2017-01-18_PMQs.srt

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>>Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North) (Lab): If she
will list her official engagements for Wednesday

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18 January.

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>>The Prime Minister (Mrs Theresa May): This
morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues

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and others. In addition to my duties in this
House I will have further such meetings later

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today.

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>>Kelvin Hopkins: Thousands of babies who
are born each year are damaged for life by

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alcohol consumed in pregnancy. Patients affected
by alcohol put immense pressure on the national

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health service, and alcohol is a primary factor
in domestic violence and attacks on women.

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Does the Prime Minister recognise the seriousness
of the country’s alcohol problems—the

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damage to lives and the billions in costs
to the public purse—and will she instruct

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her Government now to address these problems
effectively and as a matter of urgency?

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>>The Prime Minister: I can certainly say
to the hon. Gentleman that I recognise the

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problems that alcohol causes. He particularly
referenced not just problems for pregnant

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women, but the part that alcohol often plays
in domestic violence and abuse. That was why,

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when I was Home Secretary, we produced an
alcohol strategy and worked on the issue of

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alcohol. The Government continue to recognise
the importance of this issue and to work on

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it.

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>>Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury) (Con):
Will the Prime Minister join me in paying

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tribute to the NHS staff who provide us with
such magnificent treatment day in, day out?

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Does she agree that people who miss NHS appointments
without cancelling them cost the NHS a great

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deal of money and also take up slots that
would otherwise be used by other patients?

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Will she consider how she might let those
people know about the inconvenience that they

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are causing to the NHS?

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>>The Prime Minister: My hon. Friend makes
two important points. First, I am very pleased

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to join him in paying tribute to the dedication
and hard work of all those who work in our

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national health service. Secondly, he is right
to point out that if somebody misses an appointment,

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that is a cost to the NHS. There are a number
of ways in which this is being dealt with.

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Some hospitals send out text messages that
not only remind people of their appointment,

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but tell them how much it costs if they miss
it.

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>>Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North) (Lab): Yesterday
the Prime Minister snubbed Parliament and

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snubbed the Brexit Committee’s recommendation
to bring forward a White Paper, while at the

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same time describing the referendum as

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“a vote to restore…our parliamentary democracy”.

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This is about our jobs, living standards and
future prosperity; why will it not be scrutinised

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by this House?

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>>The Prime Minister: What I did yesterday
was to set out a plan for a global Britain.

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I set out a plan that will put the divisions
of last year behind us, and that shows a vision

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for a stronger, fairer, more united, more
outward-looking, prosperous, tolerant, independent

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and truly global Britain. It was a vision
that will shape a stronger future and build

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a better Britain.

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>>Jeremy Corbyn: Restoring parliamentary democracy
while sidelining Parliament—it is not so

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much the Iron Lady as the Irony Lady.

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Yesterday the Prime Minister finally provided
some detail. May I urge her to stop her threats

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of a bargain basement Brexit—a low-pay tax
haven on the shores of Europe? It would not

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necessarily damage the EU, but it would certainly
damage this country, businesses, jobs and

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public services. She demeans herself, her
office and our country’s standing by making

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such threats.

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>>The Prime Minister: What I set out yesterday
was a plan for a global Britain, bringing

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prosperity to this country and jobs to people,
and spreading economic growth across the country.

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Yesterday we learned a little more of the
right hon. Gentleman’s thinking on this

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issue. He said:

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“She has said, ‘leave the single market,’
but at the same time says she wants to have

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access to the single market. I’m not quite
sure how that’s going to go down in Europe.

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I think we have to have a deal that ensures
we have access to the market.”

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I’ve got a plan; he doesn’t have a clue.

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>>Jeremy Corbyn: The Prime Minister was the
one who made the threat about slashing corporation

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tax. If we reduce corporation tax to the lowest
common denominator, this country loses £120

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billion in revenue. How, then, do we fund
public services?

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Last year the Prime Minister said that leaving
the single market could make trade deals “considerably

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harder” and that

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“while we could certainly negotiate our
own trade agreements, there would be no guarantee

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that they would be on terms as good as those
we enjoy now”,

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but yesterday she offered us only vague guarantees.
Does she now disagree with herself?

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>>The Prime Minister: The right hon. Gentleman
might also have noticed that when I spoke

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in the remain campaign, I said that if we
voted to leave the European Union, the sky

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would not fall in. Look at what has happened
to our economic situation since we voted to

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leave the European Union.

