brian: we are out of time. this is a memoir and it is called never look in american in the eye. our guest is okey ndibe. thank you very much. okey: thank you very much for having me. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> q and a programs are also available as c-span podcast.

[captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2016] announcer: c-span's washington journal. coming up, next cannabis association cofounder talks about the future of the marijuana legislation effort. activists hope for cannabis

regulation. goals andk about the brandon would like to see the chunk administration focus on. join the discussion. announcer: sunday on c-span's "q&a." announcer: coming up next, prime minister's questions at the british house of commons. then president obama gives a at the endeporters of an economic summit in lima, peru. and then another chance for q&a nidibe.hor okey she talked about the lack of a plan. she commented on the results of the u.s. election and relations with the new trial government. this is just over 40 minutes.

mr. corbyn: questions to the prime minister? >> wendy martone. >> number one, please. >> >> >> thank you, mr. speaker. i am sure that the whole house will join me and respecting -- expressing our condolences to the family and friends of seven people who lost their lives and those who were injured in the tragic tram incident last wednesday. and we also want to thank those involved in the rescue. mr. speaker, this morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. in addition to my duties in this house i shall have further , meetings later today. >> wendy morton. >> thank you, mr. speaker. well the prime minister join me in welcoming today's news that the unemployment rate has fallen? [pandemonium] >> and want she join me in thanking all those businesses that create jobs, the funeral home i was kindly asked open in my constituency last weekend?

p.m. may: i absolutely agree with my honorable friend, and i am pleased to say that employment in her constituency of alters band hills has gone up by and it is good to hear that 80,000 companies are opening new jobs, as she has indicated. the employment figures show the strength and fundamentals of our economy, with employment rates never being higher, the unemployment rate the lowest than it has been in more than a decade. i am sure that members on all sides of this house will also want to welcome yesterday's news from google that they will be creating another 3000 jobs. [cheers] >> thank you, mr. speaker. could i concur with the remarks that the prime minister just made about the disaster last week? our sympathies to those who lost loved ones, and our solidarity with emergency workers who have gone through such trauma in

freeing people from the wreckage. mr. speaker it appears from , press reports that the islands -- the islanders who were expelled from their homes 40 years ago our going to suffer another injustice today with the denial of their right of return. yesterday, the foreign secretary told european media that brings -- that brexit would probably mean leaving the custom union. can the prime minister confirmed that is the case? p.m. may: can i say on the issue of the islands, there will be a written ministerial statement that will be in the house later today, so everybody will be able to see the position of the government is taking on that issue. on the question of the customs union, on the trading relationship that we have with other parts of the world once we have left the european union, we are preparing carefully for the formal negotiations.

[pandemonium] p.m. may: we are planning carefully for the formal negotiations. what we want to ensure is that we have the best possible trading with the european union once we had left. mr. corbyn: i asked the prime minister about the foreign secretary's remarks about leaving the custom union. he's only a few places down from her. why don't we have the foreign secretary come forward and tell us what he has to say? [cheers] mr. corbyn: i'm sure we would all be better informed if he did. earlier this week, mr. speaker, a leaked memo says the government is -- [pandemonium] mr. corbyn: said the government is considerably short of having a plan for brexit. no common strategy has emerged, in part because of the divisions within the.

-- the divisions within the cabinet. the prime memo is as minister's press department says written by ill-informed , consultants. could she put the common strategy for brexit before parliament? p.m. may: yes, we do have a plan. [pandemonium] p.m. may: our plan is to deliver the best possible deal in trading. [pandemonium] p.m. may: our plan is to control the movement of people from the european union into the united kingdom. our plan is to go across the world and negotiate free-trade agreements.

and this government is united in its determination to deliver on the will of the british people and deliver brexit. and this can't decide whether to support brexit or not. mr. corbyn: i sympathize with the italian minister who said about her government, someone needs to tell us something, it needs to be something that makes sense. [cheers] mr. corbyn: isn't the truth that the government is making a shamble of brexit and no one understands what strategy actually is? p.m. may: of course those in the european union who we will be negotiating with will want us to set out at this stage every detail of our netiating strategy. if we were to do that, it would be the best possible way of ensuring that we got the worst results.

