28/02/2018 Wednesday in Parliament

Hello there, and welcome

to Wednesday in Parliament,

where Theresa May makes clear

she will reject EU proposals

on Northern Ireland's border.

And denies a rift in her government.

The Foreign Secretary and I,

are absolutely committed to ensuring

that we deliver on no hard border

between Northern

Ireland and Ireland.

Jeremy Corbyn said the Prime

Minister is incapable of delivering

a coherent Brexit plan.

When is she going to put

the country's interests

before the outsized egos

of her own Cabinet?

Hear, hear!

Also on this programme:

The international development

secretary says she is considering

stopping aid to a number

of charities in the wake

of misconduct claims.

And in the Lords, there's a dire

warning about the future of retail.

Retail trading may decline

by 22% in the next year.

And really, it is time

for the Government to move

very urgently indeed.

But first, Theresa May has told MPs

the EU's draft Brexit withdrawal

agreement would threaten

the constitutional integrity

of the United Kingdom.

The European commission

has published a draft

version of the treaty,

based on negotiations

held last year.

On the contentious issue

of the Irish border,

it proposes in effect keeping

Northern Ireland in a customs union.

If solutions cannot be found

for the post Brexit border.

But a prime Ministers questions,

Theresa May said no UK

Prime Minister could ever

agree to it.

The draft, legal text the commission

had published would, if implemented,

undermined the UK Common Market

and threaten constitutional

integrity of the UK by creating

a customs and regulatory

border down the Irish Sea.

And no UK Prime Minister

could ever agree to it.

Hear, hear!

Jeremy Corbyn turned his attention

to the Cabinet meeting at checkers,

at the end of last week.

Which was organized the thrash out

the Government's Brexit ambitions.

Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister

emerged from her checkers away

day to promise a Brexit

of 'ambitious managed divergence'.

LAUGHTER.

Could she tell the country

what on earth ambitious managed

divergence will mean in practice?

Hear, hear!

He asks me about the Government's

position on the European Union.

Well, it's very simple.

We want to deliver on the pros

of his people that means

we will bring back control

of our laws, our

borders and our money.

Now, of course, that is in direct

contrast with the Labour Party's

position who want to be in a customs

union and a have free movement

and pay whatever it takes

to pay the EU.

That would mean giving away

control of our laws,

our borders and our money.

Hear, hear!

And that would be a betrayal

of the British people.

Jeremy Corbyn didn't turn

to the Northern Ireland border,

and a leaked letter

from the Foreign Secretary Boris

Johnson to Theresa May.

In it he said the Government should

focus on preventing the order

from becoming significantly harder.

And that comment came hot

on the heels of a BBC interview,

where he compared the issue

to crossing between London

boroughs and the use

of the congestion charge.

Three months ago, the Foreign

Secretary told the House with regard

to Northern Ireland, and I quote,

"There can be no hard border.

That would be unthinkable."

That's what he said.

Yet, in a leaked letter

to be prime Minister,

he wrote, "Even if a hard

border is reintroduced,

we would expect to see 95%

plus of goods pass."

He's shouting at the moment.

He's obviously mixing up the border

with the Camden-Islington border.

Hey!

LAUGHTER.

So, Mr Speaker.

Hey!

Mr Speaker, can the Prime Minister

confirm that she will not renege

on commitments made in phase one

to keep an open border in Ireland?

The foreign secretary

and I are absolutely committed

to ensuring that we deliver on no

hard border between Northern

Ireland and Ireland.

Hear, hear!

That's the position of the UK

government, it's the position

of the parties in Northern Ireland,

it's the position of the Irish

government and it was what we agreed

in the December agreement

of the joint report.

We are all committed

to ensuring there is...

No hard border between Northern

Ireland and Ireland.

The Government is so divided

the Prime Minister is incapable

of delivering a coherent

and decisive plan for Brexit.

Hear, hear!

So when is she going to put

the countries' interests

before the outsized egos

of her own Cabinet?

But Theresa May insisted her

government would not only deliver

on Brexit, but on housing,

schools and the environment.

But the SNPs Westminster

leader returned to te

Northern Ireland border issue.

The Foreign Secretary's leaked

letter on the Irish border shows

he cannot get to grips with one

of the most fundamental

issues of Brexit.

The Foreign Secretary

compared to crossing

the Irish border to going

between Camden and Westminster.

Frankly, you cannot

make this stuff up.

This is a UK government that has

prepared to put at jeopardy

the Good Friday Agreement.

That is right.

That's right!

Does the Prime Minister agree

with a bumbling Foreign Secretary

who is making the United Kingdom

a laughing stock was back this

government is absolutely committed

to the Belfast agreement?

Indeed we made sure

that the commitment was included

in the joint report that we agreed

with the European Union

last December.

