29/03/2017 Wednesday in Parliament


29/03/2017

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Hello and welcome to Wednesday in Parliament,

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The United Kingdom has triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty -

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starting the process for leaving the European Union.

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The Prime Minister issues a call for unity.

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We can together make a success of this moment and we can

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together build a stronger, fairer, better Britain.

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A Britain our children and grandchildren are

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I commend this statement to the House.

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there were warnings from the Opposition parties.

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Labour will not give this government a free hand to use

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Brexit to attack rights, protections and cut services!

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If she denies Scotland a choice in our future, she will make

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Also on the programme, the Government's told there

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should be no more cuts in support for disabled people.

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And it's one week since the terror attack in Westminster,

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Our thoughts will be, in particular, with the Metropolitan Police

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as they mourn their colleague PC Keith Palmer.

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Nine months ago, in last June's referendum, 52% of voters

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ticked the box marked "Leave the European Union".

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It set in train an enormous political upheaval.

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A Prime Minister resigned and a new one was installed.

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The Government fought and lost two court battles

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Legislation authorising the Prime Minister to trigger

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Article 50 had a rough ride, but made it on to the Statute Book.

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Dozens of parliamentary inquiries have been launched.

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And there have been hours of debate, inside and outside Parliament.

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And now, a milestone has been reached.

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At around 12.30pm, the UK's ambassador to the EU,

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Sir Tim Barrow, delivered a six-page letter to Donald Tusk,

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the President of the European Council.

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Shortly after the letter was handed over, Theresa May

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A few minutes ago in Brussels, the United Kingdom's permanent

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representative to the EU handed a letter to the President

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of the European Council on my behalf confirming the Government's decision

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to invoke Article 50 of the treaty on European Union.

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The Article 50 process is now underway and,

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in accordance with the wishes of the British people,

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the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union.

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from which there can be no turning back.

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Britain is leaving the European Union.

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We are going to make our own decisions and our own laws.

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We are going to take control of the things

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And we are going to take the opportunity to build

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a stronger, fairer Britain - a country that our children

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and grandchildren are proud to call home.

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Loud cheers in the Commons, largely on the Conservative benches.

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But outside, there was a protest against Brexit.

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Pro-EU demonstrators waved placards saying,

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Meanwhile, in the Commons, Theresa May said she wanted a deep

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and special partnership between Britain and the EU.

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And, unwittingly, she cheered the Liberal Democrats up.

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the world needs the liberal, democratic values of Europe.

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Values... CHATTER AND LAUGHTER

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Perhaps... LAUGHTER CONTINUES

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Perhaps, now more than ever, the world needs the Liberal

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Perhaps, now more than ever, the world needs the liberal

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values that the United Kingdom shares.

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Mr Speaker, we understand that there will be consequences

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We know that we will lose influence...

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We know that we will lose influence over the rules that affect

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We know that UK companies that trade with the EU will have to align

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with rules agreed by institutions of which we are now longer a part,

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with rules agreed by institutions of which we are no longer a part,

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just as we do in other overseas markets, and we accept that.

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However, we approach these talks constructively,

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respectfully and in a spirit of sincere cooperation.

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For it is in the interests of both the United Kingdom

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and the European Union that we should use this process

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to deliver our objectives in a fair and orderly manner.

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And she promised to unite the country and act

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I know that this is a day of celebration for some

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The referendum last June was divisive at times.

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Not everyone shared the same point of view or voted the same way.

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The arguments on both sides were passionate.

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Let us come together and work together.

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Let us together choose to believe in Britain with optimism and hope.

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For if we do, we can make the most of the opportunities ahead.

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We can together make a success of this moment and we can

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together build a stronger, fairer, better Britain.

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A Britain our children and grandchildren are

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I commend this statement to the House.

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Mr Speaker, the direction the Prime Minister is threatening

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to take this country in is both reckless and damaging.

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And Labour will not give this government a free hand to use

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Brexit to attack rights, protections and cut services!

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So let me be clear, Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister says...

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The Prime Minister says that no deal is better than a bad deal.

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But the reality is no deal IS a bad deal!

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We all have an interest in ensuring the Prime Minister gets the best

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we do need full access to the single market.

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The Secretary of State for Exiting the EU seems to agree on this.

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He stated, in this House on the 24th of January,

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the government plan is, and I quote, "a comprehensive free

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trade agreement and a comprehensive customs agreement that will deliver

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So will the Prime Minister confirm today that she intends to deliver

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a trade and customs agreement with the exact same benefits?

