22/02/2018 Thursday in Parliament

Hello and welcome to the programme.

Coming up.

The government loses a third court

case over air pollution.

This is a national health emergency.

Many people dying by

2020.

More grilling for Carillion,

this time it's those responsible

for pensions and auditing.

Nobody understands, both staggering

out onto the streets. What he comes

out as a surprise. They're all paid

to go after this.

And one MP tells

of her cancer tragedy.

Maybe they can join together across

the house and make this vision a

reality. And by 2050, no one need

die of breast cancer.

But first, ministers have been

accused of overseeing

a public health emergency

after the High Court

ruled its current plan to tackle air

pollution was unlawful.

On Wednesday campaigners won a third

victory over the Government.

The judge in the case said

the current approach in 45 local

authority areas wasn't sufficient.

He said steps must be taken

to comply with the law

as soon as possible.

The environment minister was asked

an urgent question on the matter.

While I welcome that the government

can be held, and in Parliament, the

judgement may be too focused on

compliance when what we need is a

much more detailed, wide-ranging,

and practical air-quality plan.

Clean air should be a right, not a

privilege. And we need to hear much

more from government now, and to

speed up the whole operation of

cleaning our air.

We are investing

billions of pounds, the uptake of

vehicles and specifically in regards

to the quality plan, we set aside

Some on the Labour benches

demanded urgent action.

this is a national health emergency,

millions of people could probably

die by recent estimates, by 2040,

this is not good enough. She must

act now.

Here we find ourselves once

again, sending them to the dispatch

box, to we know that air pollution

is responsible for many deaths, each

year with cardiovascular diseases

within Richard deaths.

Premature. Air pollution in the UK,

resulting in over 20 million and

economic costs of a year. The UK

exceeding legal limits of tuition,

the ambient air quality directive.

It poses a serious question, is

whether this conservative government

can be trusted with our environment

and dealing with illegal air

pollution after the UK he leaves the

EU, if that is what we are

witnessing here.

Frankly, we are a

direct result of what has happened

with the EU spelled an additional

testing regime. The actions of

certain irresponsible car back to

-- irresponsible car manufacturers,

they're also breaching the

air-quality limits. And let us not

forget, as I tried to take, I am fed

up with the opposition simply not

accepting their part of the

responsibility. Lastly, become it to

incentivize business, between 2000

2010, 15% of the vehicle sold. I am

not saying that the previous

ministers do not do things in good

faith, but as you found out, labour

and ignored advice at diesel fumes

were toxic.

Clean-air is an

advantage, we do not want to fall

behind, let's make sure that England

is in the forefront, socially just,

and globally competitive on this

issue.

If they lose their role in

monitoring and forcing decent air

pollution standards, back in

November, the Secretary told the

committee that he would consult a

new body. Very early in the new

year. When we see that consultation,

will nobody be in place before

Brexit date? And will it have higher

environmental standards? Or full

regulatory alignment with the EU,

which is what the Prime Minister has

promised her colleagues?

Levi put in

place, the targets for 2020, for key

pollutants. Parliament, this

government is already enacted

legislation, and I am pleased that

the endorsement approach. I'm saying

to the consultation will be

forthcoming soon. I am conscious

that people are, in the meantime, we

are not relying on the EU to help

with our air quality.

Therese Coffey.

A few weeks ago it was

the executives of the collapsed

construction firm Carillion

who faced a joint committee of MPs

to explain themselves.

On Thursday it was the turn of the

pensions regulator and the auditors.

CARILLION PIX Carillion provided

services for schools,

hospitals and prisons.

It went into liquidation

at the beginning of the year,

leaving suppliers unpaid.

And a hole in the company's

pension scheme amounts

to nearly a billion pounds.

More than a thousand

people lost their jobs.

And there was widespread disruption

among sub-contractors and suppliers.

The Committee began by asking

the pensions regulator

what lessons had been learnt.

I am looking backwards with the

benefit of hindsight, to see what

happened what lessons we can learn

from it. We'll have to do it on the

situation as well. The fact is why

I'm saying to you, we clearly have

to be clearer, quicker, and tougher.

The regulators insisted

that their work with Carillion had

resulted in a 16 year recovery plan

being put together,

and more money being put

into the pension fund.

Negotiating a recovery plan that

balances the interests of the

members and also the ability of the

organisation to address its other

obligations, and to deal with its

priorities is a key part of this.

