2017-02-01_PMQs.srt

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>>The Prime Minister (Mrs Theresa May): I
am sure that the whole House will join me

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in offering our condolences to the families
and friends of those who lost their lives

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and were injured in the gun attack in Quebec
City on Sunday, and in paying tribute to our

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former colleague Tam Dalyell, who died last
Friday. He was an outstanding parliamentarian,

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and I am sure that all our thoughts are with
his friends and family.

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This morning, I had meetings with ministerial
colleagues and others. In addition to my duties

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in the House, I shall have further such meetings
later today.

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>>Peter Heaton-Jones (North Devon) (Con):
I associate myself with the remarks made by

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the Prime Minister and the tribute paid to
the victims in Canada and to the family of

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Tam Dalyell.

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North Devon is quite rightly concerned that
the current review of health services across

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the county may result in the loss of some
acute services at our hospital in Barnstaple.

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For some residents, the nearest alternative
could be three hours away. Will my right hon.

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Friend assure me that she will listen carefully
to those concerns, because I want to be able

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to say to North Devon that we are the party
of the NHS?

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>>The Prime Minister: I thank my hon. Friend
for his question. I can reassure him that

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this Government are absolutely committed to
ensuring the best possible healthcare for

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patients right across the country. I recognise
that concerns have been expressed locally

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about the North Devon district hospital. I
understand that there are no specific proposals

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at the moment, but I know that the input of
local communities will remain crucial throughout

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the process, and I can assure him that of
course it is this party in government that

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is putting the extra funding into the NHS
and showing how we value it.

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>>Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North) (Lab): I
join the Prime Minister in offering condolences

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to all those who died in the horrific attack,
fuelled by hate, in Quebec, and we should

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send our solidarity to everyone in Canada
on this sad occasion.

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May I also associate myself with the Prime
Minister’s tribute to the former Member

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for West Lothian, and later Linlithgow, Tam
Dalyell? A Labour MP and former Father of

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the House, he doggedly fought to expose official
wrongdoing and cover-ups, from the miners

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strike to Iraq. I am sure the Prime Minister
would agree that Tam’s scrutiny and contributions

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made this House a better place, and may I
recommend to all Members his autobiography

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“The Importance of Being Awkward”? [Interruption.]
And I am quite happy to offer my copy to the

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Secretary of State for Brexit to have a good
read of it. I am sure that he has probably

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already read it.

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At last week’s Prime Minister Question Time,
the Prime Minister told the House:

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“I am not afraid to speak frankly to a President
of the United States”. What happened?

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>>The Prime Minister: First, let me say that
I was not aware of Tam Dalyell’s book “The

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Importance of Being Awkward”, but given
the number of resignations that the right

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hon. Gentleman has had from his Front Bench,
I suspect that some of his colleagues have

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indeed read it.

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I am pleased to say to the right hon. Gentleman
that when I visited the United States, I was

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able to build on the relationship that we
have with our most important ally and get

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some very significant commitments from President
Trump. Crucial among those was a 100% commitment

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to NATO—NATO which keeps us safe and keeps
Europe safe too.

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>>Jeremy Corbyn: Downing Street has not denied
that the Prime Minister was told by the White

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House that the Executive order on travel to
the US was imminent, so let us be clear: was

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the Prime Minister told about the ban during
her visit, and did she try to persuade President

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Trump otherwise?

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>>The Prime Minister: On the policy that President
Trump has introduced, this Government are

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clear that it is wrong. We would not do it.
In six years as Home Secretary, I never introduced

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such a policy. We believe it is divisive and
wrong. If the right hon. Gentleman is asking

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me whether I had advance notice of the ban
on refugees, the answer is no. If he is asking

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me if I had advance notice that the Executive
order could affect British citizens, the answer

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is no. If he is asking if I had advance notice
of the travel restrictions, the answer is,

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we all did, because President Trump said in
his election campaign that he was going to

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do this. The question is how you respond.
The job of Government is not to chase the

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headlines; the job of Government is not to
take to the streets in protest; the job of

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Government is to protect the interests of
British citizens, and that is exactly what

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we did.

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>>Jeremy Corbyn: On the day after the Executive
order was made to ban refugees and visitors

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from seven predominantly Muslim countries,
why did the Prime Minister three times refuse

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to condemn the ban?

