:00:12. > :00:13.Hello and welcome to Wednesday in Parliament.
:00:14. > :00:19.As the Chancellor presents his Autumn Statement,
:00:20. > :00:26.he announces the planned cuts to tax credits are scrapped.
:00:27. > :00:33.I have listened to the concdrns I hear and understand them and because
:00:34. > :00:36.I have been unable -- been `ble to announce today an improvement in the
:00:37. > :00:40.public finances, the simplest thing to do is not the phasing thdse
:00:41. > :00:43.George Osborne also rules ott further reductions
:00:44. > :00:51.The police protect us and wd are going to protect -- protect the
:00:52. > :00:52.police. The Shadow Chancellor,
:00:53. > :01:02.John McDonnell, Over the last five years thdre has
:01:03. > :01:04.barely been a target the Ch`ncellor has said that he has not missed or
:01:05. > :01:07.ignored. Well, the Chancellor certainly
:01:08. > :01:10.pulled some rabbits from his hat George Osborne ditched
:01:11. > :01:13.the planned cuts to tax credits and ruled out further reductions
:01:14. > :01:15.in police budgets. The Chancellor said he could abandon
:01:16. > :01:18.the 4.4 billion pound cuts to tax credits and still deliver
:01:19. > :01:20.the promised ?12 billion in welfare cuts over the next five years,
:01:21. > :01:24.thanks to higher tax receipts. I hear and understand them
:01:25. > :01:29.and because I have been abld to announce today an improvement in the
:01:30. > :01:32.public finances, the simplest thing to do is not to phase these changes
:01:33. > :01:36.in, but to avoid them altogdther. Tax credits are being phased out
:01:37. > :01:41.anyway as we introduce What that means is that
:01:42. > :01:51.the tax credit taper rate I propose no further changes to the
:01:52. > :02:01.Universal Credit taper or to the work allownaces beyond thosd passed
:02:02. > :02:05.through Parliament last week. The Chancellor's announcement
:02:06. > :02:07.on police funding started whth The minimum representations from the
:02:08. > :02:19.Shadow Home Secretary is th`t the But now is not the time
:02:20. > :02:22.for further police cuts. Now is the time to back
:02:23. > :02:25.our police and give them I am today announcing that there
:02:26. > :02:29.will be no cuts There will be real terms
:02:30. > :02:40.protection of police funding. Mr Speaker,
:02:41. > :02:47.the police protect us and wd are There were other announcements
:02:48. > :02:54.in the statement, including increasing the state pension by
:02:55. > :03:02.?3.35 a week to ?119.30 next year. A new social care
:03:03. > :03:05."precept" in Council Tax of up to 2% to allow local councils to raise ?2
:03:06. > :03:12.billion for social care. And the cap on training places
:03:13. > :03:15.for nurses scrapped, with the goal This delivers a doubling of the
:03:16. > :03:24.housing budget, 400,000 new homes with extra support for London,
:03:25. > :03:28.estates regenerated, right-to-buy rolled out, paid for by a t`x
:03:29. > :03:31.on buy-to-lets and second homes delivered by a Conservative
:03:32. > :03:34.government committed to helping working people who want to buy their
:03:35. > :03:46.own home, for we are the buhlders. Many people have signed a pdtition
:03:47. > :03:49.arguing that no VAT should be Now, we already charge
:03:50. > :03:52.the lowest 5% rate allowabld under European law and we are comlitted to
:03:53. > :03:56.getting the EU to change its rules. Until that happens,
:03:57. > :03:58.I am going to use the ?15 mhllion a year raised from the Tampon Tax
:03:59. > :04:02.to fund women's health charhties As a one nation government,
:04:03. > :04:10.today we deliver the Spending Review The guardians of economic sdcurity,
:04:11. > :04:19.the protecters of national security, This government,
:04:20. > :04:24.the mainstream representatives It was the turn of the
:04:25. > :04:33.Shadow Chancellor to respond. There is such a thing as thd Iron
:04:34. > :04:37.Law of Chancellor's statements. The Iron Law of Chancellors
:04:38. > :04:45.statements is that the louddr the cheers for the statement
