meanwhile, senate democratic leader chuck schumer tweeted this in response. given that the president doesn't see a deal between democrats and the white house, we believe the best path forward is to continue negotiating with our gop counterparts in congress instead. rather than going to the white house for a show meeting, we found the senate majority leader and speaker ryan to meet this afternoon. and house democratic leader nancy pelosi sent this out. we don't have any time to waste in addressing the issues that confront us but we are going to continue to negotiate with republican leaders who may be interested in reaching an agreement. at the british house of commons this past week prime minister teresa may face several questions on exit negotiations as well as trade relations with the eu and border issues that we northern ireland and the republic of ireland. the president was also asked about the resignation of zimbabwe's president after 37 years in power and house transition british citizens living in the country. >> . >> questions to the prime minister. >> question mister speaker.

>> mister speaker, i'm sure that members across the house will join me in congratulating tara clark on her appointment as navy of the blackboard. >> she will be the first woman to hold a roll and expose the 650 year history and to be offered her best wishes. this mister speaker, i have mornings with ministerial colleagues and brothers and in addition to my duties i shall have served meetings in places today thank you mister speaker. mister speaker, the bbc is currently broadcasting a documentary series targeting my constituency. it has catastrophic impact of drugs and drug lords not just on users but on the police and innocent bystanders. will the prime minister commit to watching judge land and to all royal commission on our drug laws which are greatly failing.

>> i need to say that to the home office on my right honorable friend launched the government strike strategy only a matter of weeks ago.ec it is, we recognize the importance of this issue. drugs definitely affect people's lives and sadly we also see people dying as a result of drugs, taking drugs but also decriminalization that takes place around drugs. we take it so seriously, that's why we've launched our strategy. >> nigel stern. >> family breakdown takes an emotional toll on all those involved but the family dynamic overlooked is that between grandparents and grandchildren. access to their grandchildren is removed or blocked, some grandparents call this a form of living bereavement. with the prime minister joined me in thousands of grandparents across the country and calling for a change in the loss to give grandparents access rights to their grandchildren and as is the case in france? >> that's absolutely right

that grandparents do play an important role in their grandchildren. we can all i'm sure sympathize with those who experienced the anguish when they're presented with seeing their grandchildren. as the relationship ends. when making decisions about the child's future the first consideration must be the child's welfare but the law already allows families to alter the child's to spend time with their engrandparents and i understand that my honorable friend minister stays for justice and i'm sure that the ministry of justice and the department of education will consider the point carefully. >>. >> speaker, i joined the prime minister in congratulating the new author of the blackboard and i'm that the woman at the position.. but mister speaker, i hope the whole house, i will the whole house will join me in spending solidarity following the atrocious suicide bombing

which killed 50 people in eastern nigeria. we should speak with sympathy for those who have lost loved ones and the obvious trauma they are all going through. >> mister speaker, the irish prime minister who has discussed breaks it with the british government say sometimes it doesn't seem like we thought all this through. t so can the prime minister reassured him by clearly outlining the government's policy on the irish cornet. >> first of all, i'm glad the gentleman is welcome to us or the black law. i hope it doesn't take 650 years before the labour party has their. [cheering] on the second issue, on the second issue of the day, suis the fact that has

taken place in eastern nigeria and i'm sure we condone the whole house for these exits. he also asked me to outline our policy in relation to the board of northern ireland and republic of ireland. i've done so on a number of occasions. he also made clear, we are very clear, first of all that in relation to that common travel area will continue to operate as it has done since 1923 and on trade and movement of goods and services across the border, we will not see a hard border being introduced to wheat will do our structure and order. >> the speaker yesterday, the foreign secretary said there can be no border, that would be unthinkable. navy but they had 17 months to come up with an answer to this question and there still is no answer to the question because they've not been engaged with the negotiations properly. there's another person mister

speaker who doesn't think the negotiations are going to well and that's the right honorable member working him. it was a very enthusiastic campaign for braxton but also a busy man finds time to be the chief global strategist to charles stanley investments. and he recently advised clients to invest aselsewhere as the uk is hitting the bricks. does the prime minister take advice from the member of from working him and does she agree with them? >> before i can address the first issue right honorable gentlemen, we have been ne engaging fully in the negotiations in relation to northern island and other issues with negotiations and indeed significant progress has been made. that wider example i said, that's why i said we have got agreements on the common op travel area.

