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NewsTranscript
00:00This week marks three years since Putin's barbaric invasion of Ukraine.
00:04The courage of the Ukrainians is inspiring,
00:07and across this House we stand with them for as long as it takes.
00:12Mr Speaker, that's why we're increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by April 2027,
00:19with an ambition to reach 3% in the next Parliament,
00:22as economic and fiscal conditions allow.
00:24And this afternoon, of course, I will travel to the US
00:28to have discussions with President Trump
00:30about the enduring security partnership between our two countries.
00:34Mr Speaker, I'm also delighted that we've announced the first 750 schools
00:38to start offering free breakfast clubs.
00:41This is our plan for change in action, ensuring every child has the chance to thrive.
00:46And Mr Speaker, I'm sure the whole House will want to join me
00:49in thanking Amanda Pritchard for her services as Chief Executive of the NHS England,
00:54and I wish her well for the future.
00:57This morning, Mr Speaker, I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others.
01:00In addition to my duties in this House, I shall have further such meetings later today.
01:06Dr Luca, could the Prime Minister tell this House
01:10whether the outcome of his budget was by design or by mistake?
01:13Did he mean to push 100,000 pensioners into poverty with his own analysis
01:19when he removed the winter fuel allowance, or was that a mistake?
01:23Did he mean to decimate family farming when he changed the inheritance tax,
01:27or was that a mistake?
01:28And did he mean to tax GPs, care homes and hospices when he raised nicks,
01:35or was that a mistake?
01:37Prime Minister, could he tell the House,
01:39are these acceptable collateral damage in his path for change,
01:44or simply a mistake that needs rectifying?
01:47I will tell him what was a mistake, leaving a £22 billion black hole that we had to sort out.
01:56We took the difficult decisions, investing in our NHS,
02:00and I would have thought he would have welcomed the 2 million extra appointments
02:03that we have achieved in the first seven months of a Labour Government.
02:06That is the difference our budget is making to people.
02:08I am delighted that Carlton and Grange primary schools in my city of Gloucester
02:16will be part of the first 750 schools to get free breakfasts,
02:21and I am pleased that this Government are already delivering on its manifesto promises
02:24in less than a year.
02:26So will the Prime Minister agree with me that by helping working parents with childcare
02:31and delivering the best starts of the day for every single child,
02:34we are delivering opportunity for the next generation?
02:39Well, I agree with my hon. Friend.
02:40We are pleased that two of the earlier doctor schools will be in his constituency,
02:45and we are ensuring that all primary school children aged
02:49can get access to free breakfast and at least 30 minutes of free childcare.
02:55That means every child ready to learn and parents, of course,
02:58supported with up to £450 a year back in their pockets.
03:02That is the change a Labour Government make.
03:04We now come to the Leader of the Opposition, Kemi Barrow.
03:09Thank you, Mr Speaker.
03:11I wish the Prime Minister every success on his trip to Washington.
03:15The visit to see President Trump must serve our national interest.
03:20The Prime Minister and I are completely united
03:23in our support for Ukraine as a proud and sovereign nation.
03:27What specific steps will he take
03:30to ensure Ukraine is at the negotiating table for any peace settlement?
03:35Well, I thank her for her words about the forthcoming trip.
03:40It is right, and I think the whole House will think it is right,
03:43that Ukraine must be at the table at negotiations.
03:47There can be no negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine.
03:50That has been my consistent position in all of the discussions that I have had.
03:54That will continue to be my position,
03:56because this is about the sovereignty of Ukraine
03:59and their ability to decide for themselves the future of their country.
04:03So they must be at the table.
04:06Mr Speaker, I thank the Prime Minister for that answer,
04:09and as I said, I wish him every success.
04:11We want to support him on this issue.
04:14So turning to the details of the plan he set out yesterday.
04:17Over the weekend, I suggested to the Prime Minister that he cut the aid budget,
04:21and I am pleased that he accepted my advice.
04:26Mr Speaker, it's the fastest response.
04:30It's the fastest response I've ever had from the Prime Minister.
04:34However, he announced £13.4 billion in additional defence spending yesterday.
04:41This morning, his Defence Secretary said the uplift is only £6 billion,
04:44which is the correct figure.
04:46Prime Minister.
04:47I'm going to have to let the Leader of the Opposition down gently.
04:53She didn't feature in my thinking at all.
04:58I was so busy over the weekend, I didn't even see her proposal.
05:02I think she's appointed herself, I think,
05:04Saviour of the Western Civilisation.
05:08It's a desperate search for relevance.
