Transcripts For CSPAN Prime Ministers Questions Prime Ministers Questions 20240712

Next next, next, british Prime Minister Boris Johnson fields questions on the governments response to the coronavirus pandemic. This is 35 minutes. We are now moving onto questions to the Prime Minister. Hear hear. And there will be further meetings. I associate myself with those kind remarks on behalf of my honorable friend the member for bolton. My constituents are reeling from the 9 contraction of the economy since march this year. Unemployment has skyrocketed and joblessness in haringey is the highest in the capital. Unfortunately, we are at the same time facing the idea that there could be a congestion tax forced on an extra 4 million londoners by this government. These londoners are already facing the double whammy of covid and financial ruin. Will the Prime Minister please immediately stop the imposition of this dreadful plan . I look forward to his answer. I must respectfully inform the honorable lady that the current mayor of london had effectively bankrupted tfl before coronavirus had even hit and left a massive black hole in its finances. Any need to make up that deficit is entirely down to him. It is entirely his responsibility. Any expansion of the congestion charge or any other measure taken to improve the finances of tfl are entirely the responsibility of the bankrupt current labour mayor of london. People the length and breadth of the country have made many sacrifices over the last few months to try to suppress covid19, but infection rates are increasing fast and buckinghamshire may soon find itself in tier 2. Can my right honorable friend tell the people of my aylesbury constituency how long we would be expected to stay there, what additional help there would be for local businesses, and, crucially, what the route out would be . Thank you. I hope i can reassure my honorable friend by telling him that the incidence in the vale of aylesbury is in fact less than half the england average. The way forward for constituents in the vale of aylesbury and everywhere else is for everyone to keep following the guidance, observing the new restrictions and, obviously, washing hands, wearing a Face Covering in enclosed spaces and keeping a sensible distance. Keir starmer. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I thank the Prime Minister for his remarks about my honorable friend, the member for bolton south east. Prime minister, how does an area which goes into tier 3 restrictions get out of those restrictions . The simplest and most effective way for areas to get out of those restrictions is, of course, to get the r down to 1 or below, and i am very pleased to say that some areas are already having a considerable effect with the measures that they are taking. Can i press the Prime Minister on that answer . If the infection rate, r, in a tier 3 area has not come below 1, will it be possible in any circumstances for that area to come out of tier 3, if the r has not come below 1 . Obviously, the r is one of the measures that we look at. Well take a decision based on a number of things, including the r, also, of course, rates of infection, rates of admission to hospital, and other data. But the most important thing is for areas that do go into tier 3and i am very grateful to local leadership in the areas that have gone into tier 3, because it is the right thing for them to do, the right thing for their constituents, the right thing to save lives, when they are able to make progress, then, of course, they will come out of tier 3. The measures that are put in place are reviewed every 28 days. I am now confused by the Prime Ministers answer. If it is not the r rate under 1, what is it . Millions of people want to know the answer to that question. Millions of them are in tier 3 and millions more are likely to go into tier 3. They really need to know. On friday, the chief scientific officer said that tier 3 on its own certainly is not enough to get the r rate below 1. On the same day, the Prime Minister himself said that there was only a chance of getting infection rates down. That goes to the heart of the issue in Greater Manchester and elsewhere. The widespread fear is that tier 3 is the worst of all worlds. It brings significant economic harm without getting the virus sufficiently under control to exit tier 3. So instead of being a solution, tier 3 is a gateway to weeks and weeks, or more likely months and months, of agony from which there is no likely exit. Can the Prime Minister not see the problem if there is not a clear exit . I am sorry, but i have made it absolutely clear that a part of the country going into tier 3 is in there only for 28 days. We will review it after 28 days. Areas that have gone into tier 3 are, i believe, already making progress, and areas where there are restrictions in place are also showing signs of progress. We are pursuing a local, a regional approach, which is the sensible approach for this country. That is what the epidemiology supports. It is what the deputy chief medical officer supported last night. Again, i want to thank local leadership in merseyside, in lancashire, actually in london, in the West Midlands and elsewhere for what they are doing. It is a bit incoherent of the right honorable and learned gentleman to attack local lockdowns when he wants to plunge the whole country back into a damaging lockdown for weeks on end, and he has no clue about how he would propose to get the country out of that, does he . I appreciate that there will be a review every 28 days, but if the r rate has not come below 1, then the infection rate is still going up, the numbers are going up, the admissions are going up, the numbers in hospital are going up and the deaths are going up. Is the Prime Minister seriously saying that he would take a tier 3 area out of tier 3 with the r above 1 . I do not think so. Let me spell out what that means. On friday, thousands of people in Greater Manchester, taxi drivers, pub and hospitality workers, people working in betting shops, the selfemployed and freelancers, will either be out of work or face significant pay cuts. That is the reality on friday in Greater Manchester. But their rent and their mortgage will not be lower. Their food and their heating bills will not be lower, and that could last for months. Why can the Prime Minister and the chancellor not understand that . They should stop bargaining with peoples lives, stop dividing communities, and provide the support that is needed in manchester. I am very proud that this government have already given Greater Manchester £1. 