0:00:18 > 0:00:21Hello and welcome to Wednesday In Parliament.
0:00:21 > 0:00:22On this programme:
0:00:22 > 0:00:25The Government announces the pension age is going up to 68
0:00:25 > 0:00:28seven years earlier than planned.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31The last Prime Minister's Questions before the recess sees Theresa May
0:00:31 > 0:00:36and Jeremy Corbyn do battle over pay and the economy.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38And the Government's urged to do more to help
0:00:38 > 0:00:40unaccompanied child refugees.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42It is a catastrophe for these children
0:00:42 > 0:00:46and I feel passionate about it.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51But first, the state pension age is to rise from 67 to 68
0:00:51 > 0:00:53seven years earlier than initially planned.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57Ministers are accepting a recommendation made
0:00:57 > 0:01:00in the Cridland review earlier this year.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03It means six million people will have to wait longer before
0:01:03 > 0:01:06receiving their state pension.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11The change will affect those born between April 1970 and April 1978.
0:01:11 > 0:01:16The increase will now come into effect from 2037.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21The Government hopes the move will save around ?74 billion.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23The Work and Pensions Secretary, David Gauke,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26told MPs people that were living longer.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30In 1948, Mr Deputy Speaker, when the modern state pension
0:01:30 > 0:01:33was introduced, a 65-year-old could expect to live
0:01:33 > 0:01:36for a further 13.5 years.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40By 2007, when further legislation was introduced
0:01:40 > 0:01:42to increase the state pension age, this had risen to around
0:01:42 > 0:01:4621 years and in 2037, it is expected to be nearly 25 years.
0:01:46 > 0:01:52There is a balance to be struck between funding of the state pension
0:01:52 > 0:01:55in years to come whilst also ensuring fairness for future
0:01:55 > 0:01:58generations of taxpayers.
0:01:58 > 0:01:59The approach I am setting out today
0:01:59 > 0:02:03is the responsible and fair course of action.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Failing to act now in light of compelling evidence of
0:02:06 > 0:02:08demographic pressures would be irresponsible
0:02:08 > 0:02:13and place an extremely unfair burden on younger generations.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Last week, evidence from Public Health England showed
0:02:15 > 0:02:18how deep inequalities in healthy life expectancy remain both
0:02:18 > 0:02:22regionally and between different groups in our society including
0:02:22 > 0:02:26women, disabled people and black and minority ethnic groups.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29It is therefore astonishing that today
0:02:29 > 0:02:31this Government chooses to implement their plans to speed up
0:02:31 > 0:02:36the state pension age and increase it to 68.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Mr Deputy Speaker, most pensioners will now spend their retirement
0:02:40 > 0:02:44battling a toxic cocktail of ill-health, with men expecting
0:02:44 > 0:02:50to drift into ill-health at 63, five years earlier than this proposed
0:02:51 > 0:02:54quickened state pension age of 68.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Labour want a different approach.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58In our manifesto, we are committed to leaving
0:02:58 > 0:03:03the state pension age at 66 while we undertake a review into
0:03:03 > 0:03:06healthy life expectancy, arduous work,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09and the potential of flexible state pension age.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Even by the standards of the party opposite,
0:03:12 > 0:03:14their approach to be state pension age is reckless,
0:03:14 > 0:03:20short-sighted and irresponsible.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23When the evidence in front of us shows that life expectancy
0:03:23 > 0:03:29will continue to increase a little over one year every eight years
0:03:29 > 0:03:35that pass, fixing the state pension age at 66 as advocated
0:03:35 > 0:03:40by the party opposite demonstrates a complete failure to appreciate
0:03:40 > 0:03:42the situation in front of us.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44In the SNP, we continue to call for the establishment
0:03:44 > 0:03:46of an independent savings and pensions commission.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49We believe that the Government is not doing enough
0:03:49 > 0:03:51to recognise the demographic differences across the
0:03:51 > 0:03:55United Kingdom and an independent review of this would look at those
0:03:55 > 0:03:58and would take those into account.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01When Her Majesty the Queen came to be throne in 1952,
0:04:01 > 0:04:05there were 300 people in that year who reached the age of 100.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Last year, it was over 13,000.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12Does he express or will he express surprise that I feel at
0:04:12 > 0:04:15the irresponsibility and recklessness
0:04:15 > 0:04:19of the party opposite in resisting some of these measures?