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The SNP leader said the Prime Minister had promised not

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to trigger Article 50 until she had reached an agreement with Scotland.

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We on these benches have become accustomed to the views of members

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on the other side of the House OF being incapable of understanding

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that the people of Scotland voted to remain in the European Union.

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The Prime Minister promised...promised...

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Do honourable gentlemen and ladies opposite understand that

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That viewers in Scotland can see the discourtesy

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They don't like to hear it, but listen they must!

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The Prime Minister promised an agreement.

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Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister says that she thinks that

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Brexit will bring unity to the United Kingdom.

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On this issue, it is not a United Kingdom and the

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Prime Minister needs to respect, respect the differences across

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If she does not, if she remains intransigent, and if she denies

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she will make Scottish independence inevitable.

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The Commons Speaker allowed the question and answer session

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It was a momentous day for Sir Bill Cash, who has been

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campaigning for the UK to withdraw from the European Union

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Today, Mr Speaker, is a historic day indeed.

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Can my right honourable friend reaffirm that,

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at the very heart of this letter, lies the democratic decision

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in the referendum of UK voters, given to them by a sovereign act

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of Parliament, by 6-1 in this House, enabling the British people

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to regain their birthright to govern themselves, for which people fought

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The Liberal Democrat leader was not in a celebratory mood.

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Today, the Prime Minister is not enacting the will of the people.

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She is at best interpreting that will, choosing a hard Brexit outside

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the single market that was never on the ballot paper,

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so this day, of all days, the Liberal Democrats will not

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roll over, as the official opposition has done!

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Our children and our grandchildren will judge all of us

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I am determined that I will look my children in the eye

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and be able to say that I did everything to prevent this

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calamity that the Prime Minister has today chosen.

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The Prime Minister is right that this should be for all the people,

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the unity should be earned and not just asserted. We are a long way

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away from it. I hope she will agree with that.

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Could the Prime Minister give an assurance that she has not

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turned her back on membership of the single market?

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It would see off Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP's I'll register months

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And... SHOUTING

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And these are serious matters that this United Kingdom faces.

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And we'll be hearing what the House of Lords had to say about triggering

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You're watching Wednesday in Parliament,

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It's been one week since the terror attack in Westminster.

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Khalid Masood drove at pedestrians on Westminster Bridge last

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Wednesday, killing three people and injuring dozens.

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He went on to kill PC Keith Palmer in a knife attack

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The Palace of Westminster and the surrounding area went

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A commemoration has been held on Westminster Bridge.

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Hundreds of people gathered on the bridge,

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At the start of the day in the Commons, the Speaker John Bercow

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harked back to the events of last week.

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2.40pm today marks a week on from the shocking

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events of last week, and our thoughts will be,

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in particular, with the Metropolitan Police as they mourn

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The attack raised questions about security around Westminster.

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As would be normal after such events, we are seeking to make sure

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that any lessons are learned through two reviews.

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The Lord Speaker and I are commissioning an external

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independent review of how the perimeter of the parliamentary

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estate, including outbuildings, is secured and protected to produce

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a preliminary report by the end of April.

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The two clerks are commissioning an externally-led Lessons Learned

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review of the operation last week of Parliament s incident

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management framework to report by the end of June.

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At the start of Prime Minister's Questions,

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Theresa May also recalled the terror attack.

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Since my statement on Thursday, the names of those who have

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They were Aysha Frade, Kurt Cochran, Leslie Rhodes and,

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I am sure members across the House will join me in offering

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our deepest condolences to their friends and families.

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The police and security services' investigation continues and two

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people have now been arrested and remain in custody.

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I want to begin by paying tribute to the emergency services,

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as the Prime Minister did, across the country, especially

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all those that responded to the Westminster attack last

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Wednesday and to those tha turned out to help the victims

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of the New Ferry explosion last Saturday.

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Our thoughts remain with the injured and those who have lost loved ones,

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and we especially thank the police for their ongoing investigations.

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Jeremy Corbyn challenged Theresa May over funding

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A cross-party group of MPs has accused the Government of overseeing

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the biggest funding shortage for schools in England

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The Public Accounts Committee criticised Government "delusions"

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over the situation which it said threatened to damage standards.

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Between 2015 and 2018 there will be a real-terms cut of ?330 million

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in central Government funding for police forces.

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Can the Prime Minister assure the House that police forces

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all over the country have the necessary resources

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The former shadow Home Secretary, his colleague the right hon.

