:00:12. > :00:14.Hello and Welcome to Wednesday in Parliament, our look at the best
:00:15. > :00:17.of the day in the Commons and the Lords.
:00:18. > :00:23.It's a curious political world at the moment.
:00:24. > :00:25.Are those campaigning for Leaving the EU rebels?
:00:26. > :00:34.Do they speak for themselves or him and his government? And if they
:00:35. > :00:40.speak for themselves, how are they ministers at the same time? The
:00:41. > :00:42.honourable member for Edgbaston was out yesterday spinning for Nigel
:00:43. > :00:43.Farage. But I don't want to play that game.
:00:44. > :00:46.The latest twist in the sag` of the collapsed retail chahn
:00:47. > :00:48.Serious allegations are madd against the shop's final
:00:49. > :01:01.I think the technical term hs a .. That the term is what he was a
:01:02. > :01:02.Premier League liar. And condemnation of the use
:01:03. > :01:13.of cluster munitions International humanitarian law has
:01:14. > :01:16.been seriously and repeatedly breached by all parties eng`ged in
:01:17. > :01:18.warfare in the country, including the Saudi led coalition.
:01:19. > :01:23.a fortnight to go and we'll be heading for the polling stations.
:01:24. > :01:25.The UK decides on the 23rd whether it's staying in or departing
:01:26. > :01:29.Most of the referendum camp`ign has been taking place
:01:30. > :01:34.With the party leaders on the same side, the EU issue has
:01:35. > :01:38.only fleetingly surfaced at Prime Minister's Questions.
:01:39. > :01:42.But at the latest session, the Labour leader opted to discuss
:01:43. > :01:46.Europe to highlight the stark divisions in the Conservative party.
:01:47. > :01:50.But to get on to the EU, Jeremy Corbyn first turned
:01:51. > :01:52.to employment rights and in particular the working
:01:53. > :01:53.conditions of some employees of the sports retail
:01:54. > :02:06.Yesterday, I met some workers from sports direct who are coming to
:02:07. > :02:12.Parliament to give evidence to the select committee. It is abott the
:02:13. > :02:17.shocking behaviour of that company, nonpayment of the minimum w`ge, a
:02:18. > :02:21.culture of fear on top of the insecurity and exploitation of zero
:02:22. > :02:26.hours contracts. Philip wrote to me this week on this issue and
:02:27. > :02:28.concerned about it and said, the scandalous scourge of zero hours
:02:29. > :02:34.contracts which is blighting the lives of many already low-p`id
:02:35. > :02:39.people, so will the Prime Mhnister do what of the European countries
:02:40. > :02:44.have done and plan these contracts here? On top of our national minimum
:02:45. > :02:47.wage, we are going after unscrupulous employers and laking
:02:48. > :02:54.sure people get the deal thdy deserve. Once the issue of zero our
:02:55. > :03:00.contracts, we legislated in the last Parliament to stop exclusivd zero
:03:01. > :03:04.hours contracts but followed the conclusions of our consultation that
:03:05. > :03:07.said we shouldn't go further than that and that for some people, they
:03:08. > :03:09.want to have the choice of those contracts.
:03:10. > :03:11.The Labour leader quoted Priti Patel, the Work
:03:12. > :03:12.and Pensions Minister, who's campaigning for
:03:13. > :03:25.But his government's employlent Minister said that if we le`ve
:03:26. > :03:30.Europe, we could just of thd burdens of the European Union social and
:03:31. > :03:34.employment legislation. So, perhaps the Prime Minister could help us.
:03:35. > :03:39.Does she speak on behalf of the government when she promises to
:03:40. > :03:42.reduce the burden is, as shd describes them, of this leghslation
:03:43. > :03:48.walk on behalf of whom does she speak? The government is in favour
:03:49. > :03:53.of staying in a reformed European Union because we are strongdr, safer
:03:54. > :03:57.and we're better off. For m`ny people, one of the reasons they will
:03:58. > :04:00.want to stay in the European Union as they do believe that provides an
:04:01. > :04:01.underpinning in terms of rights for workers.
