01/03/2018 Thursday in Parliament

Hello there and welcome

to Thursday in Parliament.

Coming up on this programme:

the Government says it's scrapping

stage two of the Leveson enquiry

into press standards, claiming

the media landscape has changed.

But the news gets a furious

response from Labour.

A breach of trust and a bitter blow

to the victims of press intrusion.

Questions on the Beast from the East

to the transport secretary as snow

causes chaos across the UK.

Also on this programme: peers call

for more regulation on the use

of facial recognition technology.

These techniques are extremely

powerful but they are out of the

bag. The train has left the station,

whichever metaphor you want to use.

And after 81 countries

add folic acid to food

to try to prevent birth defects -

questions as to why the UK hasn't.

Isn't it a disgrace that we haven't

gotten to the point of preventing

that suffering in our own country.

But first: The government

is to abandon the next stage

of the Leveson enquiry

into press intrusion.

The Culture Secretary, Matt Hancock,

also told MPs that he would repeal

an existing law which would make

newspapers pay the legal costs

of people claiming libel -

even if the case was thrown out.

The announcements were greeted

with dismay by Labour, who said

the decision was a "bitter blow"

to the victims of press intrusion.

The Conservatives opposed the second

stage in their election manifesto.

Matt Hancock reminded MPs

that the first stage had cost

£48 million.

We do not believe that

reopening this costly

and time-consuming public enquiry

is the right way forward.

So, considering all of the factors

in the House today, I have informed

Sir Brian that we are formally

closing the enquiry but we will take

action to safeguard the lifeblood

of our democratic discourse

and tackle the challenges our media

face today, not a decade ago.

He felt the new Salfit illiterates I

was working better than the previous

system. Any overturned a court act

which would see media paying cost in

libel cases whether they lost or

won. He quoted one response to a

consultation on the matter.

He want on to say section

40 risks, and I quote,

damaging the future of the paper

that you love and that the impact

will be to make it much more

difficult for papers to survive.

These are not my words, Mr Speaker,

what the words of Alastair Campbell,

talking about the chilling threat

of section 40.

And if anybody knows

about threats to the press,

it's Alastair Campbell.

At national and local levels,

a press that can hold the powerful

to account remains an essential

component of our democracy.

We need high-quality journalism

to thrive in the digital world.

We seek a press and a media

that is robust and independently

regulated and that reports

without fear or favour.

The Leveson enquiry was triggered

by the phone hacking scandal

and cases such as that

of the murdered schoolgirl,

Millie Dowler, whose mobile phone

was accessed by reporters.

Part two was supposed to cover

unlawful press activity

and relations between journalists

and the police.

Labour's spokesman, Tom Watson,

has campaigned on press intrusion,

and his office has received around

half a million pounds

from his fellow privacy

campaigner, Max Mosley.

Labour has said it will receive no

more money from Mr Mosley,

after a row about a racist

by-election leaflet

he published in 1961.

Tom Watson referred to that

at the beginning of his remarks:

If I thought for one moment he held

those views contained in that

leaflet 57 years ago,

I would not have given

him the time of day.

He is a man, though,

who in the face of great family

tragedy and overwhelming media

intimidation, chose to use his

limited resources to support

the weak against the strong.

He said the announcement

was a breach of trust to families,

like Millie Dowlers.

Let me close with the words of

former Prime Minister David Cameron

to the love and enquiry

in June 20 12.

"I will never forget meeting

with that family in Downing Street.

"To run through the terms

of this enquiry with them,

"and to hear what they had been

through and how it had redoubled,

"trebled the pain and agony had been

through over losing Millie.

"I'll never forget that."

And that is the test of all of this.

It's not, do the politicians or the

press feel happy with what we get.

It is, are we really protecting

people who have been caught up

and absolutely thrown

to the wolves by this process?

That's what the test is.

The Secretary of State

will prosper politically

from his statement today,

but he's failed that test.

What if it is for the victims of

phone hacking and press abuse? What

does the secretary say to the

countless victims of massive use --

of press abuse? There is nothing in

this of any promises that will be

made to them by a conservative Prime

Minister in legislation that was

voted on on by the Secretary of

State. Times have not changed for

the victims and there is nothing in

this war them.

What I've said and

what I will say to them is that we

have to make sure that the media and

news industry that we have in the UK

and hold the powerful to account and

can respond to today's challenges.