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>>The Prime Minister: I have made it very
clear that we believe that this policy is

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divisive and wrong, and that it is not a policy
that we would introduce. I have also made

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it very clear when asked about this that this
Government have a very different approach

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to these issues. On refugees, this Government
have a proud record of the support that we

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have given to them, and long may it continue.

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>>Jeremy Corbyn: The Prime Minister said:
“The United States is responsible for the

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United States’ policy on refugees.”

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But surely it is the responsibility of all
of us to defend the 1951 refugee convention,

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which commits this country, the United States
and 142 other states to accept refugees without

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regard to their

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“race, religion or country of origin.”

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President Trump has breached that convention.
Why did she not speak out?

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>>The Prime Minister: First, I have made absolutely
clear what the Government’s view on this

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policy is. Secondly, as I have just said,
this Government and this country have a proud

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record on how we welcome refugees. In recent
years, we have introduced a very particular

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scheme to ensure that particularly vulnerable
refugees in Syria can be brought to this country,

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and something like 10,000 Syrian refugees
have come to this country since the conflict

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began. We are also the second biggest bilateral
donor, helping and supporting refugees in

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the region. That is what we are doing. I have
said that the US policy is wrong. We will

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take a different view, and we will continue
to welcome refugees to this country.

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>>Jeremy Corbyn: I also wrote to the Prime
Minister on this issue and received her reply

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this morning. I hold in my hand her piece
of paper. She makes no mention of the refugee

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convention and does not condemn US action
in that respect.

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Last week, I asked the Prime Minister to assure
the House that she would not offer up our

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national health service as a “bargaining
chip” in any US trade deal. She gave no

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answer. She also refused to rule it out when
asked in the US, so let me ask her a third

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time: will she rule out opening up our national
health service to private US healthcare companies—yes

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or no?

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>>The Prime Minister: I could give a detailed
answer to the right hon. Gentleman’s question,

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but a simple and straightforward reply is
what is required: the NHS is not for sale

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and it never will be.

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>>Jeremy Corbyn: I hope that that includes
not having US healthcare companies coming

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in to run any part of our national health
service.

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President Trump has torn up international
agreements on refugees. He has threatened

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to dump international agreements on climate
change. He has praised the use of torture.

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He has incited hatred against Muslims. He
has directly attacked women’s rights. Just

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what more does he have to do before the Prime
Minister will listen to the 1.8 million people

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who have already called for his state visit
invitation to be withdrawn?

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>>The Prime Minister: The right hon. Gentleman’s
foreign policy is to object to and insult

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the democratically elected Head of State of
our most important ally. Let us see what he

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would have achieved in the last week. Would
he have been able to protect British citizens

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from the impact of the Executive order? No.
Would he have been able to lay the foundations

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of a trade deal? No. Would he have got a 100%
commitment to NATO? No. That is what Labour

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has to offer this country—less protection
for British citizens, less prosperity, less

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safety. He can lead a protest; I am leading
a country.

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>>Stuart Andrew (Pudsey) (Con): Today it is
inconceivable that somebody would be prosecuted

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based on who and what they are. Will my right
hon. Friend join me in welcoming the posthumous

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pardon of some 49,000 men thanks to the Government’s
Turing Bill which was enacted yesterday? Will

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she also encourage those who are still alive
to come forward so that their injustices can

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be overturned?

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>>The Prime Minister: I am very happy to join
my hon. Friend in welcoming an extremely important

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change in the law. We committed to it in our
manifesto and have now delivered on it. Passing

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Turing’s law has been a long-standing commitment
for the Government. It is momentous and takes

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action to right the wrongs of the past. Like
my hon. Friend, I certainly encourage those

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still alive to apply to the Home Office to
have their offences disregarded.

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>>Angus Robertson (Moray) (SNP): We on the
SNP Benches associate ourselves with all the

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comments thus far about the tragic deaths
in Quebec City and about the passing of Tam

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Dalyell. Respect for him was held across the
political parties and he served with great

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distinction for more than 40 years.

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The Prime Minister had a successful international
visit this last week—to Ireland. She spoke

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publicly about her commitment—this is important—not
to have a hard border on these islands, to

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the continuation of free movement of peoples
on these islands and to protect and enhance

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trade. Given that people will be watching
this not just in Britain but in Ireland, will

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she take this opportunity to explain how she
will deliver those sensible, important outcomes?