0:04:19 > 0:04:23Well, I don't know if I'm surprised by anything
0:04:23 > 0:04:27the Labour Party does, but it is disappointing.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29A Labour MP had been expecting a statement
0:04:29 > 0:04:34on the so called WASPI women - those born in the 1950s who claim
0:04:34 > 0:04:38they weren't given proper notice of the rise in their state pension age.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40I had hopes that the minister was coming here today
0:04:41 > 0:04:43because he'd seen the light.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47He'd realised that the women from the 1950s are being dealt a terrible
0:04:47 > 0:04:51set of cards by this Government, that he was going to compensate
0:04:51 > 0:04:55them, that he was going to make good on the injustice that has been done
0:04:55 > 0:04:58to them, that he was going to make sure that every single person
0:04:58 > 0:05:01who wasn't even notified by the Government
0:05:01 > 0:05:03that they were going to be caught by this
0:05:03 > 0:05:06would be compensated and that he was going to
0:05:06 > 0:05:09finally acknowledge that women in my constituency
0:05:09 > 0:05:12who are in their 60s, who say to me that they are
0:05:12 > 0:05:14completely clapped-out because they have had tough,
0:05:14 > 0:05:21laborious jobs all their lives, that they are the very people
0:05:21 > 0:05:24that his minister says should now take up an apprenticeship.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26How dull are they?
0:05:26 > 0:05:28David Gauke said he wasn't sure
0:05:28 > 0:05:31he'd want to call his constituents "clapped-out."
0:05:31 > 0:05:34As to the 1950s women, he said that as with this announcement,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37there was a need to balance a dignified retirement
0:05:37 > 0:05:42with the fact that state pensions had to be paid for.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46Now, there was a rowdy end of term sort of feel to the last
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Prime Minister's Questions before parliament begins its summer break.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, focused on low pay but began
0:05:54 > 0:05:57by highlighting splits at the top of the Government.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00At the weekend, the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, said some senior
0:06:00 > 0:06:03ministers were briefing against him because they didn't
0:06:03 > 0:06:06like his views on Brexit.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09That followed press reports that Mr Hammond had said some public
0:06:09 > 0:06:12sector staff were overpaid.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Mr Speaker, the Chancellor said this week that some
0:06:14 > 0:06:19public servants are overpaid.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Given the Prime Minister has had to administer a slap down to her
0:06:22 > 0:06:26squabbling Cabinet, does she think the Chancellor was actually talking
0:06:26 > 0:06:28about her own ministers?
0:06:28 > 0:06:30I recognise, as I said when I stood on
0:06:30 > 0:06:32the steps of Downing Street a year ago,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34that there are some people in our country
0:06:34 > 0:06:36who are just about managing.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38They find life a struggle.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40That actually covers people who are working in the public sector
0:06:40 > 0:06:44and some people who are working in the private sector and that's why
0:06:44 > 0:06:47it's important that the Government is taking steps,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50for example, to help those on the lowest incomes
0:06:50 > 0:06:51through the national living wage.
0:06:51 > 0:06:56It's why we have taken millions of people out
0:06:56 > 0:06:57of paying income tax altogether.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01It's why basic rate taxpayers under this Government have seen a tax cut
0:07:02 > 0:07:04of the equivalent of ?1000.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Can I invite the Prime Minister to take a check
0:07:07 > 0:07:10with reality on this?
0:07:10 > 0:07:13One...
0:07:13 > 0:07:19SHOUTING
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Mr Speaker...
0:07:21 > 0:07:25One in eight workers in the United Kingdom,
0:07:25 > 0:07:30that is 3.8 million people in work, are now living in poverty.