:04:02. > :04:14.Could I quote one other person who has given opinions? He says, I
:04:15. > :04:19.cannot guarantee every person currently in their current job will
:04:20. > :04:22.keep their job. That was thd member for Surrey Heath. He is the justice
:04:23. > :04:29.minister, who seems equally relaxed about unemployment rights. ,-
:04:30. > :04:34.employment rights. Two of hhs ministers want to reduce wh`t they
:04:35. > :04:41.described as a burden. And he do something about that? Is he knows
:04:42. > :04:47.well, we are holding a referendum. That is what is happening. @nd on
:04:48. > :04:50.this issue, not only do he `nd I agree, does not only does the
:04:51. > :04:54.Conservative government and the Labour Party agree, but we `lso have
:04:55. > :05:01.the support of the Liberal Democrats, the Ulster Unionhst
:05:02. > :05:06.party, Green party. This ond occasion when business is l`rge and
:05:07. > :05:11.small, and the trade unions, are on the same side and we should
:05:12. > :05:16.celebrate that. He will be `ware that the Labour position is that we
:05:17. > :05:21.want to stay in the European Union to improve workers' rights, tackle
:05:22. > :05:29.exploitation, drive down tax evasion and avoidance. But we are concerned
:05:30. > :05:33.that these issues are not the priorities of members of his
:05:34. > :05:35.government and his party such as the member for Uxbridge, the melber for
:05:36. > :05:42.Surrey Heath and the member for Witton. They are speaking to try and
:05:43. > :05:46.destroy any of the social advances made within the European Unhon. Does
:05:47. > :05:50.he talk to them about this `t any time and to this big for thdmselves
:05:51. > :05:56.or him and his government? Hf they speak for themselves, how are they
:05:57. > :06:01.ministers at the same time? And here I am trying to be consensual. I m
:06:02. > :06:05.doing my best. I could menthon that the honourable member for Edgbaston
:06:06. > :06:07.was out yesterday spinning for Nigel Farage. But they don't want to play
:06:08. > :06:08.that game. The biggest naval conflict
:06:09. > :06:11.of the First World War took place More than 8,000 British
:06:12. > :06:16.and German personnel lost their lives in the Battle of
:06:17. > :06:18.Jutland. The historical event
:06:19. > :06:20.was commemorated last week in Orkney, as in 1914,
:06:21. > :06:24.the British Grand Fleet had been relocated to Scapa Flow, thd famous
:06:25. > :06:28.waters in the Orkney islands. The commemoration of the battle
:06:29. > :06:43.was raised at PMQs by the SNP's Last week, thousands of dead from
:06:44. > :06:47.both sides in the Battle of Jutland remembered in commemorations. The
:06:48. > :06:50.primers to joined the First Minister and the Princess Royal and the
:06:51. > :06:55.president of Germany with thousands of people on Orkney to remelber the
:06:56. > :07:01.tragedy of so many people losing their lives. European corporation
:07:02. > :07:05.emerged from both world wars is the best way to secure peace. Does the
:07:06. > :07:10.Prime Minister agree that wd should never take peace and security for
:07:11. > :07:15.granted and that is a strong reason to remain in the European Union I
:07:16. > :07:21.think the right honourable gentleman is absolutely right about this.
:07:22. > :07:25.There were very moving scends as we start on that cemetery ground and in
:07:26. > :07:31.the background, the British and German frigates together was a site
:07:32. > :07:33.I'm not going to forget as we commemorated and remember how many
:07:34. > :07:40.people lost their lives. I want to be clear about this. The words world
:07:41. > :07:45.War three have never passed my lips, let me reassure everyone. Btt can we
:07:46. > :07:52.really take for granted... Of course, they have now. Well spotted!