Whilst newspapers make the life of

an elite intolerable, they make

complacency impossible.

Journalists, Secretary

of State, are utterly

dismayed by your statement.

I value freedom of the press,

but does the Secretary of State not

see the sad irony in talking

about how the press has held

the powerful to account and then

closing the door on our opportunity

to hold the powerful voices

of the press to account

on behalf of of the victims?

Now more than ever,

newspapers play a vital role

in holding both government

and opposition to account

and he is absolutely right that

rather than looking backwards

at the events of ten years ago,

and adding to the cost

of local newspapers,

we should be supporting newspapers

in meeting the challenges

of the internet giants.

John Whittingdale.

Now to transport questions,

where unsurprisingly, the impact

of the current wintry weather

was on the agenda.

The "Beast from the East"

and Storm Emma have led to trains

being cancelled across the UK.

Alongside commuter chaos,

flights have also been

delayed or cancelled,

while driving conditions have been

treacherous on many roads,

with Scotland and the north east

of England among the worst affected.

Forecasters are warning

of more disruption to come

as the freezing weather continues.

Well, one MP wanted

an investigation into why some

One MP wanted an investigation into

why some services had struggled.

I wonder if my right

honourable friend would come

after the snow event is over,

ask some serious questions or even

review why it is that

when we have an event like this,

we still are not in any way,

in some cases, prepared.

For example, I discovered yesterday

that Heathrow is busy off-loading

flights because they can't

cope with it, whereas...

It is regional flights.

What I am saying to my honourable

friend is that, given all of that,

if places like Gatwick and other

airports are able to cope,

does he not think it is ridiculous

that at some airports

are simply unable to cope

and others in the UK can?

Mr Speaker, of course I know

a number of members are here today

because flights to regional airports

were not able to go and I hope

and would expect us to be able

to sort that out today as quickly

as possible, though

it's really important

system is run safely.

Of course, one of the benefits

of the expansion of Heathrow Airport

is that that airport will become

more resilient to difficult

situations like this week,

and it will mean that connections

to regional airports

are more reliable.

This week of all weeks, rail passage

want up-to-date information

up-to-date information

about delays and cancellations.

South Eastern trains' website has

failed to provide any live time

update in any single rush hour

of this week, today included.

Will my right honourable friend bear

that in mind when the franchise

comes up for renewal?

My honourable friend is a powerful

champion for constituents in Bromley

and Chislehurst and he's right

to expect accurate and prompt

and timely information so that

passengers can have the journey

quality that they deserve.

Questioning then focused

on the East Coast Mainline

and the decision to end early

the rail franchise run

by Stagecoach and Virgin.

He said he knew about a problem with

the stagecoach finances and had been

talking about the Department of

Finance with it for two years. Then

why did he not put a contingency

plan forward given that his

department... Mr Speaker, the

Secretary of State has had two years

to sort this mess out and is it not

simply incredible that he still does

not know what to do?

Let's be clear.

I've been Secretary of State for 18

months, Mr Speaker, and since I

became aware, we have been doing

careful contingency planning so we

have a long-term plan for this route

and we have short-term options am a

but you can't actually put those

short-term options into place until

the appropriate moment arrives when

they are necessary, and we are

prepared for that moment when it

arises and we will deliver the

alternatives.

Given that the

taxpayers Arty lost out on over £2

billion of payments, tender

secretary advised the House whether

the ramifications and termination of

the franchise are fully concluded?

What sums of money are earmarked to

settle any further demands of

misters Branson and Souter through

litigation?

We have no more written

off £2 billion then they rode off,

because the reality is this is up

being a profitable railway that will

whatever happens continue to

generate a substantial return for

the taxpayer and it is about time

they did their sums properly rather

than misrepresenting reality.

You're watching Thursday

in Parliament, with me,

Alicia McCarthy.

Still to come, a chance for MPs

to show off their language skills -

as the Commons celebrates

the national day of Wales.

A happy Saint David's day.

Before that, in the Lords,

there was a call for better

regulation for the use

of facial recognition technology

by the security service and police.

Biometric software can identify

someone by comparing a photo

or video to a stored face-print.

It's used for security but also

increasingly by private companies.

One peer, who said she'd been

arrested but not charged

while attending a peaceful

protest, raised concerns.