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>>The Prime Minister: Those are absolutely
the outcomes that we want to see. I was very

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pleased to meet the Taoiseach and to discuss
with him the joint intent that both his Government

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and mine have to ensure that we do not see
a return to the borders of the past in Northern

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Ireland. We focus on the land border that
is between Northern Ireland and the Republic

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of Ireland. Of course, the issue of movements
from Ireland affects other places as well;

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it affects ports in Wales and Stranraer. Therefore,
it is an important issue for us and we have

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agreed the work that we are going to do together
to deliver what I believe will be as frictionless

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a border as possible. Also, one of the objectives
that I set out in my plan for our negotiating

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objectives is to retain the common travel
area.

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>>Angus Robertson: We on the SNP Benches very
much welcome what the Prime Minister has just

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said on all those issues. Of course, we also
welcome the intensifying of negotiations between

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the UK Government and the devolved Administrations
ahead of triggering article 50. The Prime

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Minister has very helpfully explained that
it is perfectly possible for parts of these

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islands to be in the single market, without
hard borders, with free movement of people,

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while at the same time protecting and enhancing
trade with one another. That is very, very

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welcome, so will she give a commitment to
work with the Irish Government and a commitment

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to work with the Scottish Government to deliver
all those things—or will we just have to

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get on with it ourselves?

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>>The Prime Minister: First, the right hon.
Gentleman is right that following the meeting

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of the Joint Ministerial Committee plenary
on Monday morning, we agreed to intensify

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discussion on issues related to the bringing
back of powers from Brussels and where those

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powers should lie within the UK—to intensify
that in the run-up to the triggering of article

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50 and beyond the triggering of article 50.

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On the other question, the right hon. Gentleman
really should listen to the answers that are

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given, because he is trying to imply something
that is not there. [Hon. Members: “Oh!”]

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Yes. We are very clear that we want to see
a frictionless border between Northern Ireland

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and the Republic of Ireland, but I am also
clear that one of the objectives of our negotiation

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is to see as frictionless a border as possible
between the UK and the rest of the European

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Union. Of course, if he is so worried about
having a frictionless border between Scotland

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and countries in the EU, he should not want
to take Scotland out of the EU by wanting

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to see it independent. [Interruption.]

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>>Mr Speaker: Order. We should not have to
allow for the reaction from the SNP Benches

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to every answer before we proceed to the next
question.

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>>Mrs Maria Miller (Basingstoke) (Con): EU
nationals provide a vital and expert service

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in my local hospital in Basingstoke and, along
with thousands of others, they face an uncertain

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future. I know that this is something that
the Prime Minister wants to give priority

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to and to sort out. Will we be hearing more
about it in the forthcoming White Paper?

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>>The Prime Minister: My right hon. Friend
makes an important point about EU nationals.

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I would like to confirm my intention and expectation
that we will be able to offer that reassurance

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to EU nationals living in the UK, but I also
want to see reassurance offered to UK nationals

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living in the EU. I hope and will be working
to try to ensure that this is an issue we

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can deal with at a very early stage in the
negotiations. It was one of the objectives

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I set out in the plan. It will be referenced
in the White Paper and I can inform my right

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hon. Friend and the House that that White
Paper will be published tomorrow.

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>>Jonathan Reynolds (Stalybridge and Hyde)
(Lab/Co-op): Prime Minister, your responses

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today have been deeply unsatisfactory. The
President of the United States has advocated

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torture, misogyny, racial discrimination,
sexual assault and isolationism. The leaders

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of Canada and Germany were able to respond
robustly, but your response was to jump on

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a plane as soon as possible to hold his hand.
Does this country not deserve a leader who

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is willing to stand up for British values?

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>>Mr Speaker: Order. I have issued no response
and the hon. Gentleman not only should not

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breach parliamentary protocol but should not
tempt me.

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>>The Prime Minister: I will tell you what
standing up for British values is. I and this

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Government introduced the first Modern Slavery
Act in this country. I have ensured that stop

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and search has reduced, because I do not believe
that anyone on the streets of this country

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should be stopped and searched because of
the colour of their skin, and I ensured justice

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for the families of Hillsborough.

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>>Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet) (Con):
In light of the fact that most of the countries

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covered by the Trump ban have a total bar
on the admission of Israeli citizens, should

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the protestors not be calling for that ban
to be lifted as well?

