equality Act,
of course, and in the duties | 0:23:37 | 0:23:40 | |
of the NHS and the mandate that I'm
responsible for giving to NHS | 0:23:40 | 0:23:43 | |
England and, of course,
publicly-funded social care | 0:23:43 | 0:23:45 | |
organisations to conform
to what we call the Accessible | 0:23:45 | 0:23:47 | |
Information Standard. | 0:23:47 | 0:23:50 | |
I'm very happy to take
this point away. | 0:23:50 | 0:23:52 | |
It's come across really clearly
from so many members | 0:23:52 | 0:23:54 | |
during the debate today
and all I would say | 0:23:54 | 0:23:58 | |
is that the Private Members Ballot
is a wonderful thing. | 0:23:58 | 0:24:02 | |
The Public Health Minister
with a hint that keeping up | 0:24:02 | 0:24:04 | |
the pressure for the legal
recognition of British sign | 0:24:04 | 0:24:06 | |
language might bear fruit. | 0:24:06 | 0:24:09 | |
Finally, it wasn't just
MPs who were up in arms | 0:24:09 | 0:24:12 | |
about Donald Trump and his tweets. | 0:24:12 | 0:24:13 | |
In the Lords, peers
were equally exercised. | 0:24:13 | 0:24:18 | |
I assume that President Trump only
tweets messages he has thought | 0:24:18 | 0:24:22 | |
carefully about and agrees
with because, if so, | 0:24:22 | 0:24:26 | |
he has endorsed a Nazi group
with a vicious record of attacks, | 0:24:26 | 0:24:31 | |
racism, Islamophobia
and anti-Semitism. | 0:24:31 | 0:24:36 | |
Surely there can be no question
of a state visit until at least | 0:24:36 | 0:24:39 | |
he has expressed some
remorse about this. | 0:24:39 | 0:24:43 | |
I would gently suggest
to the president of our greatest | 0:24:43 | 0:24:48 | |
ally, that if he would make
the White House | 0:24:48 | 0:24:52 | |
a tweet-and-Twitter-free zone,
he would make an immeasurable | 0:24:52 | 0:24:56 | |
contribution to the
peace of the world. | 0:24:56 | 0:24:59 | |
Hear hear. | 0:24:59 | 0:25:02 | |
Well, I do actually recall the words
of the former Prime Minister | 0:25:02 | 0:25:05 | |
about too many tweets and I shan't
repeat what he said, but, yes, | 0:25:05 | 0:25:08 | |
we must all be careful
about what we tweet and the effect | 0:25:08 | 0:25:11 | |
that it can have on
the wider community. | 0:25:11 | 0:25:16 | |
So, yes, we should tweet
with care, my Lords. | 0:25:16 | 0:25:21 | |
And Lady Williams brings us
to the end of the programme. | 0:25:21 | 0:25:24 | |
I'll be back at the same time
tomorrow with The Week | 0:25:24 | 0:25:26 | |
In Parliament, when I'll be talking
to an MP who hopes to | 0:25:26 | 0:25:30 | |
break the boundaries -
of constituencies, that is. | 0:25:30 | 0:25:32 | |
Until then, from me,
Mandy Baker, goodbye. | 0:25:32 | 0:25:38 |