31/01/2018 Wednesday in Parliament

Hello and welcome to the programme.

It's standing date at Prime

minister's questions were Emily

Thorpe very attacks a quest -- the

Government and the DUP.

They are the

coalition of casement.

He says that

Weber put up with the aid but doing

also the things.

Raise the age to

18, and raise the age for using a

sun to 18.

Also, MPs backed plans to

move out of Westminster to allow for

multi-billion pound restoration

programme.

Any delay increases the

costs.

And awards finished their

first big debate on the Bill chance

of earning EU problems the Brexit.

To limit the damage that threatens

the sovereignty of Parliament and

the national interest.

We argue --

the more we argue here, the weaker

we make big government. Should we

not be limited to people's folks.

It

was all change at Prime minister's

questions was stop Theresa May is on

a trip to China attempting to boost

trade and relations. As was formal

talks there was hype -- however

misses may and her husband to visit

an opera performance. Back at

Westminster, the lead role at Prime

Minister Prosser questions have been

delegated to the Cabinet office

Minister David Lidington. He faced

the shadow of foreign secretary

Emily Thornberry. The sages began

with a little bit of banter about

the last time the two had face each

other across the despatch box.

Let

me start by welcoming the Minister

back to his role deputizing for the

prime Minister. Last time he did so

was in December to says that she

doesn't succeed when his party was

17 points ahead in the polls and he

told the House that the Labour Party

was I quote, core rolling like the

film usually on the bouncy reshot by

the team who may carry on. Well,

what a difference a year makes.

Can

I first bought thanked the right

honourable Lady for her words of

welcome and clear my previous

remarks struck a chord with her to

have been treasured in a way that

they clearly have. It's a delight to

me to see the right honourable lady

still in her place when no fewer

than 97 members of her front bench

have either been sacked or resigned

since she took office.

Emily

Thornberry asked about the number of

women in Parliament.

I am the only

Emily elected since 1980. And he is

one of 155 David's. For the Minister

tell us how he can best increased

female representation in this House?

I am pleased that my party since I

was first elected 25 years ago has

made very considerable progress. But

I also accept that there is more to

be done. I hope she for her part

well except that we have now had to

women beaters and prime Ministers so

they have a bit of catching up to

do.

Emily Thornberry.

I have to say

Mr Speaker that if the party

opposite is so proud of having a

female leader, why are so many of

them trying to get rid of her? And

why has she had to run away from

China -- to China to get away from

them?

Emily Thornberry then turned

the 100th anniversary of women

winning the right to vote.

It was

originally restricted to women with

property over the age of 30 than 90

years ago it was extended to all

women over 21. Almost 50 years ago

it was extended to all men and women

over the age of 15. So can I ask the

Ministers simple question. I'm any

more years we have to wait the

voters extended to everyone over 60?

I have to say I am slightly baffled

by the honourable Lady's comments

when compared what her party did in

office because it was the last

Labour government that praised the

legal age for buying cigarettes --

raise the legal age to selling ice

to 18. Raise the age to buy

fireworks to 18. And raise the age

for using a sunbed to 18.

What these

discussions have revealed is that

there is no logical principle

objection to voter 16. That is why

the Welsh and Scottish governments

supported, that is why every single

political party in this House

supports it except for of course the

Conservative Party and the DUP. Once

again, joins in opposition to

change, they are not the coalition

of chaos Mr Speaker, they are the

coalition of casement. Why doesn't

the Minister realise that the lesson

that we women it taught his

predecessors 100 years ago? When

changes write it cannot be resisted

forever and this is a change whose

time has come.

Mr Speaker, I think

my advice to the right honourable

lady is to wean herself off the

habit of watching old versions of

the Flintstones on the cartoon

channel. But the speed -- the

situation we have here with the

national voting age at 18 is one

that is followed by 26 out of the 27

other members of the European Union

by the United States, Canada, New

Zealand and Australia. Unless she is

going to denounce all of those

countries and are somehow inadequate

to run particular standards, then

quite honestly, Mr Speaker, she

ought to grow up and treat the

subject with a great degree of

seriousness.

And he's at West is

returned to a different subject of

together, Brexit.

This is a

government in crisis. An

international embarrassment. The

Chancellor, the Scottish Secretary,

the Scottish Conservatives, the home

Secretary have also ported

membership of the single market.

