05/09/2017 Tuesday in Parliament

Hello there and welcome to Tuesday in Parliament as MPs return

to Westminster for the first time since the start

Parliament may have been in recess, but the Brexit

David Davis updates MPs on the ups and downs of the negotiations.

Nobody will pretend this would be simple or easy. I have always said

that the glaciation will be tough. MPs and peers express their concerns

over North Korea's nuclear tests and a Foreign Office minister faces

criticism from his own side over the Government's response to plight

of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. Which sounded deep close to doubling

for the blame of this ethnic cleansing on the victim community.

Just where has the UK got to in its negotiations

At a news conference following the last round of talks

both the UK and EU expressed frustration at the pace of the talks

and continued disagreement over the size of the UK's "divorce bill".

EU negotiator Michel Barnier said "no decisive progress" had

But the Brexit Secretary David Davis said the UK had a "duty

to our taxpayers" to "rigorously" examine the EU's demands.

Updating MPs David Davis was jeered by the Labour side as he gave

While at times do negotiations have been tough it is clear we have made

concrete progress on many important issues.

LAUGHTER in areas such as healthcare

and recognition of qualifications. But he turned to the so-called

divorce bill - the money the UK Our discussions this week have

demonstrated yet again and exposed yet again that the UK approach is

substantially more flexible and pragmatic than that of the EU, it

did avoid unnecessary destruction for business and consumers. I have

urged the EU to be more imaginative and flexible on the approach to this

point. He turned to the money the UK will pay on leaving. In July the

commission said of the EU position. We have a duty to our taxpayers to

interrogate the position vigorously and that is what we did line by

line. It may be a little bit of a shock to the commissioner but that

is what we did line by line. In the August round we set out our analysis

of the EU position and we also had in death discussions and even

doesn't bank and other budget is. It is clear the two sides have very

different legal stances but as we said in the Article 50 D settlement

should be in accordance with law and in the spirit of the UK continuing

partnership with the EU. There were, he said,

significant differences to be Although he will say at I am sure he

is equally frustrated by an equally unhelpful to whistle comments and

blackmail comments from some of his own colleagues. I am sure that

colleagues and officials in his department are working hard in these

difficult because stations and pay tribute to what they are doing

behind the scenes. But the state of affairs and the slow process of

progress are a real cause for concern. Parties appear to be

getting farther apart than closer together. There is no huge pressure

on the negotiating round itself in September. -- now huge pressure. The

consequence is this, if says two is pushed back there are very serious

consequences for Britain. And no deal, which I had hoped had died a

death since the election, could yet rise from the ashes. Nobody would

pretend that this would be simple or easy. I have always said the

negotiation will be tough, complex... Tough, complex and at

times confrontational. Keir Starmer said it was time

to drop some of the Prime Minister's "deeply flawed" red lines to create

the flexibility necessary. We are all see reaching the stage of

negotiations where fantasy meets brutal reality. The truth is that

too many promises have been made about Brexit which can't be kept.

The Secretary of State has just said that nobody was pretending it would

be easy. LAUGHTER

Mr Speaker, they were pretending it would be easy, the international

trade Secretary promised that negotiating a deal with the EU would

be and I quote, one of the easiest deals in human history to negotiate.

Can I urge my right honourable friend not to accept the advice of

the opposition party that only six weeks ago was in favour of leaving

the customs union and the single market and only today has now

reversed that position, he should say steady on the course of the

Government. The EU has a very simple choice to make and they help it make

its own but they will boldly mated later, they can either trade with

this but no new tariff barriers because women are very generous

offer with a Conte Boulez on WTO rules which we know works fine for

us because that is what's we do with the rest of the world. The children

references to the EU blackmailing the UK don't help our negotiating

stand in fact they increased the risk of UK crashing out of the

European Union. In those circumstances does the Secretary of

State still agree with themselves on the need for a decision referendum

which would allow people to vote on the terms of the deal or devote to

stay in the European Union? A Labour MP returned

to the exit bill. On the matter of the financial

settlement does the Secretary of State believed that the European

Union is blackmailing the UK? With the best will in the world I choose

my own words and of course in the negotiation there are pressure

points, but that is to be expected. David Davis.

The Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, has brushed aside

criticism of President Trump's response to the North Korea crisis.

