20/12/2017 Wednesday in Parliament

Welcome to the programme. It's been

a dramatic evening here at

Westminster, with the first

Secretary of State Damian Green

resigning. Mr Green was one of

Theresa May's closest allies,

sitting next to her today at PMQs.

He resigned from the Cabinet after

an investigation found he breached

the ministerial code. Before that

news reached us, it was a busy

parliamentary day. The government

faced a rocky moment on Brexit.

Let me make it very, very clear. If

there is any attempt by this

government to go back an amendment

seven, I believe the rebellion will

be even greater.

The horror of an

acid attack.

There is nothing about

me that I recognised. My identity as

I knew it had gone.

And Michael Gove

unmasks a cheese traitor.

I am

concerned about your unpatriotic

attitude towards Cheddar.

But first,

the final PMQs of 2017, but there

was not much in the way of festive

cheer.

In 2009, the Prime Minister

said it was a tragedy that the

number of children falling into the

poverty cycle was continuing to

rise. Every child deserves a roof

over their head and food on the

table. Yet on her watch, in

Wandsworth alone, the number of

families forced to survive on food

banks is continuing to rise, and two

and a half thousand children, yes,

children, will wake-up homeless on

Christmas Day. My question is

simple. When will this austerity

driven government say enough is

enough, and put an end to this

tragedy?

Thank you Mr Speaker. The

honourable lady should note that in

fact this government has lifted

hundreds of thousands of children

out of absolute poverty. But I think

it is important for all those who

have heard her question to be aware

this. She talks of two and half

thousand children in Wandsworth

making up on Christmas Day. Anybody

hearing that will assume about what

that means is that two and a half

thousand children will be sleeping

on our streets. It does not. It does

not.

The Labour leader questions the

Prime Minister about how the NHS was

coping.

Could I pay tribute to our

very hard-working National Health

Service staff? Many of whom, unlike

us, won't get a break this

Christmas. Is the Prime Minister

satisfied that the National Health

Service has the resources it needs

this winter?

First of all, can I

join the right honourable gentleman,

he refers to those NHS staff who

will be working very hard this

Christmas and you won't get a break

at Christmas. Of course it's not

only our NHS staff who will be

working hard this Christmas, it's

also our emergency and many others

who go to work on Christmas Day so

others can enjoy their Christmas day

and we thank all of them. He asks

about reparations for winter, I can

say to him in the health service has

prepared more extensively for this

winter than ever before. These plans

are helping to ensure safe, timely

care for patients. As that happens,

those are not my words, they are of

the chief executive of NHS

providers.

But Jeremy Corbyn has his

"From the chief executive of NHS

England.

Sir Simon Stephens did say

the NHS needs for alien from the NHS

next year just a standstill, and the

reality is the government has given

the NHS less than half of he asked

for.

The last Labour government's

record on health, their NHS legacy

was described as a mess. While you

are clearing that up, we are putting

more money into the NHS. But who was

it who described Labour's NHS legacy

as a mess? It was the right

honourable gentleman.

HECKLING

When

he is running for leader, he

denounces the Labour Party, now he's

Lever -- leader of the Labour Party,

he's trying to praise it.

Mr

Speaker, Canet...

I could quote the Prime Minister,

something she might be familiar

with. If the government wants to

reduce the pressure is on the health

service and keep people out of

hospital in the first place, then it

needs to tackle the chronic

underfunding of care and support

services in the community which are

at a tipping point. Who said that?

Conservative leader of Warwickshire

County Council. Mr Speaker... The

question was an social care. But the

issue is about the NHS as a whole.

It is there to provide care and

dignity for all if they fall ill.

But our NHS goes into this winter in

crisis.

Just over two hours after that,

Theresa May was once again answering

MP's questions, this time in the

more genteel surroundings of the

Boothroyd room. She was appearing in

front of the Liaison Committee,

comprised of chairs of all the

common select committees, inevitably

the focus was on Brexit.

Is it still

love you that you can complete the

negotiating of a Free Trade

Agreement by March 2019?

It is. That

is what we are working to, and that

is what I believe we can do. I

believe that is important, everybody

wants to know on what basis they

will be operating in the future.

