Transcripts For BBCNEWS Thursday In Parliament 20170203

Coming up in the next half hour the government sets out its brexit policy paper. The Transport Secretary says expanding heathrow will be good for britain post brexit. And, as mps debate alcohol harm, a former Minister Talks about growing up as the son of an alcoholic. I know what its like to feel that cold nausea when you find the empty bottles hidden around the house. But first, the government has published its 75 page brexit policy document, laying out what its objectives are in the forthcoming negotiations on extracting the uk from the european union. The principles were contained in the Prime Ministers keynote speech last month, so there were few surprises. The Secretary Of State, david davis, said it confirmed the Prime Ministers vision of an independent, truly global uk. The government recognised the need for clarity and certainty. The white paper also sets out we will take control of our own laws so they are made in london, edinburgh, cardiffand belfast, and ensure that we will control the number of people coming to the uk from the european union. And the jurisdiction of the European Court ofjustice in the uk will come to an end. It will be for parliament and the devolved legislatures to determine significant changes to reflect our new position. Ive said this at the dispatch box before, there will be any number of votes on substantive policy choices. To that end, the white paper makes clear that we expect to bring forward separate legislation in areas such as customs and immigration. Delivering smooth, mutually beneficial exit, avoiding a disruptive cliff edge will be the key. Whatever the outcome of our negotiations, we seek a more open, outward looking, confident and fairer uk that works for everyone. The white paper is available on the government website, and ive arranged for copies to be available in the libraries of both houses. Mr speaker, i would normally thank the Secretary Of State for early sight of his statement. But this statement says nothing. A week ago, at Prime Ministers questions, the Prime Minister said there would be a white paper. Yesterday, she said there would be a white paper tomorrow. The Secretary Of State now makes a statement, saying there will be a white paper. But the white paper has not been delivered until a few minutes ago so that we can meaningfully actually ask him questions about it. He repeated a demand for a vote in the commons on the final deal between the pm and the eu. Otherwise, all honourable members will have to watch on their screens as the European Parliament debates our deal before we get to express any views on it. That is completely unacceptable, and its demeaning of this house. Theres no point in having a vote after hes already signed it off with the european union, treating parliament as some sort of afterthought. So can he rule out now the government showing such contempt for parliament . This is now my sixth statement in this house in less than six months. Let me finish. The house will have the opportunity to vote on any number of pieces of legislation before we get there, and it will have the vote at the end to decide whether or not it is acceptable. I cant see how you can make it more meaningful than that. Mr speaker, the Secretary Of State is more experienced than me, ill concede that. Its very striking that we get a white paper after the second reading, and two sitting days before the committee stage. Now, we have just got this before he got on his feet. Is that respectful to parliament, to be able to question him on it, when it only goes out just as he goes on . I find that an astonishing disrespect of parliament. Mr speaker, this is a mess. Its going to have an impact on each and every one of us, and people deserve better. On page 49 of this white paper, the government said, and i quote, we have an open mind on how we can implement new Customs Arrangements with the eu. Just for the avoidance of doubt, because it i think it is important to be clear so that everyone knows where we stand, will the Secretary Of State confirm today that we are not only leaving the eu and single market, we are definitely leaving the Customs Union . If he reads the rest of that chapter, he will see we exclude ourselves from the common commercial policy and the common external tariff, which amounts to exactly what he said. David davis. A former Defence Minister has welcomed the decision of a disciplinary tribunal which has struck off a Human Rights Lawyer who brought claims of murder and torture against british soldiers after the iraq war. It found that phil shiner had acted dishonestly and upheld 12 charges of misconduct against him. Hed admitted acting without integrity at an earlier hearing. Phil shiner who founded the firm, Public Interest lawyers was accused of drumming up false abuse claims, and paying thousands of pounds to a fixer to find iraqi clients. Speaking in the commons during a debate on the armed forces, the mp for aldershot and a former Defence Minister, sir gerald howarth, gave his reaction. I felt at the time that that man, phil shiner, was a disgrace. He was a dreadful man, engaged in a