Transcripts For BBCNEWS Wednesday In Parliament 20200910 : c

It is about 2 30am. Now on bbc news wednesday in parliament. Hello again, and welcome to wednesday in parliament. As covid cases rise, and the rules tighten, the Prime Minister looks to the future. The world we want to move to as fast as possible is a world in which we can take, everybody can take enabling tests at the beginning of the day, an antigen test to identify whether or not we have the virus or not. But the labour leader warns too many people cant get tested now. This is basic stuff. People whove got covid symptoms are very anxious about themselves, their children, theirfamilies on what to do. It means they cant go to work, they cant send their children to school it matters. Also in this programme whos upset the speaker . If this minister wants to run this chamber ragged, i can assure you now im sure a u0 every day might just begin to run him ragged but first, social gatherings of more than six people will be illegal in england from monday. The new rules follow a rise in the number of covid cases more than 8,000 since the weekend. At a News Conference in downing street, Boris Johnson unveiled a new slogan designed to control the spread of the virus. Good afternoon. But at Prime Ministers questions, the labour leader, sir keir starmer, challenged him over the difficulty of getting a test. Yesterday, i spoke to a mum who lives in london. Shes got a four year old daughter who had a very High Temperature yesterday morning. She phoned 111 and was told to get a test. She tried to book and was told the nearest one was rumford, that was nine oclock in the morning. She explored that but there were no tests there. So was then told hayward heath, halfway to brighton. 0n exploration, no tests there. By lunch time, this mum was told the nearest place was telford or inverness. Borisjohnson said the uk had done more tests than any other country in europe, thanks to the efforts of nhs test and trace. This is an organisation that is working heroically to contain the spread of this disease, and it requires the public to trust this organisation and to participate, mr speaker. Yesterday, the right honourable gentleman said it was on the verge of collapse. I think those were ill chosen words. I think he now regrets those words. I think he should reflect and he should take them back. Keir starmer. Mr speaker, hundreds of families are trying to get a test in the last week and they cant get one. I do acknowledge the number of tests overall, but this is basic stuff. People whove got covid symptoms are very anxious about themselves, their children, their families or what to do. It means they cant go to work, they cant send their children to school it matters. And if they cant get tests, the Prime Minister needs to take responsibility and not just talk about the future or something else, but address this problem. The Prime Minister said the government would do more. And the world we want to move to as fast as possible is a world in which we can take, everybody can take enabling tests at the beginning of the day, an antigen test to identify whether or not we have the virus or not like a pregnancy test within 15 minutes or so so that we know whether were able to live our lives as normally as possible. Thats the vision that the Health Secretary and others have been sketching out over the last few days. Thats where we intend to get to. Mr speaker, we all want test, trace and isolate to succeed. Now, ive offered my support before but the Prime Minister is ignoring a problem. If people are being told to go hundreds of miles, something is wrong. It has got a lot worse in the last week or two, everybody in this house knows it because theyve all had constituents telling them. There has been a massive increase in the number of people who need or want tests and particularly people who dont have symptoms, and we need and i hope he agrees we need to prioritise people such as nhs front line staff, our care workers who urgently need those tests. He accused the labour leader of undermining confidence in the system. Whats undermining confidence is families being told to go hundreds of miles and they cant get a test. Thats undermining confidence. Ijust want it fixed. We dont need to have an argument. What is the problem, accept the problem, tell us what the solution is, and well all muck in and try to make it better and tell our constituents. But borisjohnson said growing demand was a result of the success of test and trace. Its hard work. Its hard work, its a big job and they are doing a fantastic job and i really think what they would like to here is some praise and encouragement and support from the right honourable gentleman. Keir starmer. Mr speaker why cant we just hear from the Prime Minister an honest answer . If he stood at despatch box and said, i know somethings gone wrong in the last couple of weeks, we have been getting hundreds of examples of people being sent all over the place or being told there is no tests, ive looked into it, ive worked out what the problem is, here is my plan, people might be reassured. But as ever, he pretends the problem isnt there. Borisjohnson said his government was working flat out and getting on with taking the tough decisions. On tuesday, the Northern Ireland secretary brandon lewes admitted that the governments new bill on the uks internal market breaks International Law by allowing ministers to override part of the brexit divorce deal. The snp have spotted other issues. This legislation breaks International Law but it also breaks domestic law. The Prime Ministerand his friends are parcel of rogues, are creating a rogue state, one where the rule of law does not apply. Why does the Prime Minister think that he and his friends are above the law . 