In our nhs, because she wanted to sack the Health Secretary last week but was too weak to do it. The Prime Minister defends her health policy. Preparations for winter in the nhs have been more extensive and meticulous than ever before. And is the head of the Energy Regulator ofgem just too laid back . Do you ever roll your sleeves up and really get stuck in, because i dont really see the evidence of that. But first. The government called it winter pressures, the opposition called it a winter crisis. New figures showed that last month 300,000 people had to wait longer than they should have at accident and Emergency Departments in england. These were the worst figures since the targets were introduced in 200a. The labour leader led the attack at Prime Ministers questions. Mr speaker, i know it seems a long time ago, i know it seems a long time ago butjust before christmas i asked the Prime Minister about the 12,000 people left waiting more than half an hour in the back of an ambulance at accident and Emergency Departments. She told the house the nhs was better prepared for winter than ever before. So what words of comfort does the Prime Minister have to the 17,000 patients left waiting in the back of ambulances in the last week of december . Is it that nothing is perfect by any chance . I fully accept that the nhs is under pressure overwinter, it is regularly under pressure at winter times. I have been very, i have been very clear, i apologise to those people who have had operations delayed and those people who have had admissions to hospital delayed. But it is indeed the case that the nhs was better prepared this winter than ever before. We know the Prime Minister recognises there is a crisis in our nhs because she wanted to sack the Health Secretary last week but was too weak to do it. And if the nhs is so well resourced and so well prepa red, why was the decision taken last week to cancel the operations of 55,000 patients during the month of january . This is what nhs providers said only last week. Preparations for winter in the nhs have been more extensive and meticulous than ever before. The Health Secretary said that the government wanted to be the best in the world for cancer diagnosis, treatment and care. Today, according to a memo from the head of chemotherapy at Oxford Churchill hospital, terminally ill Cancer Patients will have their chemotherapy cut because of a massive shortfall in specialist nurses. Will the Prime Minister apologise to Cancer Patients and their families for this appalling situation . I say to the honourable lady that the trust has made clear there are no plans to delay the start of chemotherapy treatment or reduce the number of cycles given to Cancer Patients. What Simon Stevens has said is happening is that, over the past three years, the highest cancer survival rates ever, and latest figures show an estimated 7000 more people surviving cancer, after successful nhs Cancer Treatment compared to three years prior. With record funding, our nhs is doing more than ever, but when the uk is in the bottom third of countries for heart attack deaths, when we have significantly worse survival for strokes than france and germany, and when our closest match for cancer survival is chile and poland, isnt it time to act across this house, back this week by the centre for policy studies, to establish a Royal Commission on health and social care, in the 70th anniversary year of our most cherished National Institution . My honourable friend is right that we need to continue to look at the nhs and ensure that we are continuing to improve the performance in a variety of areas. And the nhs remained firmly on the agenda on wednesday afternoon when labour used an opposition debate to highlight the strain winter was placing on the health service. This is notjust a winter crisis it is an all year round funding crisis, a year round staffing crisis, a year round social care crisis and a year round Health Inequality crisis, manufactured in downing street by this government. The truth is that doctors and nurses have lost confidence in him, patients have lost confidence in him, and it seems the Prime Minister has lost confidence in him. He fights for his own job, but he will not fight for the nhs. Our patients are crying out for change. It is a big deal for patients who are told that their planned procedure is to be postponed. No one minimises the distress that that causes, but last year and in previous winters operations were cancelled at the last moment, which is much more distressing and challenging for hospitals to plan around. This government have put in an extra £437 million specifically for the winter period . Would he not at least give the Government Credit for that planning, which we have never seen before . All of us recognise that this is a particularly tough winter because there has been an outbreak of flu on top of a bad freeze. I point out to those who think the worst is past that the flu season lasts until march and at the moment this is an outbreak, not an epidemic, but it comes on top of underlying pressures, and across the four nations this has involved staff having to go above and beyond the call of duty. One of the real problems is the absence of any acknowledgement from ministers of the huge knock on effect that