Last week North Korea fired a missile over Japan -

and on Sunday it said it had successfully tested a nuclear weapon

that could be loaded on to a long-range missile.

The secretive communist state said its sixth nuclear test

Pyongyang said it had tested a hydrogen bomb -

a device many times more powerful than an atomic bomb.

Updating the Commons on the situation, Boris Johnson set

out the gravity of the situation and called for calm diplomacy.

The House must be under no illusion that this latest test marks another

perilous advance in North Korea's nuclear ambitions. In a country

blighted by decades of communist economic failure where in the 1990s

hundreds of thousands of people died of starvation or reduced to eating

grass and leaves to survive, the regime has squandered its resources

on building an illegal armoury of nuclear bombs. He has will wish to

join me in condemning the nuclear test that poses a grave threat to

the security of every country in East Asia and the wider world. Will

Britain be a voice of calm reason on the world stage by will we allow

ourselves with Angela Merkel, she told the Gerry Mullan today that

they can only be a peaceful and problematic solution and if the

answer is yes and that is the route the Government takes they will have

our full support. But if they pretend that military options,

involving decapitation, annihilation, fire and fury, long

anywhere but in the bin, if they swear blind loyalty to Donald Trump,

no matter what appears he drags us towards, then they will be risking a

hell of a lot more than just losing our support. The UK Government must

use its much vaunted special relationship with the United States

and influence as friend Donald Trump to drastically calm his rhetoric. If

that relationship is organising, if the UK has any sort of influence, in

the White House, they must use it now to walk President Trump back

from the unacceptable threat he has made and to bring some modicum of

rationality to his dialogue. It is clear that he whole house hopes

overwhelmingly for a diplomatic solution to this crisis but the

Foreign Secretary also stared that we stand by our allies. So on that

point may I ask how they received any request for potential military

support in South Korea, Japan or indeed the United States? And if so

what has been our response? We have received no such request so far,

Madam Deputy Speaker, and our intention is to try and avoid the

circumstances in which such a request should be made. I want quiet

diplomacy but can I get the message across to the Foreign Secretary that

that means working with all our alleys? Yes, serious conversations

with the United States, but is unavoidable, but also to all our

friends and allies in Europe, but agree the Germans, French and others

and particularly Nato, that we have heard very little about Nato over

the recent days. When China is a voice of calm and even Russia is

more measured than the US, it speaks volumes about the state of global

diplomacy. I disagree with the Government cosying up to Donald

Trump, but if there is to be any value in those actions surely the

Foreign Secretary should use and violence to make President Donald

Trump use his phone for talking instead of sending involuntary

tweets into what is a fragile and precarious situation. I really must

disagree powerfully with the honourable lady's assertion that

somehow this crisis has been whipped up by the Americans for by the

president by the White House when if you look at the history, not just in

the last year but over the last ten years, 30 years, De Sart in a

movement towards the acquisition of thermonuclear weapons by a rogue

state and we have now come to a point where we have to use all the

diplomatic and peaceful at our disposable to freeze that nuclear

programme and ensure a peaceful solution.

Peers were also quick to offer strong condemnation

of North Korea's nuclear tests and their possible consequences.

Isn't the realistic lesson of the Cold War that beyond usually assured

destruction was a formidable campaigning to systematically

encourage change from within? Isn't the greatest current danger the law

of unintended consequences where a rogue missile or ugly bellicosity

could have devastating and lethal consequences for millions of

innocent people? I think it is clear that the global community affected

by the United Nations and the United Nations Security Council believes

the correct approach to this is a mixture of diplomatic and economic

measures. Going back to play detected was some scepticism about

the sanctions, I made courtroom at the UK permanent representative to

the United Nations Matty Rycroft said yesterday and he said it is

clear the sanctions are having an effect and he said those who doubt

this impact would only read the statements coming from the North

Korean regime, so these measures today are having an effect, the UK

Government is currently in discussion with our global partners

as to what further steps we might take. Sanctions that are but to

affect only the ordinary people of North Korea have not chosen to eat

grass, and the words of Vladimir Putin, actually a factor. What

efforts has Her Majesty 's government undertaking to try and

ensure that future sanctions actually target the leader and not

the people of North Korea? The noble lady is right to allude to a very

natural concern, the plight of the people of North Korea. There is

every reason to imagine that their plight is very grave indeed. I

shared the noble lady's concern. The UK is doing whatever it can through

diplomatic channels to exercise influence.

