suggesting in future she isn't going to want to come back and raise taxes again, as she did in the budget we have just seen. a lot 0k they are taking to their feet the final pm cues. iron duke and the tube serving operation cover it in estonia. this christmas, as every christmas, members of our armed forces will be serving overseas working day and night to protect britain's national security. i know the whole house willjoin me in sending our deepest thanks to them to our emergency services and everyone working to keep the country safe over the festive period. over the festive period. may also take this opportunity to thank you, mr speaker, and the house staff for all your hard work this year and can i wish everyone across the house a merry christmas and a happy new year. 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. mai; this house. i shall have further such meetings later today. may i associate myself _ such meetings later today. may i associate myself with _ such meetings later today. may i associate myself with the - associate myself with the prime minister's marks. in 2021, kerry and frances davis who live in my constituency of north east hertfordshire and are in the gallery today, tragically lost their son at the age ofjust six to a rare form of cancer. now they are courageously campaigning to ensure that every parent who must leave work to look after a sick child in hospital gets the financial support that they need from day one. will the prime minister meet with them and me to discuss implementing a law that improves the lives of families at the most difficult time imaginable. can i pay tribute to kerry and frances. it is a heartbreaking case and commend them for their campaign

on behalf of other families. i and commend them for their campaign on behalf of otherfamilies. i know the ministerfor social on behalf of otherfamilies. i know the minister for social security and disability met the family yesterday, but no parent should endure losing their child to cancer, particularly at such a young age. we are investing £1.5 billion for new surgical hubs and scanners, £70 million for new radiotherapy machines and we will set out our next steps on the children and young people cancer task force shortly. we now come to the leader of the opposition, kemi badenoch. mr opposition, kemi badenoch. speaker, opposition, kemi badenoch. ij�*i' speaker, can opposition, kemi badenoch. m speaker, can i send my warmest wishes to our armed forces at home and overseas, to the emergency services and everyone who will be working over christmas. can i wish you, mr speaker, the house staff and all members of this house, a very merry christmas. for years the prime minister and his cabinet played

politics with the waspi women. the deputy prime minister said conservatives were stealing their pensions. she promised to compensate them in full, another broken promise. now they admit we were right all along. but let's ask about another group of pensioners whose trust... let's ask about another group of pensioners whose trust was broken. since the chancellor cut winter fuel payments, how many extra people have applied for pension credit? . people have applied for pension credit? , ., ., , ., , credit? the number one “ob of this government — credit? the number one “ob of this government was h credit? the number one “ob of this government was to _ credit? the number one “ob of this government was to put _ credit? the number one job of this government was to put the - credit? the number one job of this | government was to put the finances backin government was to put the finances back in order after last government lost control. they left a £22 billion black hole and we had to take tough choices. we made sure the most vulnerable pensioners to get the winter fuel payment and we have been encouraging and driving up eligibility for pension credit. she should join that campaign about mr speaker, here is the difference

because we have stabilised the economy, we can commit to the triple lock. that means the next april, pensioners get another for hundred and £70 but he was the difference because two weeks ago the shadow chancellor said the triple lock is unsustainable. their position said pensioners would lose out under the tories yet again. he pensioners would lose out under the tories yet again-— tories yet again. he didn't answer the question- _ tories yet again. he didn't answer the question. because _ tories yet again. he didn't answer the question. because he - tories yet again. he didn't answer the question. because he doesn't| the question. because he doesn't know the answer. there are 850,000 eligible pensioners not claiming pension credit. if they sign up, if they sign up that will cost the treasury £2.3 billion, wiping out the savings the chancellor claimed she would make. before the election his chief secretary told the public they had no plans to cut winter fuel, but they did have plans, didn't they? age uk so cutting the