he said we haven't put any ideas about the border out actually e to say we published a paper back in the summer on the immigration. we are very happy to move to further detailed discussion of the relationship. we will have not just between northern ireland and the republic but between the united kingdom and the european union. that doesn't mean moving on page into the question to the right honorable gentlemen is if he thinks it's so important, why does his own and the vote against it? >> mister speaker, the eu's chief negotiator the financial sector will lose its current rights in trade with europe. it seems neither eu negotiations or the government have any ideawhere this is going. last week , the brexit secretary said he would

guarantee free movement from bankers post brexit. any other groups to whom the prime minister believes the movement should apply? nurses, doctors, teachers, scientists, agricultural workers, who? >> i'm very interested that the right honorable gentlemen has found that his appearances have been going so well he had to borrow a question from the leader of the democrats he obviously asked me last week week. that's compared to what happens in the prime minister's question. we have utbeen absolutely clear that we will be introducing new immigration rules and as we introduce those rules, we will take account of the needs s of the british economy in doing so. that's why my right honorable friend the home secretary has asked the advisory committee to advise on all we do on those areas where we need to

pay particular attention to migration coming into the united kingdom. we won't get on to deal with the question of the future traderelationships that we have with the european union but we also , i am also optimistic about the opportunities that will be available to these countries and about the deal that we can get from the negotiations we are having. the right honorable gentlemen can't even decide whether he wants the union out or in. >> in april mister speaker, the brexit secretary was confident the european sanction authority would be staying in london. now he can't even guarantee banks having a right to trade with europe. last week, the government voted down, the government voted down labor amendments to protect workers rights. the foreign secretary described employment regulation as and i quote,

backbreaking. and repeatedly promised you and i quote again, to scrap the social chatter. one while she guarantee workers rights or does she agree with fothe foreign secretary on these matters? >> we have guaranteed workers rights. we have introduced a bill in the house of commons that guarantee workers rights and the labour party voted against it. >> mister speaker, the record is clear. this government voted down our ability to protect workers rights and the environment secretary, the environment viterry said he wanted a green brexit yet again, conservative mps voted down labor amendments to guarantee environmental protection. on the fifth of december mister speaker the european finance minister summarily explained to address the issue of tax dodging as

exposed by the paradise papers. there the table.proposals on to protect tax havens like bergamot, new transparency rules, the tax intermediary and mandate every country by country reporting for profit. will the prime minister frankly take these proposals or is he still threatening to turn britain into a tax haven? >> i'll take no lecture from the labour party. on being tax avoiders and tax evasion. 160 billion pounds as a result of actions taken by conservative big government. 75 new measures to deal with tax avoidance and tax evasion and i'm pleased to say that recently, hmrc won an important case on tax avoidance in the supreme court which means a further 1

billion pounds coming to the united kingdom.he may talk about tax avoidance and tax evasion in this government but it's amajor request . >> the speaker predecessor blocked a eu wide proposer for a public register of trust and the ticonservative mps have voted down labor amendments that deal with tax avoidance.mister speaker, when it comes to brexit, this government is in a shambles. order. order. far too many members on both sides of the house in a frenetic and frankly outlandish party, both sides, he should seek to imitate the zen -like calm and statesmanship of the father of the house. [laughter] i have much in

common with zen, mister speaker. mister speaker, 17 months, i understand mister speaker the tory wits of the date choreographing who to shout at who in the chamber. you're making a very bad job of it. mister speaker, 17 months south of the referendum, they say there can be no hard border but haven't worked out how. they say they will protect workers rights, then vote against it.they say they will protect environmental rights, then vote against it. they say they will protect tax avoidance, but vote against it time and time again. and mister speaker, once again opthe foreign secretary voiced his opinions as the

environment secretary saying energy s insufficient going into these brexit negotiations. their words, mister speaker, not mine. isn't it true this government has no energy, no agreed plan, no strategy to deliver a good brexit for britain. >> can i say to the right honorable gentlemen, you talk about voting against tax avoidance measures. it was the labour party that if you refused to allow tax avoidance measures in the general election. he should look at his own record. he talks about people taking different opinions. i might remind himon monday , perhaps he would like to listen to this. [cheering] on monday when we opened that important piece of legislation in relation