0:07:30 > 0:07:3655% of people in poverty are in working households.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41The Prime Minister's lack of touch with reality goes like this -
0:07:41 > 0:07:44low pay in Britain is holding people back at a time of rising
0:07:44 > 0:07:49housing costs, rising food prices and rising transport costs.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51It threatens people's living standards
0:07:51 > 0:07:54and rising consumer debt and falling savings
0:07:55 > 0:07:57threatens our economic stability.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01Why doesn't the Prime Minister understand that low pay
0:08:01 > 0:08:07is a threat to an already weakening economy?
0:08:07 > 0:08:11The best route out of poverty is through work
0:08:12 > 0:08:18and what we now see is hundreds...
0:08:18 > 0:08:19Order, order!
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Order, the question has been asked.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24The Prime Minister's answer must -
0:08:24 > 0:08:28and however long it takes it will - be heard.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30The Prime Minister.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32The best route out of poverty is through work.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34That's why it's so important that over the last seven years,
0:08:34 > 0:08:40we have seen 3 million more jobs being created in our economy.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43It's why we now see so many thousands of people
0:08:43 > 0:08:47in households with work rather than in workless households.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Many more hundreds of thousands more children
0:08:50 > 0:08:53being brought up in a household where there is work rather
0:08:53 > 0:08:56than a failure to have work.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58That's what's important, but what's important
0:08:58 > 0:09:00for Government as well is to ensure that we do
0:09:00 > 0:09:02provide support to people.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05That's why we created the national living wage.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09That was the biggest pay increase for people on lowest incomes ever.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13When did the Labour Party ever introduce the national living wage?
0:09:13 > 0:09:14Never.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17That was a Conservative Government and a Conservative record.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20What we want is a country where there are not 4 million
0:09:20 > 0:09:24children living in poverty, where homelessness is not rising
0:09:24 > 0:09:28every year and I look a long that front bench opposite, Mr Speaker,
0:09:28 > 0:09:33and I see a Cabinet bickering and backbiting while the economy
0:09:33 > 0:09:36gets weaker and people are put further into debt.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40Isn't the truth that this divided Government is unable to give
0:09:40 > 0:09:43this country the leadership it so desperately needs now
0:09:43 > 0:09:47to deal with these issues?
0:09:47 > 0:09:49I'll tell the Right Honourable gentleman the reality.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52The reality is that he is always talking Britain down and
0:09:52 > 0:09:55we are a leading Britain forward.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57The SNP's leader at Westminster turned to the pensions
0:09:57 > 0:10:00of those WASPI women.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04The Prime Minister has found up to ?35 billion
0:10:04 > 0:10:08for Hinkley Point C nuclear power station,
0:10:08 > 0:10:13up to 200 billion to replace the Trident missile system
0:10:13 > 0:10:16and 1 billion for a deal with the DUP
0:10:16 > 0:10:19just so she can keep her own job.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22She seems to be able to shake the magic money tree
0:10:22 > 0:10:25when she wants to.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29Can the Prime Minister now end the injustice for those women
0:10:29 > 0:10:31who are missing out on their pension
0:10:31 > 0:10:35before she herself thinks about retiring?
0:10:35 > 0:10:39We have put ?1 billion extra into this question of the change
0:10:39 > 0:10:42of state pension age to ensure that nobody sees their state pension age
0:10:42 > 0:10:46increase by more than 18 months from that which was
0:10:46 > 0:10:49previously expected, but I have to also say
0:10:49 > 0:10:51to the honourable gentleman that the Scottish Government,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54of course, does now have extra powers in the area of welfare.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59And perhaps...
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Perhaps it's about time the Scottish Government got on
0:11:01 > 0:11:06with the day job and stopped talking endlessly about independence.
0:11:06 > 0:11:07Theresa May.