that's why we won't do it. [cheers] mr. corbyn: talking row of results, mr. speaker, the foreign secretary has been very helpful on this, because he informed the world that brexit means brexit, and beyond that we are going to make it titanic akaka success of it. [pandemonium] mr. corbyn: mr. speaker, taking back control, is that what brexit is to mean. she is getting advice from the foreign secretary. can we all hear it? >> yes! mr. corbyn: taking back control , mr. speaker, clearly requires some extra administration. one department estimates it needs a 40% increase in staff to cope with its brexit projection, an overall expectation of an

increased headcount of between 10000 and 30,000 civil servants. that estimate is wrong, can be prime minister tell the house exactly how many civil servants will be required to conduct the negotiations? or ministers seem to know. -- her ministers need to know. they are desperate for an answer. p.m. may: i repeat, we are doing the preparations necessary to the point where which we will start the complex negotiations with the european union. what i have done is set up a department for exiting the european union with my honorable friend, and he is doing a next one job. [cheers] -- an excellent job. [cheers] p.m. may: but i have to say that from the confusion he's got on his benches in relation to the issue of brexit, it's another example of labor.

we are getting on the job, he is not up to the job. [cheers] [pandemonium] mr. corbyn: mr. speaker, mr. speaker -- that's exciting, wasn't it. mr. speaker, i say to the honorable gentleman, calm yourself, man. you should seek to imitate the repose of your friendly member who is setting an example for all the members of the house. [cheers] mr. corbyn: i don't wish to promote any further divisions on their benches, mr. speaker. [pandemonium] mr. corbyn: mr. speaker, these are the most complex set of

negotiations ever undertaken by this country. the civil service has been cut down to its lowest levels since the second world war. the prime minister's main focus on to be coming up with a serious plan. but can i ask you to clarify something? when the supreme court needs in -- when the supreme court to meet in the beginning of december, if it decides to uphold the decision of the high court, will the chancellor this time defend our independent judiciary against any public attack? p.m. may: as the right honorable gentleman knows, there have been two cases in courts about the use of prerogative power. in ireland, the low court found in favor of the government, the high court found against the government. we are appealing to the supreme court. we will put the case to the supreme court. i believe come of this government believes, and the independence of our judiciary --

i believe, this government believes, and the independence of our judiciary will come for the arguments put before them. but we also believe that democracy is dependent on freedom of the press. mr. corbyn: on defending the independent judiciary, we all should be doing that. mr. speaker, we have an international development secretary who is opposed to overseas aid. [pandemonium] mr. corbyn: we have a health secretary who is running down our national service. we have a chancellor with no fiscal strategy. we have a chancellor who seems to have difficulty defending the judiciary. we have a brexit team with no plan for brexit, and as it has been shown, we have a prime minister who is not prepared to answer questions about what the actual brexit strategy is.

we need a better answer than what she has given us. [pandemonium] p.m. may: i will tell the right honorable gentleman what we've got. we've got an international development secretary acting on this government's commitment. we've got a health secretary delivering on 10 billion pounds -- [pandemonium] p.m. may: and we've got a chancellor making sure we have a stable economy that creates the wealth necessary to pay for a public servitude. but what we certainly have got is a leader of the opposition who is incapable of leading. [pandemonium] mr. corbyn: the prime minister understands that we are a one nation party for we are nothing, something our political opponents consistently underestimate to their cause. next week, will she continue to pursue this agenda with all the vigor she can muster?

and that includes increasing the allowance of the lower paid. [uproar] >> it's always interesting to hear the thoughts of the honorable lady. [uproar] they should not be articulated from a sedentary position. they will have to wait for another occasion. p.m. may: thank you, mr. speaker. before i answer my honorable friend's question, may i wish his wife the very best for what she is going through. he is right. we actually have a manifesto commitment to increasing the personal allowance, and that means what we have done already by increasing the personal and 11 a from the 4675 half thousand and here. we have cut income tax for 30

million people and taken 4 million people out of paying income tax altogether. that is important. that has helped people at the lower end of the income scale. >> angers robertson. >> we join the prime minister and the leader of the opposition in extending our condolences following the tragedy. mr. speaker, the institute for government which has close ties to the civil service has published a report that says that the u.k. government's push -- approach towards brexit is , i quote chaotic and , dysfunctional. brexit poses an existential threat to operations. the prime minister has a secretive approach towards brexit, and that the present situation is unsustainable. does the prime minister plan to carry on like this regardless? p.m. may: the right honorable gentleman will not be surprised when i tell him what the government is doing in relation

to brexit. as i said earlier the most , important thing for this government to do is calmly and carefully get on the job of preparing for complex negotiations. the most important thing we can do is make sure we are not giving the running commentary on those negotiations, because that would be the best way to get the worst deal for this country. >> angers robertson. >> on the days we hear that post street has become the international world of the year, we have a running commentary from the foreign secretary. he is prepared to tell the media in the czech republic that the united kingdom is likely to leave the eu customs union over -- customs union post-brexit but , still wants to trade freely afterwards. his calling from the netherlands that option does not exist and is impossible. both of these cannot be correct. will the prime minister