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The right hon. Gentleman talks about the future
of the economy. I want us to be an outward-looking

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nation trading around the world, and bringing
prosperity and jobs into the United Kingdom.

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The one thing that would be bad for the economy
is the answers that the right hon. Gentleman

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has. He wants a cap on wages, no control on
immigration and to borrow an extra £500 billion.

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That would not lead to prosperity; it would
lead to no jobs, no wages and no skills.

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>>Jeremy Corbyn: The Chancellor said after
the referendum that to lose single market

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access would be “catastrophic”. A few
days later, the Health Secretary said:

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“The first part of the plan must be clarity
that we will remain in the single market”.

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The Prime Minister said something about “frictionless”
access to the single market and a bespoke

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customs union deal. Could she give us a little
bit of certainty and clarity about this? Has

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she ruled out paying any kind of fee to achieve
access to what she describes as a “frictionless”

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market?

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>>The Prime Minister: Access to the single
market was exactly what I was talking about

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yesterday in my speech. One of the key objectives
is that we negotiate a free trade agreement

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with the European Union that gives us the
widest possible access for trading with, and

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operating within, the European Union.

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The right hon. Gentleman talks about frictionless
access. Actually, this was a separate point

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about frictionless borders in relation to
the customs issue—a very important issue

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for us regarding the relationship between
Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

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The Taoiseach and I, and all parties, are
absolutely on a single page about this. We

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want to ensure that we have the best possible
arrangement that does not lead to the borders

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of the past for Northern Ireland.

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>>Jeremy Corbyn: The question was: will we
have to pay for access to the market or not?

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The Prime Minister has not given an answer
to that.

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Yesterday the Prime Minister set out a wish
list on immigration, referring to skills shortages

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and high-skill migration. Does she now disagree
with the Secretary of State for Environment,

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Food and Rural Affairs, who told an employers’
conference, “Don’t worry. You can still

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have cheap EU labour after we leave the European
Union”?

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>>The Prime Minister: The right hon. Gentleman
talks about access. Yes, the whole point is

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that we will negotiate a free trade agreement
with the European Union that is about the

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best possible access for British business
to operate in European Union member states

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and for European businesses to operate here
in the United Kingdom. It is about sitting

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down and negotiating the best possible deal
for the United Kingdom. That is what I am

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committed to, and it is what the Government
are going to deliver.

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>>Jeremy Corbyn: My question was about how
much we are going to have to pay to have access

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to the market—still no answer.

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Yesterday the Prime Minister talked about
the pressure put on public services by migration.

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May I just remind her—the hon. Member for
Tewkesbury (Mr Robertson) referred to this

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earlier—that at the moment there are 55,000
EU citizens working in our national health

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service, helping to treat all the people of
this country? There are 80,000 care workers

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helping our—mainly elderly—people and
there are 5,000 teachers educating our children.

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The real pressure on public services comes
from a Government who slashed billions from

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the social care budget, who are cutting the
schools budget, and who are closing A&E departments,

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walk-in centres and Sure Start centres. Instead
of threatening to turn Britain into an offshore

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tax haven, let us welcome those who contribute
to our public services and fund those public

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services properly so that we have the fully
functioning NHS that we all need and deserve.

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>>The Prime Minister: I made it clear yesterday
that we value those who have come to the United

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Kingdom and contribute to our economy and
society. There will still be people coming

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to the United Kingdom from the European Union
when we leave the EU. The crucial issue is

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that it is this Government who will be making
decisions about our immigration system for

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people from the European Union. Yet again,
I say to the right hon. Gentleman that there

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is indeed a difference between us—it is
very simple. When I look at the issue of Brexit—or,

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indeed, at any other issue, such as the national
health service or social care—I consider

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the issue, I set out my plan and I stick to
it. It is called leadership; he should try

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it sometime.

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>>Karl MᶜCartney (Lincoln) (Con): Yesterday
was a day for being bold and ambitious, and

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I am sure that my right hon. Friend noted
during her busy day that Lincoln City football

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club followed her lead last night, progressing
to the fourth round of the FA cup. While I

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warmly welcome the PM’s speech yesterday,
I also note her recent comments about white

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working-class boys and university. In the
past 10 years, half a million fewer males

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than females have gone to university, males’
exam results have been lower at all levels,

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and fewer males than females have started
apprenticeships. Despite my raising this issue

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in a Westminster Hall debate with Education
Ministers four months ago, nothing has happened.

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When can we expect to see practical action
on closing the gender education gap?