05:11But Mr Speaker, look, if you take the numbers for this financial year,
05:18and then the numbers for the financial year 27-28,
05:21that's £13.4 billion increase.
05:24That is the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War,
05:29which will put us in a position to ensure the security and defence
05:33of our country and of Europe.
05:36Mr Speaker, that wasn't very clear.
05:38How is it that the Defence Secretary says £6 billion and he says £13.4 billion?
05:44The IFS said today that the government is playing silly games with numbers.
05:48How does he find this difference in numbers?
05:52Prime Minister.
05:53Mr Speaker, we went through this two weeks ago,
05:55going through the same question over and over again.
05:58So let me say, if you take the financial year this year,
06:03and then you take the financial year for 2012 and 2028,
06:07the difference between the two is £13.4 billion.
06:11That's the same answer.
06:12If you ask again, I'll give the same answer again.
06:21I'll decide when it's more.
06:25Mr Speaker, someone needs to tell the Prime Minister
06:27that being patronising is not a substitute.
06:30It's not a substitute for answering questions.
06:34It's not a substitute.
06:36He hasn't answered.
06:37What he has said is different from what he said yesterday.
06:40We are still not clear where the money is coming from.
06:44We want to support him.
06:45He's also said that we should put British troops on the ground in Ukraine.
06:50We haven't seen the detail of any proposals.
06:53Would his new spending plans allow him to fund this commitment effectively?
06:58Prime Minister.
06:59I mean, I think it's the same question again.
07:01It's £13.4 billion.
07:02That's the difference between this year and 2020.
07:04She asked a serious question about the security guarantees in Ukraine.
07:09And that is extremely important because the worst of all outcomes,
07:13if there's to be a cessation of hostilities,
07:15is that it is a short break rather than sustained and lasting peace.
07:19And I think that that means there's got to be security guarantees.
07:23I've indicated that we will play our full part.
07:25There has to be US backing because otherwise,
07:28I don't think it will deter Putin.
07:30We are working on that.
07:31I'm having extensive discussions about it.
07:33Not in a position to put details before the House, as she well knows today.
07:37But I'll continue down that route
07:39because I want a lasting peace in Ukraine and Europe
07:42for the safety and security of Ukrainians, of Europeans,
07:46and of course, for everybody in this country.
07:50Mr Speaker, this is an endeavour that we want to support him in.
07:53But we need to know exactly what it is we're supporting.
07:56We need clarity and transparency over the money.
07:59We also need to know where this money is going.
08:02This morning, the Defence Secretary could not say
08:05if the Chagos deal would come out of the defence budget.
08:08Can he confirm to the House that none of the defence uplift
08:11includes payments for his Chagos deal?
08:14Prime Minister.
08:15Mr Speaker, the additional spend I announced yesterday
08:18is for our capability on defence and security in Europe,
08:21as I made absolutely clear yesterday.
08:24The Chagos deal is extremely important for our security,
08:27for US security.
08:29The US are rightly looking at it.
08:31When it's finalised, they'll put it before the House
08:33with the costings.
08:35The figures being bandied around are absolutely wild at the moment.
08:38The deal is well over a century.
08:42But the funding I announced yesterday
08:44is for our capability to put ourselves in a position
08:47to rise to a generational challenge.
08:49That is what that money is all about.
08:51And I thought she supported it.
08:56We need to make sure we are supporting a plan
08:58that is clear and transparent.
09:00Yesterday, the Prime Minister set an ambition
09:02for defence spending to reach 3% in the next Parliament.
09:05We agree with him.
09:06But this could be 2034, almost a decade away.
09:09That is too slow.
09:10We don't know how he will pay for it.
09:12We cannot raise taxes further.
09:14We already pay more on debt interest than defence.
09:17And everyone in this House would have heard him
09:19not answer the last question.
09:20So I will ask him again.
09:22Is he paying for the Chagos deal with this defence uplift or not?
09:27Prime Minister.
09:28I've just dealt with that question.
09:30She gave a...
09:31The money announced yesterday is going to our capability
09:35to put ourselves in a position to defend the security
09:38of our country, Europe and the UK.
09:41And she asked about defence spending.
09:42She gave what people have described
09:44as a rambling speech yesterday
09:46when she couldn't say what defence spending should be.
09:49We've been absolutely clear.
09:50We've set out a full, credible, costed plan.
09:54And I thought she supported it.
09:56Holly Billington.
09:59Thank you, Mr Speaker.