:07:53. > :07:56.Can we really take for granted the security and stability that we enjoy
:07:57. > :08:01.today when we know that our continent has been wracked by so
:08:02. > :08:03.many conflicts in the past? I call conservatives, I will pleasd give
:08:04. > :08:06.the greatest credit to Nato for keeping the peace but it has always
:08:07. > :08:08.been a conservative view th`t the European Union has played its road
:08:09. > :08:08.as well. Another SNP MP posed
:08:09. > :08:22.a slightly cheeky question. As he reaches the end of his time in
:08:23. > :08:27.office, President Obama reflected that his worst mistake was `
:08:28. > :08:32.catastrophe in Libya. What was the worst mistake of the Prime Linister
:08:33. > :08:37.in office? Time to reflect `s when you come to your time... Th`t
:08:38. > :08:38.doesn't apply. The former owner of BHS,
:08:39. > :08:40.Dominic Chappell, has been accused by top BHS managers
:08:41. > :08:44.of being "a liar" who had hhs The claims were made at a committee
:08:45. > :08:49.hearing Last month it was announced BHS would be closing all its 16
:08:50. > :08:51.stores after the administrators failed to find a buyer
:08:52. > :09:00.for the famous retail chain. The chief executive of BHS,
:09:01. > :09:05.Darren Topp, alleged Mr Chappell threatened to kill him
:09:06. > :09:09.in a row over company money. Mr Chappell, whose company,
:09:10. > :09:15.Retail Acquisitions, bought BHS for ?1,
:09:16. > :09:17.defended his recovery plan. He said it had been
:09:18. > :09:21."credible and viable". When asked about the deal to buy
:09:22. > :09:23.BHS, Darren Topp said Mr Chappell had assured him
:09:24. > :09:35.HE was a turnaround expert. Dominik said he had put 10 lillion
:09:36. > :09:41.of his own mini into the business. He got a crack team, in terls of
:09:42. > :09:46.very experienced people in turnaround. It was clear with me
:09:47. > :09:55.that my role was focused on running the business. Actually, what he got
:09:56. > :09:59.in his team was a property dxpert and financial expert. They were the
:10:00. > :10:02.two things we needed. We nedded someone who could raise fin`nce and
:10:03. > :10:11.somebody who could deal with our property portfolio. I think
:10:12. > :10:17.unfortunately, as time progressed, that unravelled in terms of that
:10:18. > :10:21.promise and it became clear to us, towards the end, that rather than
:10:22. > :10:29.putting money in, he got his fingers in the till. What was your sense
:10:30. > :10:39.where you arrived in June as to the cash position of the companx? This
:10:40. > :10:46.was my first interaction with Dominic Chapple and like many others
:10:47. > :10:50.throughout this process, I think I was duped. I think the technical
:10:51. > :10:58.term is a little maniac. Thd layperson's Tim is, he was ` Premier
:10:59. > :11:03.League liar and a Sunday pub league retailer at best. Could you tell us
:11:04. > :11:07.whether it is true that he tried to take ?1.5 million out of thd
:11:08. > :11:11.business and put it into a company called BHS Sweden? That is true
:11:12. > :11:16.Michael had left the business at this point. I got a call from a head
:11:17. > :11:24.of Treasury, Harry, to say that 1.5 million had been removed by a manual
:11:25. > :11:29.transfer to BHS Sweden. My hnitial reaction was to call the police if
:11:30. > :11:32.I'm honest, because I wasn't aware of this transaction. That's a
:11:33. > :11:40.substantial amount of money and this was during the end of the process. I
:11:41. > :11:45.said, tell you what, let me, because Olivia the director who is ` friend
:11:46. > :11:49.of Dominic's is Swedish, before we call the police, let the ring
:11:50. > :11:56.Dominic. I rang Dominic. He knew about it straightaway and I said to
:11:57. > :12:02.him, that theft. Now, if I take out all the expletives, he basically
:12:03. > :12:05.said, do not kick off about this, Darren. I've had enough of xou
:12:06. > :12:09.telling me what to do over the last few months. It's my business, I can
:12:10. > :12:12.do what I want. If you kick off about it, and going to come down
:12:13. > :12:22.there and kill you. It thre`tened to kill me again and I know it sounds
:12:23. > :12:25.silly but apparently, he saxs he was in the helicopter squad of the SAS
:12:26. > :12:30.and I know he's got a gun. There was a bit of me that thought... I said,
:12:31. > :12:32.you certainly again, Dominic, they'll call the police.
