Transcripts For BBCNEWS Monday In Parliament 20170207

At the day at westminster. The headlines the speaker of the House Of Commons has told mps he doesnt want President Trump to address the Houses Of Parliament. Our opposition to racism and to sexism, and our support for Equality Before The Law, and an independent judiciary, are hugely important considerations in the House Of Commons. By comparison, slightly more measured tones from the Prime Minister on the Special Relationship, as she reports back from an informal eu summit in malta. We should engage patiently and constructively with america, as a friend and ally. An ally which has helped guarantee the longest period of peace which europe has ever known. And radically different views as mps try to get to the bottom of what its like to work in the gig economy. First the speaker of the House Of Commons has told mps he is strongly opposed to President Trump addressing the Houses Of Parliament on his state visit to the United Kingdom. John bercow said the Migrant Travel Ban has made that opposition stronger. He said that an address was not an automatic right, but an earned honour. Before the imposition of the migrant ban, i would myself have been strongly opposed to an address by President Trump in westminster hall. After the imposition of the migrant ban by President Trump, i am even more strongly opposed to an address by President Trump in westminster hall. So far as the royal gallery is concerned, and again, i operatesk 77777 hall. So far as the royal gallery is concerned, and again, i egerate on 7 77777 hall. So far as the royal gallery is concerr i d, and again, i egerate on 7 77777 hall. So far as the royal gallery is concerr i do and again, i egerate on 7 77777 hall. So far as the royal gallery is concerr i do not again, i egerate on 7 77777 hall. So far as the royal gallery is concerr i do not perhaps energize on 7 77777 hall. So far as the royal gallery is concerr i do not perhaps have be on 7 77777 hall. So far as the royal gallery is concerr i do not perhaps have as on 7 77777 advice, i do not perhaps have as strong a say in that matter. It is ina strong a say in that matter. It is in a different part of the building, although customarily an invitation toa although customarily an invitation to a visiting leader to deliver an address their would be issued in the names of the two speakers. I would not wish to issue an invitation to President Trump to speak in the royal gallery. And i conclude by saying to the honourable gentleman this. We value our relationship with the united states. If the state visit takes place that is way beyond and above the pay grade of the speaker. However, as far as this place is concerned, ifeel very strongly that our opposition to racism and to sexism, and our support for Equality Before The Law and an independent judiciary support for Equality Before The Law and an independentjudiciary are hugely important considerations in the House Of Commons. The long standing labour mp, dennis skinner, stood during that applause. Two words well done. But not all mps were clapping. Indeed, one questioned it. Clapping is not normally permitted in the chamber. No, we shouldnt have clapping. We shouldnt have clapping in the chamber, but sometimes it is easier just to let it go them to make a huge fuss about it. But there you go. In more moderate tones, earlier theresa may told mps the world should engage patiently with the new us administration. While reporting back on an informal eu summit in malta, the Prime Minister said it was important other nato members kept to their 2 defence spend, and said again that the rights of eu citizens to stay in the uk had to be part of the brexit negotiations, because that was what other countries wanted. Labour says the uncertainty on that could be ended much sooner. Theresa may began by paying tribute to the queen, on the occasion of her sapphire jubilee. Mr speaker, before i turn to the European Council i am sure that the whole house will want to join me European Council i am sure that the whole house will want tojoin me in sending our congratulations to her majesty the queen, as she marks her sapphire jubilee today. It majesty the queen, as she marks her sapphirejubilee today. It is testa m e nt to sapphirejubilee today. It is testament to her majestys selfless devotion to the nation that she is not marking being the first monarch to serve for 65 years with any celebration, but instead getting on with the job to which she has dedicated her life. Written is leaving the European Union but it is not leaving europe and the Global Britain which stands tall in the world will be a good friend and ally to all of our european partners. So at this summit which showed how britain will continue to play a leading role in europe, long after we have left the eu, in particular through our contribution to the challenge of managing mass migration, through our Special Relationship with america, and through the new and equal partnership that we want to build between the eu and independent, self governing Global Britain. Of course there are some areas where we disagree with the approach of the new administration, and we should be clear about those disagreements and about the values that underpin our response to the global challenges that we face. But i also argue at this council that we should engage patiently and constructively with america as a friend and ally, and ally that has helped guarantee the longest