when it hit the state on sunday. a number of the 115 other residents remain in a critical condition. police have launched a criminal investigation into the deaths. the un secretary general has called on myanmar to end the military violence which has forced hundreds of thousands of rohingya muslims to flee. antonio guterres said the situation in the refugee camps in bangladesh was a humanitarian catastrophe, with women and children hungry and malnourished. the president of the european commission, jean—claude juncker, has told the european parliament that britain will soon regret its decision to leave the eu. in his annual speech on the state of the european union, mrjuncker also outlined his plans for a more integrated eu. now on bbc news, wednesday in parliament. hello and welcome to

wednesday in parliament. the news from westminster: the labour leader accuses the government of neglecting ordinary people. a conservative prime minister once told britain, you've never had it so good. now tory mps tell each other, we've never had it so good. but the prime minister says voters can't trust labour. he promised voters he would deliver on brexit. and he's let them down. what people know is that it's only the conservatives that deliver a better britain. also in the programme, mps back a labour motion calling for an end to the pay cap for nhs workers. myself and my colleagues are minded to support the motion that he has put before the house this evening. but it would be appropriate if true sincerity was shown by all members of this house and they stop attacking the government for giving

northern ireland that £1 billion so they can allow others to alleviate the costs which could narrow the pay gap. but first, prime minister's questions began with theresa may announcing extra money for the relief effort in areas affected by hurricane irma. an estimated 500,000 british people were in the path of the hurricane. either as tourists or residents in british 0verseas territories. the hurricane left a trail of destruction across the caribbean and florida. since thursday cobra has met regularly to co—ordinate the government's response, bringing together military, aid and consular effort, and today i am announcing an additional £25 million to support the recovery effort, further to the £32 million of assistance that i announced last week. we have now deployed over 1,000 military personnel to the region, with an additional 200 to arrive in the next few days, along with over 60 police. more than a0 tonnes of aid has now arrived. i am sure that members across the house would like to join me in paying tribute to the hard work of the many people,

military and civilian, who are doing an incrediblejob in difficult circumstances. the labour leaderjeremy corbyn kicked off his questions by highlighting a damning report from a united nations committee into the lives of disabled people in the uk. the uk signed up to a un convention on disabled people's rights in 2007. the report concluded the uk was not doing enough to meet its commitments. it formed part of a wide—ranging attack on the impact of government policies for ordinary people. but theresa may accused jeremy corbyn of breaking promises to those very same people. the situation facing disabled people in britain is described by the united nations committee on the rights of persons with disabilities as a human catastrophe. does the prime minister think it was right that while her government funded tax giveaways to the richest, disabled people have been hit hardest by the cuts her government have made? the labour leader moved

on to public sector pay. at the weekend, we were told that the public sector pay cap had been dropped. on monday, the prime minister's spokesperson said the pay cap would continue as planned. yesterday we were told it was over, yet later we found out that police and prison officers still face a real—terms pay cut. will the prime minister tell us what the position is at midday today? theresa may said she accepted the recommendations of the independent pay review bodies for prison staff and police officers. we also recognise, as i have said to him previously, that we need to balance out protecting jobs in the public sector, being fair to public sector workers, and being fair to taxpayers who pay for it, many of whom are public sector workers. there is a need for greater flexibility as we look at these issues of public sector pay in the future. we will be working on that in the lead—up to the budget, and the remits for the pay review bodies for 2018—19 will be published in due course. he went on to quote comments

the chancellor reportedly made to the 1922 committee of backbench conservative mps. he told conservative mps, look at us, no mortgage, everybody with a pension and never had more money in the current account. a conservative prime minister once told britain it had never had it so good. now tory mps tell each other, we've never had it so good. can the prime minister tell us what has happened in the last seven years to the average person's bank account? he is talking about ordinary people and the situation that they face. this is his fourth question and he has not yet mentioned the employment figures today. that show unemployment at its lowest levels since the mid—1970s, and that employment, people in work, people taking home a wage, a salary, to support their families, is at record levels, the highest level since records began.

