Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC Newsroom Live 20240713

This impasse out. Labour will be calling for a general election one is no deal is on the table. And ill be at westminster, bringing you all the updates from here throughout the morning. Englands fracking industry has been much slower than expected to get up and running a report says low Public Acceptance is partly to blame. Turkey and russia have agreed what they say is an Historic Deal aimed at keeping Kurdish Forces away from syrias border with turkey. A generation of young people with special Education Needs are being failed a report by mps suggests bureaucracy and a lack of funding is tearing familes apart. Good morning. Welcome to bbc newsroom live. Our top story this morning, 39 people have been found dead inside a lorry container in essex. They were discovered at waterglade Industrial Park in grays in the early hours of this morning. They were discovered at waterglade Industrial Park in grays in the early hours of this morning. They were discovered at waterglade Industrial Park in grays in the early hours of this morning. 38 adults and one teenager were pronounced dead at the scene. Essex police have released a statement about the incident. In it they say. The police have also given more details about what they think happened. They believe the lorry is from bulgaria and entered the country at holyhead on saturday 19th october. And then moving forward to today, police were called by the Ambulance Service shortly before 1 40am this morning. The lorry was then found at waterglade Industrial Park in Eastern Avenue, grays. The Prime Minister has tweeted about the discovery of the bodies. Hes said. Ellis whitehouse is a reporter with the essex echo. Hes at the scene in grays. An absolutely horrific discovery. Do we know how the Emergency Services, because it was the Ambulance Service we understand, first at the scene, how were they alerted to this . We understand, first at the scene, how were they alerted to thi57m we understand, first at the scene, how were they alerted to this . It is not something i am aware of, u nfortu nately. As not something i am aware of, unfortunately. As everyone else did, we got the immediate update this morning and i were sent straight down here. All i know is that they we re down here. All i know is that they were discovered earlier today as far asi were discovered earlier today as far as i can tell, and what you have said on air, they were from bulgaria and entered the country at holyhead. Iam and entered the country at holyhead. I am trying to find out a little more, but there will be a briefing for all media at 11 30pm from the g rays for all media at 11 30pm from the grays Police Station. I am already being told also being told by the Police Press Team that will be allowed into the cord and at around 12 30pm to see what more is going on in their investigations. I have been told there will be some restricted access for media, which will be organised by the police, and we will be accompanied by police at all times. I want to show you the scene, iamon times. I want to show you the scene, iam on my times. I want to show you the scene, i am on my laptop, so i will show you what is going on. We are in the Industrial Estate, the Police Cordon is there, and around me you have more of the worlds media, also trying to find out what is going on. At the moment, we are just waiting to hearfor more information from the police, as you are, and we will update as much as we can when we can, buti update as much as we can when we can, but i hope the Media Briefing in 25 minutes will give us some more a nswe is. In 25 minutes will give us some more answers. We have also been showing oui answers. We have also been showing our viewers an aerial shot of the Industrial Estate complex, which you can see a lorry with a white container, the lorry in question. I am asking you for something you might not be privy to, but have you been able to establish at all, how long has the lorry actually been there . Did it enter this country on saturday, do we know . Do we had any do we have any sense whether it was driven directly to this Industrial Estate in grays, or if it arrived more recently than that . U nfortu nately we have arrived more recently than that . Unfortunately we have no information about the timeframe yet, all we know is what we have been told this morning, and as far as the timetable goes, morning, and as far as the timetable o morning, and as far as the timetable goes, we do not know anything and we are waiting for that information. The police havent told us what time they discovered it or what state the bodies are in, but only that they are identifying them. From the gaps in the cord and, i can see the lorry your helicopter picked up, and can see some kind of tent as well, there are people coming out, and it looks like some kind of investigation has concluded for the time being. The cordoned area remains in place. Concluded for the time being. The cordoned area remains in placem there any suggestion as to what nationality or nationalities the victims are . Unfortunately not, all we know is that the lorry is from bulgaria and they entered the country in holyhead. I cannot speculate on any nationalities at the moment, i am afraid. They could be from anywhere in europe, as far as im aware at the moment. I am hoping the police will give us that information in the next few overs, and we will be on tenterhooks waiting for it. If is a sense of reaction in the area to this grim discovery. It is horrendous, it is not something i have encountered on this scale in a six. The port here is the main one, and there is a lot of activity here. A lot of business is affected, they cannot get to work our buildings. There is a diversion in place and police are supporting the businesses, but there is a sense of com plete businesses, but there is a sense of complete surprise and shock that something this horrendous has been discovered minutes away from where people live. It is shocking. I can understand the concern from people, but the police are sure to give us is much reassurance as possible and how this will be handled, fingers crossed that the people responsible for this can be apprehended as soon as possible, we will wait and see. Ellis, thank you very much for that, ellis, thank you very much for that, ellis whitehouse, a reporter with the essex echo, reporting on this horrific discovery in essex in the early hours of this morning, the bodies of 39 people, 38 adults and one teenager discovered in the lorry container. We are expecting a Police Statement to update everyone on the latest information that they have, and when that happens we will bring it to you. 0n on to the days other story. Brexit now, downing street has indicated that the Prime Minister will push for a general election if the eu agrees to delay brexit until january. Lets go straight to westminster now. Joanna gosling is there. Good morning, i need to. Yes, downing street has signalled that borisjohnson will step downing street has signalled that Boris Johnson will step up downing street has signalled that borisjohnson will step up his effo rts borisjohnson will step up his efforts to try to force a general election if eu leaders approve an extension to brexit of up to three months, but we do not know when the response will come regarding that. Possibly today, possibly later in the week. Also, would borisjohnson be able to get two thirds approval of mps foran be able to get two thirds approval of mps for an election where that to be the case . This all comes after last nights commons faults, where mps last nights commons faults, where m ps voted last nights commons faults, where mps voted in favour of the governments Withdrawal Agreement bill, but then voted against the fast track parliamentary timetable, with many arguing there just was not enough time to debate the details of the bill in three days. So, in yet another eventful brexit week, where are we now and what happens next . Borisjohnson has paused to brexit bill after mps derailed his plan to rush the deal through the commons. Parliament had been due to debate the bill over the next couple of days but instead will return to discussing the contents of the queens speech. Eu leaders now have to consider whether to grant a delight to the 31st of october brexit deadline, and decide what length it should be. They could agree an extension with a maximum mandate, but with the flexibility for the uk to leave early if a deal is ratified sooner. A longer brexit deal could mean the Prime Minister pushing for a general election to try to restore the conservative pa rtys try to restore the conservative partys majority in the commons. We can go live now to our political editor, norman smith. Norman, eight days until brexit day, nominally, but as the clock likely to stop now . We do not know what is going to happen because it is possible that the eu could say, well, we are not going to give you another extension, this has been going on long enough. That certainly seems to be the view in france, in which case we would presumably have to leave with no deal on october 31, but i think the working assumption is eu leaders will give us an extension and one thatis will give us an extension and one that is long enough for them all to be handed back to borisjohnson to decide what to do next. For the ball to be handed back. The impression we are getting from number ten is that they want to press ahead with winter general election to break the deadlock. They are view is that there is no point going round and round in parliament, and if they tried to push Boris Johnsons deal through again, it doesnt matter if you gave mps 30 days or three months, they still wouldnt do because they believe most mps are simply opposed to any brexit deal. So their favoured strategy now is to try to trigger a general election. Have a listen to the justice secretary, general election. Have a listen to thejustice secretary, robert buckland. Parliament has made this decision, and parliament has asked for an extension from the eu, then that we are waiting of course to hear what other eu leaders say about the situation, but we want to crack on, and if we cant crack on then, you know, regrettably, it does seem that a general election is the only way to sort this impasse out, however cold and inhospitable the next month might be. However calmer voices and government are saying, lets draw breath and think about this. They suggest that if borisjohnson think about this. They suggest that if Boris Johnson put think about this. They suggest that if borisjohnson put his deal back to mps he might actually wind it. How so . Last night, before the vote on the timetable emotion he actually secured a majority of 30, on the broad principles behind the bill, and they argue if you came back, agreed a slightly longer period for mps to mull over the legislation, he could perhaps get it through. And just listen to the Northern Ireland secretary, Gillian Smith this morning, in front of the Northern Ireland select committee, sounding much more cautious about the idea of a general election and suggesting they should try again. What the government, i hope, will do now and will continue, and we intend to continue to listen to mp5 from across the house, i would like. You know, we havent got the votes we want from Northern Ireland mps. What i want to do is listen to Northern Ireland mp5, get a Programme Motion that is to the satisfaction of a majority of people in this house, and resolve this situation. I think that is where i feel our responsibility lies and we can Work Together to address many of these issues and ensure this bill is completed. There is a real debate going on in government now about whether they should persist with a general election or try to represent the bill. We may get an idea where the Prime Ministers liza Prime Ministers questions. Lets now have a discussion about this is there any point at all of re presenting this to parliament . think so. If it is considering all consequences. Think so. If it is considering all consequences. If people can examine the actual deal rather than the fantasies in the referendum campaign. If youre prepared to give it more time, why not say yes to the bill in principle last night, as a lot of mps did, and say we want more time . Because we wouldnt have had more time to scrutinise it if we had just voted it through without adding the caveat that we wanted more time to look at the consequences. But thatis to look at the consequences. But that is exactly what happened last night, mps said yesterday agreement but noted the timetable, so i dont understand then why you didnt do that . The Prime Minister can now bring it back, the point as we said we didnt think presenting it to parliament with less than 24 hours notice on seeing what is in it, this is something that will last for generations, so giving us less than 24 hours to see it and then saying we only have three days to consider something of this level of complexity, it