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along with these other television providers giving you front row seats to democracy. >> and now british prime minister's question time. prior to question time members are finishing up other business and now live to the floor of the british house of commons. [shouting] >> halfway there, halfway there. >> before we come to prime minister's questions, i would like to point out the british sign language interpretation of the proceedings is available on live tv.

>> question number one. >> prime minister. >> this week is terrorist weekend i'm sure the whole house will want to join me in thanking the millions of carriers across the uk for all they do to support their loved ones. we've seen the vital role they have played in our communities during the pandemic and we all know them a debt of gratitude. through our reforms on adult social care this government is committed to continuing to support carriers. this morning i had made his with ministerial colleagues and others in addition to my duties in this house, i shall have further such meetings later today. >> thank you, mister speaker. may i associate myself with the prima straps remarks about the importance of carriers. this week's events demonstrated just how low this prime

minister is and that is only in his own party. the administration is too distracted by internal divisions to deal with the challenges we face, can the prime minister explain 148 why should the country? >> i think the honorable lady for her question and i can assure her in a long political career so far i have of course picked up -- barely begun, picked up political opponents all over. that is because this government has done some very big and very remarkable things that some don't necessarily approve of

and absolutely nothing and no one least of all is going to stop us. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the whole house will unite behind the prime minister on his determination to hold ukrainian war criminals to account but is he aware there are 5 alleged rwandan war crimes perpetrators living freely in the uk who have been doing so now for 16 years and have neither been extradited nor put before the british court under our existing laws. are we prepared to go to commonwealth heads of government meeting in rwanda, it is bound to be raised with it and will he reassure the house and the rwandan government he takes these matters extremely seriously and

what has so far been just -- justice massively delayed for 60 years will not be denied. >> i think the honorable frank for his question and he raises an issue of which the uk has campaigned for a long time. no country is more committed than we are to bringing war criminals to justice. the deputy prime minister has raised the subject recently with the international criminal court. as he knows, i will take it up. it is the subject of an ongoing investigation. it would not be appropriate. >> we come to the leader of the opposition. >> thank you, mister speaker. i couldn't make out whether the introductory noise was cheers or boos.

the trouble is i don't know if it is directed at me or him. i join the prime minister about caring. why did his culture secretary along the bench say that successive conservative governments left our health service wanting and inadequate when the pandemic hit? >> everybody knows when the pandemic hit it was an entirely novel virus which the whole world was unprepared and nobody at that stage, nobody knew how to test for it, nobody knew what the right quarantine rules

should be but as it happens the uk government and our amazing nhs produced not only approved the first vaccine anywhere in the world, we were the first to get it into anybody's arms and the fastest rollout anywhere in europe none of which would have been possible. >> the prime ministers just agreed with the culture secretary. perhaps he said it but didn't deny it. perhaps she said it because it is true. it starts with gps, people unhappy with the service they were getting before the pandemic. not enough gps, too hard to get deployment. that is why he promised 6000 new gps but the health secretary admits he won't keep

that promise. despite the hard work of doctors, people can't see a gp in person, they are unhappier than ever with gp services. if gp provision was wanting and inadequate before the pandemic, what is it now? >> i am afraid he is simply wrong because -- is wrong about what we are doing. of course we've got to clear -- everybody understands the pressure the nhs is under but they are responding magnificently and i can tell him thanks to the steps the government has put in we have 4300 more doctors, record numbers in training and 11,800 more nurses this year than last year, mr. speaker, 72,000 in training and that is because the investment

we put in which was opposed by the party opposite and the only reason we were able to make that investment is a strong and robust economy thanks to the decisions we took. >> mr. speaker, of course he talks big but i have a letter here to the prime minister from the honorable member from south herefordshire. he said the government seems to lack a sense of mission. it has a large majority, no long-term plan. the prime minister's big plan act is so tired that even once loyal mps don't believe him. it is not just waiting for a gp, it is waiting for all nhs treatments. take cancer. for over a decade, waiting times for cancer care have been going up.