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>>The Prime Minister: I join my hon. Friend
in congratulating Lincoln City on their victory

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last night. I think it was a fitting tribute
to Graham Taylor that they won that match.

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My hon. Friend raises an important point.
I have indeed highlighted the issue of particularly

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white working-class boys, who are the group
in society least likely to go to university.

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We are committed to making sure that every
child gets the opportunity to fulfil their

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potential. That is about ensuring that apprenticeships
are accessible as possible. I am pleased to

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tell my hon. Friend that the proportion of
apprenticeships started by males has increased

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this year to almost 50%, and also that universities
expect to spend more than £800 million this

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year on improving access and success for disadvantaged
students. We want everybody to achieve their

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potential, whatever their background and whatever
their gender.

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>>Angus Robertson (Moray) (SNP): Shortly after
the Prime Minister confirmed that she wants

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to take the UK out of the single European
market, the Scottish Parliament voted by a

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large cross-party majority to remain in the
single European market, just as a large majority

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of people in Scotland voted to remain in the
European Union. The Prime Minister said that

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Scotland is an equal partner in the United
Kingdom. Does she still believe this is true

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or is she just stringing the people of Scotland
along?

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>>The Prime Minister: I refer the right hon.
Gentleman to my speech yesterday, in which

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I reiterated my commitment to work with the
devolved Administrations to ensure their voice

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is heard and their interests are taken into
account as we proceed along the path of negotiating

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our exit from the European Union. I specifically
referenced the Scotland plan. I understand

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that the Welsh Government will be producing
a plan for Wales for us to look at, too. The

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Scotland plan will, I believe, be considered
tomorrow by the Joint Ministerial Committee

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on European negotiations. We will be looking
at it seriously and working with the Scottish

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Government on the proposals they bring forward.

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>>Angus Robertson: Scotland’s leading economic
forecaster says that real wages will fall—[Interruption.]

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We have Tories jeering and cheering when the
forecast for people’s income is that it

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is likely to drop by £2,000 and that 80,000
people may lose their jobs in Scotland as

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a result of the Prime Minister’s hard Tory
Brexit plan. Does the Prime Minister believe

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that this is a price worth paying for her
“Little Britain” Brexit?

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>>The Prime Minister: I repeat what I said
earlier: we will work to ensure we get the

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best possible deal in terms of access to the
single market, and continue to co-operate

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in partnership with the remaining 27 member
states of the European Union. The right hon.

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Gentleman once again talks about the possibility
of a negative impact on Scotland if Scotland

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were not part of the single market. His party
is dedicated to taking Scotland out of the

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single market by taking it out of the United
Kingdom.

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>>Richard Fuller (Bedford) (Con): This week,
directors of our larger companies have been

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told by investors to rein in senior executive
pay, which is too often distorted by long-term

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incentive plans that are too complex to manage
and too excessive in their rewards. Will my

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right hon. Friend look at such schemes as
part of her corporate governance review?

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>>The Prime Minister: My hon. Friend raises
an important issue. I am pleased to say that

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the Government have already taken some action
on executive pay: giving shareholders the

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power to veto pay policies, forcing companies
to disclose the pay of their board directors

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and introducing tough transparency measures
for banks. I want to build on that, which

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is why we published a Green Paper on how to
strengthen shareholders’ influence over

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executive pay and introduced greater transparency.
I look forward to receiving representations

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from my hon. Friend on this issue.

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>>Kirsty Blackman (Aberdeen North) (SNP):
Will the Prime Minister provide a commitment

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today that no part of the great repeal Bill
will be subject to English votes for English

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laws?

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>>The Prime Minister: The hon. Lady might
recognise that the great repeal Bill will

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deal with a number of complex issues. At its
heart will be the repeal of the European Communities

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Act 1972. As we look at the Bill and at negotiating
our way out of the European Union, we will

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need to look at the whole issue of reserved
matters and devolved matters, but there are

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many aspects—[Interruption.]

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>>Mr Speaker: Order. Members of the Scottish
National party, led by the right hon. Member

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for Moray (Angus Robertson) on the Front Bench,
who is supposed to be a statesmanlike figure,

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should demonstrate some calm and reserve while
they are being answered by the Prime Minister.

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>>The Prime Minister: The hon. Lady knows
full well that if any part of proposed legislation

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brought before this House applies only to
England, it will be subject to English votes

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for English laws.