wasnt long enough, so we complexity, it wasnt long enough, so we voted against the Programme Motion. Now the Prime Minister has the option to bring it back to parliament with a longer timetable to discuss it. When you look at the amount of time that has been given to consider other eu legislation of similar complexity, that has always been the case in the past, and he is trying to rush it through because he does not want amendments. That is one option, the other that he seems to be favouring is to say it doesnt matter how long mps have, they are not going to put this through, lets go to the country and potentially wina go to the country and potentially win a majority. And he could do that. Would you support an election if there was a motion for that . have already done that because i changed political party, so i felt if people were arguing they should have the final say on it, it was only right for people to have the final say on me as well. I hope the eu give us long enough to have a peoples fault or general election. My preference is for this to be separated off so we can look at the issue and do that through a peoples vote. I expect he could also call a general election, so we simply do not know where we are yet until we know what the exact extension is from the eu and what the Prime Ministers decision or leader of the opposition. Lots of unanswered questions. Sarah wollaston, thank you very much. We will hear from the Prime Minister in Prime Ministers questions at midday, and Jeremy Corbyn will be there on the opposite bench putting questions for labour. Whether we will get more answers is unclear, but we need to hearfrom the eu how they will respond to the request for an extension, which could come any time. I will hand you back to the studio. The headlines on bbc news. Police say 39 bodies have been found in a lorry container in essex the driver has been arrested. They were discovered in the early hours at an Industrial Park in grays. Borisjohnson will call for a general election if the eu proposes delaying brexit until january. Its after mps rejected his plans to get his brexit bill passed in three days. The fracking industry has failed to meet its targets, in part because of a lack of public support. In the sport, tottenham are back on track in europe after a 5 0 win in the champions league. Harry kane scored twice in their first win of the group phase. Pep guardiola called Raheem Sterling an extraordinary player after he scored a hat trick against atalanta, making it three out of three wins in their group. Prince charles had visited ash has visited the wales squad against their world cup clash with south africa on sunday. Australia meet new zealand on saturday. Lets return to the news that the bodies of 39 people have been discovered in a lorry container at an Industrial Park in essex, and grays. The bodies of 38 adults and one teenager were discovered in the early hours of this morning. 0ur reporter peter walker is at the scene. What can you see . Behind me is the entrance to a logistics company, the big blue metallic industrial unit to the left hand side. Not only is there a white and blue Police Cordon, but there is a green physical barrier which is stopping a lot of reporters with cameras trying to have a look inside. You can hear the traffic, which is trying to negotiate round the people and bystanders watching and cars parked around. I have heard the Police Helicopter overhead, there is a drone flying over the focal point of the investigation as well. Presumably that is operated by forensics. I can see white uniformed forensics. I can see white uniformed forensics officers and their fans in the midst of their investigation. It is quite chaotic here, and the amount of reporters is growing. We are waiting for a further Police Statement but have you been given any suggestions or hints as to the nationality of the victims . We only know that the lorry is believed to be from bulgaria, it arrived in wales presumably from ireland, where there is a ferry link from the north west of wales, on saturday. We dont know any more than that, we know there are 39 bodies, one of them is believed to be a teenager. There is a Police Conference being held in around 15 minutes. And police will be allowing us to look at the other side of the barrier at around 12 30pm. It is an absolutely horrific story to be telling today. 0ne horrific story to be telling today. One can only imagine that the reaction from people in the area, people who would have been hoping to turn up to work as normal and that Industrial Estate today. It is only one site on the Industrial Estate, which is huge, lots of big multinational companies, it is just one entrance to one particular business that is closed off, i will be looking to speak to anyone who has been inconvenienced by that, but as far as other businesses, they can carry out their business. The nearest Residential Home is a few hundred metres away, so it is out of view of the general public. Ok, peter, thank you for that update. Peter, thank you for that update. Peter walker, and as he mentioned, a news c0 nfe re nce peter walker, and as he mentioned, a News Conference with the police is expected in ten or 15 minutes, which we will bring to you. Bernie gravetts is a formet met Police Officer and specialist in Human Trafficking and join us now on the phone. This is a horrific story unfolding. How can Something Like this happen . It happens everyday in the majority of countries, i mean, in the uk last year we identify potentially victims from 130 countries destined for the uk. We are quite a large destination country, and back in 2000, people will remember that the 60 chinese victims found dead in dover, it is interesting the route here, the victims appear to have come through holyhead, clearly dover has been reinforced in recent years, so traffickers and smugglers have looked for a different point of entry. It was described as an unorthodox route if a lorry was coming from bulgaria to hear, to essex. Definitely. We cannot assume the victims are bulgarian, in fact it is unlikely because bulgarians are members of the eu and can travel here freely, it is most likely the victims are from vietnam, china or migrants. The other thing we cannot assume is that the victims climbed onto the lorry in bulgaria. It has passed through nine or ten countries from its root in bulgaria, so one of the things the investigators have to ta ke the things the investigators have to take as a priority is identification of the victims, identify the root, engage Law Enforcement in the country is to look for Video Evidence or any other evidence to mountan evidence or any other evidence to mount an investigation, but obviously there is a humanitarian side where there will be pressure on identification to inform families. Give us a little more insight if you would into how this investigation will develop, you have already touched on a couple of areas the police will be focusing on, but tell us more police will be focusing on, but tell us more about how an investigation like this will work. Initially obviously you have this crime scene, which will be managed. The uk Police Services are one of the premier services are one of the premier services around crime scene management investigation and forensic evidence collection. That will take a long time and i heard your reporter saying everyone is being kept away, of course they are because of the forensic situation but equally 39 people having died in the back of a container is going to bea the back of a container is going to be a harrowing scene. Moving on from that, we have to look at who are the people behind this . In the case in doverin people behind this . In the case in dover in 2000, that led us to holland and the number of chinese triad members were prosecuted here in that case. But here you have got to look at where the victims were recruited, so first off we have to identify where they are from and start tracking back all the way through to the country of origin because that is where they were recruited in the first place. Many of these people may have paid for this journey to be smuggled to the uk, orthey are this journey to be smuggled to the uk, or they are in debt bondage to organised crime. In Something Like this, typically, will the victims have id, papers on them . Or if there has been trafficking involved, with the people organising that keeps the papers in the first instance . M the people organising that keeps the papers in the first instance . It is a guess, but i suspect there will be no paperwork on the victims, they will have to look at clothing items, where they were sourced from. Because they have come in illicitly, ina because they have come in illicitly, in a clandestine route, it is right that the traffickers have had papers in the first place. There are potentially two crimes here, smuggling, where people have paid to come here, or trafficking. Smuggling, where people have paid to come here, ortrafficking. Neither of those groups will have Identity Cards or legal papers. As you say, we dont know the precise story about why they were in the lorry or why they were brought here in this way. But we appreciate your insight and expertise talking to us about this horrific story coming to us today, bernie. Now, some other news. The fracking industry has developed much slower than expected, and has cost the taxpayer more than £30 million in court cases, regulation and policing costs, according to a report by the National Audit office. It says those projects that have started are losing public support. The fracking industry insists it still has huge potential to supply energy, as our environment analyst Roger Harrabin explains. The shale gas boom in the usa. It sent Energy Prices tumbling. A downing street official told the then Prime Minister david cameron, who predicted a shale gas bonanza in the uk. One report said itd generate £33 billion in revenue and create 64,000 jobs, with 400 wells being fracked a year. But the uk is not the us. Protesters have held up fracking over earth tremors. The uks geology has proved very different, too. The report says just three wells have been fracked, and there is no sign of lower prices. Whats more, the project is losing support. The economic benefits around fracking now are very uncertain, not least because the government doesnt really know how much shale gas could be extracted from england. The government itself doesnt think that it will have a Significant Impact on gas prices, which are set internationally, and the scale of the shale gas industry, if it were to take off in the uk, wouldnt really be significant enough to change that much. But north sea oil took a long time to get going, the shale firms maintain. There is plenty of shale gas available, they say, and no local environmental problems have been caused. But this is political now. Labour says it would ban fracking immediately. Roger harrabin, bbc news. Now, time to have a look at the weather with simon. We have had some misty and murky conditions this morning, and fog in parts, but much of it is clearing away. Still misty for some of us, but some sunshine across many northern and Western Areas of the uk, and east anglia also getting sunshine. In the far south east, we have more cloud, with rain moving into the far south east later on. Rain is also a feature of the weather across western scotland and Northern Ireland during the afternoon, and will be quite heavy here. Maximum temperature is 13 15. The best of the sunshine across wales and Northern England. Through tonight, the rain in the north west will move east. Further rain towards the south east. A messy picture into thirsty, it wont be as cold as last night, but a cloudy start to the day on thursday with some outbreaks of rain, particularly toward central and eastern areas, which will linger on into the afternoon. Further north and west, an improving picture with sunny spells and showers, but gales for the rest of scotland. West of scotland. Hello this is bbc newsroom live. The headlines. Police say 39 bodies have been found in a lorry container in essex. The driver, a 25 year old man from Northern Ireland, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Police believe the lorry is from bulgaria and entered the country at holyhead on saturday before travelling on to grays. Borisjohnson is understood to be pushing for a general election if the eu agrees a three month brexit extension after mps rejected his fast track commons timetable. Englands fracking industry has been much slower than expected to get up and running. A report says low Public Acceptance is partly to blame. Turkey and russia have agreed what they say is an Historic Deal aimed at keeping Kurdish Forces away from syrias border with turkey. A generation of young people with special Education Needs are being failed. A report by mps suggests bureaucracy and a lack of funding is tearing familes apart. This is the scene live outside the Police Station in essex where we are expecting a News Conference, a statement