period of peace that europe has ever known. For we should be clear, mr speaker, that the alternative of division and confrontation would only embolden those who would do us harm, wherever they may be. But the labour mp Jeremy Corbyn cast doubt on britains defence spending. So while the Prime Minister is lecturing other countries, can she tell the house of why the government change the accounting rules to include aspects of expenditure that we re include aspects of expenditure that were not previously included . The defence select committee, in 2015, noted the government is only meeting the 2 figure by including other areas, such as pensions, which have not been included before. And goes 0h not been included before. And goes on to say this redefinition of defence expenditure undermines, to some extent, the credibility of the governments assertion that the 2 figure represents an increase. Labour has been unequivocal that it is within this governments gift to guarantee the rights of eu citizens to remain in this country. There is no need to wait for negotiations to begin. The government could do it how. Begin. The government could do it now. This is not a question about brexit. It is a question about human rights, democracy, and decency, towards people who have lived and worked in these countries, and many families here have children born here, andi families here have children born here, and i think we must guarantee their rights. Did the Prime Minister remind european colleagues that in scotland we voted by 62 to remain within the European Union, and that only one, only one, Member Of Parliament representing a scottish constituency voted for her brexit legislation . Mr speaker, we are getting to a stage where warm words from the government are not enough. It is the member state that is supposed to negotiate on all of our behalf is within the European Union. Scotland didnt warrant a single mention in the Prime Ministers statement. She now has the opportunity to tell us what scottish priorities did she raised at the European Summit . Did she raised any at all . The Prime Minister replied that she was putting forward the views of the United Kingdom. The issue of eu nationals living in the United Kingdom was returned to, as members of Parliament Continued their scrutiny of legislation which will lead to a triggering of article 50 and the uks eu exit. The government says the fate of European Union citizens living in the uk must be decided along with that of uk citizens living in the eu. But one senior labour mp said the Prime Minister was giving mixed messages. 0n the one hand, she says no one who is lawfully here has anything to worry about. 0n the other hand, she says that she cant commit to giving them residency rights, because their future must depart of the negotiations. I just cannot feel future must depart of the negotiations. Ijust cannot feel it is anyway right to use the lives of 3 Million People and Theirfamilies Asa Bargaining 3 Million People and theirfamilies as a bargaining chip. They and their families are not pawns in a game of poker with the eu. They cannot be used as a human shield, as we battle it out in europe for our uk citizens in other countries abroad. That may well put at rest the concerns of eu nationals in britain but it seems to me it was simply throwing overboard the interests and concerns of uk citizens living elsewhere in the European Union. We would not have secured their interest is, and would have thrown away our ability to do so. Have thrown away our ability to do so. I thank the honourable gentleman for giving way, and 15 of the stuff, 5 of students and 10 of Research Students in Cardiff University in my constituency from the eu. Does he agree with me that there is a significant risk that the eu staff and their spouses will seek employment elsewhere, outside the uk, if they dont have certainty now from the government, and we lose all our Intellectual Capital . |j from the government, and we lose all our Intellectual Capital . I agree with the honourable lady, which is why im very pleased that the Prime Minister, in a statement that she made today and on a number of other occasions, has made it clear that she wants to reach an early agreement, and has been seeking to do so with our european partners. Agreement, and has been seeking to do so with our european partnerslj am do so with our european partners. ama do so with our european partners. am a memberof do so with our european partners. am a member of the exiting the Eu Select Committee and we heard evidence from a number of british nationals living in spain, germany, italy and france a few weeks ago, and they were members of representative organisations of other british nationals. Every single one of them said that they felt if the uk government made a unilateral guarantee of the right of eu nationals living here, and the other Member States would reciprocate. The Liberal Democrat Alistair Carmichael said that certainty on where people could live was very important. The challenge that faces upcountry at this point our country at this point is how we go forward in a way that allows us to bring the 52 in the 48 back together. This is an enormous challenge for our country. It is one that we cannot meet simply with the support of half of our population. It is something for which we need all of our people to be able to pull together. This would be able to pull together. This would be one small measure that would allow