's solution was supposed to be diagnostic pumps. the health secretary has been on a victory lap this week but here's the rub, prime minister. since they were open to last year 135,000 extra people are now waiting for scans. can he think of a better way to describe soaring cancer waiting lists van wanting and inadequate? >> it is entirely right after the pandemic that people are now coming forward to get there cancer tests and we have actively encouraged that, that is the right thing for people to do so as a result of the community diagnostic hubs we are bringing in, 100 of them across the country, we are able to cut the time for cancer diagnosis, help people get their scans, their tests faster

and above all we can do that because we are hiring more radiographers, hiring more nurses, hiring more professionals in our nhs because the investments we make about the party opposite tragically opposed. >> the problem is the cancer weights have been going up for 10 years and they are even higher now so blaming the pandemic just won't wash. perhaps the culture secretary was talking about the state of nhs buildings before the pandemic the nia's said they were a risk to patients. the government's response, paint jobs and fix ups pretending that was the same as building new hospitals. the treasury and cabinet office don't think they will be delivered. take university hospital, the ceiling is falling in, the roof

leaks, staff have to hose down the pipes to stop them freezing over. failure to fix wanting and inadequate nhs buildings is putting patients at risk, isn't it? >> this line of criticism is satirical coming from a labor government, attacking our hospital building program when they were the authors of the pfr, they were. and what we are doing instead is building 48 new hospitals, yes we are, thanks to the biggest capital investment program in the history of the nhs. from memory we put 33 billion pounds us and as we came in and another 92, plus another 39

million, they opposed that funding. they don't have a leg to stand on. we are building the foundation for the future and they should support it. >> can i just say to both of you and the two over here, the four of you could have a nice cup of tea if you wish. >> oh dear. prime minister. pretending -- mr. speaker -- pretending -- prime minister, pretending no rules were broken didn't work, pretending the economy is

booming didn't work and pretending to build 40 new hospitals won't work either. they want him to change but he can't. as always with this prime minister when he is falling short he just changes the rules and lowers the bar. in march he proposed changing the nhs contract, he wents to double the length of time patients wait for surgery from one year to two years. on top of that he scraps 0-tolerance of a 12 hour wait, 24 hours used to be a tv program, now it is his policy. he is telling all of them -- >> order! . we've got a tea party. i'm sure you don't want to be

part of it. i will hear the question. >> if i were you and one or 2 of you might be going early, i will ask you the question and i expert to hear the answer. >> mr. speaker, this was organized on monday. he is telling them he's going to turn over a new leaf. why not start by scrapping his plans to greenlight wanting and inadequate nhs bandits. >> mr. speaker, i've got to tell you, this line of attack is not working. it is not working because they refuse to approve. >> i think the two of you need to calm down. please. hang on. we don't want to see an empty

bench, prime minister. >> we have not only raised the standard in the nhs but also reducing waiting times. what we are doing more fundamentally is what the people of this country concede is common sense, using a reckoning strength to invest in doctors and nurses, get people, giving people their tests in a more timely manner, taking our nhs forward. we are on -- on target to recruit 50,000 more nurses. >> thanks to the investment. i will just repeat this, thanks to the investment, why they opposed us. >> mr. speaker, raising taxes because

you failed the economy isn't a plan for the nhs, everyone sitting behind him knows it. members of this cabinet admit they left the health -- health system inadequate once they quit. he has been in power for three years and things are getting worse, not better. more waits for cancer tests, buildings still crumbling and he changed the rules to cover up his failure and there is real human pain as a result. i spoke to hamza who plays 70 professional football, he tore his acl earlier this year. because of the two year wait for surgery he had to crowd fund for private operation. i also spoke -- last year his mother woke up unable to breathe.