1 billion in support for business, £200 million in extra unringfenced funding, £50 million to tackle infections in care homes, £20 million for test and trace, and another £22 million for the local response that we announced yesterday. And yesterday, the mayor of Greater Manchester was offered a further £60 million, which he turned down, having had no encouragement to support it, i may say, from the right honorable and learned gentleman. I can tell the house today that that cash will be distributed to the boroughs of Greater Manchester. I thank right honorable and honorable members across the house, including my honorable friends the members for heywood middleton, for bolton west and for Bolton North East mark and for bury south christian and for bury north, cheadle, west, altrincham, sale and hazel grove for the support that they have given in this matter. This is a Prime Minister who can pay £7,000 a day for consultants on track and trace, which is not working. Who can find £43 million for a garden bridge that was never built. But who cannot find £5 million for the people of Greater Manchester. I really think the Prime Minister has crossed a rubicon here, not just in the miserly way that he has treated Greater Manchester, but in the grubby takeitorleaveit way that these local deals are being done. It is corrosive to public trust to pit region against region, mayor against mayor, council against council and ask them to trade away their businesses and jobs. We need a one nation approach to replace these endless local battles with clear National Criteria and proper support for jobs. Labours motion this afternoon would do that. Why will the Prime Minister not support it . I am proud of the one nation conservative support that we have given to the entire country, £200 billion in support for jobs and livelihoods across the whole of the country already, and a further £9. 9 billion now for the job support scheme. It is this government who have cut vat for business and deferred business rates. There is no other country in europe where so much support and so much help has been given to the population to get through this crisis, and we will continue to do that. But i think it is the height of absurdity that the right honorable and learned gentleman stands up and attacks the economic consequences of the measures we are obliged to take across some parts of the country when he wants to turn the lights out with a full National Lockdown, taking kids that was his policy last week anyway, wasnt it . Perhaps he could confirm that that is still his policy. Is that what he wants to do . At his press conference yesterday, the Prime Minister produced heat maps across the country, showing that the infection rate was up in all ages and across all regions, and particularly showing regions that have been in the equivalent of tier 2 restrictions for weeks, if not months, moving into tier 3. Country so the infection rate in all ages across all regions particularly showing regions, the equivalent of tier 2 restrictions for weeks if not months moving into tier 3. As they are moving into tier 3, if tier 2 works they should be going to tier 1 so tier 2 goes to tier 3, 23 has no end, no confidence in the are rate coming below one and i do not believe the tier 3 regional cloud of those restrictions unless our is below one across numbers so we now have by the way cornwall is the only place where the infection rate today is less than Greater Manchester when it went into local restrictions so the idea that we are somehow immune is wrong. So carry on with the Prime Ministers approach which will be to weeks and weeks, months and months in all your constituencies for millions of people in tier 2 and 3 with no exit, put in place a 2 or 3 week time limit subject to break the cycle, brings virus back under control, wales, Northern Ireland and scotland have chosen that part. With half turns starting this friday this may be the last opportunity for the Prime Minister to put in place an effective circuit break. The Prime Minister was too slow in the first phase of this pandemic, too slow again. We cannot repeat this mistake. Will react in the Public Interest to take the opportunity to put in place a circuit break this friday . We will do whatever it takes to get this country through the crisis with or without the support of the right honorable gentlemen. I may say i have explained why the policy is the right one for the country because it would involve closing schools, shattering businesses, although psychological, emotional damage lockdowns of that kind bring. You cant say how many Circuit Breakers would be necessary or how long they would go on or how much damage they would do to the uk economy and peoples mental health. We on the other hand want a common sense approach which is a local and regional, keeping our economy moving because that is the way to get the whole of our country through this crisis to gather, so its is under tier 3 restrictions. Lets head to cheshire with edward simpson. Thank you very