0n the contrary, mr speaker. This uk internal market bill is about protecting jobs, protecting growth, ensuring the fluidity and safety of our uk internal market, and prosperity throughout the United Kingdom and it should be welcomed i believe in scotland, in Northern Ireland, in wales and throughout the whole country. Ian blackford was so unhappy with the Prime Ministers response he used an unparliamentary word which the speaker heard. I am sure that the leader of the snp would like to withdraw that last comment of him being a liar, no honourable member will do that. Would you please withdraw it . Mr speaker, i must say. I dont need. It is on the face of the bill that the government of the uk is going to trample over devolution. That is not a lie. Mr blackford, youre a great member of this house, you do the right things by this house, and i have accepted that you have withdrawn it. A lib dem mp pursued the argument in a different way. The Prime Minister may be aware that there are some scottish nationalists who want scotland to follow the example of catalonia and to have an independence referendum. Now, i oppose that because it would be illegal. If the Prime Minister thinks its acceptable for his government to ignore International Law, on what basis would he oppose it . I have a Great Respect for the right honourable gentleman and let me just say this because the leader of the opposition in my view neglected to raise this important subject. Myjob is to uphold the integrity of the uk but also to protect the Northern Irish Peace Process and the good friday agreement. And to do that, we need a legal safety net to protect our country against extreme or irrational interpretations of the protocol which could lead to a border down the irish sea in a way that i believe, and i think Members Around the house believe, would be prejudicial to the interests of the good friday agreement and prejudicial to the interests of peace in our country, and that has to be our priority. Borisjohnson. And those sheaves of wheat worn by mps, in case you were wondering, were to support back british farming day. The changes to the coronavirus rules in england were announced in a statement to the media on tuesday night and confirmed by borisjohnson at a downing street News Conference after Prime Ministers questions. The governments approach upset some of its own mps and the commons speaker. Had the secretary of state for health given notice of the governments intention to further restrict our liberty to meet with one another in his statement yesterday, at least some of us would have been able to question him about it. What remedy is there for those of us who enthusiastically support the Prime Minister but nevertheless want to restrain the governments ability to govern by order without debate . The speaker, sir Lindsay Hoyle, was sympathetic and angry, especially with the Health Secretary, matt hancock. Its really not good enough for the government to make decisions of this kind in the way which shows insufficient regard of the importance of major policy announcements being made first to this house and to members of this house wherever possible. Can i say to him i have already sent a letter to the secretary of state, i think the total disregard for this chamber is not acceptable. I know the Prime Minister is a member of parliament as well and he will ensure that statements should be made here first, especially as this particular secretary of state requests statements and then to ignore the major fact that he wanted to put to the country not before this house is not acceptable and i hope he will apologise to members. There was no reason why the secretary of state could not have told the house yesterday this was the governments plans. Has he given you notice that he is coming to the house to update mp5 on this change in policy or should we assume that ministers dont know what were doing from one day to the next . The speaker thought he had a point and threatened matt hancock with having to answer regular urgent questions or uqs. Somebody decided to tell the media rather than telling this house and what i would say is that i expect that secretary of state to apologise to members and make sure that this chamber knows first whether he was fully aware, fully aware of what was going to be said later. And let me say. If this minister wants to run this chamber ragged, i can assure you now im sure a u0 every day might just begin to run him ragged a rather cross sir Lindsay Hoyle marking Matt Hancocks card. Dont be surprised if the Health Secretary makes another commons appearance soon. Youre watching wednesday in parliament with me, david cornock. Shortly after Prime Ministers questions, that controversial legislation that modifies the brexit Withdrawal Agreement was introduced in the commons. United kingdom internal market bill. Second reading, what day . Tomorrow. At scottish questions, it was clear labour share the snps doubts about the impact of a bill designed to cover post brexit trade within the uk. This would mean remaining on the Withdrawal Agreement, an agreement the Prime Minister himself negotiated, brought to this house, voted for, ratified and campaigned under the general election. This reckless move reignite the prospect of us crashing out of the European Union with no deal. The Prime Minister promised the british people an oven ready deal, thatt now looks like an oven ready no deal. The secretary of state himself has said previously that a no deal 0utcome would create damaging uncertainty for the country