confirm today to the parliament and the country whether the eu is likely to leave the customs customs union -- leave the u.k. customs union, yes or no question mark p.m. may: the right honorable gentleman does not seem to understand that the customs union is not just a binary division, but let's set that to one side. [uproar]

speaker berkow: order! order! order! order! you are in a very emotional condition. i normally regard you as a steerable denizen of the house. try to recover your composure. >> crimes such as burglary and vehicle theft are down, but knife crime is on the increase, particularly perpetrated by drug users and steelers. this will be a priority for her majesty's government, and i will help in dealing with this very big challenge. p.m. may: i thank my friend for raising an issue that is important for everybody in this house. certainly the government will do everything it can. we have seen overall knife crime figures falling since 2009, but

i recognize the concerns my honorable friend of has shown. that is why the home office has inn supporting these forces legislation against knives and we have legislated a ban on dangerous knives, including zombie knives. we are putting tough sentences in place. we'll send a clear message we , will not tolerate knife crime in this country. >> shepherd. >> mr. speaker, many people in this country visit the united states every year to study on business, or simply to enjoy one of the greatest countries on earth. can i ask her what actions she would take if the new president-elect carries through on his campaign promise to discriminate against our citizens on the basis of their religion and will she give a commitment that the special relationship that the government

has with the u.s. presidency will be conducted for all citizens, irrespective of their race or religion? p.m. may: the relationship we have with the united states is very important for both the united states and the united kingdom. we will be continuing to build on that relationship. that was clear from the conversation i had with president-elect trump shortly after his election as president elect. but we of course want to ensure the dignity of our citizens. it is up to the united states what rules they put in place in terms of entry across their borders, but we will ensure that the special relationship continues in the interest of both the u.k. and the u.s. >> adria jenkins. >> i attended a infection prevention and control summit. it was hosted by the department of health, nhs, and other

organizations to increase -- two dramatically decrease the infection rates. it also raised the grave threat of e. coli. will my right honorable friends join me in commending events such as these and outlined the government's strategy in combating superbugs? p.m. may: she has raised a very important issue. it is right that they are doing a vital work to increase the -- to decrease infection rates. we have already seen good results of 57% reduction of m rsa bloodstream infections since 2010 and a 40% decrease in other infections. that's why we are setting bold objectives to halt negative blood infections by 2020, and last week we announced a new infection league. i am grateful to my honorable friend for raising the issue. >> free trade is absolutely vital to our future prosperity

and brexit does not mean rejecting globalization. will she insure that any trade deals with the wider world after brexit are based on the mutual recognition of standards and not based on the elaborate regulation that underpins the european market. p.m. may: first of all, i welcome the honorable gentleman's support for free trade. he is absolutely right and as we come out of the european union we will be looking to develop trade relationships around the world, to develop flexible trade arrangements around the world, which are those that suit the united kingdom. with the strength of our economy, i believe we can go out there and be a global leader in free trade. i welcome the honorable gentleman's support. >> chris phillips. >> last wednesday, seven people tragically died and 50 were injured in a crime accident in croydon. i am sure the whole house will join the prime minister, the leader of the opposition, and leader of the snn and extending snp in as nt -- the

extending our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. there are three investigations underway by british transport police, the office of the road and rail and the investigation force. can the prime minister assure the house and the families that any recommendations to improve safety on trams in croydon and across the country made by those investigations will be rapidly implemented by the government? p.m. may: once again, i joined my honorable friend in expressing our condolences to the families and friends of the people who died in this terrible incident -- terrible event that took place. our thanks to the emergency services. it is important that we allow these investigations to continue. they are able to come up with their recommendations in due course and we will look seriously at the recommendations. we can never be complacent about safety and security on these sorts of issues. we do need to make sure that if there are lessons to be learned, that they are indeed learned.

speaker berkow: closed questions. >> mr. neil gray. >> number four, please, mr. speaker. >> sorry. the government is committed to protecting the most vulnerable in society, including disabled people and those with health conditions, and when it comes to those currently receiving employment allowances, they will continue to receive the same level of financial support. we are ensuring that the support which is available is being concentrated on those who are most in need. we are also ensuring that support is available not just in benefits, but in a wide package able to help those who are unable to get into a workplace to reach the point where they are. >> neil gray. >> mr. speaker this week, the , prime minister said that there is change in the air area when -- and when people demand change, it is the job of politicians to respond. how will she respond to the

70 disability organizations who want these cuts to stop, or to the people on her side who have supported my cross party motion for debate which calls for these cuts to be halted? surely she must respond accordingly. [cheers] p.m. may: as i said, what we are doing is focusing on those most in need. for those in the support group their support has gone up. , we are giving extra support of those who are in the work related group who could get into the workplace to help them get into the workplace. it is also important not just to see this as an issue of benefits. it's about the whole package available, including the personal independence payments that provide the living cost for disability. i will gently remind the honorable gentleman that if he is concerned about the levels of payment in scotland, he might consult the scottish government about the new powers that they have. [uproar] p.m. may: and whether they intend to use those new powers, and how they respond to them.