:04:46. > :04:48.on the day, the greater the disappointment by the wdekend
:04:49. > :04:50.when the analysis goes in. But from what we have heard today,
:04:51. > :04:54.we don't need until the weekend Over the last five years,
:04:55. > :05:01.there has barely been a target the Chancellor has set that he has
:05:02. > :05:12.not missed or ignored. Let's quote from Mao,
:05:13. > :05:17.rarely done in this chamber We must learn to do economic work
:05:18. > :05:26.from all who know how, We must esteem them as teachers
:05:27. > :05:33.learning from them to respect conscientiously, but we must not to
:05:34. > :05:36.pretend to know what we do not know. I thought it would come in handy
:05:37. > :05:49.for him in his new relationship So, the Shadow Chancellor lhterally
:05:50. > :06:01.stood at the Dispatch Box from Look,
:06:02. > :06:06.it is his personal signed copy! The problem is,
:06:07. > :06:09.half of his Shadow Cabinet would be I am intrigued that the Torx
:06:10. > :06:21.backbenchers cheered the huliliating It seems like barely three or four
:06:22. > :06:27.weeks ago that they were chdering on and voting for the implelentation
:06:28. > :06:32.of the tax credit policy. But,
:06:33. > :06:41.times move on and things ch`nge The ideaology
:06:42. > :06:43.of the Chancellor has not changed. He is, in essence, still intending
:06:44. > :06:46.to cut more than ?40 billion a year than he needs to to run
:06:47. > :06:49.a current account budget imbalance And notwithstanding the humhliating
:06:50. > :06:55.U-turn on tax credits, this is a government who added 37 bhllion
:06:56. > :07:00.of cuts and tax rises in thd summer budget to the 121 billion of fiscal
:07:01. > :07:05.or discretionary consolidathon This 18 billion announced
:07:06. > :07:11.in the Green Book today, and the Chancellor was very clear
:07:12. > :07:15.that the 12 billion of welf`re cuts Backbenchers also got a chance
:07:16. > :07:26.to question the Chancellor. In the wisdom that is contahned in
:07:27. > :07:29.the big Blue Book from the Office for Budget Responsibility, which, if
:07:30. > :07:32.I can quote him from page shx, says that the cost of the tax crddits
:07:33. > :07:36.reversal is more than offset by cuts to a variety of other benefhts,
:07:37. > :07:39.but in later years. Can he confirm that, actually,
:07:40. > :07:42.he has delayed the effectivd changes in tax credits,
:07:43. > :07:47.he has not U-turned on them? Could I congratulate my
:07:48. > :07:49.Right Honourable Friend on sticking unswervingly, despite all the recent
:07:50. > :07:53.difficulties, to his commitlent to a balanced budget over the cycle and
:07:54. > :07:58.answering the fears of some of us by sticking to the aim
:07:59. > :08:02.of a modest surplus on the budget if Will he reinforce the argumdnt that
:08:03. > :08:08.that is an absolutely essential precondition to our building
:08:09. > :08:12.a modern sustainable economx in this country able to withst`nd such
:08:13. > :08:15.shocks as the global economx will I welcome the Chancellor's decision
:08:16. > :08:31.to cut tax credits cuts. Does the Chancellor intend
:08:32. > :08:33.apologising to the people who were unnecessarily scared by his original
:08:34. > :08:35.plans, and does he intend disciplining his peers in the House
:08:36. > :08:40.of Lords who, had they supported the Liberal Democrat motion there,
:08:41. > :08:42.would have saved him He was phasing out grants to local
:08:43. > :08:52.government and then he said that there are different ways in
:08:53. > :08:55.which local authorities could raise money for social care, or
:08:56. > :08:58.for that matter for policing under Now, I believe in fair fundhng and I
:08:59. > :09:02.am sure he realises that in more prosperous areas the take from that
:09:03. > :09:09.sort of raising from funds hs higher for the needs of those commtnities,
:09:10. > :09:12.but the sort of take from communities like Doncaster
:09:13. > :09:14.and elsewhere may not meet the challenges that we have
:09:15. > :09:16.on our doorstep? Does the Chancellor of the Dxchequer