10:02The Prime Minister will be aware
10:03that in coastal communities like mine in East Thanet,
10:06people develop cancer earlier,
10:08get treated and diagnosed later,
10:10and die younger.
10:12Can he give the House an update
10:13on the plans for the government
10:15to implement the recommendations
10:16by the Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty,
10:19into tackling poor health in our seaside towns?
10:23Prime Minister.
10:23Well, I thank her for raising this.
10:26She's right that cancer patients are waiting too long
10:29for diagnosis and for treatment.
10:31Addressing healthcare inequity
10:34is part of our 10-year health plan, Mr Speaker,
10:37aiming to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy
10:40between the richest and the poorest regions.
10:43And we're making progress on that already.
10:45Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davie.
10:49Thank you, Mr Speaker.
10:50And can I start by wishing the Prime Minister well
10:53on his trip to the White House.
10:55It won't be an easy meeting,
10:56but we're all behind him for our national interest.
10:59But it's already clear that under President Trump,
11:02we won't be able to rely on the United States, sadly,
11:05to help ensure our security against Russian aggression.
11:10And that's why we strongly welcome
11:12the Prime Minister's decision
11:13to increase Britain's defence spending.
11:16But Europe must do far more to rearm
11:20in the face of Putin's threat.
11:21And the UK must lead on that.
11:24That's why we back the idea
11:26of a new European rearmament bank.
11:30So we can finance a big increase
11:32in the manufacturing capacity
11:33without the need to cut Britain's vital soft power.
11:37So will the Prime Minister look at this idea,
11:40work across this House and across Europe
11:44so we can make a European rearmament bank actually happen?
11:48Prime Minister, I'll resist his suggestion
11:53that we've got somehow to choose
11:55between the US and our European partners.
11:58I do not believe that to be the case.
12:01And I want to strengthen
12:02our already strong relationship with the US
12:05because I think it's vital that we do so.
12:07I, of course, want to work with our European allies
12:10on defence capability
12:12and what more we need to do
12:13in relation to capability, coordination and funding.
12:16And in the longer term,
12:18there is a discussion going on
12:19amongst allies as to future funding.
12:21We're part of that discussion
12:23and I'm happy to share that with the House as it evolves.
12:28Sir Ed David.
12:29I hope he's successful in keeping the US on board
12:32with our European allies.
12:35And I'm glad he's talking about finance and defence.
12:37I think if he was to push this European rearmament bank
12:40at the summit on Sunday, the European leaders,
12:43I think he'd be pushing an open door.
12:44Certainly Prime Minister Tusk is supporting
12:47from the Polish point of view.
12:48But Mr Speaker, if I can turn now to domestic matters
12:51and the cost of living crisis
12:53that's hitting so many of our constituents.
12:55Families in my constituency are really angry
12:58that Thames Water is sending them bills this April
13:02that will cost them £150 a year more.
13:06Thames has already let down so many people,
13:09whether it's leaking pipes
13:10or pumping their filthy sewage into our rivers.
13:13A third of customers' bills are already used
13:16just to pay the interest on Thames Water's debt.
13:19And now it's going to borrow £3 billion more.
13:22Isn't it time to stop making people pay
13:25for bailing out the vulture funds
13:27drowning Thames Water in debt?
13:30Will his government just put this firm out of its misery,
13:34put it into special administration
13:36so we can sort out that mess
13:37and the mess that that lot left?
13:41Well, he's certainly right about the mess
13:42that that lot made.
13:43We've obviously got the water bill.
13:45It's got very strong measures in it
13:47and I think he supports them.
13:48I'll turn to Rosanna Allen.
13:50Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
13:52We have heard extraordinary rhetoric
13:55coming out of Washington in recent days
13:57and we have seen fascist salutes on our screens.
14:00We have witnessed wild statements
14:02about Palestinians being expelled from Gaza
14:06and we have seen our allies labelled dictators.
14:09Britain's interests are best served
14:12by standing with Ukraine,
14:15working closely with our European allies,
14:19by upholding international law
14:21and remaining a strong part of NATO.
14:25Can the Prime Minister assure us
14:27that this will form a central part of his message
14:31when he meets world leaders this week?
14:36Well, we certainly stand with Ukraine.
14:39And I think I speak for the whole House
14:41when I say that.
14:42As I said out yesterday,
14:43NATO is the bedrock of our security.
14:46It's been our most important alliance
14:48for many, many years,
14:49as important today as it's ever been.
14:52And we build that alliance by working with the US.
14:56We have a special and deep relationship with the US.
14:58That's not just words.
14:59That's to do with security,
15:01defence, intelligence capability,
15:03vitally important for both sides.
