01/02/2017 Tuesday in Parliament

It is time for Tuesday in Parliament.

Hello there. Welcome to Tuesday in Parliament. MPs began two days of

debate on the bill triggering our formal exit from the European Union.

We voted to give the people a chance to determine the future referendum.

Now we must fulfil our side to deliver on the result. Scottish

Nationalists say they will vote against the bill. One Conservative

says he will join them, rejecting the idea that exit will be good for

trade. Apparently you follow the Rabbit down the hole and emerge in

Wonderland. Also, are concerns about prisons falling on deaf ears? And

debate about Donald Trump's ban on some was in countries entering the

US. It is divisive and wrong. -- Muslim. The big Brexit debate. The

first day of discussion on the bill following the process of leaving the

EU. They will finish their debate and vote on Wednesday. The

government was forced to bring in the bill after losing a case in The

Supreme Court when the government's intention that ministers alone

should be able to start the process was challenged by campaigners who

said it should be a decision for Parliament. The SNP and the Lib Dems

are against the legislation, but it is expected to pass because Labour

MPs have been ordered to support it. The Secretary of State stepped out

the government's case. -- set out the pillar it is not about whether

we should leave the EU or how we should do it. It is simply about

Parliament empowering the government to implement the decision already

made, a point of no return already passed. We asked the people of the

UK whether they want to leave. They decided they did. So the core of

this ill has a very simple question. -- bill. Do we trust the people or

not? Our aim is to take this decision and emerge stronger,

fairer, and more united and outward looking than ever before. We have

been cleared there has to be no attempts to remain inside the EU, no

attempts to rejoin it through the backdoor, and no second referendum.

The eyes of the nation are on this chamber as we consider this deal.

For many years there has been a creeping sense in the country, not

just this country, the politicians say one thing and do another. We

voted to give the people the chance to determine how future in a

referendum. Now we must deliver our side and deliver on the result. We

are considering a simple question. Do we trust the people or not? For

generations, my party has done so. Now that question goes to every

member of this house. This bill provides a power for the Prime

Minister to begin the process and on the decision made by the people of

the UK on the 23rd of June last year. I commit it to the house,

trust the people. Is Labour shadow was in a reflective mood. We lost

the referendum. Yes, the result was close. Yes, there were lies and,

none worse than the false promise of ?350 million a week for the NHS.

Yes... Yes, technically, the referendum is not legally binding.

But the result was not technical. It was deeply political. And

politically, the notion that the referendum was merely a consultation

exercise to inform Parliament holds no water. I hope the respectful

approach I have tried to adopt two colleagues with the anxiety of the

48% is reflected across the house. -- to. Hopefully we will see a good

deal less of gloating for those who campaigned to leave than we have

seen in the past. It is our duty to accept and respect the outcome of

the referendum, but we remain a European country with a shared

history, and shared values. And it is also our duty to fight for a new

relationship with our EU partners that reflects our values, our

commitment to internationalism, and our commitment to an open and

tolerant society. Above all, it is our duty to ensure an outcome that

is not just for the 52%, nor the 48%, but for the 100 per cent. That,

we will do. A veteran Conservative pro- European said he would be

voting for hanky SNP amendment attempting to stop the bill in its

tracks. -- an. He received criticism. I don't say there is

criticism. I am actually on good terms with the hardline Eurosceptics

because I respect their sincerity and the passionate nature of their

believes. Bit if I see the member for Stone voted in favour of Britain

remaining in the EU, well, I retract what I say. A referendum... Hot

tongs would not make him vote for membership of the EU. He turned to

trade. Apparently, you follow the rabbit down the hole and you emerge

in Wonderland, where suddenly, countries in the world are queueing

up to give us trading advantages and access to their markets that

previously we have never been able to achieve as part of the EU. Nice

man like President Trump, President Erdogan, they are just impatient to

abandon their normal protectionism and give us access... Don't let me

be too cynical, I hope that is right. I do want the best outcome

for the United Kingdom from this process. No doubt, somewhere there

is a hatter holding a Tea Party with a doormouse. LAUGHING. We need

success in this trade negotiation to recoup at least some of the losses

which we are going to incur from leaving the single market. This is a

big deal. You are not just divvying up an animus records... INAUDIBLE.