So, the Belfast agreement stand

and we are committed to the Belfast

agreement and the institutions under

the Belfast agreement.

Returning from a jog

in the snow, Boris Johnson said

what is going on at the moment

is that the issue of

the Northern Irish border,

being used politically

to try to keep the UK

in the dust and union,

effectively the single market.

So they cannot really leave the EU.

But MPs wanted him to explain his

views and what he had said in that

leaked letter to them directly.

So, straight after PMQs, the shadow

Foreign Secretary Emily Thornbury

asked what's known as an urgent

question about Northern Ireland's

border, addressed to Boris Johnson.

But as you might be able to see

on the very left of the picture,

quite a reaction.

the Foreign Secretary stood up

to leave, prompting

quite a reaction.

And when Boris Johnson was gone

and Cabinet Office Minister David

Livingstone stood up to respond

for the Government, there was more

there was more shouting

from the labor side.

Where is he, where is he?

Where is he?

Mr Speaker, I have

been asked to reply.

This government has been

consistent in its commitments

to Northern Ireland

as the United Kingdom

leaves the European Union.

First, we will never accept any

solutions that threaten the economic

or constitutional integrity

of the United Kingdom.

Second, we will not accept a hard

border between Northern Ireland

and Ireland, which would reverse

the considerable progress made

through the political process

over recent decades.

That position has been consistent

from the Prime Minister's

Article 50 letter,

through to our position paper

published last summer.

And the Prime Minister's Florence

speech last autumn.

While I am always pleased to hear

from the Minister of State, I have

to say it is an absolute disgrace...

Hear, hear!

..And a huge discourtesy to this

House that the Foreign Secretary

is not here himself...

Hear, hear!

..to answer the questions

of his memo.

Especially, Mr Speaker,

given that we saw him

in London a few hours ago,

jogging in the snow and stopping

to answer questions from the media.

If he can answer their questions,

he really should be

prepared to answer hours.

Hear, hear!

What is he afraid of?

Perhaps it's this: These

questions go to the very

heart of his credibility

and the credibility of previous

statements that he's

made in this House.

David Livingstone defended the fact

that it was he, not Boris Johnson,

at the despatch box.

Since I both have Cabinet

responsability for constitutional

affairs, including for

the implementation of

devolution throughout

the United Kingdom, and since I also

Chair the Cabinet committee

on domestic implementation

of our Brexit arrangement,

it seems to me to be perfectly

reasonable that I should be

responding to her urgent questions.

LAUGHTER.

The leader of the Democratic union

spoke on the central issue.

It is ironic, is it not,

that some of those people

who campaigned hardest

about creating a hard border

between Northern Ireland

and the Irish Republic has today

welcomed proposals from the EU

which would actually create a hard

border between Northern Ireland

and the rest of the United Kingdom?

The fact of the matter

is that there is a border

between North and South.

A currency border, there

are different currencies,

different fiscal regimes,

different tax regimes,

different economic policies.

But it is managed in a way

that is sensible and pragmatic.

The same can be done in relation

to the future relationship.

It has already been spelt out in

the government's paper last August,

to use the Belfast agreement,

or more despicably to use the peace

process as an excuse to either

thwart Brexit or to

shape it in the way

some people want.

It's quite frankly

outrageous and disgraceful.

Hear, hear!

Let us back the arrangements that

are in place, but let us go

forward in a pragmatic,

sensible way and not create

troubles that are not there.

We've got to wake up now

as a country and realize

we are not going to rip our

nation further apart.

We don't only have to

have a pragmatic approach to Brexit,

but an honest approach to Brexit.

Hear, hear!

And the only solution to a hard

border is membership

of the customs union,

the single market, Mr Speaker

they will get there in the end.

The Foreign Secretary

did say this morning

after his dog that he was going

to publish the memo.

When?

We don't publish internal

ministerial correspondence.

Shouts

of, "He said it" and "Bring him back

their coastal. Sources told the BBC

that Downing Street had blocked the

release of the full text of the

letter from Boris Johnson. You're

watching Wednesday in Parliament

with me, Alicia McCarthy. Sandwiched

between the rough and tumble of

normal political debate, there was a

few hours of near consensus in the

comments as MPs gave their support

to the complaints and grievances

procedures governing Parliament. A

working group has spent 100 hours

drawing up a new behavioral code

that covers bullying and harassment

against anyone who works in the

Palace of Westminster. The leader of

the Commons explained what would

happen with regard to complaint

against MPs.

In the most serious of

cases, the Commissioner will refer

her findings to the committee on

standards. The committee can

recommend to the House that an

individual is suspended. And the

House will vote on the

recommendation. And it's through

this router that the existing

procedures under the recall of MPs

act of 2015 could be invoked. The

trigger for recall remains the same

as it is now, and there is no plan

for changes to primary legislation.