>> mr. speaker, following the election of mr. trump, and given the progress made in our society both by women and those from ethnic minorities, what message of reassurance does the prime minister have for fat middle-aged white men who may feel that we have been left behind? [laughter] p.m. may: that's a very interesting point. if my honorable friend would like to come up and see me sometime. [laughter] >> lucy powell. >> in the state of the nation report, her government social mobility commission today issued a damming verdict on progress. things are getting worse.

they concluded that the key drivers of social mobility, quality and early education, narrowing the educational attainment gap, and access to work in housing world going backwards under her watch. so when will she come forward with a real strategy for opportunity for all, instead of six saving on creating an even -- instead of fixating on creating an even more elite education for those who are already elite? p.m. may: i noticed the social mobility commission has said that more working-class youngsters are benefiting from higher education than at any point in our history. the attainment gap has actually narrowed. she refers to grammar schools. i would refer her to a report by that's a report commissioned by

labor council in moseley on how they could improve achievement, and they said that improving grammar school is a transformative idea for working-class parents. [uproar] >> mr. drummond. >> today the cbc world service has announced its biggest expansion since the 1940's, including 11 new services in and with languages, the prime minister grew me that this is an excellent lifeline to people around the world? p.m. may: i absolutely agree with my honorable friend. i think that the service the bbc provides, the independent journalism it brings to millions of people around the world, is very important, including bringing it to people where free speech is limited. it is important we support them, and that's why we're investing 289 million over the next four years to the bbc world service.

>> mr. speaker, my constituency gets 25% of its research funding from the eu. and it benefits us to bring some of the finest researchers here. what guarantees can she give for research funding and improving academics? p.m. may: we have already given guarantees in relation to the research funding that is available from the eu, and those contracts will be signed. and he will know that we are able, already, within the immigration rules we have, ensuring the best and brightest will come to the eu. -- will come to the united kingdom. it was not that long ago that he was campaigning to come out of the european union. [uproar] >> johnny mercer. >> in committee yesterday, the historical allegations team has

actually placed veterans under surveillance in this country. i learned this. despite everything we have said, we have paid lawyers to go out and collect evidence. i know that the prime minister's commitments to this agenda, she would agree with you to work harder to close the gap between what we say and how it actually feels for our servicemen and women. p.m. may: my honorable friend recognizes an important point, and i recognize the concern. i understand the impact it is having on servicemen and women. i think it is important that we ensure that it conducts inquiries within a reasonable timescale scale, which it is now -- a reasonable timescale which , it is now set to do, that it weeds out those cases that are more frivolous. but i am sure he would accept

with me that where there are allegations -- credible allegations of criminal activities, that it should be properly investigating -- properly investigated. but i am very conscious to ensure that our servicemen and women, who do such a good job for us around the world, have the support that they need. >> martin hughes. >> i recently met him at the joint ministerial committee. is next meeting of that planned for earlier in the new year and the u.k. government engages with the scottish government on a whole range of issues. >> hold on, mr. speaker. there is a question in the whole of scotland but on the 22nd of june of this year, ruth davidson stated to those supporting leave about what we wanted to replace the single market. now that she is part of a

scotland outagging of the european union against its sovereign will, can she answer this? p.m. may: and on the 23rd of june, the people of the united kingdom voted to leave the european union, and that's what this government will deliver. [uproar] speaker berkow: the members shall not seek to shout down the prime minister. the question was asked, and the answer has been provided. >> albert costa. >> it is right that the prime minister had latitude to enter into negotiations with the eu. ote leavethe boat -- v campaign was clear that the rights of eu citizens would not be affected if this country voted to leave the eu. my parents are italian. they had never naturalized and have been in this country for 50 years. can the prime minister assure me that she will never lobby to take away the rights of my parents and millions of eu citizens? [uproar]