Such that the period is practical,

which is implementing going towards

implementing the agreement that we

have with the European Union. I have

said I and other ministers have

said, that of course we start off at

a different point from other third

countries as we will be, from other

third countries negotiating with the

EU, because we are already a member

and already trading with them on a

particular basis. As you will know

full well, there is... We can't

legally sign in the new trade

agreement with the European Union

until the third country, out of the

EU, the EU, the 29th of March 2019,

but I believe we can negotiate that

arrangement in that time.

That's the

view you hold, and the government

holds, but the view on the other

side of the negotiating table is

that the West that is going to be

achieved by March 2019 is a scoping

of what a agreement would cover, and

certainly I have met nobody who

thinks it is possible to negotiate

all the details of that by March 20

19. Why the government is so

confident they can be done when with

whom it is negotiating to think it

can.

A lot is often said about the

time it takes to negotiate trade

deals. There are different

experiences around the world of the

length of time it takes to negotiate

trade deals, as I say, the reason

I'm confident we can do this within

the time concern, is because we

start off from a different point. We

have not got a situation where

country a is coming to negotiate

with the EU not having had any

arrangements with the EU before. We

come from the point where we are

actually a member of the European

Union, operating on the same basis

at the moment, and therefore I think

that stops us off from a different

position in terms of our

negotiations on trade in the future.

Having called the election, did you

imagine you would be back six months

later and bake the European Union

for two more euros in the Florence

speech?

I have not begged the European Union

for two more years. If you like what

I said in the Lancaster house

speech, you will see that we were

already talking about the concept of

a smooth and orderly process of

withdrawing from the European Union.

That is what the implementation

period is about. This is not two

more years to negotiate with the

European Union. This is about two

years when practically both

businesses and governments will be

able to put in place the changes

necessary to move from the current

relationship to the future

partnership that we will have.

The chavvy Home Affairs Committee

press the Prime Minister on the

meaningful vote that MPs had secured

last week and exchanges which would

have consequences later in the day.

Will that primary legislation happen

before written goes through the

ratification process for the treaty?

Will will have had to, parliament

would have an opportunity say

whether or not it agrees with the

Treaty that we have agreed with the

European Union. There will be then a

process of bringing that agreed

treaty into UK law.

After the tension of those

exchanges, one Labour MP seemed

concerned for Theresa May's

well-being.

You do not have to do everything,

Prime Minister.

As I say, we will

respond to, I think and I hope the

female members of the committee will

agree that women are pretty good at

multitasking.

Frank Field was not letting go.

Your health sake. I think, as Sarah

said, there's a real opportunity of

governing difficulty while you get

on with the main issue.

Food for thought. You are watching

Wednesday in Parliament. You can

find all our programmes over on the

BBC iPlayer.

The day finally dawned, the EU

withdrawal bill was back in the

Commons for its eighth day of

detailed scrutiny. We had only had

56 hours of this but what with the

last eight bring? One of the main

points of discussion was to be an

amendment allowing ministers to

change the date on which the UK

leads the EU. An amendment the

Government has accepted. One

Conservative MP was not going to

wait for the afternoon debate two

began. He bridged the subject our

Prime Minister's Questions.

As one

of the synergies to amend and 400 to

the EU withdrawal bill. May I seek

an assurance from the Prime Minister

that its provisions to change the

date of our leaving the EU will be

invoked only if at all under

extremely exceptional circumstances

and only for a very short period?

That reassurance. We are very clear.

We will be leaving the EU on the

29th of March, 2019, at 11pm. The

bill that is going through, it is

not determined that the UK leads the

EU, but as part of Article 50

process, a matter of international

law. It is important that we have

the same position legally as the

European Union that is why we have

accepted the amendment. But I can

assure my honourable friend and the

House, we would only use this power

in exceptional circumstances for the

shortest possible time and an

affirmative motion would be brought

to the House.

So, with appetites whetted, it was

onto the main course. You will

remember last week the Government

suffered a defeat. Ministers did not

want to go through that again the

Conservatives divide the data

amendment and the Government

accepted it. The compromise would

allow ministers to amend the date if

needed.

So the debate began. I am

really profoundly grateful, not only

those are my right honourable friend

's who have joined us on this

amendment but also to the Government

which I think is showing exactly the

way to deal with these things which

justified a sensible compromise that

brings all of us on these benches

together and make the opposition

entirely relevant to the discussion.