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>>The Prime Minister: I thank my right hon.
Friend for pointing that out. It is absolutely

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right that the House should be aware of the
discrimination around the world and of that

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ban, particularly for those who are Israeli
citizens. We are consistent: we do not agree

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with that approach and it is not one that
we will take. I wait for the day when the

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right hon. Member for Islington North (Jeremy
Corbyn) stands up and condemns it too.

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>>Chris Elmore (Ogmore) (Lab/Co-op): My constituent
Dianah Kendall suffered a bleed on the brain

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in 2012 and has struggled to work since, but
was due to retire in September. Government

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changes to her state pension retirement age
mean that she will now not retire until 2022.

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This injustice has short-changed 2.6 million
WASPI women and brings shame on this Government.

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Will the Prime Minister think again and support
Dianah and the millions of women who deserve

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fairness in retirement?

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>>The Prime Minister: On the issue of those
who are known as the WASPI campaign, I refer

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the hon. Gentleman to the fact that, as I
am sure he knows, we committed more than £1

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billion to lessen the impact on those worst
affected, so no one will see their pension

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age change by more than 18 months. There is
a wider point: we need to be realistic when

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considering pension ages about the fact that
people are living longer. If we want to carry

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on having an affordable and sustainable pension
system, we need to equalise the state pension

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age for men and women faster and to bring
forward the rise.

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>>Will Quince (Colchester) (Con): I welcome
the £450 million announced in the autumn

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statement to fund a trial of the digital railway.
Given the new fleet of trains on order and

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the economic growth opportunity for our region,
does the Prime Minister agree that the great

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eastern main line has the most compelling
case for that pilot?

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>>The Prime Minister: My hon. Friend is absolutely
right about the importance of transport links

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for economic growth. I understand that digital
signalling could increase capacity on commuter

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trains by up to 40%, hence the investment
of £450 million for trials over the coming

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years to which he rightly refers. I know that
the Department for Transport is considering

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where those trials should take place, but
we certainly recognise that the great eastern

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main line is one area that could benefit from
those improvements.

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>>John Nicolson (East Dunbartonshire) (SNP):
A few moments ago, the Prime Minister tried

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to claim credit for passing Stonewall’s
Turing Bill. She did not; the Turing Bill

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pardons all gay men found guilty of crimes
no longer on the statute book. When will the

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Prime Minister follow the Scottish Government
and automatically pardon the living as well

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as the dead?

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>>The Prime Minister: It was during my time
as Home Secretary that the legislation was

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introduced that gives those who are alive
the opportunity to apply to the Home Office

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to have those offences that are no longer
on the statute book expunged from their record—

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>>John Nicolson: They are not doing it.

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>>The Prime Minister: The hon. Gentleman says
that they are not doing it. In this Chamber

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today my hon. Friend the Member for Pudsey
(Stuart Andrew) and I have both encouraged

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people to come forward and make that application,
and that is a message that we should all put

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out.

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>>James Duddridge (Rochford and Southend East)
(Con): At the White House, my right hon. Friend

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gained some assurances from President Trump
about his commitment to NATO, an achievement

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that was welcomed by the Governments of the
Czech Republic, Latvia and Lithuania. Does

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my right hon. Friend agree that the way to
engage with President Trump and to win such

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agreements is not by insulting our close ally
but by bringing him close, rather than doing

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as the Leader of the Opposition demands? If
we reject our closest ally, would that not

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leave Britain and our European partners less
safe and less secure?

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>>The Prime Minister: My hon. Friend is absolutely
right. We should never forget that America

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is our most important ally. Our relationship
is long standing and American men and women

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served and died alongside UK men and women
in two world wars to protect our security

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and the security of Europe. If we were not
able to have that relationship and to see

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that commitment to NATO, in particular, we
would leave this country and Europe less safe.

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>>Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith)
(SNP): Many were surprised that immediately

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after those cosy images with Donald Trump
were taken the Prime Minister chose to meet

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the Turkish President, who has been running
an increasingly repressive regime since the

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failed coup last summer. Will she confirm
whether she raised any human rights concerns

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with President Erdoğan, or, as we turn our
face from Europe, will it be the policy of

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post-Brexit Britain to put arms deals before
human rights abuses?