Several MPs said a change of culture

was needed.

I hate that culture in

this House. I have never, ever been

fond of that in the House of Commons

will stop some of my friends think

it is a fantastic place to live in

Emre Can into their business. I

always find it a little bit

uncomfortable. Something, maybe the

Scottish Nationalist in me that

perhaps greats just a little bit.

But this House is a peculiar,

historic culture that practically

oozes patriarchy and an abuse of

power. I had a female friend in the

House just a few months ago, was

very conscious of these issues. And

she told me that departures is this

place practically sing to her rescue

because of the way that the images

are all set up and the defining

features of this House are embedded

in this historic patriarchy that we

have in this place.

89% of women MPs

and 58% of men MPs say that sexism

still exists in Parliament. And that

golf is significant. Almost all

women know that there is still those

instances of sexism. But only just

over half of men recognize that's

the case, and that golf is part of

the problem that we have, and it is

part of the complacency that still

exists.

The thing that strange isn't

that the behaviors are no longer is

it acceptable, actually they never

were acceptable. The difference is

now people cannot get away with

them, and that is right, and that is

an improvement. And I think what

we're really trying to deliver with

the training and the of culture is

that everybody accepts that not only

are those sorts of behavior is not

acceptable, no one is going to let

them get away with it.

Culture eats

strategy for breakfast. It is about

the culture. It is about the

leadership. You can have as many

reports or processes or training as

people have said as you want. If

that is not followed through, if

that is not lived and breathed by

deeds, not words, I'm afraid we

might as well all give up and go

home.

Some kind of sanctions may have

something similar.

I am so much more

in favour of our persuasion and

coercion. And in the and, can I just

tell the honourable lady, you can be

dead horse to water but you cannot

make them drink. And you could force

MPs to attend a training session,

but what kind of attitude with a

habit towards the training? If they

were, they did not feel it. They

want to do.

We are more powerful

than more -- most people are much

more frightening, if you get a

direct, I am, that's quite right. I

like to think that I can recognise

that, try to employ it with

appropriateness, but the truth is

that I still worried that there'll

be a power imbalance.

It's only when

processes are in place, and used

will we know they're robust and

command -- commanded support of

those who seek to use them. The

opposition support them own it --

motion as tabled an amended and look

forward to be updated, we thank the

staff are taking on this task, so we

have a truly modern Parliament.

Where everyone knows the boundaries

of acceptable behaviour in a safe

secure workplace. The International

Development Secretary is considering

stopping the UK aid for a number of

charities after they failed to

provide assurances over safeguarding

to her department. It follows the

scandals surrounding sexual

misconduct by eight agency workers.

On the 20th of that -- February I

asked all UK charities receiving UK

aid to give me assurances on

safeguarding and reporting of

historic cases, by Monday last. I

have received 161 responses. My

officials are analysing those with

independent oversight and we have

shared returns with Charity

commission. A number of

organisations unbelievably Mr

Speaker, have not replied. We are

following up, but without

justification they will have lost

our confidence and will consider

whether it was right to continue

their funding. I will share my key

findings trends and themes and in

response to the safeguarding summit

held by and with the Charity

commission on March five and I'll

keep the House informed.

Two was

asked about the situation for

civilians trapped in fighting was in

serious.

The you estimate this is my

one Syrians are displaced and with

fresh fighting despite the

cease-fire, this number will

continue to rise. What is her

department doing specifically to

support these families especially in

this region and whose that

challenges our increasing?

We had a

huge number of programmes that are

supporting those people in

particular, not just as I said, for

short-term needs, shelter, food and

so forth, but also education and

jobs and livelihoods. But I would

also say that these individuals have

some unique needs, but have not been

addressed I think to date with as

much focus by the international

community and setting up a panel to

actually look at those needs and

what more we can do to help in

similar situations, I think will be

a big step forward. The authorities

in me and Mark, formerly known as

Burma have blocked MPs and for

making a trip to the country. The

chairman of the international

development committee said the move

was direct roulette -- Italian --

retaliation for the report they

publish on the Rohingya crisis. I

get urgent questions, Stephen X but

what happened to.

Yesterday our

passports were returned to us

without visas, and clearly the

failure of the Burmese government to

grant these visas, simply prevents

us from doing our job as a

committee, which is to oversee how

oversee development assistance is

spent in countries. I have no doubt,

that a major part of the reason this

has happened, is direct retaliation

for the report that we published

last month on the Rohingya crisis. I

believe there is a direct connection

between our report and these

actions. I understand Mr Speaker,

that it was Aung San Suu Kyi

herself, who brought -- a block to

the approval of the visas.

They were

due to visit both Myanmar and

Bangladesh which is now home to many

refugees.