Indeed, it hampers the process. It

is frankly just another example of

the Government bearing red meat to

the more extreme Brexiteers on their

benches. And, as we said on day one,

this amendment is not serious

legislation. It is a gimmick. And it

is a reckless one.

I could not see why we were losing

the sensible flexibility of the way

in which the bill had originally

been drafted. But I do recognise,

underlying this, there does seem to

be a sort of the races abroad that

sometimes this magical date might

not be reached. -- new

sometimes this magical date might

not be reached. -- new. I can't

fully understand some of these of my

right honourable friend.

This Christmas moment, the soldiers

have met on the fields of no man's

band singing Silent Knight has peace

breaking out at an opportune moment.

I am filled with the Christmas

spirit of my honourable friend. Very

much which to see that, not only be

present to Christmas but also

carried through into the New Year.

I can assure the House that we would

only use this power in exceptional

circumstances to extend the deadline

for the shortest period possible and

that we cannot envisage the date

being brought forward.

As my right honourable friend the

Prime Minister has said many times,

we and the EU are planning on the UK

leaving the European Union at 11pm

on the 29th of March, 2019.

Several MPs were concerned about

what the prime Mr Howard said that

the liaison committee about the

meaningful vote or amendment seven.

-- Prime Minister had said.

Our

Prime Minister appears to be rowing

back on that and we have a minister

who is not able to give an

unequivocal statement at the

dispatch box that this Government

will not order amendment seven. Let

me make it very, very clear. If

there's any attempt by this

Government to go back an amendment

seven, I believe that the rebellion

will be even greater and it will

have even bigger consequences and

will give way.

I am happy to give my

right honourable friend an early

Christmas present. I can give her

the following assurance on behalf of

the Government. The Government has

accepted amendment seven will stop

written ministers statement that the

abolition of the exit of the EU...

On the withdrawal treaty, the terms

of the future agreement and of

course there will be in a withdrawal

agreement, implementation bill which

the House will consider in detail.

All legislation is amended. I think

that is the unequivocal statement

that I'm looking for and if it is,

I'm extremely grateful to the

Minister for doing that, clearing

that up and it is a great Christmas

present.

At morning News conference, the EU's

chief negotiator Michel Barnier said

he was not aware of any free trade

deal the EU had agreed which

included unfettered access for

financial services. Large

London-based financial institutions

have released set up subsidiaries

the EU to pre-empt Brexit. A few

hours later, become that the Bank of

England emphasise the importance of

the UK to the rest of Europe the UK

financial system is effectively the

bank of the Europe any most

complicated bits of finance, the

wholesale markets.

There are substantial economies of

scale and scope their benefit both

sides.

He said that free trade or

some form of corporate abridgement

of financial services was now

possible.

I do not accept the argument that

just because it has not been done in

the past, it cannot be done in the

future. We can't just walk away from

progress.

It is claimed that parts of London

are now no-go areas for mopeds

delivery drivers because of fears

about acid attacks. A debate in

Westminster Hall figures on the

sharp rise in the number of

incidents where corrosive substances

are used as a weapon. Two Labour MPs

from the East End of London started

the debate.

I've had a number of discussions

with representatives of mopeds

delivery drivers and they say there

are now part of London where their

drivers are not willing to go

because of the danger of attack and

I think all of us would regard it as

unacceptable that there are no-go

areas in parts of London and parts

of the UK. Possession of acid should

in itself be an offence and exactly

the same way that possession of a

knife is an offence at the moment.

January 2012, the number of acid

attacks in London has gone up by a

horrifying 550%.

Lynne Brown read

out the words of a acid attack

victim Katie Piper he says had to be

rebuilt by surgeons.

When I held the

mirror, I thought someone had given

me a break in one or put a silly

face on it. As a joke. I knew they

had taken my face away and it was

somewhere in a bin in the hospital.

But in my head, I had assumed I

would look like the old Katie, just

with a few red blotches. I wanted to

tear the whole thing off and make it

go away. There was nothing about me

that I recognise. My identity as I

knew it had gone. Katie's courage

and her will to survive and thrive

are just simply amazing. She is done

to go more than 250 surgeries since

the attack. She still has bad days

but she has transformed her life.

It

is an undeniable fact that still far

too easy if the wrong people to get

their hands on these dangerous

substances which called life

changing harm to people. It is the

case that restricting access to

these dangerous acids will in many

cases will force them to find a

different method to continue their

violence. In addition to committing

efforts to end acid violence, you

must equal attention to preventing

violence occurring in the first

place.