cowardly and unacceptable activity of trying to find people who would stand up and accuse his fellow countrymen who had gone to relieve the people of iraq from their suffering, and he went to try and do down those people. Im very pleased to hear today he has been struck off. Frankly, i dont think thats enough. But then i always was a supporter of capital punishment. Our government is not doing enough. We need to do more to protect those who have done the most for us. Because what the covenant should be about is to ensure that those who have served, who have risked all, who have given all can come back, safe in the knowledge that they are safe and they are not going to be pursued by charlatans and liars like philip shiner, who has been struck off today by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority for his deceit, dishonesty and absolute treason to this country, in the way he has pursued fine people. If people like that had been around in the aftermath of the Second World War, and if our troops in the Second World War had known that they would have to face the duplicity and the manoeuvrings and the outrages perpetrated on a subsequent generations of soldiers by people like that, then i do not think they could possibly have fought with the valour that they did, in the defeat of nazism and fascism. A third runway for Heathrow Airport was approved by the government in october, but weve still not had the very final decision. The next stage in the plan to actually build the runway is now underway. The Transport Secretary has launched a four month consultation and set out planning and infrastructure proposals. In the commons, mr grayling a staunch supporter of leaving the eu couldnt resist making a connection with brexit. By backing the North West Runway at Heathrow Airport, and publishing our proposals today, we are sending a clear signal that when we leave the eu, britain is open for business. So, mr speaker, today i lay before parliament a Draft Airports National Policy Statement and begin a period of extensive Public Consultation on the proposals it contains. Labour focused on air quality. There is an increasing concern regarding air quality, which is linked to 40,000 early deaths a year. David camerons former aide, now baroness camilla cavendish, claimed existing policy on air quality underwhelms and over claims. Given this inadequacy, what further and stringent measures will be imposed to mitigate expected expansion at heathrow . Of course, some of the things we are consulting on today, mr speaker, for example, smarter use of airspace, one of the things we will be able to achieve through airspace reform and through the technology thats now available to us is to avoid to anything like the degree we expect at the moment planes stacking over the South East Of England, emitting additional emissions into the atmosphere, using up more fuel. Thats one of the benefits that comes from smarter use of airspace that will help contribute, as will cleaner, newer generation, more efficient aircraft that we will see, ithink, extensively in this country over the coming years. The Secretary Of State will be aware that on the 23rd of january, we had a black alert in Air Pollution in london, and 12 local Authority Areas signalled red alerts. That means toxic air, and it is at crisis point in london. So i think if youre going to reassure the people of london to continue to support this decision, we need a much more comprehensive Air Pollution strategy, not the governments current plans that the courts have said are woefully inadequate. Will he explain what he will do if the airport cannot be delivered with the legal Air Obligations Limits . Proceed anyway, change the air quality objectives, or pull the plug on the runway . Well, mr speaker, its very clear the airport will not be able to secure its Development Consent order if it cannot demonstrate its ability to meet those targets. It is binding, it will have to achieve those. In terms of our broader strategy, after we have left the european union, the Air Quality Standards in place this country will be uk Air Quality Standards, but it is not the intention of the government to reduce Air Quality Standards. It is our intention to deliver a strategy that cleans up our air. That we will do shortly. How can you consult on Airspace Strategy when you dont have a credible policy of how to address current Noise Pollution levels . How can you offer a consultation National Policy statement when you have no credible or legal plan of how to reduce Air Pollution . How can you have consultations ending on the 25th of may with no credible or legal plans of addressing critical noise and Air Pollution levels . I know how strongly my honourable friend feels about this, i do know about the concerns in her constituency, and i very much respect her for what shes doing. This is one of the difficulties of a big strategic decision like this. Its impossible to take it without some impacts. I give her simply my assurance that we will take all steps we can to minimise those impacts, inevitable though it is that there will be some. This is going to be an investment of something not far off £20 billion, which is a great boost to post brexit britain, on top of the expansion at london city airport. Can he give his best estimate as to when he believes the first plane will take off from the North West Runway . Well, mr speaker, both of us would share the aspirations to do this as soon as possible. But the Working Assumption is that the first plane will take off in the middle of the next decade. Of course, we perhaps should have come to this decision a long time ago. At the very least, we are doing it now. We have to do it in the right way, weve got to do it in a sustainable way, and weve got to do it with great care with the surrounding communities. The National Health service in england is still failing to learning from its mistakes, mps have heard. The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs committee has published a report on how the nhs deals with complaints. It calls on the nhs to move from a culture of blame to a learning culture. The Committee Also urged the Department Of Health to build up capacity for investigations. The purpose of complaints is not just the redress of grievances. Which i have to say in the nhs is extremely unsatisfactory anyway, although it is clearly important. Complaints are a tool by which Public Services can learn and improve. When medical professionals are forced primarily to be concerned with avoiding liability and responsibility and are trapped in a culture of blame, there can be no learning. There is an acute need for government to follow through on its commitment to promote a culture in which staff will be able to speak out and which the emphasis is placed on learning and not blame. The Committee Also recommended legislation to ensure the new complaints body is truly independent. It highlights some worrying statistics, including the fact that the most recent nhs staff survey found 43 of staff thought that their organisation treats staff involved in incidents and near misses fairly. Clearly, from the chairmans candid contribution this morning, there is a long way to go before we eliminate the culture of defensiveness he has described. The minister said the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch or hsib would be up and running in april. The committee has called for it to be statutorily independent. We agree that it should be as independent as possible if it is to discharge its functions fully and effectively. We would not rule out the option of legislation. His Committee Also raised in this weeks report various suggestions for its role in setting standards. We will be responding to that in due course. We are committed to making sure that the nhs becomes an organisation that learns from its mistakes. Youre watching thursday in parliament, with me, alicia mccarthy. The governments been told to rethink its Alcohol Strategy and bring in a minimum unit price for alcohol in england and wales. The call came from across the chamber as mps debated ways to tackle the harm caused by drinking. One mp focused on the damage done when pregnant women drank, revealing his own adopted children were both affected by a condition called Foetal Alcohol spectrum disorder. The debate was opened by the chair of the all party group on alcohol harm. There are currently over 10 Million People drinking at levels which increase their risk of health harm. Among those aged 15 49 in england, alcohol is now the leading risk factor for ill health, early mortality and disability. In england, the average age of death of those dying of an alcohol specific cause is 54. 3 years. More working years of life are lost in england as a result of alcohol related deaths than from cancers of . And there are many of these . The lung, bronchus, trachea, colon, rectum, brain, pancreas, skin, ovary, kidney, stomach, bladder and prostate combined. But she argued the government had done little since the last Alcohol Strategy in 2012. In the foreword to the 2012 strategy, the then Prime Minister said, we cannot go on like this. Were going to set a minimum unit price. But five years on, this has still not been done. Two mps turned to the impact of drinking during pregnancy, Foetal Alcohol spectrum disorder, or fasd. Fasd also causes learning difficulties, behavioural problems, and a high proportion of people convicted of crimes in our prisons are the victims of fasd. Research by the medical Research Council has concluded that even moderate cringing in pregnancy has an impact on iq and learning abilities. If we all knew that 35,000 children were born every year in this country with brain damage that could be prevented completely, we would of course do everything in our power to prevent it. And yet, worrying evidence is emerging that that may be what is happening in this country every year and the figures might be going up. As an adoptive parent, i discovered just how common this is amongst children who are adopted. Including amongst my own two children. And i should declare my interest. I first became aware of this. Can you give way . Yes, of course. I dont know if he can recall, when we were receiving evidence in ourall party group about the impact of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome on adopted and fostered children, but one survey done indicated that of the cohort of adopted and foster children who were assessed, up to 70 of them were affected by this syndrome. There is now a suggestion that many, many children put up for adoption are damaged in this way. And that. And we heard a description from one adoptive parent that adoption is now a Family Finding Service for children with Foetal Alcohol spectrum disorders. An snp mp moved on to the scale of the problem in scotland. I have a very personal stake in this debate. By all accounts, my own father, of whom i have no memory, was an extremely heavy drinker. Was he an alcoholic . Probably. But that was not readily talked about in 1960s Working Class Glasgow communities. I did not witness his heavy drinking because he died when i was nine months old. Not least because of his heavy drinking. My own husbands father was an alcoholic as well, and that also led to his early death. In glasgow, where both my husband and i grew up, this was not unusual. And even today, it is still more common than you would think. The Scottish Government has lowered the Drink Driving Unit and is trying to bring in a minimum price. What else could kill 22 people in scotland each week, cause 600 the Hospital Admissions each week, cost 5. 6 billion each year, and not require bold action . A labour mp and former minister had spoken previously about growing up with an alcoholic father. For much of my life, i have grown up with that gnawing insecurity that is all too common for many children of alcoholics. That constant feeling of guilt, constantly asking yourself whether youre doing enough, why is it that you cant do more to stop your mum or dad from drinking . I know what it is like to feel that cold nausea when you find the empty bottles hidden around the house. I know what it is like to feel sick when you hear your parent being sick first thing in the morning because they have drunk too much. He said the children of alcoholics often fell through the gaps provision. The Shadow Health minister said his alcoholic father had moved to thailand and not come home for his wedding. His friends that he had made over there told me he was drinking a bottle of whisky a day, over there. They told me he could not come to the wedding because he did not want to embarrass me. Because we were from a Working Class family in salford. You know, i had gone to university, i had become a politician. Posh people would be at the wedding. He felt he would embarrass me by being there. And that was. I will always regret that. So, look, i am the Shadow Health secretary, i am going to do lots of criticising the tories because that is myjob. But can i say to the minister, i will work with government to put in place a proper strategy for supporting children of alcoholics on a cross party basis. Because, quite simply, 2 million children are suffering, lets send them a message that they should no longer suffer in silence. The minister said there were grounds for optimism. People under 18 are drinking less. Attitudes are changing. There has been a steady reduction alcohol related road traffic accidents. We are seeing Real Progress in government working in partnership with industry. Industry removed 1. 3 billion units of alcohol from the market through improving Consumer Choice of law alcohol products, annually 80 of bottles and cans now his plate unit content and pregnancy warnings on labels. As to minimum pricing. We are considering minimal unit pricing in england and will. But we are waiting for the outcome of the court case in scotland because until we are the result of the Supreme Court decision, which is still unknown, and we are supporting the process of that case, we cannot proceed with any Policy Decision in the uk. She had an emotional moment at the end of her speech. I do take courage from todays debate, because great Social Change requires three things, i think. It requires long term political will, it requires nonpartisan partnership, and it requires bravery. And i have heard all three of those today. And i hope that each member who has spoken here today will continue to work with me as we fight on to tackle this social injustice. Thank you. The health minister, nicola blackwood. The governments being urged to do more to secure the release of a british iranian woman being held in iran. A court there has rejected an appeal against a five Year Prison Sentence given to Nazanin Zaghari ratcliffe, who has dual british and iranian citizenship. The Charity Worker has been accused of Security Offences and was detained while trying to leave the country with her baby daughter after visiting relatives in april. Her husband, richard ratcliffe, who is from london, said his wifes detention was a stain on iran and her family denies shes broken any laws. Mr ratcliffe was in the lords gallery as the Foreign Office minister explained what the government was doing to help. Officials are in regular contact with her family and we continue to do everything we can for the family. I thank the noble lady. Unlike mr trump, we seek improved relations with iran. Here we have a mother, british iranian