15:05But we also work with our European allies
15:08and it is that ability to work with the US and the EU
15:12and European partners
15:14that has held the peace for so many years
15:16and needs to hold the peace for many years to come.
15:19Stephen Flynn.
15:20Thank you, Mr Speaker.
15:22Prior to the election,
15:23the Labour Party promised to reduce energy bills
15:26by £300.
15:28Yet on their watch,
15:30energy bills are about to increase
15:32by almost £300.
15:34So may I ask,
15:35is the failure to keep that promise
15:36a consequence of government incompetency
15:40or have the Labour Party been caught lying to the public?
15:43Hear, hear.
15:45Prime Minister.
15:45Mr Speaker,
15:47we're very proud of the fact that we are pushing forward
15:49for energy independence,
15:51which will keep our bills lower.
15:54And he knows very well what my position is.
15:56But I note that, again,
15:57he's very quiet on the SNP record.
15:59And I'll tell you for a while.
16:01Just this week,
16:02we've seen the attainment gap widen in Scotland.
16:05Pupils leaving schools with no qualifications rising.
16:08Those from deprived areas going to work falling.
16:11Instead of paying the politics of grievance,
16:13they need to take responsibility for our own record.
16:18Thank you, Mr Speaker.
16:19My constituent Mike Addison was one of a kind.
16:22A physical disability rugby league world champion
16:25with England and Warrington Wolves
16:27and an avid volunteer for the club and foundation,
16:30he was a friend to everyone who knew him.
16:33Tragically, he died at age 45,
16:36having taken his own life.
16:38One death by suicide is too many
16:41and every suicide is preventable.
16:43But ONS data puts the rate in the North West
16:46over double the rate of London
16:48and with a 17% increase last year.
16:51So can the Prime Minister outline
16:52what more can be done working across government
16:55to help Warrington meet our target of eliminating suicide?
16:59Prime Minister.
17:00Can I thank her for raising this tragic case
17:03and my thoughts, I'm sure the thoughts of the House
17:06are with the family, friends and teammates
17:09of Mike at Warrington Wolves.
17:11She's right, Mr Speaker,
17:12that one death by suicide is one too many
17:15and reducing the number is a vital part
17:17of our health mission.
17:19We are recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers,
17:23especially trained to support people at risk of suicide.
17:28We're committed to taking forward
17:29the suicide prevention strategy for England.
17:31I'm sure this is something the whole House will support.
17:34Dr Neil Budds.
17:36Thank you, Mr Speaker.
17:37I welcome the Prime Minister's statement
17:39committing us to increased defence spending
17:41and reaffirming the UK's support for Ukraine
17:44and their democratically elected leader, President Zelensky.
17:47A wartime leader like Winston Churchill,
17:50who also had to delay elections
17:52because his country faced an existential threat.
17:56As the Prime Minister travels to Washington,
17:58with this House and the country willing him to succeed,
18:01will he invoke the legacy of Churchill
18:04in making the case for the UK to be the key
18:07in bridging transatlantic relations,
18:09to bring us all together for the sake of freedom
18:12and democracy across the world?
18:15Prime Minister.
18:16Thank you for this question.
18:17Can I pick up on both elements?
18:19Because President Zelensky is a democratically elected leader
18:24and suspending elections was precisely what we did
18:28in this country when we were fighting
18:30in the Second World War.
18:32And secondly, on his point,
18:34yes, I do think that the UK has successfully
18:38been a bridge between the US and Europe
18:41for many, many years.
18:42It's vital that we continue in that role.
18:45And that's why my message to President Trump
18:48is that the relationship between our two countries
18:50needs to go from strength to strength.
18:52It's all very strong,
18:54but also working at the same time with our European allies.
18:57Jessica Teague.
18:58Thank you, Mr Speaker.
19:00On Monday night,
19:00there was a brutal double stabbing in my constituency.
19:03This adds to a long line of horrific knife attacks
19:06that have included three fatalities
19:09over the past two years.
19:10I know the Prime Minister is aware
19:12of the particular challenges we face in Bournemouth,
19:14and while crime has been going down,
19:16I know there is much more he will want to do.
19:18So will he join me in praising the crucial work
19:20that organisations like Changes Are Made,
19:22who give positive activities like boxing to young people,
19:26and will he share what more the government can do
19:28to tackle knife crime in communities like mine?
19:31Thank you for raising this really important issue.
19:36And yesterday we introduced our Crime and Policing Bill,
19:41which is central to our plan for change
19:43and halving knife crime.