from police in the next short while. They are of course investigating the horrific discovery on an Industrial Estate in great this morning the bodies of 39 people found inside a lorry container on Eastern Avenue in grays on the waterglade Industrial Park. Not many details apart from the fact that this lorry came from bulgaria and entered the uk on saturday at holyhead and the victims, 38 adults and one tina. It looks like the statement is about to happen imminently. We can listen in. Good morning my name is pippa mills imind the good morning my name is pippa mills i mind the deputy chief constable in essex police but i would like to read a statement to update to a live Murder Investigation being led by the force following the tragic discovery of 39 bodies inside a lorry container this morning. Shortly before 1 40am, we received a report that a number of people had been found inside a lorry container at the waterglade Industrial Park on Eastern Avenue in grays. We believe the lorry is from bulgaria and came into the uk through holyhead on the 19th of october. Emergency services attended but sadly all 39 people inside the container had died. Early indications suggest that one of these people was a teenager, the rest are believed to be adults. Eight Murder Investigation was launched and the lorry driver, a 25 year old man from Northern Ireland, was arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody. At this stage, we have not identified where the victims are from or their identities and we anticipate this could be a lengthy process. I would like to thank the local community and in particular those who have been directly affected by the Police Cordoned at the industrial site. Thank you for your cooperation and i appreciate the impact the road closure will have on businesses within the Police Cordoned. Im unable to say at this stage how long it will be in place but please let me reassure you that my officers and partners will be doing everything they can to release the scene as soon as possible. This is an absolute tragedy and a very sad day for essex police and the local community. We will continue to work alongside many other Partner Agencies to find out what led to these deaths. I would like to appeal for anyone who has any information to co nta ct for anyone who has any information to contact my office is at the Major Investigation team on 101 or by visiting the Essex Police Website predict we will update all of our channels as we are able to but police appreciate we are in the early stages of what is likely to be a lengthy investigation. Any indication about the nationalities . Not at this stage and obviously the identification of the victims remains our number one priority. What led you to go to the scene . We received a call from the Ambulance Service. Why were they alerted . Im not sure of that information at this point. Inaudible not at this point in time. Can you tell us more about the pathway of the lorry . You said it came through holyhead and was bulgarian but how did it enter ireland . It is the early stages of the investigation but obviously that will be a key line of enquiry and if anyone has any information relating to the lorry and its Movement Since entering the country on the 19th of 0ctober then please contact us on 101. What stage are you out with the operation removing the bodies . 101. What stage are you out with the operation removing the bodie57m 101. What stage are you out with the operation removing the bodies . It is very early stages, it is a complex scene and we have expert officers working with partners at the scene to identify the best way forward. Are they male or female or both . To identify the best way forward. Are they male or female or both7m terms of the identification of those individuals, we are not in a position to say. Ladies and gentlemen, im afraid that is all we have time for this morning to ponder thank you for attending and as soon as we have updates we will make them available. The deputy chief co nsta ble of available. The deputy chief constable of essex police saying that identifying the 39 victims of this incident is their number one priority but confirming that, as yet, the police have not yet identified where the victims are from, nor their identities. We spoke a few minutes ago to a former metropolitan Police Officer who specialised in dealing with trafficking and human smuggling, and we dont know what the nature of this case is yet but he did typically come in either of those insta nces, typically come in either of those instances, the people involved do not have any papers, anything that might identify them on them. The police emphasising that this could bea police emphasising that this could be a lengthy process, calling it an absolute tragedy. Clearly a lot of work to be done with many other agencies to try to discover who these people are, where they came from and how they ended up on that lorry pulled our correspondent andy moore was listening to the News Conference. That is the key thing to begin with, it would be potentially a very difficultjob for the police to establish where the victims are from and who they were. Yes, and we did not have a great deal more information from the police. They say they are dealing with an active and very complex murder enquiry. We do know that the lorry left bulgaria but we dont know the nationality of the people on board. It is very unlikely that they are bulgarian citizens, bulgaria being part of the eu. Presumably, probably, the people found on board that lorry art from another part of the world but where at the moment we do not know. And we had the deputy chief constable not really wanting to hazard a guess at this early stage. She was pressed about why the Ambulance Service came to this lorry in the early hours of the money and could not give any indication about why it was. We dont know at this stage why the Emergency Services were called to that location at 1 40am on the Industrial Estate, but she did say it was a very tragic case and their thoughts obviously were with the families of those involved. The Police Obviously will be trying to contact them but at the moment is a question of the postmortem examinations and identifying the people on board the lorry. 825 year old man, the lorry driver, is in custody and he might be able to give answers to some of those questions a 25 year old man. To give answers to some of those questions a 25yearold man. And any suggestion as to how long the lorry was at the Industrial Park . If it entered the country on saturday, did it go directly ought did arrive sometime between then and the discovery in the early hours of this morning . Or did it arrive . Discovery in the early hours of this morning . Or did it arrive . That is another unanswered question but if it did arrive in holyhead in north wales on saturday, it could have been at that location for several days and that is a very frightening thought. Another question we do not know the answer to is where it arrived from, arriving in holyhead. Most of the arrivals in holyhead come from the republic of ireland so it is very likely, although we do not know the details, that it arrived in the republic of ireland, perhaps from northern france somewhere, and then on from dublin to holyhead and then down here to essex. Very circuitous route and we dont know the details at the moment but that looks its likely route. 0bviously at the moment but that looks its likely route. Obviously the quickest would have been through calais and dover, the east coast ports, but if there was, as looks likely, some sort of people smuggling operation going on, it may be that a more circuitous route to a different port on the west coast of the uk may not have alerted the authorities to the same have alerted the authorities to the sa m e exte nt have alerted the authorities to the same extent and there may not have been such intense searches but we just dont know at the moment. Thank you very much for that. Andy moore at grays Police Station in essex. It is 11 39am. More than 45,000 officially registered refugees are currently stuck in libya unable to travel to europe but unwilling to return home for fear of persecution. Some of them were inmates of a centre in the suburb of tajoura that injuly was hit by an airstrike. More than 50 people were killed. 0rla guerin has been to meet some of the survivors and heard more about their uncertain fate. A night of horror in tripoli. Collecting the dead. Victims of an airstrike on a libyan run Detention Centre in the suburb of tajoura. Migrants and refugees who dreamt of a better life in europe. This was the moment the missiles struck. Hundreds were locked inside. We met some of them before the attack, when we managed to get into the Detention Centre in april. The conflict was closing in, many already living in fear. Every time we hear one, we hear gunshot every time, every day. After the attack, hundreds who made it out alive headed to a transit camp run by the United Nations refugee agency. And here they remain, three months on, still trapped in a war zone with their trauma. Ten year old gafar keeps reliving what he witnessed. He was pulled from the wreckage by his father, rashid. I grab him up put his head on my shoulder. I bring him out. But when im watching the ground im watching dead people. So when you were stepping on the ground you were stepping on bodies. Yes, bodies, dead people. And they are all my friends because we are each together, we are all together with them. So, please, we need help. We need to leave libya because every day what we hear, what we see is not ok. Because we hear bombing from all the sides, many places. Please. Some lost relatives, like this man who tells us his stepbrother, mohamed, survived the genocide in darfur for but did not survive the slaughter in tajoura. I never found his head. But then i found his body. And i knew him because there are many marks. I know him as my brother. Even the clothes he was using was my clothes before. That is how i know he is my stepbrother. They have found refuge here, but it may be temporary. The un says the transit camp is severely overcrowded and the solution is for the survivors to live outside voluntarily, with aid but without protection. They say they have suffered enough and should be sent to safety abroad. These women, from somalia, begged us for help. Translation i want you to tell them to help us, move us from libya. We survived an explosion, we left our country because of explosions, and now were facing the same problems in libya. For others in the camp, finally hope beckons. Time to say their goodbyes. Heading, not to europe, but to rwanda, which has agreed to take in 500 of the most vulnerable refugees. Well, this group will soon be on their way to a new future and a new life. But many others remain and they are at risk. The United Nations says there are about 3,500 refugees and migrants still trapped here in libya in conflict zones. And, with so many left behind in a city under attack, there is a risk of another tajoura. 0rla guerin, bbc news, tripoli. In a moment well have all the business news, but first the headlines on bbc news. Police say 39 bodies have been found in a lorry container in essex. The driver has been arrested. They were discovered in the early hours at an Industrial Park in grays. Borisjohnson will call for a general election if the eu proposes delaying brexit until january. Its after mps rejected his plans to get his brexit bill passed in three days. The fracking industry has failed to meet its targets, in part because of a lack of public support. Iam i am alex backed up with the business news. Alex baxter. Mechanical and design problems with a boeing Flight Control system were key factors in the lion air crash in october last year. Thats what indonesian investigators have told the victims families. All 189 passengers and crew were killed when the 737 max slammed into the java sea shortly after takeoff from jakarta. The head of boeings commercial planes division, kevin mcallister, was ousted on tuesday. He is highest profile sacking so far. Vernon hill, the founder of metro bank, has stepped down as chairman two months early, as the british lender continues its battle to recover from an earlier accounting scandal. Ill have more on that in just a moment with the director of positive money. Wework has been thrown a multi billion dollar lifeline from softbank that will give the Japanese Company more control of the troubled property start up, increasing its stake in the us the director of positive money. The deal marks the end of a tumultuous period for wework, once valued at nearly £38 billion. It has been a challenging yearfor metro bank, one of the Challenger Banks which was meant to provide major competition for the likes of hsbc, lloyds, natwest and rbc. But today, vernon hill, the american founder, has stepped down as chairman two months early. News of hills exit follows earlier disclosure a major accounting error that had under reported its exposure to higher risk loans by almost £1 billion. The bank, famed for its glossy Branch Network and unconventional customer perks including pet treats and weekend opening hours, was later forced to raise capital at expensive rates to plug the gap in its balance sheet. Fran boait is from positive money. Thank you forjoining me. The stepping down of vernon hill two months early, is it a good or bad thing reputation lee speaking for metro bank . They have not had a good year and their shares have fallen by 90 . As you said, there were high hopes for metro bank coming on the scene in 2010 after the crash because it was seen as a Challenger Bank toa because it was seen as a Challenger Bank to a monopoly of too big to fail banks. It was trying to basically copy a system which we know does not work any more. It was trying to do both maximise short term profit for shareholders as well as giving out quite big salaries and pay outs at the top but also saying, we will do things differently and have a big Branch Network, do sme lending and do things differently. Unfortunately, with that shareholder model, it has shown this year that actually, it has not worked out for metro bank was still trying to make those big profits by funnelling a lot of bank lending to property and Financial Markets and obviously it misclassified almost a billion loans and that was the kind of start of a bad year and showing the floors in this model are banking. Absolutely right, almost £1 billion. As we say, it has been a dreadful yearfor right, almost £1 billion. As we say, it has been a dreadful year for the bank. Vernon hill is to regularly refer to customers as fans. It does still have great plans, wanting to expand its presence in the north of england and to move into cities like manchester and liverpool and birmingham. Where does it sit currently . Is it still delivering for customers . We saw earlier customers withdrew around 2 billion in deposits so clearly repetition has been damaged. I think metro bank has been damaged. I think metro bank has got a choice on its hands. What does it want to do . Double down on this broker model are banking, where you see risky loans going out to pop the Financial Markets . 0r you see risky loans going out to pop the Financial Markets . Or does it think, we need a different kind of model, one does notjust withdraw writers from divinities and puts its customers financial services, the fa ct customers financial services, the fact that they want a safe and secure deposits. We saw from other big banks like rbs, when they are exposed that they have a broken model, trust goes and there is a toxic environment we hear these big figures, i think the c00 toxic environment we hear these big figures, i think the coo of Craig Donaldson was given a 2. 5 million bonus a couple of years ago and the chairman stepping down, speculation he might keep his £10,000 Monthly Expenses allowance. Actually, banking is meant to be a utility. If it is going to serve customers and keep their money safe, lent to smes and have branches in the community, it cannot have both these oversized pay outs to the top, this cronyism and toxic environment we have seen creeping into metro bank, as well as delivering. I think obviously we will see who comes in next, we will see the announcements they make but positive money are sceptical because we see a system that is inherently broken and we see that we need to bring in different types are banking. Unfortunately, metro bank was basically seeking to replicate to quite a large extent how barclays and hsb etc do banking predict we will have to leave it there but thank you for your thoughts hsbc. In other business stories weve been following, none of the 20 firms partnering with facebook on its Libra Cryptocurrency project have yet committed to financially backing the effort thats what the bbc understands. Mark zuckerberg is expected to tell a congressional hearing on wednesday that libra is independent and we dont control it. The libra association, set up by facebook to govern the cryptocurrency, declined to comment and would not say if it currently had any Financial Support from any source other than facebook itself. Shaquille 0neal has spoken out in support of the Houston Rockets manager whose comment sparked a row between the nba and china. The basketball legend said daryl morey was right to tweet support for pro democracy protesters in hong kong. The nba is hugely popular in china and mr moreys comments unleashed a wave of anger in the country, sponsorship and telecast deals have all been cut. Getting fracking up and running in england has been slower than expected thats according to the National Audit office. In 2016, the government forecast up to 20 wells would be fracked by mid 2020, but only three have been so far. The report says low Public Acceptance of the Controversial Oil and gas extraction technique is partly to blame. The uk has spent at least £32. 7 million supporting fracking since 2011. A quick look at the markets. Uk listed shares with greater domestic exposure slid on wednesday as lawmakers rejected borisjohnsons proposed brexit timetable, though losses were contained on diminshed fears of a no deal exit. So the ftse 250 index of midcap firms weakened by 0. 4 in early trade, marking its second day in the red, while the blue chip ftse 100 was roughly flat as its exporter stocks were supported by a drop in sterling. Thats all the business news. Back to our main story and the news that essex police say that 39 bodies have been found in a lorry container on an Industrial Estate. The lorry driver has been arrested. In the last hour essex polices called the disocvery an absolute tragedy and appealed to anyone with any information to contact police. Shortly before 1 40am today we received reports that a number of people have been found inside a lorry container at the waterglade Industrial Park on Eastern Avenue in grays. We believe the lorry is from bulgaria and came into the uk through holyhead on the 19th of 0ctober. Emergency services attended but sadly all 39 people inside the container had died. Early indications suggest that one of the people it was a teenager, the rest are believed to be adults. A Murder Investigation was launched and the lorry driver, a 25 year old man from Northern Ireland, was arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody. At this stage we have not identified where the victims are from or their identities and we anticipate this could be a lengthy process. Satbir singh is the director of the joint council of the welfare of immigrants. Hejoins me now, thank you for coming in to talk about this horrific story. We dont yet know the identities of these unfortunate souls in this lorry, what country or countries they came from but how difficult you think that process will be for the authorities to establish . Im not sure how long it will take. We have seen tragedies like this before it is normally quite a difficult process to investigate. All we know at this point is that a 39 people, who had hopes and me, are no longer alive today. This is just hopes and me, are no longer alive today. This isjust an hopes and me, are no longer alive today. This is just an unspeakable tragedy that could have been avoided. Clearly, very vulnerable individuals to be in this position in the first place and, as such, may not have had any papers on them to identify them. Indeed and again, if this transpires it was a case of trafficking, Human Trafficking gone horribly wrong, the question needs to be asked why people feel they have to submit themselves to eight trafficker. Whether it was trafficking or smuggling, whatever the precise reasons for them being on the lorry, the fact that they we re on the lorry, the fact that they were on it trying to get into the uk suggests some degree, some heavy degree of desperation to talk to us about the situation in which people will put themselves in this difficult and fatal position. Across europe and here in the uk in particular we do see a lack of safe and legal routes for people to move across borders and people are going to move, Human History tells us people are always going to move. The only thing we can do is, as state and citizens and government, is make sure the journeys they make our state and their documented as they move and things like this dont happen. There will always be people who want to try to exploit others and to get around traditional ways or structured ways of moving from one country to another. It is worth reiterating that we dont yet know exactly why these people were on board this lorry but there will a lwa ys board this lorry but there will always be those who exploit people in desperation, and what more needs to be done to tackle those sorts of people . Every time we close a door, a trafficker has a field day or a people smuggler has a field day. If people smuggler has a field day. If people dont feel they can trust in a system that is supposed to be there to render very quick decisions and fair decisions on the basis of their merits or vulnerability or needs, traffickers and smugglers, people who are in the business of exploitation will seize that opportunity and that is exactly what ifear opportunity and that is exactly what i fear we have seen opportunity and that is exactly what ifear we have seen in opportunity and that is exactly what i fear we have seen in this case. Satbir singh, thank you for talking to us, from thejoint council for the welfare of immigrants. The police in essex saying they had not yet established the identity of these victims or indeed where they are from. Much more of course on this story as it develops. It is coming up to noon so lets have a look at the weather with simon king. A rather misty and murky start and for some there has been thick fog patches in central and southern areas. A lot of that is starting to clear but still quite misty out there, particularly across the midlands where that weather watch it sent us this photo from but there is sunshine in northern parts of england and wales, and the south west of england. Towards north Western Areas we have this cold front bringing outbreaks of rain and a warm front in the south east, at the momentjust being cloud. But we will see some rain moving in this afternoon, more so this evening. The best at the sunshine will be in south west england, wales, Northern England in the afternoon at the rate will be quite heavy in western scotland and Northern Ireland, maximum temperatures is 13 15d. Tonight, this area of rain will move eastward, getting heavier and moving north westwards into the midlands and they will merge together on thursday morning but a lot more cloud around on thursday morning, not as cold as it was last night. Template is staying at around 7 11d. 0n template is staying at around 7 11d. On thursday, quite a messy picture, the cold front moving south eastward and the warm front will weaken and they will merge and a damp start for many on thursday. This area of rain will move towards the east but linger in east anglia and the south east in the afternoon. Gales developing in the west of scotland and with this there will be some scattered showers in between sunny spells in northern and Western Areas. Temperatures on thursday around 12 14d. 0n areas. Temperatures on thursday around 12 14d. On friday, we have warm air moving up from the south west, colder air digging in from the north west and quite a distinct boundary with that and with it some rain spreading from the south west. Because of that boundary, this rain will be quite heavy on friday as it moves in towards wales and eventually towards england to. In particular, it is wales and the north west of england where we will have the heaviest rain which will persist into saturday and that could cause some problems. Further north, some sunshine and showers, gales in the far north of scotland. Some rain in the south east, 15 or 16 degrees there but look at the contrast, only eight or nine celsius in northern areas. It is that area of rain that i mentioned that will last into saturday and travel disruption could be likely in wales and parts of the north west. There could be some localised flooding product worth staying attuned to the forecast over the next couple of days. Goodbye. Youre watching bbc newsroom live its midday and these are the main stories this morning. 