find to £40 billion needed to find in tax cuts, spending cuts. at the beginning —— at the beginning of this government's town. this is something that you can easily see figure in that discussion today i will be closely scrutinised up to the budget because it is a moving picture and the pieces fall into place over the last couple of —— over the next couple of weeks. of -- over the next couple of weeks. l, ,, of -- over the next couple of weeks. ., ,, ., , weeks. taylor swift have been makin: weeks. taylor swift have been making headlines. _ weeks. taylor swift have been making headlines. probably. weeks. taylor swift have been l making headlines. probably the last thing that keir starmer wants to be seeing in the headline. sorry, we will post their because prime minister questions is right now. alex salmond was a huge figure in politics and he leaves a lasting legacy and i know the deepest condolences of the whole house or with his wife

and family and his loved ones. mr speaker, this week we also remember our colleague and friend, sir david amos, whose kindness and commitment to public service continued to inspire us all and i know how deeply this was felt on the benches opposite and i am so glad that his plaque is here in the house with us. i also want to acknowledge the extraordinary life of holocaust survivor billy herbert, whose message of hope showed such courage. may her memory be a blessing. mr speaker, we also extend our sympathies to the family of general sir mike jackson. he was an inspirational leader of the british army and served with distinction. i know the whole house willjoin me in wishing the best of luck to the new england manager, thomas tuchel. i won't hold his old job against him but i wish him well in the new one! mr speaker,

this morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others in addition to my duties in this house. i shall have further such meetings later today. further such meetings later toda . �* today. and last week's maternity _ today. and last week's maternity services - today. and last week's - maternity services debate, we heard of the devastating impact of the removal of consultant led maternity services from the hospital. underthe led maternity services from the hospital. under the previous government's unfunded new hospital programme there where proposals to remove consultant led maternity services from our hospital in winchester. could he reassure me and my constituents that under the new government, that maternity consultant led maternity services and a&e services will remain in winchester and will he commit to funding properly the backlog of maintenance that has developed in our hospital in manchester? i has developed in our hospital in manchester?— in manchester? i think for raising this _ in manchester? i think for raising this very _ in manchester? i think for| raising this very important issue and for championing the voices of women in his

constituency. we are committed to ensuring all women and babies receive safe, compassionate and safe care through pregnancy and birth and following months. you can of the service is a matter for the integrated care boards, important as it allows decisions to be made locally and tailored to local interest, but all changes should be based on evidence clinically led and involving engagement with patients to ensure they will deliver better outcomes. fix, patients to ensure they will deliver better outcomes. a very important _ deliver better outcomes. a very important issue. _ deliver better outcomes. a very important issue. whitby - important issue. whitby interactive has provided inclusive playschemes and holiday activities for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities for 26 years. it has been a lifeline for families continually failed by conservative governments. but interactive is set to close due to a funding shortfall. does he agree with me that action to tackle the crisis in this

provision is urgently needed and that charities like interactive deserve our support more than ever?— interactive deserve our support more than ever? yes, i do and i know this _ more than ever? yes, i do and i know this will _ more than ever? yes, i do and i know this will be _ more than ever? yes, i do and i know this will be a _ more than ever? yes, i do and i know this will be a concerning i know this will be a concerning time forfamilies who know this will be a concerning time for families who rely on their billions work. children with special educational needs and abilities have been failed for too long and this comes up repeatedly in this house, with parents struggling to get their children the support that they need and that they deserve. we must raise the standards for every child so they can succeed in education. we will fix the foundations and ensure every child can achieve their potential. can ijoin with the prime minister's words of tribute to alex salmond and the holocaust survivor and thank him for his kind words about sir david amos. we remember him fondly and will be thinking of all theirfamilies at this and will be thinking of all

their families at this time. mr speaker, this week, china has carried out unwarranted aggressive military exercises in the taiwan strait. 0ur allies are rightly concerned. after worrying report that the government may have intervened to stop a visit to the uk by the former taiwanese president, can the prime minister confirmed that the foreign secretary will use his meetings in beijing this week to condemn china's dangerous as glittery acts? i china's dangerous as glittery acts? ~' ., , china's dangerous as glittery acts? ~ ., , , ., acts? i think for his question, the continued _ acts? i think for his question, the continued military - acts? i think for his question, the continued military activity in the street is not conducive to peace and stability and stability in the taiwan straits is in all of our interests. 0n the wider point that he raises, we will cooperate where we can as permanent members of the un security council, issues like net zero, health and trade, compete where we have different interests, but challenge the point he makes where it is needed to protect national