Despite this, the Government is

still prepared to make everyone...

Where is the leadership?

The most

important single market to the

people of Scotland is the single

market of the United Kingdom. Which

is worth nearly £50 billion every

year to the Scottish economy, four

times more than trade with the

European Union. It is our deep and

special partnership with the EU in

the future that will help deliver

prosperity to Scotland, not the

separatist policies pursued by the

Scottish National Party.

David

Lidington. A short time later,

Labour use one of the days that it

could use a subject for debate to

press the Government to release a

report that the UK will take an

economic hit from praxis. The

analysis leads to the bus the

website said that the UK would

expands Gore growth long-term under

each of three scenarios staying in

the single market, in the betrayed

jewel and even with no deal at all.

Labour had raised the report their

previous stay and helped it had

found a Parliamentary device to make

sure that any vote at the end of

this debate demanded the release of

the papers would be binding on

Ministers. The Government is says

the situation is evolving. The

document is selective and delete is

an attempt to undermine Brexit.

Ministers in the Government

commissioned these papers ended as

Franco -- frankly ridiculous to

rubber stamp or not publishing. If

they could be shunted Ministers to

brief them for an important meeting

next week, then it seems to me they

are certainly way past the stage of

an early script that hasn't been

approved.

The Brexit Minister told

MPs the Government would not oppose

labour's motion and released

economic analysis on a confidential

basis.

We will provide the analysis

to a confidential basis. We will

provide the analysis place I

committed the -- committee for the

European Union and all members on a

sticky confidential basis. We will

provide a hard copy of the analysis

to a chair the EU Senate -- select

committee. A confidential reading

room will be available to all

members to see a copy of this

analysis once those arrangements can

be made.

The Brexit Minister Robin

Walker. MPs have backed Abe Paul at

Parliament to move the permit out of

my Mr while billions of pounds are

being carried out. The building is

part of a world heritage site, but

the stonework is crumbling and there

are problems with the wiring, pipes

and plumbing. This thorny problem of

how to carry out the repairs has

been booked at over the years. The

most recent committee suggested

there were three options. Moving

out, moving one chamber out at a

time and staying put for the word to

be carried out around MPs. The three

options carried correspondingly

increasing price tags. Opening a

debate, the leader of the Commons

presented MPs with two motions. One

of which suggested a further review

and a second suggesting the setting

up of a authority to look over the

options again and fully cost them.

She said she approached the question

of frustration with the help degree

of scepticism.

I like many felt that

the case for a major restoration

programme had probably been

overstated. The Palace of fine to me

and that we would be able to

continue to patch and mend as he

went along as we have done for many,

many decades. However Mr Speaker,

during my seven months in the job, I

have as they say got on a journey. I

have lived and breathed this topic.

I visited the basement and seen for

myself what our engineers are up

against. We must recognise that as

time passes without comprehensive

action, those risks only increase.

This work is necessary for safety

that is been agreed by everyone. We

need to do it now, we can't delay.

Any delay increases the costs.

A big

den dismiss the idea of moving one

chamber out at a time.

The

Conservatives to provide for the

whole of the House and you cannot

decant half of the building.

When I

look at this building and I look at

the stunning architecture and the

condition of it, I actually see it

as some sort of sad metaphor for

Brexit Britain. Dilapidated, falling

to bits surrounded, generally

unloved and in need of a lot of

attention and support. Doesn't that

just sum up what this nation is? Mr

Speaker, yes of course I can wait.

My honourable cousin from Scotland

would take a crowbar and says that

he actually loves it here.

Recovering from that, Peter Wishart

said he favoured turning the House

into a Turner's attraction. --

tourist attraction. An amendment had

been put down to back down and

moving during work. It propose for

the delivery agency to be set up as

soon as possible. One of the MPs

behind that amendment explained why.

He said trying to move one chamber

out at a time with double the cost

and the risk of fire.

The thought of

cutting a sewer system in half or

the electrics or any of the other

works does not make sense because of

the nature of the building. I'm

sorry to say this, but I wouldn't

give my honourable friend and I hope

he remains a friend from

Gainsborough a leg to play with.

Eight reference thereto Sir Edward

Lee who put down his own amendment

calling for MPs to say in the

precinct of the Palace of

Westminster while the work was

carried out around them.