p.m. may: i recognize the personal passion with which my honorable friend raises the issue. i won't expect to be able to guarantee the rights of those eu citizens who are living here in the united kingdom, but i also want to see the rights of u.k. citizens living in the european union member states to begin teach as well. i had said previously that i -- to be guaranteed too. i had said previously that i would hope this is an issue on which we can discuss with our european colleagues at an early stage. [uproar] >> judith cummins. >> you mentioned the single greatest health crisis faced by this country. new figures reveal that dementia and alzheimer's disease are now andleading cause of death in bradford it takes four months from referral to diagnosis. will the prime minister pledged

to help people with dementia and introduce a service to those diagnosed with alzheimer's? p.m. may: i know it is a personal concern for her, and it is an issue that affects those across constituencies. we have set ourselves an ambitious target of 4 million dementia friends by 2020. we are you have 1.6 million of them. we have doubled research spending on dementia. and we have invested in the development of a dementia research institute. but she raises the issue of end of life care, and we are determined to transformative life care. that's why we have created the national end-of-life care program board. that will help implement the commitment to high-quality, personalized end-of-life care for all. she has raised an important issue. i am grateful to her for raising it, and i can assure her this is an issue on which the government is focused. >> dr. julian lewis. >> at the same time the government is restoring hundreds

of millions of pounds of funding to the bbc world service, there are no current plans to restore the very modest 20 million pounds a year it costs to run bbc monitoring. former members of the intelligence and security committee, such as lord campbell and i are dismayed that the bbc , is proposing to cut the service, close halverson park and break the publication with its american counterparts. will the prime minister agree to meet us and have a discussion before this disaster is visited on an incomparable source of open source information on which so many government departments and intelligence agencies depend? may: of course the staffing and provision is a matter for the bbc but we are very clear with the importance that this provides.

friendell my honorable that, as part of the bbc charter, we are actually talking with the bbc about the bbc monitoring role, that we believe will result in a improved government and not a reduced one. over worldcontrol events, but she should get a grip on the child abuse that she set up. eight senior lawyers, the latest tightening of concerns about competency and leadership. will she reassure me that there are further serious allegations that have been made to the inquiry panel that is gone uninvestigated. can she tell us whether she shared the full confidence in her secretaryat expressed moments ago, and if so, why?

>> -- is. may: i recognize this important to the honorable lady. thechampions the cause of victims and survivors. it the victims and survivors that we must always keep at the forefront of our minds. it is important that this inquiry continue. our point was made by honorable friend, the chairman of the new select committee. i have to say, having seen the ink the professor has done the inquiry that she undertook, i have absolute confidence in her ability to undertake this inquiry. >> during the election in the united states, president-elect trump stated that britain should be at the front of any trade. now he is elected president,

what action will her government that the to ensure trading conditions between the united states and the united kingdom improve question mark --? p.m. may: i mentioned earlier that we now have an opportunity and a trading relationship with the united states of america. that is something i will be discussing with president-elect,. >> too often social media is the weapon of choice for those who seek to bully and intimidate others. it was the weapon of choice used against my young constituents when his bullies try to rob him out of his own home, making his life industry.

will she agreed to meet to discuss how companies like facebook and twitter can be held people trying the to harass and bully others? p.m. may: social media is used with good intent and it is even used by political parties sometimes. but, i have to say to all, and he raises an important point, it can also be abused and ill used by people. there are members of his house is suffered significantly as a result of bullying and trolling on social media. the home office is aware of this as an issue. i spent time as home secretary talking to the companies about the responsibilities they have. this is an issue best addressed by the terms and conditions of the companies themselves. >> mr. philip davis.

>> in the sea of opposition from the conservative party at the time, the last labour government change the law to make sure all villains were released halfway through their sentence no matter if they pose a risk to the public. minister agree that prisoners should be released halfway through the sentence irrespective of how badly they behaved or what they pose to the general public? or does she agree that this is an outrage and must be reversed? point as the important my friend indicates that when decisions are taken about the release of prisoners, there is proper consideration of the impact that release will have on the wider community. that is why this is an issue that has been looked at.

i can assure him that when i was secretary this is an issue that was of concern. it is not about the condition under which prisoners are released. it is about how we ensure that we have systems in place to rehabilitate offenders. the work that has been done by previous justice secretary's and is being continued is important. can be prime minister confirm or deny if there have been any official conversations regarding getting nigel farage an appeal? p.m. may: such matters are normally never discussed in public. >> mr. graham evans. >> will my right and honorable

friend join the in welcoming the jobs and prosperity to the northwest region including north wells, therefore closing the north divide. [cheers] p.m. may: i know my honorable than has championed the cause of a chest tube. it shows we are willing to take the big decisions that will help our economy. >> now the very special relationship between the u.k. and the republic of ireland has splurged. a major part of that is the support in my constituency. the reason for it is free travel and both have enjoyed that within the european union that