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tv   Prime Ministers Questions Time  CSPAN  February 25, 2024 11:55pm-12:42am EST

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>> today we sanction those in the prison where alexei navalny's body lives. i will have meetings later today. >> my friend will share the horror felt by this house, the oldest assembly in the world. the afternoon attack against a woman and two children on the streets of london. share my anger that we would not have been able to deport the perpetrator because of his european rights. when will we stop bending done me to this strategist -- travesty. >> this was a horrific attack
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and my daughter was a victim. leaking more broadly, i do not think it is right for foreign criminals to be able to stay in our country and that is why we made it clear anyone convicted of a crime will not be granted asylum in the u.k.. that is supported by the majority of the british public. the one the labour party voted against. >> [indiscernible] >> can i start by welcoming the new member? i know they will be powerful advocates for their constituents. on a somber note, can i join with the prime minister? i was glad to hear what he had
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to say, because the whole house will join me in sharing our discussed that alexei navalny died trying to expose vladimir putin's corruption. vladimir putin stole the wealth and the future of democracy of the russian people. with the prime minister be prepared to repeat the allegation made by his secretary that the former chair of the post office is lying when he says he was told to go slow on compensation for postmasters into the next election? >> as the business secretary said, thornton step down after serious concerns. she sent out the reasons earlier this week. we've taken steps to ensure
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victims of the scandal receive compensation as quickly as possible, making sure victims receive compensation is our number one priority. >> i'm not sure that changes very much. let me press on because on monday the business secretary confirmed the post office was at no point told to delay compensation by an official or minister from any government and at no point was it suggested the delay would be a benefit to the treasury. a note released by the former post office chair appears to directly contradict them.
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this matters to the people who have been at the heart. i appreciate that the business secretary put the prime minister in a position, but will he commit to investigate this properly, including whether the statement was correct and why, rather than taking the acquisition seriously, she accused the whistleblower of lying? >> mr. speaker, as the business secretary sat with me, she asked thorton to step down after serious concerns. this is one of the greatest mischaracterizations of justice. people are working hard in their lives are destroyed. that's why they are working to
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ensure justice and compensation and why we established the inquiry. we paid out 150 million pounds to almost 300 victims and will introduce legislation to exonerate those. we will right the wrongs of the past so victims get justice. >> i hope the prime minister will instigate the investigation because concerns have been pushed to one side. this week we learned that a 2016 investigation into whether post office is could be altered was stopped before it was completed. the investigation revealed they could be altered, which we know
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is the case. the wrongly prosecuted have in saved. >> it is worth bearing in mind that the scandal unfolded over decades following a landmark high court case that the previous government established an inquiry uncovering exactly what when wrong. it's right that it is allowed to do its work. but the government established a report, three different compensation schemes and over two thirds of people have received full and final offers. we are making sure victims get the justice they deserve. >> mr. speaker, this information
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just came to light this week which is why i'm asking. considering that the foreign secretary was running the government in 2016, as the post office minister thought to ask either of them about 2016? >> we did the right thing which was to set up an independent inquiry. that is the right way to resolve it and get victims the truth and answers they demand. this government is getting them compensation. >> the horizon scandal left people isolated, lives ruined. some died without the justice they deserve.