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>>The Prime Minister: First, the hon. Lady
should recognise that Turkey is an important

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country in relation both to our security and
the issue of migration into Turkey and potentially

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into Europe. She will also recognise that
Turkey has, and continues to host, 3 million

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refugees from Syria, and I commended the Turkish
Government on the welcome they have given

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them. I suggest that she should just have
looked at the press conference I gave after

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my discussions with President Erdoğan and
Prime Minister Yildirim, in which I made it

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clear that we had condemned the coup but expected
the Turkish Government to support their democratic

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institutions, international human rights and
the rule of law.

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>>Alec Shelbrooke (Elmet and Rothwell) (Con):
I wholeheartedly congratulate my right hon.

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Friend on securing 100% for NATO from the
new US Administration. Will she outline what

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she is doing to persuade our other NATO allies
of the importance of achieving what was agreed

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at the NATO Wales summit on their obligations?

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>>The Prime Minister: First, I thank my hon.
Friend for the work that he does on the NATO

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Parliamentary Assembly. I know he is fully
engaged with that. He is right that commitments

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were made at the NATO summit in Wales in 2014,
when all our NATO allies committed to spending

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2% of their GDP on defence within a decade.
We have seen progress, but I agree with President

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Trump that many allies need to go further.
I can assure my hon. Friend that I and other

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Ministers across Government raise the issue
regularly with our allies and partners and

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will continue to do so.

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>>Ruth Cadbury (Brentford and Isleworth) (Lab):
Last week, air pollution in London was worse

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than in Beijing. Will the Prime Minister therefore
assure me and my constituents in Osterley,

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Brentford and Chiswick that the hugely expensive
proposal to double the capacity of the M4

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as it arrives in London will be shelved forthwith?

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>>The Prime Minister: I can assure the hon.
Lady that this Government take the issue of

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air quality very seriously. A lot of work
has been done. Since 2011 more than £2 billion

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has been committed to enable, for example,
bus operators to upgrade their fleets, and

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to ensure that changes are made to reduce
pollution from vehicles such as refuse trucks

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and fire engines. We do recognise, however,
that more needs to be done. We have seen a

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reduction in nitrous oxide from some 17% in
recent years, but we will bring forward proposals

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to ensure that we can maintain the air quality
that we all want to see.

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>>Richard Benyon (Newbury) (Con): Will my
right hon. Friend show her support for “Brighter

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Berkshire”, the campaign as part of the
2017 year of mental health? Will she give

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her continued commitment to ensuring that
we have parity between mental health and physical

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health in this country?

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>>The Prime Minister: I am very happy to endorse
the campaign to which my hon. Friend refers.

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It is important that we continue to raise
awareness of the issues around mental health.

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The fact the Government have committed to
the parity of esteem between mental and physical

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health is important. There is more for us
to do on mental health, and I have already

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set out some steps that we want to take. I
commend all those, however, who are working

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to raise the issue of mental health and provide
support to those with mental health problems.

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>>Mr Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow) (Lab): The Association
of Directors of Adult Social Services has

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said that £4.6 billion has been cut from
social care budgets since 2010. Does the Prime

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Minister take any responsibility for the pain
and the distress that the Tories have inflicted

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on poor, vulnerable old people being denied
their rightful care? Yes or no?

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>>The Prime Minister: The Government have
taken a number of steps to increase the funding

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available for local authorities to provide
for social care. It is also important that

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we ensure that best practice is developed
and put into place across the country. In

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some parts of the country the record on social
care and the interaction with hospitals is

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better than in others, but the longer-term
issue is for us to ensure that we have a sustainable

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system for delivering social care for people
in this country. The Labour party ducked that

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issue for 13 years. We are addressing it.

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>>Andrea Jenkyns (Morley and Outwood) (Con):
Will my right hon. Friend join me in congratulating

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Morley Academy on its recently awarded World
Class Schools quality mark and say how such

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awards drive pupil excellence?

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>>The Prime Minister: I am happy to join my
hon. Friend in congratulating the whole team

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at Morley Academy on receiving the award,
which I think shows the work that the GORSE

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Academies Trust is doing to drive up excellence
and improve outcomes for pupils. We are determined

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to drive up standards in schools to ensure
that more children have good school places—a

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good school place for every child—so that
they can all reach the sort of level we see

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at Morley Academy.