the government to bring the two sides together, to get the best possible dealfor all our two sides together, to get the best possible deal for all our citizens, whether they are british by birth or british by choice. It is as important to us as british parliamentarians, as the british government, to defend the rights of british citizens living overseas, and there are a lot of them and not all of them are contributing particularly to their society and a lot of them are retired, so they are even more vulnerable, in a sense, and many of those eu workers who are here, actively working. It is the first duty of this house to look after rajesh citizens wherever they may be. But also, being aware that we have a duty to eu nationals at the same time. Sol we have a duty to eu nationals at the same time. So i think, again, it would be completely wrong in terms of negotiating, in terms of our negotiating position, to declare your unilaterally, that all eu nationals up to a certain date can continue to live here without any fear or favour. Sir hugo swire, defending the Prime Ministers arguments on eu nationals. Youre listening to monday in parliament. Coming up a Change In Headgear sets the commons aflutter. But first rarely on the Committee Corridor do you hear quite such contrasting opinions as those presented to the work and pensions committee. The subject was the gig economy, where workers get paid for each job they do, rather than being fully employed or on a contract. One set of witnesses was full of praise for cab and courier firms. The other full of despair. At exactly the same companies. The contents went first. Working as a career . I was a full time tennis coach and i was finding it tough. I wanted another job to mix in with my coaching. The courierjob job to mix in with my coaching. The courier job just job to mix in with my coaching. The courierjobjust fit that job to mix in with my coaching. The courier job just fit that bill. Job to mix in with my coaching. The courierjob just fit that bill. It fits in with my coaching so i can deliver, do Tennis Coaching and that was white. Dip in and out. I can go out delivering for a couple of hours, doa out delivering for a couple of hours, do a tennis lesson, go out and deliver, do another tennis lesson. It suits my lifestyle. It is a matter of attitude. Any other minicab company, then the view that they have one customer. The great thing about uber, it sees it as to customers. 0ther thing about uber, it sees it as to customers. Other companies dont, but uber sees the driver as a customer and doing things like making life easier for us. 0ver four years, ive been able to have that view, they have a driving an easier experience. I always know what rounds i have. I go to the depot. I know what minimum pass as i will have. I always do well at the minimum. I do well above minimum wage. I get the hours to do when there is work out there. You are here to speak to yourselves and talk about your own stories. We are very grateful. Do you consider yourselves to be typical of the group of people that you work with in each of the areas you to work . Its difficult to say. My contact with other uber drivers has been limited. Two of them are at Uber Christmas parties, which are very nice. All the other drivers seem happy. I occasionally use uber as a passenger and a chat with the driver and say i am a driver. Never hurt anybody who had anything bad to say. My brother was anything bad to say. My brother was a uber driver anything bad to say. My brother was a uberdriver in anything bad to say. My brother was a uber driver in manchester. He is happy. Contrast that with the next witnesses. Its now very expensive to me personally to work. The number of drivers now is restricting what you can earn. A year ago, there was a lot less drivers and a lot more work. Now it is a case of it is much slower. There are more drivers out there. Youve got to work longer hours to earn what you werent before. Dont get me wrong, either gets a great platform, a super platform for the public, there is no doubt about that. But for the drivers, it is the cheapest form of transport for the public so out there is the cheapest. And its the most bookings service for any driver to use. It then becomes expensive rice and cheaper the public and those things do not match. One of the biggest expenses is your car . He actually had to buy it to get the job. And uber dont take old cars. I was 011 job. And uber dont take old cars. I was on the exact form, you need to have a certain car. You need to have a 40,000 car. I find myself is running around with an e class doing jobs that to pounds 25 and that is a nerd. Black charges £2 for the first and they can make money. Weve got all these things to do. You sit down and you talk to uber and i have tried. I said and you talk to uber and i have tried. Isaid i and you talk to uber and i have tried. I said i would like you to negotiate with me on the feed that you charge and the fees that are charged to the public. We want to charged to the public. We want to charge more. They refused to do it. Injuly charge more. They refused to do it. In july last charge more. They refused to do it. Injuly last year, my charge more. They refused to do it. In july last year, my car was off the road, the morning i was supposed to go back to work, they said i havent got any rounds any more. Basically, yes. Theyjust sent me a text and said we have taken the rounds off you. You should have gone oii rounds off you. You should have gone on holiday and that is that. Now to the lords when peers from all sides raise concerns about the pressure facing Adult Social Care in england. It is evident that the care homes are facing an existential problem. The costs of increased by 30 over the last year with the introduction ofa the last year with the introduction of a National Living wage and net profits reduced. 