0:11:07 > 0:11:17You're watching Wednesday in Parliament with me, Alicia McCarthy.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21Youth custody centres in England and Wales are now so unsafe that
0:11:21 > 0:11:23a tragedy is inevitable.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25That's the finding of the annual report
0:11:25 > 0:11:28of the Chief Inspector of Prisons.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30The Chief Inspector said there'd been a staggering
0:11:30 > 0:11:33decline in standards.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35He hadn't inspected a single establishment where it was safe
0:11:35 > 0:11:36to hold young people.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Prisons for men had also become worse in the past 12
0:11:40 > 0:11:45months with startling increases in violence.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48A Labour MP, whose constituency includes the Feltham Young Offenders
0:11:48 > 0:11:53Institution in London, had put down an urgent question.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55The jump in violence in our prisons is a crisis
0:11:55 > 0:11:56of the government's making.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59The warning signs have been there.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01They've been warned by MPs, they've been warned by staff
0:12:01 > 0:12:05in our prisons and they've been warned by charities.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Now they are being condemned by this damning report.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10The budget for prisons has been cut by more than a fifth
0:12:10 > 0:12:13over the last six years, cuts that have now been proved
0:12:13 > 0:12:16to be a false economy.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Prison staff have been cut by a quarter and those who remain
0:12:19 > 0:12:21are being put at risk.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24The human impact of Tory austerity is now being laid bare at the door
0:12:24 > 0:12:25of our prison system.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Yes, the staffing issue has been indicated as a problem,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31and this has been addressed in the last year.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35As I said previously, we have appointed more than 500 to March,
0:12:35 > 0:12:39and we are on course to fulfil our target of 2500 extra
0:12:39 > 0:12:41prison officers by the end of 2018.
0:12:41 > 0:12:47But I would argue that the unforeseen exacerbant in prisons
0:12:48 > 0:12:52has been Spice and drug use.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55And it was not anticipated by any previous government,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58and this is undeniably causing difficulties both in terms
0:12:58 > 0:13:02of the behaviour of the prisoners and indeed the corruption
0:13:02 > 0:13:05of the prisoners and some staff with regard to the trade
0:13:05 > 0:13:07in these substances.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10The Minister is right to be frank, as he always has been,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13about the dire state of affairs in our prisons, which the Select
0:13:13 > 0:13:19Committee highlighted in a number of reports in the last Parliament.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21On a constructive note, would he recognise that,
0:13:21 > 0:13:23although there is no prison legislation proposed in the current
0:13:23 > 0:13:27session for the Queen's Speech, it would be appropriate
0:13:27 > 0:13:31for the government nonetheless to forward much of the prison
0:13:31 > 0:13:33reform agenda that does not require legislation?
0:13:33 > 0:13:35With regards to legislation, we have not ruled out future
0:13:35 > 0:13:38legislation for prisons, but I would argue that there
0:13:38 > 0:13:41is quite a lot we could be getting on with which does
0:13:41 > 0:13:43not require legislation.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47We are eager and keen and determined to reform our prison system.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49The chief inspector says that he'd reached a conclusion,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52that there was not a single establishment that we inspected
0:13:52 > 0:13:55in England and Wales in which it was safe to hold
0:13:55 > 0:13:58children and young people, adding that the speed of decline
0:13:58 > 0:14:02has been staggering as, in 2013-14, nine out of 12
0:14:02 > 0:14:07institutions were graded as good or reasonably good for safety.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Given this, what explanation does the Minister have for this?
0:14:11 > 0:14:14We know that there are many, many difficulties in
0:14:14 > 0:14:15the youth justice system.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18The violence rate is ten times higher in the youth justice system
0:14:18 > 0:14:21compared to the adult prison estate.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Working, and I would like to support, and give
0:14:24 > 0:14:27full support, actually, to the staff who continue
0:14:27 > 0:14:30in the youth estate because I've seen it with my own eyes,
0:14:30 > 0:14:32I've visited the majority of the youth estate,
0:14:32 > 0:14:34and it is extremely difficult.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37But given there was a prisons bill already drafted that actually had
0:14:37 > 0:14:41made some progress in the last session, can he tell the House why
0:14:41 > 0:14:43that Bill has been dropped?
0:14:43 > 0:14:45And if the government is committed to prison reform,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48why has it dropped a piece of legislation that was ready to be
0:14:49 > 0:14:49heard by this House?