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Member for Leigh, said during the 2015

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Labour party conference that

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The Police say 5 per cent to 10 per cent over the Parliament

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is just about do-able. We did not accept that.

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We have actually protected the police budget.

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I have been speaking to police forces, as has my right hon.

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Friend the Home Secretary, and they are very clear

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about the fact that they have the resources that they need.

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The Police Federation survey recently undertaken reveals that 55%

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of serving police officers say they are morale is low due to the way in

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which the funding has been treated. Front line policing is vital in

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tackling crime and terrorism. Since 2010 however there are 20,000 fewer

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police officers, 12,000 less on the front line so I have the Prime

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Minister again will she think again about the cuts to policing and

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guarantee policing on the front line will be protected so every community

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can be assured it has the police officers in the community? Let's

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think about what has happened since 2010. Since 2010 we have seen crimes

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that are traditionally measured by the independent crime survey falling

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by one third to a record low. That is the work of hard-working police

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officers up and down the country. They have been backed by this

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government. We have made them more accountable through the Police and

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Crime Commissioners, there has been reform of policing including a

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reform of the Police Federation which was very necessary, but we

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have ensured the police have TV sources to do the job and we see

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crime at a record low. Last week she told me four times we have protected

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the schools budget. Though she still stand by that statement? We have

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protected schools budgets and we are putting record funding into schools.

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Today Mr Speaker the Public Accounts Committee says of the Department for

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Education that it does not seem to understand the pressures that

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schools are already under and they went on to say that funding per

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pupil is reducing in real terms and goes on to say schools budgets will

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be cut by 3 billion, the equivalent of 8%, by 2020. Is the Public

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Accounts Committee wrong on this? What we see over the course of this

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parliament is ?230 billion going into our schools. But what matters

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is the quality of education we see. 1.8 million more children in good or

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outstanding schools and a policy from this government to ensure that

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every child gets a good school place. If the Prime Minister is

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right then the parents and teachers are wrong, the ISS is wrong, the

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National Audit Office is wrong, the educational policy Institute is

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wrong and now the Public Accounts Committee which includes eight

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Conservative members is also wrong. So which organisation does back the

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Prime Minister's few on education spending in our schools? We said we

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would protect school funding and we have, real terms protection for the

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budget and we have sent money to schools. Wait like she accused

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Jeremy Corbyn of demanding more spending. Earlier PMQ 's goes by

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when he does not call for more public spending. When it comes to

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spending money they haven't got the labour simply can't help themselves.

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Same old Labour, spent today and give someone else the bill tomorrow.

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We would do that to the next generation.

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The government's been told there should be no more cuts

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The call came as MPs held an emergency debate on changes

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to a disability benefit - the Personal Independence Payment.

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Ministers are seeking to overturn two tribunal rulings

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which would increase the number of people entitled to higher

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The Government insists the change is not a cut BUT restores

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the original intention of the policy.

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The shadow work and pensions secretary disagreed.

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The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work claims

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that the changes restore PIP to its original policy intentions,

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The fact is that over a quarter of those on PIP receive

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the highest level of support, which is much more than

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the 15% of DLA working-age claimants who did so.

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Are the regulations not doing exactly what was originally

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intended: targeting resources at those who need them most?

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I am sorry, but I do not see the honourable Gentleman s logic.

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These new regulations are nothing more than a shameful cut.

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Once again, this Government are trying to balance

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the books on the backs of the sick and disabled.

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The Government s own analysis estimates that the new regulations

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will affect more than 160,000 people by 2023, the majority of whom will

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Many of these will be newer applicants, but the regulations

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will also affect those who are being reassessed,

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who will not be eligible for the full support

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to which they would have been entitled under the rulings

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of tribunals, an effective cut of ?3.7 billion.

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Having spent 14 very happy months as the Minister

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responsible for these matters, I want to pass on some

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of the observations that I made during that time.

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Let me make it absolutely clear that stakeholders and charities recognise

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that PIP is a better benefit than DLA.

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It is not perfect`much more work is still to be done to deliver

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further improvements`but the statistics show

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Under DLA, only 16.5% of all claimants access the highest

:20:02.:20:04.

rate of benefit, under PIP, the figure is over 25%.

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The courts have given us a loud and clear message that we have got

:20:11.:20:13.

In this age where we are desperately trying to change society s views

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of mental health and parity of esteem, we have to listen

:20:18.:20:20.

to the courts`they have given us a judgment for a reason.

:20:21.:20:29.