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>>Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire) (Con):
May I congratulate the Prime Minister on her

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delivery yesterday of an historic, definitive,
pragmatic, outward-looking speech that saw

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the pound rise to its highest level in two
years and the FTSE up today? Does she agree

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that the strong and prosperous UK she has
planned would be a nightmare for the Leader

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of the Opposition and the EU ruling class?

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>>The Prime Minister: I agree with my hon.
Friend. A strong and prosperous Britain is

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exactly what we want to build as we leave
the EU. It is only a pity that the Labour

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party seems uninterested in doing that, but
wants to do the exact opposite and bring this

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economy down.

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>>Chris Bryant (Rhondda) (Lab): If she will
visit the Rhondda.

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>>The Prime Minister: I always enjoy my visits
to Wales, and I hope to visit Wales in the

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future.

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>>Chris Bryant: That is not quite an answer
to whether she will visit the Rhondda. I hope

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she will; I am happy to accommodate her—I
can do bacon and eggs. More importantly, I

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could take her to see the best brass band
in the world, the Cory band, or, for that

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matter, I could take her to the local food
bank, based in the closed-down Conservative

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club. Since 2010, the Government have closed
the local courts, tax office, Department for

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Work and Pensions office and driving centre,
and now they intend to close all the tax offices

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in Wales and centralise them in Cardiff. We
in the valleys feel ignored by the Government.

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May I beg her to change direction and start
putting Government offices in the small towns,

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villages and valleys of this country?

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>>The Prime Minister: The last time I looked,
Cardiff was actually in Wales—the hon. Gentleman

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says we are taking offices out of Wales and
putting them in Cardiff. The whole point of

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what Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs is
doing is to move from outdated offices to

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large, modern regional centres, which will
make it possible to modernise its ways of

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working, make tax collection more efficient
and actually improve its customer service.

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>>Chris Green (Bolton West) (Con): I welcome
my right hon. Friend’s speech setting out

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a plan for global Britain. It clearly shows
that those on the Government Benches are listening

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to the British people. Will she commend this
approach to the council leaders now considering

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the Greater Manchester spatial framework consultation
responses, as they need to listen to the people,

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give us better infrastructure and protect
our green spaces?

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>>The Prime Minister: I thank my hon. Friend
for his comments and for raising this issue.

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I understand that the consultation on the
spatial framework closed earlier this week

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and that there has been huge interest among
local people. I echo his comment that it is

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absolutely right that local leaders should
take into account all the representations

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made.

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>>Ian Blackford (Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
(SNP): In the UK, we have 14 regional markets

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for electricity distribution, and highlanders
and islanders are facing higher prices because

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of where we live. Electricity distribution
charges for the north of Scotland are an eye-watering

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84% higher than those for London. The Prime
Minister talks about fairness. Will she introduce

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a universal market for electricity pricing
and stop penalising highlanders and islanders?

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Those of us who live in the coldest, windiest
places are discriminated against by her Government,

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and it must end.

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>>The Prime Minister: The hon. Gentleman draws
attention to the fact that geography of course

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has an impact on these matters. He talks about
living in the coldest and windiest places,

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and obviously one interesting issue in Scotland
is the opportunity for renewables there. I

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can tell him, however, that we are looking
at making sure that energy markets in the

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UK are indeed working properly.

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>>Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire)
(Con): I am pleased that the Prime Minister

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has said that she will take the necessary
action on air quality to deal with the 40,000

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premature deaths it causes across our country
every year. I know she believes in her Government

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leading by example, so will she make sure
that all diesel cars are removed from the

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Government Car Service as soon as possible?

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>>The Prime Minister: My hon. Friend is absolutely
right that improving air quality is a priority

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for the Government. We are determined to cut
harmful emissions and have committed money

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since 2011 to supporting the take-up of low-emission
vehicles. The Government Car Service is working

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to remove diesel vehicles from its fleet.
It has so far replaced a quarter of its vehicles

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with petrol hybrid cars, and of course its
work continues to remove those diesel vehicles.

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>>Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op):
Is the Prime Minister aware that I totally

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agree with what she said yesterday—[Interruption.]
Wait for it. I agree that we in this House

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have a real responsibility to ensure that
our children and grandchildren have a bright

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future, but is she aware that dark clouds
are looming on the horizon—intolerance,

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racism across Europe and the foundering and
flux of many of our great institutions that

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have kept peace and prosperity since the last
world war? I speak here of the United Nations,

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NATO and, indeed, the European Union. Are
we fit for purpose in keeping this country

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safe and secure in that world?