What about the 100 million people

over the air and this is the iconic

centre as we try and resolve these

ethical questions. -- the 1 million

people who visit here every year. Do

we really want to take this a day

number split decision at the very

developed hi-fi nation we should

move lock stock and barrel from the

iconic centre of the nation.

That

then followed a series of votes.

Unusually, this was what is known as

a free vote, or MPs did have to

follow a party line and could go

however they wanted. MPs backed the

amendment calling for both houses to

move out of the palace wall work was

carried out. 236 votes - 220. No

date set for one that will happen,

but during the debate, Andrea

Leadsom said MPs and peers would not

leave the house of Parliament until

2025 at the earliest. You are

watching Wednesday in Parliament

with me. Now to the second day of

debate in the House of Lords on the

EU withdrawal bill. Which transferee

July two UK domestic law on the day

after Brexit. Ministers could have

been left in no doubt a ball as the

today's war on, but they had a fight

on their hands. There were peers for

and against call for a second

referendum but speakers from both

sides of the debate argued for big

changes to the Bill, especially over

the powers Ministers are seeking to

give themselves. A former speaker of

the Commons set the tone.

The duty

of your Lordship's is very clear.

And that duty I submit it to assert

our right to scrutinise, to amend,

and if needs be, to reject

unacceptable parts of this bill and

to use the anti-union arsenal of our

powers and prerogatives. To limit

the damage that threatens the

sovereignty of Parliament and the

national interest.

Yes, I will work

for amendments to this bill that's

soften the impact of Brexit

safeguard isn't a race, we powers to

override the legislator. And give

Parliament a manifold vote on no

deal as well. -- a Briggs and

safeguard is in place. When we know

where we are going and how we get

there a device logic to a decision

taken daily to the two years ago

without the fax should be the last

word which is setting the course for

our country for decades to come.

Both Parliament and people was be

consulted on this end game.

We are

at a crossroads, without a compass,

and with squabbling back-seat

drivers. And it is important my

lords that we really do have

indication from the Government as to

what they see as the preferred

outcome.

This bill is not about the

terms or exit. But about the

mechanism of how it will come. --

the mechanism. We should not be

distracted by debates on the merits

or detriments of leaving the EU. The

Government themselves have made a

commitment to assure Parliament the

opportunity to consider the deal and

approve what they have negotiated.

This bill passed by the elected

House as most noble of lords and

said, far from perfect. It seems to

me that the lawmaking powers of

Ministers need to be defined and

rejected on the face of the Bill,

then it is to be clarification of

the status of EU legislation to

create legal certainty, and

anti-Semitic much clearer devolution

of powers to Scotland, nor the and

Wales match. -- and it needs to be

much more clever devolution of

powers.

It should not be a limiting

the people's vote, and looked as we

are, putting together and presented

the United front by all means

improving the Bill before us but let

us not frustrated.

The Government

connects back to no let up in our

efforts to make this bill somehow

against all odds work. As we leave

Europe. As we leave Europe, an act

of extraordinary political self harm

that our grandchildren and their

children will not forgive us for.

The damage this bill would lose our

Constitution if not amended has been

probably did described by a number

of Noble Lords. And in a number of

Noble Lords. For an inadvertent

rapport of our Constitution

committee. They are right to say

that this bill is constitutionally

unacceptable. -- in a brilliant.

The

reality of it becomes clear. It is

entitled to choose if he wants to to

seek the opinion of the British

singled as to whether this is what

they want.

I cannot believe it is in

the national interest to get onto

such a referendum merry-go-round.

What ever a point of view we fought

for in the referendum campaign, we

could've made it success of the

United Kingdom and the European

Union. And we can make a success

with some costs and upheaval of

being outside the EU. But we cannot

possibly make a success of being

being in a national state of

bewilderment I won't will have

another referendum in which

direction we are going in.

William,

now Lord hate. As we heard

yesterday's programme, Lord Adonis

had proposed a motion regretting

them not stopping the Bill. -- Lord

Haig. But he did not present a

label. So after to days of debate,

and speeches by more than a peers,

the Bill received its second

reading. And it will begin his more

detailed through Lords in February.

Now a Government Minister in the

Lords house has dramatically

resigned at the despatch box at

making a heartfelt apology for

failing to be and is placed to

respond to a question. Lord Bates

had been asked to respond from a

lesser but failed to appear. At the

end of questions, he apologised for

what he described as his

discourtesy.