I'm very concerned that this

technology is being used

with a database of illegal images

of innocent people and I include

myself in that number.

It seems that the facial

recognition technology

is using the Police National

Database, which contains tens

of thousands of people

who were never charged or convicted

of an offence.

It is six years since the High Court

ruled that the policy of retaining

the mugshots of innocent

people was unlawful,

but the police still do it

and they still upload them

onto the Police National Database.

The Government's solution in 2017

was to allow individuals to write

to the police asking to be deleted.

That just isn't good enough.

Although it's still in a very early

stage of development,

as far as its use in the criminal

justice system is concerned,

I have no doubt that it

will eventually be accepted

by the police and the courts

as a quick and reliable method

of eliminating the innocent

from suspicion as much

as for identifying and

convicting the guilty.

But he added there were no national

or international standards to

implement their use.

The train has

left the station or whatever

metaphor you wanted to use on this

concern.

The Chinese alibi beside as a way

where you can smile to pay. I don't

know if a similar system is being

adopted in the UK or other Western

countries, but the technique is

there and it is actually only a

matter of time before none stagers

actors start to use these techniques

are far more widely than is

currently the case.

While the PM of

former and white -- and my five

cheap... Is going into rebuilding

the other day and there was a facial

recognition at the door.

Ended at

that -- it is merely identified me

as myself. And it was a 12-year-old

photograph taken from the Internet.

This is not just the police custody

records. You can do without any of

that stuff. A lot of people are

doing so in the private sector.

For example, the Durham Police force

are now wearing body worn image

cameras to create a troublemakers

database, which is totally

against the principles of data

protection and against the spirit

of using this kind of technology

for intelligent gathering tools.

As there is no legal status and no

proper regulations and no

independent oversight,

they're getting away with it.

experienced The Home Office Minister

said biometric data was critically

important in law enforcement.

She also said the government

was committed to creating

We commit to ensuring that the use

of biometrics and those provided to

law enforcement partners are legal

and robust.

She also said the government

was committed to creating

a framework so that organisations

could innovate with biometric data

in an ethical and transparent way.

Staying in the Lords the Government

was accused of intentionally

delaying a decision on putting folic

acid in flour and bread to help

prevent some birth defects.

One in every five hundred

to a thousand pregnancies in the UK

is affected by neural tube defects -

like spina bifida -

which damages the nervous system.

81 countries have introduced

mandatory folic acid

fortification in food.

A recent study by universities

in London found that there was no

The original study for this was

published in 1991. There were four

small children issued in maternal

health. In the intervening time, I

now have four small grandchildren.

81 countries have acted on this

British publicly funded research

which has saved untold suffering

throughout the world. Isn't it a

disgrace that we haven't got to the

point of preventing that suffering

in our own country?

A recent study by universities

in London found that there was no

need for an upper limit

on the amount of folate

which could be put in flour.

I think the noble lady is completely

right in what she says and I think

going forward one of the reasons

perhaps that has not been movement

up until now is because of the

problems with the upper level which

clearly this report says is not a

problem. If the upper level has no

longer needed, it provides

reassurance on the safety of

mandatory fortification and I think

proceedings should go ahead.

There

are two main reasons by the

Government may feel resistance this.

One is the dosage level is not toxic

at all. The second is we don't want

to be described as a nanny state. If

the noble lady would take a tune and

sweetcorn sandwich at the Bishop of

the bar, she will find that the week

that we already add, calcium, iron,

preservatives 8282, H and E 300,

nanny state? This before as it is

very vital, when she agree?

I think

the nanny state does come into it.

Not as far as we're concerned are

anyway. Health officials told me

that the Department of Health mailed

back apparently has been from the

general public that they don't want

mass fortification in their food.

But that will all be part of any

proceedings going forward in

discussions. That isn't what is

holding us up at the moment.

Lady Chisholm added the Government

was not intentionally

delaying a decision on this,

it was waiting to get approval

from several of its departments

before it could proceed.

Ministers have been warned that

urgent action is needed to ensure

foreign fruit and vegetable pickers

can continue to work

in the UK after Brexit.

MPs from all parties have called

for clarity on the rules that

will apply to seasonal migrants

after March next year,

and many called for a new visa

scheme for agricultural workers.

Kirstene Hair, who secured today's

debate, said an estimated 80,000

seasonal pickers came to work

in the UK last year

and it was expected that 95,000

would be needed in 2019.