39 bodies have been found in a lorry container in essex the driver, a 25 year old man from Northern Ireland, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Emergency services attended, but sadly all 39 people inside the container had died. 0ne sadly all 39 people inside the container had died. One is believed to bea container had died. One is believed to be a teenager and the rest are adults. Police believe the lorry is from bulgaria and entered the country at holyhead on saturday. Police request anyone that knows anything about the lorry and its movements to contact them. Borisjohnson is understood to be pushing for a general election if the eu agrees a three month brexit extension after mps rejected his fast track commons timetable. And this is the scene in the house of commons, where Prime Ministers questions is about to get under way. Good afternoon. Welcome to bbc newsroom live. Im annita mcveigh. As we were just mentioning, pmqs is about to get underway lets cross over to westminster now to join our assistant political editor, norman smith. Norman, do you think we will get much sense in this pm cues as to the governments plans regarding an election . I think crucial will be the language and tone we hear from borisjohnson. In the past few minutes we have learned Boris Johnson has had a meeting with Jeremy Corbyn to discuss whether they need a longer time to get the legislation through, so we may get more details in Prime Ministers questions. Lets cross to the chamber. I know the thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who have lost their loved ones. The home office will work closely with essex police as we establish what has happened in my right honourable friend the home secretary will make an oral statement immediately after these questions. This morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, and will have further such meetings later today. Can i associate myself with the Prime Minister regarding the tragedy made in essex, i dont normally do that, but on this occasion i do. Only ever done one. The Prime Minister has come up we all know, a long list of shortcomings. So could he do something. So could he do something. So please go to do something. So please go to do something about one that he does have some control of and get rid of Dominic Cummings . Order well. Mr speaker, i think they. I will try to reply with the generosity of spirit she would expect from a and just say that i receive excellent advice from a wide range of advisors and officials, and it is the role of advisers to advise, and of government to decide, and i take full responsibility for everything that this government does. My right honourable friend achieved what many said was impossible and negotiated a new brexit deal which passed through this house last night. Does the Prime Minister share might regret that many in the party opposite, including the leader of the 0pposition, voted to delay us leaving with a deal on october the 3ist leaving with a deal on october the 31st once again . Not least after what he said in this house on the 22nd of february 2016, that his Party Welcome to the fact that it is now up to the british people to decide whether we remain in the European Union . My right honourable friend, as so often, speaks with com plete friend, as so often, speaks with complete a good sense, and i do think it was a remarkable thing that so many members of the house were able to come together last night and approve the second reading of the bill. I think it was a great shame that the house, as it were, will today end but not the means, but there is still time for the right honourable gentleman to do that and to explain to the people of this country how he proposes to honour his promise that he made repeatedly and deliver on the wheel of the people and get brexit done. The whale. Jeremy corbyn thank you, mr speaker. Ijoin whale. Jeremy corbyn thank you, mr speaker. I join others whale. Jeremy corbyn thank you, mr speaker. Ijoin others who have offered their deep sadness todays news of 39 people being found dead ina news of 39 people being found dead in a lorry container in grays. Can we just in a lorry container in grays. Can wejust think for a in a lorry container in grays. Can we just think for a moment of what it must have been like for those 39 people, obviously in a desperate and dangerous situation, for their lives to end suffocated to death in a container . This is an unbelievable human tragedy that happened in our country at this time, we obviously need to look at the whole situation and answers as to what has happened there, but also i do pay an enormous tribute to the Emergency Services who have gone to the scene to deal with it. All of us suggesting for a moment what it is like to be a Police Officer or firefighter, to open container, and have to remove 39 bodies from it and deal with them in an appropriate and humane way. We should just think for a moment of what inhumanity is done to other human beings at this terrible moment. Yesterday, mr speaker, before the Prime Minister decided to to lay his own withdrawal bill, he promised to maintain. Let me finish, let me finish. Decided to delay his own withdrawal bill. Where is it . if you care to look at hansard, you where is it . if you care to look at hansa rd, you will see where is it . if you care to look at hansard, you will see what it says. He promised to maintain environmental, consumer and workers rights. Why, then, did the Prime Minister have these commitments removed from the legally binding Withdrawal Agreement . Mr speaker, i dont think we could have been clearer yesterday in our commitment to have the highest possible standards for workers rights, for environmental standards, and indeed i think one of the things that brought the house together was the knowledge that, as we go forward and build our future knowledge that, as we go forward and build ourfuture partnership with the eu, we will always be open to members on all sides of the house to Work Together to ensure that whatever the eu comes up with, we can match and pass into the law of this country. And that, i think, commanded a lot of support across the house, and i must say i find it peculiar that he now wants these bill back, because he voted against it last night, and he whipped his entire labour party against it. And i think it was a remarkable thing that the house successfully defied his urgings and approved the deal. What i think we would like to hear from him now is his commitment to getting brexit done, that is what the public wants to hear, and im afraid, mr speaker, they are worried that all he wants is a second referendum Jeremy Corbyn the Prime Minister doesnt answer the question i put to him, which was about environmental, consumer and workers rights, and environmental, consumer and workers rights, and i am not surprised because. I am rights, and i am not surprised because. Iam not rights, and i am not surprised because. I am not surprised, rights, and i am not surprised because. Iam not surprised, mr speaker, because he once said employment regulation was backbreaking, and he voted for the 2016 Anti Trade Union act which stripped away employment protections and the provisions in the bill offered no real protection at all. Yesterday, in the Withdrawal Agreement will debate, the Prime Minister pledged that the nhs was safe in his hands. If that is the case, will he be back in our amendment today which would undo a very damaging privatisation. Privatisation of our nhs . Mr speaker, i must say, he is showing com plete speaker, i must say, he is showing complete failure to study what we actually passed last night in that historic agreement. It is very clear that it historic agreement. It is very clear thatitis historic agreement. It is very clear that it is open to this house to do better where it chooses on Animal Welfare standards, social. As indeed this country very often does, we lead the way we are a groundbreaker, we are a groundbreaker, we are a groundbreaker, mr speaker, we are a groundbreaker, mr speaker, we are a groundbreaker in this country, and im afraid to say, i am afraid to say that the right honourable gentleman has no other purpose in seeking to frustrate brexit than to cause a second referendum. As for the nhs, mr speaker, as for the nhs, this is the party whose sound management of the economy took this country back from the base and enabled us to spend another £34 billion from the nhs, a record investment, and, mr speaker, and, mr speaker, as i promised on the steps of downing street, to begin the upgrade of 20 hospitals, and as a result of the commitments this country is making, this government is making, 48 new hospitals, mr speaker, will be built in the next ten years. That is this partys commitment to the energex order, order you are an incorrigible individual, yelling from a sedentary position at the top of your voice at every turn, calm yourself, man, take some sort of soothing medicament from which you will benefit mr Jeremy Corbyn two questions and we are still waiting for an answer, although we could do. We could do with a translation of the first part of his response. I had to break it to the Prime Minister, but under his government and that of his predecessor, privatisation has more than doubled to £10 billion in our nhs. There are currently 20 nhs contracts out to tender, and when he has promised 40 hospitals, he then reduced that to 20, and then it turns out that reconfiguration is taking place in just turns out that reconfiguration is taking place injust six hospitals, so these numbers keep tumbling down. Of his unfunded spending commitments that he liberally makes around the country. The Prime Minister continues to say. He continues to say he will exclude our nhs from being up for say he will exclude our nhs from being upforgrabs say he will exclude our nhs from being up for grabs in future trade deals. Can he point to which clause in the Withdrawal Agreement bill suki was bad . In the Withdrawal Agreement bill suki was bad . Cq is that . A voice i must say to him that he is com pletely i must say to him that he is completely wrong in what he says about privatisation of the nhs, and i must resist this, because there was 40 new hospitals, 47,000 extra clinical staff, was 40 new hospitals, 47,000 extra clinicalstaff, including was 40 new hospitals, 47,000 extra clinical staff, including 17,000 nurses, they werent paid for out of private funds, they were paid for by the nhs, and the reason we are able to pay for them is because there Party Committees party and his government believes in sound management of the economy, not recklessly putting up corporation tax, not recklessly wrecking the economy in a way that ray nationalising the companies in the way that he would do, and he asks about the nhs in any future free trade deal, and i understand his visceral dislike of america and his visceral dislike of america and his visceral dislike of america and his visceral dislike. And i understand his visceral dislike of free trade. Jeremy corbyn mr speaker, i actually asked to be Prime Minister which clause in the bill protects our nhs, and obviously there is time for him to help us with an answer on that. He should also be aware that there is no public capital allocations made for the funding commitments that he has announced. All he has said is that there is a seed funding. I am not sure what seed funding is, but it doesnt sound. But it doesnt sound. Private finance it doesnt sound. Private finance it doesnt sound like the commitment we were seeking, and it sounds awfully like private finance going into the nhs in order to deal with the issues it faces. Mr speaker, less than one year ago, the Prime Minister said, andi year ago, the Prime Minister said, and i quote, that any regulatory checks and customs controls between Great Britain and Northern Ireland would damage the fabric of the union. Given that this deal clearly does damage the fabric of the union, does damage the fabric of the union, does he still agree with himself . Mr speaker, i believe, and i know that this was raised many times in the house yesterday, i believe that the union is preserved and indeed we are able to go Forward Together as one United Kingdom and do free trade deals in a way that would have been impossible under previous deals. This is a great advance for the whole of the uk, and the intent to develop that together with our friends in Northern Ireland, but i must say to the right honourable gentleman, and indeed his colleagues on the front bench, that i think it isa on the front bench, that i think it is a bit rich, mr speaker, to hear from him about his sentimental attachment to the fabric of the union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland when he has spent most of his political lifetime supporting the ira Jeremy Corbyn mr speaker. Supporting the ira Jeremy Corbyn mrspeaker. Mr supporting the ira Jeremy Corbyn mr speaker. Mr speaker, the Prime Minister has a habit of not answering, of not answering any questions put to him. Northern ireland will remain on Single Market rules within the eu, on goods and agricultural products, the rest of the uk will not. As the honourable memberfor east the uk will not. As the honourable member for east antrim pointed the uk will not. As the honourable memberfor east antrim pointed out yesterday, it does create a very real border down the irish sea, something he said, to a dup conference, he would never do, and it wasnt that long ago. It may be when he was trying to become the Tory Party Leader that he said that. The Prime Minister told the house on saturday there would be no checks on goods moving between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, yet yesterday the brexit secretary confirmed to the lords European