he called 999 six times. and his last call, he said, i rang an hour ago for an mp months, she had difficulty breathing. now she is dead. he must admit they deserve better than a wanting and inadequate government utterly unable to improve our nhs. >> i think everybody in the house has sympathy with the constituents and their families that he mentioned. i share that but when you look at what this government is doing, i must say this to him. we are making call also

investments in our nhs, we are supporting fantastic nhs and he said we had the worst covid record in europe, turned out to be completely untrue and he still hasn't retracted it. we can make those investments because of the strength of the uk, fiscal firepower we have to deploy. the lowest unemployment now since 1974 and we will continue to grow our economy for the long-term. he asked about the mission of this government, to unite the whole country for one reason, unleash the potential of our entire country, the biggest program in history for young people, raising literacy for 11-year-olds, 65% adequacy toward 90%, the highest objective under the government to achieve. expanding homeownership for

millions of people. cutting the cost of business to make this the enterprise center of europe. high wage, high skilled jobs for this country. i'm going to get on with mine and i hope he gets on with his. >> i didn't know you were so popular, come en. >> changing the subject completely, in northeast harford sure we are concerned about sewage overflows into our precious streets. this restricts the use of these precious streams for leisure. will the environment bill including important measures, i

welcome the fact the government has consulted on a reduction plan but where would we expect to see meaningful improvements, real reduction in the amount of sewage going into our river? >> thank you very much. the biggest investment by any government, we made clear the water companies must do more, mr. speaker and we already are seeing improvements but the regulator is insuring the water companies do more to deliver on their obligations, we will not hesitate to take further action is needed. >> ian blackburn. >> can i associate myself with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition? mr. speaker, week after week i have called on this prime minister to resign.

i have been met with a wall of noise from the tory benches. i thought they were trying to shout me down but all this time -- but all this time, mister speaker it turns out 41% of them have been cheering me on. mister speaker, let's be clear, at least the numbers don't lie. 41% have no confidence in him, 66% of mps across the house don't support him and 97% of scottish mps want minister for the union shown the door. we now have a lame-duck prime minister presiding over a divided party in this united kingdom. how does the prime minister expect to continue when even unionist leaders in scotland

won't back him? >> i want to thank you for your characteristic warm words and i one to say the most powerful and effective advocate to the united kingdom has been that man there. don't know how long he is going to last. long may he. he is the arrow date keeping our kingdom together. >> i can see the prime minister -- aiken say for the prime minister i will be standing shoulder to shoulder as we take our country independent, mr. speaker, the prime minister is acting like monty python's

black noise, running around declaring it's just a flesh wound, no amount of delusion and denial will save the prime minister from the truth, this story won't go away until he goes away. for once in his life he needs to wake up to reality. prime minister, it is over, it is done. the prime minister has no options left but scotland does. scotland has the choice of independent future. it is not just the prime minister we have 0 confidence in. it is the broken westminster system of that put a man like him in power. can apply minister tell us, scotland is stuck with the prime minister we don't trust, a conservative party we don't support and tory government we haven't supported since 1955.

>> we have a referendum in 2014, he should respect the mandate of the people. he keeps saying he wants independence for his country. our country is independent, mr. speaker. he tried 48 time to reverse this and the only way that independence would be revoked is the disaster of all labor smp coalition to take us back into the year betty dube. >> earlier this week the prime minister said you cannot spend your way out of inflation, you cannot tax your way into growth, we will cut the cost of government. i completely agree. when can i suggest a strong start, that he scrapped the

inflated white elephant that is hs 2, saving the government tens of billions of pounds from a budget that is spiraling out of control. >> in case she missed what else i said, we are cutting taxes, mister speaker. for everybody who pays national insurance contributions by an average of 330 pounds just next month and as for hs 2, what it will do is long-term growth and prosperity for the whole of the country, delivering more revenue, putting us in better position to cut taxes in the future. >> today we hear reports that the prime minister refused to consult the first treasury counsel in his plans to ripoff a protocol and although this

question might not be dominant but given the prima straps casual record of casual lawbreaking will he give a commitment to the people of northern ireland that he will not break international law anytime soon? >> the reports he has seen this morning are not correct and i can also tell him that the most important commitment everybody in this house has made is to the balance and symmetry of the friday agreement, that is our highest legal international priority and that is what we must deliver. >> the north wales mainline railway has seen little investment for over a century. in practice this means jobs at manchester, accessible to many of my constituents for the 2 hour commute where is a similar journey southeast of the country is 45 minutes so will