much. After recent positive progress covid19 has disproportionately and adversely affected occupation levels in female school and physical activity. To reverse this will my right honorable friend lend his support to the first developed of the first ever womens and Girls Football National Center of excellence in my constituency, 70 Million Pound project he previously expressed enthusiasm for, help build female grassroots support . I think my honorable friends was i welcome cheshires commitment for a new worldclass facility for women and girls and propose opening the center in winston. The leader of the smc, ian blackburn. My thoughts are on the recovery. Next week the pandemic is worsening, the tory government will move mass redundancies across the United Kingdom, meanwhile the Prime Minister is complaining, he cant get by 150,000 pounds but i ask the Prime Minister if he finds life such a struggle how does he expect many workers to get by with this furlough to sink in . Mister speaker, i am proud of what weve done to support low incomes, this government raised the living wage by record amounts, increased universal credit by 1000 pounds a year and he makes the point about furloughs and as he knows, combined with universal credit, the Job Support Team Just Announced workers will be getting 80 , we will get this country through this crisis and support people of low income throughout the period. Ian blackburn. Im afraid the Prime Minister just doesnt get it. Yesterday we saw his disregard for the people of Greater Manchester, the people of scotland are all too familiar with millions of family struggling to get by and this tory government in the middle of a pandemic, the Prime Minister letting unemployment soar like the 1980s. Time is running out with one week left. With the premise are finally invest in our communities, need millions of people on the scrap heap . I must reject what the right honorable gentlemen said. The reality of what the government is doing to support people across the country, not just the 200,000 pounds investment in jobs but we are engaged, in help and housing and infrastructure throughout the United Kingdom for a generation. I congratulate the Prime Minister for the strong stance in negotiation with the eu. Not treating as an independent state to deliver a freetrade agreements, to leave the Withdrawal Agreement and make its own arrangements regarding the uks marketing. Whatever the effect of the Withdrawal Agreement, i can assure her the uks internal market which everybody on both sides of the house values is protected and upheld by the internal market which goes through another one and protecting the good friday agreement. The key is savings, turned 18 last month, one of the first to see the Child Trust Fund mature. But he cant manage his own finances and cant access the savings. Government rules mean his parents cant either meaning legal fees. He wants to use it to buy specially adapted, willful Prime Minister look at proposals to end this injustice for disabled young people . I will do what i can to help in that particular case. I dont know if it is comfortable for a number of schemes but if he cares to write to me i will answer. Bob blackman . Thank you, my right honorable friend will be aware of negotiations going on, on further bailout. The current mayor is demanding 5. 65 billion pounds to keep running for the next 18 months. If he refuses to accept any economies. Can my right honorable friend confirm the current mayor of london to expand the charge to the circular one. As i said in my answer to the first question, the finances, in robust financial help by the previous mayor. It certainly was entirely the fault of the current mayor of london with his grossly irresponsible fallacies that were never pursued, and the fault lies entirely, i trust my honorable friends will make that cliff. Financial support packages, nationalization, what the government has done on covid19 but no end to the virus incite can i ask if he has to reconsider many of his schemes sentiments ago with all of this and the minimum income in 6 months, 3272 cases in his own state in the balance can he start tonight . Prime minister, Prime Minister, please, weve got to help each other. The honorable lady is right to call attention to the difficulties facing many families because of the crisis we have been in, is to keep kids in school as we possibly can, vitiated by the series of lockdowns being proposed. Dont want to go down that route and what i want to do is make sure we continued to support families throughout the crisis to have the cash available. I would be delighted, to be part of the biggest Hospital Building the infrastructure, delivering the infrastructure program. I think the Prime Minister in february, the wonderful work being done by local medics and staff. The hospital expedited that spaces ambitious plans but only if the time taken to regulate appearances for nhs is dramatically shortened. Will the Prime Minister, have the improvements as quickly as possible. I hope i can reassure him by saying the modeling work is completed and the development is underway as we speak. On the sixteenth of june the Prime Minister agreed to provide vouchers to children over the Summer Holidays after 24 hours beforehand, was unaware of the campaign that was calling, the education minister, continuing until 2021 and the government committed to do the same. Can the Prime Minister confirm that hes aware of these announcements and when does he plan to do the right thing . Government of all stripes supply preschool meal since 1906 and i am proud that it was this conservative government extending universal preschool meals to 6 and 7 year olds, never did anything like that. We support kids of low incomes in school and we will continue to do so but the most important