:09:17. > :09:20.realised that he is becoming a hero to those like me who have c`mpaigned
:09:21. > :09:23.to deal with the perennial plight The fact of the matter is it is
:09:24. > :09:32.an area of major concern to millions of constituents around the country
:09:33. > :09:35.in constituencies all over the country and by establishing a
:09:36. > :09:38.permanent pothole fund he is helping Usually,
:09:39. > :09:46.the main event on a Wednesd`y - Prime Minister's Question Thme
:09:47. > :09:49.was instead the warm-up act ahead There were no bumps in the road
:09:50. > :09:55.for the Prime Minister eithdr. Unlike his official car,
:09:56. > :09:57.which was scraped just before the parliamentary session as
:09:58. > :10:00.it stood outside Number 10 Downing In the Commons, the Labour leader,
:10:01. > :10:06.Jeremy Corbyn, focused This week, Mr Speaker,
:10:07. > :10:12.55 Labour councils have madd a commitment for their areas to be run
:10:13. > :10:16.entirely on green energy by 205 . With
:10:17. > :10:19.the Paris climate talks just days away, will the Prime Ministdr join
:10:20. > :10:21.me in commending those councils and would he call on all Conservative
:10:22. > :10:27.councils to do the same? I certainly commend all councils for
:10:28. > :10:30.wanting to promote green endrgy We have made that easier in
:10:31. > :10:34.our country by having the fded-in tariffs and the other measures we
:10:35. > :10:38.have had to help for partictlarly We will be taking part in the Paris
:10:39. > :10:45.climate talks because it is absolutely vital to
:10:46. > :10:48.get that global deal, but wd have to make sure that we take action
:10:49. > :10:52.locally as well as globally. The gap between Britain's 2020
:10:53. > :10:55.target and our current shard of renewable energy is
:10:56. > :11:00.the biggest in the European Union. Some of his decisions he has made
:11:01. > :11:03.recently, such as cutting stpport for solar panels on home
:11:04. > :11:07.and industrial projects, scrapping the Green Deal, cutting support for
:11:08. > :11:10.wind turbines, putting a new tax on renewable energy, increasing subsidy
:11:11. > :11:14.for diesel generators - is ht any wonder that the Chief Scientist
:11:15. > :11:17.of the United Nations Environment Programme has criticised Brhtain for
:11:18. > :11:25.going backwards on renewabld energy? As I said, a trebling of wind power
:11:26. > :11:30.in the last Parliament, And, also, he makes the point
:11:31. > :11:35.about solar panels. Of course,
:11:36. > :11:38.when the cost of manufacturhng solar panels plummets, as it has,
:11:39. > :11:41.it is right to reduce the stbsidy. If we don't reduce the subshdy,
:11:42. > :11:46.we ask people to pay higher energy bills, something I seem to remember
:11:47. > :11:50.the Labour Party of the last I think if you look at the Secretary
:11:51. > :11:56.of State for Climate Change's speech,
:11:57. > :11:58.you can see the right balance between affordable energy and making
:11:59. > :12:03.sure we meet our green targdts. After four questions on gredn
:12:04. > :12:06.energy, Mr Corbyn moved on to ask about violence against women, saying
:12:07. > :12:08.that domestic violence accotnts Can the Prime Minister please
:12:09. > :12:18.explain why one third of those referred to women's refuges
:12:19. > :12:21.in England are being turned away? The fact is, when it comes to rape
:12:22. > :12:27.crisis centres, that we protected, or domestic violence centres
:12:28. > :12:30.that we helped to fund, this government has got a good rdcord on
:12:31. > :12:33.helping women and making sure that the crime of domestic violence is
:12:34. > :12:35.properly investigated by thd police The SNP's Westminster leader,
:12:36. > :12:41.Angus Robertson, used his qtestions The fatal dangers of unintended
:12:42. > :12:48.consequences and escalation in Syria All serious observers agree that
:12:49. > :12:56.an air campaign alone will not lead to the ultimate defeat of D`esh
:12:57. > :13:04.on the ground and air ground forces to the ultimate defeat of D`esh
:13:05. > :13:07.on the ground and that ground forces How many troops and from whhch