jeremy corbyn! the only problem is that more people in work are in poverty than ever before. more are in insecure work, and more rely on tax credits and housing benefit to make ends meet. consumer debt is rising by 10% as wages are falling. household savings are lower than at any time in the past 50 years. that is the conservative legacy. mrs may hit back, accusing mr corbyn of breaking promises. the right honourable gentleman promised workers that he would protect their rights and on monday he let them down. he promised students that he would deal with their debt and he has let them down. he promised the british people

that he would support trident and he has let them down. he promised voters that he would deliver on brexit and he has let them down. what people know is that it is only the conservatives who deliver a better britain. the snp leader at westminster used his turn to accuse the government of economic incompetence. uk's record on earnings has been significantly worse than almost any other developed country. in fact, real wages in the uk have fallen by 2.6% since 2007. wages are not growing, the cost of living is rising, household budgets are stretched. the government can find the money for quantitative easing,

435 billion since 2009, but they can't find the money for fiscal measures to grow the economy. this is a government that does not understand how to use economic levers and it is that people who pay the price. will the prime minister take responsibility for the government's gross mismanagement of the uk economy? in all of that rather lengthy question, never once did he record the increase in employment that has taken place across the united kingdom, what the figures showed today. he started off by standing up and complaining i had referenced the axe of the scottish government. he believes scotland should only be run by the scottish government, so i scottish people deserve us to talk in this house about what the scottish government is or is not going to the people of scotland. the scottish economy

and the livelihoods of the people scotland are better off in the united kingdom. mps have unanimously backed the labour motion without a vote calling on the government to end the pay cap for workers in the nhs. conservative mps remain silent. the government has said the cap on public sector pay rises in england and wales is to be lifted. with ministers having flexibility. but that didn't go far enough at the shadow health secretary. hospitals are in deficit. waiting lists in their millions. hospital bosses warning there are not enough beds this winter. last winter, overcrowding, act the lindsey is backed up, social care tipping point. some characterised it

as a humanitarian crisis. it is not good enough to expect hospitals to fund a pay increase for staff from existing budgets. it has been necessary to bring government spending... none of us would want for anyone to be paid any less, but it has been difficult and necessary in order to control the overspending by government and put right the financial mess the country was left them after the last time his party was in government. tracy came to parliament last week and spoke of having suffered a 14% cut in pay. two thirds of her fellow nurses taking second jobs and a haemorrhage of nurses from the profession they love. does the honourable gentleman agree

with me that it is utterly shameful to treat those who make the difference between life and death in this way? if labour want to raise the peak cap, can he explain how they will pay for it, increase in taxation or more public the government has found an extra £1 billion for northern ireland, which we don't begrudge. the government is giving away billions in corporation tax cuts, billions in inheritance tax cuts. government is about making choices. we would make a different set of choices. myself and my colleagues are minded to support the motion. but it would be appropriate if true sincerity was shown by all members

of the size of the stop attacking the government for giving northern ireland that billion pounds so we can alleviate the costs that would allow us to make that pay gap narrowed. the pay gap is unfair on hard—working staff struggling to make ends meet, and is unfair on patients who suffered the direct consequences of understaffed, overstretched services. we look forward to the health secretary telling us how he will use this new—found flexibility. every labour government in modern times has left office with unemployment higher than when he entered office. that is why the motion today is so bogus. the difference between this side and that side is not about a desire to invest in public services, it is about the delivery bash ability to deliver a strong economy so we can make that investment. people will vote with their feet and leave the nhs.

it is morally wrong and will not work. the chief secretary to the treasury announced a new policy to allow departments flexibility whether our recruitment and retention issues and productivity savings can be found. and we also will honour the commitment we made prior to yesterday's announcement, which is before taking any decisions we will listen to the independent advice of the pay review bodies. who is the real friend of the nhs? the party that has delivered more doctors, more nurses, more funding than ever before in its history? or the party that plays politics with the nhs in election after election, despite doing it so much harm? you're watching wednesday in parliament. coming up, the big question of the day.

i'm not sure whether my honourable friend is the celebrity or the first date. let's take a brief diversion to the european parliament in strasbourg. the president of the eu commission has given his state of the union address where he spoke of his passion for the eu and his plans for the future. he called brexit a sad and tragic moment in the history of the eu and he predicted that the uk would regret it too. translation: march 29 2019, the date when the uk will leave the eu, this will be a very sad and tragic moment in our history. we will always regret this, andi history. we will always regret this, and i think that you will regret it as well soon, if i might say.