Personal and and payments are supposed to support people with

:20:30.:20:34.

additional costs for the disability, we have heard that the court ruling

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these changes seem to undermine. If ruled that people live in the the

:20:39.:20:41.

house because of anxiety panic attacks or other mental health

:20:42.:20:45.

problems should be able to receive a higher rate of Pip. This bears

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repeating. I thank you. Does this not run the risk of actually

:20:54.:20:58.

increasing stigma again on mental health visitor to people clearly

:20:59.:21:02.

that anxiety causes you to stay inside and is not something that a

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serious and doesn't it conflict with the principle of equal treatment

:21:08.:21:14.

between mental and physical health? I thank the honourable gentleman for

:21:15.:21:17.

his intervention and completely agree. As I said and have said

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before, this government cannot simply change the goalposts of

:21:26.:21:28.

retirement was a battle. These regulations do nothing more than

:21:29.:21:32.

pander to old attitudes and stigmas towards mental illness. As a person

:21:33.:21:38.

needs help finding need help regardless of their age or

:21:39.:21:41.

disability or health condition. It is important to be clear what these

:21:42.:21:47.

regulations are not, they are not a policy change are intended to make

:21:48.:21:51.

new savings. And they will not result in any claimant saying a

:21:52.:21:55.

reduction in the amount of Pip previously awarded by DWP. There is

:21:56.:22:01.

no change to the budget and no change to guidance.

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We finish where we started - with the news that the UK Government

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has triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

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Theresa May's statement was repeated in the House of Lords.

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First to respond was the Labour leader in the Lords, Lady Smith.

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Labour has set the Government six tests for the Brexit deal.

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Just like any other divorce there will be some who rejoice in new

:22:21.:22:27.

opportunities and those will despair of our shared past and was love. If

:22:28.:22:30.

you find the look of the marriage divorces and remarriage of the -- of

:22:31.:22:35.

Richard Burton and ultimately with Taylor is hope but through it all my

:22:36.:22:39.

Lords the only people to get rich where those trying to unravel those

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40 plus years of relative harmony. Lawyers.

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Labour has set the Government six tests for the Brexit deal.

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Lady Smith added a seventh - honesty.

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This process must not be so ideologically driven

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that the Government accept anything and claim it is a good deal.

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If the Prime Minister is disappointed or dissatisfied

:22:54.:22:58.

with the negotiations or the outcome of agreements, she must

:22:59.:23:02.

in the national interest be prepared to say so.

:23:03.:23:11.

But sadness is a passive emotion, and it is not the only

:23:12.:23:14.

We feel a sense of anger that the Government are pursuing

:23:15.:23:21.

a brutal Brexit, which will rip us out of the single market and many

:23:22.:23:24.

other European networks from which we benefit so much.

:23:25.:23:27.

The Minister reassured peers that Parliament would be fully invovled.

:23:28.:23:32.

We have said there will be a Motion on the final agreement to be

:23:33.:23:36.

approved by both Houses of Parliament before

:23:37.:23:38.

We expect and intend that this will happen before

:23:39.:23:51.

the European Parliament debates and votes on the final agreement.

:23:52.:23:53.

We intend that Parliament s vote will cover not only the withdrawal

:23:54.:23:56.

arrangements but the future relationship with the EU.

:23:57.:23:58.

And we will give the last word to Lord Kerr, a former diplomat

:23:59.:24:01.

The country will judge the outcome of the negotiations by the words

:24:02.:24:05.

of those on the Government Front Bench.

:24:06.:24:08.

Before the referendum, Mr Davis told us that there would be

:24:09.:24:14.

no diminution of trade with the EU if we left the European Union.

:24:15.:24:18.

This year, he has told us that the exact same benefits will be

:24:19.:24:21.

secured as if we had remained in the single market

:24:22.:24:23.

Before the referendum, Mr Johnson told us that there would be no

:24:24.:24:30.

This year, Mr Brokenshire has told us that there will be

:24:31.:24:39.

a frictionless border, even though that will be the border

:24:40.:24:43.

of the EU s customs union and it will be for the EU to decide

:24:44.:24:46.

Does the noble Baroness understand that, as this negotiation proceeds,

:24:47.:24:59.

the country will not forget what it was told, and Ministers

:25:00.:25:01.

The author of Article 50 - Lord Kerr - speaking on the day

:25:02.:25:11.

Well that's it from Wednesday in Parliament.

:25:12.:25:14.

I'll be back at the same time tomorrow but for now, from me -

:25:15.:25:19.

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