:13:08. > :13:10.countries does the Prime Minister I am not arguing that action
:13:11. > :13:15.from the air alone can solvd the very serious problem th`t we
:13:16. > :13:17.have with Isil. Clearly,
:13:18. > :13:18.we need a political settlemdnt in Syria and a government in Syria
:13:19. > :13:21.that can act comprehensivelx with We should be acting now with allies
:13:22. > :13:25.because it is about keeping our own He asked specifically
:13:26. > :13:29.about ground troops. The fact is there are troops in
:13:30. > :13:32.Syria - the Free Syrian Armx and the Kurdish forces - that would work
:13:33. > :13:39.with us to help eliminate Isil, but of course the full range of ground
:13:40. > :13:42.troops will only be available when there is a political settlelent in
:13:43. > :13:46.Syria. The question is simple - can we afford to wait for that political
:13:47. > :13:48.settlement before taking action to We spent 13 times more bombhng Libya
:13:49. > :13:56.than investing in its reconstruction after the
:13:57. > :13:59.overthrow of the Gaddafi regime Reconstructing Syria will bd
:14:00. > :14:01.essential to secure stability How much does the Prime Minhster
:14:02. > :14:08.estimate this will cost and how much Obviously,
:14:09. > :14:15.we have one of the biggest budgets anywhere in the world, as the
:14:16. > :14:19.support we have given you h`ve given to the Syrian refugees, which stands
:14:20. > :14:35.at ?1.2 billion, demonstratds. Clearly part of our plan whhch I
:14:36. > :14:38.will bring to the host tomorrow will focus on the reconstruction and
:14:39. > :14:43.rebuilding of Syria alongside the political deal that is necessary. I
:14:44. > :14:47.would far rather spend the loney reconstructing Syria than stpporting
:14:48. > :14:48.people kept away from their homes and the country who dearly want to
:14:49. > :14:51.return. You are watching Wednesday
:14:52. > :14:53.in Parliament with me, Peers' fears over the banning
:14:54. > :15:01.of an add on prayer. But, first,
:15:02. > :15:03.dairy farmers have been continuing to protest at supermarkets
:15:04. > :15:06.in parts of the UK over the price Over the summer,
:15:07. > :15:13.cows were even paraded throtgh A group
:15:14. > :15:16.of MPs have been investigathng the problem and have been t`king
:15:17. > :15:18.evidence from two leading supermarkets, both of which defended
:15:19. > :15:32.their milk purchasing policds. And two for? In driving down the
:15:33. > :15:42.price too far? We are competing with everyone in the high Street, we are
:15:43. > :15:49.still able to pay the leading price for our milk. We can serve lore
:15:50. > :15:55.volume as a result. Our farlers have benefited from that. They h`ve had
:15:56. > :16:01.more premium on more volume, so we have been able to sustain that in a
:16:02. > :16:05.difficult market. What would Aldi say to that? Are you selling milk as
:16:06. > :16:17.a loss leader? Is it cheaper than water in and Aldi store? Last retail
:16:18. > :16:23.price might go up and down, there is no connection between Paul Tweed P
:16:24. > :16:28.the supplier for our product. If you take the example of milk, it is a
:16:29. > :16:40.category that is marginally profitable. In many ways, it is
:16:41. > :16:48.completely separated from what we pay for a product. If the rdtail on
:16:49. > :16:57.milk were to 50p or increasd to ?2, it would have no effect on our cost
:16:58. > :17:07.price. In the summer, you agree to pay a minimum four plight of 28p to
:17:08. > :17:11.suppliers. How did you come to that figure? We recognised it was
:17:12. > :17:22.difficult for suppliers. Ond of the biggest problems we have he`rd of is
:17:23. > :17:26.volatility. It is particularly difficult for dairy farmers. We felt
:17:27. > :17:35.it was necessary to take sole action. By setting out a minimum
:17:36. > :17:43.four place -- floor price, ht has helped. I understand the prhce you
:17:44. > :17:47.came to was around 30p? I'm interested in how you came to that
:17:48. > :17:54.figure and how that would bd adjusted up or down going forward.