and that he would never vote for anything that threatened or undermined the integrity of our United Kingdom. So does he think that reneging on an international treaty, breaking a promise on a deal and putting no dealfirmly back on the table strengthens or weakens the union . First of all, i would like to congratulate the honourable gentleman and his partner on the birth of their baby daughter. Here, here thats why hes currently on paternity leave. As to his question, the scottish secretary insisted the government wanted a deal. We are in serious negotiations again this week because we want to get a deal, and that is our intention. The Withdrawal Agreement was written on the basis that subsequent agreements could be reached through the joint committee. And that joint Committee Process is ongoing, and we are committed to it, but in the event that it cant deal with any adverse implications for the good friday agreement, its important that we have a position that creates a safety net to uphold our commitments to the members of Northern Ireland. Im very grateful to the secretary of state for his kind words, and if his government could legislate for a minimum of six weeks for new parents, i would certainly be the first person in the aisle lobby to support him. His government colleague, his conservative colleague and prominent constitutional expert, Adam Tompkins msp has now resigned the most senior government lawyers, and many of his own back benches disagree with him. He must surely realise that the uks government recklessness only benefits those who want to break up the uk. The snp said the internal market bill would enable the westminster government to legislate on devolved issues. Minister, am i correct in my understanding that when his government says they are strengthening the union, what they really mean is dismantling devolution . Absolutely not, we are strengthening devolution. We are bringing a power surge to scotland, more than 100 new powers. We are not taking a single power away. Alisterjack. A customs expert has told mps he fears lorries could be turned around at calais and sent back to the uk at the end of the brexit transition period. The uk has formally left the eu, but the rules over trade remain unchanged until the end of the year. Witnesses to a Commons Committee warned many businesses werent ready and there werent enough customs agents to process the paperwork. The biggest absolute fear is that a truck is sent to calais and they send it back. I mean, that is a genuine fear that if the paperwork is validated whilst the vehicle is crossing the channel and that validation fails because the transit information is not properly authenticated or there arent any documents, or the entry is not lodged in france, its coming back. And i just think that the fear is that the daily mail headline of, we sent our goods to europe and they sent them back, is looming. Its a matter of time, really. The tools are there to kind of get it right, the car park in kent is because we havent got it right. It is of our making, if you like, that if something arrives in kent and its not prepared, its because we havent prepared it. Its nothing to do with the eu. This is our problem to solve and its always been our problem to solve. Some of the fundamental things that need to change, and some of the things that need to be invested in are simply not happening fast enough. If we go back to the primary point, which is about customers and having the number of customers and customs agents available to deal with the increased numbers of declarations some 200 million additional declarations on top of the 50 million that are done for the rest of the world at the moment. We are a long way off being able to recruit those customs agents. And i think the other thing is when we go back to the thing about time, is it takes a significant amount of time to train and prepare, you know, these individuals. It can take, you know, 6 12 months just to familiarise yourself, but probably three years to really understand how the process works end to end. You know, we have got 81 working days between now and the end of the year. Richard burnett. Now, even when the number of asylum applications in the uk plummeted nationally, during the pandemic, it was still rising in kent where the fall in traffic through the channel tunnel and ferries led to a sharp rise in Asylum Seekers risking their lives by crossing the channel in small boats. The Home Affairs Committee has been hearing how social services in kent has been coping particularly with the numbers of children arriving there as Asylum Seekers. Many of those reflections on why weve seen the pattern change and anything that you are picking up from those who have been working with young, unaccompanied Asylum Seekers in terms of their reasons or their experiences about why we have seen this pattern change and more people coming via the small, the dangerous small boats. Mrgough . I think the first thing was that many of the other options certainly during lockdown those were, in effect, shutdown or certainly significantly reduced, and that was a big part of it. I think there was then a stage in which the process to some extent fed on itself. So, the small boat group was clearly highly publicised, it became known that this was an effective route, and so what we saw was, from our point of view, numbers increasing. Also interestingly, a greater diversification in terms of countries of origin. So if you were to go back a few months, say the spring, early spring of this year, then certainly our experience in kent was that the overwhelming bulk of people who came into our care where iranian, iraqi, u