rescheduling a whole months operations will have. It will simply mean that existing patients who are already on the waiting list will have to wait even longer, too, and it will be very, very difficult to bring that list back down. Labours motion condemning Government Spending on the nhs was later passed unopposed, as conservative mps continued their tactic of abstaining on opposition motions. Another big announcement of the week was the Prime Ministers pledge to eradicate all avoidable Plastic Waste by 2042. She made the commitment after tramping around a Wetland Centre in london. The strategy is part of the governments 25 year plan for england to improve the natural environment. The amount of plastic in the oceans has caused an outcry. The new measures include urging supermarkets to introduce plastic free aisles, while taxes and charges on single use items such as takeaway containers will be considered. The issue seemed to be the talk of parliament on thursday. In the commons, a labour mp complained it was a long time coming. This uk government has finally got around to bunching is 25 year plan catching up with the welsh Labour Government on the rustic bag levy just six years later. This plan lacks substance is full of missed opportunities, weak proposals and no laws. It is not innovative, not radical and it is a cheap attempt by this Prime Minister of rebranding the tories green wash. Will the government commit to making a statement on this plan in this house to allow for proper scrutiny . I am disappointed she is is a little churlish to what we are sickened to do. There are some issues across the house we can unite and do what is right for future generations. I would really caution her to learn more information as to what is being decided. Im sure it will be discussed at length across the house in the forthcoming business and she will learn more today i hope and more in the future as well. During a debate on forestry, the chair of the environment committee, said he had much enthusiasm for the plan. I think what i want to see now is a Practical Application on how we are going to meet these goals because if you want to change and environmental, Financial Regulation in banking, you change Financial Regulation in banking and that fixes hopefully the problem. If they actually say aye want to plant millions of trees you physically have to plant the trees and have to find the land for it and the policy to do it. Im not saying we cant do it but it is how we deliver that into the future. And in the lords, the former chair of the green party said shed been hoping for concrete measures, but she was disappointed. There was absolutely nothing new on Climate Change and there was no measures, no strong measures or suggestions for legislative change that could actually make a difference. And for example ijust dont understand how the Prime Minister can claim we as a country are leading on Climate Change when she is about to give the green light for more fracking. We are still bannning onshore wind developers. We are still trying to build new Nuclear Power stations and we are giving tax breaks to oiland. None of these things are going to help us to have a greener and safer planet. Ladyjones. Westminster awoke on tuesday still ruminating on how theresa may had reshuffled her cabinet pack. The changes may have been rather limited, but that didnt mean there werent several ministers getting to grips with new departments. And there was no gentle warm up either. Less than 2a hours into the job, the justice secretary, david gauke was answering questions about the decision to release the serial sexual offender, john worboys. Worboys was convicted of 19 offences and is suspected of attacking more than 100 women. But the decision by the parole board to free him, nine years after he was jailed, has raised concern among his victims. David gauke said hed look into the transparency surrounding the parole boards decision. I should be absolutely clear that i think that parole board should remain an independent body, responsible for making decisions about the on going risk that individuals pose after serving their tariff. But i agree with my predecessors assessment that there is a strong case to review the case for transparency in the process for parole decisions and how victims are appropriately engaged in that process and consider the case for changes in policy, practice, or the parole board rules or other guidance or procedures, including the victims code. It is all too clear that the victims of the vile crimes committed byjohn worboys feel that this process has failed to do so. And such failings risk undermining public trust in our widerjustice system. Mr speaker, many women, both the victims and others more widely, will be every anxious indeed about mr worboys being freed. And the current legal restrictions on the parole board mean that we do not know why this decision was taken. Some of the victims still have heard nothing from the victims liaison officer. They still dont know what the parole board terms are, and whether this man may end up living near them. Given that the tariff is a minimum, why does the sole test applied by the parole board appear to be simply whether the criminal still poses a risk to others . What has happened to the concept that the