my right honorable friend insurer the north wales line within the updated rail network pipeline, the decision to develop stage? >> i think my honorable -- i'm a great enthusiast for this. we are looking at it and i can tell him, we've received funding to carry visibly work on improving north wales's mainline journey time, travelers in north wales have no more effective advocates. >> thank you. despite the prima straps promises of new hospitals and more doctors and nurses, my local hospital is temporarily shut and at risk of permanent closure due to staff shortages and lack of resources, the reality on the ground is after 12 years of conservative mismanagement the nhs is broken. can the prime minister explain

to my constituency why despite his promises they are forced to travel miles to give birth and why his government voted against an effective long-term workforce proposed by his right honorable friends, the members of southwest tory. >> thank you very much. i will look into what has happened at the center she mentioned but what i can tell her is across the country we are investing massively in premises and technology, diagnostic centers. for the party opposite to criticize is frankly absurd, they voted against the health and care levy that is putting billions into our nhs. they need to support the position or not. >> will my right honorable friend join me for 2025.

the representation of what can be done, must really be extraordinary. in 2025, celebrate the bicentennial of the passage of the railway which will disrupt people. i believe my right honorable friend is the best person to lead to the northeast and to that end, encourage progress on the development, reinvigorate the timeline and help the deal to county durham. >> i think my honorable friend, he and i campaigned, i've been following his campaign for a long time. i was told of the part of transport is currently reviewing the business case for exactly what he just requested. we are putting the funding in, mister speaker, unlike anything

the party opposite ever could have delivered. >> thank you, mister speaker. monday's confidence about the prime minister secured the support of just two of scotland's 59 mps, that means the massed ranks of his conservative colleagues, got as much support as the pandas in edinborough zoo. the prime minister is an intelligent man, he must know that position is untenable at if he's not going to do the decent thing and resign as prime minister, surely it is past time he wrote a letter of resignation to himself to stand down as minister to the union. >> thank you very much. i redirect the honorable gentlemen to what i said to the right honorable gentlemen the leader of the snp because the more they campaign in the current circumstances for breaking up our united kingdom,

with all the strength and merits that it has the more damage they do to their own case. >> thank you, supporting adults with a variety of mental health challenges, learning disabilities and conditions such as dementia last week the princess center in my constituents hello celebrated 10 years as an independent daycare provider. my recent visit, it is clear what a happy, welcoming and supportive atmosphere was created for all service users so will my right honorable friend the prime minister join me in thanking and congratulating the manager, her whole team of staff volunteers and trustees for delivering this first-class service, it is a hop, skip and jump, will he deliver those congratulations in person? >> i think my honorable friend. i also join him in thanking the

entire team, everything they do and under the circumstances the kind invitation. >> mister speaker. i have more sympathy for the word to get on with the job if it actually started in the first place. two weeks ago the prime minister told the house to the best of my knowledge everybody is getting their passport within 4 to 6 weeks but the passport office is courting a 10 week service time. many of my constituents --

cancel summer trips could cost families over 1 billion pounds. does the prime minister accept the passport office backlog is placing additional pressure on families already struggling with a cost of living crisis? >> what we are doing, 90 one% are getting their passport within 6 weeks, i can tell him, we are putting hundreds and hundreds more staff into the passport office. the strength of demand is a sign of the economy. everyone is -- when it comes to traveling chaos, have we met any condemnation yet for the observation from the rmp?