This has an impact on each and every one of us. We will tackle

inequality, I'm a change, refugee issues, and areas that do not get

much of a hearing in Whitehall these days. -- climate. Our sovereignty

and working together is a good thing. Passing this bill and turning

your back on the amendment would turn its back on the progress we

have made and disrespects the devolution settlement. Vote for our

amendment all this is economic and constitutional sabotage. The British

people gave the government the mandate to pull the United Kingdom

out of the European Union. The British people no... They did not

give this government the mandate to threaten to turn our country into

some tawdry the regulation low tax cowboy economy. The British people

did not vote to make themselves poorer by pulling ourselves of the

greatest free trading single market the world has ever seen.

Incidentally, that is one of the many reasons why the Lib Dems

believe the British people should be given a sad at the end of the

process as much as at the start. -- say. The British people did not give

a mandate to the British government to indulge in this sycophantic farce

in the past few days where the government having burned every

bridge left in Europe rushes across the Atlantic to sidle next to a US

president who they do not seem to be aware about whose nativism,

isolationism, protectionism, is directly opposed to the long-term

strategic interests of the United Kingdom. There are a number of

excuses that have been made. We heard from the former leader of the

Liberal Democrats that the people did not know what they were voting

for. Well, first of all, there is no excuse for people in this house do

not know what they are voting for. Because the Prime Minister has made

it very clear in 6000 words what we are voting for. And during the

referendum campaign, the people of the United Kingdom knew what they

were voting for. In fact, those who wanted to remain tried to scare the

devil out of them when it came to the vote! They told them all kinds

of horrors were going to beset them. And within a couple of days we would

be eating dried bread and have no water and lose all of our jobs. And

still they voted to leave. Sam Wilson. We will have more from that

debate a little later in the programme. Now two other news. The

Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, has said the US travel ban creates a

potential propaganda opportunity for so-called Islamic State. Appearing

before the Home Affairs Committee, she also said officials were working

to take down extremist on line postings. Donald Trump has signed an

executive order suspending refugee settlement in blocking individuals

from seven majority Muslim countries from entering the US. Do you agree

with the Donald Trump ban? Yes. I support the stand the government has

taken. Amber Rudd said that it is divisive and wrong. It was reported

in the last few days that Isil supporters have been monitored on

social media saying things like this is a blessing, the ban, because it

helps increase recruitment. There are many people talking about the Al

Qaeda leader who claimed the West would eventually turn against its

Muslim civilians, using this to say that he was right. And also reports

of former security offices and agents warning that this is going to

make it harder to combat extremism. Are you worried about this? I mean,

Isil and Daesh will use any possibility they can to create the

environment they want to radicalise people to bring them over to their

side. So, it is a propaganda opportunity for them potentially.

What we will continue to do is monitor what is being said and

continue to take down the sort of literature and postings that we see

on the Internet that tried to encourage that sort of extremism.

They may use this as an example. We will continue to monitor and take

down those sites where we can. Another Labour MP turned to the

decision to invite President Trump on a state visit. Why spend this

money policing and individual with all the added costs that come with a

state visit, and individual that has peddled hate, racism, misogyny,

Islamophobia, when many people in this country would rather that money

were deployed on actually, for example, policing our communities?

Well, he is the head of state of the USA. We have an arrangement

internationally where we look after each other is head of state is. If

the Queen goes abroad we expect them to look after each other and spend

enough money. She is universally popular but some countries do not

take their views are big they still look after her and spend money on

policing her. -- this is Tuesday in Parliament with me, Alyssa McCarthy.