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>>Mr David Winnick (Walsall North) (Lab):
How will the thousands of people who lost

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their jobs at British Home Stores feel about
the fact that it may take years before the

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case of Philip Green, the totally discredited
and disgraced businessperson, results in his

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knighthood being taken away or otherwise?
Is it not remarkable? People lose their jobs

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and suffer all the consequences, but this
man keeps his billions and his knighthood.

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>>The Prime Minister: The hon. Gentleman raises
an important issue. Many Members of this House

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have expressed concern about what happened
at BHS and the attitude and approach taken

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00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:24,279
by Philip Green. Whether a knighthood should
be taken away from someone is a matter for

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the relevant committee—I have forgotten
the name—which will be examining the case;

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I understand that it is waiting for the investigations
to be completed. This is a matter for an independent

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committee and it is up to the committee how
it looks into it.

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>>Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con): Tonight,
there will be an historic vote in this place,

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a vote that I thought I would not see in my
political lifetime: the British Parliament

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voting to withdraw from the European Union
under the excellent leadership of the Prime

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Minister. Is my right hon. Friend surprised
that Opposition Members who demand time to

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discuss the matter and debate it—namely,
the Liberal Democrats—did not even bother

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to turn up last night? The Government Benches
were packed, the Scottish National party Benches

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were packed, the Democratic Unionist party
Members were here, and there were some Labour

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Members. Is that not surprising?

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>>The Prime Minister: Throughout my political
career I have fought Liberal Democrats, and

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nothing that they do ever surprises me, but
I join my hon. Friend in commending the Bill

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before the House. This House has a very simple
decision to take. We gave the right of judgment

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on this matter to the British people, and
they made their choice: they want to leave

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the EU. The question every Member must ask
themselves as they go through the Lobby tonight

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is: do they trust the people?

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>>Mr Speaker: Well, the right hon. Gentleman
is here now, so let us hear the fellow—Tim

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Farron.

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>>Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

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>>Tim Farron (Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD):
Who would have guessed it, Mr Speaker? We

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are here now, asking the questions—[Interruption]—asking
the 

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questions about the future of our country
and Brexit that a strong Leader of the Opposition

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00:31:40,179 --> 00:31:42,000
should be asking—

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>>Hon. Members: Where were you?

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>>Mr Speaker: Order. [Interruption.] Mr Knight,
I am very worried about you. You recently

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suffered from a bad leg. With all that shouting,
you will be suffering from a bad head. Calm

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00:31:56,010 --> 00:31:58,840
yourself man!

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00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:10,470
>>Tim Farron: The Prime Minister will return
at some point with a deal with Europe that

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our people will have to live with for decades
to come, especially our young people, 73%

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of whom voted to remain. Nobody knows what
that deal will look like, but someone will

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get to agree it. Should it be her Government,
should it be this Parliament, or should it

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be—as I believe it should—the British
people?

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>>The Prime Minister: I have already said
that there will be a vote on the deal in this

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Parliament. [Interruption.]

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>>Mr Speaker: Mr Shelbrooke, calm yourself.
You are in a state of excessive excitement,

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even by your standards.

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>>Nigel Adams (Selby and Ainsty) (Con): It
is quite difficult to follow that, Mr Speaker,

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but back in the real world—[Laughter.]

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In December 2015, my constituency suffered
terrible flooding, especially in the town

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of Tadcaster. The damage became worse when
the bridge collapsed, separating the town.

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Thankfully, the bridge will be reopened, hopefully
this week. Will the Prime Minister join me

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in thanking all those who were involved in
the restoration of the bridge and, most importantly,

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the residents of Tadcaster, who have had a
terrible year?

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>>The Prime Minister: I am happy to join my
hon. Friend in commending and thanking not

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00:33:41,149 --> 00:33:47,220
only all those who worked so hard to restore
the bridge at Tadcaster, but the people of

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Tadcaster, who have had to put up with disruption
and inconvenience for such a long time. I

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am sure that those people will all welcome
the return of the bridge, and we commend all

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those who have ensured that that has happened.

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>>John Woodcock (Barrow and Furness) (Lab/Co-op):
The news revealed yesterday that Toshiba is

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reviewing its investment in the Moorside nuclear
power plant, which puts a huge question mark

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00:34:14,040 --> 00:34:21,000
over not only 21,000 jobs in Cumbria but the
future of our nation’s energy security.