punishment should fit the crime . In his review, is he going to look explicitly not at what transparency there was about how decisions were being made, but how victims voices were actually being heard as part of that process . Since the privatisation of probation in the west midlands, there is one victims officer for an area with three Million People in it. So, in this review, can i ask the very welcome newjustice secretary to look at what was taken away and potentially why an e mail to a victim isnt enough when a relationship is what we used to have . Worboys was a prolific sex attacker for up to ten years. There are likely to be hundreds of victims. Yet in court, he showed no remorse, he dismissed his actions as banter, and even two years ago, he was claiming that he had done absolutely nothing wrong. So, it is impossible for people to understand how the board could possibly have deemed this man to be safe. So, would my right honourable friend agree with me that unless, and until the board explains publicly the rationale behind the decision it took, people cant possibly have confidence in our criminaljustice system. I completely understand the point that my honourable friend is making. As presently stands, the parole board is not able to provide in public the reasons for their decision. The chair of the parole board has made clear that he wishes that he could. The newjustice secretary david gauke. One of the cabinet whose job never seemed to be in peril was amber rudd, the home secretary. In fact she gained a new role, as minister for women and equalities. One of the first issues to confront her in her additional capacity was the row about equal pay at the bbc. The corporations china editor Carrie Gracie resigned from her post accusing the bbc unlawful pay discrimination. Here in the 21st century, surely Women Deserve total equality. Can the minister tell us what steps the government is taking to make sure there isnt a pay gap in the civil service, in light of the fact that Carrie Gracie has resigned recently as china editor of the bbc, citing pay issues there . Well, i thank my honourable friend for raising such an important element. It is absolutely essential that we all ensure that the equal pay act is enforced and much as i admire the bbc and enjoy listening and looking at their programmes, they clearly have a very serious question to answer here which i certainly hope they will address. And in terms of gender pay gap, we are committed to ensuring that we do address that as well, and of course, we have new disclosure arrangements. Amber rudds predecessor as women and equalities minister was the education secretaryjustine greening, who quit in the reshuffle. From her new position on the backbenches, she rose to ask her first question. First of all, i would like to congratulate the home secretary on her expanded role. I know she will do a brilliantjob. She will know that young people, parents, and teachers think that it is vital in a modern internet world to see sex and relationships education updated. Can she confirm that the government will push ahead with updating the guidance that is now so out of date but also if she will meet with myself, my right honourable friend the member for basingstoke, and also the honourable member for rotherham, to make sure we can have cross Party Support for the work that is being undertaken . Can i start by thanking the minister for the enormous good work she did in this role, and i will try my best to keep up the momentum that she has provided. And one of the fantastic things that she had was lead on making sure that sex and Relationship Education is going to be provided in all schools. I would be delighted to work with her to make sure that is the case, and also across the house, to make sure that the outcome we get is one that the whole house can support, as i know that everyone believes this is an important part. Amber rudd. The chief executive of the Energy Regulator 0fgem admitted the organisation should have done better for vulnerable consumers. Dermot nolan was given something of a roasting by the commons business committee. So, given that you accept you have a statutory duty to protect those vulnerable customers, do you think that. Well, you have effectivelyjust admitted that you have failed them today. Ball i think we have not done as well as we could have. You are the single most important player in the market because you have the most extraordinary powers as the regulator. And, yet, your testimony sounds so incredibly passive. Do you everjust roll your sleeves up and really get stuck in . Because i dont really see the evidence of that. I apologise if i seem passive. I honestly do not feel passive. I did exhibit, i think. As i said before, i wish we had moved earlier in putting the price caps in. What lessons have you taken from that . And how has that changed your behaviour . We are rolling up our sleeves very strongly at the moment, and we have been doing so over the last year, since the cma finished, in terms of bringing a price cap for vulnerable customers, which i think is the limit. You have just admitted that you acted earlier. But the consequence of you not acting earlier has been that many customers, particularly vulnerable customers, have paid much more money than they