19:46It involves new powers to seize and destroy knives
19:48found on private property,
19:50and a new criminal offence of possessing a bladed article
19:52with intent to cause harm.
19:54Plus, Mr Speaker, tougher penalties
19:56for selling dangerous weapons to under-18s,
19:59stricter rules for online sales under Ronan's law,
20:03and we'll continue with that work.
20:07Thank you, Mr Speaker.
20:08The floods of 2013-14 devastated Datchett,
20:11Horton and Rainsbury,
20:13and the flooding last January wasn't much better.
20:15But shockingly, the River Thames scheme
20:17as currently proposed
20:19continues to leave my constituents at risk.
20:22The council was asked to cough up tens of millions,
20:24but like very many, is cash-strapped.
20:31Does the Prime Minister therefore agree with me
20:34that the only option to protect my constituents
20:37is funding Channel 1 of the River Thames scheme
20:39as a national strategic infrastructure,
20:42which it really is?
20:44Prime Minister.
20:45Well, I know the Honourable Member
20:46has raised this issue before,
20:47and it's obviously an important issue
20:49for his constituents.
20:51We inherited flood defences
20:53in their worst state on record, Mr Speaker,
20:55and that's why we're investing £2.6 billion
20:58to protect over 50,000 properties.
21:01I understand that the options to reduce flood risk
21:04to these communities are being considered
21:06as part of the Datchett and Hythe
21:08end flood alleviation scheme,
21:10and I'll ensure that he has a meeting
21:12with the relevant Minister to take forward the work.
21:15Sally Jemison.
21:17Thank you, Mr Speaker.
21:18In order for the government's growth agenda
21:20to be a success,
21:21it must be felt in all areas of the country,
21:25including Doncaster and South Yorkshire,
21:28where we have green growth transport companies,
21:30including hybrid air vehicles
21:31and clean power hydrogen,
21:33alongside the reopening
21:34of Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
21:37So will the Prime Minister put on his record
21:40support for Mayor Ros Jones,
21:41who has led on the airport reopening,
21:43and also set out how the growth agenda
21:45will override those traditional patterns
21:48of investment mainly in the south of England
21:50and bring prosperity to South Yorkshire
21:52and indeed the north of the whole?
21:56Yes, I will.
21:58Doncaster's got a proud industrial heritage,
22:01rail, steel and coal,
22:03an extraordinary potential
22:04for industries of the future,
22:05from hydrogen to AI,
22:07and we are focused, Mr Speaker,
22:08on devolving more power
22:10and funding to Metro mayors
22:12to support regional industry.
22:14We will work with the mayors
22:15of Doncaster and South Yorkshire
22:16to support efforts to reopen
22:18Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
22:23I have the privilege to represent
22:25the home of Speyside Malts,
22:26some amongst the finest Scottish whiskies.
22:30Last week, the UK Government
22:31unveiled damaging plans
22:32to grant a different definition
22:34of single malt to English producers
22:36to that of Scottish single malts.
22:38This is entirely inconsistent
22:39with the global reputation
22:40of the quality of single malts
22:42and seeks to tear up
22:43a well-established definition
22:45of what a single malt is.
22:46This is pulling the rug yet further
22:47from underneath the Scottish whisky industry.
22:50Given the backlash from the industry
22:51to this and the damage this could cause
22:53to Scottish whisky exports and jobs,
22:55will the Prime Minister's word on whisky
22:56be his whisky bond
22:58by backing the industry to the hilt
23:00and scrapping these plans?
23:04We do support Scottish whisky.
23:05It is a really important part
23:07of our economy,
23:08and that is why we allocated
23:10£5 million in the Budget
23:12and why we are working with Brazil,
23:14which is worth £25 million
23:16for Scottish whisky.
23:17It is what we are doing to support
23:19industry and sectors in Scotland.
23:21And in addition to that,
23:22in another sector,
23:23at the weekend I was very pleased
23:25to be able to announce
23:26the £200 million investment
23:28in Grangemouth
23:29and the future for generations there.
23:34Yesterday I returned from Ukraine,
23:36having spent four days
23:37with a cross-party delegation
23:39of parliamentarians.
23:40The Ukrainians we met from across society
23:42had one simple message.
23:44They were deeply thankful
23:45for our partnership
23:46and they want us to know
23:47that they can overcome
23:48the Russian invasion
23:49because they must.
23:50Does the Prime Minister agree with me
23:51that alongside our welcome
23:52100-year partnership,
23:53now is the time for the UK
23:55to redouble our efforts
23:56alongside our European partners
23:58to help secure Ukraine's future
24:00as a free, democratic
24:02and sovereign European nation?