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>>The Prime Minister: I absolutely recognise
the important issue that the hon. Gentleman

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has raised. It is precisely as we move out
of the European Union that the United Kingdom

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will be more outward looking. We will look
globally. We want to ensure that we continue

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to play our part in the United Nations and
that the UN is able to do the job that everybody

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wants it to do. NATO has obviously been the
most important bulwark when it comes to maintaining

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safety and security across the European continent.
That is why we are continuing to support NATO.

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British troops are in Estonia, and British
forces are in Poland and Romania, which shows

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our continuing commitment to NATO. The thrust
of my speech yesterday was that we want a

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strong strategic partnership with the European
Union. We want access to the single market

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through a free trade agreement, but we also
want to continue to work with the EU on justice

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and security matters. Now is not a time to
co-operate less; it is a time to co-operate

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more.

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>>Paul Scully (Sutton and Cheam) (Con): I
am delighted at the third-round FA cup replay,

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in which Sutton United won 3-1 against Wimbledon.
However, the pressing issue—what would make

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us really happy—is being able to get to
work on a day-to-day basis. Does the Prime

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Minister share my cautious optimism that a
return to talks by ASLEF and Southern can

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provide a long-lasting solution for hard-pressed
commuters?

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>>The Prime Minister: As a former Wimbledon
councillor, I am not sure that I quite share

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the enthusiasm of my hon. Friend for the defeat
of AFC Wimbledon. On the point about the train

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strikes, yes, I do; and I hope that those
sitting around the table are going to ensure

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that an agreement will be reached to enable
passengers to be able to get on with their

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lives and their jobs, and not suffer the misery
that was brought about by the strike in the

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first place.

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>>Siobhain McDonagh (Mitcham and Morden) (Lab):
I agree with the Prime Minister and disagree

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with the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam
(Paul Scully) about last night’s AFC Wimbledon

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result. If the Prime Minister really believes
that GP surgeries should be open seven days

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a week, 12 hours a day, will she be my guest
at a residents’ meeting against a Department

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of Health diktat that will close the 6,000-strong
Mitcham Wilson surgery? Even better, will

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she just tell her Government to stop cuts
to GP services, which force thousands to attend

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hard-pressed A&Es such as those at St
George’s and St Helier, or is she just happy

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to oversee the possible collapse of the NHS
on her watch?

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>>The Prime Minister: I might remind the hon.
Lady that she and I sat on a council together

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where we tried to keep Wimbledon actually
playing in Wimbledon, or at least in the borough

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of Merton rather than moving elsewhere.

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On the point about GP services, GPs are part
of the solution for the NHS in the future.

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That is why we have seen more GPs coming into
the NHS and 5,000 more are being trained and

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will be in place by 2020. We want to ensure
that GPs are open and providing services at

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times when the patients want to access them.

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>>Anna Soubry (Broxtowe) (Con): It was quite
clear from the Prime Minister’s speech yesterday

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that she seeks to build a Brexit consensus
and to bring our country back together. I

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thank her for that. To that end, and indeed
to strengthen the Prime Minister’s negotiating

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hand, before article 50 is triggered, will
she please at least consider publishing all

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those 12 objectives in a White Paper so that
we can debate them here in this place on behalf

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of all our constituents?

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>>The Prime Minister: I absolutely understand
my right hon. Friend’s point about Parliament’s

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desire to be able to debate the objectives
that I set out very clearly in my plan yesterday.

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One of the objectives and principles I set
was about certainty and clarity. It continues

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to be the Government’s intention that we
will provide clarity whenever it is possible,

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and we will ensure that, at appropriate times,
both the public and Parliament are kept informed

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and are able properly to consider and scrutinise
these issues.

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>>Mrs Louise Ellman (Liverpool, Riverside)
(Lab/Co-op): While dedicated and talented

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staff at Royal Liverpool University hospital’s
accident and emergency department struggle

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to find beds for sick people, about 135 patients
cannot be discharged solely because of Government

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cuts in social care budgets. When will the
Government recognise their responsibilities,

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and not try to blame GPs for a problem of
their Government’s own making?

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>>The Prime Minister: There is pressure on
social care. I have accepted and recognised

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that in the House. The Government have recognised
it, and have provided additional funding through

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the Better Care Fund and the social care precept.
This year Liverpool raised £2.8 million from

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the precept, and it will receive more than
£48 million on top of that from the improved

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Better Care Fund by 2019-20. However, this
is not just a question of money; it is a question

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of ensuring that we have a sustainable social
care system for the future, and that is what

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the Government are working on.