:12:33. > :12:34.The MPs didn't put those last allegations
:12:35. > :12:41.to Dominic Chappell himself - but they did ask him
:12:42. > :12:51.You obviously have a lifestxle to maintain. A much of this money went
:12:52. > :12:57.into your personal account? I was paid a regular salary from BHS but I
:12:58. > :13:07.was working on an everyday basis. Yes, I did have money from that
:13:08. > :13:14.from the original transaction which filled in the costs I had an easing
:13:15. > :13:17.into the transaction. How mtch went into your personal account? I will
:13:18. > :13:20.send you a full breakdown of that. Dominic Chappell blamed BHS's former
:13:21. > :13:22.owner Sir Philip Green for the thousands of job losses
:13:23. > :13:24.at the retailer - saying he and his team had worked flat out
:13:25. > :13:28.to try to save the business - an MP wondered more
:13:29. > :13:33.about his responsibilities. Knowing what you know now, what
:13:34. > :13:56.would you do differently next time? The pension. It was down to the
:13:57. > :14:01.pension. We... Yes, it's thd pension side. We should have spent lore time
:14:02. > :14:06.dealing with the pension acquisition. We should have ensured
:14:07. > :14:10.that Philip was contractually bound to produce insurance for thd
:14:11. > :14:19.company. And knowing what you know now, is there anybody you would like
:14:20. > :14:24.to apologise to? I am very tpset that there are 11,000 peopld
:14:25. > :14:27.directly, and a number of thousand people indirectly, who have now lost
:14:28. > :14:33.their jobs. It is a travestx that that has happened. I am verx upset
:14:34. > :14:35.that it has happened and it was avoidable. For the record, hs that
:14:36. > :14:49.an apology? That is an apology. I must stand as the majoritx
:14:50. > :14:53.shareholder and say we were part of the downfall.
:14:54. > :14:55.You're watching our round-up of the day
:14:56. > :15:01.A computer glitch causes a headache for the process to get all dlectors
:15:02. > :15:07.The Saudi Arabian air force has been violating international hum`n rights
:15:08. > :15:12.law by dropping bombs on schools and hospitals in Yemen.
:15:13. > :15:15.That was the assertion of the SNP's Margaret Ferridr.
:15:16. > :15:19.In Westminster Hall the MP `lso claimed Saudi Arabia was ushng
:15:20. > :15:25.But a senior Conservative w`rned about the dangers of
:15:26. > :15:34.With the growing humanitari`n crisis in Yemen and mounting reports
:15:35. > :15:36.indicating that internation`l humanitarian law is being sdriously
:15:37. > :15:40.and repeatedly breached by all parties engaged in w`rfare
:15:41. > :15:42.in the country including thd Saudi led Coalition the Government needs
:15:43. > :15:50.The UK is bound by an international convention banning
:15:51. > :15:53.But Margaret Ferrier said Alnesty had found evidence
:15:54. > :16:01.There they found evidence of UK produced BL 755 cluster munhtions
:16:02. > :16:03.being dropped on farmland in the north of the country.
:16:04. > :16:06.They estimate that these munitions were dropped from the air
:16:07. > :16:09.in the last quarter of 2015 and provide a compelling case
:16:10. > :16:20.She said some cluster bombs sat on land in an unexploded st`te.
:16:21. > :16:26.She said a UN report on Yemdn made for uncomfortable reading.
:16:27. > :16:29.People will recall the fant`stic work of Princess Diana in r`ising
:16:30. > :16:31.awareness of mines leading to the success of the Ottaw` mine
:16:32. > :16:37.ban treaty, putting ourselvds in danger in the process.
:16:38. > :16:39.Again in violation of international humanitarian law including
:16:40. > :16:41.refugee camps, weddings, civilian buses, medical fachlities,
:16:42. > :16:59.There is a lot of Saudi bashing but what everybody needs
:17:00. > :17:01.to understand is that a leghtimate government has been displacdd.
:17:02. > :17:05.For the first time ever Arab countries are trying to address
:17:06. > :17:07.their own regional problems without Western intervention.
:17:08. > :17:10.We have been telling them for years to sort out their own probldms.
:17:11. > :17:13.And as soon as they try to do so we round on them
:17:14. > :17:17.We have not supplied cluster weapons of any kind to Saudi
:17:18. > :17:20.United Kingdom signed the convention on cluster munitions in 2008
:17:21. > :17:26.and ratified it in May 2010 and since May 2008 we have not
:17:27. > :17:42.supplied, maintained or supported these weapons anywhere in the world.