And it does result and difficult

positions, sometimes,.

If you cannot

answer the questions, how many are

in this position? How many other

schemes were coming before you, we

need all this extra years, for

paying dividends? How many in a

position?

I cannot answer that

question. This is complicated,

numbers over a period of times that

change constantly. I'll be happy to

send the committee of note, but how

many schemes are present in that

situation.

Every week, you should

meet your and say, here is what is

still being paid huge dividends,

what action have you taken?

Been

identified there but are very

committed staff.

I do not doubt that

the staff is committed. We expect

you to be freshly informed.

I can

only apologise if you feel that I

have not gotten the information

available. But a lot of it is

complex. And I cannot hold it all in

my head.

The committee later heard

from the big firms who'd audited

Carillion's accounts.

There are a lot of people watching

this. It will be baffled to, two

major auditors, and the situation

arise as it is. And the company

collapses,

we are not the financial

accountants, that is not my role as

an auditor. We are not financial

accountants, we're not pulling the

together.

He explained their job was to look

across the business.

Reports he would look at would be as

broad as a driver, writing in

Alberta. It is

a guitar with a house the people. We

would look at a very broad range of

issues that Carillion based, and I

appreciate the conversations around

the complex, they're very important,

but that is just one aspect.

We

would not look at those, nobody

understands why this company went it

did. Was a surprise, there were all

paid to look after this! And none of

you... What single act did you do

that you think helps or might have

saved the company?

If I'm ideal to

come back to this...

What single

action? Did you take? You think I'm

proud of that?

More of that had been

followed I am not proud of what the

company has ended up.

I am very

sorry for what has happened to the

families of those employees who have

lost their jobs. Of course, and you

can probably tell from my accent, I

see it on the news everyday, and I

know some of those employees. I am

not in this state of management, and

depended decisions on behalf of the

company.

I think it is quite simple,

and to me it comes down to this. I

would not hire you, because when I

read it, I would not know what is

actually in my fridge or not. And

that is the point of auditing, isn't

it? To tell us what is here and what

is not.

72.9%, if I want to do an

audit of my fridge, I'm going to

tell you my receipts in the

supermarket. And that is not, yet to

open and see what is in the fridge.

But Peter Meehan insisted

that was what they had done.

You're watching Thursday

in Parliament with me, Mandy Baker.

As 11 senior cabinet

ministers were arriving

at the Prime Minister's country

residence, Chequers,

to thrash out the Government's

approach to the UK's future

relationship with the EU,

the Brexit minister was in the less

convivial surroundings

of Committee Room eight

for a grilling by the European

Scrutiny Committee.

The Government has already promised

to pay a divorce bill of up

to 39 billion pounds.

On Wednesday, ministers published

proposals concerning a transition

period after the UK leaves the EU,

but they failed to say exactly how

long that period would be.

If the transition lasts beyond 2020,

this could require payments to be

made beyond then. Therefore, from

January 2021, they would then be

paid into the EU's new long-term a

budget. The net result of this is

that the additional costs could run

into billions of pounds and the

estimate is between four billion and

5 billion.

Clearly, we are in a

negotiation. You set out in the UK

Government views in a period around

it to back years is the right period

to make sure the right arrangements

could be put into place. As you

know, commission currently is a

period of 21 months leading up to

December 2020.

There was no sense on

either side of any unlimited

duration for this implementation

period. Indeed, the EU's on

documents, I think in the Council

conclusions of the European town so

and the negotiating directors very

clear that these be specific, time

limited duration.

That's exactly

what we understood, but it does

begin to luck, according to some of

the noises off, that there is a

suggestion that this could be as

long as a piece of string and that

we go on. You say, strictly...

You're shaking your head. I'm glad

to see you are seeking your head,

but what I'm concerned about is that

we get mixed messages.

I don't think

the public think there's much

momentum. There seems to be an awful

lot of dragging feet and

implementation periods being

discussed in great detail before he

actually got anything to implement

and I share my colleague's question

about why we are not actually

getting out there and think what we

want in which we are going to do and

let the EU make a decision whether

or not they want to work with us.

I

think we are getting out there. We

had a number of speeches in recent

weeks and there will be more to

come. I recognise, obviously, we

want to get on with the prophesies.

-- with the process.

Concerns have been raised

by some Brexiteers

that the government's document

on the transition period cast doubt

on whether the UK would be able

to trade independently of the EU

during that time.