24:05Yes, I do, and I am really proud
24:07of the way the United Kingdom
24:09has risen to the challenge
24:11of the last three years
24:12in a united way,
24:14both in terms of the capability
24:15and funding that we provided to Ukraine
24:17but also the throwing open of homes here
24:21for those fleeing.
24:23I was privileged to welcome
24:24some of the families
24:25to Downing Street on Monday
24:27and it was a human reminder
24:29of the impact that it is having on them,
24:31their children and their families.
24:35Thank you, Mr Speaker.
24:36The whole House wants
24:36the Prime Minister's meeting
24:37with President Trump
24:38to be a success,
24:39which requires credibility
24:40on our defence spending commitments.
24:42The Leader of the Opposition
24:43gave the Prime Minister
24:43an opportunity
24:44to unambiguously rule out
24:46the funding of any Chagos deal
24:47coming from the defence budget
24:49and I'm not clear that he did that.
24:50I want him to be taken seriously
24:52in Washington,
24:52so I'll make it really easy for him.
24:54Will he rule out the funding
24:55of any Chagos deal
24:57coming from the defence budget,
24:58yes or no?
25:01As I said, when the deal is complete,
25:05I will put it before the House
25:07with the costings.
25:07The money yesterday
25:08was allocated to our capability,
25:10the single biggest increase,
25:12sustained increase in defence spending
25:14since the Cold War.
25:19The whole country stands
25:22behind the people of Ukraine,
25:24but there is also a view
25:27that taking money
25:29from aid and development
25:31to spend on armaments and tanks
25:35makes people less safe,
25:38not more safe,
25:41because the desperation
25:44and the poverty
25:46that so often leads to warfare
25:49is what aid and development money
25:52is supposed to count.
25:56Mr Speaker, as I said yesterday,
26:00the overseas development is important.
26:03I'm proud of what we've done.
26:06It wasn't a decision I took lightly
26:08or I wanted to take,
26:09but it is important at this moment
26:11that we put the defence spending,
26:13the defence and security
26:15of our country and Europe uppermost.
26:18We will, of course, make sure
26:20that we're able to fulfil
26:21our humanitarian obligations
26:24in relation to Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan
26:27and other vital work,
26:29and I want to be clear
26:31that we do, of course,
26:32want to go back
26:33and increase that funding
26:34as soon as we're able to do so.
26:36Sherman Hoare.
26:37Thank you, Mr Speaker.
26:38I hope the Prime Minister knows
26:40that when he does travel to Washington
26:42to meet the former leader
26:44of the free world,
26:45he does so with the hopes
26:46and prayers of this House
26:48and the country.
26:49Probably no more serious
26:51a meeting could be taking place.
26:53Now, whilst Ukraine will clearly dominate,
26:56will the Prime Minister undertake
26:58to raise with President Trump
27:01that Canada is a valued, respected
27:04and much-loved member
27:05of both NATO and our Commonwealth,
27:08and that this childish nonsense
27:11of a 51st state
27:13should be called out
27:14by the Prime Minister
27:15for what it is?
27:18Well, I thank him for raising this issue.
27:20UK and Canada are close allies
27:22and have been for a very long time,
27:24with a partnership
27:25based on a shared history
27:26and a shared set of values
27:28and a determination
27:29to be an active force
27:30for good in the world.
27:32We work closely with them
27:34on issues of the Commonwealth,
27:36on NATO and, of course,
27:37Five Eyes intelligence sharing,
27:40and we will work
27:41to strengthen that relationship.
27:44Michelle Strachan.
27:45Thank you, Mr Speaker.
27:47Barrow and Furness has always been
27:48ahead of the times
27:50in terms of high-skilled engineering.
27:52In light of the Prime Minister's
27:53historic commitment
27:54to rise defence spending,
27:56the biggest increase
27:58since the end of the Cold War,
27:59I invite him to visit
28:00and see the many SMEs
28:02who could support
28:02this vital supply chain.
28:04Does he agree that investing
28:05in these businesses
28:06will not only deliver
28:07our nuclear deterrent,
28:09but improve security
28:10and the economy for us all?
28:13Well, I thank her
28:14for raising this question
28:16and will obviously consider
28:18her invitation.
28:19Defence spending, Mr Speaker,
28:21already supports
28:22more than 430,000 jobs
28:24across the United Kingdom,
28:25and I'd like to recognise
28:27the contribution made
28:28by the workers
28:29in Barrow and Furness.