But she said it was getting

increasingly difficult

to recruit workers.

Without sufficient farmers, cops --

crops are left to rot in the field,

a scene which was unfortunately

witnessed last year. Some farmers

for the first time -- for some had

to watch their programmes waste away

in the fields. As the war for

slightly in the season had

dispersed. A research conducted

between January and February of this

year had startling outcomes which I

hope will convey the seriousness of

the current situation. 100% of those

who were contacted said they were

concerned or very concerned about

the impact labour shortages would

have on their businesses in 2018 and

beyond.

One farmer I spoke to that

yes, he had always sought British

workers to come and work on his

farm. And in six years, he did have

one moved by. And blessed to the

half weeks. We are not going to find

the UK market that people will come

to replace all of the people who are

working in a seasonal capacity at

the moment.

The production of fruit

and vegetables is a great success

story for our country. It is a

growing industry that we should be

supporting. But unless we fix this

labour shortage, prices will go up.

Fewer people will be able to afford

British fruit and vegetables. That

growth may well reverse. And we will

see a share of the fruit and

vegetables that we consume that we

currently consume, British produce,

be replaced by imports.

The strong

feeling I had during these

discussions was that an ideological

fervor of Brexodus among certain

Ministers and with that unbending

support for freedom of movement, are

completely overridden any common

sense approach to this problem. That

the response was very much we voted

for Brexit and to stop freedom of

movement, we have to get on. That is

my approach -- that is our report no

matter what -- a brochure and what.

What we have seen in an agriculture

business is this has become

collateral. This is becoming root

issue for this, which is now set in

the very -- threatening the very

viability of so many farms. And I

tried to figure out why I did so

resistant about putting forward a

seasonal agricultural worker scheme?

Eight can only be about immigration.

It is not, then the honourable Lady

could get up why is there a

reticence to put in place a scheme

was that it is all about

immigration, isn't it?

Kirstene Hair called

for the urgent introduction

of a Seasonal Agricultural

Workers scheme.

Why do we need this urgently?

Harvest 2018. Our first cannot plan

that will be harvested. This is an

industry in turmoil.

Is critical to

that those are last certainty that

can stay long-term. We have clearly

stated throughout negotiations that

we value EU citizens and the

contribution they make to the

economic and social fabric of the

UK. Our offer is that those EQ

citizens and their family members

who arrived our resident and have

registered during the period will be

eligible after the acute donation of

five years continual and unlawful

status.

Caroline Nokes.

March the first is the

meteorological start of spring.

Hard to believe right now,

it's also St David's Day

and a chance for a few non-Welsh

speakers to have a go

at the traditional greeting.

Can I wish all members... I am told

that as happy Saint David's Day for

all of the nine Welsh speakers

amongst us.

D... And happy Saint

David's day.

And how about with

a Scottish accent?

Here's my go... I hope I impressed

my honourable member.

And this is how it should be done.

Happy Saint David's day.

Congratulations to the leader and

the shadow leader in the S and P

Leader of the House for using the

wealth -- watch language. Which we

were allowed historically to use

recently in the Welsh grand

committee in this House and I was

pleased to make a speech in the

Welsh language. As the leader

considered whether that very welcome

extension could be extended into the

chamber now that technology makes it

perfectly possible to have a House

of Commons debate using translation

equipment?

But there was some bad news

for those wanting more

talk of St David's Day.

When the base of the East makes star

Anna, at the request of Welsh

drivers, the schedule debate on

Welsh affairs has been cancelled so

that they can travel home safely.

The weather intruding

on Commons business once more,

something Pete Wishart was keen

to explore, sort of.

I suppose there are only two real

items of business, and the bees of

the East and the Foreign Secretary.

One is a white at delivering havoc

and chaos and whatever touches. And

the other is of course the beast of

the East.

Pete Wishart with an

entirely spontaneous gag.

And that's it from us for now but do

join me at 11pm on Friday night

on BBC Parliament for our round up

of the week in Parliament.

We'll be looking back at the big

events of the last few days

here at Westminster,

and looking at Brexit

and devolution.

As Wales and Scotland ramp up

the pressure on the Westminster

government to make sure powers over

things like food and fishing go

to them after Brexit.

But for now from me,

Alicia McCarthy, goodbye.