security, human rights and we will put that challenge in. given what the prime minister said and i agree, of course we must engage and we should use that engagement for our national interest. i hope the foreign secretary will unequivocally condemn this military escalation and stand up military escalation and stand up for democracy in taiwan. the whole house will be concerned about the fate of the democracy campaign. jimmy is a british citizen who has been wrongly imprisoned in hong kong for four years. the previous government pressured china for his release. thus the primaries to agree that this is a particular politically motivated prosecution and it is a breach of the china's legal obligations to hong kong under the declaration?— the declaration? yes, and this case, as the declaration? yes, and this case. as he — the declaration? yes, and this case, as he will— the declaration? yes, and this case, as he will understand, l the declaration? yes, and this| case, as he will understand, is a priority for the government. we do call on the hong kong authorities to release immediately our british national in the foreign secretary raised this case in

his first meeting with china's foreign minister and we will continue to do so. i foreign minister and we will continue to do so.— foreign minister and we will continue to do so. i think him for that answer. _ continue to do so. i think him for that answer. china, - continue to do so. i think him for that answer. china, as - continue to do so. i think him for that answer. china, as he | for that answer. china, as he knows, has become a decisive enabler of russia's war against ukraine, supplying the vast majority now of russia's imported military microelectronics and components, worsening the suffering of the quinine people. can he confirm that he is prepared to sanction any chinese business or individual involved in aiding russia's invasion of ukraine, including secondary functions on financial institutions? yes, and we have _ financial institutions? yes, and we have called - financial institutions? yes, and we have called for- financial institutions? yes, j and we have called for that financial institutions? yes, i and we have called for that in the past. we continue to do so and i hope this is an issue where we can have unity across the house. i where we can have unity across the house-— the house. i can assure the prime minister _ the house. i can assure the prime minister of _ the house. i can assure the prime minister of support, | the house. i can assure the | prime minister of support, it is something we began, the us have recently expanded their sanctions and i hope the new government will continue to look at doing the same. the last government also

established a new system of registration and monitoring to protect the uk from interference from foreign states encoding china, russia and iran. it was described as essential by mi5 in the fight to help keep britain safe. but since the prime minister took office, he has halted its implementation. why? that is not correct- — implementation. why? that is not correct. rishi _ implementation. why? that is not correct. rishi sunak. - implementation. why? that is not correct. rishi sunak. mr. not correct. rishi sunak. mr speaker. — not correct. rishi sunak. mr speaker, that _ not correct. rishi sunak. mr speaker, that is _ not correct. rishi sunak. mr speaker, that is very - not correct. rishi sunak. mr speaker, that is very clearly with the government has said and it only last week he said at the dispatch box that he would give the security forces the powers they need and if he is going to fulfil that promise, i would urge him to get up to speed on this issue and therefore implement the scheme. parliament's intelligence and security committee have warned that british universities are increasingly a rich feeding ground for china to exert

political influence over us. that is why we pass the freedom of speech act with new powers to help defend universities from this threat but the new education secretary has since blocked it. so can he tell us how, without this tool, the government will prevent chinese influence over our universities? i influence over our universities? ., , universities? i really don't think party _ universities? i really don't think party political- universities? i really don't think party political points j universities? i really don't i think party political points on security... throughout the last parliament, we stood with the government on all questions of security and intelligence because it was important to the outside world that we did so. i worked with the security and intelligence services provide years, prosecuting cases. i know first—hand the work that they do as a lawyer. i have known first—hand the work they do as the prime minister. we support them in everything we

do and he knows that. whether it is the first — do and he knows that. whether it is the first scheme _ do and he knows that. whether it is the first scheme with - do and he knows that. whether it is the first scheme with the l it is the first scheme with the freedom of speech act, these were new tools, new sets of powers that the previous government passed in order to give, whether it is our universities or security services, the powers they need to tackle a growing threat and we will continue to support the government in protecting our national security but do believe on the side of the house that those tools are needed and are concerned by reports of the new government has opposed implementation or indeed scrapped them. finally, the chinese government has sanctioned multiple members of our parliament for championing human right. as a result, they have faced intimidation, abuse and surveillance. i commend you, mr speaker, of the defence 1522 00:10:47,804 --> 00:10:48,