28:31Wendy Morton.
28:32Mr Speaker, in my constituency,
28:35the planning inspector
28:36chose to use the term grey belt
28:38to pass a battery energy
28:40storage system application
28:42before the order was laid
28:44in this House
28:45to change the NPPF,
28:46and without recognising
28:47the moratorium
28:48for local authorities
28:50to manage their local plans.
28:51This decision failed
28:52to recognise the green belt
28:54that protects us
28:55against urban sprawl,
28:56and it failed to recognise
28:58the proximity to a school,
28:59a church and a graveyard.
29:01So can the Prime Minister
29:03define what grey belt
29:05actually is,
29:06or is it simply a grey area
29:07to allow for
29:08inappropriate development?
29:11Prime Minister.
29:11Well, Mr Speaker,
29:13I'm not across the details
29:14of the individual case
29:15that she raises,
29:16as she will understand,
29:18but I am in favour
29:19of making sure
29:19that we can have
29:20the infrastructure
29:21and the houses
29:21that we need
29:22to grow our economy.
29:24And one of the problems
29:24we had in the last 14 years
29:26was an assertional rhetoric
29:28that we wanted homes
29:29and infrastructure,
29:30but when the decision
29:31was all that came up,
29:32the answer was always no.
29:34The answer cannot always be no.
29:39Can I thank the Prime Minister
29:40and the Foreign Secretary
29:41for their efforts
29:42to secure the release
29:43of Alaa Abdel Fattah,
29:45the human rights campaigner,
29:47the British human rights campaigner,
29:49who's been imprisoned in Egypt
29:50now for over 10 years.
29:52The Prime Minister will know,
29:53because he's met the family,
29:54that his mother is
29:56on the 150th day
29:57of the hunger strike,
29:59and her health
29:59is failing rapidly.
30:01Could I ask the Prime Minister
30:03to pick up the phone
30:04to President Sisi
30:05and seek the release of Alaa
30:07to save his life,
30:08also that of his mother's?
30:11Well, I thank him
30:12for raising this
30:13really important case.
30:15And as he says,
30:16I did meet the mother
30:19and the family
30:20just a few days ago,
30:23and it is an incredibly
30:26difficult situation for them.
30:28And I can assure him
30:29I will do everything I can
30:32to ensure the release
30:34in this case,
30:34and that includes phone calls
30:37as necessary.
30:38I've raised it before,
30:38I'll raise it again,
30:39we raise it
30:40and we'll continue to do so.
30:41I gave my word to the family
30:43that that's what I do,
30:45that I will do, and I will.
30:50People in Northern Ireland
30:51are sick to the teeth
30:52of paramilitaries,
30:53of the menace of the sectarianism
30:55and of keeping people
30:56stuck in the past.
30:57In light of the announcement
30:58yesterday on transition,
30:59does the Prime Minister
31:00recognise that people
31:01will be highly sceptical
31:02of this process,
31:03that there must be
31:05real learnings
31:05from the failed transitions
31:07of the past,
31:07that there can be
31:08no rewards
31:09for paramilitaries
31:10for hanging on,
31:11robust criminal justice,
31:13the flags off the lampposts
31:15and on street corners,
31:16and community-funded policing
31:18to allow communities
31:19that have been brutalised
31:21by paramilitaries
31:22to finally look forward
31:23to a confident
31:24and shared future?
31:26Prime Minister.
31:27Can I thank you
31:27for raising this important
31:29and obviously sensitive issue.
31:31We are committed
31:32to making progress
31:33towards ending paramilitarism
31:35once and for all
31:36in Northern Ireland,
31:38and that's why we've agreed
31:39to support a short,
31:40independent exercise
31:43to look at a formal process,
31:44and I'll make sure
31:45that the Secretary of State
31:46for Northern Ireland
31:46keeps her updated.
31:48Rishi Sunak.
31:53Mr Speaker,
31:56prostate cancer
31:58is now our country's
31:59most common cancer,
32:00and yet there is
32:01no national screening programme.
32:03We made progress
32:04towards this in government,
32:05but yet there is more to do,
32:07which is why I'm delighted
32:09to have joined
32:10Prostate Cancer Research,
32:11the charity,
32:12as an ambassador.
32:14I'm grateful to the Health Secretary
32:15for his engagement thus far,
32:17and could I ask
32:18the Prime Minister
32:19to ensure that we do have
32:20a targeted national
32:22screening programme
32:23for the most at-risk groups
32:25of prostate cancer,
32:26so that we can not only
32:27save the NHS money,
32:29make progress towards
32:30the government's
32:30early diagnosis targets,
32:32but most crucially,
32:33save thousands of lives.