:17:43. > :17:45.And he said that according to an assessment by the Minhstry
:17:46. > :17:47.of Defence, the Saudi milit`ry was not targeting civilians.
:17:48. > :17:50.As we said earlier, voting takes place in a fortnight's time
:17:51. > :17:53.But in order to vote you have, of course,
:17:54. > :17:59.But a last-minute rush to rdgister online before a deadline on Tuesday
:18:00. > :18:01.night caused a dramatic crashing of the Government website,
:18:02. > :18:06.so preventing thousands of people from registering.
:18:07. > :18:09.Not a good situation to be hn, as a leading Conservative
:18:10. > :18:15.in the Leave campaign made clear in the Commons.
:18:16. > :18:17.First may I commend the Govdrnment and my right honourable fridnd
:18:18. > :18:19.for so successfully engaging millions of people to register
:18:20. > :18:25.But I'm afraid the problems he has encountered are borne out in fact
:18:26. > :18:27.that the Government has been ill-prepared, and the Electoral
:18:28. > :18:29.Commission has been, for this surge of registrathons
:18:30. > :18:31.which the Government spent billions of pounds on promoting,
:18:32. > :18:43.We have a cut-off in our legislation, because the register
:18:44. > :18:49.has to be finalised six days and published before the referendum.
:18:50. > :18:52.Who can understate the seriousness of what is this very great
:18:53. > :18:59.If we go ahead to consult the people of this country on such an hmportant
:19:00. > :19:03.decision for the first time in 0 years and deny tens of thousands
:19:04. > :19:05.of our citizens the ability to participate I think that
:19:06. > :19:09.will tarnish and call into puestion the entire process.
:19:10. > :19:17.What stress testing was dond on the website in advance
:19:18. > :19:19.and what provisions were made for the predictable rise in traffic?
:19:20. > :19:26.On stress tests, we did of course undertake stress tests.
:19:27. > :19:32.We tested to a higher level, a significantly higher level
:19:33. > :19:35.of interest and applications than at the general election last
:19:36. > :19:40.But as I said the level of hnterest was significantly higher
:19:41. > :19:56.And it is because of this exceptional demand that the website
:19:57. > :19:59.Later in the day it was announced that in light of Tuesday's computer
:20:00. > :20:01.glitch the deadline for reghstering to vote would be extended.
:20:02. > :20:03.Parliament would legislate to extend the registration period
:20:04. > :20:20.The reaction in the Commons continued.
:20:21. > :20:23.I support the decision to extend the registration period but given
:20:24. > :20:26.the shambles that has occurred here can the Leader of the House
:20:27. > :20:28.guarantee that everybody who wants to register to vote is now
:20:29. > :20:31.going to be able to and would he consider looking at autolatic
:20:32. > :20:34.registration in the future hn order that they can try and
:20:35. > :20:37.Of course these are matters for the debate tomorrow.
:20:38. > :20:40.I can simply assure the House that the Government will sedk
:20:41. > :20:42.to ensure that all those who have been attempting to register,
:20:43. > :20:46.because that is what this is about, have the opportunity to do so.
:20:47. > :20:48.Can my right honourable fridnd confirm that people have had months
:20:49. > :20:52.and months in which to register and that if they waited
:20:53. > :20:55.until the last minute and all tried to register yesterday,
:20:56. > :20:58.that is their fault, and that we should not
:20:59. > :21:03.change our regulations in the middle of a very important referendum
:21:04. > :21:06.campaign simply to suit those who haven't organised their personal
:21:07. > :21:14.affairs well enough to secure their registration in good time
:21:15. > :21:16.Well a central issue in the EU referendum campaign
:21:17. > :21:22.The Leave and the Remain calps have repeatedly clashed over the numbers
:21:23. > :21:25.of people who've come to thd UK and who could potentially come
:21:26. > :21:27.to the UK, because of the well-established free movement
:21:28. > :21:32.of labour principle within the member countries of the EU.
:21:33. > :21:35.Part of that debate over imligration has been going on in
:21:36. > :21:42.We cannot keep out an awful lot of people from the European Union
:21:43. > :21:49.because they have a right to come here.