The chief inspector of prisons in England and Wales says many of his

reports are falling on deaf ears. He told the justice committee that

jails which did not fit his recommendations into practice often

fail to improve or went into decline. Both of you are hugely

experienced in the criminal justice system, with an enormous amount of

knowledge as to how it works, so Mr Clarke, starting with you, in 60

seconds tell me what's wrong with our prisons? Basically they are

unsafe, full of drugs, the physical environment is appalling and there

are too many people in our prisons suffering from mental health issues.

In my judgement those five issues will create a major obstruction to

the programme. Who is holding up this reform? You've identified the

problems and you have talked about what needs to be improved. Where is

the block in the system that prevents the changes that need to be

made? In terms of those issues which I've mentioned they our issues which

we frequently referred to in our reports and I have a frustration

that far too often it feels as if our reports fall on deaf ears. Not

in all prisons, but in some. Typically, the prisons which do not

respond positively to our reports, where there is a hugely low uptake

or implementation of our recommendations are those prisons

which do not improve for which actually decline in the way in which

they treat business and the outcomes that business encounter in those

prisons. Over the past year there has been a decline in the number of

our recommendations over role that have been implemented and most

worryingly a decline in the area of the recommendations in the area of

safety. In fact we are now in a position where more of our

recommendations on the subject of safety are not being achieved and

are being achieved. Let me ask a question about the opportunities for

the of prisoners to be heard. Do you think those as efficient at the

moment? Even if I were to believe just some of the stories I receive

in my postbag, then in some places there are clearly blockages. I've

seen this on several inspections, where a quite often I get mobbed or

approached by significant numbers of prisoners and very often that

complaint is about mundane, day-to-day issues, getting equipment

and supplies, getting bedsheets, clothing and getting their canteen

and so on and so forth. Lower-level staff, which has an enormous impact

on how a prisoner feels about their day-to-day existence. The government

has denied reports that it is planning to nationalise the

franchise which includes southern railway, after months of strikes and

disruption. The transport and is the told peers there were no plans to

use drip Thameslink railway, also known as GTR, of its franchise. This

followed reports that ministers were considering taking direct control,

with an official preparing a number of options. My lords, there are no

plans to strip the franchise. The speculation in the media is just

that, speculation. We continue to monitor the performance of all

franchises. Could the government say what benefits current Southern Rail

passengers have gained from the current franchise agreement, in view

of the extent of the widely recognised poor performance from

that regulator over the past two years? We are acutely aware of the

challenges which all people who are using that particular franchise are

facing, but my noble lords tried to distinguish between the industrial

dispute, which I have always said compound the problems the Network

Rail faces and an extra ?300 million has been given to the Brighton

mainline. In terms of the industrial dispute itself, it is

contextualised. RMT are out on dispute on a new contract. Every

single train supervisor has signed that contract. Every one. Not a

single one is exempted. They are working on a new contract. There are

no job losses on the new contract. There is no pay cut on those job

losses and what's more they are guaranteed a job until 2021. Even I

can't lay claim to that. Staying with trains, an 11th hour would bid

to derail the high-speed rail project has failed in House of

Lords. He opposed a backbench move to block legislation that paves the

way for the scheme by 386 votes to 26. The long-awaited HS2 project is

now set to go ahead after more than three years of parliamentary

scrutiny. A bill aimed at increasing the number of prosecutions after

so-called honour crimes has gained initial approval in the House of

Commons. The bill put forward by the Conservative Ms racked Ghani would

ban the phrase honour killings from all publications. She said police

were often not wanting to deal with these problems due to racism and

referred the woman abused throughout her marriage. She was terrorised,

going to bed not knowing if she would be alive the next day. She was

told that the honour of her family was at stake if she complained and

that police would treat her as a number. She told me that she did not

feel alive, but nor was she dead. When she did some of the courage she

called Crimestoppers as well as police. She risked her life in

reaching out. But after statements were taken she was returned home to

her abusers because it was just a "cultural misunderstanding". Buy to

bill was opposed by a fellow conservative. I believe that his

ministry premise of this bill is wrong because not all victims are

female and not all of offenders are male. -- discriminant tree. We

should have gender neutral laws so they help all victims of crime, and

punish all offenders whether they be men or women. We are looking at the

screen. It says crime, aggregated murder and violence against women.