should have done. I accept that and we should have moved earlier. Do you apologise to those customers . I do. 0fgems chief executive. Labour told ministers that theyre rewarding failure by bailing out Train Companies that run into trouble. In 2014, virgin and its partner stagecoach signed a deal to run the east coast line until 2023. But in november, ministers allowed the companies to withdraw from running the Service Three years early. The shadow transport secretary condemned the move. In 2016, the department for transport set out its objectives for railfranchising. These were to encourage a flourishing, competitive Passenger Rail market which secures high performing, value for Money Services for passengers and tax payers, whilst driving cost effectiveness. Deputy speaker, it is clear that the department has failed to meet these objectives. The latest collapse of the east coast franchise announced in november makes a mockery of the departments 2016 aims. Virgin stagecoach didnt deliver and defaulted on their contract, and the secretary of state has given them a gift. I am grateful to my honourable friend for giving way. Given on the east coast mainline that this will be the third occasion injust over a decade that the private contractor has announced that it wishes to hand back the keys, was it not a fundamental mistake, on the part of the government, not to have allowed east coast trains that successfully run the franchise for over five and a half years, paid back £1 billion to the treasury, to allow carrying on its good work and instead ideological elite demanding that anyone could bid to run it but not the state owned company that had done it so successfully . My right honourable friend has made an absolutely perfect point, and it is the scene that will be consistent throughout this debate. I have absolutely no doubt. Indeed, the government should have followed the example of labour in 2009 when theh operator defaulted and taken the the contract back into the public sector. If a company defaults, it doesnt deserve the contract. That way, there would be no reward forfailure, and other companies in the industry wouldnt expect the same treatment. When it came to his turn, the transport secretary was scathing. Weve just heard Something Like 45 minutes of complete nonsense from the party opposite. I suspect it might also be unparliamentary of me to call him hypocritical, so i wont call him personally hypocritical, but i have no doubt that others in the know will be astonished by the gall with which they simply forget their actions in government. With which they pretend their ideas wont cost a penny. I keep hearing their ideas wont cost a penny. It is absolutely untrue. And with which they make inaccurate claims, based on a lack of facts on subjects they appear to not understand. Chris grayling. The government has been warned that moves to cut the size of the house of lords could be undermined if the Prime Minister appoints new peers. Reports have suggested theresa may is preparing to create 12 new conservative peers to help get brexit legislation through the lords. In a debate last year, there was strong support among peers for the recommendations of the Burns Committee to reduce the numbers from 800 to 600. Mrs may was urged to show restraint. Would it not be a embarrassment and make a nonsense of any further consideration of the burns report if the Prime Minister was to go ahead and make a series of nominations before we had considered it fully . The point that the noble lord hasjust made was made during the debate. And i thought, if i may say so, that it was dealt with very well indeed by the lord butler of brockwell. And he said this, we are told that a further list of appointments is about to be published, but i do not share the apocalyptic view expressed earlier by the noble lord lord steele. I believe this can be regarded as a legacy issue arising from the may general election that does not inhibit the adoption of the approach indeed of the burns report. I hope the noble lord is reassured by the words of the former cabinet secretary. If the government is prepared to accept the burns proposals, and that includes departures from and introductions to this house should be on the basis of two out and one in, and on a 15 year term limit, probably from the last general election, we will abide by that. Will the government agreed to do so as well . As i said, the government is considering the report and will make its views known shortly. But if i canjust take up the point that the noble baroness made in her speech. And she made a good speech, if i may say so, as did my noble friend and the leader of the lib dems. What she said is this it is not about giving up patronage or appointments, but about showing some restraint, as it used to be. Now, the Prime Minister has demonstrated restraint, putting on one side David Camerons resignation honours, in the last 18 months, the Prime Minister has appointed eight, eight new peers, five crossbenchers, and three ministers. Now, i think that is demonstrating the restraint that the noble lady has just asked for. Is there not another way that an this little dilemma might be resolved . Quite clearly, if you look at the electorate as a whole, and the votes which have been cast at recent elections, the