0:14:49 > 0:14:51If there is a requirement for further legislation,
0:14:51 > 0:14:55that has not been ruled out in the future but, as the right
0:14:55 > 0:14:57honourable gentleman recognises, there are Parliamentary time
0:14:57 > 0:14:59pressures here, and this is something which we are
0:14:59 > 0:15:01having to accommodate.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03However, there is absolutely no reason why they can't continue
0:15:03 > 0:15:06with the reform programme that we've planned.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09The outgoing Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, has demanded
0:15:09 > 0:15:12to know when the government will meet what he called its measly
0:15:12 > 0:15:17commitment to transfer 480 unaccompanied child
0:15:17 > 0:15:19refugees from Europe.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23He said, so far, 200 have come to the UK.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25The government's preferred approach is to take children not
0:15:25 > 0:15:28from countries in Europe but from the region
0:15:28 > 0:15:30where they came from.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Ministers argue this would counter the pull factor and stop families
0:15:33 > 0:15:38sending their youngsters on the dangerous journey to Europe.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40But in a concession, after a campaign by the Labour peer
0:15:40 > 0:15:44Lord Dubs, ministers agreed they would take some unaccompanied
0:15:44 > 0:15:49children who were already in the EU.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Tim Farron was asking an urgent question about the so-called
0:15:51 > 0:15:55Dubs Scheme and the promise to bring 480 youngsters to
0:15:55 > 0:15:58the UK in this way.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01I say it's a measly commitment because the UK Government
0:16:01 > 0:16:03could do so much more.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Freedom of Information Act requests show that local councils have
0:16:06 > 0:16:13voluntarily offered to accept 1572 more children in addition to those
0:16:13 > 0:16:15they already support.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17Does the Minister know this?
0:16:17 > 0:16:20And in light of this information, would the government reopen Dubs
0:16:20 > 0:16:23and take its fair share?
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Now, I know of two young people who signed a consent form to be
0:16:26 > 0:16:29transferred under Dubs over a year ago.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31They are still stuck in Greece.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33And the horrific truth, Mr Speaker, in closing
0:16:33 > 0:16:37is that the longer this goes on, the more likely that these children
0:16:37 > 0:16:41will go missing and fall into the evil hands of traffickers.
0:16:41 > 0:16:47According to Oxfam, 28 children every single day
0:16:47 > 0:16:50are going missing in Italy alone.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Will this government step up continue to ignore the plight
0:16:54 > 0:16:55of these desperate children?
0:16:55 > 0:16:59What we are very clear about is that making sure that we do not
0:16:59 > 0:17:02create a pull factor but, at the same time, we did the right
0:17:02 > 0:17:06thing, as we have done with the ?2.46 billion of support
0:17:06 > 0:17:08make us one of the biggest contributed with the biggest
0:17:08 > 0:17:11humanitarian aid project this country has ever conducted
0:17:11 > 0:17:13to look after the people who need our care the most.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15And instead of playing politics with children's lives,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18we should get on with looking after them, and I wish
0:17:18 > 0:17:19he would join us in doing that.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21The House understands the government's preference to take
0:17:21 > 0:17:24unaccompanied children directly from the region, but I've visited
0:17:24 > 0:17:28the camps in France and Greece, and the Minister needs to be
0:17:28 > 0:17:33reminded those children are already there, often living in horrible
0:17:33 > 0:17:39conditions and particularly at the mercy of traffickers
0:17:39 > 0:17:41and sexual exploitation.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45An SNP MP quoted a report by the Human Trafficking Foundation
0:17:45 > 0:17:47that was launched last week.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51This independent inquiry has found that UK ministers have done
0:17:51 > 0:18:01"as little as legally possible to help unaccompanied
0:18:06 > 0:18:09children who have fled war and conflict in their home".
0:18:09 > 0:18:12It says the UK Government have "turned away from a humanitarian
0:18:12 > 0:18:14crisis that would not be tolerable to the British public
0:18:14 > 0:18:18if they were more aware of it", and that, by failing to offer safe
0:18:18 > 0:18:20passage, the UK Government are "unquestionably fuelling both
0:18:20 > 0:18:21people trafficking and smuggling".