32:36Well, can I thank him
32:37for raising this,
32:37and can I thank him
32:38for using his authority
32:41and reputation
32:42to support this vital cause,
32:44which will make
32:45a material difference,
32:46and I look forward
32:47to working with him on it.
32:49We do share a commitment
32:51to detecting prostate cancer earlier
32:53and treating it fast,
32:54and we must do that.
32:56Our national cancer plan
32:57will improve the way
32:58we treat cancer
32:59right across the country,
33:00and I'll make sure
33:00he's fully informed
33:01of the steps that we're taking,
33:02and we'll work with him.
33:05Thank you, Mr Speaker.
33:06Will the Prime Minister
33:07join with me
33:08in wishing all Welsh
33:09citizens everywhere
33:10a very happy St David's Day
33:11on Saturday?
33:13And will he also join with me
33:15in welcoming the latest
33:16news of the £600 million
33:18investment by Copenhagen
33:19infrastructure partners
33:20to ensure that Bute Energy
33:22and GreenGen Cymru
33:23can take forward
33:24the bold ambition
33:25to achieve 100% green
33:26electricity production
33:27by 2035 in Wales,
33:30thus providing much-needed,
33:31sustainable green jobs
33:32for the people of Wales?
33:35Well, can I wish her
33:36and her constituents
33:37a very happy St David's Day,
33:39and join her in welcoming
33:41this significant new investment
33:43into her constituency.
33:45That'll ensure good jobs,
33:47well-paid, skilled jobs,
33:49and of course,
33:50the transition to energy security
33:52and lower bills.
33:53And I know her constituency
33:54will play a vital role in that.
33:56Jeremy Hunt.
33:57Thank you, Mr Speaker.
33:58Does the Prime Minister agree
34:00that our biggest single
34:01foreign policy priority
34:04is the preservation of NATO
34:06with America at its heart?
34:08And if so,
34:09following his welcome announcement
34:11yesterday,
34:11is the next step
34:13to talk to our European allies
34:15and for all of us to agree
34:17to spend 3% of GDP on defence
34:20within a specified timescale
34:23so that we can look
34:24the President in the eye
34:25and say that Europe
34:26is finally pulling its weight
34:28on defence?
34:31Well, I agree with him entirely
34:32in terms of the priority
34:34in terms of NATO.
34:36Putin thought he could weaken NATO.
34:39He's only made it stronger
34:40and larger.
34:42NATO's strength comes from
34:45the US and European partners
34:47and others working together.
34:49And that is absolutely the focus
34:52of my work at the moment.
34:54It is right, as he says,
34:56that European countries,
34:58including the United Kingdom,
34:59do need to do more
35:01on capability,
35:02on coordination,
35:04and on defence spend.
35:07That must be not seen
35:08as a project separate to NATO,
35:11but part of an essential project
35:13that ensures that NATO is there
35:15for decades and decades to come,
35:17preserving the peace,
35:18just as it has been for 75 years.
35:21Final question.
35:22Newman, stand by.
35:23Mr Speaker,
35:24the Grangemouth refinery closure
35:25has loomed over central Scotland
35:26since PetroNS's announcement
35:28in November 2023.
35:30Two weeks ago,
35:30Scottish Labour colleagues
35:31and I met with the National Wealth Fund
35:33to make the case
35:33for investment in Grangemouth.
35:35I strongly welcome
35:36the exceptional commitment
35:37this Labour government
35:38has shown to Grangemouth
35:40by committing £200 million
35:42from the National Wealth Fund.
35:43Can I ask the Prime Minister
35:44what steps the Government
35:45will be taking
35:46to secure permanent good jobs
35:48at Grangemouth?
35:50Well, can I thank him
35:51for being such a great champion
35:53for Scotland and his constituency?
35:56Mr Speaker,
35:57Grangemouth is really important
35:59to communities in Scotland,
36:00to the economy in Scotland.
36:03It's not a charity case.
36:04It's got incredible potential,
36:06huge opportunity,
36:07and that's why
36:09at the weekend
36:10I was very pleased to announce
36:11£200 million
36:13from the National Wealth Fund
36:14to incentivise private investment.
36:16That, of course, Mr Speaker,
36:17follows £100 million
36:19in the growth deal
36:19that we announced earlier.
36:21This is about jobs
36:22for decades to come in Grangemouth.
36:24It's a really exciting opportunity
36:27and we intend to seize it.