citizen imprisoned after visiting her family there with her daughter. And her daughter is solely a british citizen. Surely the time has come for the uk to call for Nazanin Zaghari ratcliffes release before she, her little daughter and her husband, yet today with his own mother, suffer any more. The suffering of the family can barely be imagined. And regardless of some of the extraordinary claims made on the internet, we should remember this is a loving father who simply wants his family to be reunited. I wholly respect that. That is why, my lords, we are urgently seeking information on what further legal actions are available to Nazanin Zaghari ratcliffe. We will continue to offer support to the family both here in london and iran. I am a government trade envoy to iran. Is she aware they have raised this issue with the iranian government and they associate wholly with the question asked . Has the minister noticed the statement by the president of iran, the moderate president there who has said that if iran is to attract more investment and commercial engagement with the wider world, it needs to make people who visit iran both welcome and safe . Does the Noble Baroness understand the disappointment felt by those who supported the Nuclear Agreement and have welcomed the improving relations between iran and the United Kingdom . Would it not be unfortunate, to say the least, if the fact this matter is not resolved should sully or undermine that improving relationship. The child, i understand, is entirely british. What is the government doing about a british subject being held in iran . We have made it clear, here in this dispatch box and colleagues in other places, we are ready to facilitate the return of gabriela to this country. She is solely a british citizen and we stand ready to assist if the family ask us to do so. And thats it from me for now, but Dojoin Me On Friday Night at 11 for a round up of a busy week here at westminster thats been dominated by brexit and the uks relationships with the us. But for now, from me, alicia mccarthy, goodbye. Good morning. More wild and windy weather to come for some of you. These are captured on the Northern Ireland coast by one of our weather watchers. That is the low pressure responsible, that is pushing its way towards iceland. And we turn our attention to this in the bay of biscay, which is going to have an impact across southern areas, and already as we start friday you see some Rain Across Devon and cornwall. Most others stay dry. A little bit colder than recent mornings. Quite breezy across western scotland, but most light winds to begin with. Rain quickly spreads into South West England and wales through the morning, into the midlands and the South East Of England through lunchtime, and then for the afternoon in the northern portion of the irish sea, some heavy bursts of rain around. There will be some dry moments as well. Some of the driest weather throughout will be in the northern half of scotland. Sunshine here throughout the day, and a fine day for much of Northern Ireland. To the east of antrim and across durham we could see rain spread in through the afternoon, and still some rain around across parts of north west england, the midlands, the south east. Some in the east of england may stay dry throughout the day, and the rain on and off towards the south west and wales, but consistent in the afternoon around cardigan bay, and it is across the English Channel where the strongest of the winds will be. Now, not as strong as they were through yesterday across the far south west. 50 mph gusts possible here, but strengthening somewhat through the latter stage of the afternoon and evening, English Channel. Channel islands, 70 mph possible, that will cause some disruption. Towards the south east corner we will see 40 and 50 mph gusts to end the evening. The strong winds quickly ease as that area of low pressure pushes its way northwards into saturday morning. Chilly start for england and wales, lots of dry and bright weather sandwiched between one area of low pressure across northern france, another one to northern scotland. Here, after a cloudy and fresh start, some of the showers will be wintry over the hills. Some rain potentially in the south east corner of england. Keep a close eye on that one. That might just be a bit further east. Most will have a fine end to saturday. A chilly night will follow, an area of low pressure pushing into the north sea, a few showers spreading in across the English Channel once again. So for sunday, probably one of the wettest spots will be here, and maybe to the north east of scotland. But most will have another fine day, and a chilly one, with temperatures around five or six degrees for the most part. Following that will be a cold night, with a frost developing across many rural parts of the country, and a bright but chilly start to monday. But, before the day is through, there is yet more wet and windy weather spreading in from the west of the atlantic. Welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in North America and around the globe. My name is mike embley. 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