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yesterday, chris head, accused of owning more than 80,000 pounds said this late yesterday. there is a lack of transparency. we need to see correspondence between the post office, department and the u.k. g.i. because everything is shrouded in secrecy. have some respect. i appreciate the inquiry but the prime minister does not explain why he can't give postmasters peace of mind and release the correspondence that he wants to see. will he do so? >> this is one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our century. the leader of the opposition raised these over the last year
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but we are working hard to get the domes answers and compensation. sir williams has the power to get access to documentation, speak to everyone. that is the proper way to get the truth victims deserve and we are not wasting a moment to get victims compensation in the legislation will be before the house shortly. >> numerous scandals have left shaken the public faith. rebuilding confidence will require people to see that politicians are being honest. just like victims of the block scandal who have been subjected to trauma. can the prime minister tell the house what undertakings he is made to ensure the government
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gives them the payments they are owed? >> when it come to the scandal i am away the strength of the scandal. i gave evidence to the inquiry and recognized thousands have suffered. there is an independent inquiry. the minister for the cabinet office because this is a complex issue, updated parliament with the latest positions before christmas recess and announced the office was appointing an expert group with the relevant expertise to make decisions responding to recommendations on compensation and confirms the
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department of health is giving psychological service to the affected. in providing an update through an oral statement within 25 days of the publication of the report. this is a deeply awful scandal and we will do what we need to do to make it right. >> there is a plan for 2000 young men if the home officers have their way. top of the recent advice, what fishermen can they give that they will not replicate the instances in cambridge when libyan people warehoused? >> they are right to raise
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concerns and we want asylum to have as little impact as possible on the local community. the home office put in place measures including a security operator working on site and working with local police. i know he agrees the only way to ensure local communities are not paying for housing of migrants is to have a plan to stop the boats. labor are blocking us every step of the way. >> thank you. we had to get by echoing the sentiments of the prime minister about alexei navalny. we must continue to be united in our opposition to vladimir putin. as it stands, 60% of buildings
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in gaza are damaged or destroyed, much is in ruins. 30,000 people are dead and 1.4 million are sheltering awaiting an imminent israeli onslaught. the prime minister must accept that that does not amount to self-defense. >> mr. speaker, i share the concern about the high rates of civilian casualties in humanitarian crisis and that is why we have called for humanitarian pause which would allow for the release of hostages and aid going into gaza so we create a sustainable condition for a cease-fire. that is what i'm focused on and impressed upon the prime minister. >> tonight the house will have
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the opportunity to join with the majority of the international community to say enough is enough. killing must stop in hostages must be released. the best way is to send a united message that we back cease-fire. sorely all of us can agree on that issue. >> of course we want to see the fighting and he had never allow hamas to carry out the terrorist attacks israel was subjected to. the u.n. resolution calling for a cease-fire which collapses into fighting within days or weeks is not in anyone's
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interest. we must work toward a permanent cease-fire. that is the approach we the united states have set out, a humanitarian cause to get paid in so that we can create sustainable cease-fire. were doing everything to increase the aid into gaza, something i discussed with the king of jordan and we will have more updates in the coming days. in the last couple of days we have delivered tents into gaza which are providing shelter. >> key to the regeneration of the link roads to cut congestion, given destruction caused by construction of the
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railway, the cash has not arrived. can you assure constituents they will get the roads they need? so they can grow the local economy? >> we announced vision to direct 36 billion pounds of savings to invest in transport projects including increased funding for two projects that i know my friend has campaigned on, the link roads. he met with the relevant minister to discuss these proposals and i can tell him the details of how this will be allocated shortly. >> 40,000 north sea oil and gas jobs are at risk from an incoming administration and neither labor nor the s&p have
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lifted a finger. with the passing of the petroleum bill, the u.k. government gave two fingers to scotland's energy ambitions. the u.k. received 300 billion in receipts from north sea oil and gas so why can't we find pounds to secure the future beyond 2025? >> the future is a commercial decision for their owners. the site will operate as a refinery until at least 2025. the u.k. and the government are working together to make sure there are assurances or the support of employees.
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when it comes to backing energy, this government insured we can support north sea oil and gas, safeguarding 200,000 jobs and increasing energy security. it is the labour party that oppose that. >> does the prime minister agree with me and farmers that our farmers and food security are vital? that the agricultural budget should be reined in, unlike the government that is trying to run our farmers out of business. it forecast as a results -- to result in job losses and a hit to the welsh economy. >> my honorable friend is an
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excellent campaigner on behalf of her farming community and i know she has been hard to raise their voice when there is so much concern. we are supporting farmers with more money to grow food in contrast to the plan she highlighted which would decimate it in wales. we will back our communities but it is labor who would take them back to square one. >> has been two years since the review on governance was produced. will you commit to an independent regulator to achieve air distribution of the rich to ensure no community in the future loses its football club? is he going to leave it for a future labour government to act
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on behalf of football fans? >> the independent regulator hopes to deliver a sustainable future on our manifesto commitment and that government is engaged in discussions with industry. i'm glad that he brought up the football club because it was the member on this side of the house who ensured funding to safeguard the foot all club. >> gp surgeries promised in planning applications take too long to be built. can we clear obstacles and make it easier for family doctors to use consulting rooms elsewhere so gps and nurses can see more patients while they wait for the premises to be built?