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What will the Prime Minister do personally
to ensure that the deal stays on track?

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00:34:25,409 --> 00:34:28,510
>>The Prime Minister: I assure the hon. Gentleman
that both the Business Secretary and I have

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involvement in a number of deals and possible
deals around the nuclear industry. We are

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keen to ensure that those jobs are brought
to the United Kingdom and that such deals

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are kept on track. I assure him of the Government’s
commitment.

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>>Jo Churchill (Bury St Edmunds) (Con): This
week the Danish drug firm Novo Nordisk invested

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£115 million in the UK to further research
into type 2 diabetes. Will the Prime Minister

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join me in welcoming that investment as well
as the academics and scientists involved,

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many of whom are from the EU and around the
world and will appreciate the assurance she

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gave earlier? Will she also work with me to
ensure that any innovations and new treatments

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get to patients as quickly as possible?

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00:35:18,980 --> 00:35:23,200
>>The Prime Minister: As my hon. Friend will
probably understand, I recognise this issue

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particularly personally, although I am a type
1 diabetic rather than type 2. Any investment

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in diabetes research is to be welcomed, and
when new solutions and support for diabetics

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are found, it is important that they get to
people as quickly as possible. A significant

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number of people in this country suffer from
type 2 diabetes, and the figures show that

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there is a great risk that the number will
increase significantly in the coming years.

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We need to do all that we can not only to
prevent people from becoming type 2 diabetics

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in the first place, but to support those who
have that condition so that people suffer

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from fewer complications and are able to manage
their lives.

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00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:13,660
>>Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh (Ochil and South
Perthshire) (SNP): Today is World Hijab Day.

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Will the Prime Minister join me in recognising
the right of Muslim women to wear the hijab

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if they wish, without fear, and indeed the
right of all women everywhere to wear what

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they want, when they want? Will she also commit
to standing up for the right to refuge for

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men, women and children wherever they may
be, regardless of their religion?

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>>The Prime Minister: On the hon. Lady’s
second point, it is absolutely the case that

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this country welcomes refuges to the United
Kingdom, and we do so regardless of their

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religion—there is no question of discriminating
on religion.

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I am absolutely in line with the hon. Lady
on her point about wearing the hijab. I believe

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that what a woman wears is a woman’s choice.

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>>Sir Julian Brazier (Canterbury) (Con): Russian
armed forces regularly carry out large-scale

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exercises, including with nuclear-capable
equipment, on the borders of eastern Europe.

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Does my right hon. Friend agree that the American
commitment to NATO is absolutely pivotal to

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protect the countries of eastern Europe from
going the same way as eastern Ukraine?

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>>The Prime Minister: I absolutely agree with
my hon. Friend. The 100% commitment to NATO

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that President Trump has given is crucial
to ensuring that we can provide for the security

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of this country and others in Europe, especially
those in eastern Europe on the border with

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Russia. I noted that my hon. Friend the Member
for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge)

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referred to the fact that the Governments
of the Czech Republic, Latvia and Lithuania

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had welcomed that 100% commitment. I am pleased
to say that we are playing our part, as about

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00:38:02,670 --> 00:38:07,510
800 troops will be going to Poland and Estonia
this year as a sign of NATO’s strength and

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our belief in keeping those countries free
and democratic.

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>>Naz Shah (Bradford West) (Lab): In 2015,
my constituent Samia Shahid was lured to her

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death in Pakistan, where she was brutally
raped and murdered. Will the Prime Minister

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join me in reiterating the commitment of this
House and this country that we will not tolerate

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violence against women, and encourage the
Pakistani Government to continue in their

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efforts to get justice for our British girl,
Samia Shahid?

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>>The Prime Minister: The hon. Lady raises
a very tragic case, and our deepest sympathies

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are with Samia’s husband following her tragic
death last year. We do not interfere in the

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legal processes of another country, but I
understand from the Foreign Office that the

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00:39:00,361 --> 00:39:03,890
Pakistani police have arrested two people
and charged them with murder. The Foreign

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00:39:03,890 --> 00:39:08,440
Office has provided assistance to Samia’s
husband and will continue to do so. I am sure

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it will keep the hon. Lady informed, and I
understand that the Home Secretary will meet

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the hon. Lady soon to discuss this issue.