Union committee that Northern Irish businesses sending goods to britain would have to complete export declaration forms. Is the Prime Minister right on this, or is the brexit secretary right on this . They cant both be right. Mr speaker, lets be absolutely clear, the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is preserved whole and entire, by these arrangements, and entire, by these arrangements, and indeed, by the whole of the uk, the whole of the uk will be allowed to come out of the European Union Customs Union, so that we can do free trade deals together. There will be no, there will be no checks between Northern Ireland and gb, and no tariffs got between Northern Ireland docked at between Northern Ireland docked at between Northern Ireland and gb, as we are protected, we have protected the Customs Union. I may say, this lachrymose defence of the union, comes from someone who not only campaigned to break up the union in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, by his support of the ira, but who also. Who also wants to spend the whole of the next year in a referendum not just spend the whole of the next year in a referendum notjust on the eu, but another referendum on scotland cheering that is what we want. This is a threat to the United Kingdom, on the labour front bench Jeremy Corbyn. Mr speaker, i really do wonder if the Prime Minister has read close 21 of his own bill. The good friday agreement was one of the greatest achievements of this house, led by a Labour Government at that time. Mr speaker, the Prime Minister unlawfully prorogued parliament. He said he would refuse to comply with the law. He threw Northern Ireland under a bus. He the law. He threw Northern Ireland undera bus. He ripped the law. He threw Northern Ireland under a bus. He ripped up protections for workers rights and environmental standards. Clause 21. He lost every vote along the way. And, he tried to prevent genuine democratic scrutiny and debate. He once said, the whole withdrawal bill is signed by the previous Prime Minister is a terrible treaty. And yet this deal is even worse than that even if he is even worse than that even if he is not that familiar with it, does the Prime Minister accept that parliament should have the necessary time to improve on this worse than terrible treaty . It is this government and this party that delivers on the mandate of the people. They said we could not get rid of the backstop, we did, they said we could not get a new deal, and we did, and then they said we would never get it through parliament. And they did their utmost, didnt they, they did their utmost, didnt they, they did their utmost to stop it going through parliament. And we got it through parliament, last night shouting this is the party, this is the government that delivers on its promises, we said we would put 20,000 more Police Officers on the streets of this country, and we are. We said we would upgrade 20 hospitals, uplift education, around the whole country, and even more than that, we are increasing the minimum wage, increasing the minimum wage by the biggest, the biggest amount since its inception. This is the party, mr speaker, that delivers on brexit and delivers on the priorities of the british people shouting order. There will be more. Of that you can be entirely assured closed question, martin vickers. Number six, mr speaker. We will invest in infrastructure in every corner of the uk, including £13 billion on transport in the north of the country. Martin vickers. I think my right honourable friend for his reply, one thing that would encourage investment in northern lincolnshire and goole is the local economy is free port status for the humber port, and improved access to those ports buy an upgrade to the a 15 between lincoln and the 880, and improved east west rail freight connections, but my right honourable friend confirm support for those proposals. A15. A180. I can indeed, confirm support for those proposals, andl confirm support for those proposals, and i well remember meeting my honourable friend and his constituents in the corridor, in portcullis house, when they raised with me, in addition, the issue of the crossing of the railway line at sockettes lane, mr speaker. And i wish to assure my honourable friend that it wish to assure my honourable friend thatitis wish to assure my honourable friend that it is never far from my thoughts and, i have undertakings from the department for transport that they will seek to find a solution, a safe means for pedestrians to cross the railway line at suggitts lane in addition to the other pledges i have made today. Ian blackford. Thank you, mr speaker. The loss of life that we have learned about this morning in essex, 39 people that have been taken from this earth, should distress us all. The fact this has happened in the United Kingdom, we need to dwell on, that people put themselves in such situation, in the search of a better life. We must not just brush this off as an incident, we must learn the lessons of why this has happened. Thoughts and prayers must be with everyone. Those from the Emergency Services that have had to avail themselves of this most shocking sight this morning, we must not have just one word today and that is the end of it. As a humanity, we must learn from this terrible tragedy. Mr speaker, within the last hour, the first ministers of scotla nd the last hour, the first ministers of scotland and wales joined forces to oppose this tory governments damaging brexit bill. A bill that risksjobs, opportunities, damaging brexit bill. A bill that risks jobs, opportunities, and damaging brexit bill. A bill that risksjobs, opportunities, and our entire economic future. Mr speaker, scotla nd entire economic future. Mr speaker, scotland did not vote for this toxic tory brexit. Order, order. All, any brexit, it voted overwhelmingly to remain. Will the Prime Minister stop ignoring scotland, and confirm today that he will not allow this legislation to pass, and less consent is given by the Scottish Parliament. Yes or no, Prime Minister. Mr speaker, as he knows, the Scottish Parliament has no role in approving this deal, on the contrary, on the contrary, it is up to the people of this, the members of this parliament to approve the deal, im delighted to say that they did, it did not proceed with the support of many scottish nationalist mps, orany of support of many scottish nationalist mps, or any of them, in fact, support of many scottish nationalist mps, orany of them, in fact, but if they really still disagree with this deal, and disagree with the way forward , this deal, and disagree with the way forward, can i propose to him, can i propose to him he has a word with other opposition parties and joins our support for a general election. Ian blackford. Well, there we the legislative consent that the Scottish Parliament has asked is meaningless in the eyes of the Prime Minister. So much for the respect agenda, so much for the message in 2014, that we were to lead the United Kingdom, that this was a union of equals. Torn asunder by the disrespect of this Prime Minister. We may not like the truth but the people of scotland have heard it from the Prime Minister today our parliament does not matter that is what this Prime Minister thinks of our government in scotland. Last night, the Prime Minister was yet again defeated by this house, the Prime Minister said he would pull his bill, he has not. He wants scotla nd his bill, he has not. He wants scotland to trust him, but how can we . Fired twice for lying found unlawful by the courts the Prime Minister has sold scotland out, time and time again. Parliament, scotland, scotland cannot trust this Prime Minister. If the Prime Minister so desperately wants an election, europe is willing and waiting what is stopping them . He must now secure a meaningful extension, and bring on a general election cheering let the scottish people decide our future in scotland what an Exciting Development laughter perhaps he might pass some of his courage down the line. Laughter but, on the point he raises, about our commitment to the union, he should know that thanks to scotlands membership of the union, scotlands membership of the union, scotland received the biggest ever block grant, 1. 2 billion, 200 million more, 200 million more secure for scottish farming, thanks to the hard work of scottish conservative mps, mr speaker. And who is letting down in scotland . It is the snp, with their lackadaisical, their lackadaisical government, higher taxes anywhere in the uk, declining educational standards, Inadequate Health care, and a european policy, a policy that would take the scotland back into the eu, and handbag control of scotlands dish to brussels. If that is their manifesto, mr speaker, i look forward to contesting it with them at the polls. Hand back control of scotlands fish to brussels. When my right honourable friend was seeking to become leader of the conservative party, i was possibly the only one of our collea g u es possibly the only one of our colleagues who asked him for anything in return for their support. Laughter im being charitable, perhaps. I asked him for three things one, that he would get brexit done. Two, that he would get brexit done. Two, that he would make me a duke, because my wife fancied becoming a duchess. Laughter and finally, something that the leader of the opposition certainly agrees with me, that southend becomes a city cheering when will these things happen . Laughter mr speaker, mrspeaker, i mrspeaker, lam mr speaker, i am very grateful to my. Grateful to him for his support, i may say, but, i can say to him that our policy remains unchanged, that we should leave the eu on october 31, the end of the month, we will leave the eu on october 31, we can make the honourable members opposite imply. And that is what i will say to the eu andl and that is what i will say to the eu and i will report back to the house in due course. On my honourable friends other two requests. The dukedom . A duchess, and a city. Can i undertake this, through i will report back to the house on this matter, on the progress i am making. Laughter mr barry sherman. Mr speaker, i wonder if the Prime Minister has seen the heartbreaking images of children being killed, mutilated, seriously injured, on the syrian border. And, will he, given that the turks are members of nato, and old allies, we fought with the kurds, good and trusted friends, and the United States is a major ally of ours, and he has a Good Relationship with donald trump, will he step up to the plate and show that the British Government cares about this and is willing to do something about it . I thank the right honourable gentleman, he is absolutely right to raise this issue, and if i may say so, it is an appalling state of affairs, house will be aware of what is happening in northern syria. This is happening in northern syria. This is something the British Government has actively deplored, and i have spoken to president erdogan, twice, now, i think. Spoken to president erdogan, twice, now, ithink. Last spoken to president erdogan, twice, now, i think. Last weekend and this most recent weekend on the matter. I have urged him to cease fire, urged for a standstill, and, everybody in the house shares the right honourable gentlemans feelings about the loss of civilian life. It is particularly unsettling to see some of our close allies at variance in this matter, so the uk is working very closely now, as he would expect, with our french and german friends, to try to bring an understanding to president erdogan, of the risks we think this policy is running, and, of course, to persuade our american friends that we cannot simply turna our american friends that we cannot simply turn a blind eye to what is happening in syria. He is entirely correct in what he says. Jackie doyle price. I am grateful for the comments made by members about the tragic events that we have seen in my constituency this morning. It shows contempt for human life thatis it shows contempt for human life that is evil, and the best thing we can do in memory of those victims is to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice. But when my right honourable friend join me in paying tribute to all those who attended the scene this morning, showing incredible leadership and professionalism and lets remember the scenes they witnessed will stay with him for ever. Prime minister. I entirely agree with what my honourable friend has said and indeed what other colleagues already in this chamber have said today, it is hard to put ourselves in the shoes of those Emergency Services, as the right honourable gentleman opposite side, as they were asked to open that container and to expose the appalling crime that had taken place. And i must say, i do share his strong desire now that the perpetrators of that crime, and indeed all those who engage in similar activity, because we know that this trade is going on such traders in human beings should be hunted down and brought to justice. Brendan