1500 homes have closed over the last six years and there is a major problem going on. Its good not good enough to exhort that councils pick up the gap when Ourfunding Exhort that councils pick up the gap when our funding has exhort that councils pick up the gap when ourfunding has been exhort that councils pick up the gap when our funding has been curtailed and its not helping care homes. When will the government get a grip of this serious crisis . Im pleased this is a government that has introduced the National Living wage which is supported across this house and the other place. There is an impact on social care home providers lots of the staff in which to operate and are paid at that level. There is pressure in the social sector and that is one of the reasons the precept is rising and the Better Care Fund has been created to support more Care Provisions in the appropriate setting that people want to have it in. A bbc survey has found a number of patients on Hospital Wards in england has been at unsafe levels in nine out of ten nhs trusts this winter. Bosses have said that hospitals have major problems discharging frail patients. The independent or crossbench peer lady green cross said the government should follow the lead of other countries and provide Rehabilitation Centres. The minister conceded that in many countries, people who are in acute hospitals dont need to be there if there was somewhere they could go very quickly after being admitted to hospital to Rehabilitation Centres . In many countries, Small Rehab Centres which could be a lot of our smaller hospitals, are being closed down, nurse glad, i where people go immediately part of the acute hospital sector and that if we did that, we could sell some of the problems and we would have the right sort of care for a lot of field people who at the moment are accused of Blocking Hospitals which they do but its not their fault. of Blocking Hospitals which they do but its not their fault. I think the noble lady raises an incredibly important point. Its often the case that patients and up in hospitals for a variety of reasons which is not always the best setting for them. The kind of care she is describing as important. It might be Rehab Centres or cottage hospitals and what we are seeing food the sustainability and transformation plans are ideas for Immediate Care or stepdown care which provide the sort of thing she is talking about. Will she ensure will he ensure the Numberof Care will she ensure will he ensure the number of care home places remains ata the number of care home places remains at a level to enable those to be discharged from hospital when they are deemed safe to do so and if there is cut the shortage of care home beds in counties such as north yorkshire, will his Department Work closely with the local authorities up closely with the local authorities up and down the country to ensure that people can leave hospital and go to that people can leave hospital and gotoa that people can leave hospital and go to a care home where that is appropriate . I think my noble friend from making an important point. The capacity in the care home sector is important in making sure there was a proper flow of patients out of hospitals and into a more appropriate setting. Where there is appropriate setting. Where there is a shortage of residential or nursing home care beds, the onus of care falls on the families and would he ta ke falls on the families and would he take this opportunity to update his honourable friend in the other place, the minister of health, who la st place, the minister of health, who last week exhorted the nation to ca re last week exhorted the nation to care for its elderly relatives. Apparently forgetting that there are 6. 5 Million People who already do so, at great personal cost to themselves . The noble lady is quite right to highlight the work that ca re rs right to highlight the work that carers do. There is a national ca re rs carers do. There is a National Carers strategy to support those people who are supporting the family often in very difficult circumstances. The point that my honourable friend in the other place was trying to make was that there is an Important Role to families to do so in the way parents would do for children, that children should do to their parents can return. The health minister. Beforejohn bercows statement on donald trump, he said hearts racing on the benches. The commission endorsed a proposition reflecting the overwhelming view of his college that clerks should no longer wear wigs at the table in the chamber. They will also cease to wear court dress but they will continue to wear gallons so as to be distinguishable as experts in parliamentary procedure, not lawyers and certainly not members. Details are ina and certainly not members. Details are in a letterfrom the and certainly not members. Details are in a letter from the clerk of the house to the chair of the procedure committee, available on the committees website and in the vote office. Colleagues will be pleased to learn