applause. nonetheless, we have to respect the will of the british people. we are going to make progress. we will keep moving. we will move on. because brexit isn't everything. it's not the future of europe. it is not the be all and end all. mrjuncker, that was the most open, honest and truly worrying speech i have heard in my long years in this place. the message is very clear. "brexit has happened, full steam ahead. " so, new plans. there's to be one powerful president for the whole of the european union. a finance minister with fresh powers to, as you say yourself, intervene as and when he sees necessary. a stronger european army in the militarised european union with a stronger and perhaps more aggressive foreign policy, too. and more europe in every single directions, and all of it to be done without the consent of the people. thank god, he said, that the uk was leaving the eu.

meanwhile in the commons the northern ireland secretary was urging political parties to work to restore power—sharing in belfast. warning that time is short. the northern ireland executive collapsed in january. the dup and sinn fein have so far failed to to reach an agreement. our clear and resolute focus is to re—establish the government at stormont. together with the irish government, we are continuing to support the party's effort to find resolution and reform the executive. however, time is short and i urge the parties to continue to work to reach an agreement. the prime minister has been in touch with the party leaders in northern ireland in recent hours and as she has heard from our party leader, a commitment to restoring devolution immediately with no red lines of pre—conditions, to get on the job of dealing with health education, jobs and investment in northern ireland. can the secretary of state

indicate whether sinn fein continue to adhere to the these matters are not as important as seeking partisan political man to be fulfilled and whether any progress was made on that front? i welcome the statement that the honourable gentleman has made on behalf of his party and indeed the comments that arlene foster has made about seeing their desire to get back into an executive. i would also point to the comments of michelle o'neal who said she believes that, whilst there are difficulties, that a deal is still doable. i would certainly encourage him and his party to engage in the way they have and certainly encourage all parties do have that focus on seeing devolution restored. the accountability the minister is lacking. if sinn fein continues to hold on the government and the board northern ireland to ransom, well they step in to make sure accountability and accessibility is back on the cards and how do they see that taking place? the honourable gentleman knows that

time is running short. there is a lack of a budget in northern ireland and that cannot continue for much longer. the more we head into it october, the bigger the challenges that are there. i note the point about accountability. obviously at the uk governments, we have a primary responsibility in respect of those electrical stability in northern ireland. i know the point he makes about responses from departments within the northern ireland civil service and i will raise that with david stirling. since we haven't had a functioning assembly in northern ireland for nine months, why on earth do the mlas continue to receive their full salaries and allowance? it is an absolute scandal that this continues to be the case. i certainly hear that message loud and clear. there is no direct way in which i can intervene, no legislation that will allow me to do so but i do hear that message and, as i said, in my speech in cambridge on friday, everywhere to be a situation where the uk government has to make more directive decision,

that is an issue i would have to consider. having heard the honourable gentleman regularly expostulate from his seat, it would be good to hear him on his feet. mr martin dovherty hughes. thank you, mr speaker. if the secretary of state is so perturbed by a lack of good governance in the province of northern ireland, maybe you would like to tell his neck mentions why he gave him and his government gave £1 billion to an unaccountable executive led by the dup. well, i say to the honourable gentleman that we have recognised the case for the needs of northern ireland where there has been under investment in infrastructure. where there have been issues in relation to mental help and i'm sorry if he doesn't acknowledge and recognise that, we firmly do and act in the interest of all parts of the united kingdom. james brokenshire justifying the funding giving to

northern ireland as part of the cash for votes deal as critics describe it, made between the conservatives and the dup after the general election. now the plight of animals born to suffer after being bred reserves and genetic defect has been raised in the house of lords. the environment minister visits some of these at the department is taking to enhance animal welfare. the proposals include lowering the number of letters in which an operator need a license, pretending the sale of cats and dogs under eight weeks of age and the introduction of up to date back to dream in welfare conditions for all licensees. i thank my noble friend for that answer. would he join me in paying tribute to the charities and their armies of volunteers who care for cats and dogs in distress? is he aware that an issue of growing concern is unregulated breeding of animals such as pugs of scottish fold cats who are bred genetically modified cause of cosmetic purposes