What we want to ensure is as per the

Texas today is that Teddy Mike

during the text yesterday... Brought

into force during the end of the

documentation period. With the

maximum benefit in the meantime, but

we have the maximum benefit from

having in independent trade policy.

The Committee also took issue

with the idea that the UK

would have to stick to EU laws

during the transition period

without having a say on them,

especially if new laws

were brought in.

The Minister claimed

that the UK would've already

considered most new laws.

The ambassador said Britain

wouldn't lose its voice.

We will continue to express our

views. Impact upon colleagues

thinking without being a formal

member of the EU. They bought want

to hear our views as we are big and

important. They and important

security player. -- big and

important security player. Our views

don't matter any more and that her

voice fall silent is what we don't

want.

The UK's ambassador

to the EU, Sir Tim Barrow.

One of the 11 members

of the cabinet's Brexit

sub-committee is Liam Fox.

But his departure for

Chequers was delayed

by International Trade Questions

which took place first

thing in the Commons.

He told MPs the government intended

to keep the benefits of EU free

trade deals after Brexit.

But Labour wanted more details.

The Secretary of State has told us

he plans to replicate all of the

provisions of the trade agreement

the UK has as a member of the EU

with Norway, Switzerland and Turkey.

These provisions include free

movement of people in the cases of

Norway and Switzerland, and a

customs union with Turkey. Can he

confirm, is it the Government's

policy to replicate all of these

provisions?

In a deep transition

arrangements we had, we made it

clear that the key element

discontinuity. Until we create

bespoke arrangements with these

countries, then we will continue the

provisions that existed today.

The

Norwegians have a saying that,

nothing is in as much of a hurry as

a dead fish on the back of a lorry.

Like Norway,... Take a minute. Like

Norway, Scotland exports most of the

fish it catches to the European

Union. And that is why Norway has

chosen to be a member of the single

market. In particular, to avoid

nontariff barriers to beat fish can

cross borders quickly. What

assessment has he made of the impact

of leaving the single market on the

Scottish fishing industry?

First

thing to point out is of course, the

majority of Scotland's exports go to

the rest of the UK. Not to the EU.

Before the honourable Lady talks

about the value of a single market,

it is just worth pointing out that

despite our membership of the single

market, we have had a growing trade

deficit with the European Union. We

headed growing traits of a

submersible. We want to establish

conditions for all of the experts

from all parts of the United Kingdom

can access the rest of the world.

90% of global growth in the next few

years will be outside of Europe.

Liam Fox.

The Foreign Office minister has

called on the Assad regime in Syria

to end what he called the "hell

on earth" of Eastern Goota in Syria.

In recent days, renewed government

airstrikes have killed

and injured hundreds of people

in the rebel enclave.

The Syrian military says

it is trying to liberate

the area from terrorists,

but it has also been accused

of targeting civilians.

Lord Ahmad said the Government

was appalled at the siege

and bombardment.

People are dying from starvation or

lack of medical treatment. The

United Kingdom government has

continued to press the regime and

its enablers to all international

forums to and this unbreakable

situation and we call on Russia to

agree a UN security council

resolution for humanitarian access

later today.

We are witnessing a

crisis unfold in front of us with

more than 300 people already killed

in the last few hours. A much larger

numbers of innocent civilians who

have been injured and the mentor.

Hospitals taken deliberately bide

targets. If the cease-fire is agreed

and implemented, what plans does the

Government have to help with the

evacuation of those who have been

injured in the provision of

humanitarian aid? If this cease fire

is not agreed or implemented, what

plans does the Government have to

put further pressure on the Assad

regime to stop this terrible

suffering that has been going on?

Lord Ahmad said UN agencies

were ready to evacuate people

if a ceasefire were to be agreed,

but if it were not.

Let me assure all noble lords we

will continue to press and not just

the Syrian regime, abolishes. Russia

has a role in this. Their backers of

the Assad regime. We will continue

to press Russia for an early

resolution.

There is no doubt that

some of the opposition are not

Democratic opposition parties.

They're far from it. Some of them

worse than Daesh. They are really

bad, some of them. Does that

Minister not agree you have to be

very careful in making judgements?

There are no good guys and us. There

are victims, but there are no good

guys. Both sides are horrible and we

need to be very careful about making

judgements. We've got to try and get

a balanced answer to help the

victims.