>> thank you, mister speaker. my right honorable friends know we are facing unrealistic housing charges putting pressure on the council to bring forward a local plan, the loss of spaces like -- all in the name of meeting an arbitrary target. can my right honorable friend assure my constituents who are facing this level of overdevelopment there will be greater flex ability on housing so the council can produce a local plan that delivers the appropriate housing but protects sites like these. >> i think my honorable friend, she speaks, i know, we want to make sure councils are able to build in the right place, sensitively to local leaders and that is what we insist on but i want to make clear part of the merit, the genius is that it will encourage us to

take some of the pressure, some of the heat from the southeast of england which has been overburdened for decades and we can do it. >> my constituent is trying to sponsor assistance from ukraine to come to the uk, these were housed in dangerous temporary accommodation in montenegro for several weeks while the uk home office refused to process the application of the younger sister because she is 13 and traveling without her parents even though she had her 18-year-old sister with her. the 18-year-old sister is in london, the 13-year-old sister has been sent back to her hometown in ukraine which is under siege. can i ask the prime minister can he tell you does he think sending vulnerable children back to a war zone is the right policy?

>> of course i understand her indignation about the case she mentions and i know my right honorable friend the home secretary will be looking into it but i have to say the record of this country in processing 120,000 visas for ukrainians is creditable. i think the staff who have been involved in that effort. >> my friends will remember that in march i asked about increased research funding as called for by the dissection charitable approach. will the prime minister update me on the progress with this? will he recognize the immense value of the patient awareness videos introduced, featuring whispering harris survivors relative to patients to help those going through this awful condition for the first time? >> i think my honorable friend

for her fantastic work on this and i know the circumstances that give her understanding of this campaign. i can tell her the national institute for health research is looking at was more we can do to support research under section. >> thank you, the ukrainian freedom office or and symphony orchestra visited the uk for a performance of the festival of the venue. while other european countries are waving their visas, to get to the uk the musicians are facing visa delays and prohibiting visa costs of 18,000, and 10,000, respectively. we should be doing all we can to support them. will the prime minister match our european neighbors in enabling them to talk to the uk this year by expediting their visa applications?

>> i think she needs to bring a particular case to my right honorable friend, but i can tell the house -- many honorable members are showing a lead by having ukrainians stay in their own homes. i think the honorable member, the team the uk government put in place, we should be proud of what we are doing. >> the prime minister knows from his visit the we enjoy miles of beautiful interrupted because line but since last year we've seen thousands of dead and dying crustaceans washing ashore. an investigation is this led -- this report did nothing to support the fishermen left devastated by this freak event through no fault of their own. will permit us to look at how to support this vital industry to get them back on their feet?

>> my honorable friends and i are working together on the seafront. when somebody raised this very point with us, i can tell him that we ruled out chemical pollution but we are looking at, we are making another hundred million pounds of investments including in communities such as his and working with the fishing industry to help them recover from this problem. >> the highest fuel costs through resources with higher standing charges and higher -- belgium assures the social terror for the poorest and most vulnerable, the pernicious euphemism of self disconnection when in fact it is a politically imposed choice, not something chosen by individuals.

to provide a social tariff, siegel the injustice? >> i think him and i can tell him what we are doing in the immediate, right now, is helping 8 million households across the country with 1200 pounds of support, 400, 300 pounds for those who received the cold-weather payments plus 400 pounds, mister speaker, for every household in the country and that is the support we are getting right now for the cost of energy and the only reason we can do it as i said before is the strength of the economy, the brave calls we got. >> right. >> the honorable member has

been here long enough to the statements, we don't need to tell on the rules of the house. [inaudible conversations] >> here on connell: we leave the british house of commons at this point. a reminder, you can see this week's session again sunday night at 9:00 eastern and pacific on c-span. a student who survived the shooting in texas by smearing herself and her friend's blood and playing dead testifies and house oversight hearing on gun violence this one. we will hear from victims families from buffalo, new york, that is live at 10:00 am on c-span 3, c-span now, free mobile video apps or online, c-span.org.

after months of closed door investigations, the house january 6th committee is set to go public, starting thursday committee members question key witnesses about what transpired and why during the assault on the us capitol. our live coverage begins thursday at 8 p.m. eastern on c-span. our free mobile video apps, c-span now, or online, c-span.org. >> american history tv saturday on connell: exploring the people and events that tell the american story. join us at 8:30 eastern for live coverage of the american political history conference from purdue university, historians and authors from across the nation discussed the past, present and future of democracy with an array of topics like energy policy, president will scandals, the history of redline and public housing and at