A Home Office minister said the

gunmen had drawn up an action plan

to counter the rising number of acid

attacks. -- the Government.

Tackling

the use of acid used in violent

attacks. It is vital we work

together and protect the public and

prevent attacks which is why we are

working so closely with a range of

partners, including the police, the

CPS and retailers. We will continue

to review and monitor the

implementation of the action plan

that in addition to this action

plan, the Government is committed to

tackling serious violence and that

is why the Home Secretary has

announced a new series by that

strategy which will be published in

early 2018. I'd very much the acid

attacks being included in that as

part of that strategy.

Victoria Atkins.

These are -- the Environment

Secretary has suggested

will stop

The Environment Secretary,

Michael Gove, has told MPs

on the Environment Committee

he could block any trade deal

with the US that allowed chlorinated

chicken to be imported into the UK.

animal where four walls, things we

will not compromise.

You would hold

a whole trade deal, were due, City

of London, everything, to make sure

that we do not get chicken chlorine

washed?

I think, the whole point

about trade deals is you have got to

do, be assertive in the defence of

your own interest and high animal

wealth of standards and

environmental standards are not

things that are important to British

consumers, important to British

producers.

The problem with animal

welfare and a piece of meat is the

fact that you have to actually

analyse how that poultry or that

take all Dachau or she is actually

been read. When you actually see the

meat that is there to buy, you will

not be able to tell whether it is

organic, whereas it is free range on

what it is, you will not be able to

test would. This is an issue, as we

do those deals, you want to be sure

that products that come in, have met

those standards or else they are

very clearly labelled that they have

not. I think that is something that

we really will be keen on because I

think otherwise farming will not

compete in the New World.

I think

there is more that we can do in

order to allow people who are

British consumers to make better

informed judgments about where it

comes for. You are right there is

more we can do to ensure people are

aware of the circumstances under

which food in other countries is

sometimes produce. We do say that

there are some countries whose

animal welfare standards are so

compromise that we will not import

particular types of food from them.

The effect of Brexit on farmers and

consumers depend on what kind of

deal the UK gets.

Brexit in itself, it can mean a

variety of different things. We

could end up with, this is the

Government's then, a deeper gobblers

of free trade agreement, the

opportunity to secure arrangements

with other countries. We might not

get a trade agreement that is

perfect in every respect, there is a

chance we are doing everything we

can to prevent it that we might end

up trading with the EU police for a

period on WTO terms. Our view is...

You are doing some assessments on

what WTO rules would mean both to

agricultural. The department is

doing that?

Yes.

Cheddar cheese, it

is my favourite. It'll have a 40%

tariff. We import lots cheddar from

Ireland. How much will cheddar

prices go up by?

I am deeply upset

by your unpatriotic attitude to the

cheddar.

I would like to have a

discussion on every type of cheese

in the country, they are all very

good.

Things got a little bit he did.

The amount we give something to the

European Union is recorded in these

districts. Teacher prices is a

rejection and people can disagree

what the factors might be. On your

point about the system of changing

agricultural support, we will be

saying more and outlining how we

will do that in the command paper we

published next year.

Sorry, sorry.

The 50 million of the was alive. It

was untrue.

Technically speaking,

one of the things I would say is

absolutely not. More broadly,...

Parliamentary language.

Please. They

reason that they voted as they

continue being union, they were too

stupid to understand the argument

is, good luck at the next election.

Let us leave it there.

Finally, there was a little tinsel

dangling from the wall of

Parliamentary recess. A copyright

like Turing by Mr's questions.

Last

year the Prime Minister told the

radio Times that she likes to

prepare and cook our own goose. In

the spirit of Christmas, can I

suggest to her that in order to

extract the maximum pleasure from

the messy job of stuffing her goose,

but she names that either Michael or

Boris?

It is a mark of the remedy of

such humidity got a round of

applause. In fact, the Speaker had

to quieten them down with a quip of

his own.

Order! I am sure the prime

has got better taste than that. --

Prime Minister.

Can I say I think I

will have to resist the temptation

to call the goose Jeremy.

Comedy

gold. But is it from me, just one

more day before the seasonal

Parliamentary close down. Do join me

at the same time tomorrow. Now, from

me, good night.