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>>Alistair Burt (North East Bedfordshire)
(Con): May I commend my right hon. Friend

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for what she said yesterday, and not least
for her constructive tone and constructive

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approach to the European Union and its future?
That was in marked contrast to what we have

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heard from others over the years, from many
different quarters in the United Kingdom.

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Will my right hon. Friend confirm that that
constructive tone will remain, as the best

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base for securing an agreement between us
and the EU that is in our mutual interest?

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Will she also confirm that the default position
of “no deal” will remain a default position,

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and that the Government will not be persuaded
to make it their preferred option?

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>>The Prime Minister: Absolutely. We want
to get that good deal and we expect to be

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able to get that good deal, and, as my right
hon. Friend says, it is through good will

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and a positive approach on both sides of the
negotiations that we will achieve it.

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I am very clear about the fact that the United
Kingdom wants to see a continuing, strong

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European Union of 27 member states. We want
a strong strategic partnership with that European

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Union, and, of course, we want to continue
to work bilaterally with individual member

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states. I made that point to a number of European
leaders yesterday when I spoke to them after

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my speech. I said that we wanted to approach
this in a positive and optimistic fashion,

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because I believe that a deal that is good
for the UK will be a deal that is good for

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the European Union.

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>>Louise Haigh (Sheffield, Heeley) (Lab):
This week the national auditor revealed the

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abject failures in the Concentrix fiasco which
had resulted in thousands of people being

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wrongly denied their tax credit. That was
not one rogue contractor, but a system designed

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by the Government to pursue and chase down
claimants for profit. Does the Prime Minister

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agree with the chief executive of HMRC that
payment by results has no place in our welfare

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system? Will she review this model, or will
she wait for the next scandal to hit vulnerable

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people?

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>>The Prime Minister: I recognise that many
people received a poor service from Concentrix.

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This is not the first time that that has been
highlighted in the Chamber. It was not acceptable,

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and I apologise for the worry and distress
that was caused to people. We have been very

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clear about the service operated by Concentrix.
HMRC will learn the lessons from that contract,

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and it remains committed to providing a high-quality
service. It will not use a private sector

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supplier to undertake tax credit error and
fraud checks again.

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00:32:19,970 --> 00:32:27,530
>>Mr Kenneth Clarke (Rushcliffe) (Con): My
right hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe

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(Anna Soubry) mentioned the speech that the
Prime Minister made yesterday. In that speech,

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she confirmed her commitment to parliamentary
democracy, and I assume that she therefore

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accepts the long-standing convention that
the Executive—the Government—are continuously

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accountable to the House for the policies
that they are pursuing. Will she clarify whether

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00:32:49,809 --> 00:32:55,360
she intends to make any further statements
of policy intentions to the House, and whether

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she expects the House to have an opportunity
to vote its approval for those policies earlier

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than two years from now, when the whole negotiation
has been completed?

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>>The Prime Minister: My right hon. and learned
Friend has raised a matter that has also been

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raised not only by our right hon. Friend the
Member for Broxtowe (Anna Soubry), but by

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00:33:15,840 --> 00:33:23,169
others as well. Yesterday my right hon. Friend
the Secretary of State for Exiting the European

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Union spent two hours answering questions
in the House, and there will be a further

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debate on matters relating to exiting the
European Union later today. There have been

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a number of such debates already, dealing
with issues that are part of the objectives

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that we have set.

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We shall have to consider the result of the
decision of the Supreme Court, which may,

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if it goes against the Government, require
legislation. There will be an opportunity

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in the great repeal Bill to consider a number
of issues relating to exiting the EU, but

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as for voting on the actual deal that we have,
we cannot do so until we know what it is.

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That is why I said yesterday that Parliament
would have a vote when we knew what the deal

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was.

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>>Dr Eilidh Whiteford (Banff and Buchan) (SNP):
The Prime Minister’s passing reference to

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the interests of Spanish fishermen in her
speech yesterday rather let the cat out of

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00:34:17,179 --> 00:34:21,589
the bag that our fishing opportunities are
already on the table as a bargaining chip

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before the Brexit negotiations have even started,
so what exactly does the Prime Minister want

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to offer the Spanish fishermen?