to have a flat faces but as a result of spend their life in intolerable pain, unable to breathe properly. will he take action to introduce regulations such as exists in switzerland against the torture in breeding of animals to suffer? my lord, i would undoubtedly wish to acknowledge the exceptional work of the charities and volunteers, and it is my privilege often to work with them. i do share my noble friend's concern and only yesterday, i met representatives of the british veterinary association to see how best to resolve this issue of genetic defects. many people very well are keeping certain breeds of which because of their confirmation are so deformed that they will suffer ill— health and stress throughout their lives. the popularity of breeds like the french bulldog and scottish

fold cat is increasing. partly endorsed by advertising, celebrity endorsement and social media. whilst it may be difficult to introduce litigation, would the noble lord agree with me we should do all we can to persuade people that the keeping of such breeds is not cool? it is not reasonable to be, and i think it is self—indulgent, to be breeding animals with the genetic defects. we do want to deal with it and i think it's very important we do. it was as a number of breeds that we need to improve their conditions. on a lighter note, what about the people who are dog collars? “ wear. are there any concerns about those members who wear dog collars? well...

it, it... i think the reverend knows i'm very fond of dogs and actually i have very good relations with many and work closely with rural bishops on many issues concerning the countryside. and finally... theresa may has shared some intriguing information about one of their conservative colleague, michael fabricant. it came to light when the unsuspecting mp raised in birmingham's bids to host the commonwealth games in 2022. last week in the face of stiff competition, birmingham defeated the brilliant liverpool approach and won the award for the commonwealth games in the west midlands, which is excellent news for the economy, not only for birmingham but also for the greater west midlands including lichfield. would my right honourable friend speak, and i see she's sitting next to him, to the chancellor to ensure he backs the bid as well and then that's for britain to ensure that birmingham win the commonwealth games over kuala lumpur? can i say to my honourable friend

and gretel forrest question, —— i am grateful for his question. ido... i have noticed my honourable friend apparently is shortly to appear on a channel a programme called celebrity first dates. mr speaker, what i'm not sure about is whether my honourable friend is the celebrity or the first date. another recipient of mrs may's humour was the liberal democrat leader sir vince cable. it was his first question at prime minister's questions since becoming leader injuly. can the prime minister explain the logic behind treating european fruit pickers and cleaners as an economic threat while at the same time being completely relaxed about european ownership and control of the railways, water system, electricity companies and indeed last week,

the takeover of one of britain's few remaining technology companies, aviva. it is a question of being devolved to big business but paranoid about people? can ijust say to the honourable gentleman that we are very clear in relation to immigration, that we want to welcome the brightest and best to the united kingdom. we have rules on people from outside the eu and we will have our own rules on people coming from inside the eu but gradually. can i also congratulate the honourable gentleman on his election to the leadership of this party? he and i of course went together during the years of coalition, not all that agreeing on everything but i do note that he has raised this issue of our relationship with europe and he did say something i agreed with — that a second eu referendum would be seriously disrespectful and politically utterly counter— productive.

so i was rather disappointed to hear that he is now reversing this position and backs a second referendum, that perhaps is not unusual, for a liberal democrat to say one thing before the election and another afterwards. theresa may. bringing a little humour to the day. that's it from wednesday in parliament. do join me at the same time tomorrow. until then, from me, goodbye. hi there. the weather's going to stay unsettled and showery for the next few days. the first named season is moving across northern europe. it will be battering pollen, latvia, lithuania. gusts could be 70 miles an hour on thursday morning. the chance of some

damage and destruction here. westerly winds will bring in showers in bands. out early in the morning, these are the temperatures you could expect early. nine or 10 degrees. with the wind, it could feel cooler. it will start sunny in england, but cloud will come down across wales, east england, and the midlands. that clears and then the skies to a brighter with sunshine. through the afternoon, showers. they could merge together to provide heavy rain in scotland. that is the latest weather. goodbye for now. hello, i'm tom donkin. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. here's our top stories: florida police launch a criminal investigation into the deaths of eight residents at a nursing home hit by hurricane irma.

the crisis of the rohingya muslims reaches catastrophic levels. the un warns the exodus is destabilising the entire region. i call on the myanmar authorities to suspend military action, end the violence, uphold the rule of law. another case of the brexit blues — european commission president jean—claude juncker says britain will soon regret its decision to leave the eu. the man dubbed the most hated man in america,