winter fuel payment with very little notice will potentiallyjeopardise the health and finances of millions of older people. does he agree with age uk that this is the last thing both pensioners and the nhs need? we have been driving up with a campaign for pension credit. it is important that everybody on title claims that credit and she shouldn't claim the record their government in sign up. we were the ones with the campaign, they should be supporting it. because of the triple lock, pensions will be going up by four £70 next april. she needs to explain how pensioners will be worse off under a tory government. it is pensioners will be worse off under a tory government-— tory government. it is prime minister's — tory government. it is prime minister's questions. - tory government. it is prime minister's questions. mr - tory government. it is prime - minister's questions. mr speaker, we rotected minister's questions. mr speaker, we protected the — minister's questions. mr speaker, we protected the triple _ minister's questions. mr speaker, we protected the triple lock _ minister's questions. mr speaker, we protected the triple lock during - minister's questions. mr speaker, we protected the triple lock during all. protected the triple lock during all our time in government. meanwhile,

energy bills are increasing despite his promise to cut them by £300. in scotland, his party leader wants to restore the winter fuel payments. across england, councils are scrabbling to get the funds for struggling pensioners. the tragic reality this christmas is pensioners will suffer and may even die as a result of this cruel policy. did the chancellor consider the impact on councils and on the nhs, or did she just not know what she is doing? the household support fund was set out in the budget, she knows that. we are pushing up pension credit, but she now says they are committed to the triple lock. her shadow chancellor says they are not, that it is unsustainable. may be over a sandwich or steak they could sort it out and come back and tell us what their policy actually is. the

out and come back and tell us what their policy actually is.— their policy actually is. the prime minister needs _ their policy actually is. the prime minister needs to _ their policy actually is. the prime minister needs to misrepresent l their policy actually is. the prime i minister needs to misrepresent me their policy actually is. the prime - minister needs to misrepresent me to make his point. i don't need to misrepresent him to make my point! the truth is he didn't think this through. cutting winter fuel payments isn'tjust callous, it may not make savings, you could actually cost us all more and that's not the only policy which is making things worse. the chancellor's budget is a body blow to family businesses and also charities. marie curie have warned that labour's budget would cost them nearly £3 million a year. this is a cancer charity saying they have no option but to reduce services. did the chancellor tell the prime minister that had jobs tax was going to hit charities? she the prime minister that had “obs tax was going to hit charities?_ was going to hit charities? she has asked three _ was going to hit charities? she has asked three questions _ was going to hit charities? she has asked three questions about - was going to hit charities? she has| asked three questions about winter fuel, leaving out... i will come to that. but she has changed her mind on this. she used to say the payments were a dead weight, she

said there were members of her constituency who didn't need it and they all stood in 2017 on a manifesto that committed to getting rid of the universal winter payments for pensioners. you can see what their real commitment is. as for the budget, we are driving up productivity... budget, we are driving up productivity. . ._ budget, we are driving up roductivi ~ . m productivity... prime minister. mr seaker, productivity... prime minister. mr speaker. we _ productivity... prime minister. mr speaker. we are _ productivity... prime minister. mr speaker, we are driving _ productivity... prime minister. mr speaker, we are driving up - speaker, we are driving up productivity, prosperity and living standards. that is a pay rise for the 3 million who were the lowest paid, they should welcome that. a pay rise for those working in the nhs and better than expected wage growth just before christmas. what unites all three, delivered by labour, opposed by the tories. i don't know what world he is living in. the economy is shrinking and they did not think this jobs tax through or who it would impact.

another area affected is the hospice sector. hospices believe the budget will cost them an extra £30 million. yesterday, conservatives voted to exempt social care, nurseries, charities and hospices from their jobs tax. labour voted this down. can the prime minister at least agree to fund hospices so

armed forces and our emergency services and wish them a merry christmas. mr speaker, march 2025 marks 20 years since the death of the only member of parliament to have held all four great offices of state, the foreign secretary, the home secretary, the chancellor and the prime minister. mr speaker, james callaghan was a true portsmouth great and went to the same school as another true portsmouth great, my dad, terry nolan. does the prime minister back

my bid for a plaque to be added to his former home and will he come along to portsmouth next year to unveil it? i along to portsmouth next year to unveil it? ., ~ ., unveil it? i thank her for her question- — unveil it? i thank her for her question- jim _ unveil it? i thank her for her question. jim callaghan - unveil it? i thank her for her question. jim callaghan was| unveil it? i thank her for her. question. jim callaghan was a unveil it? i thank her for her - question. jim callaghan was a joint of the labour movement and a great public servant. he left school at 17, served in our