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>>The Prime Minister: I made the very simple
point yesterday that this negotiation is not

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just about the United Kingdom; there will
be others in the European Union who will be

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00:34:38,820 --> 00:34:45,920
looking to ensure that the deal we get is
good for the UK and good for the EU. But I

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have to say to the hon. Lady that if she in
any sense thinks that continued membership

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of the common fisheries policy is what we
should be looking for, that is certainly not

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the case, and it is certainly one of the things
people voted against.

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>>Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford) (Con): The people
of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are again

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being confronted with the possible loss of
emergency services in Stafford or Burton,

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when our acute hospitals are constantly under
intense pressure. Does the Prime Minister

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00:35:13,220 --> 00:35:17,310
agree with me, our hon. Friend the Member
for Burton (Andrew Griffiths) and other local

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00:35:17,310 --> 00:35:23,430
MPs that closing A&Es is no way to deal with
increased real—not imagined—need?

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00:35:23,430 --> 00:35:29,710
>>The Prime Minister: The important issue
is the level of service that is available

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00:35:29,710 --> 00:35:36,410
to people in any particular local area. That
is why the sustainability and transformation

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00:35:36,410 --> 00:35:40,580
plans that are being considered and have been
published are being taken into account and

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being considered at a local level, so that
local clinicians and local people will be

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able to agree what is best in their particular
area.

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>>Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South) (Lab):
Last Friday I went to Blackpool Victoria hospital

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where the number of people waiting 12 hours
or more in A&E doubled last year, with

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100 of them aged 90 or over. Trust managers
told me that the biggest factor in delays

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00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:07,370
is discharging patients who cannot get community
care, and my local paper said that Government

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00:36:07,370 --> 00:36:12,220
cuts have eroded support for them. Will the
Prime Minister stop waffling about her shared

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society, listen to her own budget watchdog
saying that we will need £30 billion for

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older people in the next 10 years, and put
that money not into corporation tax cuts but

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into local adult care and the NHS?

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>>The Prime Minister: Just looking at the
figures on what has happened in health in

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the hon. Gentleman’s area, I see that there
are more doctors in his NHS foundation trust

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and significantly more nurses, but the—[Interruption.]
I know what the hon. Gentleman is talking

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about and I am about to comment on it, but
the hon. Member for Ashton-under-Lyne (Angela

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Rayner), who is shouting from a sedentary
position, might have recognised that he started

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off talking about the NHS, which is what I
am also commenting on. [Interruption.]

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>>Mr Speaker: Order. I am not going to allow
an exchange across the Dispatch Box or across

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the House at this point. The Prime Minister
was asked a question [Interruption.] Order.

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I require no help from the hon. Member for
Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr Mahmood), which

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is of zilch value. The Prime Minister will
answer, and she will be heard with courtesy,

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including by the hon. Gentleman.

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>>The Prime Minister: The hon. Member for
Blackpool South (Gordon Marsden) asked me

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about pressures on the national health service.
We are seeing more doctors and nurses in his

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Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation
Trust, and health funding in the hon. Gentleman’s

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area will be £3 billion this year, and that
will be rising with a further £450 million

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by 2020-21.

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As I have said in this House before, we are
putting extra money into social care. We are

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giving local authorities the opportunity to
raise more money and spend it on social care.

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But this is not just about more money; it
is about ensuring best practice is spread

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throughout the country and it is about a long-term
solution to sustainable social care for the

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future, an issue that has been ducked by Governments,
including a Labour Government for 13 years.

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>>Matt Warman (Boston and Skegness) (Con):
On Friday the east coast of England faced

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the threat of a tidal surge that endangered
tens of thousands of homes and thousands of

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00:38:23,250 --> 00:38:28,000
lives. A simple change in the weather meant
that flooding was averted, but will the Prime

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00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:34,840
Minister join me in praising the response
of the emergency services in planning ahead,

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00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:40,210
involving the Army, the Coastguard, the fire
and ambulance services and the police, to

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make sure that the best possible plans were
made? Will she further join me in making sure

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that the public know that in future these
warnings should always be taken seriously?

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00:38:50,100 --> 00:38:54,500
>>The Prime Minister: My hon. Friend raises
an important point, and I am happy to join

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00:38:54,500 --> 00:38:59,430
him in commending the action of all those
in the emergency services, in our armed forces

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00:38:59,430 --> 00:39:05,530
and in local authorities who worked so hard
to ensure that this problem was dealt with.