:17:55. > :18:06.Our approach is very much around collaboration and discussion. We
:18:07. > :18:11.based our discussions on thd cost of production, the market and the
:18:12. > :18:21.impact of volatility. Orangdy putting pressure on the farler and
:18:22. > :18:27.the processor as well? -- rdnt you? We are discount supermarket. We will
:18:28. > :18:34.not reduce our price on milk ahead of the market. We have reacted to
:18:35. > :18:37.market pressures. We will follow when necessary.
:18:38. > :18:39.Now, the Education Secretarx, Nicky Morgan, has outlined
:18:40. > :18:42.It delivers a Conservative manifesto colmitment
:18:43. > :18:46.to double free childcare hotrs from 15 to 30 hours for 38 weeks a year.
:18:47. > :18:48.But Labour has warned the promised payments fell short of the `ctual
:18:49. > :18:57.cost of childcare providers in some areas of the countrx.
:18:58. > :19:08.The 30 hours will give hard,working parents a real choice to work if
:19:09. > :19:15.they want to do so. As well as being the only party to commit to extend
:19:16. > :19:20.to 30 hours at the general dlection, we were the only party to commit to
:19:21. > :19:28.raising the funding rate for providers. The increase in funding
:19:29. > :19:31.includes nearly ?300 million to the rate paid for two-year-old,
:19:32. > :19:42.three-year-old and four-year-old entitlements. This will delhver a
:19:43. > :19:47.new national funding rate. The rate will be ?4 88 for three and
:19:48. > :19:54.four-year-olds. For two-year-olds, it will be ?5 39. We have sdt a
:19:55. > :19:59.level of funding that providers need to deliver a high-quality of
:20:00. > :20:03.childcare. We support this bill However, there are a number of
:20:04. > :20:08.challenges with the governmdnt's plans. It is only right we
:20:09. > :20:12.scrutinise them. High-quality, affordable childcare is not cheap.
:20:13. > :20:17.Attempts by government to ctt corners will ultimately fail. At the
:20:18. > :20:22.heart of this bill is a serhous funding gap. The announcements today
:20:23. > :20:26.on the go some way to answer these. When ministers first announced this,
:20:27. > :20:31.they said it would cost ?350 million. This figure was pioneer
:20:32. > :20:37.skive. By their own recent admission, revising this to ?64
:20:38. > :20:41.million. The Institute for policy research has identified a ?0 billion
:20:42. > :20:51.funding gap in government plans even on the basis of revised
:20:52. > :20:55.figures. The government unddrstands there is a funding shortfall.
:20:56. > :21:00.However, we'll have to interrogate this further as the bill proceeds.
:21:01. > :21:03.The rate still remains below the true cost of childcare.
:21:04. > :21:05.The Government has been criticised for failing to ensure peopld
:21:06. > :21:10.In 1995 the law was changed to equalise the pension age of men
:21:11. > :21:18.But in 2011 state pension ages were raised at an even faster rate.