It doesn't mention then! It is there on the screen for honourable members

who can't read or hear what is actually happening. They clearly

haven't read the bill that's been brought forward. But MPs allowed

Nusrat Ghani's bill to move forward, although it will not become law.

Let's return to the Brexit debate, with national conditions from all

sides of the house. Many working to be heard, at the Speaker had to make

this plea for forbearance. Can I appeal to members, please not to

keep coming up to the chair and asking where they are on the list.

Not doing so explicitly and not doing so by the backdoor, by asking

whether it is all right if they go to the Louvre, may I have a of tea?

Can I eat a biscuit? -- the loo. I will do my best to accommodate

everybody in the time available, but I appeal to colleagues to show a

little bit of patience and some regard for the chair trying to

concentrate on the debate. I will get you in if I possibly can. For

me, this referendum was a massive peaceful revolution by consent of

historic proportions. This bill at last endorses that revolution. From

the 17th century, right the way through our history, through the

parliamentary format which gave the vote to the working class, the

suffragettes who got the vote in 1928, and then of course in the

period of appeasement, these have all been great benchmarks of British

history and they have all ultimately been determined by the decisions

that have been taken in this house, and if I may be permitted to say so,

by backbenchers. The referendum decided only one thing. That that we

are leaving institutions of the EU. It did not determine the terms on

which we leave, it did not decide the new relationship we will have

with the other 27 member states. That is why we have as a nation to

get our objectives and process right as we start this great negotiation.

I have to say the government's handling of this thus far has not

shown sufficient respect for Parliament, notwithstanding the

number of times the Secretary of State has come to the spat box. How

long have they said they would give us a running commentary. And if you

ask for clarity you are not backing the UK team. That wasn't the right

way to approach it. One Labour MP suggested the Iain Duncan Smith that

there haven't been enough information published about this

bill. Over the past 40 years if anybody in this house doesn't have

enough information to make a decision about this I wonder where

they've been in the last 40 years, all the years they spent here. Of

course we have enough information. The question she is referring to is

the publication of the white paper and the government is certain they

will publish it. I stand by that, I think is a good idea, but I must say

the PM made a good fist of it in her recent speech in which he set out 12

point that would guide to negotiation. I do hope the

government reprints that with a couple of diagrams, the odd

explanation and the odd picture and I think that will make an excellent

white paper. I ensure the Secretary of State who, like me, has a degree

of experiencing complex international negotiations, is as

conscious as I am that one of the first prerequisite is to listen to

the words. It was not the president of the United States who said that

Britain would be at the front of the queue. It was British politicians.

What the president said was," you're doing great". I don't take as much

comfort. The other area that I just want to raise it is the question of

the game this idea that somehow if you voted to leave you were... If

not a racist outrightly, an indirect racist. That has been so ridiculous

and appalling that people, the 70 million people who voted to leave,

have been treated in that way. -- 17 million. We know that what people

voted for was not against immigrants but against the idea that 27 other

countries, 26 excluding the Republic of Ireland, would come into our

country without any... Any reason other than that they could come,

whereas outside the European Union and we've betrayed the Commonwealth

so badly back in 1973. You can't go back on your word because you don't

agree with the result. But I want to say this: I believe history will not

be kind to this Parliament, nor indeed the government I was so proud

to serve. How on earth did we ever come to give an alternative to the

people which we then said would make them worse off, less safe and would

weaken our nation? I greatly fear echoing the wise words of some of

the speech from my honourable friend a new member, that I greatly feared

generations who either did not vote or who are yet to come will not

thank us for a great folly. That's it from me for now. Do join me on

Wednesday night at 11pm for the conclusion of that debate and the

vote on the bill to begin our exit from the EU. For now, from me,

goodbye. The weather is very ugly outside

right now. We've had rain overnight and rain at times expected on

Wednesday as well. There will be some