I've always believed

that we should offer a ride to the

highest possible standards of

courtesy and respect. In responding

on behalf of the Government to be

legitimate questions of the

legislator. I am thoroughly ashamed

of not being in my place and

therefore I should be offering my

recognition to the Prime Minister.

With immediate...

While he

immediately walked out of the

chamber, is that he forgot that the

Lord says send prayers in the

morning before they resumed the

second reading debate on the EU

withdrawal bill. Rather than before

the afternoon session of questions

as usual. This meant the questions

had begun rather earlier than

expected. Downing Street later said

the Prime Minister had refused to

accept his resignation. The BBC's

Carrie Gracie has told MPs she is

very angry at the way the

Corporation has treated some female

members of staff. Kerry Grace

resigned as China added their citing

pay inequalities with male

colleagues. The BBC said there was

no systematic discrimination against

women. She told the culture and

media committee that the response to

her grievance was insulting and that

woman the organisation were

suffering more.

If the BBC cannot

sort it out for me, a senior person

in a powerful position, then how can

a sort it out for moldable people

who don't have a public profile?

That is my concern. -- more

vulnerable people. People pacing the

strain of being in conflict at the

delays in capacity and the

belittling of your work because that

is what has to happen if they're not

going to concede, they're going to

have to crush your self-esteem about

your work. So that is very painful.

I'd found all of that really hard.

And I really did... I'm a little

upset... I felt very angry about

what they put some people through.

I've really feel angry about some of

the things I have seen and heard in

some of the women, the suffering

they got through.

As regards their

own case, she said the BBC had not

admitted she was the victim to pay

discrimination. -- to her own case.

It sounds like a tacit omission that

it is pay discrimination. In that

they want to pay me now nearly

£100,000 in back pay. But, the thing

that is very unacceptable to me, I

just don't know why they do this.

They basically said and those three

previous years, I was in

development. LAUGHTER It is an

insult to add to the original

injury. It is unacceptable to talk

to your senior women like that.

The

next witness was the Director

General, Tony Hall.

How is

impossible for one of them to be

underpaid for years?

The answer is

that it is wrong.

How is a possible?

Is not like there is not like

there's 100.

What we are doing going

forward is we want to make sure we

keep these things under review, we

don't get the point where the band

between somebody who's a low-paid

and atop a editor is not

justifiable. What we are saying is

who will bring those down so they

are justifiable and make sure these

things are reviewed properly.

Do you

agree with me that the BBC has paid

less to women for work of equal

value?

I... The answer is there may

be cases, individual cases, where if

that is the case, we need to know

where they are and solve them. But

what I don't believe is that the BBC

as an organisation, have gone out

and said because it will be a little

to do so anyway, because the woman I

pay less to do that job. I don't

believe...

To go back to the case of

Carrie of being pay less.

I have

said already the grievance and the

mistakes the grievance procedure has

found, I accept the role and I'm

sorry about that.

That was a big

failure of management, within a? The

systems were not in place to deal

with that. No,... Are you saying no

it wasn't a failure.

What I'm saying

is that for me management has about

learning and listening. Things are

never right, that is why we are

processing performed in pain

condition, terms and conditions, two

years ago, James Hardie at the same

time also looked at this whole issue

of top talent page news because we

knew we had things to get right. It

has taken a long time and as is

committee heard today, these are

very competent issues. But don't

underestimate our desire to get this

right.

The BBC Director General,

Tony Hall. Finally, MPs were all

over Twitter during questions and

not in the usual way. A Robin have

found its way into the chamber and

swooped across the ceiling during

Wales questions at the start of the

day. Half an hour later, it was

still roosting in the chamber during

Prime Minister questions. The SNP

Westminster later signed opportunity

to make a quick joke about David

Lidington's possible leadership

ambitions.

Then I welcome the

Minister to his place with the

reports are true, he may be

auditioning for a new role and I

wonder if a sending out a

round-robin letter. Mr Speaker...

Or

perhaps he could just put on

twitter. And that is that from us

for now. Join me at the same time

tomorrow for another round up of the

day here at Westminster. For now for

me, Lazio Mccarthy, goodbye. --

Alysia Mccarthy.