The United Nations says the number of Rohingya refugees

crossing from Myanmar - also known as Burma -

into Bangladesh has surged in recent days.

The Rohingya are a stateless, mostly Muslim, ethnic

minority who have faced persecution in Myanmar.

More than 123,000 are now said to have fled violence

in the country's Rakhine state since 25th August.

The conflict was triggered by an attack by Rohingya

This sparked a military counter-offensive that has forced

a flood of civilians from their villages.

Answering an urgent question the Foreign Office Minister said

he'd issued a statement jointly with the International Development

Minister Alistair Burt after the initial outbreak of violence.

Condemning the attacks by Rohingya militants

At the same time, the UK also strongly urge the security forces

to show restraint and call for all parties to

The MP who'd asked the urgent question was unimpressed.

I have to say, I'm a little bit disappointed by the response of the

Minister in the way he started by suggesting as if somehow the

Rohingya Muslims and these people had caused this to occur. He must be

aware that in the last number of years, there has been a semester

Matic rape and murder on burning and beheading of people of the Rohingya

community. This is one of the worst outbreaks of violence in decades.

The international community is sidelined as they watch another one

the envelope before our eyes is. Does the Minister agree that this

situation requires urgent integration, and can he tell us what

concrete action the Government and Prime Minister had taken today to

deal with this? Very sorry to hear the honourable ladies are

disappointed. We have miners of for some time and made it known through

diplomatic sources are feelings. If yours and Congress that unsung Suu

Kyi, so long such a beacon for human rights, has not stepped in in terms

of the military crackdown meetings are many people that access to food.

So what do we say about the struggles going on between the

Government and Bernie is military. And what we say to those who wish to

uphold human rights to gain the upper hand? I thank Billy honourable

lady for her worries and four at the British beaucoup Brahams have very

little knowledge of Burma, perhaps anything they know is Ang Sang Suu

Kyi and perhaps they will be dismayed. There is various sectarian

aspects within Burma and a lack of democracy as we would know it's

going back five decades. And disappointed with the tone of the

Minister, which sounded like dumping the blame for this ethnic cleansing

on the Muslim community. Can he is a little more about our expectations

of our sons the key is leading a Government and associated with

behaviour that is unacceptable by any standard of behaviour at all?

I'm sorry that my honourable friend Jesus to use the opportunity to

grandstand on the way that he does. I thought it made it absolutely

clear... JEERING The House has voted on that

matter, as the all know. We have made it clear that we do feel that

Ang Sang sickie and her Government do need to rise to the plane. We are

not in any way be getting our understanding of the violence that

is going on and it's impact. Over in the Lords a bishop asked

what the UK Government was doing The United Nations is reporting

35,000 people have crossed from Myanmar into Bangladesh in the past

24 hours alone. The two UN camps for refugees are now full. What action

does Her Majesty Government plan to take in response to this imaginary

crisis, and in particular, what representations are being made to

them Janmaat Government entrance bonds to the blocking of humanity

Government to the locking of humanitarian aid?

The minister Lady Goldie said the UK Government was very concerned

and the situation had been raised by the UK's ambassador

But peers wanted her to say more about what was actually being done.

Has the Government officially condemned the action that has been

described as genocide, ethnic cleansing and the appalling scenes

that we are witnessing, both on social media and on our TV screens

of families, children, being driven out in the most horrible of

circumstances and thousands of villagers being burned down? I've

herders saying that we're sensitive about the transition of military to

democracy, but there's surely no excuse for this in that transition?

I think the United Kingdom is clearly on the record as making

obvious to those involved our very profound unease of what is going on.