thing is to keep them in school, into another National Lockdown taking them out of school, and throughout the holidays as well. Thank you, mister speaker. It is more important to our lives than we imagined. Will my right honorable friend confirm despite covid19 and all the challenges we will deliver the commitment to rollout across the United Kingdom and ensure we are local leaders in digital connectivity . To lobby for that, i can tell him local delivery partner provided connectivity of the kind he describes to 300,000 premises across the two counties and we are going to be a world leader in connectivity as we build back better. Mister speaker, can the Prime Minister confirm his government is supporting the mayor of london to remain mr. Speaker janet daby . Janet daby can the Prime Minister confirm that his government is seeking to force the mayor of london, sadiq khan, to remove free travel for under18s and for holders of the 60plus travel card in return for further Financial Support for tfl to keep the tubes and buses running . How can this be right when many people in london, including in my constituency, already have months of genuine hardship ahead of them . Pm johnson it was the labour mayor of london who bankrupted tfls finances, and any changes that he brings in are entirely his responsibility. I suggest she holds him to account. Jo gideon i know that the Prime Minister is committed to doubling down on levelling up. Will he join me for a virtual tour of stokeontrent central and a roundtable with key partners focused on delivering for the left behind, not least to ensure that the transforming cities Fund Investment will revolutionise public transport in the city . Pm johnson mr. Speaker, that is an easy commitment for me to make, and i am delighted to do so. I can tell my honorable friend that we are investing nearly £20 million through our city deal in pioneering a new programme of sustainable lowcarbon and lowcost heat energy to stokeontrent. Sarah owen three weeks ago the Prime Minister stood at that dispatch box praising luton as the only place to have come out of local restrictions, but praise does not pay the bills. Lutons proud industries of manufacturing, aviation and events cannot get by on soundbites and figures that bear no relation to what is really happening to jobs and businesses. He knows that entire industries are at stake, so is his inaction indifference or incompetence . Will he support businesses and areas that need it throughout this crisis . Pm johnson yes, indeed, mr. Speaker, i thank the people of luton for their hard and heroic work, as i thank people across the country for what they are doing. I want to support businesses in luton, and that is why we want to continue with the sensible, balanced, regional and local approach that we are taking. And i hope she agrees with me that it would make no sense at all for hardpressed businesses in luton to have their lights turned off and their doors shuttered in a series of multiple lockdowns of the kind recommended by the labour party. Robin millar thank you, mr. Speaker. The people of aberconwy in north wales are learning to live with covid19, but we are frustrated by National Welsh government policy that seeks to place restrictions on us that are the same in the village of cwm penmachno as they are in the capital, cardiff. Last week, my right honorable friend agreed that a shared responsibility is the way to tackle this pandemic. Does he see the future of this situation as a series of rolling National Lockdowns, or can businesses and residents hope that they will be given more trust to look after their own health and those they care for . Pm johnson my honorable friend puts the distinction clearly and sharply, that it is the commonsensical and balanced approach that works. I do think that where local leaders step up to the plate, i am delighted that South Yorkshire came on board this morning, i had a great conversation with dan jarvis last night, and where local leadership is shown, we can really make huge progress in getting the r down. That is the right approach for the country. Mr. Speaker sir george. Sir George Howarth thank you, mr. Speaker. Could i return to the subject of Free School Meals . There are 7,108 children in knowsley who are reliant on Free School Meals, which are vital to ensuring that they are properly fed. Whether to extend provision to easter is both a moral and political choice. So, will the Prime Minister make the right choice and agree to extend Free School Meals to easter . Pm johnson mr. Speaker, of course we have Free School Meals throughout term timethat is entirely right. What we want to do is make sure that we continue to support people on low incomes throughout the crisis, and that is what we are going to do. Stephen metcalfe thank you, mr. Speaker. As my right honorable friend will know, part of my constituency has now been placed under tier 2 restrictions. Can he therefore reassure everyone that if they stick to the rules, observe the hands, face, space message, and selfisolate when required, accompanied by suitable enforcement for those who blatantly flout the law, we will come out of these restrictions all the sooner . Pm johnson my honorable friend puts his finger on it. That is exactly what we need to do. I can tell him, the areas that go into high levels of concern are reviewed every 14 days, and the restrictions, as i told the right honorable gentlemen are reviewed every 28 days. The way to get through this is exactly as my honorable friend says, to follow the guidance, particularly the hands, face, space basics. Sarah olney thank you, mr. Speaker. The people of barnes in my constituency have been cut off from public transport routes for some months now by the closure of hammersmith bridge. Can the Prime Minister confirm reports