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>> i think my friend for his questions. now he knows we have high standards to ensure gps provide services that meet all the criteria. it is possible that those services are provided at locations that ensure requirements. i know he would welcome plans to expand services at pharmacies, saving time to get treatments for elements, easing the pressure on gps. >> i was in the house on the 18th of march, 2003, when this house voted to go to war in iraq. what followed was death, misery and destruction.
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warring against the iraq war is the act i am most proud of. after 29,000 deaths in gaza, we face similar significance. does the prime minister believe we should look back with pride knowing that they've done everything possible to stop the death, destruction and misery tonight? >> mr. speaker, nobody wants to see the fighting in gaza go on for longer than necessary. nobody wants to see civilian suffer and that's why we're doing everything we can to bring about an immediate pause allowing for the release of hostages and getting aid into gaza to create conditions for a
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cease-fire. that position is shared by allies and what our efforts are focused on. that is what our motion will reflect. >> [indiscernible] >> i've had the privilege to spend time with the law-abiding, hard-working patriotic people of romford. they have been telling me what they think, so i would like to ask the prime minister if he agrees with the people that we need a radical plan to control immigration and stop illegal immigration? that we need to regain sovereignty over human rights laws? that we need more police to stop crime, a fair funding settlement
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? will you follow the footsteps of margaret thatcher, meet the people of romford? the one thing they don't want is to be taken back into the european union by a socialist government. >> can i welcome my friends? i agree with everything he said and look forward to visiting him and his constituents at the earliest opportunity. >> at a recent meeting of the county council children with special educational needs were described by the council as requiring some form of strict correction or were just badly behaved kids. other inappropriate language was used. families have been outraged.
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30,000 signed a petition calling for resignation. will he condemn the conservative counselors language and urge them to resign? >> mr. speaker, i have not seen the details of those comments, but the government has a strong track record of supporting those with disabilities. it is important that children with special educational needs received the right support at the right time. we have seen increased funding by 50% and most recently the education and health department are funding a new project to primary schools because we want to make sure that the children get the opportunities they deserve. >> have we legislated to give id verification options on social media?
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tech companies know the safety of this but it is not good enough. campaigning to protect kids online, exploiting social media accounts and political interference in elections. will my friend uses influence to get tech companies to offer verification measures? >> can i start by commending my honorable friend for her work? she is right verification can be a powerful tool online. the online safety act offers optional identity verification. companies will need to improve safety for children and monitor
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tech companies and have strong powers to ensure they comply. the secretary's meeting with the industry on monday and will raise the points mentioned today. >> thank you. a study finds a case to remove power cables and despite my questioning the previous prime minister we are no further or word. can this prime minister secure a commitment from national grid to implement legal problem nation? this is impeding local businesses and benefits up to 1.2 billion pounds, we need action now. >> i am very happy to look into the issues. it would be damaging, these
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plans. to stick with a ridiculous target with no plan to pay means high taxes. >> britain's food security faces industrialization. solar plants, substations and pylons covering 87 miles of countryside. these cues up growing land -- these use up growing land. will he join my flight for green and pleasant land and make sure that security is not competitive? >> my friend raises an excellent
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point. we have taken steps to protect prime land from large-scale developments, but also our announcements demonstrate increased security, backing farmers with funding to produce great food. all of this was put at risk by the party opposite. they want to impose targets which would concrete over the country that we love. >> in december the minister for equalities told the house they had engaged extensively with lgbt organizations since their appointment.