that this change will, in the longer term, save money, and it will i believe be welcomed by those clerks who serve all look forward to serving at the table and it will moreover in my view, which i recognise may not be universally shared, conveyed to the Public A Marginally Less Stuffy and forbidding image of this chamber at work. The new regime, colleagues, will start soon after we return from the short february recess. Order. With that, On To Education but questions on that announcement wont exhausted and return to after the Prime Ministers statement. With Great Respect to your statement at the beginning of proceedings on behalf of the commission that the dress and composition of the clerks sitting in this house should change forthwith after the recess, can i urge you to reconsider this and consider whether the whole house or to have an opportunity to address this matter before its inactive. What i would say to the honourable gentleman is this. If he believes that the time of the house either in the chamber or that the time of the house either in the chamberor in that the time of the house either in the chamber or in westminster hall, would be well spent by discussing this matter, he knows the avenues that are open to him. Sir gerald. Further to that point of order, eyeing gree i agree with Mike Honourable friend and i was taken by surprise which had the appearance of a misunderstanding but it had the appearance of an executive order. I was slightly surprised by that. I had discussed the matter with the clerk who had done me the enormous courtesy of asking my view and i had declared informally but i thought it was sensible to continue because this, mr speaker, is the high court of parliament. And i do think that the clerks dressed as they are add to the dignity of the house. Some of us are to the dignity of the house. Some of us are not always capable of enhancing that. But the clerks do. It wasnt an executive order. It was a request from the clerks themselves to which i, and the members of the House Of Commons commission, agreed. Now, people are entitled to their views about it but the idea this was something that i dreamt up and sought to impose against the will of the clerks is 100 wrong. Sought to impose against the will of the clerks is 10096 wrong. The speaker, john bercow. That is all on me. Keith mcdougall is yet to the rest of the week. But from me, goodbye. Hello. Monday turned out to be quite a day of weather across some parts of the British Isles with a combination of wind and rain and hill snow through the northern parts as well. Tuesday, a chilly start wherever you may be. There will still will be some of that monday rain lingering, especially across the eastern side of both scotland and england, because that Weather Front will make very, very slow progress through the day into the north sea, and that keeps that chance of a little bit of rain still there across those eastern parts. Where the skies clear further west, itll be a really cold start, there will be some ice around south western scotland, Northern Ireland, maybe some sheltered spots across the western side of both england and wales. Here, the skies will have cleared for some overnight, and that will give rise to some sunshine first up across the south west into wales but youll notice there are showers not very far away. Move a little bit further east from that, this is where we get into that murky zone all the way from Central Southern England, through the midlands to Northern England and southern parts of scotland. Further east again, there the rain from that old Weather Front. Across Western Parts of scotland and Western Parts of Northern Ireland initially, this is where we are going to see some pretty hefty showers, at times, just merging together to give some longer spells of rain with the chance, i would have thought, of a little bit of hill snow yet again. 0n through the course of the day, those showers really getting going across parts of wales and the south west, you might even hear the odd rumble of thunder in the mix there. I think improving conditions gradually getting into Central Southern England and maybe the north west of england, south western scotland. And relatively speaking, compared to whats to come, those temperatures not too bad. Nine or 10 degrees across Western Parts but underneath the cloud and rain in the east around six degrees. As far ahead as wednesday, that Weather Front is still lurking. It is heading back towards the west, wouldnt you just know it, not the same intensity i suspect than weve seen of late and that is going to open the door eventually to some cold air, which, as we get on through thursday and into friday, absolutely wins out, such that cold air comes to sit across the British Isles in the latter part of the week with the mild air lurking out in the atlantic. And this is the difference it makes to the temperatures. No longer eight, nine and ten. Its three, four, five and six for many of us with only the western fringes pushing towards seven or eight degrees. A lot of cloud around. Im afriad it is going to be fairly leaden skies and that Cooling Process continues apace on into thursday, two, three, four, five or six degrees so that by the end of the week there will be cold easterly wind with a lot of cloud and the Odd Snow Flurry too. Welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in North America and around the globe. 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