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00:39:05,530 --> 00:39:11,320
As he said, a change in the weather took place,
but it is crucial that when these warnings

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00:39:11,320 --> 00:39:15,271
are given, people recognise that they are
given for the very good reason that there

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is concern about the danger that could take
place. The efforts that were put in protected

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00:39:21,780 --> 00:39:26,681
tens of thousands of properties, and I am
pleased to see that we have learned from the

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work done on previous flooding incidents.
The work between the emergency services, local

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00:39:32,110 --> 00:39:37,200
services and the armed forces was much better
co-ordinated than has perhaps been the case

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00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:40,030
in the past, so we have been able to learn
from the flooding in the past.

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00:39:40,030 --> 00:39:44,600
>>Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch)
(Lab/Co-op): In response to the right hon.

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00:39:44,600 --> 00:39:48,980
Member for Broxtowe (Anna Soubry), the Prime
Minister talked about her desire to give clarity

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00:39:48,980 --> 00:39:54,050
around our exit from the EU. Many of my constituents
are European citizens who are paying tax and

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00:39:54,050 --> 00:39:59,590
bringing up their families here. What assurance
can she give them about their future, particularly

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00:39:59,590 --> 00:40:01,840
if they change employer or are freelancers?

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00:40:01,840 --> 00:40:07,300
>>The Prime Minister: One of the objectives
I set out in my speech yesterday was something

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I have said before about the guaranteeing
of rights for EU citizens living here in the

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00:40:12,240 --> 00:40:18,000
UK, but I also want to see the rights of UK
citizens living in the 27 member states being

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00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:26,040
guaranteed. I remain open, and I encourage
others across Europe to agree with me that

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00:40:26,040 --> 00:40:32,690
this is an issue we should look at as early
as possible in order to give people the confidence

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00:40:32,690 --> 00:40:34,580
and reassurance that the hon. Lady is looking
for .

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00:40:34,580 --> 00:40:38,670
>>Simon Hoare (North Dorset) (Con): In supporting
my right hon. Friend’s endeavours in facing

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the difficult challenges in social care and
the national health service, may I invite

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00:40:43,940 --> 00:40:50,470
her to endorse the concept and continuance
of community hospitals in our market towns

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00:40:50,470 --> 00:40:52,450
across the country? Those hospitals, including
the Westminster Memorial hospital in Shaftesbury

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00:40:52,450 --> 00:40:57,430
in my constituency, provide a vital piece
of the jigsaw in our national health service.

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00:40:57,430 --> 00:41:07,690
>>The Prime Minister: I am sure that the Westminster
Memorial hospital in Shaftesbury is providing

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00:41:07,690 --> 00:41:13,510
good services for local people. The structure
of local services is of course a matter for

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00:41:13,510 --> 00:41:19,700
discussion at local level, and it is crucial
that local clinicians and others agree that

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00:41:19,700 --> 00:41:25,390
we have a safe and secure service for people
and that they are provided with the NHS services

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00:41:25,390 --> 00:41:30,890
that they need at the most appropriate level.
I fully accept my hon. Friend’s point that

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we often think only about the major district
general hospitals and acute hospitals when

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00:41:35,140 --> 00:41:40,430
actually the NHS is made up of many different
parts. We need to ensure that patients are

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00:41:40,430 --> 00:41:43,670
being treated at the most appropriate level
for their needs.

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>>Hywel Williams (Arfon) (PC): How can abandoning
membership of a customs union that takes 68%

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00:41:50,630 --> 00:41:56,750
of Wales’s exports—including, crucially,
90% of our food and drink exports—and that

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00:41:56,750 --> 00:42:01,550
supports 200,000 jobs cause anything other
than “calamitous…self-harm”?

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00:42:01,550 --> 00:42:07,630
>>The Prime Minister: What we will be doing
is negotiating a free trade agreement with

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the European Union to get the best possible
access for trade with the EU, but we also

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00:42:12,230 --> 00:42:17,330
want to be able to negotiate trade agreements
with other countries around the world. A number

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00:42:17,330 --> 00:42:21,320
of countries have already expressed interest
in doing that with us. We want to do that

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00:42:21,320 --> 00:42:26,830
to open up new export markets being delivered
for businesses here in the United Kingdom,

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00:42:26,830 --> 00:42:31,550
including the sort of trade in Wales that
the hon. Gentleman is talking about. On the

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00:42:31,550 --> 00:42:36,490
question of customs with the European Union,
we want an arrangement that will involve the

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00:42:36,490 --> 00:42:38,290
most frictionless borders possible.