that the government are now planning to charge barnes residents £15 a day to own a car, and charge them extra council tax, to pay for facilities that they cannot use, despite the fact that transport for london reserves were increasing before the virus hit . Pm johnson mr. Speaker, i can confirm that hammersmith bridge has been closed thanks entirely to the incompetence of the current labour mayor of london, and that shaun bailey, the conservative candidate, is going to reopen it, which is the best thing possible. That is the best thing possible. Crispin blunt thank you, mr. Speaker. As my right honorable friend leads the country through brexit and delivers global britain, will he ensure that the first consideration that he gives for the value of his government are those that would unite and bring our country together . In there for all of those who force their views can be proud of their country again . Pm johnson indeed, mr. Speaker. That is why we will use the g7 presidency, the summit to champion our values across the world. In particular, the one that he mentioned, female education, which i think is the single policy that could really transport outcomes across the planet. Our global objective is to help 40 Million Girls across the world to get a decent education. Thank you mr. Speaker. His government lost control of the virus, making extra restrictions and never will. But with no certainty, no communication, and no Financial Support, he is killing nottingham businesses. The brewery is a nottingham success story. It is now on the verge of by john. Two pubs close properly. Jobs are gone and worried staff are facing the prospect of being laid off with no pay. The same story is with restaurants and pubs. Will he stop punishing successful nottingham businesses for his failure and give them the help that they desperately need . Pm johnson i sympathize with businesses that faced difficulties because of the pandemic but i remind her the infection rate is 815 per 100,000. We must get that down and i thank the people of nottingham for what they are doing to get it down, and we will of course continue to provide the panoply of support we have offered and more throughout the crisis. Thank you mr. Speaker. Following introduction of tier 2 restrictions in new york, can the Prime Minister be more open and communicating of the Evidence Base for york going into into tier 2, outline a roadmap for tier 1 and urge that is urgently consider creation of specific support for yorks Hospitality Industry suffering losses from the limbo it is creating. Pm johnson yes, mr. Speaker. I can tell my honorable friend that the infection rate in new york is now 279 per 100,000 and we must get it down but we can get it down and you can see in areas where people are complying with the guidance it is having an effect. You can see that where we are. Effortere not from the of the energies from the british people, it wont take much to get that are back down below one. The compliance and those areas hit at the moment. To get back down below one. That is what we are aiming for. In his constituency back on their feet, would not be sensible in my view to plunge them all into a sustained series of National Lockdowns where the virus is low. Thank you mr. Speaker. The chancellor has decided that people who are unable to work because of coronavirus restrictions should be paid as little as two thirds of the National Minimum wage. At the same time, the government is paying 7000 pounds per day for constituents to work on track and trace program. How on earth is that justifiable . Is this what he means by doubling up . Pm johnson the nhs track and trace is now testing more people than any other country, 26 Million People so far, 26 million tests and i am proud on her other point that weve been able to support people across the country in the way that we have. She is not correct and what she is saying about the combined impact of the job support scheme and universal credit. That lifts. They work in tandem, and it lifts peoples income to some cases more than 90 of current income. That is the support that we are giving at the moment. The best thing is to get our country through this crisis without going back into the social, psychological, and the emotional, and economic disaster. Disaster was the word that the Party Opposite use only a week or so ago. The disaster of a series of National Lockdowns. In order to comment on those participating, i am suspending the house for three minutes. Order. Available inents, paperback and hardcover. It presents biographies of every president , inspired by conversations with noted historians about the leadership skills that make for a successful presidency. As the candidates go into the election, this provides perspectives on each president s leadership style. To learn more and the books of future historians, visit cspa n. Org thepresident s and order your copy today wherever books are sold. On monday, the senate finishes its debate and take the final vote to confirm the nomination of judge amy coney barrett. Watch cspan washington journal live at 7 00 eastern monday morning. Listen live on that radio app. Next 2020 Vice President ial , candidate senator Kamala Harris delivered remarks at the Triumph Church in southfield, michigan. Senator harris talked about the struggles of americans through the coronavirus pandemic, and said she believed the u. S. Could emerge from the situation stronger with the right leadership. Her visit to the church was part of a fourstop swing through the detroit area with just more than a week left before election day. Andident trump won michigan the we 16 election by a margin of just more than 10,000 votes. Sen. Harris good morning. Good morning. It is so good to be with and at Triumph Church this morning. I want to thank you for all of