ohara. In a dispute diametrically opposing outcomes cannot be equally beneficial for both sides, so if the Prime Ministers great deal is so good for Northern Ireland to allow them access to the Single Market and the Customs Union, how would he describe his dealfor the Customs Union, how would he describe his deal for the shellfish produces in my constituency is, who fishing the same waters for the same catch but do not have access to the Single Market in the Customs Union . One has a great deal, what does the other one have . Mr speaker, i can tell that the honourable gentleman, of course, the fishing communities of scotla nd course, the fishing communities of scotland have a fantastic opportunity, by the end of next year, to take back control of the entire coaster waters, all 200 miles of them, and to manage their fisheries in the interests of scotland, and thereby to drive, if i may say so, and even better deal, and even better deal, with even better access to european markets, and that is an opportunity that will be wantonly thrown away, mr speaker, by the abject, abject, servile policy of the snp, who would hand back control of scottish fishing to brussels. Mr kenneth clarke. Mr speaker, yesterday my right honourable friend achieved the first landmark of his premiership by getting this house to vote, by a co mforta ble getting this house to vote, by a comfortable majority, in favour of brexit. If he now proceeds, in the reasonable and statesman like way i would hope for, then he can go on, ina would hope for, then he can go on, in a month or two is time, to actually deliver brexit before having a general election on the sensible basis of a mandate for a government on the full at negotiations that will follow. So will my right honourable friend firstly get over his disappointment and accept that october the 31st is now halloween, it is devoid of any symbolic or political content, and will fade away into historical memory very rapidly, so will he, having reflected, let us now that he is about to table a reasonable timetable motion so that this house can complete the task of finalising the details of the withdrawal bill so we can move on on a basis which might begin to reunite the nation once again for the future . Prime minister mr speaker, my right honourable friend makes a very reasonable case that, alas, we cannot now know what the eu will do in response to the request from parliament, i stress it wasnt my request, the request from parliament, to ask for a delay. We are awaiting, mr speaker, their reaction to parliaments request for a delay. I think myself, i must respectfully disagree with my right honourable friend, and that is not for the first time, i think it would still be very much in the best interests of this country and of democracy to get brexit done by october the 31st. I will wait to see what our eu friends and partners say in response both to the request for a delay from parliament and also to the assistance by parliament that they want a delay. I dont think the people of this country want a delay, i dont want a delay, i intend to press on, but im afraid we now have to see what our eu friends will decide on our behalf, and as a result of the decision that he took last night jonathan reynolds. They National Farmers union reported this week that 16 million apples have rotted away because the immigrant workers that normally pick those for the country have chosen not to come. Immigration was clearly a big part of the referendum, and the Prime Minister has promised a points based system, but that isnt going to allow for people to come here to pick fruit. What does the Prime Minister intend to do to stop the scandal of british food rotting away in the fields . Well, mr speaker, to the best of my knowledge, there are more eu nationals working in this country than ever before, and that is, in many ways, a great thing. But we have, as he knows, the eu settlement scheme, National Settlement scheme to encourage people to come forward and register if they are in any doubt about their status, but also we will be bringing forward an australian points based immigration system to make sure that all sectors have access to the labour they need. Penny mordaunt can i congratulate the Prime Minister on achieving so many things that the establishment said were impossible . In light of that. In light of that, could i ask him to instruct the Cabinet Office to examine how we can bring an end to male primogeniture and the ridiculous rules in the honours system which value women less than men, hopefully before he makes good on his undertakings to my honourable friend the member for southend on sea . Laughter well, mr speaker, speaking as the old est well, mr speaker, speaking as the oldest son who has never seen any particular benefits from that. I understand completely what she says. I will reflect on her request, andi says. I will reflect on her request, and i think she speaks for many people around the country wishing to see fairness and equality in the way we do these things. Ronnie cowan. Thank you, we are going to pull away from Prime Ministers questions. Norman smith told us beforehand that Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn had been having a meeting prior to pmqs and we will find out more about that in a little while perhaps. Pmqs continues, only the second time borisjohnson has actually continues, only the second time Boris Johnson has actually appeared at by ministers questions since he became Prime Minister incidentally. Right now we are going to return to our top story today. The grim news that 39 people have been found dead inside a lorry container in grays in essex. Police believe the lorry is from bulgaria and entered the country at holyhead on saturday 19 october. The bodies were found in the early hours of this morning, 38 adults and one teenager were pronounced at the scene and a 25 year old man from Northern Ireland has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Speaking at the start of Prime Ministers questions, borisjohnson the start of Prime Ministers questions, Boris Johnson described it as an appalling tragedy. This is the latest news from essex police. I guess we can take it from that that this is an attempt to essentially identify those on board, if they were hoping to join relatives already in the uk. Essex police are appealing to any relatives here to get in touch with them. The deputy chief constable of essex police made it clear in the brief statement to the media earlier that the police have not yet identified where the victims are from. Nor their individual identities. We can go now to my colleague ben brown who is at the scene in grays. What more can you tell us about the investigation . M isa tell us about the investigation . M is a very intensive investigation, anita. Essex police and of course the National Crime agency have said they are involved as well and you can see behind me, behind the green screen that has been erected here at the watergate Industrial Park in g rays the watergate Industrial Park in grays in essex, there was a police van and behind it the lorry. The police were alerted to it at about 1 40am this morning after a call from the Ambulance Service and inside they found 39 bodies altogether. 38 of the victims they say were adults and one was a teenager. The vehicle was originally from bulgaria, we dont know if the victims of bulgarian nationality or of what nationality they may be, that still unknown, but it is thought the lorry came into holyhead on saturday, possibly via the republic of ireland but we will have to wait and find out more details about that. The police have been talking in the last few minutes and this was detective chief superintendent pippa mills from essex police. Shortly before 1 40am today, we received reports that a numberof today, we received reports that a number of people have been found inside a lorrys contain at the Industrial Park on Eastern Avenue in grays. We believe the lorry is from and came into the uk to holyhead on the 19th of october watergate Industrial Park. Emergency services attended but sadly all 39 people inside the container had died. Early indications suggest that one of these people was a teenager, the re st these people was a teenager, the rest are believed to be adults. Eight Murder Investigation was launched and the lorry driver, a 25 year old man from Northern Ireland, was arrested on suspicion of murderand remains ireland, was arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody. Stage we have not identified where the victims were from or their identities and we anticipate this could be a lengthy process. I would like to thank the local community and in particular those who have been directly affected by the Police Cordon at the industrial site. Thank you for your copper operation and i appreciate the impact the road closure will have on businesses in the cordon your cooperation. I am unable to say at this stage how long the cordon will be in place but let me reassure you that my officers and partners will be doing everything they can to release the scene as soon as possible. This is an absolute tragedy and very sad for essex police and the local community. We will continue to work alongside many other Partner Agencies to find out what led to these deaths. I would like to appeal to anyone who has any information to contact my office is at the Major Investigation team on 101 or by visiting the Essex Police Website. We will update all of our channels as we are able to put police appreciate we are in the early stages of what is likely to be a lengthy investigation. That is the latest from essex police, not giving away too many details put that we have had some political reaction, as you heard, to the tragedy with the Prime Minister saying he is appalled by the tragic incident and his thoughts are with the victims and theirfamilies. The thoughts are with the victims and their families. The home thoughts are with the victims and theirfamilies. The home secretary said, priti patel said she was shocked and saddened and again, her thought work with those affected by this point that we are expecting a statement from her. And that latest tweet from essex police underlining the fact that identifying these victims is their top priority i wonder in setting up a Casualty Bureau locally, are they thinking that the victims may have been trying tojoin that the victims may have been trying to join relatives already here in the uk . I think there are a lot of lines of enquiry and, frankly, they are saying that identifying the 39 victims of this tragedy could take quite some time. Is the biggest loss of life in an incident of this nature since 2000 when 58 chinese immigrants were found, the bodies of 58 chinese immigrants were found in a lorry in dover almost 20 years ago, so it is an enormous task for essex police and the National Crime Agency Working with them. We have seen red cross fa ns working with them. We have seen red cross fans going in, red cross ambulances. A lot of forensic work has to be done and it is causing a lot of interruption to the industrial state of course but people are being very patient because it is an unimaginable tragedy. Thank you very much, ben brown in grays at the scene of the discovery of those bodies could mean the irish Prime Minister, leo varadkar, has been speaking about the incident in the past hour. The information we have so far this morning is very sketchy, but there are some reports that the truck may have passed through ireland at some point so we will need more information and carry out any necessary investigations that may be required. But i think everyones thoughts in this house this morning out with those who are dead, who are passed on, and theirfamilies. It is a terrible human tragedy and we will carry out any investigations that are necessary, if it is established that the truck did pass through ireland. We can talk to the Northern Ireland. We can talk to the Northern Ireland policy manager for the Freight Transport Association who joins me from our belfast newsroom. A grim and tragic story to be talking about today, and you have commented that if the lorry came from bulgaria, as is believed, getting into Great Britain via holyhead is an unorthodox route . Definitely because you are driving past calais or zeebrugge and to end holyhead, there is only one route and that is through dublin. We are still in the early stages of this and you dont want to speculate but if the people who got on board this vehicle got on in continental europe, and came via hollywood, holyhead, it would have been to antwerp, cherbourg or santander. The logical conclusion would be if that was the case that they were trying to avoid areas where they felt the security checks might have been more stringent . You are in a good place to tell us about the level of security at these various ports. Yes, Human Trafficking gangs have targeted calais and doverfor years as we are well aware, and members tell us routinely that there is an exclusion zone for many miles around