He has described what has

been happening to the Rohingya

dictate textbook case of ethnic

cleansing. Is a withholding visas a

textbook case of an authoritarian

regime with something to hide trying

to shield itself from legitimate

international scrutiny? And if Aung

San Suu Kyi is indeed responsible

for that, then it's nothing short of

disgraceful.

. I like him are at

disappointed by this, this

displeasure has been communicated to

the Burmese authorities, the

officials have indicated three

reasons for that refusal. First,

there is an extended public holiday

there. Second, the access to Rakhine

state remains restricted for

security reasons, and finally, I

think this was something that was

brought up in the press release

yesterday evening, they were unhappy

that individual members had signed a

letter calling for the senior

general of the Burmese army to be

held accountable for the military

behaviour.

It those atrocities are

being carried out, then it's for all

democracies to make the voices

heard, and on syzygy who's been

championing zinc dust trapping

democracy there, I hope she is

listening to the message today,

because she should also be speaking

out.

The Minister is right, we must

keep supporting and helping the

vulnerable people in Myanmar

particularly Rohingya, but can I

press the issue of accountability

and those responsible for the

military, is it possible for him to

have discussions with others in the

Security Council that a possibility

for a resolution to the criminal

court?

Mark said that the feeling

was any move would be vetoed by

China and Russia. He said the

Government wanted to keep the lines

of communication open with more

moderate elements within the Burmese

military. And was pursuing the use

of targeted sanctions through the

EU. Now there was a dire warning in

the north that trading in Britain

retail sector was -- nearly

declining. It comes after the UK's

biggest toy retailer, Toys "R" Us

went into administration. More than

3000 jobs are now at risk. It's

understood that it made losses in

seven out of the last eight years.

The electrical retailer collapsed as

well which could see two and a half

thousand jobs go. One peered Dom --

blamed on my John dice Giants.

39%

is controlled by Amazon of the UK,

and 57% if you look at the stakes.

Will Her Majesty level the playing

field and look at what other

countries are looking at the terms

of digital taxation or special sales

task -- tax like the USA, or a

higher rate of VAT which is possible

under our legislation. And at the

very least, would they edit the up

now, bearing in mind that 39% of

today's billion Palomar kick, and

our country, set up a monopoly

commission inquiry for if they do

not, that our retail trade as we

know it would disappear.

The

Business Minister said the

Competition and Markets Authority

have powers to look into such claims

and the Government was acting.

We

believe that all those

multinationals in that world, ought

to be hang the taxes due, and we

will not settle for anything less

other than that, my lords, my noble

friend should accept that many of

the changes that are happening in

the marketplace are being driven by

what the consumer wants and our job

is to make sure that the marketplace

can adapt to that.

Today, Toys "R"

Us went into administration of

putting back 3000 jobs at risk, map

and has called in the

administrators, there was a crisis

on the high street. Can the Minister

tell us what the Government is doing

to recognise the pressure that the

Digital economy is putting on the

physical shops of our high streets?

Retailers have to pay business

rates, that means they have to start

off at a significant disadvantage.

They'd have to contribute their

producing responsibility levies,

another disadvantage. They have to

pay proper apprenticeship levy,

another disadvantage. We cannot wait

for a general statement, we have to

do this now. The latest proposal,

proposition, is that retail trading

may decline climb at 22% in the next

year. And really, it is time for the

Government to move very urgently

indeed.

We have made changes in the

autumn budget, we have measures

worth to pointer billion, in terms

of cutting business rates and bring

a degree of fairness to the system,

there are limits to how far one will

go, one has to accept that a lot of

what is happening as a result of

what the consumers want, and this is

obviously up to the retail sector

itself to be able to adapt and

change in the face of changing

consumer and social trends.

The

Business Minister. Of the Government

has said it will find time to

increase maximum sentence for

causing death by dangerous driving.

Minister said last year they would

act when motorists speeding or on

under drinks, will face a life

sentence. In a short debate and

Westminster, conservative or is the

case of a 74-year-old man killed by

a drunk driver.

The 29-year-old

defendant had 15 previous

convictions for 34 offences.

Including two previous cases of

dangerous driving. But he was jailed

for just seven years, after

admitting causing death by dangerous

driving, failing to stop at a scene

of an accident, driving when

disqualified, drunk driving, and

having no insurance.

Repine the

Justice Minister setup action have

to be taken.

These are people whose

recklessness with one and a half

tonnes of metal, this incredibly

dangerous weapon, it's unbelievable.

This is why we as a government have

committed to increasing penalties

for causing death by reckless

driving to a life sentence and why

we are now working to find the time

for that agenda to bring that in,

and this needs to happen.

Because he

said, families currently didn't feel

that they got justice. And that's it

from us for now, do join me at the

same time tomorrow, out for another

round up of the day here at

Westminster. But for now, for me,

Alysia McCarthy, goodbye.