:21:19. > :21:20.Many women complained they weren't given enough time to prepard
:21:21. > :21:25.Paul Lewis from the Radio Four programme Money Box has told MPs
:21:26. > :21:27.people had been let down by "poor communication".
:21:28. > :21:35.First, the former Pensions Minister Steve Webb gave his view.
:21:36. > :21:42.I am very much of the view that because everybody is differdnt,
:21:43. > :21:47.personalised communication hs the key. We tried really hard to think
:21:48. > :21:52.what general messages we cotld put across. Essentially the message was,
:21:53. > :21:57.things are changing, find ott. There is no way you can have a general
:21:58. > :22:03.message that works for a contracted in, contracted out, men, wolen,
:22:04. > :22:08.different age groups and so on. The message was, you need to find out
:22:09. > :22:15.where you stand on this is how to do it. People accept the pension age
:22:16. > :22:22.had to rise. But they wanted more notice to prepare. Suddenly at the
:22:23. > :22:30.age of 62, they find out thdy have another four years with no loney.
:22:31. > :22:35.14% of households in Britain don't have access to a computer. The older
:22:36. > :22:45.you are, that is probably more likely. Whenever people say over 65
:22:46. > :22:51.is cannot use a computer, I feel upset. At people in rural areas
:22:52. > :22:58.don't have good internet connections yet. The computer system will be
:22:59. > :23:02.good for those who use it, but it won't work for everybody. I think
:23:03. > :23:06.the department should look `t individual communication, pdrhaps
:23:07. > :23:14.even face-to-face communication Explaining options to peopld. Would
:23:15. > :23:23.you abandon some of the gendric messages and concentrate more on a
:23:24. > :23:29.personalised approach? I wotld give age UK a big grand. Give thdm
:23:30. > :23:33.advertising budget. Let thel do the telephone and face-to-face. I think
:23:34. > :23:39.there are individual organisations who could do that better.
:23:40. > :23:48.Advertising is a way of covdring the government's back. But you don't
:23:49. > :23:50.take notice of adverts. Personalised individual approach is I thhnk what
:23:51. > :23:52.people need. The refusal to screen
:23:53. > :23:54.an advertisement featuring the Lord's Prayer in UK cinemas has been
:23:55. > :23:58.raised in the House of Lords, with a Minister asking the agencx who
:23:59. > :24:00.made the decision to think `gain. The Church of England had hoped the
:24:01. > :24:04.60 second film, which features the Christian prayer being recited or
:24:05. > :24:07.sung by a variety of people, would be screened UK-wide before Christmas
:24:08. > :24:16.ahead of the new Star Wars film The government has made it clear
:24:17. > :24:21.that it does not agree with that decision and has urged the cinema to
:24:22. > :24:32.look again. We very much welcome the support from the Minister and indeed
:24:33. > :24:37.from Number Ten other ministers and indeed from Richard doctrinds and
:24:38. > :24:41.Stephen Fry. I wonder whethdr I might press the Minister to go
:24:42. > :24:45.further. With the Minister `gree with me that advertisements are
:24:46. > :24:55.about beliefs? ER about lifdstyles. Then they sell the product. And
:24:56. > :25:02.therefore others should be free to also speak about ideas in the
:25:03. > :25:08.marketplace of ideas. By banning this advertisement, they have
:25:09. > :25:12.narrowed the opportunities for beliefs and values to be spoken
:25:13. > :25:19.about in the public square. Is she saying that any religion or
:25:20. > :25:23.political party should be committed to advertise in the way the Church
:25:24. > :25:28.of England wants to do? Bec`use I think it is important we understand
:25:29. > :25:39.about where our president is being set. I and the government bdlieves
:25:40. > :25:45.in the freedom of expression. And the freedom to not believe `t all.
:25:46. > :25:47.As well as to believe in a variety of different religions.
:25:48. > :25:50.Well, that's all from me after a busy day in Westminster
:25:51. > :25:54.Until tomorrow, at the same time, from me, Georgina Pattinson,