A former Liberal Democrat leader

said Syrian civilians

were being subjected to war crimes.

Isn't it right now to remember that

based on the Nuremberg principle

that those who preside over the

commission of war crimes or are

complicit in their being used are as

guilty as those who actually commit

them?

I think the noble lord is

right to raise the issue. History

resets us many lessons. Anyone who

has responsibility in bringing about

the end or cessation of the violence

in Syria or the Civil War should

make every effort to do so. I

totally agree. There are good guys,

it is the civilians of Syria and we

must bring peace for their sake.

Lord Ahmad.

Last year, a new legal requirement

was agreed to make companies

with more than 250 employees

publish data showing any

gender pay gap they have.

Employers were given 12 months

to get their ducks in a row,

but with only a matter of weeks

to go, it seems many firms

are dragging their heels.

The Minister for Women

and Equalities updated the Commons

on the progress that had been made.

So far, more than seven and half

thousand employers have registered

their intention... Others have

published their data. There are

still over a month until the public

and private sector deadlines and we

expect reporting activity to

increase significantly in the run-up

to the states.

I'll leave some have

-- only some companies have

published the data. How are we going

to make sure the Government...

As

been introduced by conservative

government. We will be contacting

private sector companies and public

sector organisations to make sure

they do report. This is an important

first step. Only a thousand so far,

more to go to be deadly. I would

urge the honourable gentleman not to

make the perfect again amending of

the good. -- not to make the perfect

the enemy of the good.

There have

been some in breast to give

journalism that some businesses have

filed incorrect data. If this is

done deliberately, what will my

right honourable friend you? -- what

will my right honourable friend do?

Her right honourable friend said

she would be talking to the Equality

and Human Rights Commission,

which has the power to enforce rules

around the reporting.

But other MPs were concerned

about submissions.

One challenge that we face is

employers and sometimes deliberately

conflating fair pay with equal pay

to avoid scrutiny of their conduct.

A prime offender is the BBC. 70 MPs

over to the Secretary of State for

culture to ask him to use his power

to ensure in equal opportunity for

both men and women at the

corporation to be heard on this

subject. Given he has refused, we'll

see exercise her freedom of speech

and have a word?

When the Minister

has a word with the BBC, will it be

her contention that it is the men

that are overpaid or though women

that are underpaid?

With reference

to the BBC and the gender pay gap, I

have also been looking at the

diversity and backgrounds the senior

management at the Corporation and

fortunately, they won't tell you and

unfortunately, they won't play ball

ingredient first -- the information.

Will the Secretary of State have a

word?

It looks like I'm going to

have a few things to take forward

with them. I look forward to coming

back and setting out to what those

conversations have revealed.

Amber Rudd in her role as Minister

for Women and Equalities.

And finally, there were moving

scenes in the Commons as MPs

discussed cancer strategy.

As in all walks of life,

many politicians have

been affected by cancer.

And one of them was

Labour's Karen Lee.

By Lindsay was diagnosed with triple

negative breast Cancer in April 20

ten. She died 13 months later. She

was very bright. She had a degree in

politics. She worked with

underprivileged children. She had a

husband and three small children.

They were two, four and seven. She

was treated at Nottingham City

Hospital. Should chemotherapy,

radiotherapy and a vasectomy. Her

treatment was amazing. They couldn't

have been better. -- and a

mastectomy. The unqualified team

that came in to support me and mock

her husband were amazing. I can

never thank him enough. My daughter

used to say to me because I used to

say to her, I had so much of my

life, more than you. I wish it could

be me. She used to say, mum, I wish

it could be no one. I think his

parliamentarians we have the power

to influence this and change it and

maybe we can join together across

this House and make breast cancer...

By 2050, nobody need a diet breast

cancer.

-- Anita Addae of

And as the next speaker rose, MPs

rushed over to comfort Karen Lee,

sitting on the second row

of the Labour benches

on the right of the picture.

Something the health minister noted.

There's always one person that

leaves not a dry eye in the House

and that today was the honourable

leader from Lincoln. I knows she's

not in her place now and I don't

blame her, but I think the whole

House wanted to run over and give

her a hug and maybe -- many of the

Labour member State. Listen for

doing that. It's house in its own

individual way to give her

collective hug.

And that touching note brings us

to the ned of the programme.

So from me, Mandy Baker, goodbye.