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freedom of information reveals that he has not met a single organization. but met with groups that campaign against transgender rights. what is the party's problem with transgender people and the truth? >> this government has a proud track record of supporting those in the lgbt community and we've always said those questioning gender should be treated with gender and sensitivity. to highlight the importance of biological sex when it comes to those questions, no one should be demonized for pointing out the fact. >> the education committee heard compelling evidence to keep
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mobile phones out of the classrooms. we continue to share disturbing evidence about young people with too much exposure to social media. will there be implementation of the online safety act? >> i think my friend for his work and he knows we have a plan when it comes to education and protecting children. the secretary is making sure we can implement the online safety act, but we published guidance banning phones in schools for education attainment. we're going beyond that because what children see online is important and we want to protect safety and mental health. >> mr. speaker, when matters of
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life and death are voted on in the house, does the prime minister think mp's should vote according to their party for their conscience? >> mr. speaker, district speaker, mr. speaker. the house will have the opportunity to consider its approach to the situation in israel. we will call for immediate humanitarian pause to allow the safe release of hostages and aid in gaza to create a sustainable cease-fire. calling for a cease-fire which collapses back into fighting would not be in anyone's interest. we are committed to finding a
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lasting resolution in which deliverers on a two state solution in a palestinian state in the future. >> thank you, mr. speaker. it seems that with the exception of the british transport police, all others will treat no contact sex crimes as they would pet crime. will the crime -- prime minister facilitate a meeting between colleagues and the secretary to give priority to these acts of crime? >> of course we want women and girls to get protection and i'm pleased that our violence strategy is showing results,
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increasing sentences for rapists. i will make sure that he gets a meeting to discuss his concerns. >> thank you. just like the secretary of state claims, delays and compensations , his responses are unbelievable. [indiscernible] we will not have any action. you can shout all you like, but we on though that's the case. the prime minister has a new law to exonerate[indiscernible], so we need assurance that this is put forward before the next
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election. >> legislation will be brought forward before the house very soon. >> speaker, after the signaling improvement work, there have been delays. data analyzed showed september has a 3000% increase of wait times over 10 minutes. this is unacceptable. >> i'm sorry to hear about the delays. i know that will be disruptive for lives and it is important that we have proper conductivity. so we will put pressure on network rails to improve service. >> children and young adults are
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most likely to be the victims of the perpetrators of gun crimes. one was 12 years old when stabbed and killed in liverpool in 2021. danny was 16 when he died as a result of knife crime. we are competing for tougher sentences on knife crime. will the prime minister support the campaign to end the scourge of gun crime, knife crime? >> mr. speaker, can i express my condolences? we have cut violent crime in
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half and criminals are going to jail for longer. we are bringing forward legislation that would increase sentences and i hope she and her party will support those proposals. >> after years of campaigning it is great news that there will be a bus between two of my greatest towns. however, there is still a lack of transport. does the prime minister greedy about my plan to make sure everyone has a direct bus link? >> mr. speaker, we know how vital bus services are. it is our most popular form of transportation which is why we have used savings to invest in bus services.
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we capped bus rides at two pounds. we provided millions of pounds of funding to support local bus services. i join him on ensuring bus routes and make sure the people can see loved ones at a distressing time. >> the people of south wales marched in support of industry following the government's grubby deal. the prime minister is failing to protect industry because he failed to protect jobs at plants. he has a choice. it work with unions and workforce to protect the jobs or walk away as tories do in the band in communities yet again. >> mr. speaker, this government
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worked to create a sustainable future for welsh steelmaking and grow the legacy of this industry. safeguarding 1000 jobs and ensuring that it was sustainable. it's why we created a cash grant to safeguard 5000 jobs which would have been lost. and perhaps he might want to ask why the labour government did not put a penny in to support the deal. >>[indiscernible] >> the watford area employees over 900 people.
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would the prime minister and cabinet join in celebrating the handover in february and the 48 billion pounds raised by the lottery players funding projects so far in everyone's constituency. >> i joined in offering congratulations and thanks to everyone involved. all of us and our constituents see the incredible investments and he is right to make sure they get the praise they deserve. >> the prime minister has been acting against his answer to a previous question, about transferring investment from the north into the south. when he came to manchester, he saw the people of the north of england and canceled hs two.
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was he aware then that because of trains having to split, he will be slowing services and reducing capacity? did he know or didn't he care? >> our plans mean we can handle triple the capacity and every penny of the pounds will stay in the north, being invested in services like local buses. thirdly, i still have not quite figured out what the labour party position on this is. do they support the redeployment across the rest of the country or do they not? they just took us back to square one. >> that concludes prime
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minister's questions. [indiscernible] ok.
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