:21:50. > :21:51.And because we are trying to cut immigration overall this le`ds us
:21:52. > :21:55.to keep out an awful lot of people from outside the European Union
:21:56. > :22:03.We control migration, economic migration and other
:22:04. > :22:06.migration, whether from Europe or elsewhere.
:22:07. > :22:11.In the context of the Europdan Union of course there are rules,
:22:12. > :22:14.there are provisions, but in the context outside Durope
:22:15. > :22:18.there are rules, there are provisions.
:22:19. > :22:22.Does the Minister agree with me that it would be a great pity
:22:23. > :22:28.if the outcome of the vote on the 23rd of June,
:22:29. > :22:32.which affects our lives in so many ways and particularly our young
:22:33. > :22:34.people, if that outcome was decided by a nasty, xenophobic camp`ign
:22:35. > :22:46.To speak of immigration is not to be xenophobic.
:22:47. > :22:50.My Lords, loyal supporters of this Government such as myself
:22:51. > :22:54.are waiting with baited bre`th to see some progress
:22:55. > :22:59.on the manifesto commitments made both in 2010 and 2015,
:23:00. > :23:03.so could my noble and learndd friend the Minister tell the House first
:23:04. > :23:07.why there has been this del`y in moving the immigration fhgures
:23:08. > :23:10.in the direction we expected from the manifesto, and second,
:23:11. > :23:14.notwithstanding what happens on June 23, when we can expect to sde some
:23:15. > :23:16.progress in reducing the nulber of immigrants to this country
:23:17. > :23:27.The pressure of economic migration has been driven in part
:23:28. > :23:31.by the success of our econoly making us a goal for so many migrants
:23:32. > :23:39.it is our ambition and vision to achieve sustainable levels
:23:40. > :23:42.of migration during the course of this Parliament.
:23:43. > :23:44.There may of course be two routes to that goal depending
:23:45. > :23:49.A Northern Ireland Minister has said a British departure
:23:50. > :23:52.from the European Union would put safety at risk in Northern Hreland.
:23:53. > :23:56.At question time, Ben Wallace told MPs that the security arrangements
:23:57. > :23:59.on the border between the Rdpublic of Ireland and Northern Ireland
:24:00. > :24:02.in the event of a UK exit would be up to the EU.
:24:03. > :24:06.A Labour backbencher started the exchanges.
:24:07. > :24:09.There has been a period where both Ireland and Britain have bedn
:24:10. > :24:12.outside the European Union and a period where they havd both
:24:13. > :24:18.But if we vote to leave it would be a historically unprecedented period
:24:19. > :24:23.What assessment is his department making on the impact this whll have
:24:24. > :24:31.The Government is clear that should the United Kingdom leave
:24:32. > :24:35.the European Union the borddr of the European Union
:24:36. > :24:46.and the United Kingdom will be that land border in Northern Ireland
:24:47. > :24:49.and that will place us outside the customs union.
:24:50. > :24:52.And the customs union will lean delay and checks and reforms
:24:53. > :24:54.which will hamper our ability to export and import
:24:55. > :24:58.Mr Speaker the most passion`te Europhile I know is the amb`ssador
:24:59. > :25:00.to the UK from Ireland, Dan Mulhall.
:25:01. > :25:03.Dan Mulhall says that in thd event of Brexit not only the principles
:25:04. > :25:05.of the Good Friday Agreement will be maintained but also
:25:06. > :25:09.Instead of inflating fears `round the border is it not incumbdnt
:25:10. > :25:14.on our Minister to deflate and de-escalate those strawlen?
:25:15. > :25:16.I know the honourable member is an active campaigner
:25:17. > :25:18.for Brexit and no doubt wants to control his border.
:25:19. > :25:22.He can't want to control his borders, make checks,
:25:23. > :25:24.and then just let everything carry on as normal.
:25:25. > :25:27.And with all due respect to the Republic of Ireland this
:25:28. > :25:30.will be up to the European Tnion what it does on its customs union
:25:31. > :25:32.border, not necessarily up to individual states.
:25:33. > :25:36.And that is why campaigning for Brexit will put our safdty
:25:37. > :25:39.at risk and will actually ptt bariers to trade across that border.
:25:40. > :25:44.Do join me for our next daily round-up.
:25:45. > :25:54.Until then, from me, Keith Macdougall, goodbye.