0:18:21 > 0:18:23I actually would encourage more people to have a look at
0:18:23 > 0:18:26what she refers to as an independent report were one of the co-authors
0:18:26 > 0:18:28is a recently retired Labour Member of Parliament,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31a report that, actually, when I read it - this is why
0:18:31 > 0:18:35I would encourage people to read it - actually has a lot of accusations
0:18:35 > 0:18:37and statements with no evidence to base them on whatsoever.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Well, that question was repeated in the House of Lords,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42where one of the co-authors of the human trafficking report
0:18:42 > 0:18:44tackled the Minister over the conditions
0:18:44 > 0:18:47facing child refugees.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51I hope that the Minister has read our report which talks
0:18:51 > 0:18:58about children being tear-gassed on a daily basis by the riot police
0:18:58 > 0:19:03in northern France and the terrible conditions both in Italy
0:19:03 > 0:19:05and in Greece.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10There is no effort whatever to identify Dubs children in either
0:19:10 > 0:19:15Calais or in Dunkirk or indeed in Greece or in Italy, as far
0:19:15 > 0:19:19as the evidence that we received.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22It is a catastrophe for these children, and I feel
0:19:22 > 0:19:30passionate about it, and nothing seems to be done.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33I recognise the noble lady's passion, and she and I have talked
0:19:33 > 0:19:42on a number of occasions on this, and I also have read her report.
0:19:42 > 0:19:48The first thing that I would say, in terms of the treatment by police
0:19:48 > 0:19:53of children in France, is this, and I've said this
0:19:53 > 0:19:57before in this House, the prime responsibility
0:19:57 > 0:20:01for unaccompanied children in Europe lies with the authorities
0:20:01 > 0:20:04in the countries in which the children are present.
0:20:04 > 0:20:10However, we continue to work with European and international
0:20:10 > 0:20:14partners to reach a solution to the migrant crisis,
0:20:14 > 0:20:20and the UK has contributed significantly in terms of hosting,
0:20:20 > 0:20:24supporting and protecting the most vulnerable children.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28Once we have reached the 480 children, she says the government
0:20:28 > 0:20:32will have accepted or will accept under section 67.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37Is that the end of it or will the government respond
0:20:37 > 0:20:39to local authorities who say and are still saying
0:20:40 > 0:20:41they are willing to take more?
0:20:41 > 0:20:43It's a simple yes or no.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46The Minister didn't give a yes or no answer, saying
0:20:46 > 0:20:51the government was bound by local authority capacity.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Now, Labour has accused the government of reneging
0:20:53 > 0:20:57on a promise to allow MPs a vote on an increase in student
0:20:57 > 0:20:59tuition fees in England.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03That charge came during an emergency debate secured by Labour MPs
0:21:03 > 0:21:07on measures which will allow tuition fees to rise this autumn
0:21:07 > 0:21:12to a maximum of ?9,250.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15But Labour faced accusations from the Conservatives of misleading
0:21:15 > 0:21:20students during the general election campaign, saying it had promised
0:21:20 > 0:21:23to write off existing student debt.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25This weak and wobbly government doesn't even
0:21:25 > 0:21:30trust its own backbenchers with a vote on its own policies.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32But the higher education and research act that
0:21:32 > 0:21:36the Education Secretary and the Universities Minister took
0:21:36 > 0:21:39through this House is very clear on the matter.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Paragraph 5 of schedule 2 states that the upper limit of fees can
0:21:42 > 0:21:46only rise when each House of Parliament has passed
0:21:46 > 0:21:49a resolution that, with effect from the date specified
0:21:49 > 0:21:54in the resolution, the higher amount should be increased.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58So can the Minister guarantee that no students will have to pay
0:21:58 > 0:22:01the higher fees until both Houses have passed such
0:22:01 > 0:22:04a resolution allowing it?