We do intend this violence and are trying, with other partners, look

forwards to both assist Burma and the plight of those directly

affected. You're watching Tuesday in

Parliament with me, Alicia McCarthy. Don't forget you can find plenty

more from Westminster on our website 12 weeks after the Grenfell Tower

tragedy, the Communities Secretary Sajid Javid told MPs that 196

households needed a new home. Of those, 29 have moved

into temporary accommodation while two have moved

into permanent homes. Mr Javid also revealed that 165

tower blocks across the UK - clad with some form of aluminium

composite material - Several MPs voiced concerns

about the slow pace of the rehousing scheme while others urged Ministers

to pay more attention to the psychological

problems facing survivors. The number of people who have moved

into temporary or permanent homes continues to rise,

but I know that the overall One reason for the low take-up

of temporary home offers is that some residents simply don't

want to move twice, and they have said

that it is their preference to stay where they are until a permenant

home becomes available. He said he didn't

want to rush anyone. Meanwhile, residents who don't

want to live in emergency accommodation for any

longer than is necessary. Nor do I want families forced

to move or make snap decisions simply so I

have better numbers to report The Grenfell disaster prompted

a testing regime on cladding Mr Javid said four of the seven

cladding systems had The cladding systems that passed

the test are in use on eight The owners of affected

buildings have been given detailed advice, drawn up by

independent expert advisory panel. This covers steps to ensure

the safety of residents, including, where necessary, the

removal of cladding. For me, the biggest sign that the

people at Kensington will not be beaten is the amazing results

achieved by local children in their GCSEs and A-levels will stop Imad

Wasim critically of remarkable young women, just 16 years old, her family

lost their home in the fire, but she still received a string of top

grades. Mr Speaker, on Help And Rehousing,

we've been reminded today how vital this is by the reports of 20

Grenfell Fire survivors who have tried to commit

suicide since the fire. 12 weeks on, how on Earth

can it be that only 29 households, 196 from

Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk, What is the Secretary of State doing

to speed this up, and when was all the survivors be offered

permanent rehousing? The school year began today,

and students are shortly beginning university from inadequate

accommodation in hotels As will those of the young man

who was also taking his GCSEs the morning of the fire, and arrived

in his underwear at school, was given clothes to where,

who didn't have the fabulous good fortune of the young

woman you spoke about, has had no consideration,

and has lost his place at school. The Justice Minister Dominic Raab

has apologised for a policy requiring workers to fund the cost

of taking legal action The Government introduced fees

for employment tribunals in 2013 in order to reduce the number

of cases considered The trade union, Unison,

challenged the fees, arguing that they were

denying people justice. And, in July, the Supreme Court

ruled that the policy was unlawful. My constituents have highlighted

the stress and financial burden placed on them

in going through an employment tribunal case which

they ultimately won. Can the minister ensure that those

who are entitled to claim back under the tribunal freeze are made

aware of the process and are reunited with their money

in a timely fashion? I thank the honourable

member for that question. He's absolutely right that it can be

quite an ordeal to go to the employment tribunal or any

tribunal, which is why pay tribute to the work

of Acas and Conciliation. We're going to set out

the practical arrangements for the reimbursement of those fees,

and we want to make sure all the points, particular making

people aware, are properly thought through before

we do that. Was the decision to introduce the

fees in the first place a mistake? We certainly accept

the Supreme Court ruling. We've ended those fees and we're

looking to make sure that, not only do we reimburse those that

were affected, but we obviously Richard Burgon wrote

to Justice Secretary, David Lidington, in July asking

for a "full and unequivocal Last week, I received this

wholly inadequate reply, but will the Minister apologise

today for the suffering that this policy has caused to hundreds

of thousands of working people? Look, we've admitted and conceded

we got the balance wrong. I'm very sorry, I am happy to say,

for any frustration or deleterious impact it's had on anyone that's

been affected by this. That's why we have moved so quickly

both to end the charges but also to make sure there are practical

arrangements for the reimbursement Finally, the start of

a new Parliament gives MPs the chance to put

forward their own bills that they'd Well, two Conservatives took full

advantage of the system. Veteran backbencher,

Christopher Chope, put down nearly 50, covering

everything from funding the NHS to voter registration,

and the classification His fellow Conservative, Peter Bone,

introduced nearly 30 bills he'd Again, he had a wide agenda,

with ambitions for child safety, regulating drones and oversight

of the BBC. Whilst a handful of the bills

might make it to debate on a sitting Friday,

without Government backing, And that's it from me for now,

but do join me at the same time tomorrow when Theresa May faces

Jeremy Corbyn for the first Prime Minister's Questions

since the summer break. But for now from me,

Alicia McCarthy, goodbye.