calais where lois will not plug for fear of stowaways getting on board. Natmeg lorries will not park. There are scanners and calais to scan vehicles for people hidden in trailers. On this level, a scale we have not seen in 20 years, it is an industrial scale of human smuggling where they have tried to bypass that technology and level of cheques to ta Ke Technology and level of cheques to take the longer route to the uk. These poor souls could have got on somewhere other than bulgaria . Indeed, and we dont know, if they got on board in france, the republic of ireland, we simply dont know and we are speculating. But what i have learnt is that this vehicle arrived into holyhead on the 19th of october so there are two days before their bodies were found on board the vehicle which is quite worrying. And that ultimately led to this tragic loss of life. And we dont know because the police have not said, whether at the lorry travelled directly from holyhead to where it was discovered or whether it went to other places between those points. Tell us a little more if you would about other methods for checking and whether anyone has got on board a lorry . Generally, for example in calais, there are ethical inspections with sniffer dogs and in one case, lorries are directed into a shed such where the driver they kicked the vehicle and a scanner can pick upa kicked the vehicle and a scanner can pick up a heartbeat in the back of a trailer that vacates the vehicle. It is unlikely that forensic analysis, it may be as the gang is looking for alternate routes put up with such a volume of freight traffic presumably at these ports over the course of even a single day but that presumably were talking about the spot checks and not every vehicle . Indeed, spot checks and intelligence led, the sheer volume of vehicles going through dover every day, you could not physically inspect every one of them. It is something our industry, we have been advising members for several years for checks for drivers to carry out before they board the ferry is. There are so many things, we have had members, they have spent thousands of pounds repairing trailers where gangs have slashed hold in the roofs of trailers to get in, and then if you are inspecting from the side, it does not look like it has been tampered with. Even that number of people, 39 people. It is an industrial scale of smuggling and very reckless of these people who put them on board the vehicle. That trail is a refrigerated trailer and it is airtight, you are relying on the cooling unit to put air into it but if there is a malfunction or something happens to it, that vehicle becomes a sealed unit which will have catastrophic effects. Obviously in the realms of speculation but to dig into that idea a little more, because there we re idea a little more, because there were 39 people on board, do you think that suggests it is more likely they got on in an organised fashion at a particular location, as opposed to being put onto the lorry ina opposed to being put onto the lorry in a faster and more scrambled way, if you like, when the opportunity presented itself at some point on the route between bulgaria and the uk . Early stages and it looks like it is organised. Sometimes when migrants get on vehicles and they are not noticed by drivers, you are talking about one or two when they might hide under the axles get through the roof, but for 39 people to get on board a vehicle unnoticed, it simply wouldnt happen. It has to be something that happens in a controlled fashion. Seamus, thank you for your insight into this. Policy managerfor the you for your insight into this. Policy manager for the Northern Ireland Freight Transport Association. We can bejoined by the welfare of immigrants, we were joined. He said it could take a long time for authorities to find out the identity of those who died point that we have seen tragedies like this before and it is typically a difficult process to investigate. All we know is that 39 people who had hopes and dreams and fears like you and me are no longer alive today. This is just you and me are no longer alive today. This isjust an you and me are no longer alive today. This is just an unspeakable tragedy that could have been avoided. Clearly very vulnerable individuals to be in this position in the first place and, as such, might not have had any papers on them to identify them. Indeed and again, if this transpires that it was a case of Human Trafficking gone horribly wrong, the question needs to be asked, why people feel they have to submit themselves to a trafficker. Whether it was trafficking or smuggling, whatever the precise reasons for them being on this lorry, the fact that they we re on this lorry, the fact that they were on it trying to get into the uk suggests some degree, some heavy degree of desperation. Talk to us about the situation in which people will put themselves in this difficult and fatal position. Across europe and here in the uk in particular we do see a lack of safe and legal routes for people to move across borders. People are going to move, Human History tells us that people are always going to move. The only thing we can do is, as state and citizen and government, make sure the journeys they make our safe and are documented as they move and things like this dont happen. There will always be people who want to try to exploit others and get around traditional ways or structured way are moving from one country to another. It is worth reiterating that we dont know exactly why these people were on board this lorry but there will always be those who exploit people in desperation and what more needs to be done to tackle those sorts of people . Every time we close a door, a trafficker or a people smuggler has a field day. If people smuggler has a field day. If people dont feel they can trust in a system that is supposed to be there to render very quick decisions and fair decisions on the basis of their merits or vulnerability or needs, traffickers and smugglers, people who are in the business of exploitation, will seize that opportunity and that is exactly what ifear opportunity and that is exactly what i fear we have seen opportunity and that is exactly what ifear we have seen in opportunity and that is exactly what i fear we have seen in this case. That was satbir singh from the joint council for the welfare of immigrants. We are keeping an eye on the house of commons of course as well because we are expecting the home secretary, priti patel, to make a statement about this tragic incident in essex with the discovery early this morning of the bodies of 39 people. The time is 53 minutes past 12. Affordable housing is a concern for people right around the world, sparking political debate and, in some cases, civil unrest. Germany is one country taking action. A growing population and not enough houses to go around means rising rent. Around 80 of homes in berlin are rented and rent rose by 7 in the First Quarter of 2019 alone. And in the last ten years, rents have doubled. The average berlin apartment costs over 1200 a month. Residents have been calling for officials to take action. A form of rent control was introduced in 2015, stopping landlords charging new te na nts stopping landlords charging new tenants more than 10 above the local average but now the city is getting tougher. Rents will be frozen for five years and rents which are particularly high may even be lowered. Translation the topic of living and renting is a central theme not only in berlin, and in this respect is right to react in time and break new ground. And it will all be backdated tojune, but not everyone thinks a rent freeze is the answer. Construction firms and Property Developers say it will put them off investing in the city. Translation we will have less new construction, few repairs and modernisation. Berlins Parliament Still needs to formally adopt the bill, which is expected to come into effect in january bill, which is expected to come into effect injanuary next bill, which is expected to come into effect in january next year. Bill, which is expected to come into effect injanuary next year. Richard preston, bbc news. A 120 year old danish lighthouse has been moved to saveit danish lighthouse has been moved to save it from falling into the sea. It weighs around 700 tonnes so shifting was quite a task. For more than a century, it has stood on these shores protecting sailors and ships alike. But coastal erosion had finally caught up with the rubjerg lighthouse. It would have to be abandoned, demolished or moved. In the end, they went for option number three. Translation its a really big day for us. We have been on the sidelines from the getting and we did not know if it was even possible to move it. But possible it was. The entire structure lifted up by hydraulics and slowly carried at the dizzying speed of up to eight metres per hour. It was pushed along two attracts, a process to scrub as Something Like skating on rails two tracks put out thousands of spectators looked on as the lighthouse was moved to some 70 metres, more than 200 feet. Translation i felt very confident but of course im very relieved now that it but of course im very relieved now thatitis but of course im very relieved now that it is done, especially as it is so important for northern jutland but also the whole of denmark. Once it had reached its destination, concrete was poured in to provide support. This whole operation is expected to safeguard the lighthouse for another 40 years or so when, presumably, everyone will come back and do it all over again. Now we can rejoin Prime Ministers questions. Seek a new and Better Future as a proud, independent, open, generous, global, free trading economy. That is what we can do, mr speaker, that is what we can do, mr speaker, that is the opportunity that this country has and i hope very much that he will support it and help us to deliver brexit, to live on the mandate of the people and get it done by october the 31st. Deliver on the mandate. Last week saw the damaging us tariffs apply to many iconic murray products such as single malts got whiskey and shortbread. These industry have nothing to do with a dispute between the us and eu so what if the government and the Prime Minister doing to try to get these tariffs removed as quickly as possible . Mr speaker, my honourable friend campaigned valiantly on this issue and he is absolutely right and both iand my and he is absolutely right and both i and my right honourable friend the chancellor have raised this matter personally with our counterparts in the United States and it is a rank injustice that scottish whisky is being penalised in the way that it is. And we hope that those tariffs will be withdrawn as soon as possible but it has been raised repeatedly at the highest level. Possible but it has been raised repeatedly at the highest lavatm swinson. I would like to associate myself and my colleagues on these benches with the remarks made earlier about the horrific deaths of 39 people in essex. Mr speaker, it is good manners to say thank you when our friends help us out. With the Prime Minister like to express his gratitude to the 19 labour mps who voted for his deal last night and to the leader of the opposition for meeting with him this morning to help push through his bad brexit deal . Mr speaker, im grateful to the honourable lady for giving me that opportunity and do indeed express my gratitude as i think i did last night, and im happy to repeat again today for the avoidance of doubt, to all members of the house who have so farjoined the movement to get brexit done and deliver on the mandate of the people. I dont think i can yet count her in that number. Perhaps i could ask her in return to cease her missions to brussels where she has, to the best of my knowledge, been asking for them not to give us a deal . I think that was a mistake, they have given us an excellent deal andi they have given us an excellent deal and i hope very much in the cross party and i hope very much in the cross party spirit that sheets are sports that she will endorse that deal. Jeff maggert she supports. Order. I say to the honourable gentleman that points of order come later. I am gentleman that points of order come later. Lam playing gentleman that points of order come later. I am playing for time before i call the home secretary sol later. I am playing for time before i call the home secretary so i milik note there is a distinguished orthodontist observing our proceedings, accompanied by his splendid wife, very warm welcome to the house of commons very good to see you. Momentarily, when members have completed their beetling out of the chamber quickly and quietly, we will be able to proceed with the statement by the secretary of state secretary priti patel. Thank you, mr speaker. Following the tragic discovery of 39 bodies in a shipping container in essex this morning, i wa nt to ta ke container in essex this morning, i want to take this opportunity to update the house on the facts that are available so