0:22:04 > 0:22:07On the subject of being weak and wobbly, can she confirm,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10is it still Labour policy to pay off all ?100 billion of
0:22:10 > 0:22:12the outstanding student debt?
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Is it still her policy, yes or no?
0:22:15 > 0:22:19And I have said once and I will say it again,
0:22:19 > 0:22:23we have no plans to write off existing student debt,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26and we never promised to do so.
0:22:26 > 0:22:33During the election, her party made categorically clear
0:22:33 > 0:22:36to endless numbers of students that they would abolish the student debt.
0:22:36 > 0:22:41Will she now get up and apologise for using them as election fodder?
0:22:41 > 0:22:43I'm sure the Minister's about to make what he believes
0:22:43 > 0:22:44is a convincing case.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48However, the real test is not just to give us his words
0:22:48 > 0:22:52but to give us a vote on them, so that is the question
0:22:52 > 0:22:57I put to him now.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00If he is so convinced that what he's doing is right,
0:23:00 > 0:23:04then will he give the courage of those convictions
0:23:04 > 0:23:07and put them to this House?
0:23:07 > 0:23:10The party opposite wants to talk about process because its policy
0:23:10 > 0:23:14platform is disintegrating before our eyes.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17And the regulations, Mr Speaker, are not proposed, as the honourable
0:23:17 > 0:23:20member opposite says.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23They have now been in force for six months.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27This debate, which cannot change arrangements for 2017-18,
0:23:27 > 0:23:32is therefore a sham exercise.
0:23:32 > 0:23:38I suspect this is simply more of the same cynical politics we saw
0:23:38 > 0:23:42over the weekend when Labour broke its own pre-election pledge,
0:23:42 > 0:23:45about which we've heard so much this afternoon,
0:23:45 > 0:23:49to write off historic student loan debts.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Freezing the repayment threshold, making graduates pay more
0:23:51 > 0:23:54than they signed up for, and members opposite talk
0:23:54 > 0:23:56about broken promises.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59There could be no worse breach of faith, breach
0:23:59 > 0:24:04of promise, breach of contract than that retrospective change.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06It's frankly fraudulent.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08If it was any other organisation in the government,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11the Financial Conduct Authority would get involved.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14No other loan has so many protections built
0:24:15 > 0:24:17in for low earners.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19But the focus narrowly on the repayment structure
0:24:19 > 0:24:22is to ignore so much of what makes the current system a good deal
0:24:22 > 0:24:24for less advantaged students.
0:24:24 > 0:24:29It secures more places and higher quality teaching.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32I know there is a lot of nostalgia in some circles for the days
0:24:32 > 0:24:36when university was free but, too often, those people fail
0:24:36 > 0:24:39to acknowledge that this was only possible because the proportion
0:24:39 > 0:24:44of school leavers who went on to higher education was tiny.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47And finally, the Speaker, John Bercow, has quietly been
0:24:47 > 0:24:51relaxing the dress code in the House of Commons.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53He said that MPs should wear businesslike attire,
0:24:53 > 0:24:59but that it was not essential for male MPs to wear a tie.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Not to be outdone, one female MP took the opportunity
0:25:01 > 0:25:03of Scottish Questions to flag up her support for Scotland's
0:25:03 > 0:25:06national women's football team as they prepared to face
0:25:06 > 0:25:14England's Lionesses in the Euro 2017 tournament.
0:25:14 > 0:25:15Hannah Bardell.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21I'd also like to put on my record the very best wishes
0:25:21 > 0:25:23of everyone on these benches for the Scottish football team.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26I'm wearing the colours, I hope you don't mind.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28I used to play alongside two of Scotland's national
0:25:28 > 0:25:30players at university.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Their career has obviously done better in football than mine.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Hannah Bardell in praise of Scotland's women's football team.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38And that's it from me for now, but do join me at the same time
0:25:38 > 0:25:40tomorrow for the last day of Parliament before
0:25:40 > 0:25:43the summer recess.
0:25:43 > 0:25:53But for now, from me, Alicia McCarthy, goodbye.