lib dem peers are grossly overrepresented here. Suppose 50 of them did the decent thing and resigned, this would all be resolved laughter. Well, i think that question, if i may say so, from my noble friend, was not addressed to me, but addressed to the benches opposite. It is indeed the case that on almost any objective basis, the liberal democrats are overrepresented, and credit to them, they actually recognise this during the debate. The noble lord lord newby, when he spoke on behalf of the lib dems, recognised that their numbers would have to come down under the proposals of the burns report. Whether one could expect the lib dem is to unilaterally cut their numbers without anybody else doing anything at all would be to exhibit a generosity for which the liberal democrats are not well known. The ever understated lord young. Well, during the course of the week there were many words of congratulation for the various ministers who moved or gained jobs in the reshuffle. But one of the main talking points was the erroneous and then hastily deleted tweet from conservative Central Office that Chris Grayling had been made chairman of the party. The shadow transport secretary felt it important to mark mr graylings achievement. Also, i want to congratulate the secretary of state for his superb stewardship of the conservative party. There has never been a fine record. No elections were lost, no major scandals, and i think he has maintained his membership around 70,000, so not bad for 27 seconds work. So, the best to him. Chris grayling the mayfly of conservative chairmen. And thats all weve got time for. Keith macdougall will be here on monday. But for now from me, mandy baker, goodbye. The week ahead is definitely one for the big jacket. Things turning colder across the uk. The wind coming from the polar regions. Snow over the hills of scotla nd polar regions. Snow over the hills of scotland and potentially northern england. Wet weather to come. The change begins tonight. Already a few changes in recent days. Sunshine in the south and east. Western parts of england and wales, some clout. Some brea ks england and wales, some clout. Some breaks over england and wales, some clout. Some brea ks over scotla nd england and wales, some clout. Some breaks over scotland because the breeze is picking up. Northern ireland with wind that could touch gale force. Around the coasts and hills. Wet and windy weather sweeping southwards across england and wales taking us to dawn on monday morning. The rain and cloud clearing up. Cabbages in the highlands could get close enough for a touch of frost. No frost towards the south and east as we start monday morning. Not a great commute, heavy rain around. Still win thes touching gale force across some of the coasts. Rain at times across england. Wales and northern england. Not everyone will get wet in the rush hour. Perhaps the chance of seeing some brighter gaps in the showers. Morning sunshine for scotla nd showers. Morning sunshine for scotland and northern ireland. Already show was fairly well scattered across the country. Already the cold air starting to push in. Showers turning win to read. England and wales with a cloudy start. Increasing amounts of sunshine, may be reaching east anglia in the afternoon. Sunshine to be punctuated by light showers working through, increasingly gusty wind. Double figures in the south, three orfour wind. Double figures in the south, three or four the high wind. Double figures in the south, three orfour the high in scotland and northern ireland. Showers turning to sleet and snow, notjust in the hills. Through monday night into tuesday, icy conditions. The winds coming from polar regions for the next few days and much of the week ahead, cold air remaining in place. Tuesday, wintry showers, coming down to low levels in scotland. Snow on the hilltops, mainly sleet and hail. Sunshine and a biting wind which will make it feel subzero across many areas. A mixture of sunshine and showers continuing into wednesday. Potential for a ravening deepening area of low pressure wednesday night into thursday. Could bring damaging winds, disruptive weather as well. Uncertainty how far north and south it is. How deep the low pressure beers, and how stormy it is. We will keep you updated over the coming days. The weather for week ahead just before ten p m. This is bbc news. The headlines at 3 the government confirms its looking at seeking a judicial review hearing of the decision to release serial sex attackerjohn worboys on parole. Every victim in there, every friend or family of the victims, everybody who has read about this case, we want you to know we are doing everything we can to make sure that the victims are properly protected. Talks are taking place in an effort to save carillion from collapse. The government says it is following the situation closely. Police are searching for a man following an attack that killed one man and seriously injured a woman in his yorkshire. Reports suggest a crossbow may have been used. Ukip leader henry bolton is under pressure to resign, after the Party Suspends his girlfriend for allegedly making racist remarks about prince harrys fiancee, meghan markle. Also in the next hour a lucky escape for passengers and crew as a plane skids off a runway in turkey